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Area events to attend coming upBy Richard C. Snell Barton County Extension Agent, agriculture Kansas You can learn a lot from a dummy! That's what the seat belt commercials say. But, I'll bet you can learn even more from some intelligent researchers and Extension staff from K-State. There are several opportunities coming up for you to do just that at wheat plot tours around the area. First, with the lateness of the wheat crop at this writing, we are holding our Barton County Extension wheat tour the latest we ever have. It will be June 6. It will be in the morning through early afternoon. Our plan is to start with a plot, go to breakfast, go to another plot or two, and then have lunch. Then, you can have the rest of the day to work. Our plots this year are two miles west of Galatia and also 3 miles west and 2 1/2 miles south of Claflin. I will have details in the coming weeks, but get it on your social calendar now. The plots are looking good, the variety signs are up and we should have something to show you. The Kansas State University Agricultural Research Center at Hays will host the Kansas Wheat Day in conjunction with Kansas Wheat May 21, at the Center's headquarters on the south side of Hays. The program starts at 11 a.m. with a free luncheon. Kansas Wheat is a combined effort of what used to be the Kansas Wheat Growers and the wheat commission. The spring field day at the Hutchinson-South Central Experiment Field will be at 8 a.m., May 20. The Hesston Experiment Field will hold their wheat field day on May 22 at 6 p.m., and the Garden City Experiment Station Field Day will be on May 27 at 6:30 p.m. McPherson County to host state agroforestry field day An event I hope to attend is the state Agroforestry Field Day, May 29. Vaughn Juhnke, past Kansas Agroforestry Award winner, will host the Kansas Forest Service's 2008 Agroforestry Field Day at his McPherson County farm that day. Just what is Agroforestry? Agroforestry is an agricultural approach of using the interactive benefits from combining trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock. It combines agriculture and forestry technologies to create more integrated, diverse, productive, profitable, healthy and sustainable land-use systems. "The day will allow landowners and natural resource professionals to see a model of land management that optimizes wildlife habitat, recreation, conservation and aesthetics, said Bob Atchison," KFS rural forestry coordinator. It also will offer concurrent session topics through the day: --The property and its conservation projects: "secrets for success"--Vaughn Juhnke. --Practical, step-by-step ways to establish tree and shrub plantings-- KFS foresters Dennis Carlson and Thad Rhodes. --Safe prescribed burning to manage native grass (demonstration)--Ross Hauck, KFS fire management program coordinator, and the KFS fire staff. --Attracting and managing native wildlife effectively--Jeff Rue, wildlife biologist, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. --Wildfire protection for rural homes: Kansas FIREWISE--Jason Hartman, KFS fire prevention specialist. --Riparian woodland benefits, management on Turkey Creek--Charles Barden, Kansas State University forester. --Caring for and maintaining ponds for fish and wildlife--Charlie Lee, K-State Research and Extension wildlife management specialist. Registration for the field day is $10, which will include a home-cooked lunch. More information, a registration form, and rainy-day arrangements are available at www.kansasforests.org/calendar/. When Juhnke bought his property in 1979, it was eroding into McPherson County's Turkey Creek. The water stayed cloudy with sediment. The creek is much clearer now, though. With design help and technical advice from KFS district forester Dennis Carlson, Juhnke started a riparian project in 1999. He planted close to 5,000 trees and shrubs, as well as annual food plots for wildlife and 32 acres of native grass. "Vaughn spent many hours weeding and maintaining the plants," Carlson said. "He had exceptional survival and growth rates. Some of the bur oaks were over 10 feet in just six years." Juhnke also built a stocked fish pond, which provides sanctuary for Canada geese and a variety of ducks. His other wildlife visitors include deer, bobcats, turkeys, pheasants and quail. Juhnke said he got help and encouragement from friends, neighbors and the local chapter of Pheasants Forever--to which he belongs. Juhnke also serves on the Board of Supervisors for the McPherson County Conservation District. If you would like a ride to this event, call me at 620-793-1910. Keep mower blades sharp This is the time of year when seed heads start appearing on our cool-season grasses such as tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass. The seed head stems are much tougher than the grass blades and more likely to shred, even with a fairly sharp mower. This shredding will give a whitish cast after mowing because of the drying of the ends of leaf and seed stalks. With normal use, mower blades should be sharpened about every 10 hours use. 5/26/08 Date: 5/20/08
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