The Press-Dispatch
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For more information, visit facebook.com/hollandin.events or call MaLea Wagner at 812-631-4330 HOLLAND PARK - HWY. 161 F R I D AY, S E P T. 1 7 5:00 PM Food Booths Open 6:00 PM Opening Ceremony at Henke Stadium 6:30 PM Little Miss & Mr. Contests at Henke Stadium 6 PM–Midnight 21 & Up Entertainment Area Open & Live Music: Guilty Pleasure next to Tennis Courts 7:00 PM Horse Shoe Tournament at the Horse Shoe Pits 10:00 PM Food Booths Close S AT U R D AY, S E P T. 1 8 8:00 AM Tulip Trot 5K & Kids Run at Henke Stadium 8:00–10:00 AM Farm to Table Breakfast at Henke Stadium 10:00 AM Poker Run at Fire House 10:00 AM Food Booths Open 10 AM–4 PM NEW–Craft & Farmers Market – Large Shelter House 11:00 AM Kiddie Tractor Pull (Sponsored by SHS FFA) 12:00 PM Ice Cream Eating Contest at Henke Stadium 1:00 PM Silly Safari 2:00 PM Kids Zone Open 4:00 PM Keg Toss at Volleyball Sand Pit 5:00 PM Horse Shoe Tournament at the Horse Shoe Pits 6:00 PM 21 & Up Entertainment Area Open & Live Music: One Night Stand next to Tennis Courts 11:00 PM Food Booths Close S U N D AY, S E P T. 1 9 10:00 AM Community Church Service at Henke Stadium 11:00 AM Holland American Legion Dinners at Henke Stadium NO FOOD BOOTHS OPEN ON SUNDAY Banquet MARRIAGE LICENSES Madison Query, 23, of 898 S. CR175E, Winslow, daugh- ter of Barry and Kristi Query to Cody Whitehead, 24, of 898 S. CR175E, Winslow, son of Barry and Stacey White- head. Edward W. Loyd, 80, of 101 N. White River Ave., Pe- tersburg, son of Edward W. and Helen L. Loyd to Marsha Lee McClure, 65, of 101 N. White River Ave., Petersburg, daughter of James T. Laney and Dixie J. Porter. Cover crops are nothing new, but their relationship to a changing climate might be new to many farmers. Cov- er crops have been heavily adopted in Indiana. Accord- ing to 2021 Natural Resource Conservation Service da- ta, 1.59 million acres of cov- er were planted last year. St. Joseph County led the way in the state, with over half of their acres surveyed planted to some kind of cover. This survey would include the win- ter wheat cash crop, although the number of acres of wheat have declined in the state as we have moved away from us- ing straw for livestock on ma- ny farms. Many cover crops are plant- ed in an attempt to control soil erosion or promote soil health, but their ability to help soils sequester carbon is an im- portant component of their management as well. Bare soils still have organic mat- ter in which microorganisms are actively working, feeding, and growing. Those microor- ganisms break down carbon (and nitrogen) which are re- leased into the air as green- house gasses. The resultant organic mat- ter percentage in that soil de- clines. When fields are kept with growing plants year- round, and de- caying plant matter is kept on the field, microbes release less greenhouses gasses into the air, and organic matter in the soil increases. A Sustain- able Agriculture Research and Education publication en- titled "Cover Crops and Car- bon Sequestration" cites mul- tiple studies whose results show that the US has potential to plant 20 million acres to cov- er crops (Indiana is already at 1.5 million), resulting in the carbon sequestration (flow of carbon from the air to the soil) of 60 million metric tons of CO2-equivalent. Convert- ing out of metric and attempt- ing to provide a number that can be mentally grasped, 132.3 billion pounds of carbon would be sequestered, which equates to 254 million An- dre the Giants, or about a 1990 population of the US full of Andre the Giants. Us- ing the Environmental Pro- tection Agency's greenhouse gas equivalency calculator, that amount of sequestration would offset 12.8 million vehi- cle emissions. Indiana has ap- proximately 2.3 million vehi- cles on the roads, according to a 2016 study. Cover crops also have an effect on the microclimate where they are planted. Of course, daikon radishes give off an odor when they die and begin to rot that remind all around that they used to exist. Most farmers that use cover crops that do not winter kill ac- knowledge that soil tempera- tures stay cooler in the spring, a known risk to be managed when using cover crops. An- other interesting microclima- tological factor for cover crops in Indiana consists of snow cover. Compared to bare soil, fields with cover crops will have less time under snow. Be- cause most cover crops have a C3 photosynthetic path- way, this lack of snow allows for increases in the amount of time the cover crop is