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STATE FAIR HONOR

Posted October 11, 2012 at 11:25 am

Wyatt Graves the 11-year-old son of Andy and Jodi Graves, is shown here with his Registered Shropshire yearling Ewe, Miss Kitty, at the Missouri State Fair. Wyatt was awarded the Reserve Grand Champion Shropshire Ewe with Miss Kitty. Wyatt was also awarded a Missouri State Fair Sheep Showmanship Plaque. Wyatt is the grandson of Jesse and Joyce Watts and Michael and Lorena Graves, he is a member of the Cherry Valley 4-H Club. This was Wyatt’s first year attending the Missouri State Fair with his Shropshires.
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    DISTRICT GRAND CHAMP

    Wyatt Graves the 11-year-old son of Andy and Jodi Graves, is shown here with his Registered Shropshire yearling ram, Clyde, at the Ozark Empire Fair. Wyatt was awarded the District Grand Champion Shropshire Ram with Clyde. He was also awarded District Showmanship for his age division 11-13. Wyatt is the grandson of Michael and Lorena Graves and Jesse and Joyce Watts and a member of the Cherry Valley 4-H Club. This was Wyatt’s first year attending the Ozark Empire Fair with his Shropshires.

    USDA MILC program sign-up ends Sept. 30

    Cedar County USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director Jackson Jones reminds dairy producers that the deadline to sign-up for Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) benefits is Sept. 30, 2012. Legislation has not been enacted to extend the MILC program past Sept. 30, 2012, through the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008.

    MILC compensates dairy producers when domestic milk prices fall below a specified level.

    “It is important that dairy producers provide final production evidence and any supporting documentation for eligible months that MILC was in effect

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    STATE GRAPE

    Scott Mackey, an agriculture student at Missouri State University, holds up a cluster of Norton grapes during harvest. Norton is the official State Grape of Missouri and is an important genetic resource for disease resistance and winter cold hardiness.

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    It's persimmon time

    by Marilyn Odneal, Horticulture Adviser

    Pucker up – it’s persimmon time! American persimmons, Diopyros virginiana, have more pucker power when unripe than some of their Asian cousins, Diospyros kaki, which are originally from China and are called Japanese persimmons. In fact, one group of Asian persimmons has no pucker at all and can be eaten when firm like an apple. Kaki or Asian cultivars are either not astringent or, like the smaller-fruited American species, are astringent until

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    Politics, the Farm Bill and your next meal

    by Ben LaCross

    Parched and burnt cornfields, hayfields as yellow as the sun and chalky, dry soil are images we’ve seen from the record-setting drought of 2012. The farm bill is supposed to be the safety net for agriculture, especially in catastrophic disaster years such as this. But alas, chances of passing a new farm bill, which is set to expire on Sept. 30, are wilting as fast as a Midwestern cornstalk.

    Now, only a handful of days remains on the legislative calendar before the election.

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    New enrollment period for 4-H underway

    Open enrollment for 4-H clubs in southwest Missouri is underway now and runs from Sept. 1 to Dec. 1.

    As the largest out-of-school youth organization in the world, 4-H is open to all boys and girls, ages 5 to18. Children who are five to seven years old (by Dec. 2012) are eligible for 4-H Clover Kids, an introductory program.

    Youths who are 8 to 18 years of age (by Dec. 31, 2012) can select from a variety of 4-H projects and activities that stress social and life skills

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    4-H Event Sept. 23 will honor ‘Best of the Best’

    All 4-H alumni from southwest Missouri are invited to the Fifth Annual 4-H Alumni Reunion, 3 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 23, inside the Center Hall E-plex, at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in Springfield.

    Sponsored by the Greene County 4-H Foundation, the program includes a pie supper where pies, cakes and cookies are auctioned off to the crowd. All clubs and 4-H supporters are invited to the event and encouraged to bring pies or other auction items.

    New this year will be a 4-H member cake decorating contest (open to

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    FFA Booster News

    Submitted by Rhonda Williams, secretary

    The El Dorado Springs FFA will host their annual social beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13.

    This is a great time to welcome the Freshman FFA members and their families. It is a wonderful time to meet the new FFA Advisor and welcome her to our school and community. I have had the opportunity to work and visit with her and she is a real blessing to our school. She is a very positive and energetic individual and seems to have

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    Akin’s endorsement reaffirmed by Farm Bureau FARM-PAC

    After revisiting their endorsement, Missouri Farm Bureau FARM-PAC trustees once again voted overwhelmingly to support Congressman Todd Akin for the U.S. Senate. The FARM-PAC trustees represent the county Farm Bureaus which are located in every Missouri county.

    In telephone conference calls conducted Sept. 5 through 11, FARM-PAC trustees representing 104 counties participated and voted to support Congressman Akin with results similar to the Aug. 10 endorsement. A two-thirds vote is needed for a FARM-PAC endorsement.

    “During the conference calls, some of our members brought up the statement made

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