Agricultre 2015

Ag

2015

riculture A Daily Journal publication

johnson County

The Vaught & Kirklin Farm inside

From pioneer homesteaders to Pioneer seeds Friends of Agriculture

Messages from Purdue Extension

Ag Days for area youths

Farm services in Johnson County

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Johnson County Agriculture 2015

Contents

Farm Family of the Year............................. 3

4-H Fun..................................................... 11

Brothers run five-generation farm in Needham area, growing corn on 1,400 acres.

Youth program offers fun and educational opportunities for Grades 3-12.

Big Impact.................................................. 7

A Growing Career..................................... 12

Indiana University study explores agriculture’s effect on state’s economy.

Ag Days....................................................... 8 Johnson County fourth-graders got to pet goats and munch an apple while learning about farming and food.

You ‘Can’ Do It.......................................... 10

ON THE COVER

College graduates with ag-related science degrees in high demand across the nation.

Honoring Farmers..................................... 13 Johnson County Farmer’s Share breakfast hosts Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann; PARP training follows.

The Vaught-Kirklin family of Needham is the 2015 Johnson County Farm Family of the Year. From left, Flannery, Martha and Jud Vaught; and Bill and Nancy Kirklin.

Farm Services Directory.......................... 14

Extension program teaches people the safe and proper way to preserve fresh food.

Local organizations and agencies available to help farmers, engage young people.

Friendly Faces.......................................... 10

Around the State...................................... 15

There are lots of people to meet and ways to get together in the county’s farming community.

DAILY JOURNAL

Photo BY MARK FREELAND

See if you qualify for a specialty crop grant; state fair to honor Hoosier farmers; agricultural heritage celebrated.

Friends of Johnson County Agriculture

Farm Festival Days coming to Johnson County

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he Friends of Johnson County Agriculture (Friends of JC Ag) committee is alive and well in its fifth year of existence. This group is planning a county-wide celebration of agriculture — Farm Festival Days — to be held at the Johnson County fairgrounds Sept. 12-13.

This free two-day event is designed to promote the industry and to educate the general public about agriculture.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from ag specialists and producer families, sit in modern farm equipment, get up close and personal with livestock as well as enjoy educational activities.

This family-friendly event will be open to the public with the ultimate goal of connecting consumers with modern agriculture.

The Friends of Johnson County Agriculture was established by a group of Leadership Johnson County participants in 2010, as their community service project.

The idea was to promote agriculture and to

be able to provide funds for related projects. A partnership was initiated with the Johnson County Community Foundation and a diverse board was created for guidance.

Fundraising is accomplished through monetary donations and donations of grain at the point of sale at local grain elevators.

The funds are to assist in finding avenues of seed money for new agricultural projects and to provide support to 4-H, FFA and related educational efforts.

Over the past years, the Friends of JC Ag have accomplished the following: • Secured more than $30,000 in funds and established an endowment housed at the Johnson County Community Foundation • Obtained two grain bin rescue tubes, which are available for use throughout the county, and provides training in the use of these tools to local fire departments.

• Funded and organized the Johnson County “Know Your Neighbor” event for three consecutive years. These breakfast on the farm type events were held at

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Members of Friends of Johnson County Agriculture and area first responders cut a ribbon at the new grain bin training facility at Bargersville Fire Department Station No. 2. The facility helps rescuers train to save a person who has been trapped in a grain bin.

Dougherty Farms, Morris Farms and Campbell Farms to educate their neighbors about their respective operations and why farming is a vital part of their local community.

• Helped to fund the Bargersville grain

bin training facility used specifically for rescue training for firefighters and farmers.

This grain bin training facility is one of only two in Indiana.

(SEE FRIENDS, PAGE 15)

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Johnson County Agriculture 2015

The family business

Brothers enjoy a lifelong partnership at Needham farm STORY BY AMY MAY PHOTOS BY MARK FREELAND

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ive generations have worked the land that is the Vaught-Kirklin farm.

Its owners, Judson Vaught and Bill Kirklin, are half-brothers who farm 1,400 acres in the Needham area.

The history and preservation of their farm is important to the brothers, who were named the 2015 Johnson County Farm Family of the Year.

Their great-great grandfather, Andrew Jackson Vaught, was the original homesteader.

The family was originally from the Carolinas, but all the good farmland was in the hands of the large plantation owners.

The family moved north and settled in Clarksville, for a while before moving to Johnson County and homesteading in 1835.

Jud Vaught and his wife, Martha, live in Andrew’s house, which was on the original 80 acres. The story is, Vaught said, the Farm Family logs used to build the of the Year Italianate house were cut locally, then hauled to Madison to be sawed and then brought back up since there was no local sawmill.

Vaught has the original homesteader’s certificate. It ended up with a branch of the family in California, he said. Someone found it and thought it belonged with the farm, so it was sent to him.

Bill and Nancy Kirklin live in what was his grandfather’s house and the home their dad grew (SEE FAMILY, PAGE 4)

Jud Vaught, left, and Bill Kirklin are half-brothers who farm 1,400 acres near Needham. The farm has been in their family for five generations.

