Farm and Home

True to most springs in Kentuckiana one day is sunny and warm, the next cloudy and cold. It's an anxious time of the year for most gardeners as we watch the sun coax open a little patch of crocus or we catch sight of an old landscape filled with waves of blooming white snow drops.

Must we wait for the forsythia to bloom as we pray for warmth?  No, there are plenty of other early bloomers to keep us happily occupied until spring truly arrives.

With spring planting now underway, Kentucky Farm Bureau (KFB) looks to sow a few seeds of its own as it calls for applications for the 2011 KFB Farmer of the Year award.
The organization initiated a Farmer of the Year awards program as a way to recognize KFB members for their commitment to excellence in agriculture, efficiency in farming practices, sound financial management and outstanding leadership in their county Farm Bureau and other civic organizations.

National Ag Day was March 15 as part of the celebration of National Ag Week, March 13-19. Southern States Cooperative, a Richmond, Va., based ag-supply retailer, joins with other members of the agriculture community in recognizing all that our nation’s farmers provide to consumers.
A rapidly increasing global population is creating growing demand for food, fiber and renewable resources at home and abroad.

USDA Farm Service Agency announces the next general signups for Conservation Reserve Program began March 14 and continues through April 15. This is the second consecutive year that USDA has offered a general CRP signup.
Over the past 25 years, support for CRP has grown thanks to strong backing from farmers, ranchers, conservationists, hunters, fishermen and other sports enthusiasts.