Bath County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources. November Kentucky Small, Limited Resource, Minority Farmer Conference

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1 From the Ground Up Cooperative Extension Service Bath County 2914 E. Hwy 60 Bath County Agricultural Newsletter Owingsville, KY (606) Fax: (606) bath.ca.uky.edu LIKE US ON FACEBOOK: BATH COUNTY AGRICULTURE NOVEMBER 2017 Bath County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS: November Kentucky Small, Limited Resource, Minority Farmer Conference January American Forage and Grassland meeting Louisville The following meetings are coming up soon with the specific date TBA Regional Produce Meeting * Area Tobacco Production Meeting Master Haymaker program * Ag Commodity Day 2018 KENTUCKY FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONFERENCE Robert Amburgey The 2018 Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference will be held January 8-9 at Embassy Suites in Lexington. Advance registration is $40 and must be received by December 15, On-site registration will be $60. For a copy of the program, follow this link: To register, go to this link:

2 SOYBEAN DELIVERY APP NOW AVAILABLE The Best Bean Buyer app is now available for download in the App Store for Apple and Google Play for Android users. In partnership with the Kentucky Soybean Board, this app helps soybean producers determine and compare the best price received by elevators when considering delivery costs and high moisture discounts. This app helps answer the question, should I sell my soybeans to the closest elevator or should I haul them a further distance to receive a price premium? By incorporating critical factors such as cash price, discount schedules, and hauling elements, a soybean producer can estimate and compare net prices at various elevators in real-time. The balance between maximizing the price per bushel received and minimizing hauling costs could be the difference in turning a profit given the current margins for soybeans. So act now and download the free app in time for soybean harvest. A short YouTube tutorial on how to use the app is at the following link: FARM OPTIONAL METHOD OF PAYING SELF-EMPLOYMENT During years of low net taxable farm incomes, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows farmers to optionally pay selfemployment (SE) tax. One might ask why anyone would voluntarily pay a tax; however, there are several benefits to paying SE tax. These include retirement benefits, eligibility for disability payments, and survivor benefits. Some may argue about the longevity of the retirement benefit part of paying into the system, particularly for young taxpayers. The biggest benefits for young producers to paying SE tax are to remain current and eligible for disability payments and survivor benefits in the event of life changing circumstances. Benefits are earned by building up credits. You can earn a maximum of four credits each year. For 2017, you must have earnings of at least $1,300 to get one credit. Earnings of at least $5,200 will result in the maximum of four credits for the year. According to the Social Security Administration (SSA) website, to receive disability benefits, you must have accumulated at least 20 credits in the 10 years immediately before you became disabled if you are 31 or older. For those younger than that, the requirement is to have worked half the time between the age of 21 and the time you become disabled. The number of credits needed for survivor benefits depends on the age of the taxpayer when they die. The younger you are, the fewer credits you need, but nobody needs more than 40 credits (10 years of work). There is a special rule that allows children to receive benefits if there were at least six credits (1.5 year s work) in the three years before the death. Keep in mind that tax returns can only be amended for three years following the due date of the original return, so the ability to go back and create credits is limited. In years that farmers have low to negative taxable farm incomes, the IRS allows them to use the farm optional method to calculate the SE earnings. Generally, you can use the farm optional method if your 2017 gross farm income is $8,444 or less, OR your net farm profits are less than $5,630. If you meet either of the requirements, you can calculate your SE earnings as two-thirds of your gross farm income up to $5,200. In addition to the benefits mentioned previously, optionally paying SE tax could have a positive impact on tax credits such as the child or dependent care credit, the earned income credit and/or the additional child tax credit. If the taxpayer has an off-farm job with taxes reported on a Form W-2, then it is likely they have already earned enough to build up the credits for the year. As always, it is important to consult your tax preparer, as everyone s situation is different.

3 The figure below depicts March CME Feeder Cattle Futures from DTN over the last six months. Note that the March CME Feeder Cattle Futures contract is up nearly $20 per cwt from where it was in the spring. While it does appear that the market is offering some opportunity for winter backgrounding, the last few months, as well as the last few years have provided a reminder as to how unpredictable these markets are. Therefore, some additional effort should be applied to manage downside price risk. Winter backgrounders should carefully calculate their breakeven purchase prices for calves and be opportunistic as they approach this fall. Figure 1. March 2018 CME Feeder Cattle Futures from DTN (close 10/26/17) 2018 AFGC Annual Meeting January 14-17, 2018 Louisville, KY Forages: Opportunities for the Next Generation go to the following link and click on events at top of page for more details

4 Timely Tips Dr. Roy Burris, University of Kentucky Beef Specialist Spring-calving herds Schedule a pregnancy examination of cows if not done previously. Winter feeding costs can be minimized by eliminating open cows prior to winterfeeding. Wean calves before cows lose body condition. If you have already done a preweaning working, revaccinate (booster) calves as needed. Treat calves for internal and external parasites. If you vaccinate calves yourself, be sure to store, handle and administer vaccines properly. Obtain weaning weights of your calves and enter this in a record keeping program. Keep good records and treat your cow-calf operation like a business. Evaluate the body condition of your cows and improve their condition prior to winter. Weaning is the time to do your first round of culling and selecting breeding stock. You can eliminate obviously inferior calves, especially those with wild or nervous dispositions. Consider the number of heifers that you will need to save for your cow herd. Bulls which are old, unsound, roguish, etc. can be culled now. It is not too early to begin thinking about replacements now. Fall-calving herds The calving season should be in full swing for fall calvers. Check cows frequently. Identify calves and commercial males should be castrated and implanted. Obtain yearling measurements (weight, hip height, scrotal circumference, etc.) on replacement animals especially for registered ones Put fall-calving cows on accumulated pasture (if you have any) before the breeding season. It is time to get everything ready for the fall-breeding season, too. Line-up semen, supplies, etc. now and get your bulls ready to go (don t forget their breeding soundness evaluation).

