2015

FARM
PREVIEW
Area farmers ready to embark on yet another
planting season.
See inside for local farm news!

THE MOST WONDERFUL

TIME OF THE YEAR

Lindsay Owens cant wait to plant!

4-H: Not just for

farm kids
Enrollment up in 2015

February 28, 2015 16 pages

C2

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

WASHINGTON TIMES HERALD

WASHINGTON TIMES HERALD

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

C3

The most wonderful time of the year

he beginning of a new
growing season is upon
us and I, for one, cant
wait to be back in my
happy place, also known as
a sandy southern Indiana
field. Ive been counting the
days since the last day I
picked anything from the
fields. This time, the last
day was in December and
my grandfather actually got
to do the last of the
produce picking. We were
able to keep our late patch
of tomatoes producing
outside until nearly
Christmas so I guess I
havent had quite as long to
wait as some others.
While the mid-February
snow has put a slight damper,
on my spring spirit, its given
me the perfect opportunity to
spend some time in the

Lindsay Owens
LOCAL COLUMNIST

warmth of the greenhouse. It

may not be a tropical paradise, but it does come with
lemon, grapefruit and kumquat trees that provide a
sweet nectar scent thats indescribable. Its also overflowing
with vegetable plants, flowers
and hanging baskets.
The winter months may be
the off season for most, but
the greenhouse never sleeps.
Theres always something

growing and the time to start

sowing the tiny seeds for the
next growing season seems to
get pushed up earlier and earlier every year. Thats likely
because everyone wants to
get crops in the ground before
the next person.
When I was little, I remember anxiously waiting for
planting day to come. Yes,
planting day - as in we plant
the entire large field filled
with tomatoes, melons, peppers and more in one
day. Cold and seed crops are
planted in another field. It
makes for a very long day
but its well worth spending
hours on the back of an old
tobacco setter (or getting
Lindsay Owens | Times Herald
back on the setter after my
grandfather turns the row to PLANTING THE BIG FIELD means spending nearly an entire day on the back of tobacco
setter. While its not the most comfortable ride, its well worth it when the planting is
fast) to see all the crops in
done.
the sandy soil.

C4

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

WASHINGTON TIMES HERALD

More than just for farm kids

Daviess County 4-Hers prepare for annual show
BY JENNIFER KILLION
TIMES HERALD

I pledge my head to clearer

thinking, my heart to greater
loyalty, my hands to larger
service, and my health to better living, for my club, my
community, my country, and
my world. This is the pledge
that 441 local youth have
made to be a part of the Daviess County 4-H Club in
2015. According to the 4-H
youth educator and County
Extension director, Jane Ann
Beard, the number of youth
participating in 4-H is up
about 50 more than last year.

4-H is an organization that

aims to empower youth to
reach their full potential,
working and learning in partnership with caring adults.
Gracen Jarrett, a junior at
Washington Catholic High
School, spoke highly of 4-H.
4-H has taught me a lot about
being hard working and dependable. It has also taught
me a lot about managing my
time well and being responsible. I think everyone can benefit from 4-H. Its not just for
farm kids. There are many
different projects that kids can
take that will teach them
many valuable skills and life

lessons, she said.

This year 4-H is bringing a
lot of projects to the table.
Projects range from beekeeping and cake decorating to
livestock. Some of the new
projects 4-H is offering this
year are barbecue, consumer
beef, lamb, and pork, and creative writing. In all, there are
81 projects in regular 4-H, 16
mini projects, and 10 mini
livestock projects. Crafts is a
pretty popular project because
there is such a wide array of
things that you can do. Livestock projects overall in this
county are popular ,too, said
Beard, And thats also a wide

array: b eef, sheep, goat,

swine so that total group is
pretty big.
Beard said photography, especially digital photography, is
also very popular.
For Jarrett, one of her favorite projects is beef.
I love being around and
showing cattle. Showing cattle
has made me realize that I
want to find a agricultural
based career someday, said
Jarrett, who is an eight-year
Kelly Overton | Times Herald
member of the Jefferson Club.
I have a had a wonderful 4-H GRACIE MADISON is one of over 400 youth involved in
experience. It has been a big Daviess County 4-H. The youth program offers a variety of
projects ranging from livestock to baking and gardening to
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WASHINGTON TIMES HERALD

