2015 Agriculture

2015

A special publication of the

Messenger-Inquirer Thursday, January 22

2 Agriculture

Messenger-Inquirer Thursday, January 22, 2015

Ag Expo returns to convention center 41st annual show is Jan. 28

A

By Beth Noffsinger Messenger-Inquirer

n annual gathering of regional farmers returns to Owensboro at the end of January.

The 41st annual Ag Expo, which is organized by the local Grain Day Committee, is on Jan. 28 at the Owensboro Convention Center. The day includes seminars, a vendor show and lunch. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m., and the first session starts at 9 a.m.

Attendees who want to get lunch tickets must be registered by 10:30 a.m., and tickets are limited. Sessions are from 9 to 9:30 a.m., 10:15 to 10:45 a.m., 11 to 11:30 a.m., and 1 to 1:45 p.m.

“It’s a neat event,” said Clint Hardy, Daviess County’s extension agent for agriculture and natural resources and a member of the Grain Day committee.

“It’s kind of the opening of the growing season for us.”

There are several short breaks during the day that provide time to attend the trade show. Lunch is from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and it is followed by the keynote address from Jack McCall, a motivational speaker who grew up on a farm in Tennessee and started his career in agriculture, then worked in banking and estate planning before becoming a full-time speaker.

Session presenters this year include Joe Cain, national affairs director for Kentucky Farm Bureau; Marcinda Kester, farm programs chief for Kentucky Farm Service Agency; and Jerry Pierce, program coordinator for the Kentucky Farm Business Management Program at the University of Kentucky. The majority of the panelists are affiliated with UK. The Ag Expo is an important event for a number of reasons, Hardy said.

First and foremost, he said, Ag Day is a University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service educational program that gives producers an opportunity to visit with university specialists in areas such as grain marketing and Farm Bill decisions.

Secondly, Hardy said, “the trade show

File Photo

Helen and Brooks Young wave to people walking through the 40th annual Ag Expo on Jan. 29, 2014 at the Owensboro Convention Center. “We’re just dreaming today,” Brooks Young said. “I’d like (that) tractor and that combine,” he continued while looking down over the large machinery on display in the center’s exhibition halls. is a very big part of the event. That’s what allows Grain Day Inc. to afford to do the program. ... It introduces these businesses, these local ag businesses, with the farmers and others they do business with throughout the year.”

The annual Ag Expo was founded in 1975 as the Green River Area Grain Day. It was first held at the Dugan Best Community Center before moving to the National Guard Armory, Sportscenter, Executive Inn Rivermont and the Hines Center over the years.

The 2014 Ag Expo, which was on Jan. 29 of that year, was the first event held at the new Owensboro Convention Center -- it was presented two days before the convention center’s opening gala.

In fact, convention center staff got the see expo/page 4

WARD

IMPLEMENT COMPANY, INC.

Hwy. 56 • Beech Grove, KY • 1-800-264-0206

Thursday, January 22, 2015 Messenger-Inquirer

Agriculture

I COME FROM

A LONG LINE OF FARMERS. WHICH IS WHY I HELP A LONG LINE OF FARMERS.

Wayne Mattingly Vice President Ag Loan Officer

At Independence Bank, we’re proud to be Kentucky’s #1 Ag lender and to help farmers’ businesses grow.

2425 Frederica Street 270.686.1776

2465 Parrish Avenue 270.689.1696

1776bank.com/agriculture-services

3228 Highway 54 270.689.1979

Member FDIC

3

4 Agriculture

Messenger-Inquirer Thursday, January 22, 2015

expo from page 2

keys to the building just two days before the Ag Expo, said Laura Alexander, director of sales and marketing at the convention center. She said the Ag Expo was an excellent show to have as the convention center’s first event because it features a trade show, classroom-style sessions and a luncheon. “It had all three components of what makes a convention center. ... We were really excited it had all of those components so we could try it out before the official, big grand opening,�

Alexander said.

The Ag Expo typically attracts farmers from the seven counties in the Green River area (Daviess, Hancock, Henderson, McLean, Ohio, Union and Webster) as well as other parts of south central and western Kentucky, and southern Indiana.

This year’s expo features topics ranging from Grain Market Outlook to Surviving the Next Five Years. The Grain Day Committee meets several times during the year to identify issues farmers are addressing during the

File Photo

Wright Implement’s Owen Smith shines the large tires on a John Deere 8285r tractor on Jan. 28, 2014, in preparation for the 40th Annual Ag Expo at the Owensboro Convention Center at 501 West Second St. production season, Hardy said. “We make sure we identify a person to cover that topic during the event,� he said.

The most difficult decision for some Ag Expo attendees, Hardy said, will be determining which educational events they want to attend because they’ll have

quite a selection to choose from.

Anita Fuqua joined the Grain Day Committee in 1995. She has worked in the agricultural industry for 20 years, and before that, she was involved in 4-H and the cooperative extension service.

