Saturday March 23, 2013
9-2pm
Troy Buchanan High School Ag Building map

Topics include:

• Fruit Tree Establishment
• Bee Keeping
• Selling Timber
• Deer Habitat Improvement
• Prescribed Grazing Systems

Free Lunch

Seating is limited. to register call 636-528-4877, ext. 3 by Tuesday, March 12, 1013

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Farms for sale in Missouri

Farms and land for sale in Missouri by County

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165 acres lying on two sides of hwy 161. 132 acres tillable crop land. Productive soils. Property is located North of Middletown, Missouri in Southern Pike County.

For more information contact Mike Engelmeyer at 636-262-6776 or email here

See more Pike County Missouri farm listings

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After poor turkey hatches from 2007-2010 a good hatch in 2011 and an increased population of jakes in 2012, hunters will see more "ready willing and able" gobblers this spring. In addition 2012 was a great hatch and according to MDC it was 42% above the previous 5 year average and 21% above the 10 year average. Things are looking up!

Check out farms and land in Northeast Missouri and East Central Missouri

If you don't see what you're looking for contact us. We can find it for you.
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Return on investment

Even though the return on investment is not the driving force behind your purchase it still is an important consideration. Being able to offset the cost of ownership with farm revenues can make your "recreational purchase" make more sense. Here are common ways to achieve some return on your investment:

• Cropland
• Marketable timber
• Land price appreciation

Proximity to well known hunting areas – Being close to proven deer populations will give you something to work with. If there's nothing to draw in then all the management in the world won't change that.

Ratio of tillable land to woods – Having enough cover and enough food is important. The ratio we like to see is about 75% cover and 25% tillable land. Obviously everything a trade off so a good purchase for you may be one that has less wildlife cover but more tillable acres thus a higher return on your investment.

Wildlife management habits of neighbors – If you're surrounded by neighbors who don't manage their property for wildlife or use good hunting ethics then this can have an adverse effect on your farm.

Types of trees

Cedar thickets are great place for deer to bed. If your farm doesn't have a cedar thicket but has some small and medium size trees you can do some selective cutting to make "brush piles" which also makes great deer bedding areas.

Water source

Having a river or creek is ideal because not only will they be a water source but are also used by deer as travel areas. If the property doesn't have a river or creek at least having a farm pond will provide the water source deer need.

Lots of edges

Edges hold wildlife. Turkey, rabbits and quail need edges and areas to feed that are close to cover.

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Green Browse Food Plots

Green browse plots provide attractive and nutritious food to complement native food supplies. In addition to providing improved nutrition, they also attract wildlife and concentrate them in the area surrounding the plot.

These plots are of two kinds:

1. An all-purpose plot of legumes with a thin stand of grass provides green forage for turkeys, deer and rabbits, and an abundance of insects for turkeys and quail. The addition of Summit or Korean lespedeza to the plot will provide lespedeza seed for quail, as well as green forage for other wildlife during summer periods when clovers may become dormant.
2. If interested only in deer or rabbits, smaller plots of legumes without grass will produce much more green forage. Such lush stands are not preferred by turkeys or quail.

Location

Select a site which is open and tillable but adjacent to suitable cover. Stay at least 20 yards from any woodland edge to reduce competition with trees and to permit the establishment of a buffer strip of perennials and shrubs between the food plot and the timber. Plots should be placed on flat ridge tops, bottom lands, or along the contour of a gentle slope.

Size and Number

For deer and turkey: The plots should be placed about 1/4 mile apart, or one per 40 acres and be a minimum of one acre in size. For rabbits: The plots should be spaced one per six acres and may be as small as 1//4 acre.

Fertilization and Seedbed Preparation

Seedbeds for both kinds of plots should be prepared in September or early October. Fertilizer should be applied and worked into the soil at eh time of seedbed preparation. Correct fertilization is essential for successful establishment and long term maintenance of the plots. If possible, a sample of soil from the plots should be taken to the County Extension Office for analysis of fertilizer needs. (Emphasize the nature and purpose of the legume plot). Extension will then provide recommendations for both initial fertilization and annual top dressings of fertilizer. If such recommendations for a start application, then correct and deficiencies by top dressing additional amounts as recommended by the agent.

1. Agricultural Limestone – If the site has not been lime previously, apply eight tons per acre. If it has been limed within five years. apply only four tons per acre.
2. Fertilizer – If the following high analysis fertilizers are available in your community, an optimum rate of fertilization can be achieved by applying (per acre):
   60 pounds of ammonium nitrate (33%) to provide 20 pounds of nitrogen plant food.
   400 pounds of super phosphate (45%) to provide 180 pounds of phosphate plant food.
   200 pounds of Muriate of potash (60%) to provide 120 pounds of potash plant food.
   If the above analysis fertilizers are not available, apply an amount of available mixed fertilizer that will provide at least 120 pounds of phosphate plant food and 100 pounds of potash plant food. For example, 500 pounds of 6-24-24 will provide 30 pounds of nitrogen plant food, 120 pounds of phosphate plant food and 120 pounds of potash plant food. Care should be taken not to apply more than 40 pounds of nitrogen plant food because it will stimulate growth of grasses and weeds excessively so that they crowd out the legumes.

Note: High analysis fertilizer probably will be available only in bulk. If small quantities are needed, ask your dealer to allow you to bag needed quantities of each.

