September 13, 1996 WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. To prepare farmers for the worst while they hope for the best, the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service will hold a series of meetings on frost threats to corn and soybeans, and what it could mean to crop and livestock producers in northern and eastern Indiana.
Dave Petritz, Extension agriculture and natural resources program leader, said the combination of late planting and a cool summer have put corn and soybean crops in danger of significant frost damage, particularly in northern and eastern Indiana. Even a normally occurring frost could hurt up to 40 percent of the corn crop in Indiana, mostly in the north and east.
In response, Purdue Extension specialists and educators will hold a series of eight meetings from Monday, Sept. 16 through Thursday, Sept. 19. The two-hour meetings will be held each morning and afternoon at eight farms and Purdue agricultural research centers throughout the region.
The meetings will cover the vulnerability of crops to frost; harvesting, drying, and storing high moisture, immature corn and soybeans; and feeding immature corn to swine and cattle. Petritz said they also will discuss using immature corn and soybeans as forage crops and determine the feeding and economic value of row crops harvested as forages in the event of an early frost.
"Producers can't wait until frost occurs to decide on what to do. Growers need to identify strategies before harvest is upon them," Petritz said. "If their crops will not reach maturity as corn grain or soybeans, how can they use these crops as forages? If they do not raise livestock, to whom can they sell the forage crops and what are the crops worth?"
Purdue specialists who will participate in the meetings include Ellsworth Christmas (Extension Agronomist), Kern Hendrix (Extension Animal Scientist), Keith Johnson (Extension Agronomist), Tim Johnson (Extension Animal Scientist), Dirk Meier (Extension Agricultural Engineer), Bob Nielsen (Extension Agronomist), and Brian Richert (Extension Animal Scientist).
The sessions are free and open to the public. Locations are as follows
| Purdue Agriculture Frost Alert Meetings, September 16-19, 1996 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Time (EST) | Location | Contact person |
| Monday, Sep. 16 | 9:00 a.m. | Dierckman Farm, west of Batesville at 26137 S.R. 46 | Contact: Karen Witt, Franklin Co. CES, (317) 647-3511 |
| 1:30 p.m. | Davis Purdue Ag Center, Farmland, Randolph County | Contact: Dan Kirtley, Randolph Co. CES, (317) 584-2271 | |
| 6:30 p.m. | East Brook H.S., South of SR 18, Grant Co. | Contact: Phil Greenburg, Grant Co. CES (317) 668-8871 | |
| Tuesday, Sep. 17 | 9:00 a.m. | Jim and Jan Nussbaum Farm, one mile east of Monroe, Hwy 124 | Contact: Steve Siegelin, Adams Co. CES, (219) 724-3000 |
| 1:30 p.m. | Copp Farm Supply Store, one mile south, one mile west of Columbia City | Contact: Valynnda Slack, Whitley Co. CES, (219) 625-3313 | |
| 6:30 p.m. | South Wood H.S. (Vo-Ag Room, NW corner of Bldg), 1/2 mile east of Hwy 124 & SR 5, Wabash Co. | Contact: Vince Harrell, Wabash Co. CES (219) 563-0661 | |
| Wednesday, Sep. 18 | 9:00 a.m. | Prairie Heights H.S. Farm, US Hwy 20, LaGrange | Contact: Steve Engleking, LaGrange Co. CES, (219) 463-7808 |
| 1:30 p.m. | Marc Lauderman Farm, 2 1/2 - 3 miles south of Bremen on Fir Road | Contact: Ralph Booker, Marshall Co. CES, (219) 935-8545 | |
| 6:30 p.m. | Elkhart Co. Fairgrounds Board Room |
Contact: Jeff Burbrink, Elkhart Co. CES, (219) 533-0554 |
|
| Thursday, Sep. 19 | 9:00 a.m. | Pinney Purdue Ag Center, Wanatah, Porter-LaPorte counties | Contact: David Yeager, Porter Co. CES, (219) 465-3555 |
| 1:30 p.m. | Farm Bureau Co-op, U.S. 23 at Leroy, Lake County | Contact: Stan Sims, Lake Co. CES, (219) 755-3240 | |
For more information or directions to the meetings, contact your county Extension office or call the state Extension office at (800) 872-1920.