The Ag Expo is important, she said, because it “provides a chance one day

for all the farmers to come together to get educational classes that are provided through the cooperative extension service. They can attend a one-day event and get knowledge in various areas that effect them. ... We feel like we have a great formula in that we can provide so many educational opportunities in one day.� Scott Kuegel has been on the Grain Day Committee for about 20 years. The event is usually held the last week of January. “It comes at a really good time for us as farmers to be able to get together, catch up on our education, the new things coming,� he said. “Things that are going on, such as the new Farm Bill; we will have discussions on it. A lot of times new weed control or new programs, we bring those kinds of things to the table and make that forum for people to learn.�

Kuegel said he was thrilled with the convention center as a venue for the annual expo. He said the exhibition space for booths and sponsors had the feel of a small part of the National Farm Machinery Show in the South Wing of the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. “The turnout was great,� he said. “The space we had was phenomenal.�

Hope for the weather you want,

PREPARE FOR THE WEATHER you get.

Talk to one of our Crop Insurance Specialists today.

Call Farm Credit today.

ǙǚǚǛ }Â?„ ŠÂ? Ž‹Â?Â?Â…ÂŠÂƒĹ¤ “ ŠÂ?~‹Ž‹Ť ǚǘǙǖǗ }ˆˆ ǘÇ?Ç–Ć“ÇœÇžÇšĆ“ÇœÇ˜Ç›Ç— ‹Ž ƒ‹ Â?‹  Ɠ‚}Ž‰ Ž €…Â?ĹŁ ‹‰ }Ž‰ Ž €…Â? …€Ɠ ‰ Ž… } Â…Â? }Š  Â?‘}ˆ ‹ŒŒ‹ŽÂ?‘Š…Â?• ŒŽ‹’…€ Ž

Thursday, January 22, 2015 Messenger-Inquirer

Agriculture

5

KFB legislative priorities include road bill, taxes

T

By Beth Noffsinger Messenger-Inquirer

hough the Kentucky General Assembly meets in a short session this year, the Kentucky Farm Bureau’s board of directors have established state legislative priorities for the year.

“One thing we may be working on this session is ways to stabilize the rural road fund to try to make sure there is sufficient funding available to maintain rural roads across the commonwealth,” said Jeff Harper, KFB’s director of public affairs, adding Kentucky’s farm-to-market roads are critically important to the agriculture community.

The General Assembly met for four days during the first full week of January, and the legislature reconvenes in February. The KFB’s legislative priorities were set in December at the agriculture organization’s annual meeting.

“There’s been some talk about possibly opening the budget,” Harper said. “If they do that, we’ll

be watching that really closely to make sure we protect our agriculture programs, tobacco settlement funds, those sort of things. We’re always watching taxation and those sort of things.”

The short session, held for 30 days in odd numbered years, typically does not feature budget discussions as the two-year budget is set during even numbered years.

Regardless of the length of the session, Harper said, “we like to say if the General Assembly is in Frankfort, the Kentucky Farm Bureau is going to be in Frankfort.”

While many in the community associate the Kentucky Farm Bureau with its insurance arm, the KFB is an advocate for agriculture in the commonwealth.

“We are a farm organization first, and obviously our most known member service is our property and casualty insurance,” Harper said. “Everyone is familiar with our property and casualty insurance.”

The organization also has a

national affairs staff who works with the American Farm Bureau. KFB’s national affairs personnel have a great relationship with Kentucky’s congressional delegation, Harper said.

“They’re well aware of our national priority issues,” he said.

This year, those priorities include trying to get tax stability, especially with regard to Section 179 and bonus depreciation, a tax provision that “provides flexible means for farm and ranch businesses to write off and deduct business expenses,” according to American Farm Bureau’s website.

The AFB and KFB would also like to see something done on farm labor.

“Labor is always a huge issue nationally,” Harper said. “Whether or not Congress chooses to tackle that issue remains to be seen.”

A complete list of state and national priorities for 2015 can be found online at: https://www.kyfb. com/federation/legislative-affairs/ national/national-priorities and https://www.kyfb.com/federation/

legislative-affairs/state/state-priorities.

When people join their county farm bureau, that essentially makes them members of the Kentucky Farm Bureau, Harper said.

“We think that we are the voice of Kentucky agriculture,” he said. “And the unique thing about Kentucky Farm Bureau is our policies, what this organization is for and what this organization is against, comes from our grassroots, or our local level.

“That’s not from the top down.

That comes from the counties up to the state.”

Then the voting delegates, which includes members from all the farm bureaus, ultimately decides what the priorities will be.

The state board of directors is elected at the district level.

“Again, it’s the county farm bureaus coming together in their district nominating and electing their state board of directors,” Harper said. see kfb/page 14

6 Agriculture

Messenger-Inquirer Thursday, January 22, 2015

Davis, new extension professor, to speak at expo

T

SALES • SERVICE • PARTS 5600 Old Hwy. 54 Philpot, KY 42366 (270) 729-4721

325 Salem Dr. Owensboro, KY 42303 (270) 684-8488

odd Davis grew up on going to be growing this an Iowa farm that has year.” been in his family for An event such as the Ag more than a century.

