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Farm and Family

  • Are you getting the most out of your pastures?

    Since I have started working in Henry County and learning the county, one thing is always very prominent with the farmers here.
    They are very passionate about their pastures and hay, and on many days, I will receive forage questions for eight straight hours.
    However, there is one management practice not widely used, but can help increase pasture forage yields. That is rotational grazing.
    Studies from the University of Kentucky have shown that continually grazed pastures utilize only 30 percent of potential forage.

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  • Make a New Year’s resolution to save more money

    Many people start the New Year with a financial resolution: to reduce debt, save money, spend money more wisely, increase their retirement savings or something similar.
    But despite good intentions, New Year’s resolutions often get abandoned. To stay on track, consider the following tips, which are designed to help you achieve your financial goals.
    Write down the goals and post them in a visible place to serve as a daily reminder. The fridge, bedroom mirror or your computer are good places to keep your goals in sight.

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  • Don’t get too carried away while waiting for spring planting season

    With this cold weather, it is hard to believe that spring will be here in a few months, and now is a good time to start thinking about what to put in your gardens.
    This means that vegetable catalogs are coming in your mail. They have every vegetable you can think of, and you are thinking about all of the great vegetables to plant.
    You might also think that you need two of these, two of those, 10 of those, and so on.

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  • Be prepared with winter car emergency kit

    Wintertime can be dangerous for travelers. 

    Not only do you sometimes have to contend with deteriorating road conditions caused by snow and ice, but life-threatening situations can arise if you find yourself stranded on the road for a significant amount of time. 

    Here are some tips to help you prepare and make your wintertime travels safer.

    It is always helpful to have the following in your car in case of an emergency:

    •A cell phone, portable charger and extra batteries

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  • What should be in your calving toolbox?

    It’s hard to believe the holidays are already here and some gone. It’s even harder to believe that spring calving season is only a month or so away. 

    This means you need to be ready to handle those calves through all hours of the night and during any weather condition. 

    Below is a list of items to keep in your calving tool box, and hopefully ease a little pressure during the calving season. 

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  • Poultry care during winter: Chickens don’t freeze

    Winter is here, and the temperature has dropped significantly. This time of the year, I will usually receive a few questions about poultry care during freezing temperatures.
    During winter months, don’t worry about how cold it is because poultry are designed to withstand the cold. Their feathers offer plenty of heat and insulation to keep them warm, but things you should worry about are clean, thawed water, plenty of feed, good ventilation, lighting and flock safety.
    In my eyes, the largest threat to poultry during the winter is lack of fresh, thawed water.

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  • This 4-H service project was for the birds

    This past week Natural Resources and Pinterest clubs joined together to create a service project for Henry County. The youth wanted to do something for the wildlife during the winter months.
    The youth first learned about the different kinds of seeds in commercial birdseeds, including their nutritional value and which birds would eat the seeds.
    The favorite of many birds are the black-oil sunflower seeds. This seed has a thin shell making it easy for many birds to enjoy.

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  • Stay healthy by watching holiday pounds

    According to the study “Holiday Weight Gain: Fact or Fiction,” among the entire population, weight gain during the six-week holiday season explained 51 percent of annual weight gain.
    These results suggest that holiday weight gain may be an important contributor to the rising prevalence of obesity.
    Yes, holiday meals are often more generous when it comes to solid fats and added sugars, but they don’t have to be. In fact, there are lots of great recipes out there that still taste indulgent without actually piling on the calories.

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  • Putting the frost to work

    Have your pastures and hay fields started to look a little thin? If so, now is the time to potentially remedy that problem. Grasses and legumes start to thin throughout the years, which causes decrease in forage production. A technique called “frost seeding” is a great way to increase your pasture or hay field production without completely renovating your pastures and hay fields.

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  • 4-H has to fit many activities in before the holidays

    4-H has been very busy recently with over 12 clubs meeting in addition to special programs such as woodworking.
    Our newest club just for 5- to 8-year-olds, the Clover Buds Club, has met twice since mid-November.
    During the first meeting led by experienced teen leaders, the youth learned about the four Hs of 4-H: head, heart, hands and health. The youth were able to participate in four different activities, each one relating to one of the Hs.

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