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Cooperative Extension Service Montgomery County 106 East Locust Street Mt Sterling KY 40353-1404 (859) 498-8741, 8742 Fax: (859) 498-8712 montgomery.ca.uky.edu

Montgomery County Extension Agriculture News & Events

Greetings Farmers:

Sincerely,

Gary Hamilton, Agriculture & Natural Resources Agent

July 1, 2020

MONEY FOR FARM

IMPROVEMENTS AVAILABLE…

COUNTY AGRICULTURAL

INVESTMENT PROGRAM (CAIP)

Applications will be available for Montgomery Coun-ty’s CAIP to assist farmers in making important on-farm investments. Application Period: Wednesday July 1st - Friday, July 24th No applications will be accepted after 4:30 pm July 24th Application Availability: Montgomery County Conservation District Monday – Friday (8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) For More Information: Contact office at 859-498-5654 ext.3 or email: Nancy.Montgomery@usda.gov All applications are scored, based on the scoring criteria set by the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board. No cash purchases are eligible for reimbursement.

Eligible Cost-Share Investment Areas can be researched at http://agpolicy.ky.gov/funds/Pages/program-portal.aspx

Montgomery County

Conservation District

509 Willin Way, Suite 2

Mt. Sterling, KY 40353

859-498-5654 ext. 3

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2020 Montgomery County Farmer’s Market is Now Officially Open

The Montgomery County Farmers’ Market is now open every Wednesday and Saturday from 7:00 AM to 12:00 Noon, until Octo-ber 14th. The market is located at the Market Pavilion in downtown Mt. Sterling at 153 South Maysville Street. The Market is operating under Covid 19 guidelines for the safety of customers and vendors. The market offers a wide array of fresh locally grown produce for customers to choose from. Many Market vendor’s are accepting WIC and Senior Coupons and SNAP. Also, the market is offering Double Dollar Coupons to WIC, Senior and SNAP customers. We hope that everyone will come and support our local farmers.

Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Sign-Ups

On May 26, the USDA began accepting applications through the CFAP* from agricultural producers who have suffered losses. The application period ends August 29, 2020. This program includes $16 billion in direct payments to producers to help offset impacts from the pandemic, in-cluding direct losses as well as additional adjustment and marketing costs. You may be eligible for payments through CFAP* if: You produce cattle, hogs, dairy, specialty or row crops AND

Have suffered a five percent or greater price decline; or

Experienced losses due to market supply chain disruptions as a result of COVID -19; or Face additional, significant market costs. When applications open: Call the Montgomery County Farm Service Agency (FSA) office at 859-498-5654 Ext 2 to schedule an appointment. More information about the program and application requirements are available through the USDA’s website at farmers.com/CFAP.

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Kentucky Beef Quality and Care Assurance (BQCA) Certification Now Available Online

The Kentucky Beef Quality and Care Assurance (BQCA) Certification is now available online. Producers can access the online BQCA program by visiting kybeefnetwork.com or http://afs.ca.uky.edu/beef/irm and clicking on “Beef Quality & Care Assurance”. The Beef Quality & Care Assurance certification costs $5 and can be paid online prior to the accessing the course.

This online process is similar to how in-person BQCA trainings are conducted. Producers must complete Module A - BQCA Overview, and two of the other modules: B – Genetics and Han-dling, C – Proper Equipment and Additional Cattle Handling, and/or D – Veterinary Diagnostics Lab. Each module contains a video that must be watched before completing the corresponding test. Pro-ducers have multiple attempts to achieve a passing score of at least 85%, for each test.

Upon successful completion of the course, your training will be processed by the Kentucky Beef Network and your BQCA training card will be mailed to your county Extension office at the end of each month. If you should need your BQCA number sooner, you can call KBN at 859-278-0899 or email at kbn@kycattle.org.

If a farmer cannot access the online course or wishes to wait until in-person trainings are available, and they had a valid BQCA number on March 1, 2020, their existing BQCA certification will remain active until live trainings are available again. These steps have been approved by the Governor’s Office for Ag Policy staff for compliance in the CAIP program.