Expo helps Davis understand As the youngest sibling, what he needs to be working there wasn’t enough land on to help area farmers. or opportunity for him to Davis said a big concern continue to work on the family for producers in 2015 is going farm that his brother still to be profitability. He said farms. there have been some good Todd Davis Since he wanted a career years recently for farmers in agriculture, Davis decided to study because of a combination of a strong agriculture business at Iowa State demand for corn, wheat and soybeans University in the mid-1990s, then he coupled with production problems in went on to get his masters degree other parts of the world. and Ph.D. in agriculture economics at But record crop yields are not Purdue University. supporting those higher prices, so Davis said he wanted “an profitability is going to be a concern opportunity to work in an industry or and an issue that is discussed for the job function that supports and helps next year, Davis said. those in the production of agriculture.”

He encouraged residents to come He joined the University of out to the Ag Expo.

Kentucky in July 2014, where he is “I think it’s a great educational an assistant extension professor in opportunity,” Davis said. agriculture economics. He is based Davis’ role at the University of out of UK’s Research and Education Kentucky so far has included a lot of Center in Princeton.

Farm Bill education.

Before joining UK, “ ... Sometimes what “In these sorts of he worked at Clemson you do in extension settings, you get to University in its is dictated by the interact with farmers, timeliness of the issue,” extension service from 2001 until January 2010. and this time of year, he said. “One of the From January 2010 until January, they’re most timely issues is last July, Davis worked producers starting to focus their educating for the American Farm about the new Farm Bill. thoughts on what They have to make some Bureau in Washington decisions about which D.C. they’re going to be farm programs they Davis is one of the growing this year.” want to participate in for presenters at the 41st annual Ag Expo on Jan. — Todd Davis the life of this bill.”

Though Davis is 28 at the Owensboro UK assistant based out of Princeton, Convention Center. He extension professor he has state-wide will be the speaker at the responsibilities. While Grain Market Outlook he said he enjoyed his work at the Session and a session titled Farm American Farm Bureau, he wanted Bill: ARC vs. PLC, A Decision Model to get back to working closer with Overview. He is one of the panelists farmers. for the session called Surviving the “It’s rare to find faculty members Next Five Years. who are able to spend 100 percent of “This is going to be my first (Ag the time on outreach for farmers and Expo),” Davis said. “I’m looking the community,” he said. “So that was forward to being a part of it. I hear it attracts a very large audience, not only very appealing. ... I’ve enjoyed being from Kentucky but neighboring states. able to get out and see the state, talk to farmers to better understand their I think that’s very impressive. issues.

“In these sorts of settings, you get “They’ve all been very welcoming to interact with farmers, and this time and very supportive of UK and my of year, January, they’re starting to position, and that’s rewarding.” focus their thoughts on what they’re

Thursday, January 22, 2015 Messenger-Inquirer

Agriculture

7

Ag expo schedule Sensors for Irrigation Efficiency Jan. 28 Speaker: Dr. David Sloane Registration starts at 7:30 a.m.

Moderator: Greg Comer, Ohio County CES Register by 10:30 a.m. to receive lunch ticket – tickets are limited SESSION II: 10:15 - 10:45 a.m.

East Ballroom A & B: Farm Bill Note: Attending both sessions 9-10:45 a.m. in Ballroom C ARC vs PLC: A Decision Model Overview will qualify for Private Pesticide Applicator Certification Speaker: Todd Davis Moderator: Camille Hayden, Henderson County CES Jeff Nalley WBIO Farm Director, broadcasting live East Ballroom C: Update on Movement & Distribution of Invasive Insects of Grain Crops in Kentucky Speaker: Dr. Doug Johnson Moderator: Whitney Carman, Hancock County CES

SESSION I: 9 - 9:30 a.m.

East Ballroom A & B: Grain Market Outlook Speaker: Dr. Todd Davis Moderator: Phil Beyke, Grain Day Committee member East Ballroom C: Back to Basics: Managing Herbicide Resistant Weeds Speaker: Dr. Jim Martin Moderator: Cary Hicks, McLean County CES Meeting Room 230: Grain Crop Profitability in 2015 & Beyond Speaker: Jerry Pierce Moderator: Vicki Shadrick, Webster County CES

Meeting Room 230: Kentucky Agriculture Law: Risk Management of your Liability Speaker: Clint Quarles Moderator: Paul Winkler, Grain Day Committee member Meeting Room 231: Getting the Most Value from Poultry, Turkey and Other Manure Sources on your Land Speaker: Edwin Ritchey Moderator: Rankin Powell, Union County CES

Meeting Room 231: Utilizing Electronic Soil Moisture

SESSION III: 11 - 11:30 a.m.

