Vol. 5 No. 3 • March 2,
2012
 Commissioner Comer visits county clerks
to promote voluntary donations to ag programs
Agriculture Commissioner James Comer has kicked off a series of visits to county
clerks' offices throughout Kentucky to encourage Kentuckians to make a voluntary
$10 donation to be divided evenly among Kentucky 4-H, Kentucky FFA, and Kentucky
Proud when they renew their farm license plates. ... more
Agriculture Commissioner
James R. Comer
If you’re a beef cattle producer looking to upgrade your herd, there’s no better place to be March 2-4 than the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. ... more
Commissioner Comer supports legislation to help Kentucky's biofuel industry grow
Agriculture Commissioner James Comer, right, testifies to the House Agriculture and Small Business Committee in support of House Bill 441 on Feb. 29 in Frankfort. Rep. Mike Denham, left, and Rep. John Tilley listen. The bill would authorize the creation of limited cooperative associations in which investors could participate. Commissioner Comer said the legislation, which the committee approved, would help Kentucky biofuel production cooperatives expand their operations. “We believe we have the potential to be the biofuel capital of the United States in Kentucky,” Commissioner Comer said. “But if we’re going to do that, if we’re going to greatly expand our biofuels industry, we’re going to have to be able to attract outside investment.” (Photo by Ted Sloan)
Eastern tent caterpillar egg hatch underway early in central Kentucky
University of Kentucky experts report that eastern tent caterpillar eggs have begun hatching well ahead of last year and expect the egg hatch to be completed in central Kentucky by the first full week of March. ... more
USDA takes next step to modernize department as part of Blueprint for Stronger Service
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack informed Congress that in 90 days he plans to approve consolidation of 131 Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices with other USDA service centers. The proposal calls for closing seven USDA offices in Kentucky. ... more
Inventory report shows continued decrease in beef cow numbers
The 2011 calf crop will likely be around 3 percent smaller, and we are still at least a couple years away from seeing larger feeder cattle supplies. ... more
USDA announces equine operations now eligible for emergency loans
U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency Administrator Bruce Nelson announced on Feb. 29 that equine operations that breed, raise and sell certain types of horses are now eligible for loan assistance under FSA’s emergency loan program. ... more
New agriculture team takes charge in Afghanistan
Talk to a Kentuckian around this small military base in the mountains of southern Afghanistan, and you will very likely get a feel for the nervous, excited vibe here. ... more
Tobacco: 2011 market recap and 2012 opportunities
The 2011 crop once again was impacted by challenging weather conditions, which led to disappointing yields, but in aggregate turned out to be one of the best quality crops in recent years. ... more
Conservation Reserve Program signup begins March 12
The Kentucky Farm Service Agency has announced that the Conservation Reserve Program general signup will begin March 12 and end April 6. ... more
Grants available to support exporting of Kentucky goods and services
Kentucky’s Cabinet for Economic Development is now accepting applications from Kentucky small businesses for grant money made available through the State Trade and Export Promotion. ... more
Final claims deadline nears for black farmers in historic $1.25 billion settlement
African Americans who farmed or attempted to farm (or their heirs) may be eligible for a sizeable cash payment or loan forgiveness from this $1.25 billion class action settlement. ... more
USDA awards 23 AgrAbility grants to expand access to farming for disabled Americans
A $180,000 grant was awarded to the University of Kentucky. ... more
Coming up
2nd Annual Organic
Conference
Kentucky Farm
Bureau Beef Expo
Audubon Beekeeping School
Purchase Area Cattlemen's Association dinner
2012 Cooperative Extension Service Agritourism Conference
Equine Career Fair
UK Integrated Pest Management School
Managing Woodlands for Specialty Forest Products
Louis Crosier Farm Safety Symposium
Bluegrass Beekeeping School
Aquaculture Basics workshop
Mountain Monday Series: Starting Vegetable Plants from Seed
Livestock Investigation Training
Bluegrass Local Food Summit
One Acre at a Time seminar
Kentucky Grazing School
Kentucky National Dairy Show and Sale
Kentucky Farm
Fact
Kentucky FFA has about 15,000 members in nearly 140 chapters and produced the FFA American Star in Agribusiness in 2011 and the FFA American Star Farmer in 2007. Some 205,000 youths are involved in Kentucky 4-H programs, and Kentucky ranks in the top 10 in several 4-H enrollment categories nationwide.
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