| CALENDAR OF EVENTS | |
| Novmeber | |
| 5 | Florida Precision Agricultural 98' - Southwest Florida Research and Education Center located at 2686 State Road 29 North, Immokalee, FL,7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. |
| 5 | Ag Crime Program - Family Service Center Annex, 310 West Whidden Street, Arcadia, 7:00 p.m. |
| 7 | 4-H Pancake Breakfast - Golden Corral, Arcadia, 7:00-10:00 a.m. |
| 9 | ABC Bull Sale, Angus, Brangus and Charolais - Arcadia State Livestock Market, 1:00 p.m. |
| 10 | Smutgrass Field Day - Southwest Florida Research and Education Center located at 2686 State Road 29 North, Immokalee, FL, 8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. |
| 10 | Worker Protection Standards, Train-the-Trainer -Hardee Agri-Civic Center, Wauchula, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. |
| 12 | Ag Crime Program - Hardee County Extension Service located at 507 Civic Center Drive, Wauchula, 7:00 p.m. |
| 17 | Fall Beef Forum - Okeechobee County Cooperative Extension Service located at 458 Highway 98 North, Okeechobee, FL, 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. |
| 17 | Worker Protection Standards, Train-the-Trainer -Family Service Center Annex, 310 West Whidden Street, Arcadia, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. |
| 23 | Limousin Bull Sale - Arcadia State Livestock Market, 1:00 p.m. |
| December | |
| 14 | Charolais Bull Sale - Arcadia State Livestock Market, 1:00 p.m. |
| 28 | Special Slaughter Cow & Bull Sale - Arcadia State Livestock Market, 1:00 p.m. |
| January | |
| 21 | 16th Annual Florida Cattlemen's Institute and Allied Trade Show - Kissimmee Valley Agricultural Center located at Highway 192 East |
Precision Agricultural is an innovative and dynamic new technology that holds a great promise for Florida growers. The University of Florida Southwest Florida Research and Education Center is coordinating with industry suppliers to bring the latest information on this new emerging technology. This one-day program will be conducted on Thursday, November 5, 1998 in Immokalee. Informational sessions will be held to explain the technologies involved in geographic information systems (GIS), the global positioning system (GPS), remote sensing, variable rate technology(VRT), and yield monitoring and what the benefits may be to your operations. Growers who have tested the technology will speak as well as company representatives who are providing the equipment. Additionally, researchers from the University of Florida, Auburn University and the University of Georgia will show data on a profitability and productivity that growers in their area have experienced. The program begins at 7:30 a.m. with registration and concludes around 4:30 p.m.. Space for this program is limited to the first 125 registrants and there is a $10.00 registration fee per attendee, so if you need more information about this program or wish to register, please contact the research center in Immokalee at 941-658-3415.
The Smutgrass Field day will be held November 10,
1998 at the Southwest Florida Research and
Education Center in Immokalee. Ongoing Smutgrass
research conducted through the Southwest Florida
REC will be presented and discussed. The program
will begin at 8:30 a.m. If you are interested in
attending please R.S.V.P. by November 6th to the
Southwest Florida REC at 941-658-3400.
 |
AG Crime Program |
 |
With the citrus harvesting season just around the corner, the County Extension Service, Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association and the sheriffs' offices of DeSoto and Hardee counties will be conducting an agricultural crime program in Arcadia and Wauchula. The objectives of these programs are to provide area growers and ranchers with information to minimize agricultural crime and to aid in recovery of stolen items.
The programs will be conducted in Arcadia on Thursday, November 5 at the Family Service Center Annex, 310 W. Whidden Street and in Wauchula on November 12 at the Hardee County Extension Service at 507 Civic Center Drive. Sheriff Vernon Keen and Sergeant Keith Sowell with the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office will conduct the program November 5th. Sheriff Loran and Detective Jim Harrison with the Hardee County Sheriff's Office will conduct the program on November 12th. Both programs will begin at 7:00 p.m. Please make plans to attend one of the agricultural crime programs.
Worker protection Standards(WPS) Train-the Trainer
programs will be conducted on Tuesday evenings,
November 10 in Wauchula and repeated on
November 17 in Arcadia. Each program will begin at
7:00 p.m. These programs are specifically designed
to provide the necessary training to allow
agricultural employees to train agricultural workers
under the guidelines developed in WPS. Currently,
WPS requires that all workers who work in
agricultural establishments which have had
pesticides applied within 30 days be trained how to
safely work in these locations. Please see the
enclosed registration form to enroll your employees.