4-H ...
<< CONTINUED from Page C4
part of my life as my parents
are both club leaders.
Nicole Wilson, a junior from
Barr-Reeve High School, has
been in 4-H for seven years
and shows Boer goats. She
believes that 4-H has a very
positive impact on the students involved in its programs.
4-H is an environment full of
friendly people who all share
the same interests. Its a great
way to make new friends,
said Wilson. In 4-H, you have
to be committed to what you
are doing, which helps build
good working skills for the
future.
Washington High School senior Wesley Richardson also
had a lot to say about his involvement in 4-H. To me 4-H
has been a great outlet for
making friends and learning
life lessons, he said. My favorite project would probably
be veterinary science because

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

DATES FOR UPCOMING

4-H ACTIVITIES
Beef Tagging Dates,
March 10 at Dinkys
Sheep/Goat ID dates,
May 7 and 12
4-H Camp, June 3-5
4-H Show, July 17-24
Indiana State Fair, August
7-23

I want to be a veterinarian.
Many people think of 4-H as a
club for people that live in the
rural community but is a very
wide spread organization that
anyone can prosper in.
The 4-H club offers many
opportunities for the kids that
are involved. The biggest
thing is that its a hands on,
life-skills opportunity for not
just the individual but for the
family. We also have a big
emphasis on STEM (science,
technology, engineer ing,
math) so almost every one of
our projects in some way involves all of those pieces.

Beard said. There are also a

lot of trips that the kids can
participate in. For instance,
there are trips to Purdue (the
land-grant university for the
state of Indiana) that are related to science, or to public
speaking, etc., and we have a
state 4-H chorus, so theres
many different opportunities,
even including trips outside of
the state. We even have 4-H
camp.
Beard said that the many
volunteers are a vital part of
4-H in the county. We have a
huge, very strong volunteer
base in Daviess County, which
consists of a great group of
adults that volunteer to instruct or to help the young
people. We wouldnt have a
4-H program without these
volunteers, so thats a huge
piece of who we are, she said.
If you or someone you know
is interested in becoming a
part of the Daviess County
4-H Club, contact Jane Ann
Beard at the County Extension
Office at 812-254-8668.

C5

C6

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

WASHINGTON TIMES HERALD

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

Kelly Overton | Times Herald

FARMERS JUST EAST OF ODON were busy harvesting corn on Jan. 24. Late season
rains delayed some area farmers from harvesting crops until after the new year.

WASHINGTON TIMES HERALD

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

C7

The ugly truth about crop predictions

ne of the most frustrating
things when you listen to
people make predictions
is how often they are
wrong. I mean, weve all been
just ticked off to beat all when
the weather folks predict rain
in July only to see the wet
stuff not materialize. Or when
they call for an 80 percent
chance of rain, and it just
sprinkles enough to wet your
shirt as my dad says. Yeah,
we got the 80 percent chance
of rain, but we sure didnt get
a rain that amounted to
anything.
But this isnt a weather column. No, the forecast Im talking about was all of the market
prognosticators a year ago who
were telling us the bottom was
going to fall out of the grain
markets. Back in May and June,
the price of corn was still hovering around the $5 mark, and
many of us were hoping that
the market gurus, just like the

