Newspaper Page Text
Page 18 — Wednesday, January 13, 2010, The True Citizen
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USDA implements new crop disaster assistance programs
From Staff Reports
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Farm Service
Agency (FSA) in Georgia has
implemented the new Supplemen
tal Revenue Assistance Payments
program (SURE) in accordance
with the 2008 Farm Bill. Produc
ers are encouraged to visit their
FSA county office to participate in
the program if they suffered crop
production losses during the 2008
crop year.
“This program is an important
component of the farm safety net
and will provide financial assis
tance to producers who have suf
fered crop losses due to natural
disasters,” said Georgia FSA ex
ecutive director Hobby Stripling.
“Producers will receive payments
beginning in January, in time to
help them with planning for next
year’s crop.”
SURE provides crop disaster
assistance payments to eligible
producers on farms that have in
curred crop production or crop
quality losses. The program takes
into consideration crop losses on
all crops grown by a producer na
tionwide. SURE provides assis
tance in an amount equal to 60
percent of the difference between
the SURE farm guarantee and to
tal farm revenue. The farm guar
antee is based on the amount of
crop insurance and Non-insured
Crop Disaster Assistance Program
(NAP) coverage on the farm. To
tal farm revenue takes into account
the actual value of production on
the farm as well as insurance in
demnities and certain farm pro
gram payments.
To be eligible for SURE, pro
ducers must have suffered at least
a 10 percent production loss on a
crop of economic significance. In
addition, producers must meet the
risk management purchase re
quirement by either obtaining a
policy or plan of insurance, under
the Federal Crop Insurance Act or
NAP coverage, for all economi
cally significant crops. For 2008
crops, producers had the opportu
nity to obtain a waiver of the risk
management purchase require
ment through a buy-in provision.
Producers considered socially dis
advantaged, a beginning farmer or
rancher, or a limited resource
fanner may be eligible for SURE
without a policy or plan of insur
ance or NAP coverage.
In addition to meeting the risk
management purchase require
ment, a producer must have a
farming interest physically located
in a county that was declared a
primary disaster county or con
tiguous county by the Agriculture
Secretary under a Secretarial Di
saster Designation. Regardless of
a Secretarial Disaster Designation,
individual producers may also be
eligible for SURE if the actual pro
duction on the farm is less than 50
percent of the normal production
on the farm due to a natural disas
ter. For SURE, a farm is defined
as all crops in which a producer
had an interest nationwide.
For more information on the
new SURE program, please visit
your local FSA county office or
http://www.fsa.usda.gov.
In the Furrow
Does Aerating Pastures and Hayfields Pay?
By Peyton Sapp
County Extension Coordinator
I seem to get quite a few ques
tions these days about pasture and
hayfield management. The ques
tions range from “...burning off
hayfields...” to “.. .aerating pas
tures. ...” Let me take a minute and
talk about hayfield and pasture
aeration.
First of all, why aerate? One
reason to use aeration equipment
is because thatch has built up to
the point it limits water infiltration
into a soil. It is rare that thatch is a
problem in hayfields and pastures
in Georgia.
The second reason aeration
equipment is used is to help with
compaction. Cattle and equipment
that ran over the soil can cause
compaction. This is most often a
problem where cattle are fed and
when hay equipment is continu
ally run in the same direction in a
field every time. Certainly, the soil
can become so compacted that you
see a reduction in the infiltration
of water and fertilizer as well as
poor root performance.
So when do fields need to be
aerated?
We have all walked across fields
taking soil samples, noticing that
the soil is hard as a rock in dry
weather. After a good rain, the soil
probe is typically a lot easier to
push into the soil. So, it stands to
reason that we can’t judge how
hard the soil is when we are in the
midst of dry weather (or for that
matter, if the soil is just a tittle wet).
In fact, the most appropriate time
to determine if soil is compacted
is when it is very wet or even
soggy (technically speaking, at
“field capacity”). The best way to
get some reliable information on
whether or not your soil is com
pacted is to use a soil compaction
tester. This instrument can help
you make a more informed deci
sion by indicating if a soil is com
pacted or not, but it won’t give a
definitive answer to the question
“will aeration pay”?
Many cattlemen really believe
in aeration. With production costs
being so high these days, you need
to think hard about whether or not
aeration will pay. The confusing
thing for some producers is that
aeration can sometimes provide a
short tern benefit. All too often,
the temporary effects are prima
rily the result of a flush of nutri
ents being released by the me
chanical tillage of organic matter
in the soil. So, was the problem
that the soil needed aerating or that
the soil needed some fertility?