East Ballroom A & B: National Agriculture Policy Update

The Voice of Kentucky Agriculture

ATTENTION

2015 Scholarship Program

Applications are now being accepted for the 2015 Kentucky Farm Bureau and Daviess County Farm Bureau Scholarship Program for high school seniors.

Daviess County Farm Bureau Scholarship - awarded to a high school senior of a Daviess County Farm Bureau member.

Daviess County Farm Bureau Insurance Agents Scholarship - awarded to a high school senior of a Daviess County Farm Bureau member.

Tom Curtsinger Scholarship - awarded to a high school senior of a Daviess County Farm Bureau member pursuing a degree in agriculture or a related field or they are the child of a farm family.

For more information visit kyfb.com or daviess.kyfb.com. You can also see your local high school counselor’s office or your local Farm Bureau office to pick up your application. **All applications must be postmarked by February 28, 2015 to be considered.**

Speaker: Ed McQueen Moderator: Darrell Simpson, Muhlenberg County CES East Ballroom C: Agronomy in a Tighter Market Speaker: Dr. Carrie Knott Moderator: Jeff Rice, Grain Day Committee member Meeting Room 230: The Value of the Chamber of Commerce to Agriculture in Daviess County Speakers: Jim De Maio and Rick Kamuf Moderator: Annette Heisdorffer, Daviess County CES Meeting Room 231: Basics of Industrial Hemp Production in Kentucky Speaker: Dr. David Williams Moderator: Philip Anderson, Grain Day Committee member Lunch: 11:45 a.m. - 12:15p.m. in West Ballroom A - E Keynote address featuring Jack McCall: 12:15 - 12:45 p.m.

SESSION IV: 1- 1:45 p.m.

East Ballroom A & B: Surviving the Next 5 Years Panelists: Dr. Todd Davis, Marcinda Kester, additional TBA Moderator: Scott Kuegel

Save the date……….

The 36th Annual Farm/City Breakfast “The Best Breakfast in Daviess County” Saturday, February 28, 2015 Daviess County High School – 7:30a.m. **New Location** Tickets $6.00

**Tickets will be available at all Daviess County Farm Bureau offices, the Chamber of Commerce or you may purchase your ticket at the door.

Daviess County Farm Bureau members receive recognition at the 2014 Kentucky Farm Bureau Annual Meeting held in Louisville in December……

Jeff Nalley was named winner of the 2014 Communications Award. This award is presented to candidates whose outstanding journalism work has created a better understanding of Kentucky’s agriculture industry over the last year. This is the fourth time Jeff has received this honor!

Clint Hardy received second place in the Excellence in Agriculture Award. This award is presented to individuals or couples under the age of 35 who contribute to and exhibit leadership growth from consistent involvement in Farm Bureau and other agriculture- and civic-oriented organizations.

Congratulations!!!

Visit our website at daviess.kyfb.com for all your local Farm Bureau information or kyfb.com for all your state wide information.

3329 Wathens Crossing • Owensboro, KY • 683-1715

8 Agriculture

Messenger-Inquirer Thursday, January 22, 2015

McCall to bring humor to Ag Expo keynote address

By Beth Noffsinger

A

Messenger-Inquirer

motivational humorist with a background in agriculture will be the keynote speaker at the 2015 Agriculture Expo.

Jack McCall, who is also an author and columnist, grew up on a small tobacco and livestock farm in Tennessee. He double-majored in agriculture economics and animal science at the University of Tennessee, and he began his career with the Tennessee Farm Bureau before working for the Tennessee and U.S. Departments of Agriculture as a marketing specialist.

He went on to graduate from the Tennessee School of Banking at Vanderbilt University and the Graduate School of Banking of the South at Louisiana State University, and his career led him to working in banking, insurance and estate planning.

But along the way, he began working as a motivational speaker, and about 10 years ago, he made that his full-time job. “I love the audience,� McCall said. “You have to love the audience to do what I do. Helping people; if you can share two

or three ideas that make a difference to The agriculture industry faces almost someone’s life, that’s the big payoff. ... I’m all of the same problems as any other real big on taking people back into their industry, McCall said. And because past and resurrecting memories. People the United States is part of the world seem to really enjoy that.� economy, many American farmers have The annual Ag Expo is on Jan. 28 to grow crops in a way that meet world at the Owensboro Convention Center. standards, not just U.S standards, he said.

McCall’s talk will be from 12:15 to 12:45 McCall tailors each speech to his p.m. audience, and Clint Hardy, McCall speaks to a number of Daviess County extension agent agriculture groups throughout for agriculture and natural the year, and he said agricultural resources, gave McCall some audiences are his favorite information about the challenges because of his own roots in the area farmers are facing. field. “I’ll tell stories the particular He said he is still drawn to audience will relate to,� McCall agriculture because “the people said. are so grounded.�

McCall traces his interest “I insist that the agriculture in public speaking to when he Jack McCall people are the best people in was 17 years old and began the world because they still teaching Sunday School in what understand the seasons and the earth he described as being a big, little country and nature,� McCall said. “They’re still church. He had a debate scholarship his connected to the earth.� first year of college.