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DAILY JOURNAL From left: Nancy and Bill Kirklin and Jud, Flannery and Martha Vaught stand in the field near their irrigation system. The center pivot irrigation system, installed after a drought, has allowed the brothers to contract to grow Pioneer seed corn in previous years. The farm has been named an Indiana River Friendly Farm, an award that recognizes farmers’ soil and water conservation practices.

✦Family (FROM PAGE 3) up in.

“It is interesting to us that those houses have been preserved. My barn was one of the early churches in the community,”

Kirklin said.

Needham was quite different when they were kids, he added.

“There were two general stores in Needham, a post office, a lodge hall, grain elevator. It was a thriving town,” he said.

Kirklin and Vaught spent their youth in 4-H showing hogs, attending Franklin schools and helping their dad work the

farm. Their parents were Norbert and Judith Vaught.

“On spring break, Dad always gave us a project to do. It kept us out of trouble,” Kirklin said.

Vaught remembers pulling up fence and tearing down the old corncribs, which became obsolete as farm equipment improved.

“We learned about bumblebees, rats and angry mother raccoons in the corncribs,” Vaught said. “It used to be more of a livestock farm, fenced with woods and orchards.”

In the 1960s, he said, Purdue University encouraged farmers to specialize. The cattle market also crashed about that time, so their dad cleared the woodland off once it

DAILY JOURNAL became apparent he would not be producing cattle and specialized in row crops.

When they grew up, Vaught attended DePauw University for a year; Kirklin attended Indiana University, earning an accounting degree.

The farm produces corn and soybeans. In addition to the seed corn for Pioneer, they grow specialty corn for a food processor in Indianapolis. Each brother owns some of the land individually, they own some together and they rent land, as well.

Changing face of farming

A little help from Dad In the 1970s, the two decided to return to Needham and their family farm, starting off raising cattle on land rented from a distant relative. Their dad slowly began turning the farm responsibilities over to them and in 1977, sold it to them.

Vaught remembers working the farm with their father, who was eager to share his knowledge with his sons.

One time, he said, their father and Kirklin went to the cattle auction to see what cattle were bringing in, as the brothers had some calves that would soon be for sale. When they returned, Vaught learned they had bought 26 head of cattle and wanted his check to pay for his half.

“Dad bought us two cultivators. He decided that’s what we needed,” Vaught said. Of course, the brothers had to pay for the cultivators.

Still, Kirklin said he doesn’t believe it was difficult for their dad to turn the farm over to them, although he did keep a hand

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in it and was always willing to give advice.

They dealt with devastating droughts in 1983 and 1988.

“It took three years to recover from drought. We thought when we could afford it, let’s do something about it,” Vaught said.

In 1997-98, they put an irrigation system in the fields. The system afforded them the ability to get contracts with Pioneer seed company.

Above left: Kirklin checks corn prices and futures on his computer. Above right: Vaught calibrates their antique Fairbanks Marsh platform scale,

“When we work with them, they provide the seeds, detassling, etc. It’s an amazing benefit,” Vaught said.

They have seen many changes over the years, the brothers said. There is more financial stress in the farming business, more paperwork and more competition for land, not just with other farmers for rentable farmland, but with land developers who want to build housing additions and strip malls.

Especially in Johnson County, the rapid development is raising the value of farm land. Living so close to an urban area also means more trash in the fields, more cars to worry about when moving equipment from field to field and even dealing with (SEE FAMILY, PAGE 6

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✦Family (FROM PAGE 5) ammonia thieves.

This is a fact of life, they said, but they still lament the loss of the rural lifestyle they remember.

“There’s not as much strength in the community as there used to be,” Vaught said.

Community and relations with their neighbors are important to them, he added.

The brothers have rebuffed a proposal from a cellular company to put up towers on their property. They could make a lot of money allowing this, but they have opted to preserve the rural character of the area.

“We feel (cell towers) would impose on our neighbors,” Vaught said.

“I would say the farm community is very supportive of each other,” Kirklin added.

It’s important to preserve what they have: a farm that was awarded the 150year Hoosier Homestead Award in 2009.

This award is given to farm families who have continuously farmed the same area with the same family.

“It is amazing how we’ve been able to preserve more over the years,” Kirklin said. “Agriculture has to be supported.

Money shouldn’t always trump what’s right. We need to keep a viable ag community.”

Vaught added that that fact that farms produce food is pretty vital, too.

“The trend is local sourcing of food. If they make it much too difficult, there won’t be many farms to source it from,” he said.

And people know where food comes from and why farms are significant.

“I just don’t think you can separate people from the land. That’s unnatural,” Kirklin said.

Farm kids spend more time with their

Johnson County Agriculture 2015 families and grow up more comfortable with the land, the animals and the plants.

Kirklin said it’s nice to see children connecting with living things. His young granddaughter loves broccoli. When she visited from the east coast, she was so excited when she saw it growing in the garden that she just leaned over and ate some right off the stalk.

The farm’s future The brothers will likely be the last of their family to work the land.

None of their kids is planning to take over the farm.

