From: Heath Lusty [mailto:rhlusty@ag.tamu.edu] Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 10:25 AM To: Heath Lusty Subject: Monthly Ag-Division at the Noble Foundation Ag-Divisione-mail update Heath Lusty Jack County Extension Agent Agriculture & Natural Resources 940-567-2132 office 817-584-6628 cell "Heman, Lori" 2/17/2010 9:08 AM >>> Monthly Ag-Division at the Noble Foundation Ag-Division e-mail update for the counties of Caddo, Carter, Comanche, Cotton, Jefferson, Love, Stephens, Tillman, Archer, Clay, Jack and Wichita. Prowl H2O, from BASF, has received a Supplemental label that will allow application to DORMANT bermudagrass pastures and hay meadows for control of sandbur and other weed species (numerous annual grasses and small seeded broadleaf weeds) listed on the full label. This label is in effect until December of 2011, and will be a major help to our forage producers. Label details to note: - Rate: 1.1 - 4.2 qts/ac; maximum of 4.2 qts per year - Timing: Anytime during winter dormancy and prior to weed germination - Methods: Ground, chemigation, and air - PHI: 60 days prior to harvest for hay; 45 days prior to grazing/harvest for forage - Pastures and hay meadows (no rangeland) - Bermudagrass varieties: All, but must be an established stand (have gone through at least one cutting) - Target: field sandbur; annual grass and broadleaf weeds - Activation: 1" of precipitation ideal prior to weed germination With the rain that we are having this year, this might be a good option to consider if you have had problems with sandburs in the past in your bermudagrass pastures. Upcoming Events February 18 - Basic Gardening Seminar This one day event will begin at 6:00 p.m. and conclude at 8:30 p.m. The topics include: site analysis, selection of growing technique (traditional, raised bed, or container), crop selection, planting plan, soil preparation, planting technique, water management, feeding the growing garden, weed control, pest control, overcoming weather woes, harvesting and storage, how to attract wildlife, and wildlife damage and prevention. There is no fee for this event, but please pre-register as space is limited. February 19 - Tree Pruning and Planting Workshop This workshop will focus on fruit tree pruning techniques and planting methodology for different sizes and types of trees. The program will begin at 10:00 a.m. and conclude at 12:00 p.m. and will be located at Murphy Farms, in Hastings, OK. There is no fee for this event, but please pre-register. February 26 - Small Grains Management Field Day (Morning Session) Located near Walters, OK, this workshop will focus on Nitrogen rich strips, no-till, and determining 1st hollow stem. The event will begin at 10:00 a.m. and conclude at 12:00 p.m. There is no fee for this event, but please pre-register. February 26 - Small Grains Management Field Day (Afternoon Session) Located near Walters, OK, this afternoon session will be similar to the morning event but at a different location. The event will begin at 1:00 p.m. and conclude at 3:00 p.m. There is no fee for this event, but please pre-register. March 9 - Small Fruit Workshop The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation's Agricultural Division will host a Small Fruit Workshop from 10 a.m. to noon in the Horticulture area on the Noble Foundation's campus in Ardmore. During the workshop, Steve Upson, Noble Foundation horticulturist and Dr. Eric Stafne, OSU Cooperative Extension Fruit and Nut Crops Specialist, will discuss topics such as site, soil and water requirements for small fruit production; variety selection; and weed and pest control. There will also be an overview on the use of hoop houses to produce strawberries. A pruning demonstration on grapes and brambles will be presented as well. There is no fee for this event, but please pre-register. March 13 - Junior Beef Delivery & Evaluation The Noble Foundation Junior Beef Excellence Program recognizes the carcass merit of steers exhibited at the junior livestock shows by 4-H and FFA members in eight south central Oklahoma counties. After the county junior livestock shows, steers entered in the NFJBEP are delivered to Ardmore and commingled for two days before being transported and harvested. Carcass measurements are taken and ranked by professional meat scientists. Cash awards are given to the exhibitors of the top ten steers. The champion steer owner receives $2500 and payments are graduated down from there. The tenth place steer owner receives $750. Total prize monies amount to $12,500. In addition to the main contest, there is a live steer evaluation contest that is open to the public. There are five divisions of the live steer evaluation contest - 4-H, FFA, Adult (Men and Women) and Expert. Participants must evaluate five steers and estimate their carcass characteristics. Each participant's estimates are compared to the actual measurements. Individuals with the best estimate in each division are awarded a prize. This is an excellent learning opportunity for all cattle producers. Oklahoma residents of Carter, Garvin, Jefferson, Johnston, Love, Marshall, Murray and Stephens counties are eligible to participate in the program. For additional information about the NFJBEP, contact Shan Ingram at shingram@noble.org or (580) 223-5810. March 26 - Beef Quality Assurance Seminar This seminar will focus on history, Carcass Quality, Animal Husbandry and Care, Feeding and Nutrition, Records, Processing and Treatment. The main benefit is that after successful completion of the course and passing the 20 question test, the producer will be BQA certified which enables the producer to help the industry in its efforts to certify all beef cattle operations across the country. There is no fee for this event, but please pre-register. March 27 - Texoma Pasture Conference Controlling brush and weeds in forages is a complicated and dynamic problem. The Noble Foundation has scheduled a full-day educational event to discuss chemical, mechanical and cultural methods of brush and weed control; ways to minimize off-site drift; economics of brush and weed control; and laws and regulations pertaining to pesticide use. