Farm & Ranch
AG Elsewhere – Africa
By Tiffany Thompson
On the first Friday of every December, farmers and leaders in the agriculture industry throughout Ghana gather to celebrate Farmers’ Day. This national holiday, dating back to 1985, recognizes the hard work of farmers and the importance of the agriculture industry to the country’s economy and growth. On Farmers’ Day, industry leaders network, exhibit agricultural advancements and discuss issues and improvements that can be made. Each district also awards the “Best Farmer” based on their contributions, records and production.
Through my role as an extension agent, I am working closely with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), meaning I will get to experience the celebrations first-hand. While I am excited to meet farmers through the field work I do with MOFA and see the festivities unfold come December, not all parts of this job appeared thrilling at first. Of the three components of being an AgriCorps Fellow- agriculture teacher, 4-H advisor and extension agent—extension work seemed to be the most intimidating. My agricultural background is in livestock production, and I had almost no knowledge of local crops prior to beginning my fellowship, so I figured I wouldn’t be much help to farmers here who primarily specialize in growing vegetables.
I discovered quickly, however, that extension work is a part of my job that I really enjoy. Hearing the stories of both new farmers and people who have been farming for more than 30 years has been intriguing and inspiring.
I’ve met farmers growing mushrooms, cabbage, squash, green beans, plantains, and cocoa. I’ve seen the ingenuity behind a man who single-handedly built a climate-controlled room to increase specialty crop production.
To read more pick up a copy of the December 2018 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
By Tressa Lawrence
Babies are tucked away in every nook and cranny. Many ranchers across Wyoming have baby animals popping up all over this time of year.
By Lindsey Monk
Another load of grain in to keep feeding the calves until the green grass can really start popping.
By Rayford Pullen | [email protected]
Spring has sprung and hopefully the rains will continue where our country will heal from the previous droughts and our grasses will thrive. We are especially hopeful for the Panhandle of Texas where our neighbors and friends have been dealt a deadly blow to homes, ranges, livestock, and people. Keep them in your prayers as they will not be able to return to normal for many years if at all. Having lost their ability to benefit from this great cattle market is a double whammy for all of them.
Now is the time of year when we need to take care of business as it relates to our new calves that have been hitting the ground this spring. First and foremost is vaccinating for Blackleg followed by deworming with a white wormer and the IBR complex. Blackleg is a soil-born disease and with pastures extremely short this spring our calves have been grazing the green grass as soon as it shows itself, making them even more vulnerable to picking contaminates from the soil.
To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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