Nathaniel Vaught is a student at Indiana University in Bloomington; his sister, Flannery, studies at Herron School of Art and Design at IUPUI. Kirklin’s daughter, Anna, and son, Taylor, moved to the East Coast after graduating from Miami (Ohio) University and The University of Chicago. They continue to live there with their spouses and three children.

The brothers say they will not sell the farm when they are both ready to retire, but want to preserve it as farmland.

“This is my last year. Jud is three years younger. All of our kids are interested in preserving the farm as a farm,” Kirklin said.

He plans to rent his half of the farm to Jud when he retires and will stay in his house.

Vaught will continue farming by hiring additional help and make a decision as to the farm’s future.

“This is not a calling that you do lightheartedly. You have to be interested in it.

All (of the kids) have helped us, but felt their calling was elsewhere. We paid for their educations so they could pursue their passions,” Vaught said.

“We did the right thing helping them to pursue other passions.”

DAILY JOURNAL Kirklin and Vaught discuss some of the farm’s paperwork. The oak filing cabinet behind them came from the Franklin train depot.

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IU study: Agriculture contributes $44.1 billion to Indiana’s economy SUBMITTED ARTICLE

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gricultural industries in Indiana account for more than $31 billion in direct sales and nearly $13 billion more in ripple effects such as related supply-chain purchases and spending by workers, according to a report from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.

The report, “Beyond the Farm: A State and Regional Report on the Economic Contribution of Farms, Forests and Related Industries,” also said that the state’s agricultural output supports nearly 190,000 Hoosier jobs. Of those jobs, 107,500 are directly involved in agricultural production and processing.

Using the most recent census data available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, researchers at the Indiana Business Research Center found that agriculture creates $14.9 billion in value added — an amount equal to nearly 5 percent of Indiana’s gross domestic product.

“Keep in mind that Indiana’s farmers and agriculture-related manufacturers generated these impressive numbers during a tough year plagued by severe drought. These

impacts would likely be higher in a more typical year,” said Matthew Kinghorn, economic analyst at the IBRC. “The findings in this report demonstrate that efforts to support, or even expand, Indiana’s agricultural production and processing can have positive ripple effects throughout the state’s economy,” Kinghorn added. “This is especially true in regions of the state that are facing declines in other key industries. Therefore, the degree to which agriculture is able to contribute to Indiana’s economic growth going forward will be an important economic indicator for the state.”

“Agriculture is a major driver of economic development in our state, and this study helps tell that story,” said Jane Ade Stevens, CEO of the Indiana Soybean Alliance, which provided funding for the study. “In addition, this study highlights the stability of agriculture as it was able to contribute $44.1 billion to Indiana’s economy even in the devastating drought of 2012.”

In addition to providing an overview of agricultural activity for Indiana, the report also highlights its impact in different regions of the state and by congressional

district.

Central, north central and northeast regions of Indiana generate the greatest contributions to the Indiana economy.

Southwest Indiana also is a strong contributor, particularly in agricultural processing and manufacturing industries.

South central and southeast areas of the state are the least agriculturally productive, due to a lack of high-quality farmland.

In the 4th District (represented by Todd Rokita), the combined effects of agriculture produce nearly $2.7 billion in value added and support about 33,600 jobs.

By comparison, the 1st and 7th districts (represented by Pete Visclosky and Andre Carson, respectively) rank near the bottom in both categories because they largely are urban districts. However, the manufacturing-heavy nature of agricultural activities in the 7th District produces a large employment multiplier, the report said.

Indiana’s agricultural output is heavily concentrated in corn and soybean crops, which together account for 63 percent of the state’s total agricultural production.

The Hoosier state also was a national leader in hog and pig production,

generating nearly $1.3 billion in sales — the fifth-highest total in the United States.

Poultry and egg production was the only other agricultural industry in Indiana to exceed $1 billion in sales in 2012 — totaling $1.3 billion and ranking 13th-best among all states.

Researchers compared the volume of corn production from 2007 to 2012 (the last two USDA Census of Agriculture years) and found nearly a 40 percent decline in the volume of corn produced for grain. This drop was attributed to the historic drought in 2012.

“Other Midwestern states like Missouri and Illinois saw even sharper declines in grain corn production over this period,” Kinghorn wrote. “It is important to point out that Indiana rebounded to tally two consecutive record years for grain corn production in 2013 and 2014.

The report also highlights how the state’s agriculture and forestry industries provide revenue for federal, state and local governments in the form of corporate profits, indirect business taxes, personal taxes and contributions to social insurance.

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Johnson County Agriculture 2015

DAILY JOURNAL

Johnson County Ag Days

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n March 16-17, fourth-graders from eight Johnson County schools visited the fairgrounds to learn about agriculture and how it feeds the nation. The interactive day included visits with calves, goats and chickens, demonstrations on soil conservation and apple production and tasty treats, including apples, popcorn and meatballs.

PHOTOS BY AMY MAY

Above: Students received goodie bags as they walked between the educational stations. Right: Extension Educator Linda Souchon talked to the fourth-graders about the various products for which cattle are used.