Preregistration of $5.00 per person is required by
November 4. The session may be combined in the
event of low enrollment
The theme for this year's 16th Annual Florida Cattlemen's Institute and Allied Trade Show will be "Controlling the Cost of Production Through Better Management". This year's Institute and Allied Trade show will be held on January 21, 1999 at the Kissimmee Valley Agricultural center on Highway 192 East. The motel will be the Holiday Inn express located just east of the Agricultural center on Highway 192. For reservations call 407-846-4646 and let them know that you will be attending the Florida Cattlemen's Institute and Allied Trade Show for their special rate of $39.00 per night.
The institute will begin with the trade Show opening
at 8:00 a.m., followed by the welcome given by Dr.
Mike Martin, the new Vice-president for
Agricultural and Natural Resources at the University
of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural
Sciences (IFAS). Dr. Martin comes to us by way of
the University of Minnesota. This will be an
excellent opportunity to hear and meet Dr. Martin.
The keynote speaker for this year's Institute is Allan
Nation. Allan has been the editor of The Stockman
Grass Farmer Magazine since 1977. This
magazine, based in Jackson, Mississippi, is the only
North American publication specializing in intensive
grazing and pasture production systems for beef,
sheep, and dairy cattle. As the son of a commercial
cattle rancher, Mr. Nation grew up in Greenville,
Mississippi, and has traveled the world studying and
photographing grassland framing systems. He is a
frequent speaker in the United States, Canada,
Mexico, Ireland and New Zealand on grassland
farming topics.
Allan will be speaking on "Harvesting Sunshine to
Lower Production Cost" at this year's Institute. He is
the author of Pasture Profits with Stocker Cattle,
Quality Pasture, Grass Farmers and Paddock
Shift. With the industries economic situation, you
will not want to miss this talk on lowering
production cost for your operations.
Interested individuals/companies who would like to
exhibit their products at the trade show should
contact Dr. Mike Fanning at 941-658-3400
Extension Livestock Specialist or Mr. Terry Weaver
941- 465-5856, Chairman of the FCA Allied
Membership Committee. For any Cattlemen
interested in exhibiting cattle, contact Doug Mayo at
9941-533-0765 Extension Livestock Agent.
It is no surprise that small farms are spread all across the United States. What may be surprising is that about 94 percent of the nation's farms are small, with gross sales under $250,000, according to the USDA, and that three-fourths are very small, with sales under $50,000.
The USDA's Agricultural Outlook reported in may
small farms (sales of less than $250,000) accounted
for 40 percent of the value of farm production in
1995 - 38 percent of the value of livestock and 44
percent of crops - with most of that production
concentrated on farms with sales of $50,000 -
$249,000.
"What's the most common denominator in these
small farms? It's cattle. The USDA 1995 status
report on small farms in the U.S. showed that cattle
far outweighed other grain, crops, hogs, dairy and
other livestock on small farms. Nearly 35 percent of
all U.S. small farms (sales of less than $249,000)
specialized in beef cattle in 1995.
Among very small farms in the U.S. (with sales
under $50,000) more than 40 percent have cattle.
On these small farms, producers averaged 40 head
of cattle. Small farms (with sales of $50,000 -
$249,000), focus more on cash grain at 38 percent.
On small farms, cattle were at 14 percent and
producers averaged 138 head of cattle.
The traditional window for planting the cool season forages falls between October 15 and November 15; with planting in North Florida occurring in the early part of the window and planting in South Florida occurring in the last half of the window. This window for planting seems to work well for crops that are planted on a clean, tilled, seedbed. When no-till seeding into a bermudagrass sod in north Florida, seeding should be delayed two to four weeks compared to seeding into a clean, tilled seedbed. Bahiagrass should be disced before planting and planting may need to be delayed even longer than what is suggested for bermudagrass. No-till is not recommended unless irrigation is available. More often than not, soil moisture will be adequate for successful production.
What smell best defines America? According to a national scratch and sniff survey of more than 1,000 men and women nationwide, it's the smoky aroma of a barbecue. What smell best defines summer? The same survey, conducted by Miller Lite, found that freshly cut grass was number-one, at 68 percent. Grilling beef was a runner-up at 12 percent.
If you have any comments or need additional information, please contact the DeSoto County Extension
Office at (941) 993-4846.
Sincerely,
James F. Selph,
DeSoto County Extension Director, IV, Livestock
James F. Selph
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