Forage Tips
Planting Pasture Forages Now: Best time of the Year
September
- Fertilize and lime cool-season grasses (Fescue, Orchardgrass)
- Now is the BEST time of year to plant cool-season grasses through Oct. 25th.
- Plant cool-season legumes such as ladino clover, red clover, alfalfa into tall fescue sods. Use insecticide.
Read the rest!
Updating Franklin County Hay Directory
We are updating the Hay Directory in the county since many of you may have quality hay to market, particularly horse quality hay. If you have excess hay to sell, contact me at 919-496-3344, or via email, Martha Mobley, and give the necessary information, such as type of hay, size of bales, your contact information, etc. We have numerous livestock and horse owners throughout the year request a free copy of this directory. You can submit what hay you have to market any time, since it is constantly updated on the ag marketing website, NC Farm Fresh. This site also has pasture land for lease, equipment for sale/rent, labor available, and much more. Check it out!Having Buzzard Problems?
Several local beef producers have inquired about legally controlling buzzards from attacking their animals, especially cows calving and newborn calves. Buzzards are a federally protected species of birds, and there is no season to hunt them. It is illegal to shoot, poison, etc. them. However, if buzzards are causing damage to animals on your property, you can apply for a Depredation Permit in order to legally shoot/kill the buzzards. The first step in obtaining a permit by contacting the USDA Damage Control Office. Their telephone number is (919) 786-4480. The wildlife biologist will provide the property owner the written recommendation required for the permit and information on how to then proceed to get the permit from the NC Wildlife Commission.Women in Agriculture (WIA) Network Series to begin this Fall and Winter
I am so excited about a new program partnership that our local expanding WIA group will be establishing with the NC Agro-medicine network from East Carolina University. More details on dealing with stress and how to make our lives better; from dinner meal planning, to record-keeping, nutrition, budgeting, and much more will be highlighted.
SARE Production Grants
Did you know there’s a grant available that allows farmers to test out new ideas, practices, or technology that would address a production or marketing challenge?
It’s called the Southern SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education) Producer Grant Program. This is a research grant program available to individuals or farmer groups to test out a sustainable agriculture idea using a field trial, on-farm demonstration, marketing initiative, or other technique. Typically, grant proposals open in September with final proposals due in November. Producer grants are paid by reimbursement of allowable project expenses for a maximum of $20,000 to individual farmers and $25,000 to farmer groups over two years. Learn more
Farm Hurricane Preparedness
Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) has created a new webpage that compiles Hurricane Resources for Farmers that can be useful both for hurricane preparedness and after storm clean-up.The last thing you need to worry about when a hurricane, tropical storm, or tropical depression is coming is where to look for help. Staff at CFSA has compiled a list of state and federal agencies and organizations to help those with farms in NC or SC prepare for and recover from storm damage.
As a livestock person, after a storm, please search your pastures for poisonous trees/limbs blown down, such as the Wild Cherry Tree and Red Maple Trees.. it is the WILTED leaves that are poisonous, mark those trees now and plan to remove then this winter.
Brunch Farmers Market
