Pesticide Applicator Training Nov. 13

The required four hour training to prepare you to take the applicator exam will be offered Nov. 13 from 8 a.m. to noon. The test will not be administered but information will be given about where you can go to take the exam.

Feral Hog Cooperator Meeting Nov. 16

For cooperators in the Feral Hog Abatement Program. From 9 a.m. to noon at Williams Gin and Grain west of Frost. Please RSVP at (903) 654-3075.

Livestock Validation Dates (all will be held at the Navarro County Expo Center)

Nov. 20 from 4 to 7 p.m. — 2008 NCYE lamb and goat validation

Nov. 26 from 5 to 7 p.m. — Major show swine

The Navarro County Pecan Grading Demonstration is set for 2007. The event is sponsored by the Navarro County Horticulture committee and serves to educate pecan producers about the value of quality pecans. Participants are limited to one entry of each named variety they grow. Exhibitor must be the grower. A minimum of 40 pecans (42 preferred) are needed for each entry. Entries may be brought to the Navarro County Extension Office by Monday, Nov. 26 by 5 p.m. or they may be brought to Brookshire’s (800 N. Main, Corsicana) Tuesday, Nov. 27 at 8:30 a.m. Entries and results will be on display for public viewing on Wednesday, Nov. 28 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Brookshire’s Food. Please be sure to have your name and address on the entries with variety name. Get to picking up those pecans!

New CD Can Help Cattle Producers Beef Up Their Operations

College Station-Texas Cooperative Extension has developed an interactive CD-ROM to help beef cattle producers manage their herd’s health. The program was developed by Wayne Thompson, Extension agent for agriculture in Harris County. It was based on the herd management practices and educational programs presented by Dr. Floron “Buddy” Faries, Extension program leaders for veterinary medicine.

“This program will help producers select and schedule month-by-month health and production management practices,” Faries said. “The calendar helps them to do the right thing at the right time.”

The CD-ROM includes an interactive calendar that allows the beef producer to generate a management schedule to fit the length of his calving season and the month it begins.

“A livestock producer should not manage herd health according to a calendar year of the coincidence of vacations when family members congregate,” Thompson said. “This program presents a check list of management tasks based on the first month of calving — a point in time that is typically not January.

“The interface of the application was developed to be user-friendly and accessible to even the novice computer user”, he said. The CD-ROM also has demonstration videos for each activity, as well as a complete library of publications. The video demonstrations of health and production management practices helps the producer do the right thing the right way. Ultimately consumers will benefit from producers using the CD-ROM. Proven management practices assures there will be an adequate supply of safe, wholesome beef. Also, various herd health management practices are also bio-security practices and help prevent the entry of diseases, whether endemic or foreign. Extension agents for agriculture throughout the state are presenting the information in beef management workshops this year, where the CD-ROM will be available for $98. Producers should contact the Extension bookstore at http://tcebookstore.org publication number SP-289.

Texas Crop and Weather Report for Northeast Texas

Soil moisture was very short to adequate. Recent rains left pastures and forage crops in good condition. The winter wheat crop was in fair to good condition, with 40 to 100 percent of the crop planted and 10 to 50 percent of existing plantings emerged. Cotton was in fair to good condition with 90 to 100 percent of bolls open and 50 to 100 percent of the crop harvested. Oats were being planted. The pecan harvest was ongoing, with good yields of pecans reported. The corn and sorghum harvests were completed. Livestock were in good condition.

For more information call (903)654-3075 or visit our office on the third floor of the courthouse. Navarro County Extension Web site is http://navarro-tx.tamu.edu.