The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/626002
C-4 Purdue Extension | Pike County Jan. 2016 The Press-Dispatch Health and Human Sciences News Agriculture and Natural Resources Master Gardener classes set to start soon! Starting to think about next year's lawn and gar- den as temperatures drop? Looking for a way to give to the community while satis- fying your "green thumb" habits? Look into the Pur- due Master Gardeners pro- gram and join folks from Dubois, Perry, and Spen- cer counties as they learn the basics of plants, soils, lawns, trees, gardens, and related horticultural en- deavors during the Spring 2016 classes at the Ferdi- nand Library! Classes will be on Thurs- days, from Jan. 14 to April 14, from 1 to 4 p.m. CST, 2 to 5 pm EST, at the Ferdi- nand Branch Library, locat- ed at 112 E 16th Street, Fer- dinand, Indiana. To sign up for the course, contact the Purdue Exten- sion – Dubois County of- fice at 812-0482-1782, or email kjeck@purdue.edu. Registration is $135 per person or $210 per couple. RSVP by Jan. 14, 2016. Professional landscape management school starts soon Early registration (post- marked before Jan. 22, 2016) is $ 60 for the first person in a company, and $ 30 per em- ployee thereafter. Regis- trations postmarked after 1/22/16, or walk-ins paying at the door, will be charged $75 for the first person and $ 35 per employee. A Certificate of Comple- tion will be awarded to all participants who attend the University of Southern Indiana's 2016 Profession- al Landscape Management School. Certificates will be mailed to all late or on-site registrants. Deadline for pre-registra- tion (for pre-printed name tags and certificates) is Janu- ary 22, 2016. Walk-ins' and late registrants' certificates will be mailed after the program. Continuing Certification Hours (CCHs) have been requested for Indiana Pes- ticide Applicators for cate- gories 2 (Forestry), 3a (Or- namentals), 3b (Turf ), 5 (Aquatic), 6 (Right-of-Way), and RT (Registered Techni- cian). Continuing Educa- tion Units (CEUs) have al- so been requested for In- ternational Soc. of Arbori- culture Certified Arborists. Total hours awarded will be announced at the beginning of the Landscape School; pa- perwork to request CCHs and CEUs will be available at the end of each day. In the event of inclem- ent weather, the Profes- sional Landscape Manage- ment School may be can- celed. Cancellations, should they occur, will be listed on Evansville radio and televi- sion stations. Should the Pro- fessional Landscape Man- agement School be canceled due to bad weather, you will receive a full refund. Copies of the brochure and registra- tion form can be mailed or picked up at the Pike Coun- ty Extension Office. Corn and soybean day to explore benefits of cover crops Farmers who plant cover crops can expect to see low- er input costs and healthier soils for both crop and live- stock production, according to a soils expert with The Ohio State University. For crop producers, the benefits include lower pes- ticide use and more efficient use of soil fertilizer and nu- trients, said Jim Hoorman, an Ohio State University Ex- tension educator and an as- sistant professor studying cover crops and water qual- ity issues. Hoorman will be the featured speaker and discussing these benefits and more at the Purdue Ex- tension, Area Corn and Soy- bean Day on January 22 at the Vanderburgh County Fairgrounds. "The increase in soil or- ganic matter from cover crops results in improved water infiltration, less water runoff, improved soil struc- ture, reduced soil compac- tion and ultimately high- er yields for farmers using cover crops," Hoorman said. The benefits of cover crops for livestock producers in- clude growing and harvest- ing more forages, improved pastures and an extended grazing period, he said. Hosted by Purdue Exten- sion Educators from south- west Indiana, the Area Corn and Soybean Day is for grain producers interested in re- ceiving agronomic informa- tion, as well as, a local grain market update. The event will be on Friday, Jan. 22 at the Vanderburgh Coun- ty Fairgrounds Activities building, beginning with registration at 8 a.m. For more information, contact Jon Neufelder at the Purdue Extension office in Mt. Vernon at: (812) 838 - 1331 or by e-mail at: neufel- de@purdue.edu. A complete list of speakers and topics is available by visiting the web- site at www.extension.pur- due.edu/posey and click- ing on the link under "Hot Topics." Purdue University is an A ffirmative Action institu- tion. If you have a disability that requires special assis- tance for your participation in any program, call the Pur- due Extension, Posey Coun- ty Office at: 812-838 -1331. Area III ServSafe class dates ServSafe classes have been scheduled for 2016 in our area. To register for train- ing, visit https://www.servsafe.com/ss/ sra/IN/. All times are local time. Feb.1, 2016 – 1-day certification – Gibson Co. Extension Office – 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 21 and 24, 2016 – 2-day certifica- tion – Daviess Co. March 30, 2016 – recertification – Da- viess Co. May 9, 2016 – recertification – Gibson Co. Extension Office – 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 9 and 16, 2016 – 2-day certifica- tion – Spencer Co. Extension Office – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 19 and 20, 2016 – 2-day certifica- tion – Posey Co. Extension Office – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 27, 2016 – recertification – Da- viess Co. Sept. 26 – One-day certification – Gibson Co. Extension Office – 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 29 – recertification – Daviess Co. Oct. 4 and 5, 2016 – 2-day certification – Posey Co. Extension Office – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 17 and 24, 2016 – 2-day certifica- tion – Daviess Co. Nov. 14, 2016 – recertification – Gibson Co. Extension Office – 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec.1 and 8, 2016 – 2-day certification – Perry Co. Extension Office – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Area PARP events Jan. 19: Challenging Soils-Fertility and Pest Management, Nitrogen and Crop Health Deci- sions, and High Yield Soy- beans, 9 -11:30 a.m. CST at Tropicana, Evansville. Call Jon Neufelder 812-838 - 1331 to RSVP by Jan. 15. Feb. 2: Regional Private Applicator Exam/Catego- ry 14 Exam (Bretzville, Ind.). Those needing to take the Private Applica- tor Exam or Category 14 exam may take these ex- ams by contacting Cheri Janssen with Purdue Pes- ticide Programs at 1-800 - 319 -3090 or cjanssen@ purdue.edu. If you need a Private Applicator CORE manual, the Pike County Extension Office has them available for sale, 812-354- 6838. Farm Winter Workshop scheduled to begin Jan. 18 The following Farm Win- ter Workshops have been scheduled for Monday nights at 7 p.m. CST at the Gibson Southern High School Au- ditorium or Ag Classroom. There is no charge for any of these sessions except Feb. 22 ($10 if you need the PARP/ Cat. 14 credit). All sessions are open to the public. • Jan. 18: Produce and Food Safety Update: Scott Monroe, Purdue Extension Food Safety Specialist • Jan. 25: One Guy's Thoughts About Crop Prof- itability and Resiliency: Bob Nielsen, Purdue Extension Corn Specialist • Feb. 1: Agency Updates: Janet Ault, Farm Service Agency, others • Feb. 8: Real Estate Is- sues for Today's Farmer: Lindsay Schmitt, Bamberg- er, Foreman, Oswald, and Hahn, LLC • Feb. 15: Cover Crops in 2016: Dan Dorney, Bak- er Seeds • Feb. 22: Managing Pes- ticide Resistance PARP: Ken- neth Eck, Purdue Extension For more information about any of the programs, contact Hans Schmitz at the Gibson County Extension of- fice: 812-385 -3491 or Rich- ard Ritter at Gibson South- ern High School: 812-753- 3011. Note: If you have special needs, contact the Gibson County Extension Office pri- or to the program at: (812) 385 -3491 or hschmitz@pur- due.edu. Free Core Exam and Category 14 Training programs Purdue Extension is con- ducting a training program to help Private Applicators prepare to take the Core Ex- am and Category 14 exams (for those that need it), in or- der to obtain their Private Ap- plicator's Permit. The train- ing will be held on Monday, Feb. 1 at the Gibson County Fairgrounds (see agenda en- closed). This training is only for Private Applicators; Com- mercial Applicators or Regis- tered Technicians will not be allowed to attend. It's our objective that once you've completed this train- ing, you will have a better chance of passing the Core Exam then if you only study on your own. This training is patterned after the one of- fered at Purdue at various times throughout the win- ter for $ 60, but won't be near- ly as thorough or as long (that training lasts about six hours). However, it is being offered at no charge to Pri- vate Applicators and with some additional review and study by the participant, we expect most will be able to pass the Core Exam on their first attempt. The timing of this training is so that participants will hopefully be able to attend the Regional Testing for the Core and Category 14 Exam the next day, scheduled for Feb. 2. The Core Exam and Category 14 Exam are being offered at the Dubois Coun- ty Fairgrounds from 2 to 5 p.m. CST. You are allowed 90 minutes to complete each exam, but most people com- plete the exam in about an hour. Therefore, you can ar- rive at the testing site at any time during that testing win- dow (2-5), as long as you com- plete the exam(s) by no later than 5 p.m.. If you are interested in participating in this training, send your reservation to me by no later than Wednesday, Jan. 27. To make your reser- vation, you can either email me at: neufelde@purdue. edu; call or text me at: 812- 449 -7274; or call my office at: 812-838 -1331. You will also need to obtain an "Indiana Pesticide Applica- tor Training Manual." To or- der, call the Education Store toll-free at: 888 -398 -4636 and request a "Core Training Manual" (PPP-C/PPP-13). If you pay with a credit card, you should have your manu- al in a couple of days. Ohio Valley Small Farm and Garden Conference The Ohio Valley Small Farm and Garden Confer- ence is March 12, 2016, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST, at the Henderson County Extension Office, located at 3341 Zion Road, Hender- son, Ky. Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA+) Training PQA+ Training will be on Friday, Feb. 5, 2016, from 3-4:30 p.m. EST at the Schnitzelbank Res- taurant in Jasper. Training will again be part of the Southern Indiana Pork Conference, but pork pro- ducers are not required to be at the entire workshop to receive the PQA+ cer- tification (i.e. can attend only PQA+ training por- tion). Extension Homemakers The Southern Belles Extension Homemak- er Club will meet Jan. 21 at 6 p.m. at Jane Meyers' home. If you are interested in be- coming an Extension Homemaker, feel free to call the extension office at 812-354-6838. Save the Date: The Spring District Home- makers Meeting will be March 9, 2016, at the Zoar United Methodist Church at 9:30 a.m. Five money saving grocery store tips I find that when I go to the gro- cery store that I must never go when I am hungry. It is also true that I need to go with a shopping list. It is amazing how much more "stuff" I come home with when I just go in there with just a desire to get groceries "unrestricted." There are 5 tips I will share with you from University of Idaho that I think are some great ideas to help save money when making that trip to the grocery store. 1. Compare Unit Prices. Unit price is the cost of a product per unit of weight, volume or other measure of quantity. It is usually posted on the shelf below the food. Use unit price to find the best buy among different brands and differ- ent sizes of the same brand. 2. Keep a Price Book. Keep track of the prices of foods you use often. Note the price at each store where you shop. When a food in your price book is advertised in a sale, you will know if it is a good deal or not. If it is — and you have extra food money — you can stock up. When you know regular pric- es, you can also quickly spot when a "buy one, get one free" sale is a good deal. 3. Use Coupons Wisely. Clip coupons for foods you use of- ten. Most coupons are for name brands, and you may find less-ex- pensive store brands. Coupons for basic ingredients such as vegeta- bles, fruits and dairy products are not common. If you use a coupon, make sure the cashier scans it. 4. Avoid Spending Traps. On- ly go down aisles that have food on your list. Learn the store layout so you can find food quickly. Basic foods are around the outside edg- es of the store. Look at the high and low shelves for bargains and healthier choices. More-costly and less-healthy foods are placed at eye level. Be aware of displays at the ends of aisles. They often feature impulse items with "spe- cial" pricing. 5. Pay Attention When Checking Out. Resist maga- zines, candy and other impulse items. Watch for scanning errors, coupon deductions and correct change. Check your receipt for ac- curacy before leaving. There is no doubt I have caught multiple mis- takes at the cash register when ca- shiers are hurrying through their line or scanned an item one to ma- ny times. It is easy to happen, but if you check before you leave you save the trip of coming back to the store and standing in line again to have the issue resolved. Learn Shrimp Raising in One-Day Workshop By Emma Hopkins Purdue Extension and the Indiana Aquaculture Association are offering a one-day workshop on rais- ing marine shrimp. The workshop will be Feb. 10 at the Indiana Soybean Alliance offices, 8425 Key- stone Crossing, Suite 200, Indianapolis. The 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. event is open to any- one thinking about starting a shrimp operation, as well as current producers. "The meeting will be in- valuable for anyone inter- ested in starting or oper- ating an intensive shrimp operation using biofloc technology in temper- ate climates" said Rob- ert Rode, aquaculture re- search lab manager for the Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Re- sources, and organizer of the workshop. Presenters are Tzachi Samocha, aquacul- ture consultant, and Andrew Ray, assis- tant professor in ag- riculture, food sci- ence and sustainable systems at Kentucky State University. Topics include in- tensive shrimp rais- ing practices, environ- mental regulation in shrimp production build- ings and the economics of the shrimp industry. There will also be a question-and- answer session with the presenters. Registration deadline is Jan. 20, 2016. Cost is $50 for individuals, $75 for cou- ples and $15 for students. Lunch is provided. Enroll- ment is limited. For more information, or to sign up, go to bit. ly/1Ka3G7i. Are you interested in growing your farm? Or maybe your goal is the start-up of a brand new Agribusiness venture. If so, this invitation is for you. The first An- nual Agribusiness Forum will be Thurs- day, Feb. 18, 2016, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Otwell Community Center. Agenda: • Dinner • Keynote Speaker: Connie Neininger with the Indiana State De- partment of Agriculture • Guest Panel of current Agribusi- ness Owners ranging from area Bed and Breakfasts, Lark Ranch, aquacul- ture, and wineries. • Funding Source Panel including a grant specialist from Ag Prosperity, a representative from the Farm Services Agency, and a representative from Ru- ral Development. • Questions and Answers Cost: No charge, but reservations are required. RSVP by Monday, Feb. 1, 2016 by contacting Ashley P. Willis at 812- 354-2271or pikegrowth@frontier.com. First Agribusiness Forum is Feb. 18 By Maria Turner, ANR Educator