Farm & Ranch

[AgriLife Today] School integrated pest management training set for July 28 in Dallas

Published

9 years ago

June 23, 2015

NTFR

(Photo: A day-long program on school integrated pest management will be held July 28 in Building C of the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at 17360 Coit Road in Dallas. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo))

By: Paul Schattenberg

DALLAS – A one-day program for school integrated pest management coordinators will be held July 28 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Dallas.
“All Texas public school districts must have an integrated pest management program and must appoint and train a pest management coordinator to oversee all pesticide and pest control operations,” said Janet Hurley, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service school integrated pest management specialist in Dallas.he program is scheduled from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in Building C classroom at the center, which is at 17360 Coit Road.

Integrated pest management, or IPM, can be used by anyone with proper training, Hurley said, adding that AgriLife Extension is the only state agency that conducts required training in school IPM.

“If you’re a new integrated pest management coordinator and have not yet taken the six-hour mandatory training, this class is for you,” she said. “But whether this is your first time or you just need a refresher course, this class will help coordinators understand their role in the school IPM program and help prepare them for Texas Department of Agriculture inspections.”

She said school integrated pest management coordinators are mandated by the state to obtain six hours of continuing education credits every three years.

The course will cover legal requirements for schools, an introduction to IPM, how to monitor schools under the new requirements and a hands-on exercise to understand the difference between green, yellow and red category pesticides.

The program fee is $135. Advanced registration is requested through the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Conference Registration website at https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu. Enter “IPM” in the search to find the class. Registration at the door will be $155.

All participants will receive a three-ring notebook with necessary forms and paperwork on school IPM program implementation, Hurley said.

“If schools in the area would like to have their IPM program reviewed, we are willing to do that free of charge,” Hurley said.

For more information about school integrated pest management, go to http://schoolipm.tamu.edu or call 877-747-6872. For questions about registering with a purchase order or to request W-9 forms, call 979-845-2604.

-30-

Farm & Ranch

Hazards of Backyard Poultry

Published

7 days ago

April 21, 2024

NTFR

By Barry Whitworth, DVM

Having backyard poultry is a popular agriculture enterprise. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 0.8 percent of all households in the United States have chickens. People keep chickens for a variety of reasons with table eggs being one of the more common reasons.

Unfortunately, some of these poultry producers are not aware of the hazards that come with keeping poultry because many times they carry pathogens but appear healthy.
Chickens are carriers of several zoonotic diseases. These are diseases that can be passed from animals to humans. According to a recent survey in Pennsylvania, a majority of backyard poultry producers were aware of the dangers of avian influenza. However, this study also revealed that far fewer producers were aware of the risk of possible exposure to Salmonella and Campylobacter.

The lack of knowledge about the hazards of raising poultry likely contributes to the continued issues of Salmonella outbreaks associated with backyard poultry. In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,072 illnesses of Salmonella linked to backyard poultry, and 272 of those patients required hospitalization. Oklahoma reported 43 individuals with the disease.

To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.