proved to be as big as predicted

and the market sank as low as
predicted.
To the layman, thats the paradox of farming summed up
right there; the bigger the crop,
the less its worth. I can remember one of my economics proMike Myers
fessors in college explaining
LOCAL COLUMNIST
the theory of supply and demand and me thinking that the
weather folks most of the time, correlation between price and
supply in farming was just
were going to be wrong.
about the purist form of free
Then a funny thing hapmarket supply and demand in
pened - the market experts
the textbook.
proved they really were experts.
And so it was that the years
The closer we got to harvest
of high prices for corn and soythe heavier the lead weight that beans came to an end with a
had attached itself to the price thud. Prices have rebounded
of corn and soybeans seemed
some since harvest, even topto weigh. I can remember a
ping $4 for corn for a bit in Detime when my dad talked
cember, but seemed to have
about $3 corn like it was some settled in a range of $3.70 to
dream, something you hoped
$3.80 as we approach the 2015
for but never expected to see.
season.
But last fall, $3 corn became a
But while the price for grain
has dropped drastically the
cursed reality as the crop

price for the inputs needed to

put out a crop havent kept up,
or should I say kept down. In
fact, some of the inputs weve
priced like anhydrous ammonia are actually up in price over
what we paid a year ago, and
certainly very few items needed
to produce a crop have dropped
significantly compared to last
year. You dont have to be an
accountant to know that recipe
- lower income without a corresponding drop in expenses thats hard to end in something
resembling a profit.
During the heyday of high
prices in the last few years,
prices for farmland and cash
rent prices remained high, and
farm equipment dealers have
had little trouble moving big
ticket items out of their inventories. Now, land prices have
softened, cash rent values have
flattened, and equipment salesmen are almost as lonely as the
Maytag repairman.

Kelly Overton | Times Herald

LAST YEAR, corn prices dropped after another hefty

harvest. Producers are hoping for better luck in 2015.

Speaking of weather, that

might be the best hope for
farmers to see higher prices. If
we get into late June or early
July and have a hot, dry spell of
weather, just long enough for
somebody on the trading floor
in Chicago or on a farm tour in
Iowa to whisper the word
drought the market could
jump overnight, giving those
lucky enough to be able to hold
on to an old crop corn a chance

to sell higher or for most of us

to price some new crop corn
for something above $4.
Am I predicting that? Nope.
But Im sure somebody, somewhere is predicting that and
just about anything else for the
2015 crop season. And they just
might be right.
Or they could be wrong. But
thats just part of the game.
Have a good year everyone!

C8

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

WASHINGTON TIMES HERALD

FSA NOTES
mation about their operation
and see projections that show
what ARC and/or PLC will
Coverage selection mean for them under possible
future scenarios. Farm owners
for 2014 Farm Bill
and producers can access the
safety set programs online resources, available at
Producers have Until March www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc, from
the convenience of their home
31, 2015, to choose the procomputer or mobile device at
gram best for their operation
any time.
Farm owners and producers
Covered commodities inare reminded that the opportu- clude barley, canola, large and
nity to choose between the
small chickpeas, corn, crambe,
new 2014 Farm Bill estabflaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils,
lished programs, Agriculture
mustard seed, oats, peanuts,
Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price dry peas, rapeseed, long grain
Loss Coverage (PLC), began
rice, medium grain rice (which
Nov. 17, 2014, and continues
includes short grain rice), safthrough March 31, 2015. The
flower seed, sesame, soybeans,
new programs, designed to
sunflower seed and wheat.
help producers better manage
Dates associated with ARC
risk, usher in one of the most
and PLC that farm owners and
significant reforms to U.S. farm producers need to know:
programs in decades.
Now through Feb. 27, 2015:
USDA helped create online
Farm owners may visit their
tools to assist in the decision
local Farm Service Agency ofprocess, allowing farm owners fice to update yield history
and/or reallocate base acres.
and producers to enter infor-

Service Agency county office.

SPECIAL TO TH

Beginning
farmer loans

Now through Nov. 17, 2014

to March 31, 2015: Producers
make a one-time election between ARC and PLC for the
2014 through 2018 crop years.
Mid-April 2015 through
summer 2015: Producers sign
contracts for 2014 and 2015
crop years.
October 2015: Payments issued for 2014 crop year, if
needed.