Left: Ric Schlosser, director of Johnson County Soil and Wa Conservation District, dem strates how grass helps prev topsoil runoff in the rain. Abo Anne Young hands out meatb at the beef display. The elemen schools that sent fourth-grad for this annual program, she s were Creekside, Greenwo Chr istian, Needham, Uni Nor thwood, Webb, Pleas Crossing and St. Rose of Lima.

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Johnson County Agriculture 2015

The program was organized by Johnson County Purdue Extension with helpful volunteers, including the Whiteland and Franklin FFA clubs, area farmers and local educators.

“The purpose is to teach kids where their food comes from,” said Anne Young, a volunteer and former elementary school principal. “There is a disconnect between what they eat and where it comes from.”

f the ater monvent ove: balls ntary ders said, ood ion, sant .

Left: Extension Educator Sarah Hanson showed kids chicks in an incubator. Above: Amy Spurgeon and Chris Hendricks handed out popcorn after students watched a presentation about grain production. Right: The kids could pet goats.

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Purdue Extension

With right recipes, you can enjoy the taste of eating right

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amilies continue to seek means of reducing their food costs and using their own resources to nutritiously feed their families.

Home food preservation is one alternative to help families fulfill their needs. Throughout the year, I continue to witness consumers using life-threatening techniques to home preserve, such as openkettle method; placing canned foods in the sun to preserve; oven canning; canning in the dishwasher; and canning low-acid foods, such as green beans, meats and soups, in a boiling water bath method; all of which are unsafe methods to preserve one’s family harvest.

If a person isn’t willing to follow USDA-tested recipes to home can, I would highly recommend they freeze their family’s harvest. Understanding the risk of foodborne pathogens, particularly Clostridium Botulinum, is extremely important when home canning. If the correct canning methods are not utilized, this lethal bacteria may be present and show no physical changes to the look, odor and taste of the food.

How can I learn what method to utilize with what food?

The Purdue Extension Master Food Preservers are offering a

Linda Souchon Health & Human Sciences Master Food Preserve Training, 40-hour curriculum Aug. 24-29 at Scott Hall on the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Franklin. Classes are a combination of lecture, discussion and hands-on labs with participants taking home samples from each lab experience. The week-long series runs 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily; cost is $130 per participant. This series is limited to eight participants, so I encourage you to register early.

The following topics are covered in the Master Food Preserver Training: • Monday, Aug. 24: Food safety and freezing techniques • Tuesday, Aug. 25: Boiling water process • Wednesday, Aug. 26: Pressure canning techniques • Thursday, Aug. 27: Pickling and dehydrating foods successfully • Friday, Aug. 28: Jams and preserves techniques and comparison lab Past participants have found the experience and knowledge gained to be invaluable. Following the 40-hours of education and handson experience, participants six

month follow-up survey indicated: • 100 percent of participants were using safe food preservation techniques compared to 11 percent prior to the MFP training.

• 89 percent of participants were successfully canning high acid foods using a boiling water bath canner compared to 22 percent prior to the MFP training.

• 78 percent (22 percent chose not to pressure can) of participants were successfully canning low acid foods using a pressure canner compared to 0 percent prior to MFP training.

• 100 percent of participants chose to freeze more foods to maintain high quality compared to 22 percent prior to MFP training.

• 44 percent (56 percent elected not to dehydrate foods) of participants successfully dehydrated foods compared to 0 percent prior to MFP training.

• 56 percent (44 percent elected not to preserve through pickling) of participants pickled fruits and/ or vegetables successfully compared to 0 percent prior to MFP training.

When asked what the most important concept was learned during the course, participants responded: “Preserving safe food; great class that may have saved my life due to me not fully understanding the risk of botulism

in low-acid foods.”

When asked what participants liked best about the series, they responded: “Everything ... course was science based and hands on; gave me knowledge and confidence to can, pickle and preserve successfully.”

“Using different methods to preserve and seeing and tasting the differences.”

If you are interested in home food preservation or issues with safe food SUBMITTED PHOTOS Above: Students can green beans during last year’s preservation Master Food Preserve Training course. Below: A stutechniques, please dent stirs a pot of soup. contact the Purdue Extension Johnson County Office at 317-736-3724 or email lsouchon@purdue. If you would like to apply for the Master Food Preserver Training, you can contact us directly or secure an application www.extension. purdue.edu/Johnson. At the website, click on Food Safety to the right; then Home Food Preservation.

Linda Souchon is t he Ex tension Educator–Health and Human Sc i e n c e s a t P u r d u e E x t e n s i o n – Johnson County.

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Purdue Extension

Meeting new people best part of Extension job

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ith my job as a Purdue Extension Educator, I meet a lot of new people on a regular basis. If you’ve ever run into me multiple times and I still can’t remember your name, I really do apologize. I thoroughly enjoy meeting all the people that I do because they’re tied to agriculture and natural resources. As we take a moment to appreciate farmers and the food they raise, let me tell you about some ways that you can also meet new folks. And if you can’t remember all their names, it’s OK. The main thing is, “Did you learn something?” If the answer is no, then maybe you need to ask more questions!

