Workshops offered
Brian Rees
Saturday, December 20, 2008
It is definitely winter! The recent snow, freezing rain, sleet, ice, and frigid temperatures have reminded us that we are now in the midst of the shortest days of the year, and that normally the coldest time of the year is just ahead.
We need to remember that most of the area was able to see good yields and good prices on grain and livestock for at least a portion of 2008. The question is whether you were able to capture the good prices.
As we move into winter and the beginning of 2009, many people are working on their 2009 crop and pasture lease arrangements. With this in mind, I would invite you to attend a meeting from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 6, 2009, at the Chicken House in Olpe. There is no charge, but we are asking for reservations by Jan. 2 at the Lyon County Extension Office, 341-3220, to ensure we have enough materials for those attending.
The “Managing Rented Land” meeting will cover a variety of important topics, and will provide the opportunity for you to learn or remember how the various aspects of managing rented land can impact you, whether you are a landlord or a tenant. With over 50 percent of Kansas farmland and pastureland being rented, leases are increasing in importance as fewer operators manage the agricultural resources of the state.
Planned speakers on this Tuesday afternoon will include Kevin Dhuyvetter, KSU Ag Economist; Alan Schamberger, FSA County Director; John Conway, NRCS County Director; and Brian Rees , Lyon County Extension Ag Agent.
We plan to provide a better understanding of some of the items that should be included in any lease and yes, I will be encouraging everyone to have written leases for a number of different reasons that I will elaborate on during the session. Also being discussed will be some of the common responsibilities of landlord and tenant in different lease arrangements. Additionally a discussion of a relatively new-to-the-area type of lease, a flexible-rent lease that is a hybrid of cash and share leases, should provide pros and cons of this arrangement.
Regardless of your situation, if you are involved in an agricultural lease communication between landlord and tenant is vital to a successful, long-term arrangement. It all boils down to having effective communication between the parties. Plan on joining us from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Chicken House in Olpe on Jan. 6!
For the cow-calf producers in the area, there are a couple of Calving Management Schools being held in neighboring counties. At 7 p.m. the evening of Jan. 6 in Overbrook, Dr. Larry Hollis , K-State Extension Veterinarian, will conduct a school on the various aspects of calving. The main topics to be covered will be basics of normal calving, signs of labor, stages of parturition, determining when to assist in the birthing process, facilities and equipment that may be needed, and preparing and pulling the calf. Along a similar line, another school with a different set of speakers will be held at 10 a.m. Jan. 7 in Eureka .
Speakers in Eureka will be from Colorado State and Pfizer Animal Health, and will cover many of the same topics as in Overbrook. More information on any of these upcoming events is available from the Lyon County Extension Office, 2632 W. Highway 50, Emporia, or by calling (620) 341-3220.