Farm Transition Planning Meeting

Transition Planning event with Jesse Richardson.  The Thursday, January 15, 2015, dinner meeting is hosted by WVU Cooperative Extension in Berkley County, WV at 6:30pm at the Berkeley County Youth Fair Grounds (http://berkeleycountyyouthfair.org/about-us/directions-to-fairgrounds/).  Please see the details below from WVU Agent - Michael Harman.  Be certain to call 304-264-1936 to RSVP one week prior to the event.

Virginia Tech Beef Cattle Health Conference

Virginia Tech Beef Cattle Health Conference

Saturday January 31, 2015

9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Sponsored by the

Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine,

  Virginia Cooperative Extension

8:30-9:00          Registration

9:00-9:25          What can we afford to do with the current price of calves and feed?  - Dr. John Currin

9:25 – 9:45       Current issues with cattle poisons -  Dr. Hillary Feldman

9:45 – 10:15      Tweaking your handling facilities -  Jon Vest and Terry Slusher

10:15 – 10:35    The cost to create a pregnancy: AI and Natural Service – Dr. Dee Whittier

10:35 – 10:50    Morning Coffee Break

10:50 - 11:10    Stretching hay -   Dr. Terry Swecker

11:10 – 11:40    Water related cattle disease – Dr. Sierra Guynn

11:40 – 12:00    Current Health Issues – Dr. Kevin Pelzer

12:10                Travel to Alphin-Stuart Arena

                        Lunch

All Labs will be 30 minutes Long

 

Lab 1               What happens in a rumen? – Dr. Hollie Schramm

Lab 2               Current cost of energy and protein: what feeds are deals? – Dr. Sarah Holland

Lab 3               Warming a cold calf – Dr. Dee Whittier

Lab 4               Body Condition Scoring – Andy Allen

Registration Fee:

$5.00 per person

Free to anyone under 18

This fee includes lectures, laboratories, proceedings, and lunch on Saturday. 

Attendance will meet the requirement for BQA recertification for those already certified in the Virginia Beef Quality Assurance program.

Location:

This course is being held at the College of Veterinary Medicine on the campus of Virginia Tech.  The registration will be in the College Center.

For more information contact:

Ralph Roop 540-231-9041, reroop@vt.edu

If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact Ralph Roop, VMRCVM at 540-231-9041 during business hours of  8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to discuss accommodations 5 days prior to the event.
*TDD number is (800) 828-1120.

Registration Form

Please print or type – complete a separate form for each participant

 

Name  ________________________________________________________________

Address_______________________________________________________________

City__________________________________________________________________

State____________________________________  Zip _________________________

Daytime Phone Number_________________________________________________

Amount Enclosed_______________________________________________________

 

Make Check payable to: Treasurer of Virginia Tech.  Return form with payment by January 24, 2011  to:

Anne Cinsavich

Phase II, Room 301

College of Veterinary Medicine

Duck Pond Drive

Blacksburg, VA  24061

Orchardgrass Production Meeting to be Held January 8

 

Virginia Cooperative Extension is hosting an Orchardgrass Production Meeting on Thursday, January 8, from 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. at Creekside Plain and Fancy in Edinburg, VA.    Farmers wishing to attend should register in advance by calling the Shenandoah County Office of Virginia Cooperative Extension (540-459-6140) by January 5.  There is a $5 per person registration fee payable at the door. 

Farmers across the mid-Atlantic (DE, MD, PA, VA, and WV) are experiencing reduced vigor (fewer cutting and lower yields per year) and early death of orchardgrass stands compared to only ten years ago.  A 15 member task force (called the Mid-Atlantic Orchardgrass Task Force) was organized that represents agribusinesses, farmers, university specialists, and extension educators from Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. 

In response, the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture initiated a research program to address the problem.  Mr. Gordon Jones was hired as a doctorial student at Virginia Tech within the Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences.  For the past one and one half years, Mr. Jones has been focusing on this issue.  This has included an extensive multi-year assessment of over 53 orchardgrass fields throughout the mid-Atlantic, and research plots focused on cutting height, fertility, and disease pressure.  During this meeting, Mr. Jones will give an update of his research program and provide some of the results to date.  This meeting will allow area farmers to have direct interaction with one of the primary researchers who is addressing this problem. 

            The Mid-Atlantic Orchardgrass Task Force estimates there are approximately 1.1 million acres of “improved” stands in the mid-Atlantic region and this problem is costing farmers over $40 million per year.  Meetings of industry, Extension, and government agencies (USDA-NRCS and USDA-ARS) personnel have been held to discuss the current situation. Discussions at these meetings have identified three potential causes of these orchardgrass problems:

1. Cutting or grazing too short and/or too frequently,
2. Pests (primarily orchardgrass billbugs, grubs, and a disease called leaf streak),
3. Improper fertilization.

These factors are either working individually or in concert to cause significant financial losses to farmers.  However, there are many farmers across the mid-Atlantic who are following all recommended practices who are still experiencing these problems.  Thus, a key recommendation from the Task Force was that research was needed to find a solution.

