Agriculture : News
DATE: August 16, 2010
HARDIN COUNTY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE
201 Peterson Drive
Elizabethtown, Kentucky 42701-9370
BY: Doug Shepherd
County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources
Ag Village:
The last week of August will be a special time for Hardin County and especially those who are Vietnam War Veterans. That week will be Kentucky Heartland Festival week with the focus this year being on Vietnam Veterans. Each day that week in many of the major communities in our county, special events will be held to recognize and honor these Veterans and their families. For complete details visit the special website developed just for this event http://www.salutetovietnamveterans.com/.
But another very special treat and the first time anything like this has been done at the Heartland Festival or by the agricultural community is the “Ag Village” at Freeman Lake. This two acre area will have “live”, multi-media, hands-on and “climb-on” demonstrations and activities for kids, adults and most especially those with no farming background. The County’s agricultural community has been working on this huge effort for most of the year, and they have some interesting, educational and exciting things to show you about where your food comes from, and how agriculture has changed since the Vietnam War years. This village will be located right inside of the main entrance to Freeman Lake Park near the Bandstand. Based on all the attractions they have lined up for you, it won’t be a hard place to find at the park.
This year, there will be air-conditioned bus routes at the park, all of which will have stops at the Ag Village. So wherever you are at the Park, hop on one of the free buses and take a ride to the Ag Village.
Any Vietnam Veteran that attends the Heartland Festival at Freeman Lake on Saturday, August 28th can register and have their name placed on a “Living Veterans Wall” that will be located just inside of the Ag Village. This is a joint project by the agricultural community and the Lincoln Trail Home Builders Association.
The Ag Village will be open from 10:00 AM till 8:00 PM on Saturday, August 28th. There will be play areas for the kids with places for parents and grandparents to sit and rest while the kids play. There will be all types of educational displays and presentations that will be of interest to all ages and non-farm folks as well. Stop by and you just may meet a real-live farmer!
Beef Cattle Market Update:
Cattle inventory reports are all starting to look the same. In fact, since 2006 we have seen a slow decline in cattle inventory year after year. USDA’s July 2010 Cattle report did not buck the trend as it showed a continued decrease in cattle numbers from July of 2009.
In the report released in late July, beef cow inventory was estimated to be down by about 1.5%, while heifers held for beef cow replacements were estimated to be down by a little more than 2%. Clearly, herd liquidation continues in 2010, despite reasonably good weather conditions across the US. While state-level estimates are not made in July, one would expect a similar trend in Kentucky.
Not surprising, the size of the 2010 calf crop is also expected to be smaller than 2009, down by a little more than 1%. The smaller calf crop, coupled with cattle-on-feed numbers above year-ago levels, mean that feeder cattle outside feedlots were very low at mid-year. This should be a very positive supply side factor as we move into the third and fourth quarters.
The October and November future’s contracts have been trading at a slight premium to August. According to Kenny Burdine, UK Ag Economist, this remains fairly optimistic given what we have seen in the fall over the last few years. Both have made a nice push upward since late May and are within a couple dollars of contract highs. As we start to get a more confident feel for the size of the US corn crop and the strength of domestic beef demand, these prices likely offer an acceptable profit on feeder cattle backgrounded through the summer.
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, or disability.
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