Harvest Progressing in Starke, Pulaski County

 Harvest is progressing in the local area, but any moisture in the forecast could slow production down for a few days.

Purdue Extension Agricultural Educator Phil Woolery says corn and soybeans are about 50-percent out of the ground at this point in October in the local area. So far this harvest season, there have been stretches of good weather and stretches of unfavorable weather.

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Grain Bin Safety

Indiana Department of LaborSince 1980 grain bins across the U.S have been responsible for more than 180 deaths and 675 injuries. Just last year, a Hoosier farmer in La Porte county was killed in a grain bin accident. This month a 9-year-old Wisconsin boy was killed after falling into a grain bin. With harvest time approaching the Indiana Department of Labor wants to remind everyone of the hazardous nature of working with grain bins and offer some tips to assure safety.

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Spring Planting Behind Schedule

Starke County farmers, like those in neighboring counties, are up against a deadline for getting their corn crop in the ground. County Extension Director Alan Kurtz said yesterday that the corn crop ideally should have been in a month ago.

“It’s not so much a specific date, but we have a trend as you go over time, that the later the gets the lower your yield potential may be,” said Kurtz. “We’re getting into the time frame now as we come into early June where farmers are facing that decision of whether it’s worth continuing to plant corn or to consider other options.”

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Wet Season Delays Spring Planting for Starke and Pulaski County Farmers

A rainy and cool spring season has caused planting problems for farmers in Starke and Pulaski Counties.

“Those things combined have made for a very wet season which, in general, has delayed planting and we’re well behind the average planting for this time of the year. I’m specifically talking about corn planting. For example, the information that we had this past week indicated that across the state, we had planted two percent of the corn, compared to sixty-nine percent at the same time last year,” said Alan Kurtz, Ag and Natural Resources Educator at Purdue Extension.

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Meetings Scheduled to Inform Farmers on Irrigation Systems for Farming Operations

Alan Kurtz
Alan Kurtz

If you’re a farmer considering irrigation to your farm operation Purdue Extension can help you answer some of your questions. Alan Kurtz, Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Educator with Purdue Cooperative Extension in Starke and Pulaski Counties, suggests questions you might ask yourself.

“If you are a grower considering adding irrigation to your farm operation, Purdue Extension can help you answer some of the difficult questions,” said Kurtz. “Questions may include, how much water do I need? What are my energy options? Can I afford to pay for irrigation? These and other questions will be addressed during three workshops to be held at four locations in Northern Indiana during the month of December.”

The two meeting locations closest to farmers in Starke County include the Wheatfield Public Library and the Wanatah Public Library. The Wheatfield meeting is in the morning at 9:00 a.m. CT and the Wanatah meeting is at 2:00 p.m. CT.

For more information contact the Extension Cffices in Starke and Pulaski Counties.