Month: October 2013

Keystone Crop and Soils Conference Oct 29 and 30

We hope you will join us for the annual Keystone Crops and Soils Conference on October 29 and 30at the Hershey/Harrisburg Holiday Inn in Grantville.
                                                                                           
Please see the attached brochure for complete session and registration information.
There are two ways to register for this event:
1. Online (with credit card)
Log onto http://www.cvent.com/d/g4qm11/1Q and provide all information necessary to complete your registration.  When this option is used, there is no need to complete and submit the attached registration form.
2. Via Fax/Email/Mail
Complete the attached registration form as usual and submit with payment to:
Amy Bradford | PennAg Industries Association
2215 Forest Hills Drive, Suite 39 | Harrisburg, PA 17112
Phone: 717-651-5920 | Fax: 717-651-5926 | Email: abradford@pennag.com

Thank you for your support of this event and hope to see you at the end of the month!

2013 PDMP Silage Trial Results

This message is sourced from correspondence with Dr. Greg Roth. Official results will be posted November 1 2013.  We have several key locations of our Penn State/PDMP silage hybrid performance data analyzed and ready.  Since we know corn growers are ready for the data, we have decided to post the results as we get them ready this year, rather than wait for the November 1 posting target date.

So far we have posted results from the short season test in south central PA and the full season tests in south central PA.  These can be accessed at this site http://extension.psu.edu/plants/crops/grains/corn/hybrid-tests/2013-results/silage-hybrid-performance-data  Yield and forage quality have been very good at all of these sites.

We anticipate posting the remaining data in the next two weeks. 

Thanks

Greg

Farmland Rental

Attached are the results from our Farmland rental survey back in 2008.
You are welcome to use it as a reference but since the sample size is relatively small for any one county it is not a good representative sample size.
I would suggest looking back in NASS data for Censes of Ag data for inflation adjustments.
Here is on link I found that lists PA average cropland values and rental values from 2006-2010

Government Shut down affect on PDA

 
Please note the following information from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture as in Penn Ag in regards to the effects of the Federal Government shut down:
 
Animal Health
Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service – Not impacted.
 
Consumer Protection, Regulatory Affairs and Dairy Relations
Food Distribution – No impact unless the shutdown continues into the next calendar year except for The Commodity Supplemental food program (CSFP). We are checking on the status of this program, which provides a box of food to seniors once a month. As of Oct. 1 there were no funds. But there may be enough food inventory to carry the department through for one to two months.
 
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TFAP) supplements are all in the channel right now and the administrative funds are available to run the program throughout the end of the calendar year. The TFAP program provides USDA commodities to counties and food banks for distribution to low-income residents. Distribution of the food is all handled by the private sector.
 
State Administrative Expense (SAE) – These funds are used to support bureau staff, bureau operations and its computer contract, (www.PAMeals.org). No impact as the bureau will have carry over funds at least until the end of the year.
 
Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) – No impact. Program is currently winding down. Checks are being honored until December using past fiscal (10/12-9/13) year funds.
 
Food Safety – All of the programs we complete in cooperation with FDA and USDA are suspended, which include COOL, Interstate Milk Inspections, FDA contracted inspections and egg inspections. Payments for work already completed are also on hold. FDA grants for special projects are not impacted.
 
Weights and Measures – Not Impacted.
 
Plant Industry – The Department of Agriculture receives federal funds from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the pesticide program. There is nothing pending – no money due right now.
 
Marketing and Agricultural Development
Crop Insurance – The shutdown impacts the support outreach in the upcoming Crop Insurance Conference on Oct. 8 and training sessions. Program people who are from the federal government will not be able to travel. The shutdown may also impact the fall advertising campaign.

Palmer Pigweed?

Numerous calls from growers sparked by articles in local media on Palmer Pigweed in Pa.  I picked up a few tips today.
1.  Check the proportion of leaf  petiole to length of leaf….Palmer has a longer leaf stem petiole  than leaf.
2.  Hairs on stem or leaves?  Palmer has no hairs. This is the first give away that you have red root. Most I checked have hairs. Move to next case.
3.  Seed heads soft and bunchy?  palmer is straight up and prickly at seed head. Seed has much longer spikelets than other pig spp
3. Axial buds with  spike? No spikes on Palmer… spiny has spikes at axial. Joint where petiole meets stem.
I had a grower swear he had it. Everything lined up except the spines at the petiole junction with the stem….spiny amaranth. Still took pictures and sent them to Weed specialist.
More to come