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Buttercups in Grazed Pastures

Dr. J.D. Green, Extension Weed Scientist - One of the signs that spring has arrived is when the yellow flowers of buttercup begin to appear, but it’s during the winter months that the vegetative growth of buttercup takes place. As a cool season weed, this plant often flourishes in over grazed pasture fields with poor stands of desirable forages. In fact, many fields that have dense buttercup populations are fields heavily grazed by an-imals during the fall through the early spring months.

Buttercups are sometimes classified as short-lived perennials, but often grow as winter annuals. Plants typically produce five, shiny yellow pet-als in the early spring. There are four different species of buttercups that may be found in Kentucky: bulbous buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus), creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens), tall buttercup (Ranunculus acris), and small flower buttercup (Ranunculus arbortivus). Although each of these plants may have somewhat similar flower heads, each of these buttercup species differs some-what in their vegetative leaf characteristics. New seed are produced during the time petals are showy. Waiting until after flowers appear can be too late to implement control tactics. This is one reason buttercups can survive year to year and new plants emerge each year.

Most buttercup plants emerge from seed during the fall or late winter months. Therefore, pasture management practices that improve and promote growth of desirable plants during these months is one of the best methods to help compete against the emergence and growth of this plant. Whereas, livestock animals allowed to overgraze fields during the fall and winter months is one of the main factors that contribute to buttercup problems. Mowing fields or clipping plants close to the ground in the early spring before buttercup plants can produce flowers may help re-duce the amount of new seed produced, but mowing alone will not totally eliminate seed produc-tion.

For chemical control, herbicides registered for use on grass pastures that contain 2,4-D will effectively control buttercup. Depending on other weeds present products that contain dicam-ba+2,4-D (eg. Weedmaster), aminopyralid (eg. ForeFront, Milestone), triclopyr (eg. PastureGard, Crossbow), or metsulfuron (eg. Cimarron) can also be used. However, legumes such as clovers interseeded with grass pastures can be severely injured or killed by these herbicide products. For optimum results apply a herbicide in the early spring (February - March) before flowers are ob-served, when buttercup plants are still small and actively growing. For best herbicide activity wait until daytime air temperatures is greater than 50 F for two to three consecutive days. Consult the herbicide label for further information on grazing restrictions, precautions, or other possible limita-tions.

For fields heavily infested with buttercup a variety of control tactics may be needed. Apply a herbicide to help reduce the population of buttercup plants in the spring plus use good pasture management techniques throughout the year to help improve and thicken the stand of desirable forages. This plant often flourishes in over grazed pasture fields with poor stands of desirable for-ages.

Buttercup Spray Program Signup

Was your pasture covered in small yellow flowers this spring? If so, you more than likely have the weed buttercup. If you did have pas-tures with severe buttercup problems, the Montgomery County Ex-tension Service is planning a buttercup spray program for February and March of 2021. Call the Extension Office at 859-498-8741 and ask to be put on a list to be notified of the program details when they are completed.

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Tobacco GAP Connections Training Deadline Extended

Originally Tobacco Growers had the deadline of June 30 to complete their 2020 GAP Connections Training. That deadline has been extended but, growers are en-

couraged to complete the training as soon as possible according to the GAP Connec-tions Office. Growers have the following 3 options to receive this training.

Online Training: GAPC is offering an online option for growers. Growers will need to go to www.gapconnections.com, sign-in using their Grower ID and pass-word, navigate to “Online Training” under Training on their dashboard and follow the instructions. Grow-ers completing online training, must score a 100% on the quiz after viewing the 2 videos. GAPC Staff have been resetting passwords dai-ly for growers. All the grower needs to do is call and ask for a password reset. Call 865-622-4606, ext. 107.

Mail Option: If requested, GAPC will mail a Tobacco Information booklet containing information from GAPC and Extension Tobacco Special-ists. To receive credit for 2020 GAP Training by mail, a grower must complete the quiz and return it to GAPC. GAPC mailed out this packet to all growers in the certifi-cation program. GAPC has been mailing packets to all other growers on request. Call 865-622-4606, ext. 107.

Visiting your local Extension Office: If guidelines allow Extension offices to be open, contact the agent about the possibility of video training (please note this is not available in all locations).