To learn more about which

safety net options are most appropriate for specific farming
operations, farmers can use
new Web tools at www.fsa.
usda.gov/arc-plc, which can be
accessed from the convenience
of a home computer or a mobile device at any time. To
learn more about upcoming
educational meetings, farmers
can contact their local Farm

FSA assists beginning farmers to finance agricultural enterprises. Under these designated farm loan programs, FSA
can provide financing to eligible applicants through either
direct or guaranteed loans. FSA
defines a beginning farmer as
a person who:
Has operated a farm for
not more than 10 years
Will materially and substantially participate in the operation of the farm
Agrees to participate in a
loan assessment, borrower
training and financial management program sponsored by
FSA
Does not own a farm in excess of 30 percent of the countys average size farm.
Additional program informa-

tion, loan applications, and other materials are available at

your local USDA Service Center. You may also visit www.fsa.
usda.gov.

Noninsured Crop
Disaster Assistance
Program
The Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP),
reauthorized by the 2014 Farm
Bill and administered by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) Farm Service Agency
(FSA), provides financial assistance to producers of noninsurable crops to protect against
natural disasters that result in
lower yields or crop losses, or
prevents crop planting. NAP
provides catastrophic level
(CAT) coverage based on the
amount of loss that exceeds 50
percent of expected production
at 55 percent of the average
market price for the crop.

WASHINGTON TIMES HERALD

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

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C10

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

WASHINGTON TIMES HERALD

Smartphones are for more than just Facebook

BY LINDSAY OWENS
TIMES HERALD

Smartphones can tell users

pretty much anything and everything from the daily weather forecast to the name of a
pesky weed they just plowed
under. A quick search of your
app store will likely show hundreds of farm related apps but
these are some of my top picks
based on reviews and the userfriendliness of each app.
The SoilWeb app - provides
information relating to soil
types associated with the current geographical location. The
images are linked to information about the different types
of soil. Free for iPhone and
Android.
The Ag Weed ID app - a
hand held tool for farmers to
help identify weeds during
scouting season. It was created
by experts at Penton Farm
Progress Group. Free for
iPhone and Android.
The Agrian Mobile - app

allows users to instantly identify the appropriate crop protection information. The app
was named one of the Top 20
Agricultural Mobile apps by
CropLife America and empowers farmers by giving them
access to the largest, most reliable crop protection database
in the world. Free for iPhone.
The Crop Calculator - app
that allows farmers growing
corn to calculate their grain
yields, maturity dates, and silage price adjustments. The
formulas incorporated in the

app were developed by University of Wisconsin agronomy

specialists research. Free for
iPhone and Android.
The Disease ID app - specializes in helping farmers and
agronomists get involved in
the production of cereal. Users
are given immediate access to
a vast amount of information
about common diseases associated with cereal crops. This
app educates farmers and allows them to understand and
identify pathogens. Free for
iPhone and Android.
The Drainage Tile Calculator - assists growers in determining field tile sully capabilities for various lands. App calculation features include, acres
drained, pipe diameter, pipe
amount, slop, pump size and
more. Gathering this information is important when making decisions about field management and planning ahead
for investment opportunities
such as added drainage. Free
for iPhone and Android.

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WASHINGTON TIMES HERALD

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

Women in Agriculture events

in Greencastle coming soon
Event will be held
March 19 at Putnam
County Fairgrounds
SPECIAL TO TH

It is not uncommon to find

women working along side
their spouses or even on
their own to help their families and farms prosper and
grow.
The Purdue Extension
Women in Ag Team is committed to providing educational opportunities, current
resources and a network of
support to position all women for success in the agriculture industry through skill

development, confidant decision-making and personal

well-being.
On March 19, the Purdue
Women in Agriculture Regional Meeting will take
place at the Putnam County
Fairgrounds in Greencastle.
Registration will start at
9:30 a.m. with the program
running from 10 a.m. to 3
p.m.
Participants will have the
opportunity to hear from
Purdue Professors and Extension Educators on a
range of topics including:
Risk Management for Grain
Marketing, Capitalizing on
the Generations Involved in
Your Family Farm, Heart
Health, Creating Goals and

