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Ag and Extension

Suicide prevention project targets distressed farmers

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Financial struggles led Leon Statz to sell his 50 dairy cows, causing the third-generation farmer to become depressed. Then land next to his 200-acre farm near Loganville went up for sale — land his late father had said he should buy. Statz, who didn’t have the money, became hopeless. On Oct. 8, the day the adjacent property hit the market; Statz killed himself on his farm. He was 57. “He said, ‘How am I going to afford this?’ ” Brenda Statz, his wife of 34 years, told the Wisconsin State Journal. “He would panic about everything when it got to ...

SMSU’s Farm Outlook and Education seminar to be held Feb. 13

Marshall — The 35th annual Farm Outlook and Education Seminar will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 13 from 9 a.m.-2:45 p.m. in the Conference Center Ballroom on the campus of Southwest Minnesota State University. The Farm Outlook and Education Seminar is a scholarship fundraiser for students in SMSU’s agriculture programs. Three speakers with broad agriculture backgrounds will highlight the event. They will share their expertise on a number of ag topics, including agronomics and economics, cash flow planning in tough economic times, and analysis of current grain and livestock market ...

Johnson named top Republican on House Agriculture subpanel

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson has been named the top Republican on a House Agriculture Committee subpanel. House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Michael Conaway said in a Thursday statement that Johnson will be the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight and Department Operations. Johnson says the farm bill implementation will be overseen by the subcommittee. He says the subcommittee also oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Johnson says the decision is unexpected, but that he really worked to get the ...

Tending to orchids

We are in the depths of winter with around 50 days or so left to “grin and bear it.” We are all hardy individuals but it is also nice to see some color in our house-something green and growing. If your amaryllis plants are done flowering, you can depend on orchids to fill their place. In fact, since Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, this is a good time to think about giving or receiving these lovely plants. There are two things that I like the most about any of the various varieties of orchids that are available for purchase. The first is when they do flower, they ...

Ag Briefs

SMSU Farm Outlook & Education seminar scheduled for Feb. 13 The 35th annual Farm Outlook & Education Seminar will be from 9 a.m.-2:45 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13, in the Conference Center Ballroom at Southwest Minnesota State University. The Farm Outlook & Education Seminar is a scholarship fundraiser for students in SMSU’s agriculture programs. Three speakers with broad agriculture backgrounds will highlight the event. They will share their expertise on a number of ag topics, including agronomics and economics, cash flow planning in tough economic times, and analysis of current ...

Outstanding trees

It’s January. It’s cold and the last thing on most of our minds is gardening. For the hardy Minnesota gardeners who are out there, you have probably already started to seed things like onions and leeks for this coming summer’s garden space. You may not be gardening outside but you are inside gardening under lights. It is a good time of the year for reading about gardening, studying about gardening, thinking about what you want in your garden for next year. I am always on the outlook for something interesting to read about. In this case, instead of going over to the U of M Extension ...