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Wednesday, 16 May 2012 8:43 |
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Winter wheat is off to a strong, early start this year, but farmers need to keep an eye on their fields to watch for potential problems, says a Purdue University agronomist.
Herbert Ohm says mild winter temperatures created ideal growing conditions for the wheat, and the late fall planting did not give most diseases enough time to attack before winter set in. If temperatures continue to stay above freezing at night, the wheat is expected to be excellent.
“We got through the winter with essentially no winter kill, which is a very good thing,” Ohm said. “It’s still quite early, and the temperatures from here on into the summer will determine what the crop yield will be. But the wheat is generating a lot of growth, tillering very profusely, and at this point in time it looks terrific.”
Entomologists are predicting that insects could be a larger problem than normal this year. Additionally, just as wheat is thriving early, so too, are weeds, especially winter annuals that did not die during the winter. It is still too early, however, to tell which insects and diseases will be dominant this spring, so it is crucial for farmers to pay close attention to their fields.
“The best advice I can give farmers - and they need to especially pay attention to this during this year because of the strange weather conditions - is that they really need to monitor their fields,” Ohm said. “Wheat, corn, soybeans, everything. Regularly. Weekly, So if they start seeing a problem developing, insects or disease or anything unusual, they can call or get in touch with a specialist right away.
“With commodity and input prices being as high as they are, farmers can’t afford to not pay attention to their fields.” Winter wheat is off to a strong, early start this year, but farmers need to keep an eye on their fields to watch for potential problems, says a Purdue University agronomist. Herbert Ohm says mild winter temperatures created ideal growing conditions for the wheat, and the late fall planting did not give most diseases enough time to attack before winter set in. If temperatures continue to stay above freezing at night, the wheat is expected to be excellent.
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Wednesday, 09 May 2012 9:19 |
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In many ways, America is the land of plenty. But for one in six people in the United States, hunger is a reality.
Today, nearly 49 million Americans, including 16 million children, are struggling with hunger. These are often hard-working adults, children and seniors who simply cannot make ends meet and are forced to go without food for several meals, or even days.
On Saturday, May 12, the United States Postal Service will team up with its letter carriers to conduct the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive across the nation to collect food donations in order to provide assistance to the millions of Americans who are struggling with hunger each and every day.
“The Postal Service is pleased to continue supporting the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) as we enter our 20th year together to help Stamp Out Hunger in America,” said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe. “I am confident the 2012 campaign will be our best ever because the need continues to grow.”
Beyond the Call of Duty...
The nation’s 210,000 letter carriers will collect food donations left at the mailboxes of generous Americans in more than 10,000 communities and deliver them to food banks and other hunger relief organizations.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the Stamp Out Hunger food drive is the nation’s largest single-day food drive, having collected more than one billion pounds of food since its inception in 1993. In 2011, generous Americans donated 70.2 million pounds of food, which marked the eighth consecutive year that at least 70 million pounds were collected.
You Can Help...
Helping Stamp Out Hunger is as easy as checking your mailbox. Just leave a bag of non-perishable food where your letter carrier normally delivers your mail on Saturday, May 12. Your letter carrier will then pick up and deliver the food to a local food bank.
Examples of non-perishable items include: Canned soup, canned meats and fish, canned vegetables, fruits and juices, boxed goods (such as cereal), pasta and rice.
For more information about the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive, ask your letter carrier, contact your local post office or visit either www.helpstampouthunger.com or www.facebook.com/StampOutHunger, and follow the drive at www.twitter.com/StampOutHunger.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. In many ways, America is the land of plenty. But for one in six people in the United States, hunger is a reality. Today, nearly 49 million Americans, including 16 million children, are struggling with hunger. These are often hard-working adults, children and seniors who simply cannot make ends meet and are forced to go without food for several meals, or even days. On Saturday, May 12, the United States Postal Service will team up with its letter carriers to conduct the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive across the nation to collect food donations in order to provide assistance to the millions of Americans who are struggling with hunger each and every day.
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Wednesday, 09 May 2012 3:28 |
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Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College will hold its annual NatureFest Friday, May 11 and Saturday, May 12. Festivities take place at Merry Lea’s Farmstead Site, with woodlands, prairies and a wetland nearby.
NatureFest is a family-friendly bash that includes hikes for all ages and interests, booths with hands-on interactive activities and the option of camping overnight. Athletic family members can run the Turtle Trot 5-K; more reflective types might prefer moth spotting with a cloth and UV light Friday evening, learning about wildflowers or creating a miniature house out of natural materials. Adults unable to handle hiking can sign up for a driving tour of Merry Lea.
Camping without the need to pack and cook food is a draw for some families. Weekend registration fees include Friday night S’Mores and a hot breakfast and lunch. Snacks are available to purchase.
