Purdue Agriculture News

WEEKS: May 27-June 24, 2013

MAY 29: GARDENING WITH ARTHRITIS WEBINAR

Gardeners who suffer from arthritis will learn from a May 29 webinar that they still can find ways to continue their hobby. The National AgrAbility Project at Purdue University will host the free webinar to provide an overview of gardening tasks and the relationship between arthritis pain management and gardening activities. "Gardening with Effective Arthritis Management" will begin at 3 p.m. EDT. Topics to be discussed at the one-hour webinar include arthritis limitations and barriers, tools and techniques for planting, weeding and harvesting, ergonomic and mobility issues, and selection of proper growing media and plant varieties. Amber D. Wolfe, National AgrAbility Project coordinator for the Arthritis Foundation, and Stephen J. Swain, assistive technology specialist for the National AgrAbility Project, will lead the presentation. Register at www.tinyurl.com/garden-webinar by May 24. Instructions for accessing the webinar will be sent to registrants by May 28. For more information, contact AgrAbility at 800-825-4264 or agrability@agrability.org.

CONTACT: Paul Jones, 765-494-1221, jonesp@purdue.edu

MAY 31: NOMINATION DEADLINE FOR WIA AWARDS

The Purdue Extension Women in Agriculture Team has begun accepting nominations for the 2013 Women in Agriculture Awards. The two awards - the Leadership Award and Achievement Award - are presented annually to women who demonstrate leadership and innovation and make positive contributions to Indiana agriculture, through their work in agricultural enterprises, agribusiness, farms or commodity organizations. The Leadership Award honors women who serve Indiana agriculture through agribusiness or policymaking, while the Achievement Award is given to women who are directly involved in a home farming operation. Both awards consist of a recognition plaque and registration and lodging at the 2014 Women in Agriculture Conference. Women may nominate themselves or be nominated by peers. Nominations are due by May 31, and the awards will be presented Aug. 14 at the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis as part of the lieutenant governor's Celebration of Agriculture ceremony. Nomination forms are available at http://www.extension.purdue.edu/wia/Awards/WIA%202013%20award%20application.pdf.

CONTACT: Jeanette Merritt, 765-496-3842, jkmerritt@purdue.edu

JUNE 7-8: SOUTHERN INDIANA GRAZING WORKSHOP

Livestock producers can learn about incorporating management-intensive grazing programs on their farms at a Purdue Extension conference June 7-8 in southern Indiana. Grazing 102 will focus on understanding plant growth and development, fencing systems, soil fertility, forage identification and use, watering systems, forage economics, extending the grazing season and determining forage needs. The conference will be at the Southern Indiana Purdue Agricultural Center, 11371 E. Purdue Farm Road, Dubois. It runs from 1-6 p.m. on June 7 and from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on June 8. Speakers are Keith Johnson, Purdue Extension forage specialist; Brad Shelton, superintendent of the Feldun-Purdue Agricultural Center; Jason Tower, SIPAC superintendent; and Robert Zupancic, grazing land specialist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service. Registration of $50 per person is due by May 31. The cost covers reference materials, speaker notes, management tools, refreshments and lunch on the second day. Registration for additional attendees from the same farm is $25 per person, but they will not receive reference materials or management tools. Registration forms and more information about Grazing 102 are available at http://www.extension.purdue.edu/dubois under "Hot Topics" or by contacting Tower at 812-678-4427 or towerj@purdue.edu.

CONTACT: Jason Tower 812-678-4427, towerj@purdue.edu

JUNE 12-14: EXTENSION HOMEMAKERS' HOME, FAMILY CONFERENCE

The Indiana Extension Homemakers Association's Home and Family Conference will celebrate its 100th year with workshops, tours, food and music celebrating health, community and positive living. The conference June 12-14 on the Purdue University campus in West Lafayette will include more than 25 sessions on nutrition and food safety, relationships, community, history, fashion, and technology. In addition to daily concurrent sessions, attendees can tour the Purdue art galleries and horticulture gardens, visit Mackey Arena, participate in a floral arranging workshop or tour the campus by bus. Featured speakers are Will Miller, a psychotherapist, campus minister and lecturer, hospital and police chaplain, and former stand-up comedian, and former NBC Indianapolis news anchor Anne Ryder, a former Emmy Award-winning journalist. The conference's centennial will be celebrated with a gala dinner at 6 p.m. June 13 in the Purdue Memorial Union, featuring guest speaker April Mason. She will present "Look What We Have Accomplished," a tribute to the history and accomplishments of the Indiana Extension Homemakers Association over the last 100 years and a look ahead to the future. Registration for the full conference is $185, and single-session registration is $95. There are additional fees for parking, the gala banquet and tours. For more information or to register online, visit http://www.conf.purdue.edu/homeandfamily.

CONTACT: Angie Abbott, 765-494-8252, abbottar@purdue.edu

JUNE 12 AND JULY 24: CROP DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS

Crop producers and people involved in field scouting can learn about what to look for at different times of the growing season during two workshops offered by Purdue University. An early-season diagnostic workshop will be June 12, and a mid-season diagnostic workshop is scheduled for July 24. Both workshops will include discussions about plant diseases and insect pests, as well as corn and soybean growth, development and stressors - all specific to either early or mid-season. The mid-season workshop also will include sessions on tracking nitrogen with sensor technologies and issues with soybean and corn nematodes. The workshops will run from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at the Purdue Agronomy Center for Research and Education (ACRE), on U.S. 52 seven miles northwest of the Purdue campus. Continuing certification hours for commercial pesticide and fertilizer applicators and continuing education units for certified crop advisers will be available. Each workshop is $110 per person. Make checks payable to Purdue University. Register by printing a brochure at https://ag.purdue.edu/agry/dtc/Documents/2013-DTC.pdf and mailing the form and payment to the Purdue Crop Diagnostic Training and Research Center, Purdue University Agronomy Department, 915 W. State St., West Lafayette, IN 47907.

CONTACT: Corey Gerber, 765-496-3755 or gerberc@purdue.edu.

JUNE 26-27: PURDUE EXTENSION FARM MANAGEMENT TOUR

The Purdue Extension Farm Management Tour will be held June 26-27 in Clinton County. The tour, hosted by Purdue's Department of Agricultural Economics, showcases successful farms across Indiana, said Alan Miller, Purdue farm business management specialist and tour coordinator. Tour visitors will see farms that use logistics and inventory management technology to monitor various parts of their operation from remote locations, specialize in pork products, grow cover crops and non-genetically modified corn, practice no-till crop production, and run a custom manure-application business. Tour stops are free, with complimentary lunches provided each day for those registering in advance. The Indiana Prairie Farmer Master Farmer Banquet takes place June 26 and costs $25 per person. For more information about the Farm Management Tour or to register for tour stop lunches, visit the event website at http://www.agecon.purdue.edu/commercialag/progevents/tour.html or call 765-494-4310. Registration deadline for lunches is June 19.

CONTACT: Alan Miller, 765-494-4203, millerwa@purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Keith Robinson, robins89@purdue.edu
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