Agriculture & Natural Resources April 2024 Newsletter

Inside this Issue:

Watch for Poison Hemlock in Hayfields 

In about a month, many of you will begin cutting your first hay of the season. While making hay, it is important for you to notice and remove poison hemlock from your hay or pasture fields.

Spring mowing: most important of yearlong lawn duties

Not all grasses grow at the same time. Grass on Northern slopes, or in heavy clay soil, will start growing several days later than normal. Grass that wasn't fertilized in the Fall or early Spring, also has a delayed growth.

All- weather surface can improve livestock mobility 

The pathway should last for many years and will allow your animals to use less energy moving around your farm.

Time to prune

Leave the base of the branch, known as the collar, intact. Cutting the collar will prevent the plant from growing over the wound caused from pruning.

Routine tractor maintenance 

Don't let the maintenance or your tractor go by the wayside when you get busy. There's a tendency to put maintenance on the back burner as Spring and Summer field activities get into full swing.

Successfully transplanting Vegetables

Getting your transplants up and growing will give you some delicious homegrown produce in months to come.

Pest Control Options Abound During Growing Season 

Many insects become active when the average daily temperature reaches 45 degrees or so. They tend to emerge first in the Southwest and move Northeast, reaching the Northern most counties 7 t0 14 days after the first emergence.

Bugs and other things that make you itch

People generally don't like bugs. In fairness, this feeling isn't without cause. Throughout history, we have consistently dealt with insects and their relatives that like to use us as a food source.

Save your back and reduce stress of your small ruminants

This item is a working stand that will make regular maintenance of your goats and sheep a one-person job.

Yellow Hairy Buttercup

This yellow weed can be your worst enemy in your pasture. The bushhogging technique will only spread this as it reproduces through vegetative parts. 

New data shows when you should vaccinate cattle

We expect to see the market in a continued incline over the next couple of years.

Service your Bull

The Bull should be the best and most expensive animal on your farm. Fifty percent of the genetic potential of every calf is from the Bull.