Extension Calling

WVU Extension sends these tips to help during flood recovery efforts. As the flood waters recede and you are allowed back into your home or business to assess the damage make sure you take lots of pictures of the building and its contents to document damages for insurance claims. Keep watch for electrical dangers and report downed power lines immediately.  As you enter buildings look for loose plaster or drywall, and ceilings that could fall.  Also watch the floors for loose nails and boards.  If you have a septic tank, cesspool, pit, or leaching system record damages to those as well.  Damaged sewage systems are health hazards and need to be serviced as soon as possible. It is recommended to have an up to date tetanus vaccination, meaning within the last 10 years, before working in a flooded area.  Now more than ever it is important to wash your hands with clean or disinfected water and soap before eating, smoking, or touching your face.  Learn more at your local extension office, or online at h

The West Virginia University Extension Service sends these tips to help keep you safe during disaster recovery efforts. While we all want to help, for now, stay away from disaster areas.   Your presence can interfere with rescue and emergency operators as well as putting yourself at risk.  Contact local coordinators of volunteer efforts such as Volunteer West Virginia to find out how and when you can help most.  Your help will still be needed weeks, months, and even years from now.  If you have evacuated, return home only when authorities say it is safe.  If you are in a disaster area, continue to listen to your weather radio or local stations as additional flooding is possible.  Check on neighbors and friends, especially those who are elderly, disabled, or have small children.  However, avoid entering ANY building before local officials have said it is safe.  Floodwaters can cause foundations to sink, floors to crack, and buildings to suddenly collapse.  Learn more at your local extension office, or onli

Quick tips to stay safe in flood conditions.

Wheeling’s new Tree City USA status brings questions about Bradford Pears, and spring temperatures signal the Belmont County Plant Swap, but mostly we cover some core concepts for using pesticides safely.

This is a brief begginers guide to help you be a better bunny lover.  We need your feedback! Please share your thoughts and ideas at: https://bit.ly/ExtensionCallingEvaluation. 

Adding native shrubs to your landscaping is a fun way to improve the habitat of local birds and butterflies. We offer several options and discuss their characteristics. More great info can be found here: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-5813

If you have more than a few trees in your backyard, you may be wondering what you can do with them. A lot of what you can do is determined by what you want to have in 50 or 100 years. Trees and forests take time to grow and one mistake can last generations. Start off on the right foot by listening in!

Silvopasture is not a new concept. However, our methods of implementing it have changed. There are indeed ways that cattle can coexist with timber management, but there are significant limitations. We touch on some of those concepts, but if you want to get mooving, we recommend digging deeper by checking out: https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2018/07/six-key-principles-for-a-successful-silvopasture-2/ and joining some great groups like: https://www.appalachianforestfarmers.org/.    

In the last epsisode we reviewed the importance in identifying the weed you are trying to control. This time we will focus more on the variety of control methods available. It is important to use multiple techniques or an integrated approach. This will help prevent your weed problem from getting worse while also protecting the environment and your pocketbook. 

Weeds are a challenge regardless of whether you are growing a lawn, flowers, pasture, or row crops. The broad variety of weeds means we need to have a variety of treatment methods. Integrated Weed Management is the combination of multiple activities to gain better control of those pesky weeds. This segment discusses how the differences in weeds can be used to help improve your results.

Planning for the future is hard enough without thinking of your own mortality. However, it is critical to make a sound, legal, plan for just that. Will the farm stay a farm after you are gone is a critical question to discuss with your family, one that doesn't have a lot of easy answers. More questions to ask include planning for retirement and long-term care. We recommend working through this fact sheet series with your family: https://ohioline.osu.edu/tags/basic-estate-planning regardless of your age or well being, plan ahead. 

In this second to last installment of our business planning series, we talk about how to know if you business is making money. While you may be showing positive income on your balance sheet, that's not always the whole picture. There are many factors to consider. We dive into enterprise budgeting to help you see which aspects of your farm are making money and where you are losing money. 

Starting or expanding a business requires you to take stock from personal, economic, and physical perspectives. Agricultural businesses are no different. One must examine regulations, possibilities, probabilities, and of course, abilities. To help sort all these steps in your mind, we recommend conducting a SWOT analysis. 

When starting any kind of business, it is essential to know why you are putting in the effort. By working with your family, sit down and talk about what values are most important and how this venture could support or hinder them. 

If you want an annual source of food for your family a fruit tree is a wonderful option. However, buying the first tree you see and putting it in any old spot is a recipe for disaster. Healthy fruit trees take planning and effort. If you avoid either of these you will be unhappy with the results. Save yourself the extra work down the road and make the right choices up front, from soil drainage to selecting the right variety.

Quick tips to help you prepare for the upcoming single digits!

Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it can't hurt you. That is why it is so important to call 811 before you dig. We talk about why, when, and how to get your underground utilities marked before taking on big or small digging projects. 

Funding a farm is no small feat and taking out a farm loan is a big deal. Sometimes collateral needs are overbearing, and interest rates are unfairly burdensome. If you applied for a farm loan prior to 2021 you may be eligible for funding now. Jacqueline Keene joins us from Windsor Group LLC to discuss a new federal program to help. We also discuss several amazing opportunities for farm funding through the Climate Smart Commodities program. Lisa Jones and Brian Wickline from WVU Extension join us to talk about one example, the year GRazing for Appalachian SuStainability (GRASS) grant project. If you would like more information on the USDA Discrimination Financial Assistance Program program, please visit the National DFAP website at 22007apply.gov or by calling 1-800-721-0970. You can also reach out to Jacqueline Keene at jacqueline.keene@windsorgroup-llc.com To learn more about the Climate Smart Commodities programs across the country visit: www.usda.gov/climate-solutions/climate-smart-commodities To lea

We often talk about the imporatnce of lime in agriculture. Today we dive a little deeper to why soils are acidic and how to properly manage the pH to have healthy, productive crops. Our website has more great resources on selecting and applying lime properly. https://extension.wvu.edu/agriculture/pasture-hay-forage/soil-fertility  

Many believe ticks aren't a danger in the winter. Unfortunately, they are wrong. Ticks do slow down in colder temperatures, but they are still active. Take precautions whenever you are in tick habitats like brush and woods for deer ticks, mown grass for dog ticks, and tall grass for asian longhorned ticks. Also stay vigilant with pets and livestock to protect them from disease and potential death in some cases. Visit https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/find-repellent-right-you to make sure the repellent you are using works for ticks. For livestock owners, this is a great watch from OSU Extension:  Checking cattle for ticks https://youtu.be/0bpTitYBFps?si=uVZOTcm-syuZwG_Cfor