McCall’s talk will include a lot of “I’ve always loved public speaking,� laughing -- he said one of his first goals is McCall said. “I shall not bore.� The speech will move After he saw renowned public speaker fast, he said, and also discuss important Zig Ziglar in 1978, McCall decided he topics, as well. would become a full-time motivational

speaker if he had the chance. After developing his storytelling for more than 35 years, according to his biography, he left the corporate world in 2000 and founded Jack McCall and Associates, a professional speaking/training firm based in Hartsville, Tennessee.

McCall makes about 60 motivational speeches each year -- typically four or five a month. He has a half dozen basic speeches that he can craft to work for a lot of different groups. For example, he’s been giving talks to a lot of credit unions lately.

McCall is often used by industries as either an opener or closer for a multi-day event. Those organizers are wanting him to set the tone for the event or send everybody home energized.

He has given talks in 49 states (New Hampshire would be the 50th). He also writes columns for three newspapers in Tennessee: the Carthage Courier, Macon County Times and Hartsville Vidette.

McCall is the author of four books: “Fireflies in Winter,� “Snowflakes in Summer Time,� “Daffodils in Autumn,� and his most recent, “Falling Leaves in Spring Time.�

Farmland is selling at record prices.

Find out how we can work for you.

AUCTION & REALTY CO.

Farmland rmland d auction auction results r at kurtzauction.com

ŕ Ž

Thursday, January 22, 2015 Messenger-Inquirer

Knott Farms

Agriculture

9

THE POWER TO GET YOU MORE BE READY. File Photo

Farmer Donnie Knott operates the tractor while his workers Isidro Moreno, back, of Acámbaro, Mexico, and Gabriel Moreno of San Juan del Río, Mexico, pull tobacco plants from the trays on May 23, 2014 while setting tobacco in the 7100 block of Kentucky 56 in Sorgho at Knott Farms.

Extension & Events 2015 Calendar Jan. 27: Gate to Plate, 6 p.m. Owensboro Convention Center Jan: 28: 41st Annual Ag Expo, Owensboro Convention Center. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m.

Feb. 2: Private Pesticide Applicator Training, 6 p.m., Daviess County Extension Office Feb. 3: Invasive Insect ID Workshop for Crops, 9 a.m. – noon, Daviess County Extension Office Feb. 5: Daviess County agriculture highlighted at Rooster Booster Breakfast, 7:30 – 9 a.m., Owensboro Convention Center Feb. 5: Green River Area CPH45 Cattle Sale, 6 p.m., Kentuckiana Livestock Feb. 11-14: National Farm Machinery Show, Kentucky Exposition Center, Louisville Feb. 16: Vegetable Production Meeting, 5 p.m., Daviess County Extension Office.

Please call 270-685-8480 to register Feb. 19: Diabetes Education and Support Group, 5-6 p.m., Daviess County Extension Office. Please call 270-685-8480 to register Feb. 20: Private Pesticide Applicator Training, 8 a.m., Daviess County Extension Office Feb. 23: Beef Cattle Market Outlook and Production Meeting, 6 p.m., Daviess County Extension Office Feb. 25: Tobacco Production and Labor Update, noon – 2 p.m., Daviess County Extension Office Feb. 25: Tobacco GAP Training, 2:15 p.m., Daviess County Extension Office Feb. 28: Farm City Breakfast, 7:30 a.m., Daviess County High School March 4: Integrated Pest Management Training, 8 a.m., UK Research and Education Center, Princeton. For more information, call 270-685-8480 March 19: Diabetes Education and Support Group, 5–6 p.m., Daviess County Extension Office. Please call 270-685-8480 to register April 30: Green River Area CPH45 Cattle Sale, 6 p.m., Kentuckiana Livestock May 12: UK Wheat Field Day, UK Research and Education Center, Princeton June 5: Kick-off to a Healthy and Safe Summer Event, 5 p.m., Friday After 5 Street Fair July 30: UK 2015 Corn, Soybean and Tobacco Field Day, UK Research and Education Center, Princeton Aug. 7: Agriculture Appreciation Night, 5 p.m., Friday After 5, Owensboro Riverfront Aug. 13: Green River Area CPH45 Cattle Sale, 6 p.m., Kentuckiana Livestock

EQUIPMENT

WIDE SELECTION OF TOUGH, RELIABLE EQUIPMENT

SERVICE

EXPERIENCED, MANUFACTURERTRAINED SERVICE TECHNICIANS

w w w. h r

PARTS

THE AREA’S LARGEST PARTS INVENTORY

VALUE

THE BEST DEAL FOR YOUR DOLLAR!

a g r i p o w e r. c o m

THE POWER TO GET YOU MORE OWENSBORO

7274 US HIGHWAY 431 • OWENSBORO, KY 42301

270-926-2627 Case IH is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates.