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be offered for Texas and Oklahoma pesticide private applicator license holders, Certified Crop Advisers (CCA) and Certified Professional Independent Crop Consultants (CPCC-I). The Texoma Pasture Conference will be held March 27, 2010, from 9:20 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Ardmore Convention Center, 2401 N. Rockford Rd. Speakers include: Joe Armstrong, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Weed Science Extension Specialist, Oklahoma State University, Bob Wolf, Ph.D., Extension Specialist Application Technology, Kansas State University, Dearl Sanders, Ph.D., Professor and Coordinator, Bob R. Jones/Idlewild Research Station, LSU Ag- Center, James Locke, Soils and Crops Consultant, Noble Foundation, Don Renchie, Ph.D., Extension Program Leader for Agricultural and Environmental Safety; Coordinator - Pesticide Safety Education Project (PSEP); Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Job Springer, Agricultural Economics Consultant, Noble Foundation, Dustin Oswald, Agricultural Economics Consultant, Noble Foundation, Jim Johnson, Soils and Crops Consultant, Noble Foundation, Eddie Funderburg, Ed.D., Senior Soils and Crops Consultant, Noble Foundation. There is a $20 registration fee and lunch will be provided. April 6 - Junior Beef Excellence Program Results This program will begin at 6:30 p.m. and conclude at 9:00 p.m. Results of 2010 Junior Beef Excellence Program; Results of 2010 Steer Evaluation Contest; Announcement of Winners in Each Category will be announced. If you are interested in attending or registering for these events, or need more information, please contact Tracy Cumbie at (580) 224-6411. More information and online registration is available at www.noble.org/AgEvents Other Area Events: February 20-21 - Oklahoma Stock Horse Association Clinic & Competition This event will be at the UCROSS Arena, 8601 S. State Hwy 48 in Coleman, Oklahoma www.ucrossarena.com . Stalls & RV Hook-ups are available at the arena. The Competition on the 21st will consist of Working Cow Horse, Trail, Reining and Stock Horse Pleasure class. For more information about the clinic & competition or registration forms go to www.oklahomastockhorseassociation.com/Home_Page.php or email OkSHA@live.com or call Dan at (580) 220-7444 or Sue at (580) 653-2525. February 22 - Caddo County Cattlemen's Association Education Meeting This meeting will be held at the Caddo-Kiowa Technology Center in Fort Cobb, OK. The meeting will begin at 6:30 and Mark Gregory, OSU Area Agronomist will be speaking on 'Sandbur Control in Bermudagrass Pastures". The meeting will be held at the Caddo-Kiowa Technology Center in Fort Cobb at 6:30 pm. You do not need to be a Caddo County Cattlemen member to attend. The meal will be sponsored by Dupont Crop Protection. February 23 - Prescribed Burn Workshop (Part 2) This workshop will be held in Jacksboro, TX. For more information contact the Jack County Texas Agrilife Extension at (940) 567-2132. February 25 - Dam Safety Workshop The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will hold a dam safety workshop on Feb. 25, at the Decatur Civic Center. The one-day session will educate dam owners about state dam safety laws, dam failure modes, owner responsibilities/ liabilities, security issues, dam operations, maintenance, inspections and developing emergency action plans. Cost of each workshop is $65. Walk-in and on-site registrations will be accepted. Workshop hours are from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with registration sign-in beginning at 8:30 a.m. For more, visit the Dam Safety Workshop for Owners and Operators page on the TCEQ Web site: http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/assistance/events/dam-safety.html or, contact Warren Samuelson at (512) 239-5195. March 10-11 - Wichita Falls Ranch & Farm Expo The Wichita Falls Ranch and Farm Expo will be held from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on March 10 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 11 at the JS Bridwell Agricultural Center in Wichita Falls, Texas. Texas A&M's AgriLife Extension Office will be providing Continuing Education Units for Oklahoma and Texas producers through speakers and seminars. Admission and parking will be free to the public. For more information or to become an exhibitor contact the Wichita Falls Ranch and Farm Expo at (866) 685-0989 or by e-mail at dales@bwtelcom.net and visit the website www.wichitafallsranchandfarmexpo.net. March 15 - Ag Leadership Class Applications due Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership Program is seeking applicants for its new class which will begin in June. TALL is a two-year leadership development program managed by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service. Applications for the newest class, Class XII, are due March 15. Application forms may be found online at http://tall.tamu.edu. "Texas agriculture has a need for individuals who can lead our industry as it faces new and unique challenges. These individuals will provide the leadership, insight and direction to ensure the viability for the future," said Dr. Jim Mazurkiewicz, AgriLife Extension leadership program director. The age of applicants may be from 25-50 years, he said. The program invests 455 hours of intensive training per person in seminars, speakers and domestic and international trips over two years, Mazurkiewicz added. Class XII will travel to India. The course is the equivalent of 38 credit hours or a master's degree in agriculture. The typical class size is about 25, and tuition is $2,000. Participants include traditional crop producers and ranchers, bankers and lawyers, as well as those who work in lumber and landscaping industries. March 18-20 - TSCRA Successful Ranching It's time for the 2010 School for Successful Ranching! The dates are March 18-20, 2010 in Fort Worth. There are a lot of exciting things happening with this year's School and you can be a part of it. For 2010, we have added a half-day of hands-on programs, so you can't be afraid to get your boots dirty! The number of educational tracks has also doubled giving you a total of 56 hours worth of educational programming. For your School registration you get: * Access to more than 40 experts in all fields relating to ranch management * Information on the newest management techniques and proven management strategies * Free admission to the TSCRA Trade Show * Lunch in the Trade Show on Friday and Saturday * Proceedings book * A seat at the TSCRA Convention Opening General Session Register by February 19, 2010 and receive a $40 discount! You can go online at www.texascattleraisers.org/convention/school.html for more information and to register. March 24 - Hay, Beef, & Forage Day This annual event will be held in Graham, TX. For more information contact the Jack County Texas Agrilife Extension at (940) 567-2132. Lori Heman NF1 Administrative Assistant, Agricultural Division