Agriculture and Natural Resources
Compiled by Diane Turner - Hamilton County Educator
Current Purdue Production Newsletters
Chat 'n Chew Cafe - March 19th, 2016
Vegetable Crops Hotline - Issue 609 - March 15, 2016Hamilton County Ag Day 2016 - Sharing the Importance of Agriculture with Local Students
Once again Purdue Extension offered our Annual Ag Day Program for Hamilton County 2nd grade students on March 15-17th. Ag Day allows us to expose youth to local farms and agricultural products through a hands-on experience. We hope Ag Day instills a love of agriculture and an appreciation for the land that will continue to grow with the youth.
Over 2,000 youth participated and enjoyed the live animal displays from the sheep, beef, horse, swine, goats, llamas, poultry and rabbit producers. Along with the live animal displays, we offered exhibits showing various products that come from each animal species.
The students had the opportunity to see corn, soybean and wheat plants and learn about the products that we consume from these commodities. This year Ag Day also incorporated educational presentations about farm equipment, soil and water conservation, drones, beekeeping and the 4-H Program. Farmers and 4-H members volunteered many hours to be on-hand to talk with the students and answer their questions. See below for a few snapshots of this years event.
Garden 2 Consumer Program Being Offered Locally
Growing your own food can be very rewarding, especially when you can profit from it! In 2015, the Food Safety Modernization Act was finalized with recommendations on how to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses from fresh produce.
Purdue Extension - Hamilton County is serving as a host site for this 3 part series. The first session is scheduled for April 6th. This interactive webinar will focus on the ins and outs of the recently released guidelines. The program to be shared was developed by Scott Monroe, Purdue Extension food safety educator. The second session on April 13th will be lead by State Health Department educators and will focus on the 'home-based vendor' exemption in Indiana Law (HEA 1309). The third and final session will be an in person training with Marion County Extension Educator - Christina Ferroli discussing the basic food safety guidelines on April 20th.
These sessions will cover basic food safety and good agricultural practices (GAPs) for growers who are not covered by the produce rule. I invite all current and aspiring entrepreneurs who are need of more information for growing and producing safe, high-quality foods. the first program is FREE and will be held at the Hamilton County 4-H Fairgrounds in the Annex beginning at 10:00am and ending around 12 noon. Pre-registration is required by emailing Diane Turner or calling 317-776-0854.
Upcoming Training Events and Opportunities
Central District Scheduled PARP Trainings
Cover Crop Field Day - Hendricks County
Location: Mark Lawson Farm 4850 W County Road 350 N, Danville, IN
Date: Wed Mar 30 2016; 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Topics: Cover Crop Plot Tour; Termination and Residual Carry over; Weed Suppression; Nutrient Scavenging; Nitrogen Credits; Bee Aware Regulatory Topic
Contact: Angie Tilton, ANR Educator 317-745-9260
About Diane Turner
Email: turnerda@purdue.edu
Website: https://extension.purdue.edu/hamilton
Location: 2003 Pleasant Street, Noblesville, IN, United States
Phone: 317-776-0854