Clearly Communicating
Them and the emergency
management tool entitled
Code Red.
Registration for this event
is required by March 12 to
ensure adequate materials
and lunches are available
for all attendees. Registration costs are $30 per person.
For more information on
this event, please contact
Purdue Extension Putnam
County via phone at 765653-8411 or by email at
smith535@purdue.edu.
If you require auxiliary
aids and services due to a
disability or have a special
foods needs, please call 574372-2340 by March 12.

C11

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C12

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

WASHINGTON TIMES HERALD

aining
round
Kelly Overton | Times Herald

COVER CROPS play a vital role in improving soil health. Even an increase in organic matter as small as 1 percent can
have a big impact on soil and crop production.

CROP INPUT
MEETING

VIC SHELTON
NRCS STATE AGRONOMIST
AND GRAZING SPECIALIST

occasionally have some

dried mud on my boots. If
not cleaned well enough,
that mud might end up as
dirt on the floor.
Out in the field, whether
cropland or pasture, it certainly should not be called dirt,
but soil. Depending on the
site and how it was formed,
the soil will contain different
amounts of sand, silt, clay and
organic matter. But soil is
more than just an inert medium it is also alive.

CROP INPUT
MEETING

MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015

MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015

TFS SEED WAREHOUSE

DINKYS CENTER
THIS MEETING IS GEARED TOWARD SMALLER

PROGRAM WILL BEGIN WITH LUNCH 12:00 PM-12:45 PM

MEETING 1:00 PM-3:40 PM

THIS MEETING IS GEARED TOWARD LARGE

MEETING 6:30 PM-8:30 PM

MEAL WILL BE SERVED 6:00 PM-6:30 PM

FARM OPERATIONS

CREDIT HOURS FOR PRIVATE APPLICATORS WILL BE AWARDED

TO THOSE WHO STAY FOR THE ENTIRE PROGRAM

TOPICS TO BE COVERED INCLUDE

Understanding critical growth stages in corn and the production factors associated with each stage. From Uniform Emergence to Nitrogen
Management... This agronomy focused session will be a great opportunity to review and learn about maximizing corn yields by focusing on
both the minor and major pieces of the corn production puzzle.
The only tool that growers have to offset decreasing commodity prices is to increase yield. But there is no silver bullet to increasing yield.
Instead, it is compilation of many different factors that have to all be managed properly. But to understand how to optimize the use of these
multiple inputs, we must take a step back and focus on the crop itself. Here we will discuss whats occurring within the plant at each stage of
development and how we can optimize inputs throughout the season to get the most yield return.
We will examine environmental conditions, chemical and cultural practices and the management decisions that effect # pods/acres, # seeds/
pod and weight/seed as these are the only things that can improve yield in soybeans.
Exploring management practices to address out of control weeds such as Waterhemp, Palmer Amaranth, and Marestail.
Early Commitment Bonus Offer
PRESENTERS - Jared Chastain w/BASF,
TO
CALL 812-486-3285
Ron Taylor is Back!!!
- Helena Products Manager, TFS Staff
OR 888-486-3285
SHORT BREAK
State Regulatory Topic - Purdue Extension Office (30 minutes)
(For Private Applicators that need credit hours. Credit hours have been applied for.)

RSVP

FARM OPERATIONS

TOPICS TO BE COVERED INCLUDE

How to Control Glyphosate Resistant Weeds in Soybeans & Corn

Our Best Recommendations for Success In Weed Control
Understanding Modes of Action to Manage Weed Resistance
Early Commitment Bonus Offer
PRESENTERS - Jared Chastain w/BASF,
FOR INFORMATION OR QUESTIONS
Ron Taylor is Back!!!
CALL 812-486-3285
- Helena Products Manager, TFS Staff

SHORT BREAK

OR 888-486-3285

State Regulatory Topic - Purdue Extension Office (30 minutes)

(For Private Applicators that need credit hours. Credit hours have been applied for.)