More often than not, poor soil fer
tility (usually low soil pH or K)
was the problem and the sole rea
son for the “Bermudagrass De
cline.” Several research studies
(including some that have focused
on severely compacted sites) have
shown that aeration is often merely
a temporary fix. The lack of yield
differences in aerated vs. non-aer-
ated treatments in these studies
suggests that aeration may not be
routinely necessary.
Bottom tine, if you think your
soil is severely compacted; con
sider all of the facts before going
to the expense of aerating. Con
sider the other limiting factors of
forage production tike soil fertil
ity or insect pressure that could be
contributing to the problem.
For more information on forage
production topics, contact the
Burke County Extension Office at
(706)554-2119.
Home & Garden Tips
Home Grown Small Fruits
By Roosevelt McWilliams
County Extension Agent
Here in East Georgia the poten
tial for locally grown fresh picked
fruits can be a long and delicious
seven month season.
Beginning with April and May,
home grown strawberries picked
fully ripe are of superior quality to
their store bought counterparts.
Chandler and Camarosa are estab
lished commercial varieties which
also perform very well in home
gardens. Chandler is earlier in rip
ening beginning about April 1,
while Camarosa begins about
April 10.
In early June, Kiowa and
Chickasaw blackberries begin
their season with very large, juicy,
1 to 1 Vi inch long benies. As they
finish production the end of June,
Apache makes its start and also
yields large berries that are some
what sweeter. Apache yields about
14 pints per plant and has fresh
fruit until mid-July. Kiowa and
Chickasaw yielded 24 and 16 pints
per trellised plant last summer. Re
member blackberries should be
picked at the dull black stage to
be fully sweet.
By growing Austin, Brightwell
and Powderblue varieties of blue
berries, this fresh fruit season cov
ers early June to late July. Again,
your patience will be well re
warded in terms of sweeter ber
ries if you wait for the color to
change from shiny to dull dark,
blue. As with strawbenies and figs,
blueberry fruit losses to birds can
be reduced by using bird netting.
Figs begin producing their
heaviest crop in mid-July which
generally lasts 3 weeks.
In early August, the muscadine
variety Fry begins its 3 week crop
of very sweet, large bronze grapes.
The variety Nesbitt produces a
large black, sweet grape and its
season runs from late August to
mid September. A four year old
vine of Nesbitt yielded 70 pounds
of fruit last fall at the Boggs Trial
Garden near Waynesboro.
With the exception of strawber
ries, the Burke County Extension
Service is currently offering good
quality plants of all these small
fruits at affordable prices. We also
offer a number of varieties of fruit
trees well adapted to our area.
Peaches, plums, pears, and apples
are available. Our 2010 Home
Fruit Promotion began in Decem
ber and runs through noon Febru
ary 2nd.
Please contact the Burke County
Burke County Agricultural and Family &
Consumer Science Calendar of Events
Jan. 20 - Corn Short Course & GA Corn Growers
Annual Meeting -Tifton Campus Conference Center
at the RDC - Tifton, GA - To Register contact the
Conference Center at 229-386-3416.
Jan. 25 - Parent Night - Burke Co. Office Park - 6
p.m.
Jan. 27 - Georgia Cotton Conference - UGA Tifton
Campus Conference Center - Pre-register online at
www.ugatiftonconference.org or call 229-386-3416
Feb. 4 - Corn/Soybean Production Meeting - Burke
Co. Office Park - 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 9 - Cotton Production Meeting - Burke Co.
Office Park - 8 a.m.
Feb. 15 - Peanut Production Meeting - Burke Co.
Office Park - 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 12-13 - Georgia Beekeepers Association
Spring Meeting - Sunbelt Ag Expo - Moultrie, G A -
For registration or more information visit the GBA
website at www.gabeekeeping.com or call 770-473-
5434.
UGA Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity
affirmative action organization committed to a
diverse work force. Phone (706) 554-2119 for more
information.
Burke County 4-H Calendar Dates
Jan. 15 - Cloverleaf Project Achievement Sign-up -
Begins at 8 a.m.
