Traverse City Record-Eagle

Business

March 2, 2013

Farm Focus in Brief: 03/02/2013

Traverse City Record-Eagle

Wheat farmersseek proposals

LANSING — Wheat farmers in Michigan are looking for ways to help increase yields and quality, as well as ideas for new markets for what they grow.

The Board of Directors of the Michigan Wheat Program is seeking research project proposals related to production, including cover crops, nutrients, pests and disease. They’re also looking for projects to look at wheat markets and exports.

Details are posted on the Michigan Wheat Program’s website. Proposals are due March 4 and funding decisions will be announced later this year.

Crop insurancedeadline nears

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Producers of spring-planted crops interested in buying crop insurance, or making a change to an existing policy, can do so until the March 15, sales closing date.

Brian Frieden, director of USDA Risk Management Agency’s Springfield Regional Office, urges producers to contact a crop insurance agent for details. Agents can help producers determine what policy works best for their operation and review a current policyholders’ existing coverage to ensure the policy meets their needs.

Crop insurance can protect producers from natural disasters like last year’s drought, which affected crop yields across the country. Producers have a number of coverage choices, including yield coverage, revenue protection and group policies. Revenue protection safeguards a producer from yield losses and price movement. Group policies offer coverage based on county yield data and are available in most counties.

The Risk Management Agency is the part of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the federal crop insurance program. Private insurance companies, approved by the Risk Management Agency, sell and service the policies.

A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers or at www.rma.usda.gov/tools/agent.html.

Arbor Day groupoffers free trees

NEBRASKA CITY, Neb. — The Arbor Day Foundation is offering 10 free white flowering dogwood trees to those who become members in March.

The free trees are part of the nonprofit foundation’s Trees for America campaign.

The trees will be shipped postpaid at the right time for planting between March 1 and May 31, with planting instructions..

Arbor Day Foundation members also receive a subscription to Arbor Day, the Foundation’s bimonthly publication, and “The Tree Book,” which contains information about tree planting and care.

To become a member, send a $10 contribution to TEN FREE DOGWOOD TREES, Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Avenue, Nebraska City, NE 68410, by March 30. Or join online at arborday.org/march.

Resources forhorse owners

EAST LANSING — As a result of the 2012 drought, some horse owners are having difficulties finding feed sources for their horses. Michigan State University Extension has created an online resource to aid horse owners with equine feeding and welfare issues.

The resource page on winter feed is available at http://msue.anr.msu.edu/.

To get to it, run the mouse over the “Agriculture” category along the green navigation bar at the top and click on “Horses” from the drop-down menu.

All the horse resources are listed. The direct link is http://msue.anr.msu.edu/resources/horse_feed_resources.

The Equine Feed and Welfare Resources page features articles on alternative feed sources, hay prices and availability, hay and pasture, and equine welfare and body condition scoring.

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