WASHINGTON TIMES HERALD

There is a lot of talk about

soil health these days, so this
should not be any surprise to
most producers. You know the
more fertile the soil, the better
the forages you can grow on
it, but there is much more to it
than just that. We need to
maximize the potential of the
soil resource.
The soil is not just a growing medium; it is a potential
powerhouse of biological activity. By keeping the soil
healthy, you then have healthier and increased forage production.
Maintaining adequate fertility and the right pH is a good
start. But we must also protect, maintain or ideally build
soil organic matter, too.
Soil quality has been talked
about by NRCS for a long
time. Soil quality is the functional ability of the soil to
support optimal biological activity and diversity for plant
and animal productivity, to
regulate water flow and storage, and to provide an envi-

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

ronmental buffer.
Soil health, on the other
hand, which some may call
the latest buzz words of
NRCS, is much more than soil
quality. Soil health is the continued capacity of the soil as a
vital living system whereby
plant and animal growth and
environmental quality is sustained. It requires a holistic
approach in which plants, animals and human health is
promoted.
Soil health is a journey, not
a destination. You dont really
know what the true ultimate
potential is. There is not a certain point in time that once
you reach it, you can say, Im
here.
Instead, managing for soil
health is constantly changing
and constantly needing to be
not just maintained but moving forward.
What should you be finding
with increased soil health?
What is talked about more
than anything else is increasing amounts of soil organic

C13

Kelly Oveton| Times Herald

Cover crops are gaining popularity and with many variety options available, the crops, which are planted in the fall, can
be customized to meet the needs of each field.

matter.
Just a 1 percent increase in
soil organic matter is a big
deal. It was once thought it

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only increase.
took very long periods of time od of time.
However, it is very importo increase soil organic matter;
One percent soil organic
we know now it can be tant that we dont do anything
achieved in a fairly short peri- that will cause it to decline,
>> See SOIL // Page C14

C14

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

Soil ...
<< CONTINUED from Page C13
matter in the soil equals
about 20,000 pounds per acre.
Soil organic matter holds
about 20 times its weight in
water.
Each 1 percent of organic
matter contains approximately 10,000 pounds of carbon,
1,000 pounds of nitrogen and
100 pounds of phosphorus
and sulfur.
There are values to these
nutrients, but what should
excite you even more is the
soils ability to hold approximately an extra 14,400 gallons of water per acre. How
valuable is that in a drought?
What breaks down organic
matter? Tillage is very hard
on soil organic matter because it exposes the carbon to
oxygen, which oxidizes it.
On pasture, we normally
dont have this kind of disturbance, but we can have what
could be considered vertical

WASHINGTON TIMES HERALD

erosion. Soil should contain

about 50 percent minerals, 25
percent air and 25 percent
water.
Overgrazing causes inadequate vegetative canopy and
duff, and with the combination of hoof traffic and solar
impact, quickly degrades aggregates and organic matter.
Soil density increases, filling in valuable air and water
pore space (compaction) and
reducing the water-holding
ability and breaking down
valuable organic matter in a
now-anaerobic condition,
which also increases runoff.
A good healthy soil is granular in nature, and water
moves downward through it,
creating a good aerobic condition for the surface layers
like a sponge.
The more organic matter
present, the higher the infiltration rate and thus less runoff. When it rains, we want as
much of the rainwater to be
absorbed by the soil as possible.
That does not mean water-

logged soils. Soils that are

water-logged or oversaturated
have drainage issues, limiting
layers or compaction.
It is truly amazing to realize
that your soil health is improving and where you were
once seeing heavy amounts of
runoff, you are now capturing
and storing more water in
your water bank account.
This is most easily seen in
fields that contain water and
sediment control basins or
dry dams.
Where water once pooled in
these structures, even with a
small rain, with increased infiltration and more waterholding capacity you find less
and less water present in
these structures after a rain
event. The increased filtration
not only helps store water for
later use but also reduces
flooding.
Roots and the soil biota
need air to breathe and thrive.
The more biological activity
we have in the soil, the more
potential for extra biologically
produced nitrogen and in-

creased availability of nutrients.