10 Agriculture

Messenger-Inquirer Thursday, January 22, 2015

UK Cooperative Extension thriving after 100 years

By Beth Noffsinger Messenger-Inquirer

The Cooperative Extension Ser vice was created just more than 100 years ago with the passage of the Smith-Lever Act of 1914. That legislation, according to Extension100years.net, “codified into federal law, and provided funding for, outreach endeavors at the Land-Grant Universities founded by the Morrill Act of 1862.�

The University of Kentucky was founded in 1865 as one of the institutions created under the act.

Kentucky State University, the other land-grant university in the state, was created 21 years later.

But the first UK agriculture agent was on the ground in Henderson County in 1912 — two years before the Smith-Lever Act passed. Charles Mahan’s annual salar y was split between the county and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Farm Management, according to a 2012 article on UK’s website, “Extension celebrates 100 years of county agents.�

Mahan traveled by horse and buggy to do his work during his first year as agriculture agent; local leaders then bought him a red motorcycle he used to visit farmers, the article states.

Six more agriculture agents were hired by spring 1913, the article says, and the first home demonstration agents (now known as family and consumer sciences extension agents) were hired in early 1914 on a short-term basis.

Jimmy Henning, associate dean and director of the UK Cooperative

"//ĂŠ ,

-6.#*/( )&"5*/( $0 */$

EVTUSJBM $PNNFSDJBM 3FTJEFOUJBM

Me

READ sse E

A ARDS W

uirer Inq er- ’ CHOICE ng RS

Phone 683-6427 Lic. #MO1723

2013 PLATINUM WINNER

1911 Old Henderson Road One Block South of 9th & Crabtree

Extension Ser vice, said program at Iowa State Agriculture College (now the Cooperative Extension Iowa State University) in Ser vice was created by 1879, according to Iowa Congress to help solve State’s website. problems. “He later ser ved a “...And if you go back to one-year term as Iowa its ver y beginnings, some State’s second president of the signature problems (1883-1884),� the website they were tr ying to solve states, “before moving Jimmy were like the boll weevil Henning to Louisiana and having in Texas,� Henning said. a distinguished career “What they had discovered, in southern agriculture. ... After some of the pioneers discovered, leaving Iowa in 1885, he continued we knew more from research at to pursue his agricultural interests the universities than we were and is credited for starting the first implementing on the ground.� agricultural demonstration farm at Seaman Knapp, he said, was the Terrell, Texas.� pioneer of the principles still used in Knapp was sent to Texas by the extension work today.

USDA Secretar y of Agriculture, “He realized, because he was Henning said, and the agriculture academically trained in agriculture, expert put agents in place who were that there were answers to these facilitating best practices. problems that weren’t getting Henning said the UK Cooperative adopted,� Henning said.

Extension is an investment in Knapp was the editor of an agricultural success. Each Kentucky agriculture paper who went on to county has an agent for agriculture become head of the agriculture and natural resources. In Daviess

JONES INSURANCE AGENCY

Specializing in

Agriculture Insurance Since 1980

724 Time Dr. • Owensboro, KY

270-691-9100 www.joneswoolfolkins.com

AUTO-HOME-FARM-BUSINESS LIFE-HEALTH

County, Henning said, ag extension agent Clint Hardy’s job is to ser ve near-term problems that walk in the door as well as listen, predict and help head off future problems.

The UK Cooperative Extension employs a number of people who assist Hardy and the other ag extension agents with their jobs, including researchers. “The part about it I like the best is we ask Clint to have an ongoing dialogue with his producers. ...

For us, I think farmers still look to cooperative extension as a resource,� Henning said. “Not the only resource, but they do come to us. We feel like agriculture, the face of agriculture, is changing.�

In Daviess County, for example, in addition to commercial agriculture, Henning said, there are probably people tr ying to get into niche markets such as organic growing. “All of those are legitimate clientèle for Clint,â€? he said. “We tr y to make sure we have channels

Call Agent Van Helton for Details.

TIRE & SERVICE CENTER

We keep you rolling!

813 E. 18th Street • 685-4444 Mon.-Fri. 7am-6:00pm, Sat. 7am-3pm

H

Insurance Agency, Inc. P.O. Box 248 Calhoun, KY 42327

(270) 273-3252

or relationships with each of those segments. A lot of times, those smaller, usually smaller, nontraditional parts of agriculture, we find they’re not as aware of us.”

As the extension agency has evolved over the past 100 years, some aspects of its ser vice has changed. The extension ser vice was probably one of the earliest adopters of technology, Henning said.

“In the academic sense, we’re clearly out in the lead in communication and education,” he said. “Sometimes the method of deliver y is the greatest evolution.

What we have discovered, kind of our core value is a presence, a trusted presence, and the research base of the university.”

As for the future of the extension ser vice, Henning said, it will need

figure out how it can reach people, especially as deliver y methods continue to change.

“I think that we have to figure out, we have to master that,” he said. “And Daviess County is a pretty good example. It’s built on a traditional mode of face-to face.