The current class of Leadership Johnson County is working on a project to make people more aware of the agribusinesses that are in the community. They are creating a website and printable guide to help people locate and visit local farms, such as the grape growers over at Mallow Run and the dairy workers at Kelsay Farms.

Trust me, you’ll want to meet those farmers

Sarah Hanson Agriculture & Natural Resources and experience what they produce. The project will be finished this spring.

In September, get ready to come to Franklin and meet a lot of new people during the first Johnson County Farm Festival Days. This event is being organized by a group I’m part of, called the Friends of Johnson County Agriculture. We’ll be on the fairgrounds for an entire weekend with farm equipment, animals and farmers.

Vendors, such as the local beef cattle association, will sell food.

Keep an eye out for advertisements with more details this summer. This will be a great chance for people of all ages to have fun and learn about the agriculture going on in the community.

Today we are stopping to think about agriculture in Johnson County. John F. Kennedy once said, “The farmer is the only

man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways.”

Luckily, nowadays this isn’t 100 percent true. Agribusiness folks work to make farming economics more reasonable.

Organizations, such as the Local Growers Guild, have bulk buying programs for small farmers. The amount of ag products being sold directly to consumers has been increasing in recent years. We all have so many different ways to interact with new people, and this can help promote business.

If you are a farmer in Johnson County and I haven’t met you yet, feel free to contact me in one of the ways listed below.

I’d be happy to hear what you need from Purdue Extension.

Ashley F. Schultz 4-H Youth Development

Johnson County 4-H youths excel

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hen last-year 4-H members were asked which skills they learned because of their participation in 4-H, the top five responses were responsibility, leadership, development of skills for future vocations, time management and communication.

As the largest youth organization not only in our county but in our country, the impact the 4-H program, volunteers and other members have on youths is amazing! We want all youths to have that sense of belonging and mastery of skills. 4-H learning experiences are based on practices Sarah Hanson, the Purdue Extension Educator of positive youth development; youths are -Agriculture and Natural Resources, can be found at 484 N. Morton St.; Franklin. Contact viewed as a vital resource with so much (SEE SCHULTZ, PAGE 13) her at 317-736-3724 or sspeedy@purdue.edu.

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Ag grads are finding a bumper crop of job opportunities

BY TOM MEERSMAN

STAR TRIBUNE (MINNEAPOLIS)

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dam Donkers and many of his friends at the University of Minnesota don’t need to worry about jobs after graduating. They’re majoring in agricultural sciences or agricultural business, and large and small companies are eager to hire them.

“Pretty much every member (of my ag fraternity) has a full-time job when they’re graduating,” Donkers said. “Every junior has an internship, most of the sophomores have internships and a good handful of freshmen have internships.”

Job posting boards, on-campus interviews and a special annual career fair for ag students show much the same trend, according to Sara Newberg, director of the university career center that assists ag majors.

“We have a limited number of students with an interest in that career direction and far more employers interested in hiring them,” Newberg said.

Donkers, raised on a family farm in Minnesota, is a junior majoring in agricultural business. He’ll learn about agricultural lending this summer at CoBank, a co-op that specializes in farm credit.

It will be Donkers’ third internship in three years, and he’s interested in grain merchandising as a career.

Donkers is also president of the Gopher Crops and Soils Club, and he said his peers

are majoring in fields from ag business and agronomy to plant science, marketing and animal science.

Agribusiness firms are invited to attend club meetings, especially in the fall, he said, and are happy to oblige.

“They have the earlier internships so that they can snatch up people and see if they would work out well for full-time employment,” Donkers said.

Purdue University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture studied the shortfall in agricultural jobs on a national basis, and estimated that from 2010 to 2015 there would be about 54,400 openings each year in agriculture and natural resource jobs, and about 29,300 graduates from specialized colleges and university departments to fill them.

Purdue report: shortage in science, engineering students One of the bigger gaps was in science and engineering, according to the Purdue report, with more than 14,000 jobs available to those with baccalaureate or higher degrees each year and only 6,200 specialized graduates.

The shortage is being filled by graduates recruited from “allied disciplines,” the study said — schools of engineering, health sciences and business.

Brian Buhr, dean of the University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, said there’s clearly a need for more ag students in the pipeline, and he’s not surprised that

companies are doubling down to find newly trained scientists.

“There’s a whole high-tech side of ag that’s really booming,” he said. “It’s everything from robotics and sensors in harvesting equipment or livestock production systems, or even managing soil and drainage issues, all the way over to the genetics and genomics side of the world.”

Adam Holton, CHS senior vice president of human resources, said the shortage of trained students is not a crisis, but that it has become more difficult to find and attract the best candidates in some areas.

“In our case, that runs the gamut on the pure engineering side with our energy business to our agriculture side to our processing and food ingredients,” he said.

CHS is the nation’s largest farmer-owned cooperative. “There is a challenge, and as we go into the future it will get harder.”

To recruit the best people for its needs, Holton said, CHS has heightened is efforts to go “upstream” and contact undergraduate and community college students early in their studies to inform them about ag-related fields and careers. The company also maintains strong partnerships with colleges and universities, he said.

