2011 Walker County Land Judging

The Walker County Soil and Water Conservation District along with the Natural Resources Conservation Service hosted the 2011 annual land judging contest for high school students on October 25th at the farm of Daniel Tubbs, located in Oakman. Score cards are completed on four different land uses: cropland, pastureland, forest land and home sites. This event is designed to help the students learn more about land, soil types and capabilities, methods of soil conservation, treatments to obtain higher crop production and the selection of suitable home sites. There were five schools from Walker and Morgan Counties that participated in this year's contest. We would like to extend a special thanks to Daniel Tubbs for the use of his farm, District Three Commissioner Ben Huggins and his staff for digging the judging pits and to the Walker County Forestry Planning Committee for providing lunch.

Pictured to the right is Curry High School who placed 1st in the contest.

Pictured to the left is Oakman High School who placed 2nd in the contest.

Plans Underway for Alabama Forage Conference

Farmers from across the Southeast will have an opportunity to hear from national leaders on forage and grazing practices at the Alabama Forage Conference, being held on December 1, 2011, at Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge, 1155 Lodge Drive, Guntersville, Alabama.

Topics include extending the grazing system, finishing beef on grass, nutrient management for southern forages, weed control on pastures and haylands, and many more. As part of the conference, participants can choose from three concurrent afternoon sessions on: clover, fertility, and weed control.

Lunch is included in the registration fee which is $25 per person before
November 18 and $30 per person after that date. Checks should be made payable to the Alabama Forage and Grassland Coalition. Interested producers can register for the conference by sending their name, address, and registration fee to: Alabama Forage and Grassland Coalition, c/o Kay Holloway, 201 Funchess Hall, Auburn University, Alabama 36849.

For more information about the conference or if you are interested in having an exhibit, contact Eddie Jolley at (334) 887-4564, email eddie.jolley@al.usda.gov, Kent Stanford at (256) 557-1206, email stanfmk@auburn.edu,or visit the Natural Resources Conservation Service website at: www.al.nrcs.usda.gov.

The North Region Forestry Field Day and 2011 TREASURE Forest Award

The North Region Forestry Field Day and 2011 Helene Mosley Memorial TREASURE Forest Award will be held on Bill and Jeanie Snoddy's Loblolly Farm in Double Springs on Friday, October 7th. This program is one of three regional programs held across the state.
Loblolly Farm carries the special designation of Helene Mosley TREASURE Forest, which means that Bill and Jeanie Snoddy have developed and managed the forest according to a long-range plan. They've focused on timber production, recreation, aesthetics, and wildlife. The development has allowed their family and friends to derive a great deal of enjoyment from the property over the years.
The field day includes learning stations on landscaping for wildlife, herbicide applications for aesthetics, pond construction and management, and aesthetics for the forested landscape.
The program begins with registration at 8:30 a.m., followed by a tour featuring four learning stations. After lunch, the Alabama Natural Resources Council will present the TREASURE Forest Program Awards. The program will conclude at 2:30 p.m. with door-prizes for participants. Lunch is included and the program is free with pre-registration before October 5th. Pre-register by calling (205) 489-5014.

Area III Association of Conservation Districts Annual Meeting

The Area III Association of Conservation Districts Annual Meeting was held on July 21, 2011 at the Bell Conference Center on the UWA campus in Livingston, AL. The Walker County Soil and Water Conservation District was awarded the conservation education district of the year. Pictured to the right is Katherine Patton, DAC for the Walker County Soil and Water Conservation District accepting the conservation education district of the year award. Also, the photo in the center is Joe Love, Supervisor for the Walker County Soil and Water Conservation District who was recognized for his 25 years of service with a service pin.

Walker County grazing clinic

A grazing clinic will be held in Walker County at the Alabama Cooperative Extension System Building on August 2, 2011 from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. with registration check in at 8:00 a.m. The registration fee for attending this clinic will be $30.00 and must be paid by July 22, 2011. Included in the registration fee will be a copy of Southern Forages, a forage measuring stick, additional educational materials as well as lunch. Please call the NRCS Jasper Field Office or The Walker County Soil and Water Conservation District at (205) 387-1879 for registration or questions.

Basic Goat Care - Goat Meeting to be held in Walker County

There will be a basic goat care meeting held at the Walker County Extension Office on Tuesday, May 31, 2011, at 6:00 p.m. Please call 205-221-3392 to register. You can double click on the brochure to the right for additional information.