You’re large enough that you can’t know ever ybody. We’re tr ying to figure out, how do we leverage our people investment to reach the most people in a substantive way, not just blast them with emails, but have an online practice they can interact with. ...

“Our value is going to be built on strong local programs. The research will always change, and how we deliver things will change, but ultimately, we’ll be a problem-solving entity.”

Meal time

File Photo

George Bittel, 17, pours feed out for eight head of purebred Yorkshire gilts Dec. 28, 2013 at Bittel Farms at 7490 Kentucky 56.

Thursday, January 22, 2015 Messenger-Inquirer

Agriculture

11

12 Agriculture

Messenger-Inquirer Thursday, January 22, 2015

Chamber offers ag community a ‘voice’

By Beth Noffsinger Messenger-Inquirer

Kamuf Brothers Farms is one of the many farms and agribusinesses who are part of the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce. The farm joined the organization several years ago, and Rick Kamuf, one of the farm’s co-owners, is now in his third year on the chamber’s board of directors.

“Agriculture is a big part of our livelihood in this community,” Kamuf said. “And we need to be on top of things that go on, and the chamber offers us avenues or a voice when we need it.

“If you’re not a part of it, you’re going to get left out. We need to be a part of it.

Numbers speak. We’re small; when we put our numbers together, we get to be more vocal.”

The Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce has been making an effort to reach out to the agriculture community.

It has an active agriculture committee featuring more than 20 members representing the agriculture community, local businesses, the Daviess County Cooperative Extension and more.

“I think the relationship with the ag community and the chamber has never been stronger,” said Kirk Kirkpatrick, interim leader of the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce.

“This (ag) committee that has become so energized in the last four or five months is the reason for that.”

The chamber is participating in the annual Ag Expo for a second year in a row. Last year, the group had a booth at the vendor show of the expo, which it will again do in 2015.

This year, the chamber will also participate in a presentation during the Ag Expo on Jan. 28 at the Owensboro

File Photo

Jim Gilles feeds his cattle in July 2014 at Hill View Farms on Lee Rudy Road. Gilles said his family has been farming there for more than 50 years, and he is the fourth generation to continue farming. Hill View is also a member of the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce.

Convention Center. Kamuf and Jim DeMaio, the chamber’s vice president of membership development, are leading a session at 11 a.m. called The Value of the Chamber of Commerce to Agriculture in Daviess County.

“We’re mostly trying to get our numbers up from the ag community,” Kamuf said. “Tell them just hopefully the benefits of being involved with the chamber.”

Agriculture will also be the focal point of the chamber’s Feb. 5 Rooster Booster breakfast. Clint Hardy, the Daviess County cooperative extension agent for agriculture and natural resources, will be the guest speaker.

Kirkpatrick called the Rooster Booster Breakfast, which routinely hosts several hundred community members for breakfast at 7:30 a.m. on the first

Thursday of the month at the convention center, probably the brightest spotlight the chamber can shine on the agriculture community.

“I think Clint’s speech in February will be very eye-opening,” Kirkpatrick said.

And the chamber will also be one of the hosts of the annual Farm City Breakfast on Feb. 28, a role it has played for a number of years.

Kamuf and DeMaio both credited the chamber’s former president and CEO with helping strengthen the bond between the ag community and the chamber.

Amy Jackson, who left the chamber last October to become president of the Owensboro region of First Security Bank, has a background in agriculture.

She grew up on a farm in Kansas, and

before joining the chamber, worked at Farm Credit Services of Mid-America, first as a market segment specialist before moving up to vice president for marketing and insurance services.

“Amy Jackson really took the ball and moved forward with it,” Kamuf said. “Our goal now is to keep that relationship going.”

When Jackson left, DeMaio said, the chamber leadership were all confident that the relationship with the agriculture community needed to continue at the level it is at now.

“It has grown in the last couple of years,” he said.

The membership benefits for members of the agriculture community are much the same as for other businesses, DeMaio said.

“It is a collective group,” he said.

“Strength in numbers, the ability to connect with other businesses that provides all of our members with resources and benefits and opportunities they wouldn’t have without the chamber -- or would be a lot more difficult to obtain without the chamber.”

DeMaio said the chamber staff needs to grow its knowledge so that it can its represent its ag members.

“Where else,” he said, “can that agriculture community have that united voice? Where else can that united voice get into segments of our population they don’t have outside of our chamber? ...

The partnership they could have with the chamber can really enhance their ability to advocate for their own business and their industry. “... I want to be able to -- and the chamber wants to be able to -- promote and represent all of our members with a good understanding of what they do and how they do it.”

Post Frame Buildings Call for an Estimate

270-499-1650

Annual Farm City Breakfast to move locales

Thursday, January 22, 2015 Messenger-Inquirer

Agriculture

13

Growing corn

Event planned for Feb. 28 at Daviess County High School

the past president/CEO of the chamber, will be discussing the economic impact of the local agriculture community.

Jennifer Poole, lead manager of plant growth at Kentucky Bioprocessing, will talk about the future of the bioprocessBy Beth Noffsinger ing industry.