Jan. 18 - MLK Holiday - 4-H Office Closed
Jan. 29-31 - Jr.-Sr. Project Achievement - Rock
Eagle 4-H Center - Eatonton, GA
Feb. 2 -Noon - Deadline to order plants and trees for
4-H Fundraiser
Visit us online
at
www. thetruecitizen. com
Georgia Wilderness Outfitters
THE SOUTHEAST’S SPORTSMAN HEADQUARTERS
Extension office in Waynesboro,
at 554-2119 for an order form and
more information. Additional or
der forms may be found at vari
ous convenience stores through
out the county.
We ask that your prepaid order
be returned by Tuesday noon, Feb
ruary 2, 2010. Also, your plants
should be picked up on Friday,
February 12, 2010 at the Burke
County Office Park Kitchen. We
will give you some educational
information on how to plant and
care for these fruits when they are
picked up. Proceeds will go to the
local county 4-H, Ag, and Family
& Consumer Science Program.
Wilderness Om
Open: Tuesday - Friday 9 am - 6 pm / Saturday 9 am - 3 pm
Toll Free: (866) 564-2012 E-mail: gwo@windstream.net
120 N. Main Street • Sylvania, GA 30467
No Phone Quotes...All Sales Are Final...All Sales Are As Is
Recipes from Louise
By Louise McClain
Special to The True Citizen
January brings winter’s cold
winds and the warmth of an open
fire is welcomed. As you prepare
for a cold winter’s night, there’s
no better way to bring warmth
and good cheer to your family
than to serve them hot soups and
stews.
Cold Weather Soup
1 (10-oz.) pkg. frozen mixed veg
etables
1 /2 lb. ground beef
1 (1 lb.) can tomatoes
1 medium potato, diced
1 onion, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Water
Begin cooking mixed veg
etables according to package di
rections. Add meat and other in
gredients immediately. Cook un
til potatoes are done and onion
is tender. Add salt and pepper to
taste. Add water to desired thick
ness. Yield: 4 servings.
Broccoli Cheese Soup
1 jar (8 oz.) of Cheez Whiz
1 can (101/2 oz.) condensed of cream
of celery soup
16 oz. frozen broccoli
2 cups half-and-half
Mix all ingredients in slow
cooker. Heat for about 2 to 3
hours on LOW, or until broccoli
is tender. Serves 6.
Classic Beef Stew
2 lbs. beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch
cubes
1 to 2 TBSP cooking oil
1 1 /2 cup chopped onion
1 can (16 oz.) tomatoes with liquid, cut
up
1 can condensed beef broth, undiluted
3TBSP quick-cooking tapioca
1 clove garlic, minced
1 TBSP dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. salt
14 tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf
6 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch
pieces
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut
into 2-inch pieces
1 cup sliced celery (1 -inch pieces)
In a Dutch oven, brown the
beef, half at a time, in oil. Drain.
Return all meat to pan. Add on
ion, tomatoes, beef broth, tapi
oca, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper
and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; re
move from the heat. Cover and
bake at 350 degrees for IVi
hours. Stir in carrots, potatoes
and celery. Bake, covered, 1 hour
longer or until meat and veg
etables are tender. Remove bay
leaf before serving. Yield: 6 to 8
servings.
Easy Low-Fat Chili
1 medium onion, chopped
Vt cup chopped green pepper
4 cups water, divided
1 can (15 to 16 oz.) great northern
beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz.) navy beans, rinsed and
drained
1 can (6 oz.) salt-free tomato paste
1 can (14 1 /2 oz.) low-salt diced
tomatoes, undrained
2 to 4 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt, optional
1 /2 tsp. pepper
In a large saucepan, cook the
onion and green pepper in Vi cup
water until tender. Add beans, to
mato paste and tomatoes. Stir in
chili powder, salt if desired, pep
per and remaining water; bring
to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and
simmer for 20 minutes.
Yield: 7 servings. Diabetic
Exchanges: One 1-cup serving
(prepared without added salt)
equals 2 starch, I Vi vegetable;
also, 198 calories, 295 mg so
dium, 0 cholesterol, 38 gm car
bohydrate, 11 gm protein, 1 gm
fat.
We've got you covered.
Offering annual and revolving lines of credit to farm owners and
operators. Your payments can be arranged to coincide with your
crop or livestock income. Borrowing for your operating capital
may allow you to take advantage of cash discounts, lock in prices
by paying ahead, and receive tax benefits by prepaying expenses.
Come experience the AgGeorgia Farm Credit difference.
AgGeorgia
W Farm Credit
176 Highway 80 West | Waynesboro, Georgia
Call Gaines Story or Melissa Redd
706.554.2107
www. aggeorgia. com