Don Wyse, a professor in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at Minnesota, has watched the number of students in agricultural sciences fluctuate over the past four decades, and has supervised graduate students who took their advanced degrees into plant breeding and genetics labs at Monsanto, Syngenta and

other companies.

Those jobs were in demand during the past decade, Wyse said, and students lost interest in basic agronomy — the science of growing crops for production — because there were fewer opportunities.

Now the pendulum is swinging back, said Wyse, because companies have determined that their future profits may depend less on new genetics, and more on improved crop systems that increase yields by using precision agriculture.

“So now the companies are stepping up and saying, where in the world are all the agronomists? And where are all the applied cropping systems people?” he said.

That might include people to analyze chlorophyll in plants to see how well they’re growing, Wyse said, or specialists to design precision planting equipment, or analysts to study soil chemistry and crop history to predict which varieties to plant and how far apart to space them.

“It’s a wide array of opportunities,” he said.

Holton, of CHS, agrees, and said basic agronomy knowledge coupled with the latest technical skills will be a winning combination for job seekers.

“The needs continue to grow to feed a hungry world with the same amount or less of acreage, and that’s all coming through technology: environmental sciences and agricultural sciences,” he said.

“My guess is there are jobs that will exist in precision ag 10 years from now that we’re not even thinking about right now.”

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✦Schultz (FROM PAGE 11) potential. Because of that, 4-H youths are challenged to serve in leadership positions such as club officers, mentors, ambassadors, camp counselors, and board members. 4-H meetings, camps and workshops are youthdriven in a safe environment in partnership with caring 4-H adult volunteers.

4-H is for all youths in Grades 3-12 on Jan. 1 of the current year. As a 4-H club member, the youth becomes a member of an organized 4-H club run by elected youth officers under the guidance of an adult leader. Members must enroll in at least one project and can exhibit their project at the 2015 Johnson County Fair, which is July 19-25. 4-H is a great deal at only $25 per youth, which includes $10 that promotes 4-H right here in Johnson County and a $15 state fee for further development of programs for all Indiana 4-H. Online 4-H enrollment is complete for 2015; however, if you are interested in joining 4-H, please contact the Purdue Extension Johnson County Office.

Purdue Extension and 4-H work hard to provide updated, educational and fun programs for adults and youths including camps, project workshops, club events and more. We are in the process of starting a Johnson County 4-H Robotics Club using the Lego Mindstorms kits and curriculum.

We are in the early stages of securing supplies and are looking for additional volunteers; if interested, please contact the Extension Office. You can keep up with the latest in programming by visiting our website (www.extension.purdue.edu/

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Johnson County Agriculture 2015 johnson), our Purdue Extension Johnson County and Johnson County 4-H Facebook Pages, along with the Purdue Extension YouTube channel.

4-H’s “learn by doing” approach means that 4-H members have the opportunity to learn, create, build and explore a variety of projects on topics ranging from photography and Legos to foods, health, fashion, animals and so much more. 4-H’s hands-on learning method is proven to be effective. According to the 4-H Study on Positive Youth Development, youths who participate in 4-H have higher motivation for future education, are more likely to contribute to their communities and more likely to participate in science, engineering and computer programs during out-of-school time than their peers.

More about this comprehensive study can be found at http://www.4-h. org/about/youth-developmentresearch/positive-youth-developmentstudy/ The Mini 4-H program in Johnson County is for youths who are enrolled in the first or second grade for the 2014-2015 school year and it is free. These members have a choice of 13 different projects in which to enroll. They are not required to attend meetings but are expected to exhibit their projects at the county fair. Mini 4-H members can also attend a day camp June 9-10 (limited to the first 100 members).

For more information about 4-H or to locate a club in your area, contact Ashley Schultz at the Purdue Extension Johnson Count y Office in Franklin at 317-736-3724.

Breakfast honors area farmers

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he Johnson County Ag Day breakfast is set for 7:30 a.m. on March 25 at Scott Hall at the Johnson County fairgrounds. Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann will be the guest speaker. Cost is $1 per person.

Reservations are encouraged. Call 317-736- ELLSPERMANN 3724.

After the breakfast, the annual Private Applicator Recertification Program training will be conducted. Those

planning to attend will need to bring their PARP permit and $10 to cover the cost of training. Lunch, sponsored by Premier Ag, will follow the program.

Sponsors for the breakfast are Farm Credit Mid-America, Premier Ag, Umbarger & Sons, Johnson County Farm Bureau Inc., Crystal Springs Grain LLC, Kokomo Grain Co. Inc., Johnson County Beef Cattle Assoc, Smith Implements Inc., Jacobi Sales, Kelsay Farms, Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, Friends of Johnson County Agriculture and Dougherty Fertilizer Inc.

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Farm Services Directory Agriculture and Natural Resources — Extension Educator

Provides the latest scientific information in agriculture production, management and marketing to urban, suburban and rural people. Conducts continuing education programs with consumers, home gardeners, agricultural producers and distributors. Oversees community development programs that study problems, needs and goals of the community.