Messenger-Inquirer And Amanda Gillis, a young member of FFA, will discuss the youth and The 36th Annual Farm City Breakfast agriculture and advancements that have features a big change this year — a new been made in that area. venue.

The Farm City Breakfast is “specifiThis year, the event will be from cally supposed to be a gath7:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Feb. ering of businesses in the 28 at Daviess County High “We’re touting it city and the ag industr y School, 4255 New Hartford as a true economic coming together,” said Jim Road. Traditionally, the DeMaio, vice president of breakfast, which highlights showcase of the membership development at the agriculture community, agriculture the chamber. “Not just eduhas been at Apollo High community.” cating the city businesses School. about farming, but also to The breakfast will be — Kirk Kirkpatrick educate the farmers about prepared by DCHS cafeteinterim chamber leader other businesses in the ria staff featuring some local community that can benefit food. them.”

The Farm City Breakfast is hosted A unique aspect of the Farm City by the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce and Kentucky Farm Bureau Breakfast is the number of sponsors it Insurance -- Gavin C. Roberts Insurance has. It costs just $50 to be a sponsor, and the event typically has about 100 sponAgency, Inc. The chamber has been a co-sponsor sors, Kirkpatrick said.

Jeff Berry, president of the Daviess of the breakfast for a number of years.

“It was touted as the best breakfast in County Farm Bureau (KFB insurance Daviess County,” said Kirk Kirkpatrick, is a benefit of county farm bureau meminterim leader of the chamber. In addi- bership), said the agriculture community tion this year, “we’re touting it as a true appreciates that the Farm City Breakeconomic showcase of the agriculture fast is hosted by the chamber because it puts the rural and urban communities community.”

Kirkpatrick said the breakfast will be together.

“To have the chamber realize the elevated to a whole new level this year scope of agriculture and what it means because there will be three panelists rathto the community is very important to er than just one speaker.

Amy Jackson, president of the Owens- us and why we like to support them and boro region of First Security Bank and support the Farm City Breakfast.”

Miller Tire Tires/Batteries * Check locally first

Mon. - Fri. 7:30-5:00 pm Sat. 7:30am - 12:00 pm 675 Main Sacramento, KY 42372

Phone: 270-736-2254 Fax: 800-332-2254.

File Photo

Elmer Gray, Western Kentucky University professor emeritus, left, and Yao Xue, a master student in agriculture at the university, look through a field of baby corn they are using for research on July 30, 2014 at the Western Kentucky Botanical Garden.

DEVELOP HIGHER CROP YIELDS BY TILING GPS MAPPING & LASER EQUIPPED

2050 Interdrain CALL JOHN OR BRENT AND SEE HOW THEY CAN HELP YOU INCREASE YOUR CROP PROFITS!

229 Highway 136 Calhoun, KY • (270)-499-0393

14 Agriculture

Messenger-Inquirer Thursday, January 22, 2015

kfb

Setting tobacco

from page 5

File Photo

Farmer Donnie Knott cleans his glasses with his shirt on May 23, 2014 before setting tobacco in the 7100 block of Kentucky 56 in Sorgho.

Harper and Jeff Berry, president of the Daviess County Farm Bureau, both said that being a member of the farm bureau gives members a voice.

“One of the biggest benefits is the voice that we have both in the state and Washington D.C.,” Berry said. “Until you’re inside the farm bureau looking at what they do, people don’t realize how important they are.”

It also offers members the chance to have a voice in what the organization stands for, Harper said.

“It gives them an opportunity to implement policy that affects them on their farm,” he said.

The state farm bureau also has a strong young farmers conference and a strong women’s program.

“There’s a wide array of programs we have at the federation, the farm bureau federation, that is all surrounding agriculture, agriculture policy, agriculture education and leadership,” Harper said.

Thursday, January 22, 2015 Messenger-Inquirer

Me

READ sse E

2014

Locally Owned & Operated • Towne Square N. • 270-686-7508 08 OPEN 9 AM - 9 PM Monday - Saturday • 11 AM - 6 PM Sunday

PLATINUM WINNER

GET WARM!

109 89

• 1600 GRAMS OF THINSULATE

$

$

9999

WITH COUPON

60542 RATED UP TO -40º F

99 $ 99

SEE STORE FOR COUPON

RATED TO -20º F

REG. $139.99

REG. $109.99

SUBFREEZING

109 119 WETLAND

$

15

CLASSIC HIGH

8063

REG. $189.99

A ARDS W

uirer Inq CHOICE er’ ng RS

Agriculture

FIELDBLAZER

$ 99

99 REG. $129.99

16 Agriculture

Messenger-Inquirer Thursday, January 22, 2015

Dry Ridge

Indiana

Evansville

Louisville

Owensboro

Ashland Middletown Lexington Elizabethtown

Kentucky

Paducah

Hopkinsville

Bowling Green

Somerset Corbin

Pikeville Hazard