Canoeing and geocaching are two of NatureFest’s most popular activities, offered every year. The nine-acre Kesling Wetland is large enough to provide interesting nature sightings yet small enough to allow families to return to shore promptly when young children get restless. Geocaching is an outdoor sport that involves using GPS units to find caches hidden by previous hikers. Canoes and geocaching equipment are provided.
Wild edibles hikes are another favorite. Environmental educator Paul Steury never fails to delight his hikers with trailside treats and interesting recipes. Participants come away with a whole new view of nature: as pantry and medicine chest.
Several hikes and activities are new this year. Friday night attenders can explore a shrub carr with Matt McQueen, a graduate student in Merry Lea’s environmental education program who has studied this unique ecosystem in depth. Shrub carr wetlands are brushy rather than open. Saturday morning’s warbler workshop is intended for adult birders who are beyond the basics and want to sharpen their skills. Warblers are challenging to see and identify, but their vivid colors make it worth the effort.
Saturday afternoon will culminate in a Miami corn-planting. Dani Tippman, a member of the Miami Nation of Indiana and tribal plant specialist, will share about the important role of corn in her cultural history and demonstrate the Miami way to plant it. Participants should come prepared to sing.
Directions, schedules, activity descriptions and online registration are all available at merrylea.goshen.edu/. Weekend registration includes Saturday breakfast and lunch.
Saturday registration includes lunch. Adults pay $5 for one activity, $10 for Saturday and $15 for the weekend. Kids through 17 pay $5 anytime. Turtle Trot runners need to register by May 4 if they want a T-shirt. All others please register by May 9 at the latest.
Merry Lea was created with the assistance of the Nature Conservancy and the generosity of Lee A. and Mary Jane Rieth. The 1,189-acre nature preserve is located in central Noble County, midway between Fort Wayne and Goshen, south of Wolf Lake. Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College will hold its annual NatureFest Friday, May 11 and Saturday, May 12. Festivities take place at Merry Lea’s Farmstead Site, with woodlands, prairies and a wetland nearby. NatureFest is a family-friendly bash that includes hikes for all ages and interests, booths with hands-on interactive activities and the option of camping overnight. Athletic family members can run the Turtle Trot 5-K; more reflective types might prefer moth spotting with a cloth and UV light Friday evening, learning about wildflowers or creating a miniature house out of natural materials. Adults unable to handle hiking can sign up for a driving tour of Merry Lea.
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Wednesday, 09 May 2012 3:18 |
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An experiment started more than 20 years ago to reintroduce peregrine falcons to Indiana is paying off with impressive numbers this spring.
Sixteen nesting attempts have been observed and seven of those sites so far have hatched chicks, including two from Indiana’s most prolific peregrine—Kinney. The 16 attempts are three more than in any previous year and an increase of four from last year.
Kinney, a 19-year-old male first released in Kentucky, continues to set up nesting operations at Market Tower in Indianapolis, has produced 59 chicks in his lifetime and is now raising two more.
“Only one other Midwestern peregrine has bred at 19 years of age, and the longevity record for a peregrine is 19 years, 6 months,” said John Castrale, nongame bird biologist for the DNR Fish & Wildlife division.
Kinney has partnered the last 11 years with KathyQ, a wild-produced peregrine from Wisconsin, and their brood could expand with one more egg still in their nest.
Although three to four eggs generally are laid by peregrines, clutches of five eggs were noted at three sites this year. More than 50 eggs have been observed overall, and 16 have hatched so far.
One new nest site was discovered this year at the Indianapolis Power and Light plant along the White River near Petersburg. A nest box has been there since 2004.
The 16 nesting sites are:
East Chicago, ArcelorMittal Steel-Indiana Harbor East): Four eggs.
East Chicago, ArcelorMittal Steel-Indiana Harbor West: Four eggs; two chicks hatched as of April 26.
Gary, U.S. Steel (coke plant): Female incubating at nesting site.
Gary, U.S. Steel (sinter plant): Three eggs.
Indianapolis, Market Tower: Three eggs; two hatched as of April 30.
Indianapolis, IPL Harding Street Station: Five eggs; one hatched as of May 1.
Michigan City, NIPSCO Plant: Five eggs; two hatched as of April 30.
Madison, Ind./Milton, Ky. Bridge: At least two hatched prior to April 23.
New Albany, Duke Energy, Gallagher Power Plant: Three eggs.
Petersburg, IPL Power Plant: Three eggs; nesting attempt failed.
Porter, ArcelorMittal Steel-Burns Harbor Plant: Three eggs.
Porter, NIPSCO Bailly Plant: Five eggs; four hatched as of April 27.