5 Stockers If you are purchasing weaned/stressed calves, have your receiving/feeding program in place. Feed a stress ration which contains at least 13% protein and is fairly energy dense. Manage to keep newly weaned and/or purchased calves healthy. Calves should be penned in a small lot with adequate feed, water and shade to reduce stress. Careful handling and comfortable, uncrowded conditions can decrease stress. When newly-weaned calves are purchased in the fall, sickness and death loss can be a big problem. Work with your veterinarian on a health and receiving program. Consider purchasing CPH-45 feeder calves which are preweaned, vaccinated, bunk-adjusted and treated for parasites. Watch calves closely for a few weeks after their arrival. Have a treatment program ready for any health problems. Early recognition of sick cattle improves their chance of recovery. Watch for drooped ears, hollow appearance, reluctance to rise, stiff gait, coughing and dull or sunken eyes. A good receiving program is essential to profitability. General Reminders Avoid prussic acid poisoning which can happen when frosts rupture the plant cells in sorghums, sorghumsudan hybrids, sudangrass and johnsongrass releasing prussic (hydrocyanic) acid. Fields can be grazed after the plants have dried up after a frost. New growth that occurs in stalk fields is potentially dangerous whether frosted or not. Take soil samples for soil analysis to determine pasture fertility needs. Apply phosphate, potash and lime accordingly. Remove fly-control eartags from all animals, dispose of according to instructions on package. Treat for grubs/lice. Do not harvest or graze alfalfa now in order for it to replenish root reserves. Test hay quality and make inventory of hay supplies and needs. Make adjustments now - buy feed before you run out in the winter.

6 Turkey talk Source: Jacquie Jacob, extension poultry project manager It that time of year when talk turns to turkeys. Technically, there is only one breed of turkey, with several varieties, although many people incorrectly refer to these varieties as breeds. Turkeys are raised only for meat. They are not raised for egg production, as with chickens, ducks and quail. As a result, turkeys do not produce very many eggs. The most common type of commercial turkey raised in the United States is the Broad-Breasted White. It has a larger breast than the other varieties of turkeys. The term heritage turkeys refers to naturally mating turkey breeds native to the Americas. These varieties date back to early Colonial times. They are Beltsville Small White, Bourbon Red, Jersey Buff, Narragansett, Royal Palm, Slate, Standard Bronze and White Holland. Heritage turkeys grow at a much slower rate than Broad-Breasted Whites. The result is a smaller bird but one with a more balanced dark-to-white meat ratio; a more intense, sometimes gamey flavor; and a thicker layer of fat surrounding the breast. A young male turkey is called a Jake and a young female is called a Jenny, while a baby turkey is a poult. Older females are called hens and older males are called toms. Adult males are sometimes called gobblers. Turkeys have brightly colored growths on their throat called caruncles and a flap of skin that hangs over their beak called a snood. They also have a wattle, which is a flap of skin under the beak. You will see all of these things turn bright red when a tom is upset or courting a female. If you would like to enter your turkeys in poultry shows, purebred varieties are required. Choose one of the eight varieties recognized by the American Poultry Association in their Standard of Perfection. The Royal Palm turkey is primarily an ornamental variety, but any of the other varieties are well suited to the small flock. As turkeys get older it is easier to tell the toms from the hens. Toms are typically larger overall than hens and have larger snoods and caruncles than the females. There are two species of turkeys, both native to the Americas: the North American (Meleagris gallopavo) and the Ocellated (Meleagris ocellata) turkey. The North American wild turkey is the species from which all domesticated varieties of turkeys originated. The Ocellated turkey, sometimes called the Mexican turkey, is native to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.

7 Raising wild turkeys is illegal in some states, including Kentucky. The prohibition includes domestic strains of wild birds. The law is meant to protect native populations. The wild turkey was first domesticated by the Aztecs. Turkeys provided a source of protein and the feathers were used for decorative purposes. Very little genetic selection was used with these early domesticated turkeys. The explorers took these turkeys back to Europe with them. After some early genetic selection in Europe, these turkeys were re-introduced into America with the first settlers. While the initial genetic selection of domesticated wild turkeys occurred in Europe, the different varieties were developed in the United States, with the possible exception of the White Holland. Many options are available for those interested in starting a small flock of turkeys. If fast growth and good feed efficiency are important, the commercial strains of turkey are your best option. The Midget White, a smaller version of the Broad-Breasted White, is well suited for small farms. If you are looking at raising heritage turkeys there are several varieties to choose from. The Bourbon Red was developed in Kentucky and is suitable for small flocks. BELOW IS A RECIPE YOU MIGHT WANT TO TRY:

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