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| News From Around the Farm World - Aug. 26, 2009 |
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USDA seeks conservation stewards applicants
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The USDA is now taking applications for the new Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The program encourages producers to adopt new conservation measures and improve existing ones.
Those involved will have a five-year contract. Tennessee has selected four priorities to rank applications: Plants; animals; soil erosion; and water quality. Participants get up to $40,000 annually.
Information is available at www.nrcs.usda.gov/new_csp
Lottery for special controlled deer hunt in Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A random drawing will be held to select participants for a special controlled deer hunt at Lake Katharine State Nature Preserve in Jackson County. High deer population numbers have begun to negatively impact the flora of the nature preserve.
There will be one two-day hunt held Nov. 30-Dec. 1. Applicants must hold a current Ohio hunting license to be eligible. Successful applicants will receive a permit that is good for two hunters. Permits are transferable. Only successful applicants will be notified.
Applicants should submit a 3x5 card to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) with their printed name, complete address and daytime telephone number along with the caption “Lake Katharine Gun Hunt” and a check or money order for $5 processing fee (no cash accepted). You may apply more than once, but only one name per postcard.
Send all entries with a single payment in one envelope to the ODNR Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, 2045 Morse Rd., Bldg. F-1, Columbus, OH 43229. Processing fees are not refundable. Lottery entries must be received by Oct. 10. Visit www.ohiodnr.com/dnap for a full listing of lottery rules and special hunt details or call 740-286-2487.
The ODNR is also sponsoring youth hunts at four state nature preserves: Desonier (Athens County), Goll Woods (Fulton County), Johnson Woods (Wayne County) and Lawrence Woods (Hardin County). A random drawing will be held to select participants for all four hunts.
The hunts will take place Nov. 21 during the regular youth deer gun hunting season. At each site, successful applicants must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult partner. Only one deer may be harvested during the youth hunting season. Youth hunters aged 17 years and younger are eligible. All Ohio hunting rules and regulations will apply.
Interested applicants for this should also submit a 3x5 card with the aforementioned information and the preserve hunt title (i.e. “Desonier Woods Youth Deer Hunt”) and processing fee for each entry. Permits are transferable.
Applications must be received by Oct. 1. Successful applicants will be notified by mail and must attend a pre-hunt meeting.
Select Michigan farmers market planned for Detroit
DETROIT, Mich. (AP) — In effort to encourage Michiganders to buy more locally-grown food, a farmers’ market will take place in downtown Detroit.
The Select Michigan program is holding a farmers market on Thursday, Aug. 27 at Eastern Market in Detroit. Michigan Department of Agriculture Director Don Koivisto says the event will feature locally-grown food products.
About 40 vendors are expected to participate. A free shuttle bus will run from downtown’s Campus Martius Park.
Another Select Michigan farmers market is planned for Sept. 17 in front of the state Capitol in Lansing.
Select Michigan is a brand identification program to promote Michigan-grown food. A Select Michigan logo can be found on Michigan food products sold at grocery stores, farmers’ markets and on individual farms.
Purdue survey shows farmland values drop slightly
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — A Purdue University survey shows the value of Indiana farmland dropped slightly from June 2008 to June 2009.
But farmland held much of its value during poor economic times, according to the 2009 Indiana Farmland Values and Cash Rents Survey.
Purdue Extension farmland economics specialist Craig Dobbins says he’s surprised that farmland values were not down more than they were. Top quality farmland declined less than 1 percent from 2008 values, while poor quality land was down less than 2 percent.
The average value of bare Indiana cropland ranged from $3,351 per acre for poor quality land to $4,994 per acre for top quality land.
The annual Purdue University survey polls farmer, land brokers, appraisers and others.
Officials say farm caused fish kill contamination
CROSWELL, Mich. (AP) — State officials say they’ve confirmed that manure runoff from a cattle farm killed perhaps 200,000 fish in the Black River near Croswell.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says Noll Dairy Farm Inc. was the source of the contamination. The runoff flowed into a creek that feeds the Sanilac County river.
Biologists said last week’s fish kill was one of the biggest they’d ever seen.
Among the species were smallmouth bass, catfish, northern pike, rock bass, sunfish, suckers, minnows and darters.
DEQ spokesman Robert McCann says investigators are determining whether penalties should be assessed.
Mark Noll, a spokesman for the farm, told The Detroit News for a Wednesday story the discharge was accidental but would not provide details. |
| 8/26/2009 |
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