Sarah Hanson is the Extension Educator, Agriculture/ Natural Resources at Johnson County Extension Office, 484 N. Morton St., Franklin, IN 46131, 317-736-3724.

Info: sspeedy@purdue.edu

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Responsible for preventing the entry and spread of exotic pests in the United States and eradicating those that enter. If you are planning a trip overseas and want to know what agricultural items you can bring back, call your local APHIS representative, Nick Johnson, 3059 N. Morton St., Franklin, IN 46131, 317-736-7291, ext. 5.

Division of Forestry

Provides free forest management assistance to any private landowner in Johnson County, including management planning, timber sale advice, tree planting plans, insect and disease control, maple syrup production. Responsible for administering the Indiana Classified Forest Program, which provides a property tax reduction as an incentive to manage timber and wildlife habitat on parcels greater than 10 acres.

Info: http://findindianaforester.org or District Forester Zachary Smith at 317-232-4117

Division of Wildlife

Assists landowners in developing wildlife habitat through technical advice and management plans. The division distributes free seed to landowners wishing to establish wildlife food plots. It also is responsible for wildlife surveys and wildlife damage complaints.

Info: Shannon Winks, District 10 Wildlife Biologist, 812-358-2253

Farm Service Agency

Responsible for administering federal farm subsidy programs. Other programs include price support loans, dairy program, facility loans and the Conservation Reserve Program, where cost-sharing on conservation practices is done with landowners. The FSA also assists the Natural Resources and Conservation Service in its programs.

Info: Brian Catt, County Executive Director, 317-7366822, ext. 2. The office is at 3059 N. Morton St., Franklin.

Farm Service Agency-Ag Credit Division provides

financing for beginning farmers and those in financial difficulty resulting from farm economy and adverse weather.

Info: Farm Loan Officer Jan Marlin, 812-663-8674, Greensburg FSA, 108 Smith Road, Greensburg, IN 47240.

Farmers Clubs

Assist young farmers, agri-businessmen and their families with educational programs and practical experiences. Johnson County clubs are: Trafalgar Young Farmers and Johnson County Farm Bureau Young Farmers.

4-H

An informal, practical, learn-by-doing educational program that helps youths establish real-life goals and become competent, productive citizens. The 4-H program is for rural and urban youths in Grades 1-12. The 4-H program in Johnson County involves 1,060 4-H’ers, 187 mini 4-H’ers and 141 4-H leaders in 32 4-H clubs.

Info: Johnson County Extension Office at 317-7363724.

4-H and Youth Development — Extension Educator

Leads programs that provide learning experiences for youths to develop individual talents, skills and leadership abilities. Youth educators work cooperatively with local leadership and groups concerned with youths to develop programs.

Ashley Schultz is Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development at Johnson County Extension Office, 484 N. Morton St., Franklin, IN 46131, 317-736-3724.

Info: afschultz@purdue.edu

Health and Human Sciences — Extension Educator

The Health and Human Sciences educator provides research-based information and informal educational programs related to diet, health, food, nutrition and food safety. Information is also available in the areas of money management, child care, prenatal nutrition and stain removal. A week-long Master Food Preserver program is offered in June 15-19, and Aug. 24-28 in Scott Hall on the Johnson County Fairgrounds.

The Health and Human Sciences educator works with local leadership and agencies involved with improving the quality of individual, family and community life.

Linda Souchon is County Extension director, Extension Educator, Health and Human Sciences, at Johnson County Extension Office, 484 N. Morton St., Franklin, IN 46131, 317-736-3724.

Info: lsouchon@purdue.edu

Johnson County Beef Cattle Association

An affiliate of the Indiana Beef Cattle Association, it improves the beef cattle industry through education for producers and consumers.

Officers for 2015 are: Mike Hardamon, president; Brian Young, vice president; Keegan Poe, secretary; and Tim Gaughan, treasurer. Information: 317-432-0799

Purdue University Extension — Johnson County

Provides informal educational opportunities for all county residents. Financial support is provided by the county, state and federal governments.

Extension educators serve as the link between research and practical application of ideas. Educational opportunities are available in each county in agriculture, community development, foods and nutrition, health and human science, 4-H and youth development.

Johnson County Extension Office, 484 N. Morton St., Franklin, IN 46131 317-736-3724

Johnson County Extension Board

The primary governing body for the county extension program. Members establish program objectives in cooperation with extension educators. They also make recommendations concerning the extension service budget and work with Purdue University in filling educator vacancies.

The board is composed of adults and youths representing various interests throughout the county.

If you would be interested in serving on the Johnson County Extension Board, contact Linda Souchon at 317-736-3724 or lsouchon@purdue.edu Boardmembers are elected in November and serve three years.

Johnson County Extension Homemakers

Their mission is to strengthen families through continuing education, leadership, development and volunteer community support. The first two clubs were formed in Johnson County in 1914. They are: Clark Township Extension Homemakers and Franklin Extension Homemakers. There are 214 members in the county’s 14 clubs. An executive board governs the organization and includes Marta Corbin, president; Eileen Vaught, vice president; Annie Leser, secretary; Donna McElwain, treasurer; and Vicky Jones, advisor.