Improving soil health also
means improving nutrient cycling and balancing plus diversifying soil biology. It
doesnt matter if we talk
about pasture or cropland; the
principles are the same.
It might just be easier on
pasture. You want to maximize soil cover, certainly minimize any disturbance, provide continuous living plants
and roots, and maximize the
diversity of plants.
OK, here is a good spot to
talk about management. Like
Ive said before, cover is so
important. Growing, dormant
and decomposing plant material are all cover and play a
part.
Besides covering the soil to
help maintain moisture reserves, reduce runoff and erosion, and assist with maintaining or building organic
matter, live plants are needed
for photosynthesis.
We want that solar panel
working and capturing as

much solar energy as possible. Bare ground does not

capture and utilize much sunlight. Mature forage does not
make a very good solar panel
either.
Maintain good stop grazing heights. That means remove or move livestock when
forages are grazed to about 4
inches (shortest height for
most cool-season forages) and
8 inches for most warm-season forages.
This helps maintain the
plants solar panel and roots.
We need growing live roots
with the ability to go down
deep for moisture as things
start turning dry and to also
move nutrients deeper in the
profile toward the surface.
Typically, the amount of
live plant above-ground is
somewhat proportional to the
amount of live roots. Removing top growth also affects the
plant below-ground.
As a rule, taking half and
leaving half allows leaves to
be removed while not slowing
down root growth.

Adequate rest is needed for

the plant to recover before being grazed again. Protecting
that solar panel, maintaining
deep live roots and keeping
the ground covered are our
defenses to potential hot, dry
weather and improving soil
health on pasture.
These practices also keep
the soil cooler. Soil at 70 degrees F (measured at 2-inch
depth) will make available
100 percent of the moisture
present for plant growth use.
As soil temperatures rise,
less moisture is available for
plant use and is lost through
evaporation and transpiration.
At 95 degrees F, soil organic
matter also starts to break
down. Keeping the soil covered and cool is critical to
pasture soil health.
Improving soil health with
all its attributes is a journey
leading to increased production and a contingency plan
with resilience. It is exciting
to try and visualize where it
could take us.
Keep on grazing.

MONTGOMERY GRAIN & FEED

P.O. Box 86, Montgomery, IN 47558 812-486-3291

Customer Appreciation
Open House & Chick Order Day

Answers & Low Prices Down Every Aisle

SM

Get ready for spring with

great products from

Pancakes & Sausage

Sat., March 7, 2015
7:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon
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For tractors up to 25 HP. Fits limited

category 1 point slip clutch PTO.

Heavy duty gear drive. Standard PTO with heavy

duty slip clutch. Rated 25-40 HP. Category I.

48 Gear Drive Tiller

101398846 Reg. 1349.99

5 Rotary Tiller
101096264 Reg. 1549.99

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1 Cherry Tree Plaza, Ste. 120

Washington, IN 812-254-1509
Mon-Sat: 8AM - 8PM Sun: 10Am - 6PM

Connect with us anytime. www.orschelnfarmhome.com

WASHINGTON TIMES HERALD

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

C15

SPRING HAPPENINGS
February 28, 2015

March 4 - 6, 2015

Washington Arts and Flowers Garden Club Expo at the

Washington Community
Building in Eastside Park
from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Admission is free.

Spring draft horse auction

at Dinkys. Call 812-486-2880
for more information.
March 7, 2015
Sullivan County Ag Breakfast at Sullivan County 4-H
Fairgrounds 6:30 a.m. to 11
a.m.

February 28 March 1, 2015

Gun and Knife Show at the
Washington Conservation
Club.

