By Beau Neil
UK Woodford County Extension Agent for Woodford County
My name is Beau Neal, and I am the University of Kentucky Extension agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Woodford County. On behalf of our office, I’ll say we were excited to be asked to bring back agriculture columns to the Sun!
As I write this, we are just concluding the livestock shows at the Woodford County Fair. And let me just say, the future of agriculture is in good hands. It never ceases to amaze me what passion, hard work and determination our young folks in agriculture display. Keep these kiddos in mind in the future; they will no doubt be an asset to you and the community leading us forward.
I have no doubt by now you are swiftly checking things off your “to-do” list after a few much-needed rains. In talking with farmers around the community, not many can recall a spring as dry as what we just experienced. From what I have gathered, however, 1987 could have been a contender. Nevertheless, as I drive around the county, I see corn and soybeans emerging, tobacco being transplanted and livestock enjoying the pastures available to them.
Hay season is in full swing with the sunshine and consistent warm temperatures, which means farmers will be moving equipment on the roads. And to our fellow community members, please stay aware of this and try to exercise patience as producers are just trying to get to the next farm.
Also, try to be vigilant regarding weed control this summer. This spring has been beneficial to some of our most problematic weeds, such as buttercup and poison hemlock. While it may be too late to control some of these weeds, it’s time to make a plan for next year since you know what you’re dealing with. Summer also provides other weed species as a nuisance, so remain watchful. Along with herbicide control, regular mowing/clipping of weeds helps suppress the weeds while allowing grass to thrive.
It’s also important to rotate and rest pastures/fields as much as possible to maintain adequate grazing heights. This practice will not only help shade out weeds, but it also preserves moisture as we get into the drier months.
If fertility seems low or grass doesn’t seem like it is performing as well as usual, take soil samples and bring them to the Extension Office, where we can analyze them for nutrient needs this fall.
We are now working on the new edition of the Woodford County Agriculture Resource Directory. This is a list of providers of various services that folks can look to for any number of needs. This includes things like: Ag tourism, animal products (milk, cheese, eggs, etc), bees/honey/apiary, banking and farm loans, custom work like baling and planting, farm construction like barns and fencing, farm equipment sales, farm insurance, logging, government or university/college resources, livestock, meat processing and sales, and transport services.
As always, don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything. I can be reached at beau.neal@uky.edu or (859) 873-4601.
Note – Beau and his colleague Delia Scott, the UK Woodford County Extension agent for Horticulture, will be taking turns writing a monthly column for the Sun about agriculture issues in Woodford County. This is part of the Sun’s commitment to ramp up regular reporting and opinion on Ag issues. They join Nat Colten, the executive director of the Woodford County Conservation District, who is writing a bi-monthly column, and Joanna Kirby, the owner of a cut flower farm in Garrard County, who writes a monthly gardening column. To our readers, and specifically those in agricultural industries from livestock to ground crops to equine, please contact us with suggestions on what we can cover by emailing or calling Scott White at scott@woodfordsun.com or (859)873-3211.