Information: Deb Baker, 317-736-3724 or www.extension.purdue.edu/johnson

Johnson County Lamb and Wool Producers Organized in 1938 as the Johnson County Sheep Improvement Committee, it helps all sheep producers in the county, including commercial, purebred, 4-H and FFA (formerly the Future Farmers of America) sheep

flocks.

The Johnson County Lamb and Swine Youth Association was established in August 2005 to provide support and development for the 4-H Lamb and Swine exhibitors. Brian Young is president of this organization.

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Provides technical assistance in developing plans and carries out programs for protecting and developing the nation’s soil, water and related natural resources.

Tony Branham, District Conservationist, 3059 N. Morton St., Franklin, IN 46131; 317-736-6822, ext. 3 or 317-373-2062 Tony.Branam@in.usda.gov

Johnson County Soil and Water Conservation District

Mission: To conserve and enhance our soil, water, and other natural resources by coordinating with local partners to provide technical, financial and educational opportunities in Johnson County.

Staff: Ric Schlosser, director; Kathy Haste, assistant director and education coordinator.

Board of supervisors: Kevin Thompson, chairman; Virginia Pollert, vice-chair; Joe Bill Misiniec, member; Chris Campbell, member; and Jim Risch, member.

They are located at 550 E. Jefferson St., Franklin, IN 46131; 317-736-9540.

The SWCD offers free education programs to Johnson County classrooms, organizations, groups and others interested in conservation education. These programs cover a wide variety of content, including the water cycle, water quality and conservation, rocks and minerals, worms, soil conservation and composition, the Enviroscape and trees. The programs are designed for Grades K-12, and volunteers will work to align the programs with the appropriate Indiana Academic Standards for the given age group. If they do not have a program that fits your needs, call and they will help plan one just for your group. All programs must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance. In-school, afternoon and evening programs are available.

Contact Ric Schlosser at the SWCD office at 317736-9540 or ric-schlosser@iaswcd.org to schedule a program or for more information.

Youth Conservation Board

Organized in 1985 to develop and encourage the conservation of natural resources, the Youth Conservation Board is composed of students in Grades 9-12 from various Johnson County high schools and meets monthly. The youth board works with the approval of the Johnson County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Youth board advisor is Tom Bechman.

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Around the State

ISDA accepting specialty crop block grant applications

The Indiana State Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for a total of $500,000 in expected federal funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grant program.

The grant will come from the United States Department of Agriculture and will be available to nonprofits, producers, academic institutions, government agencies and others to fund projects that will enhance the competitiveness of Indiana’s specialty crops.

“Specialty crop production is a critical component to Indiana’s diversified agriculture industry,” ISDA director Ted McKinney said.

The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service defines specialty crops as “fruits,

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vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture).” Eligible plants must be intensively cultivated and used by people for food, medicinal purposes and/or aesthetic gratification. A list of specialty crops is available on USDA’s website.

Projects should increase nutrition knowledge and consumption of specialty crops, improve efficiency and reduce costs of distribution system, invest in specialty crop research, enhance food safety, develop new and improved seed varieties and specialty crops, improve pest and disease control or promote organic and sustainable production practices.

Grant proposals are due May 1 at 5 p.m.

Info: www.in.gov/isda/2474.htm or Bianca Gogel at 317-800-1700, bigogel@ isda.in.gov

✦Friends (FROM PAGE 2) The Friends of JC Ag committee is excited about future opportunities to promote agriculture in Johnson County including the Farm Festival Days. If you are interested in learning more about this group or becoming involved, contact Kim Minton at the Johnson County Community Foundation at 317-738-2213.

Members of the Friends of JC Ag committee include Kim Minton, Sarah SUBMITTED PHOTO Hanson, Abby Nichols, Jennifer Friends of Johnson County Agriculture helped purchase Campbell, Janice Bullman, Amy the grain bin entrapment equipment, which can be used by first responders from all over the state.

Kelsay, Keegan Poe and Brett Jones.

State fair to celebrate farmers This year’s Indiana State Fair will celebrate the state’s farmers and agricultural heritage.

Fair officials announced the plans for the 2015 fair, with the theme “Year of the Farmer.” The fair has highlighted agricultural products such as popcorn, tomatoes, pigs, soybeans and dairy cows in previous years, but organizers want to feature the stories of farmers.

Fair director Cindy Hoye said she hopes fair visitors will gain understanding about how much farmers mean to their daily lives.

Events planned include a harvest dinner, a speaker series about modern agriculture and a creative writing contest for children about farmers.

The Indiana State Fair is scheduled for Aug. 7-23.

Families honored at Statehouse for agricultural heritage Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Ted McKinney presented 63 families with a Hoosier Homestead Award in recognition of their commitment to Indiana agriculture in early March.

To be named a Hoosier Homestead, farms must be owned by the same family for at least 100 consecutive years and consist of more than 20 acres or produce more than $1,000 in agricultural products per year.

The award distinctions are Centennial, Sesquicentennial and Bicentennial. One family was honored with the Bicentennial Award.

“The families celebrated here today remind us of what makes Indiana agriculture great,” McKinney said.

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