Lexington, Kentucky
October 24, 2007
An intensive educational program
for the state’s grain producers will premiere this winter thanks
to the efforts of the University of
Kentucky College of Agriculture, Kentucky Corn Growers
Association and the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board.
The Grain Crops Academy’s goal is to improve farm profitability
and sustainability through a better understanding of the science
of grain crops production. The in-depth program includes 3.5
days of information on all aspects of production from soil
fundamentals to yield physiology.
Producers need to have as much knowledge as possible in order to
compete in today’s grain production industry, said Warren
Whitaker, program coordinator and UK research specialist.
Production inputs are high, and new technologies are always
being developed for improved efficiency and sustainability. This
program will help farmers keep up with the latest developments
as well as the science behind them, he said.
Grains are an important part of Kentucky’s farm economy. In
2006, farm sales of corn and soybeans were among the top five
farm commodities in gross receipts in the state, totaling more
than $650 million and accounting for more than 16.6 percent of
the total farm receipts, according to data from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service. The 2007
harvest is under way, and farmers are expected to harvest 1.34
million acres of corn and 1.14 million acres of soybeans.
The grains academy pilot program will begin in January at the UK
Research and Education Center in Princeton. Participants for the
first class are already in place and will be coming from
Henderson, Union, Webster, Daviess, Hancock, Ballard, Christian
and McLean counties.
Whitaker said they wanted to limit the number of participants in
the pilot program in order to get the program off to a good
start and have something to build on in future years.
In the future, the program will likely be offered on a regional
basis so producers across the state will be able to take
advantage of the educational opportunity, he said.
Specialists from the College of Agriculture will conduct most of
the training. The two-year pilot program is being funded by the
Kentucky Corn Growers Association from funds approved by the
Kentucky Agricultural Development Board.
UK College of Agriculture, through its land-grant mission,
reaches across the commonwealth with teaching, research and
extension to enhance the lives of Kentuckians. |
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