South Bend, City-County Building: Four eggs.
Terre Haute, Indiana State University, Business Building: Three eggs.
Wheatfield, NIPSCO Schafer Plant: At least three eggs, possible fourth; three hatched as of April 23.
Whiting, BP Amoco refinery: Four eggs.
Adult peregrines also have been observed at four other nesting sites but no nesting activity was recorded at those locations. All pairs except one are nesting in boxes specifically designed for them.
“We are grateful that building and plant managers have allowed them to erect nest boxes, monitor nesting activity, and protect the birds from undue disturbance,” Castrale said. “The successful recovery of peregrine falcons in the Midwest could not have been accomplished without the cooperation of governmental agencies, private organizations, businesses, and dedicated individuals.”
Falcon cams can be viewed at: Fort Wayne: www.aep.com/go/FalconCamIndianapolis (downtown): http://blogs.indystar.com/falconblog/Indianapolis (south side): apps.iplpower.com/axis/falcon.aspx
South Bend: www.southbendin.gov/falcam
For information about Midwest peregrines, see www.midwestperegrine.org/Castrale, DNR Fish & Wildlife, (812) 849-4586, ext. 223. An experiment started more than 20 years ago to reintroduce peregrine falcons to Indiana is paying off with impressive numbers this spring. Sixteen nesting attempts have been observed and seven of those sites so far have hatched chicks, including two from Indiana’s most prolific peregrine—Kinney. The 16 attempts are three more than in any previous year and an increase of four from last year.
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Wednesday, 09 May 2012 2:47 |
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Walleyes remain so abundant at Sylvan Lake in Noble County that the DNR is again scaling back walleye stocking there.
The move will allow the DNR to devote more walleye fingerlings to Lake Maxinkuckee in Marshall County.
“Given the high number of walleyes now present in Sylvan Lake, we think we can make better use of walleye fingerlings without affecting the quality of walleye fishing at Sylvan,” said Jed Pearson, fisheries biologist for DNR’s Division of Fish & Wildlife.
This year is the second time since 2009 the DNR has reduced walleye stocking at 669-acre Sylvan Lake. Even so, Sylvan continues to support one of the densest walleye populations in Indiana.
Using an electro-fishing boat, DNR biologists captured 100 age-one-and-older walleyes per hour of sampling last fall. The catch rate was the highest ever recorded in the state for walleyes and rivaled the number of largemouth bass typically found in Indiana lakes.
The biggest walleye sampled was 24 inches, and 36 percent measured at least 14 inches, the minimum size for anglers to keep walleyes in Indiana.
The DNR began stocking walleye fingerlings at Sylvan in 2001 at about 13,000 fingerlings each year. In 2009, biologists cut the number to 10,000 walleyes per year due to concerns of over-stocking and signs of slowing growth.
“Even though we are now stocking fewer walleyes in Sylvan, there are more in the lake than ever before,” Pearson said.
Biologists will cut the number of walleyes stocked at Sylvan by another 25 percent in 2012. Walleyes remain so abundant at Sylvan Lake in Noble County that the DNR is again scaling back walleye stocking there. The move will allow the DNR to devote more walleye fingerlings to Lake Maxinkuckee in Marshall County.
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Wednesday, 02 May 2012 3:37 |
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METAMORA – The Whitewater Valley Railroad is proud to announce that newly rebuilt steam locomotive Lehigh Valley Coal Company #126 will make its debut on the historic ex-New York Central Railroad’s Whitewater Branch Line.
The Whitewater Valley Railroad will be hosting Lehigh Valley Coal #126 starting the weekend of May 11th, 2012 for two weekends of education and fun. Historic Metamora, Indiana is only one of many planned stops at different rail operations in the US for this newly restored piece of history.
Kicking off the events at 6 p.m. on Friday evening May 11 is a Wild West Train to Dinner from Metamora to the Laurel Hotel. Ride along as Lehigh Valley Coal #126 pulls a special Wild West-themed Twilight Limited Train to Dinner excursion departing from Historic Downtown Metamora, IN. Come and see bandits, marshals, robber barons, fancy and some not so fancy women as you roll through the scenic countryside.
The Wild West entertainment is being provided by the Circle D Rangers. This steam powered excursion will depart at 6 p.m. from Historic Downtown Metamora.
Fares are $55 per person and include the round trip train ride, the meal, tax and tip. Train operates rain or shine. Seating is limited and reservations are required for this exciting evening trip. Tickets are on sale online at whitewatervalleyrr.us or by calling the Whitewater Valley Railroad's Grand Central Station at (765) 825-2054.
To celebrate National Train Day on May 12, Abraham Lincoln will be visiting Historic Metamora to ride Lehigh Valley Coal Company #126. Mr. Lincoln will be available for photo’s and questions before and during each train excursion.