actively growing and photosynthesiz- ing, benefiting the soil even in the winter. Cover crops are an excel- lent tool for a farmer to use on his or her acres. Emerg- ing carbon markets recog- nize their utility and are re- warding farmers for new cov- er crop adoption. Farmers can take an active role in mitigat- ing climate change. Many al- ready do. For more informa- tion, contact Hans at the Pur- due Extension – Posey County office via hschmitz@purdue. edu or 812-838 -1331. The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, September 8, 2021 A-5 FRIDAY CHILI Roast Beef Manhattan $ 8.99 Roast Beef Smothered in Gravy on Mashed Potatoes and Bread with Green Beans or Corn and Drink * Whitefish Sandwich $ 8.99 Dressed the way you like! Served with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Green Beans or Corn and a Drink Polish Sausage $ 8.99 with Sauerkraut, served with Cornbread, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy and a Drink * CHEESY CHICKEN BROCCOLI OR CHILI Grilled Chicken Salad $ 8.99 Grilled Chicken Breast on a Bed of Spring Mix with Red Onions, Tomato, Cheese and Bacon with Creamy Ranch Dressing. Served with Drink. * WEDNESDAY Boneless Pork Chop $ 8.99 Tender Pork Loin Baked with Special Spices and Parmesan Cheese served with Baked Potato, Green Beans and a Drink * *Your Choice of Regular Coffee, Tea or Coke Product. Specials and menu items are subject to food availability from suppliers. /RandysAmericanaCafe Like us on Facebook! 7TH & MAIN STREETS • PETERSBURG SEPTEMBER 8 – 14 MONDAY CHILI Spaghetti $ 7.99 Cheesy Mozzarella Toast, Side Salad and Drink * Chicken Salad Sandwich $ 8.99 On croissant served with Chips, Side and Drink * French Toast $ 8.99 Choice of Two Sides and Drink * CHILI Biscuits and Gravy $ 8.99 Served With Your Choice of Two Sides and a Drink * SATURDAY Stromboli $ 8.99 Our Own Special Stromboli Served with Grippos (Plain or BBQ), Side Salad and a Drink * daily Dine-in & Carry-Out THURSDAY Ham Steak $ 8.99 Thick-Sliced Ham Served with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Green Beans or Buttered Peas and Carrots, Roll and a Drink * Meatloaf $ 8.99 Green Beans or Buttered Peas and Carrots, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Roll and Drink * TUESDAY Turkey Manhattan $ 8.99 Turkey Breast Smothered in Gravy on Mashed Potatoes and Bread with Green Beans and Drink * Taco Salad $ 8.99 Served with Sour Cream, Salsa and a Drink * HAM & BEANS WITH CORNBREAD OR CHILI CHEESY POTATO OR CHILI Joe Mama's Pizza will soon be available at Randy's Americana Joe Mama's CO M I NG SOO N ! Mon-Fri 7am-8pm Saturday 7am-2pm 812-354-2004 Social Security Matters By Rusty Gloor Is it best to wait until age 70 to claim SS? Cover crops and climate change Down on the Farm By Hans Schmitz, Purdue Educator Dear Rusty: I'm 66 years old and still self- employed as a home builder. I have not tak- en Social Security benefits yet, and don't need to at this time. If relevant, my business struggled when I first start- ed it five years ago, but did well last year, and I'll have my highest earning year in my life this year and possibly next year as well. My ques- tion is, and it may be dumb, is it always best to delay So- cial Security until age 70, if there is no current financial need for it? Also, are bene- fits calculated by total dol- lars earned over a lifetime, or is some kind of average or mean computation used? I've enjoyed excellent health throughout my life, and I have longevity in my family. I'm single if that's relevant. Signed: Planning Ahead. Dear Planning Ahead: There is never a dumb ques- tion about Social Security be- cause it's a highly complex program. No, it isn't always best to delay claiming Social Security until age 70, but yours might be a typical exam- ple of why wait- ing until age 70 to claim is a very smart move. Here's why: • Your bene- fit at age 70 will be about 31 per- cent more than it would be at your full retire- ment age (FR A), which is 66 years and 2 months if you were born in 1955. • If you are still working and don't urgently need the money, your SS benefit will grow by 8 percent for each full year you delay claiming (but you can still claim at any time if necessary and get all Delayed Retirement Credits (DRCs) earned to the point you claim). • Your benefit amount will be computed using the monthly average of your lifetime 35 highest earn- ing years, so if your current and more re- cent earnings are among your highest, they will be includ- ed in your ben- efit computation when you claim. Your earnings