UK Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays Each week University of Kentucky County Ex-

tension Agents and Specialists bring an informative 20 to 30 minute program straight to your computer. Any of these programs will fulfill the 2020 Montgom-ery County CAIP Cost-Share Program Educational Requirements. Gary Hamilton, Montgomery Co. Ex-tension ANR Agent, will still have to sign your CAIP Education Certification paperwork if you choose this option. Here is the zoom link to watch upcoming pro-grams https://uky.zoom.us/j/566301042 Wednesdays at 2:00 PM

Upcoming Programs and Speakers * July 1: Homegrown Tomato Troubleshooting – Faye Kuosman

* July 8: Streamside Buffers – Amanda Gumbert

* July 15: Using IPM to Manage Insects in the Gar-den –Jessica Bessin

* July 22: Flower Garden Floral Design – Kara Back

* July 29: Tips and tricks for re-ducing disease in saved vege-table seed – Emily Pfeufer

Visit this site to view past recordings https://kentuckyhortnews.com/horticulture-webinar-wednesdays/.

Come Visit the Montgomery County Farmer’s Market

Wednesday & Saturdays from 7 am until 12 pm.

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Reaching Out While Locked In! Beef Management Webinar Series

During the last few month’s the University of Kentucky Extension Beef Specialists have offered a series of classes on-line. Below are the topics and links to these recorded classes. Watching any of these record-ed classes will fulfill the educational requirements of the 2020 Montgom-ery County CAIP cost-share program. Gary Hamilton, Montgomery Co. Extension ANR Agent, will still have to sign your CAIP Education Certification paperwork if you choose this option. The Bull and Handling Facilities Categories of CAIP will still require BQCA Certification.

Bull Buying While Maintaining Social Distancing – Darrh Bullock, Extension Professor

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/CFsg21fpi0E

Managing Calves for the Market – Kevin Laurent, Extension Specialist

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/9E1vF-eh5tQ

Preparing Cows for the Breeding Season – Les Anderson, Extension Professor

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/Y7pEusUoSkY

Recipe for Profit for Backgrounding and Stocker Enterprises – Jeff Lehmkuhler, Associate Exten-

sion Professor

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/R2_Bm17yWYc

Utilizing Technology to Enhance Cattle Management Practices – Katie VanValin, Assistant Exten-

sion Professor

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/Tg_FWJO7-eU Approaches to Reclaiming Heavy Use Areas – Chris Teutsch, Associate Extension Professor

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/QOYH5Mxg6cY Management Considerations in the Current Market Environment – Gregg Rentfrow, Associate

Extension Professor and Kenny Burdine, Associate Extension Professor

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/_4stDFe-WVY Timely Topics on Beef Health – Michelle Arnold, DVM, Associate Professor

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/s55AR3Gyx8I

Mowing your Kentucky lawn

Mowing is probably one of the most common lawn maintenance activities you’ll do this summer. But that doesn’t mean it is the simplest thing you will do. If you’re mindful about mowing, your Kentucky lawn can thrive. Regardless of the kind of mower you use, blade sharpness is very important for the look and health of your lawn. Dull blades can cause leaf bruising and tearing. Look for brown leaf tips a few days after mowing—a sure sign of a dull blade. Shredded leaves will have a grayish-brown appearance and may be stunted. Shredding reduces the aesthetic appeal of your lawn and can even increase lawn dis-eases. Dull blades can also increase the amount of fuel you use and create wear on your mower’s en-gine.

The height you choose to mow your lawn will have a great impact on growth characteristics. Low mowing increases density, results in finer leaf texture and darker leaf color but will also result in shallow-er root systems that can reduce drought tolerance. Low mowing can also decrease your lawn’s ability to recover from heavy traffic. Other low-mowing issues include less tolerance to diseases and insects, a thin canopy insufficient at suppressing weeds. If sunlight reaches the soil easily through shorter grass,

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annual weeds, such as crabgrass, have an easier time taking over the land-scape.

Optimum mowing height for Kentucky lawns are as follows: Bermu-dagrass, 1-2 inches; Kentucky bluegrass, 2-3.5 inches; perennial ryegrass, 1.5-2.5 inches; tall fescue, 2-3.5 inches and zoysiagrass, 1-3 inches.