When the train arrives back in town, Mr. Lincoln will present one of his many speeches from the viewing stand near locomotive #126 and during each trip.
Mr. Lincoln will be speaking about the railroads and its effects on his election.
Festivities with Abraham Lincoln re-enactor Dean Dorrell will begin at 10 a.m. with four departures of Lehigh Valley Coal Co. #126 at 10 a.m., 12 noon, 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. Along the way, remnants of the Whitewater Canal locks, the restored Laurel Feeder Dam, and portions of the West Fork of the Whitewater River can be clearly seen. Fares for the scenic ten mile round trip excursion pulled by Lehigh Valley Coal #126 are $15 per person ages two and up.
To celebrate Mother’s Day on May 13, Bluegrass Musicians John Bowyer and Mike Cal will be performing aboard the train as Lehigh Valley Coal Company #126 rolls along the scenic Whitewater Valley. Steam Trains will begin operations at 10 a.m. with four departures of Lehigh Valley Coal Co. #126 at 10 a.m., 12 noon, 2 and 4 p.m. Along the way, remnants of the Whitewater Canal locks, the restored Laurel Feeder Dam, and portions of the West Fork of the Whitewater River can be clearly seen. Fares for the scenic ten mile round trip excursion pulled by Lehigh Valley Coal Co. #126 are $15 per person ages two and up.
May 19 and 20 will see four departures of Lehigh Valley Coal Co. #126 at 10 a.m., 12 noon, 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. Along the way, remnants of the Whitewater Canal locks, the restored Laurel Feeder Dam, and portions of the West Fork of the Whitewater River can be clearly seen. Fares for the scenic ten mile round trip excursion pulled by Lehigh Valley Coal Co. #126 are $15 per person ages two and up.
Tickets are on sale online at whitewatervalleyrr. us4.list or by calling the Whitewater Valley Railroad's Grand Central Station at (765) 825-2054. DEPARTURE NOTE: Lehigh Valley Coal Company #126 will operate from Historic Metamora, Indiana.
Driving directions to Metamora can be found by visiting www.metamoraindiana.com/driving_directions.htm.
In addition to #126, the regularly scheduled Valley Flyer excursions from Connersville to Metamora will be operating as normal. All trains operate rain or shine.
Metamora is Indiana's treasured 1838 canal town. Nestled in southeastern Indiana's beautiful countryside, Metamora is steeped in history and famous for its preservation of Indiana's oldest and still operating water-powered grist mill. Located 60 miles east of Indianapolis and 35 miles west of Cincinnati, it’s a must see town that retains all of its traditional charm and languid atmosphere. Shop in stores housed in buildings dated back to the early 1800s, eat and above all else . . . Enjoy the slow relaxing pace of the past! For more information on Historic Metamora, visit Metamora online at www.metamoraindiana.com
Lehigh Valley Coal Company #126 is a 40 ton saddle tank steam locomotive built by the Vulcan Iron Works of Wilkes Barre, PA in May 1931. Locomotive #126 went into service at the Lehigh Valley Coal Company in 1931 at Hazlenton, PA. Later it was sold in 1954 to the Heidelberg Coal Company at Avoca, PA. The engine was then sold to John Bauman, a scrap dealer, in Carbondale, PA and stored in the Delaware & Hudson Railroad roundhouse at Carbondale until it was purchased by the Gramling Locomotive Works in the Fall of 1993. For more information on #126 or Flagg Coal Company #75 visit the locomotives online at www.haveenginewilltravel.com.
Travel through time on Indiana’s most scenic railroad. Established in 1972, the Whitewater Valley Railroad is a nonprofit railroad history organization. It is an operating railroad museum dedicated to the preservation of a historic branch line railroad, the restoration of railroad equipment, and to the conduct of railroad educational programs. The railroad is operated by trained volunteers and all proceeds from this event will be used to further the organization’s mission.
Visit Historic Downtown Metamora for this spectacular railroading event, and return to a time when the railroad moved the nation and the short line railroad was a small town’s best friend. Call (765) 825-2054 for more information and reservations. Visit the Whitewater Valley Railroad’s online at www.whitewatervalleyrr. org and you can follow them on Facebook. METAMORA – The Whitewater Valley Railroad is proud to announce that newly rebuilt steam locomotive Lehigh Valley Coal Company #126 will make its debut on the historic ex-New York Central Railroad’s Whitewater Branch Line. The Whitewater Valley Railroad will be hosting Lehigh Valley Coal #126 starting the weekend of May 11th, 2012 for two weekends of education and fun. Historic Metamora, Indiana is only one of many planned stops at different rail operations in the US for this newly restored piece of history.
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