New Soil Fumigant Toolbox

PA has created a new virtual toolbox for information on soil fumigation, which is available at www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/soil_fumigants. The soil fumigants toolbox provides easy access to a variety of soil fumigant training, outreach, and other resource materials for applicators and handlers, communities, state and local agencies, and others interested in understanding and implementing the current requirements for safe use of soil fumigants. Key features include safety brochures for handlers of soil fumigants, training modules on the new soil fumigant requirements, templates for soil fumigant management plans, and updated fact sheets on the soil fumigant mitigation measures and implementation schedule. New materials will be added to the toolbox as they become available during 2011.

New Soil Fumigant Toolbox

PA has created a new virtual toolbox for information on soil fumigation, which is available at www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/soil_fumigants. The soil fumigants toolbox provides easy access to a variety of soil fumigant training, outreach, and other resource materials for applicators and handlers, communities, state and local agencies, and others interested in understanding and implementing the current requirements for safe use of soil fumigants. Key features include safety brochures for handlers of soil fumigants, training modules on the new soil fumigant requirements, templates for soil fumigant management plans, and updated fact sheets on the soil fumigant mitigation measures and implementation schedule. New materials will be added to the toolbox as they become available during 2011.

USDA - Colony Collapse Disorder Progress Report

The United States Department of Agriculture released its report on the current status of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). This report is a collaborative effort of scientists from 8 Federal agencies, 2 state departments of agriculture, 22 universities, and several private research efforts. NC State University is one of the universities involved in this research project. Beekeepers and others concerned with honeybees and native pollinators will find this report interesting.

1917 Caldwell County Soil Survey

I want to share a fascinating historical publication - the 1917 Caldwell County Soil Survey. A colleague, Cecil Haynes - NRCS, showed this to me the week of Thanksgiving. It offers a great description of agriculture in Caldwell County at the turn of the last century. If you are interested in current soil classification and data, use the 1989 - Caldwell County Soil Survey.

I hope you enjoy reading this interesting document and viewing the accompanying 1917 survey map

Tractor ROPS

We had a great program on tractor safety presented by the NC Farm Bureau at the last Caldwell County Cattlemen's Meeting. During the presentation is was stated that "no one has ever died in a tractor turn-over with a tractor equipped with a roll over protection system (ROPS) when the operator was wearing the safety belt". That is a very impressive statement. The University of Kentucky has a great site on tractor ROPS including a data base of after market suppliers.

http://warehouse.ca.uky.edu/rops/ropshome.asp

Commercial Rabbitry Project

You are invited to attend a showing of a newly renovated “hobby” rabbitry to a more efficient 100 doe “commercial” rabbitry with newly installed automatic watering and clean out systems.

Funding for the rabbitry was provided through a grant from the Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund, the Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA (RAFI-USA). The funding provides cost-share support for farmers’ to try new production, marketing, and processing strategies in order to earn more income on the farm.

When: Saturday, November 6, 2010
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Where: Devine Farms
2675 St. James Church Rd.
Newton, NC 28658

Directions to farm: From Newton travel 321 S. toward Maiden, pass South Side Park and the NC National Guard Building on the right. Go approximately ¼ mile and turn left off of 321 onto Smyre Farm Rd. Go to stop sign and turn right onto St. James Church Rd. Farm is on the right approximately 1 ½ miles on right. Look for the two Case Farm Poultry signs, Rowdy Rooster and Creek Side. Follow driveway past chicken houses to rabbit barn.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Contact: Susie Devine
(828) 466-0130 Home
(828) 461-2012 Cell

E-Mail Address: devine5farm@bellsouth.net

Fig Culture in North Carolina

I have always been fasinated by the history of science. We were recently cleaning out one of our closets at the Caldwell Extension Center and I came across several old USDA and NC Experiement Station bulletins. The second bulletin I read was on fig culture in North Carolina. This was published in 1910 and much of the information is still relevant to day . . . I hope you enjoy the read as much as I did.