Welcome to the Smith County Agriculture blog. Here you will find posts of recent articles, emerging issues, web pages, etc. that are researched based and I think will be useful to you in your various Agriculture ventures.
Agriculture is life. From the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and even the homes we live in, all of us are involved in Agriculture to some degree whether we know it or not. This blog will provide information for you and your family to use to learn more about the Agriculture Industry in East Texas and how you might be a part of this industry.
Blog posts include upcoming Agriculture and Natural Resource events in the region as well as other Agriculture related topics I hope you will find useful. Educational programs, continuing education units (CEU’s), research, result demonstrations, and more will be posted on a regular basis.
Working hand-in-hand with its Texas A&M System partners, the state legislature, and the communities it serves, the mission of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service to serve Texans through community-based education has remained unchanged for almost a century.
With a vast network of 250 county Extension offices and some 900 professional educators, the expertise provided by AgriLife Extension is available to every resident in every Texas county. But Extension educators are well-aware that a program offered in Dallas might not be relevant in the Rio Grande Valley. AgriLife Extension custom-designs its programs to different areas of the state, significantly depending on residents for input and program delivery.
The mission of AgriLife Extension is a seemingly simple one: improving the lives of people, businesses, and communities across Texas and beyond through high-quality, relevant education. Carrying out this mission, however, is a massive undertaking. One that requires the commitment of each and every one of the agency’s employees. Through the programs these employees provide, Texans are better prepared to:
- eat well, stay healthy, manage money, and raise their children to be successful adults.
- efficiently help themselves through preventing problems and using tools for economic stability and security.
- improve stewardship of the environment and of the state’s natural resources.
Today’s AgriLife Extension is known for its leadership, dedication, expertise, responsiveness, and trustworthiness. Texans turn to AgriLife Extension for solutions, and its agents and specialists respond not only with answers, but with a significant return on investment to boost the Texas economy.
Flies and Livestock
Ag Biz News Column By: Chad Gulley County Extension Agent–Ag/NR Smith County Fly Species and Livestock Livestock producers have several species of flies to manage when it comes to livestock production. These fly species, if left untreated, can cause economic losses to livestock species through energy loss and physical feeding of these pests on our livestock species. The fly species can reduce weight gains and feed efficiency of our livestock. The fly species that are most common are the housefly, stable fly, and horn fly. Other external… Read More →
Wood-Boring Beetles
Ag Biz News Column By: Chad Gulley County Extension Agent–Ag/NR Smith County Wood-Boring Insects in Trees and Shrubs Many insects feed and make their homes in the bark of trees and shrubs. Most of these insects are attracted to weakened, damaged or dying trees. Typically, we call these insects “secondary invaders” because they only attack after the plant or tree is weakened by another stress such as drought. Secondary invaders include wood-boring beetles, carpenter bees, termites, and carpenter ants to name a few. Wood-boring insect damage can… Read More →
Burning Bale.. Watch for Wet or Green Hay
Ag Biz News Column By: Chad Gulley County Extension Agent–Ag/NR Smith County The Burning Hay Bale It is funny how a year can change things. Last year, we were trying to get all the hay we could during a drought when forages and yields just were not there. One problem this year is getting hay to cure properly. With thick ryegrass/clover hay cuttings this spring, wet or green hay can easily result. Many people cut and bale hay for themselves or for others in preparation of our… Read More →
East Texas Love/Hate Relationship with Bahiagrass
News Column By: Chad Gulley County Extension Agent–Ag/NR Smith County Bahiagrass There is a forage species utilized in East Texas that people either have a love or hate relationship with. That forage species is Bahiagrass. When I say a love or hate relationship, there are those that either love bahiagrass in their pastures or those that hate bahiagrass in their pastures. Most people recognize bahiagrass due to the “V-shaped” seed head it produces. It can be a prolific seed producer. When allowed to grow tall, it can be… Read More →
Legumes Management
News Column By: Chad Gulley County Extension Agent–Ag/NR Smith County Clover Management Nitrogen is the most limiting nutrient for plant growth. Many producers around East Texas utilize legumes to help provide a source of nitrogen to the perennial grass species they want to grow. We plant legumes in the fall but manage them come springtime as we graze and utilize them in our forage systems. Legumes are a family of plants that have the additional attribute of being able to remove nitrogen gas from the air. Once… Read More →
