Agriculture Calendar

DEC. 16-17: INDIANA CROP ADVISOR CONFERENCE

The Indiana Crop Advisor Conference will feature 40 individual workshops with topics such as nutrient management, soil and water management, pest management and crop management. The event will be at the Adam's Mark Hotel, 2544 Executive Drive, Indianapolis. The conference is open to crop advisers, farmers, agriculture consultants, agribusiness professionals and agricultural researchers from across the Corn Belt. Purdue University, the Indiana Certified Crop Adviser Program (CCA) and the Indiana Plant Food and Agricultural Chemicals Association sponsor the event. Speakers include Purdue Extension specialists and researchers from Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan State, Iowa State, Penn State, DePauw, Southern Illinois and Kansas State universities and the universities of Illinois and Minnesota; the Potash and Phosphate Institute; Natural Resources Conservation Service; and the U.S. Geological Survey, among others. Registration for the conference is $195 for Indiana CCA members and $300 for nonmembers. Single-day registration is $100 for CCA members and $150 for nonmembers. An additional $25 will be added to registrations received after Dec. 5. A conference brochure with registration forms can be downloaded online at http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/programs/IndianaCCA2003.pdf. Additional information is available by calling (800) 387-1283 or (765) 494-4783. Conference room rates at the Adam's Mark Hotel are $75 per night. Those reservations should be made by Nov. 15 by calling the hotel at (800) 444-2326. CONTACT: Ellsworth Christmas, (765) 494-6373, echristmas@purdue.edu.

JAN. 3: HOOSIER SHEEP INDUSTRY SYMPOSIUM

The Hoosier Sheep Industry Symposium is sponsored by the Indiana Sheep Association, Purdue Cooperative Extension, Indiana Livestock Promotion Funds, Heinold Feed, Hunter Nutrition and Umbarger Feeds. The event will take place at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds in Noblesville, Ind. There are two sessions available to sheep producers, both beginning at 9 a.m. with registration, social time and exhibits. Speakers in session A include Sue Payne, Connor Prairie Farm, who will provide a hands-on-opportunity using all-natural wool fiber, and Doug Hankes, ShowtoWin webmaster, will discuss the benefits of having a farm Web site. Speakers in session B include George Patrick, Purdue agricultural economist, who will discuss the differences in hobby and for-profit farming and the tax advantages, and Mike Neary, Purdue sheep Extension specialist, will talk about procedures for controlling parasites in sheep and goats. Session B also will feature a Midwest panel discussion that will allow sheep producers to ask questions. A working lunch and an annual meeting of the Indiana Sheep Association will be at noon. There also will be two youth sessions available. Youth in second grade and younger can learn about identifying sheep parts, grooming and showmanship. For youth third grade and older there will be a session featuring topics such as breeding, feeding, showmanship, health and judging. The evening program will begin at 6:30 p.m., featuring Mike Redmond, noted author and columnist, as keynote speaker. Full-day registration for adults is $35; for youth third grade and older $25; for youth second grade and under the cost is $12.50. There also is session registration available for only the morning and afternoon session, which is $20, $10 and $5. CONTACT: Kathy Berghoff, (260) 693-1966, ISBAKJB@aol.com

JAN. 8: ILLIANA VEGETABLE GROWERS SCHOOL

The Illiana Vegetable Growers School offers commercial vegetable growers the opportunity to gain new insight on vegetable growing through a variety of educational seminars with experts from Purdue University and the University of Illinois. The Illiana Vegetable Growers School is co-sponsored by the Cooperative Extension Services of Purdue and Illinois. The program will take place at Teibel's Restaurant in Schererville, Ind. Teibel's is located at the intersection of U.S. 41 and U.S. 30. Registration is $20 at the door and includes lunch and informational handouts. There also will be continuing education and recertification credits available for private pesticide applicators for an additional $10. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. and the program will begin at 8:30 a.m. Some speakers include: Rick Weinzierl, professor of crop science and Extension entomologist from the University of Illinois, who will talk about soybean aphids and what they mean for vegetables; Rick Foster, Purdue professor of entomology, who will report on new insecticides and some new uses for existing insecticides; and Steve Weller, Purdue professor of horticulture and landscape architecture, who will present results from research on Sandea herbicide in vegetables and carryover of the herbicide Callisto on vegetables. CONTACT: Liz Maynard, (219) 785-5673, emaynard@purdue.edu.

