Wheat Field Day Set for April 28 8am to 11pm 3 CEU's are offered (1 IPM, 1 Laws, 1 General) $10 per person Don't miss this program. We will start at the Brandon Community Center with presentations on Laws and Regulations and a general wheat update from Dr. Rob Duncan, Extension Small Grains Specialist. We will then move the field (East of Mertens, TX on the side of Hwy 22 just east of the county line). We will view replicated variety plots, a plant population study, Canola and Flax. We will wrap up with updates from our two IPM Agents on insect and diseases. If you have questions give us a call at 903-654-3075

Master Marketer Program Coming to Waco in 2011

The Master Marketer program is designed for agricultural producers and agribusiness leaders experienced in marketing commodities and having some knowledge of futures and options markets. The course contains 64 hours of intensive marketing training, focusing on cotton, wheat, livestock and feedgrains.

In 2011 it will be held at the Texas Farm Bureau Headquarters.

Session dates are:
I-January 11-13
II-January 26-27
III-February 9-10
IV-February 23-24

Marking education and training pay dividends that will directly improve your bottom line! Previous graduates report their incomes have increased on average more than $33,000 per year.

Want to know more?

http://mastermarketer.tamu.edu/

Agricultural Waste Pesticide Collection Events

Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and Texas Department of Agriculture have announced 2010 Agricultural Waste Pesticide Collection Events. These disposal programs allow agricultural producers to properly dispose of unwanted pesticides. According to the TCEQ website:

The free collections, conducted rain or shine, give agricultural producers who use pesticides in Texas an opportunity to dispose of unwanted products that may pose a hazard to them, their families, and their surrounding farming and ranching communities. The program is strictly voluntary and no one is required to participate. All this is done at no expense to them.
The participants do not have to identify themselves. However, there is a short survey in which the participants are asked questions similar to the ones listed below.
- What county are you from?
- How long has your waste been stored?
- How did you hear about today's event?
- What type of material are you bringing today?
The reason for asking the participant the fourth question–regarding the type of material brought in–is to determine how to properly handle it.

The closest event to Navarro County is to be held in Ellis County on Thursday, September 16 at the Ellis County Youth Expo Grounds. For a complete liest of events that will be held this September and October go to http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/assets/public/assistance/agwaste/FY_2011_schedule.pdf

Row Crop Update and CEU Seminar
Friday - January 29, 2010
Corsicana Public Library – Civic Room
Cost: $5 (Lunch will be provided)
5 CEU’s will be provided (2 General, 2 IPM, 1 L&R)

Topics and Agenda
8:15 am Registration and Introductions
8:20 Corn, Grain Sorghum, Wheat, Oats and Soybean Demonstrations - Derek Scasta, Navarro County Extension Agent - Agriculture
8:45 Growing Soybeans and Sunflowers in the Blacklands - Steven Beakley, Ellis County Producer
9:45 Cotton and IPM Update - Glen Moore, Extension Agent IPM
10:45 Laws and Regulations - Benji Parham, Texas Department of Agriculture
11:45 Lunch
12:15 Weed Control and Herbicide Tolerant Milo - Dr. Paul Baumman, Texas AgriLife Extension Service
1:15 Sprayer Technology, GPS, Nozzle Selection and Sprayer Demo - Johnny Walker, John Deere
2:15 Final Questions and pass out certificates

**Please call and RSVP by January 26, 2010 at 5pm for meal and material arrangements**

Wheat and Oat Field Day Set for April 23

April 23, 9am to noon, this is a joint effort between Hill and Navarro Counties with four demonstrations setup from Barry to Brandon. Demonstrations include: oat variety trial, 2 wheat variety trials and a wheat plant population study. 3 CEU’s will be offered: 2 General and 1 L&R. If you grow wheat or oats, this will be a tour that you will not want to miss.

Schedule
9:15 am – #1 Oat Variety Plots – Reed Farms - Barry, TX
10:00 am – #2 Wheat Variety Plots – Martin Farms – Frost, TX
10:45 am – #3 Wheat Variety Plots – Degner Farms – Mertens, TX
11:15 am – #4 Wheat Plant Population Study – Surovik Farms – Brandon, TX
12:00 pm – #5 Lunch at Brandon Community Center
· Texas Wheat Producers Association Presentation – Kody Bessent – Lubbock, TX
· Laws and Regulations Presentation

*Dr. Gaylon Morgan, Texas AgriLife Extension Service Small Grains Specialist will be on hand to provide updates on varieties, diseases, conditions and yields.

Remember 3 CEU’s will be offered (2 General and 1 Laws and Regulations)

Please call and RSVP to 903-654-3075 or 254-582-4022 by 5pm April 21st.

There are several programs that will be offered early in 2009 that I want to make folks aware of.

Electronic Waste Collection
Do you have old computer equipment that you want to get rid of but don’t know how? If so, there is an opportunity coming your way to make that computer benefit the state of Texas! January 16th from 1pm to 4pm and January 17th 9am to 12noon at the Old Kmart Parking Lot (across from the Precinct 1barn) the City of Corsicana and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice are partnering up to take in the following items: computers, printers, monitors, mice, keyboards, computer parts, scanners, televisions and rechargeable batteries. All items will go to a TDCJ facility to be refurbished and if possible returned to Texas schools. This program provides technical training for inmates and quality computers for the youth in Texas! call 903-654-4889 or 903-654-3075.

Row Crop Update and CEU Seminar
January 27 in the Small Fannie Mae Vernon Room at the Navarro County Exposition Center. Cost is $10 to cover the lunch and 4 CEU’s will be provided (1 general, 2 IPM and 1 Laws and Regs). The agenda will cover the following: Reading Pesticide Labels, Applying Wasterwater Residuals to Improve Soil Fertility, Variety Performance and IPM Applications, Boll Weevil Eradication, Atoxigenic Strains to Manage Alfatoxin in Corn, and Corn, Milo and Small Grains Demonstration Reports. The program will start at 9am and conclude by 2:30 pm. RSVP by January 24 by calling 903-654-3075.

Row Crop/Commodity Marketing Workshop
Thursday, February 12 at the Navarro College Lonestar Room. Cost is $10 per person to cover the expense of the meal. Speakers for the day include Dr. John Robinson, Extension Ag Economist for Cotton Marketing, Dr. Mark Welch, Extension Ag Economist for Grain Marketing and Nicole Gueck Extension Program Specialist for Risk Management will team up to talk about the market outlook for cotton and grains, marketing options and alternatives, Risk management, Farm Assist Program and calculating break-even costs for your operation. The most useful portion of this program will be in the afternoon when our speakers will work one-on-one with producers to develop break-even costs and discuss marketing options for 2009. RSVP by February 9 by calling 903-654-3075.

2009 Beef Clinic
February 26 at the Navarro County Exposition Center. Cost is $3 to cover a steak dinner that you will not want to miss. The Agenda will include an update from Texas Beef Council, A Bull Breeding Soundness Exam Discussion and Demonstration, Emerging Reproductive Diseases in Cow-Calf Herds, an update on Country of Origin Labeling, door prizes and more. Don’t forget about the always exciting trade show featuring local and state agribusinesses and agencies. This is going to be a program you will not want to miss. Reserve your seat (and your steak to for that matter) by calling 903-654-3075 by February 24th.