Purdue Ag News Roundup
Purdue Ag News Roundup
The Aug. 26 field day will begin with a farm tour at 9:30 a.m. The tour includes four presentations: "Corn and Soybean Herbicides," "Debugging Bt Corn," "Composting Swine Mortality" and "Leafhopper-Resistant Alfalfa."
Free registration begins at 9 a.m. at the ag center, which is five miles north of Farmland on State Road 1.
According to Jeff Boyer, superintendent of the ag center, researchers conducted experiments on Bt corn varieties, grew a series of alfalfa plots, and tested 32 different herbicide treatments on corn and 37 treatments on soybeans. Information will be provided on the techniques used for each treatment and the cost, Boyer said.
"This is something that we work with the different county reps in our area. They supply the products, and we do the spraying," he said.
After a lunch provided by sponsoring chemical companies, Don Jones, a Purdue agricultural engineer, will give visitors an update on confined feeding operations. According to Jones, several new state requirements became effective July 1. Among them:
"Basically, producers will need to report the procedures they use to do manure and
soil testing on their farm. IDEM is working out the details on exactly how much detailed
information on spreading records will have to be kept on-farm." Jones said.
CONTACTS: Boyer, (765) 468-7022; Jones, (765) 494-1178
The Sept. 7 event takes visitors to five Hamilton County farms. Each location offers family activities, information about how farms operate and a chance to sample farm cuisine for a small fee, according to Jim Nenni, fest co-chairman. Visitors on the tour can start and stop at any farm involved.
"It's a way to let people who live in the cities see a little bit of what agriculture is like," he said. "It gets very difficult explaining the wide diversity agriculture represents. It's also a draw for rural residents who see this every day. They find it enjoyable."
Farm Fest 1997 will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 7. Maps are available for the five farms from the Hamilton County Extension Office in Noblesville, (317) 776-0854.
One stop on Farm Fest 1997 is the Janssen Veterinary Clinic and Horse Farm in Sheridan. Dr. Justin Janssen and his family will give tours of his large animal veterinary hospital. Horses, llamas and cattle will be on display, and visitors can see saddlemaking, rodeo and llama demonstrations. Beef producers will sell ribeye sandwiches and steakburgers at the Janssen farm.
The tour also includes Rulon Enterprises in Arcadia. The Hoosier Homestead Farm was founded in 1880 and is owned by Jerry Rulon. Among the sights will be corn and soybean production, high-technology farm equipment, sheep sheering and a grain center tour. Tourists will be able to buy lamb burgers at the farm.
At Glunt Seeds and Breeds hog farm in Sheridan, the David Glunt family will show how their sow operation works, as well as corn, soybean and wheat farming. Machinery demonstrations, exhibits, youth activities and pork sandwiches also will be available.
Farm Fest also will show a day in the life on a dairy farm. Galvin Stuart and his family will demonstrate milking and care of cows, as well as lead a tour of the farm. Milk shakes and grilled cheese sandwiches are on the dairy farm's menu.
Visitors will move indoors at another stop, Heartland Growers. Owners Jim Gapinski
and Rich VanWingerden will display plants grown in their 14-acre indoor farming facility.
The plants are helped by automated watering booms, flood floors, an automatic transplanter and a computer environmental control system. Tourists can bring plants home
and sample pies and drinks.
CONTACTS: Bill Rice, Jim Nenni or Roger Kemper, (317) 776-0854
Scott spent 30 years crisscrossing Indiana back roads, meeting with farmers and analyzing disease problems in fields of corn and soybeans. When he noticed many of the old barns were beginning to disappear, he took out his camera.
In addition to more than 270 full-color photos in the book, Scott gives a detailed history on a handful of barns in the book, and he provides snippets of history in most photo captions. Photos are organized by region, so that the book can serve as a guide for a driving tour.
Proceeds from the $40 book benefit the Purdue Agricultural Alumni Association's scholarship fund for agriculture students. The book was sponsored by Beck's Superior Hybrids Inc. of Atlanta, Ind.
Scott will be available to autograph his books at the book sales area in the Pioneer
Village from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 9, 10 and 13 and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug.
6, 7, 8, 11 and 12. His book will be on sale each day of the fair's run (Aug. 6-17)
from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
CONTACT: Scott, (765) 494-4627; e-mail, scott@btny.purdue.edu
Compiled by Chris Sigurdson, (765) 494-8415; E-mail, sig@ecn.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