March 4, 2015
Southern Indiana Grazing
Conference at Westgate Academy featuring guest speakers
Gearld Fry, Dr. Peter Ballerstedt, and Ernest Weaver. Registration 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Cost
$45 at the door and includes
lunch. For more information
contact the Daviess County
Soil and Water Conservation
at 812-254-4780 ext. 3.

Registration is required by
March 12 by calling 574-3722340.

March 21, 2015

Martin County Ag Day
Breakfast at the Martin County 4-H Fairgrounds from 8
a.m. until 11:30 a.m.

March 12, 2015

April 4, 2015

Knox County Ag Day Supper at the Vincennes University P.E. Complex 5 p.m. to 7:30
p.m. Tickets available at Knox
County Banks.

Lawn and Garden and registered Boer goat auction at

Dinkys beginning at 10:30
a.m. Call 812-486-2880 for
more information.

March 19, 2015

May 25, 2015

Southwest Soil and Water

Conservation District meeting
at Otterbein Methodist
Church. Call Nathan Stoelting
for more information 812320-9873.
Purdue Women in Agriculture Regional Meeting at the
Putnam County Fairgrounds.

Special horse and tack sale

at Dinkys. Call 812-486-2880
for more information.

May 30, 2015

Second annual pony sale at
Dinkys. Call 812-486-2880
for more information.

CROP SCOUTING
CUSTOM APPLICATION
CROP INPUT &
PROTECTION NEEDS
Profit From Our Experience
Quality Products Professional Services Innovative Ideas

Certified Crop Advisors

1311 W. VanTrees Street Washington, IN 47501

866-897-3823 or
812-254-3823
Travis Schaffer, Mgr.

C16

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

WASHINGTON TIMES HERALD

LINE BORING

Line Boring Scraper & Hitch

HYDRAULIC CYLINDER WELDING

Completed Line Bore Scraper & Hitch

-HOSESDONERIGHT, LLCwww.hosesdoneright.com

Cylinder Eye Weld

A job well Dunn

Cylinder Stop Wore & Bent Rod

HOSE/TUBE CLEANING SYSTEM

Hydraulics Computer Line Boring Robot Welding

We offer Hose, Tubing and Pipe cleaning. A system that

removes dirt, gunk and oil. This prevents failure and system
downtime, costing customers a lot of money. Come by and
check out the difference in this cleaning system that we now
offer along with the type of hoses and hose style couplings
that we carry in stock (such as Metric, British, Japanese,
Catepillar, Komatsu and Kobelco).

HYDRAULIC CONSTRUCTION

3000 PSI TIE ROD 2 INCH HYDRAULIC CRIMPER

Douglas G. Dunn 812-291-0290

P.O. Box 735, 1607 Willow Street, Vincennes, IN 47591
812-882-6112 hyddunn@gmail.com
Immediate Service 24 Hrs: 812-890-8470

Installing Monorail System

50 Feet in the Air

Welded Monorail System to

Transfer 5,000 lb. Fifteen
Foot Long Hydraulic Cylinders

Monorail System
Transferring Cylinders

We are now
stocking and
servicing
American built
jacks and
cylinders.

We have inventory on:

1 1/2 5000 PSI Hose
2 50000 PSI Hose
High pressure Caterpillar style
Hose Couplings
The new COAL POWER High
Pressure hydraulic Hose for
the Coal market

WELDING - HIGH PRESSURE PIPING

We are expanding due to our customers request. The quality of our welding is demanded and the driving force: Certified Welding
Capabilities, OSHA, MSHA, Trained, Drug Free, Offering TIG, MIG, Plasma Cutting, Carbon Arc Cutting. Bore, Pipe, Structural,
and Aluminum Welding services. The goal is to keep our community prospering. We are very thankful to our community.
-- Douglas G. Dunn

Welded mounting brackets for hydraulic

valves, accumulator, and surge protector

Structural Repairs

Certified Welding

Header 6,000 PSI Fabrication

Header 6,000 PSI Assembling

Assembled 6,000 PSI Header