Walker County grazing clinic will be rescheduled

Due to the storm damage on April 27, 2011, the grazing clinic that was scheduled for April 28, 2011 will be rescheduled. We believe the new date will be sometime in August 2011. Please refer to this site for additional information or call our office at 205-387-1879.

Please keep all of the storm victims in your thoughts and prayers.

Disaster assistance available for Walker County producers

Please refer to the newsbrief to the right for additional information regarding disaster assistance that is available through the USDA Farm Service Agency. This assistance is available for damage related to the storms that came through Walker County in April 2011. Please double click on the newsbrief to enlarge it.

Dealing with pasture weeds?

Dr. Stephen Enloe from Auburn University will be in Walker County on May 19, 2011, to discuss pasture weed control, herbicide application, when to spray & what to spray. Please double click on the brochure to the right for additional information.

Walker County Student wins the 2011 Area III ACDEA scholarship

2011 Alabama Conservation District Employees Association Scholarship Program Award

The Alabama Conservation District Employees Association accepted applications for six $500 scholarships to be awarded to students who are residents of the State of Alabama and planning to enter college the summer or fall of the year 2011. One scholarship will be awarded in each of the Association’s six designated Areas. This scholarship can be used at the college of his/her choice.

The Walker County Soil and Water Conservation District received 15 applications for this scholarship award program. We are pleased to announce that Miss Sarah Whitt who is a 2011 graduate of Carbon Hill High School won the $500.00 award for Area III. Sarah competed against students from 10 other counties in Area III to win this award. Congratulations to Sarah for winning this scholarship.

Walker County grazing clinic

A grazing clinic will be held in Walker County at the Carl Elliott Board of Education Building on April 28, 2011 from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. with registration check in at 8:00 a.m. The registration fee for attending this clinic will be $30.00 and must be paid by April 15, 2011. Included in the registration fee will be a copy of Southern Forages, a forage measuring stick, additional educational materials as well as lunch. You can click on the registration brochures above for additional information. Please call the NRCS Jasper Field Office or The Walker County Soil and Water Conservation District at (205) 387-1879 for registration or questions.

2011 Arbor Day Program

In recognition of Arbor Week the Alabama Forestry Commission in partnership with the Walker County Forestry Planning Committee and the Walker County Soil and Water Conservation District provided tree seedlings to each 2nd grade student in Walker County on Thursday, February 24th.

Planting trees is a great way to improve our communities by providing cleaner air, shade to homes (reduces energy cost), reduces soil erosion and is aesthetically pleasing to the homeowner and the public. According to the Arbor Day Foundation properly placed trees can increase property values from 7%-21%.

We hope that families across the county will take part in this celebration and share the joy of planting trees.

Walker County Forestry Planning Committee Annual Tree Sale

The Walker County Forestry Planning Committee will hold it's annual tree sale event at the Jasper Wal-Mart Garden Center on Friday, March 18, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Saturday, March 19, 2011 from 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. All trees will be containerized or bare root seedlings and will be available on a first come first serve basis. Cost will be between $1.00 and $2.00 per tree. Please call 387-1879 for an itemized list. Proceeds go to promote conservation education in Walker County.

Winston County private applicator pesticide permit training

A training session will be provided for those needing to renew their pesticide permit or for those who are interested in getting their first pesticide permit. This program will be held on Tuesday, February 22, 2011, at 6:00 p.m. at the First National Bank Building in Double Springs. During this session participants will be given training for free; however, for those who choose to take the test there is a $25.00 charge for the three-year permit. There is also the option to use a take home self-study packet at any time of year. Most people find it more convenient to attend this class. To determine when your permit expires, check the first four digits on your card. For example, if the code is 0313, this would mean that the permit expires in March 2013.

Most farmers in Winston County get this permit so that they can buy Grazon (2,4-D + picloram) for pasture weed control. This herbicide does an excellent job on dogfennel (summer cedar). This permit will allow farmers to buy any restricted use pesticide.

Please contact the Winston County Extension office at 205 489-5376 with any questions.

ACDEA scholarship applications available

The Walker County Soil & Water Conservation District is now accepting applications for a $500.00 scholarship sponsored by the Alabama Conservation District Employees Association. Applicant must be a U. S. citizen, high school senior, and living in the State of Alabama. Applications may be picked up at the District office located in the Carl Elliott Board of Education Building, Suite 207, 1710 Alabama Avenue, Jasper, AL 35501. Deadline to receive completed applications in the District office is March 4, 2011. For more information, or to request an email copy please contact Katherine Patton at (205) 387-1879 or kpattonwalkersoil@gmail.com.