JAN. 21-22: THE HEART OF AMERICA GRAZING CONFERENCE

The Heart of America Grazing conference will offer producers an opportunity to gain information on the advantages of grazing. Purdue Extension and other Indiana organizations will join forces with Missouri, Ohio, Illinois and Kentucky to sponsor the event at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Evansville, Ind. Registration will begin at 3 p.m. CST on Jan. 21. The program will continue with dinner and the conference's keynote speaker, Temple Grandin, Colorado State University animal behavior specialist. Grandin will discuss selecting animals for pastures. Registration for Jan. 22 will begin at 7:30 a.m. Sessions include maximizing dry matter intake from pastures, economics of grazing, extending the grazing season using brassicas and small grains, and low-stress livestock handling on pastures. Following lunch there will be breakout sessions dealing with beef, dairy, horses and small ruminants. There also will be exhibitor booths on display throughout the two-day event. Individuals may register by Jan. 12 for a reduced price of $45 for both days, $20 for Jan. 21 and $25 for Jan. 22. Regular costs for the event are $60 for both days, $35 for Jan. 21 and $35 for Jan. 22. This fee covers all program materials and meals. Lodging is available at the Holiday Inn for $49 per night per room. Reservations can be made by calling (800) 465-4329, and participants should indicate that they are with the Heart of America Grazing Conference. For more information, or to register for the conference, contact the Vanderburgh County Soil Water Conservation District at (812) 867-0729. CONTACT: Allen Ullom, (812) 547-7084, ullomg@purdue.edu.

JAN. 26-28: INDIANA HORTICULTURAL CONGRESS

The Indiana Horticultural Congress will offer commercial producers, processors and agribusiness representatives the opportunity to attend educational seminars and a trade show featuring more than 75 Midwest agribusinesses. The event takes place at the Adam's Mark Hotel in Indianapolis. The three-day event includes educational sessions on fruits, fresh vegetables, vegetables grown for processing, new and specialty crops, wine and grapes, organic farming, risk management, and direct marketing and marketing planning. Purdue Extension, the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, and industry groups are sponsors. Registration for the event is $40 for members of the Indiana Vegetable Growers Association, Indiana Horticultural Society, Indiana Farm Market Association and Indiana Wine Growers Guild; and $50 for nonmembers. Participants must be registered by Jan. 12. An additional $15 per registrant will be charged for walk-up registrations, luncheons, banquets and special events. For more information, go to http://www.hort.purdue.edu/hort/ext//hortcongress/. To register, contact Danielle Linback at (765) 494-1301, dlinback@purdue.edu. CONTACT: Bruce Bordelon, co-chair, (765) 494-8212, bordelon@hort.purdue.edu.

FEB. 2, MARCH 5: THE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO GRANT WRITING WORKSHOP

The Beginner's Guide to Grant Writing Workshop will offer participants a chance to develop their grant ideas, tell their story, target potential funders and write winning proposals. Participants will learn a step-by-step process to develop proposals on Feb. 2. They will then take these skills home and develop a proposal so that when they return on March 5, they can move into the role of reviewer and make revisions before final submission. The event will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST at 10 locations across the state. Workshop locations include: Purdue Extension office in Allen County, Fort Wayne; Clinton County Learning Network, Frankfort; Purdue Extension office in Elkhart County, Goshen; Purdue Extension office in Harrison County, Corydon; Hendricks College, Danville; Purdue Extension office, Crown Point; Pulaski County Learning Center, Winamac; Tipton Learning Center, Tipton; Purdue Extension office in Vanderburgh County, Evansville; Community Learning Center of Lawrence County, Bedford; and Purdue Extension office in Wells County, Bluffton. Cost for the workshop is $50, which includes the "Beginner's Guide to Grant Writing" manual, lunch both days and follow-up technical assistance. For more information or to register, contact your local Purdue Extension office at (888) 398-4636. Registration is due by Dec. 20. CONTACT: Aadron Rausch, (888) 398-4636, rauschj@purdue.edu.

Compiled by Meggie Issler, (765) 494-8402

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, bforbes@aes.purdue.edu
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