Acadiana rice, sugar field days scheduled

The rice field day will be held on Wednesday, July 2 at the Rice Research Station in Crowley. Field tours will begin at 7:30 a.m. The last tour will depart at 9:15 a.m. Poster sessions will run from 7:30 — 10:30 a.m. and the main program at 10:45 a.m. This will be followed with lunch.

A sugarcane field day for St. Martin, Lafayette and St. Landry Parishes sugarcane farmers and others interested in the industry will be held on Friday, July 18.

The program begins at 2 p.m. at the Levert-St. John Plantation shed in St. Martinville. The inside program will be at the Woodmen of the World Building, also in St. Martinville. The inside program is scheduled to begin at about 4 p.m.

The Iberia and St. Mary Sugarcane Field Day will be on Thursday, July 24. It will begin at 4:30 p.m. at the Iberia Research Station in Jeanerette. The inside program will be at the Ward 8 Recreation Center in Jeanerette.

Registration generally begins one hour prior to the event. These field day’s always cover items of interest and importance to sugar producers.

They also give farmers an opportunity to visit and share and exchange ideas. Meals are also served at most field days.

Sugarcane producers are again reminded that Aug. 1 is the final date to permanently transfer all or a portion of a farms sugarcane acreage base to any other farm in the state. The same person must operate or own both farms at the time of application. All owners are required to sign.

CRP Haying, Grazing

Certain acreage enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is being made available for hay and forage after the primary nesting season ends for grass - nesting birds.

The sign-up for this critical feed initiative is currently in effect.

Through this initiative eligible farmers and ranchers will be able to plan for the harvest of forage after the end of the primary nesting season or July 15th date. I would like to point out that the most environmentally -sensitive land enrolled in CRP will not be eligible.

In all cases, a modification to the CRP conservation plan will be made and a $75 fee will be assessed to process the contract modification. No rental payment reduction will be assessed on contracts being utilized for this critical use. There are no restrictions of “commercial use” and eligible CRP acreage may be leased and/or hay sold.

This modification for critical feed use is only for 2008. All forage use must be completed by no later than Nov. 10.

Further information on the CRP grazing and/or haying lands initiative for critical feed can be obtained by contact your local FSA Office or on the web at FSA’s home page: http://www.fsa.usda.gov.