Farm briefs

May 16, 2008 03:56 pm

— County Master Gardeners presenting classes
GREENVILLE — Greenville Area Leisure Services Association, in conjunction with Mercer County Master Gardeners, will offer these classes in Greenville Recreation Center, 45 Alan Ave.:
• Container gardening — 6:30 p.m. May 28. Registration deadline is Wednesday.
• “Pruning Everything — A Cut Above” — 11 a.m. May 31. Registration: May 28.
• “Planting a Perfect Perennial Palate” — 6 p.m. June 4. Registration: June 2.
• Veggie gardening — 11 a.m. June 7. Registration: June 4.
• “Composting: Creating Black Gold” — 6 p.m. June 11. Registration: June 9.
• “Making Solstice Stepping Stones” — 11 a.m. June 21. Registration: June 18.
• “What’s Wrong with the Bees?” — 10 a.m. June 28. Registration: June 25.
• Landscape design — 6 p.m. July 9. Registration: July 7.
• “Lawn Care: Give Your Grass Some Class!” — 11 a.m. July 12. Registration: July 9.
• “The Care, Feeding and Loving of Dahlias” — 11 a.m. July 19. Registration: July 16.
Each will be led by Mercer County Master Gardeners. Registration and payment can be done 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays in the center’s business office. Info: 724-588-8819.
Large animal rescue training set
COOLSPRING TOWNSHIP -- Penn State Cooperative Extension in Mercer County is sponsoring large animal rescue training for emergency professionals June 6, 7 and 8.
Pre-registration is requested for the sessions, which will be held at Mercer Extension Office and 4-H Park, U.S. Route 19 north of Mercer. Contact: Davis E. Hill, program director, managing agricultural emergencies at Penn State University, at 814-865-2808.
This program is a training opportunity for emergency services personnel only. For more info: 724-662-3141.
Part-time teachers needed for science lab
Pennsylvania Friends of Ag Foundation is looking for teachers to staff Mobile Ag Ed Science Labs. Successful candidates must be PA certified teacher with BSED and five years experience, elementary preferred. An agricultural background is a real plus. Send letter of interest, letters of reference, and resume to: Human Resources, Ag Lab Teaching Position, Box 8736, Camp Hill, PA 17001-8736.
Composting workshops to begin
BUTLER COUNTY -- Penn State Cooperative Extension, the Butler County Department of Recycling and Waste Management, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection are teaming up to offer composting workshops and free backyard composting bins to Butler County residents.
Diverting yard and other organic household wastes from landfills preserves landfill space, conserves natural resources, and when compost is used in gardens, flower beds, and on lawns it saves money, time and effort.
Program participants will receive one free composting bin per household after completion of the workshop. The scheduled workshop sessions will be in the lower level meeting room of the Butler County Cooperative extension office in Building 10 on the grounds of Sunnyview Home in Butler.
Three evening sessions have been scheduled from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. May 22, June 12 and June 19. Registration is required by phone at 724-287-4761 extension 222 or e-mail ButlerExt@psu.edu with your name, address, phone and choice of dates. For additional information on composting, contact Butler County extension director Donna Zang at 724-287-4761 or Butler County recycling and waste management coordinator Sheryl Kelly at 724-284-5300.
‘Grow Dairy’ grants available for local producers
Twenty “Grow Dairy” grants are available and will cover up to half of the related costs for on-farm changes and improvements recommended by target or profit teams.
All applications should be submitted to the Center for Dairy Excellence by June 30 for consideration. Applications will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, based on merit. All funds must be invoiced by Sept. 30.
Participating profit and target team farms can apply for the $2,000 “Grow Dairy” grant by completing a one-page application found online at www.centerfordairyexcellence.org. To access the application, click on “Business Management,” then on “Profit Team.” Farms that are not currently enrolled in the profit or target team program but interested in applying for an implementation grant can call the Center at 717-346-0849 to enroll in the program.
Master Gardeners bus is full
The Mercer County Master Gardeners bus that will travel Aug. 2 to the Mansfield, Ohio, area is now full, organizers said Friday. The group will leave the extension office on U.S. Route 19 north of Mercer at 6:30 a.m. and return about 9:30 p.m. More info: 724-662-3141.