in the early years will be adjusted for inflation, and if you don't have a full 35 years of earnings, they will still use 35 (putting zeros in to make 35). So, if you don't have a full 35 years of lifetime earnings, your current earnings now will eliminate some of those "ze- ro earnings" years, resulting in a higher benefit. • If you're in good health now and you enjoy at least an "average" longevity (about 84 for a man your age), you'll get more in cumulative life- time benefits by waiting un- til age 70 to claim and en- joy that higher monthly ben- efit for the rest of your life. If you wish to estimate your life expectancy, you can use this tool we use here at The AMAC Foundation: https:// bit.ly/3ySvnRF. • Since you're single, you don't need to worry about maximizing a survivor bene- fit for your spouse, but if you marry or have an ex-spouse who outlives you, then wait- ing until age 70 to claim would give them the maxi- mum survivor benefit they are entitled to. So, in your specific circum- stance, waiting until you are 70 to claim appears to be a wise choice. For others who don't enjoy good health and don't expect to make average longevity, or for those who ur- gently need the money earli- er, claiming before age 70 is often a better choice. To submit a question, vis- it https://bit.ly/38JiYF0 or email ssadvisor@amacfoun- dation.org. Ways to cut costs during retirement The average person will spend more than 50 years in the employment sector. As retirement draws closer, ma- ny professionals begin to day- dream about giving up the commute and having more time to pursue their person- al interests. Even if planning for retire- ment has been many years in the making, it can take some time for a person to become acclimated to having less in- come. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "older households," which are defined as those run by someone age 65 and older, spent an average of $45,756 in 2016, or roughly $ 3,800 a month. That's roughly $1,000 less than the monthly aver- age spent by typical American households. Housing, trans- portation, health care, and food are some of the biggest bills retirees will have to ac- count for. Aiming to have sav- ings in addition to any other retirement income or govern- ment subsidy coming in to cov- er that amount is a step in the right direction. Retirees can make their money go further if they take inventory of their spending and make some cuts where possible. • Know where your mon- ey is going. It's impossi- ble to save without knowing what your expenses are each month. Many people are sur- prised to learn how much lit- tle things add up over the course of a month. For exam- ple, spending $4 for a take- out coffee each day can quick- ly become an expensive luxu- ry. Add all expenses and see where you can trim, especially if there's a deficit each month. • Consider extra health care. In the United States, Medicare participants can choose Medicare Supple- ment Insurance plans to help reduce out-of-pocket health care costs. Medicare Parts A and B only cover some of your health care costs. Supplemen- tal insurance can cover some of the costs not covered by original medicare, like copay- ments, deductibles and coin- surance, according to A ARP. • Pare down on pos- sessions. Take inventory of what you have and scale back where possible. If you are no longer commuting to work, you may be able to become a one-car household. Downsiz- ing your residence can help seniors avoid spending too much of their retirement time and money maintaining their homes. • Take advantage of se- nior discounts. Take advan- tage of the many discounts that are offered to seniors. Retirees can usually save on restaurants, travel, grocer- ies, and much more by sim- ply shopping on specific days or verifying their age when checking out. • Purchase less expen- sive life insurance. Accord- ing Cheapism, a site that ad- vises consumers about how to be more frugal, the chief pur- pose of life insurance is to re- place income to ensure the financial security of depen- dents in the event of death. Retirees may have no depen- dents and little income. There- fore, a large life insurance pol- icy may not be necessary, es- pecially if you've already set aside funds to cover funeral costs. • Pay off a mortgage. Housing is many people's most substantial expense. Paying off a mortgage can free up more money each month and allow retirees to spend their golden years doing as they please. As retirement nears, adults can employ various strate- gies to reduce their monthly expenses.