            A special thank you to the following agribusinesses for helping to sponsor this meeting:  AMVAC, BASF, Bayer Cropscience, Binkley & Hurst, CFC Farm & Home, Dow AgroSciences LLC, Farm Family Insurance, First Bank & Trust Company, Helena Chemical Co., Hubner Seed, James River Equipment, Mathias Brothers, MidAtlantic Farm Credit,  Monsanto Company, Page Cooperative Farm Bureau, Rockingham Cooperative Farm Bureau, Southern States – Front Royal, Southern States – Luray, Southern States – Winchester, Sygenta, Valley Fertilizer & Chemical Company, Virginia Farm Bureau, Wightman Insurance Agency, and Winchester Equipment Co.

Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

 If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services, or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact Robert A. Clark, Senior Extension Agent, Agriculture and Natural Resources, at the Shenandoah County Office of Virginia Cooperative Extension at 540-459-6140/TDD* during business hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to discuss accommodations five days prior to the event.  *TDD number is 800-828-1120.

Recertification Trainings for Private Pesticide Applicators

Recertification Trainings for Private Pesticide Applicators

for Northern Shenandoah Valley Farmers

 

Virginia Cooperative Extension will host four meetings that provide full recertification credit for farmers who hold private pesticide applicator licenses.  Farmers do not need to register in advance for these meetings.  Farmers need only to attend one of these meetings.   In order to maintain their license, all farmers who hold a private pesticide applicator license must attend these recertification trainings at least one time every two years.   

___________________________________________________________ 

 

Meetings Offering Full Recertification Credit for Both Category 90 and 91

 

December 9       1:00-4:00 p.m.      Alson H. Smith Jr. AREC, Winchester

December 9       6:00-9:00 p.m.      Warren County Government Center, Front Royal

 

Topics to be covered at this meeting include:

     -    Pesticide Regulatory Update

     -    Pesticide Safety and Pollinators

     -    Agronomy Pest Updates 

-    Animal Science Update

-    Horticulture Update.

___________________________________________________________ 

 

Meetings Offering Full Recertification Credit for Category 90

 

December 16     6:00-9:00 p.m.      Shenandoah County Extension Office, Woodstock

December 18     6:00-9:00 p.m.      Page County Extension Office, Stanley

 

Topics to be covered at this meeting include:

-        Overview of Pasture Weed Control Test Plots

                    Matt Booher, Extension Agent

-        Pesticide Legal Update

                    Bobby Clark, Senior Extension Agent

-        Management of Fescue Toxicity 

                    Matt Booher, Extension Agent

-        Pesticide Safety and Pollinators

          Bobby Clark, Senior Extension Agent

-        Innovative Summer Annual Forages for Grazing

          Matt Booher, Extension Agent.

___________________________________________________________ 

 

          There are additional recertification opportunities offered in surrounding counties.  Anyone who cannot attend these meetings can contact their local Extension Office to get more information on the dates of these meetings.

Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital, family, or veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.  An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. 

If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services, or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact Robert A. Clark, Senior Extension Agent, Agriculture and Natural Resources, at the Shenandoah County Office of Virginia Cooperative Extension at (540) 459-6140/TDD* during business hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to discuss accommodations five days prior to the event.  *TDD number is (800) 828-1120.

USDA Extends Dairy Margin Protection Program Deadlines

Enrollment Continues Through Dec. 5; Comments Accepted Until Dec. 15

USDA is extending the deadlines for the dairy Margin Protection Program. Farmers now have until Dec. 5, 2014, to enroll in the voluntary program, established by the 2014 Farm Bill. The program provides financial assistance to participating farmers when the margin – the difference between the price of milk and feed costs – falls below the coverage level selected by the farmer.  

Producers are encouraged to use the online Web resource at www.fsa.usda.gov/mpptool to calculate the best levels of coverage for their dairy operation. The secure website can be accessed via computer, smartphone or tablet. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) also extended the opportunity for public comments on both the Margin Protection Program and the Dairy Product Donation Program until Dec. 15, 2014. 

Comments can be submitted to USDA via the regulations.gov website at http://go.usa.gov/GJSA.  

Horse Feed Recall

Bartlett Milling Company recalls horse feeds

Two types of feed potentially contaminated with Rumensin

Release Date: 2014-11-03

Bartlett Milling Company has initiated a limited recall of certain horse feeds due to potential Rumensin contamination. The products were distributed to customers and retailers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Rumensin contamination can result in health problems, including mortality, in horses. The products and lot number involved in the recall are:

o   50 lb. bags of Bartlett Pasture Horse 10 Feed - Lot 288

o   50 lb. bags of Cleveland Carolina Champion Horse Feed - Lot 288

The recalled products were packaged in typical brand-specific feed bags. Lot numbers are printed on the front and back of each bag.

Retailers have been contacted and instructed to immediately withdraw from sale the recalled product and to notify customers who purchased the product. Customers should discontinue feeding the product immediately. Customers who purchased this product should return remaining bags to their retailer.

For more information on the product recall, contact Bartlett Milling at +1.800.438.6016 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Contact Bartlett at 1.336.655.1840 outside of regular business hours.

This recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services and the United States Food and Drug Administration.

Shenandoah Valley Nursery Growers Association Meeting

The Shenandoah Valley Nursery Growers Association net recently in Page county.  The group visited White House Natives and Brickhouse Nursery.  Producers and interested individual's enjoyed a educational  session filled with fellowship. For more information on these farms and the meeting please go to the following links.

http://whitehousenatives.com/news/whn-hosts-shen-valley-nursery-growers-assoc/

http://brickhousenursery.com/