The height you choose to mow also dictates how often you will need to mow. Lower heights may need to be mowed more often. Golf course greens of-ten need daily mowing. Ideally you want to remove no more than one-third of the leaf in one mowing. The type of grass that makes up your lawn will also play into the mowing frequency equation.

If you mow one-third or less of the leaf each time, you’ll have fewer clippings to worry about. If your mowing height and frequency are right, you won’t have to worry about what to do with the clip-pings. If you have excess clippings, a mulching mower can really help. The mower will cut the clippings into very small pieces that easily fall into the canopy and quickly break down. You may need to remove excess clippings if you see any clumping or if you know there is disease prevalent in the lawn. Most lawns do not need clippings removed. Clippings are a great source of organic material, and they help improve poor soils. They can even provide as much as 25% of the lawn’s annual fertilizer needs. Source: Gregg Munshaw, UK plant and soil sciences extension associate professor.

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Preventing spontaneous hay fires

Spontaneous combustion hay fires have caused loss of life and valuable nutrition for livestock, but you can prevent them if you keep a watchful eye and know the signs of a problem.

Baling hay at appropriate moistures and monitoring the tem-perature of recently baled hay are your best tools. Generally, hay will go through a heating phase within one to two weeks after baling. During this time, monitor the hay to make sure it doesn’t reach tem-peratures that can damage the hay or lead to spontaneous combus-tion.

It is not unusual for the temperature within a bale of hay to reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and it may go as high as 130 degrees

before beginning to decline. If the temperature peaks below 130 degrees, you may lose some quality but you won’t have a danger of fire. With free air circulation around a bale, both heat and moisture can dissipate. A single bale rarely heats enough to catch on fire, but when you place bales close together or stack with other bales that are also heating, it is much more difficult for the heat to escape. A good practice is to leave bales scattered in the barn for three to four weeks before placing them in a stack.

If the bales are wetter than they should be, the temperatures can easily rise above 130 degrees. At 140 to 150 degrees, more microbial growth and chemical reactions within the hay cause it to generate heat at an increasingly rapid rate.

If hay temperatures reach 150 degrees, you need to move bales to allow for better air circulation and frequently check the temperature. At 180 degrees, fire is imminent, and at 200 degrees, it is likely present. In either case, you need to notify the fire department. It is best to wait for them to arrive before removing the hay from the stack in case of a flare up.

Smoke from hay treated with an acid preservative may contain toxic fumes, so keep people away from the smoke and inform the firefighters of any treatments you applied.

To check hay temperature, you may use several types of thermometers. Find one that is durable, easy to use and will measure up to 200 degrees.

Attaching a string or a thin wire and lowering or pushing it into a probe that has been inserted into the hay is one way to use a simple glass thermometer. Do not insert them directly into the hay because they eas-ily break. It is best to use only spirit-filled glass thermometers to prevent accidentally contaminating hay with mercury from a broken thermometer.

You can use electronic thermometers with remote sensors and a digital readout. Avoid LED displays as they are often hard to read in bright light. An LCD is a better choice. Some electronic moisture meters also measure temperature.

Long-stem thermometers, commonly called compost thermometers, are probably the most rugged and reliable. With these types, the price increases with the dial size and length of the stem. It may be tempt-ing to stick these directly into a hay bale, but the stem can be easily bent and the accu-racy or operation of the thermometer could be destroyed.

It is best and necessary in most cases to use some kind of hay probe. You can make one for yourself using steel pipe or electrical conduit or you can purchase com-mercial probes.

Measure the wettest hay first. Probe square bales from the side, round bales from the end. Insert the probe near the center of the bale. In round bales, if the core is loosely formed, probe 6 to 12 inches away from the center where the hay will be more tightly packed.

In large stacks, it may be difficult to reach the center, but it is important to get at least 5 to 10 feet down from the top or in from the side. The most critical factor is to reach where the wettest hay is stored. It is best to probe at several locations and at different depths within a stack to locate the warm-est spot. Source: Ray Smith, UK forage specialist