Extension districts plan tractor safety course

On this episode of the Post Podcast Cottonwood Extension District agent Stacy Campbell shares information about upcoming events.

 

Transcript:

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James Bell 

The area extension districts are getting ready for wheat feel the plot days cottonwood extension district agent Stacy Campbell stops by to talk to us about that and much more on this episode of the post podcast going on. But we want to talk about this first. We've been talking about this here on the go morning show for the last few weeks. This is the tractor farm safety course. Now this week, we haven't been talking about it because the deadline had come. Yeah, but you say there's a few spots left. You're gonna squeak some more kids. Oh, yeah.

 

Stacy Campbell 

Yeah, we can squeak some more kids in right. We put the deadline was last Friday. But you know, you kind of gotta have a deadline. I mean, we will still take more kids. Yeah. For that we actually call it hazardous occupation, safety training and agriculture. The acronym is hosta. But basically, yeah, tractor farm safety course that extension service offers every year around the state. For youth that are 14 to 15 years of age, if they're going to be working for somebody on a farm, especially other than their parents, or even if their parents I believe are in like a corporation or partnership. by federal law, if they're 14 or 15 years old. They're supposed to take this tractor farm safety course we have at this Saturday in Hill city, I'm going to be going, I am going there to to teach so I can gladly haul any kids that still need to get signed up and go to that. Very cool. And it was if I remember, right, it's like $10. Yeah, it's just $10. Right? In the end, yeah, I actually people's state bank, out of Hoxie is one of our sponsors, so that with them sponsoring, it's help reduce the cost. And then there's a manual that the kids get, actually, it's a big manual on loan that will take back, but they could still get registered, we just encourage them to do that today. Tomorrow, they can call the extension office at 6289430. For that tractor farm safety course this Saturday in Hill city, it is an all day event. And like I say, I'm gonna go so I can gladly haul any kids that that need to go. Very cool. Very cool.

 

James Bell 

But that's just one of the many things you've got going on down there this time of year, right?

 

Stacy Campbell 

Well, yeah, it's kind of always there's always, it's always busy. There's always something going on. Of course, we'll have the fair coming up this summer. And that's already on our books. And we're working on it getting the last of our judges and superintendents and you know, working all the details out on that. But also, we plot field days will be coming up here in May. Our first one is in Barton County on Monday, May the 23rd, starting at 830 in the morning, and the 23rd is a Monday, that's not a good time to be having a field day first thing Monday morning, but that our specialists have those all over the state. So they're quite busy. So I worked with them this year and said, Sure, I'll take Monday, I'll take the the bad day to kind of have a field day on Monday morning. But in Barton County, it's going to be Monday, May 23, at 830. And you know if which of course, I'm sitting here talking to Ellis County, folks, so they're probably not too interested in that one. But the next one is in Ellis County, and it's going to be on Wednesday, June the first. So that's Wednesday, June, the first will be our annual Ellis County wheat demonstration or wheat variety plot field day, it's going to be in the evening at 6pm. We do have it at a different location. It's south and little west of Hayes at mangiare and 230th Avenue. And we're going to kind of do the same thing. We'll have a meal afterwards. So we do ask that you RSVP that's appreciated by Tuesday, May 31. For our wheat Demonstration Field Day on Wednesday, June the first and then our number is 6289430.

 

James Bell 

Very cool. Very cool. You know what those wheat field days I imagine a lot of the folks are listening probably either they're their producers, and they already know these events are happening and they're going or they're not. I'm curious, you know, is there is there any benefit for those that aren't maybe producers to check this? So

 

Stacy Campbell 

I mean, it's a good question. Actually. Sometimes we have a landlord's you know, they're not farming the ground and they have it rented out, but sometimes they'd like to come and listen and hear what's going on and, and just kind of visit with other farmers and stuff they know, in all oftentimes, you know, landlords may be in what's called a crop share leasing arrangement with their tenant to where they actually get a percentage of the crop. So it is good for them to try to you know, stay up on things and understand about diseases and insects and, and the new varieties and things like that. So yes, we welcome anybody to come to those to our wheat demonstration plot field days and yeah, sometimes we have landlords come to those. Very cool. Yep. Well,

 

James Bell 

what else could have going on? Well, one of the things I

 

Stacy Campbell 

might mention is just kind of did a newspaper article about it. But unfortunately, since we're, we've been dry and looks like we may continue to stay that away. So quite a few of our farm ponds are getting pretty dry, if not already dried up. So this is a good opportunity to if you need to clean that farm pond out to do that. If it's leaking. I would advise you After you've cleaned it out, or maybe before you clean it out, you could take some soil course around on the pond area about zero to four to six inches down and you can bring those into the extension office, we can send them off to get a soil texture test. And that soil texture test will tell how much clay is in the soil. So if your ponds been leaking, I would advise you to do that. Because if it comes back and it's got close to 30% clay content or higher, you can alter I mean, you can take care of that leaking problem after you've cleaned that pond out by just really really packing it well with what's called a sheep's foot roller. I mean, that's really what needs to happen. So if you've got enough clay in the soil, but the pond is leaking, take a soil texture test, bring it into the extension office, give us a call, we might be able to help you there in that, you know, maybe it's just the deal where you really need to pack it really, really well while it's dry. And then that may take care of any leaking problems. And you don't have to go and try to dig a new pond. And then there's some products you can use to put into the soil, but they get kind of expensive. So that's why I encourage folks to clean out their farm ponds. And then if they're leaking to do a soil texture test, also when you're cleaning them out, sometimes people don't think about that it's very advisable to put that dirt that you're taken out on the backside of the of the dam. Because sometimes you see of just they clean it out and they put it all kind of around the pond. Well, where's it going to ultimately go down the road? Yeah, it's gonna go back in we hard rains and the cattle and stuff. So put it on the back of the dam, okay. Plus your dam usually needs a little extra work and some in some, you know, dirt work and things like that to shore it up. So anyway, if you if you want some more information about that soil texture test for your leaking pond, give us a call at the extension office 6289430 We can gladly send that soil land and do that just recently had somebody do that. It was leaking. We discovered that it had I think exactly 30% CLAY So it was dry. So they got that sheep's foot roller on it and packed it really good. So I'm anxious to see once it fills up if it won't leak anymore. I suspect it won't. Yeah, very cool. Yeah. Yeah.

 

James Bell 

Well already, sir. Well, we got less than a minute left. Any

 

Stacy Campbell 

other last thoughts where we go? I think that's it. Yeah, the tractor farm safety courses this Saturday and Hill city. If you got a kid that's 1415 years old got to be working on a farm they need to take the course they can still get signed up. Just give us a call today at the extension office 6289430 We'll get him signed up. I'm going to it so I'll gladly take any kiddos with