Seeding Method and Rate of Seeding

1. The one acre all-purpose plot should be uniformly seeded with 1/2 bushel of wheat and two pounds of orchard grass at the time of seedbed preparation. At the same time or in early winter, overseed half of the plot with two pounds of Ladino clover and two pounds of red clover. (During January through March, overseed the other half with ten pounds of Korean or Summit lespedeza.) If the soil within the plot is not uniformly productive, seed the clovers on the best site and lespedeza on the poorer site.
2. The deer and rabbit green browse plot should be uniformly seeded with wheat at the rate of 1/2 bushel per acre, along with five pounds per acre of either inoculated alfalfa, Ladino clover, red clover, a mixture of these, or two pounds per acre of birdsfoot trefoil. The wheat will die after the first year, but the legume should persist and furnish succulent browse for three to five years.

Maintenance

Clip the plots each year between July 1 and 15 and top dress the plot with 50 pounds of phosphate plant food and 50 pounds of potash plant food each September. Omit nitrogen fertilizer if possible. If you must use a fertilizer containing nitrogen, apply less than 20 pounds of nitrogen plant food per acre. Renovate and reseed when grasses or weeds have crowded out the desired legumes.

Protection

For maximum value to wildlife, plantings must be protected from excessive grazing. Light grazing that would remove about one-half of the growth during the last half of June is desirable in lieu of clipping. Do not graze during the fall or winter months.

Missouri Department of Conservation

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If you have interest in upping your skills on wildlife and land management check out "A Helping Hand to Manage Your Land" workshop held Saturday, March 2 and Saturday March 9th from 8:30am – 4:30pm both days. The March 2nd workshop will be help at the Powder Valley Nature Center, 11715 Cragwold Rd. in Kirkwood Mo. The March 9th session will be at the MU Extension Center at 260 Brown Road in St. Peters Mo. You may choose to attend one or both of these.

Event organizers say this two-day workshop will be like going to "wildlife school". Attendees will learn the biology and life history of common wildlife species and wildlife in general, and for other recreational opportunities.\

Registration for both days of the workshop is $25 and includes a catered lunch. Alternatively you may sign up for either day alone for $15 which also includes lunch. For more information, a detailed agenda or to register for the workshop Call 636-970-3000.

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• 76% lenders
• 9% Rural appraisers
• 4% University of Missouri extension specialists
• 4% Broker/Realtors
• 7% other related occupations

Map below shows top 9 areas for Missouri cropland prices. See table below for specific survey data.

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Land is selling like hot cakes…….why?

Escalating crop prices have led to increased demand for farm land but why the increases? The answer seems to lie in other parts of the world like China and India. Those countries suddenly have an emerging middle class that can afford to a better diet including meat.  Higher demand for meet means higher demand for the grain to feed cattle, pigs and chickens.

Will that demand continue to grow?

Currently the average American consumes about 250 pounds of meat per year. The average Chinese consume roughly 100 pounds per year and the average Indian eats less than 10 pounds per year. It is safe to assume that if the standard of living in those countries continues to rise they will be spending that extra money on protein rich meat.

In a Monsanto company ad they stated that the world's farmers would need to produce more food in the next 50 years than farmers have produced in total over the last 10,000 years.

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Hemorrhagic Disease (HD) and Bluetongue reported in deer near Old Monroe, Missouri

Q & A regarding Hemorrhagic disease and Bluetongue

What Causes HD?

HD is caused by two closely related viruses, epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) or bluetongue virus. There are 2 subtypes of EHD virus and 5 subtypes of bluetongue in North America. Because disease features produced by these viruses are indistinguishable, a general term, hemorrhagic disease, often is used when the specific virus is unknown.

How Is HD Spread?

HD is not spread by direct contact. It is transmitted by tiny biting flies in the genus Culicoides. These flies are commonly known as biting midges but are also called local names such as sand gnats, sand flies, no-see-ums and punkies.

When Does HD Occur?

HD typically occurs from mid-August through October, and this seasonality is related to the abundance of the biting midges. The onset of freezing weather, which stops the midges, brings a sudden end to HD outbreaks. How the viruses persist through the winter when midges are not active is not clear.

What Are The Signs Of HD?

Outward signs in live deer depend partly on the virulence (potency) of the virus and duration of infection. Many affected deer appear normal or show only mild signs of illness. When illness occurs, the signs change as the disease progresses. Initially animals may be depressed, feverish, have a swollen head, neck, tongue, or eyelids, or have difficulty breathing. With highly virulent strains of the virus, deer may die within 1 to 3 days. More often, deer survive longer and may become lame, lose their appetite, or reduce their activity. Dead or dying deer found near water in late summer or early fall are a common characteristic of an HD outbreak.

When Should You Suspect HD?

HD should be suspected in instances of unexplained deer mortality during late summer or early fall. Because the deer have a high fever during the first few days of the disease, dead or dying deer are often found near water (e.g., lying on or near the banks of ditches, creeks, lakes, rivers, etc.) lying on the cool moist soil.

What Should I Do If I Find What I Think Is A Dead Or Dying HD Deer?

Do not attempt to contact, disturb, kill, or remove the animal. Please report the approximate location of the animal to Jeff Esely Private Land Conservationist  636-528-4877 ext 3 or email jeff.esely@mdc.mo.gov

How Many Deer Will Be Lost?

HD occurs frequently, but its severity and distribution are highly variable. Past occurrences have ranged from a few scattered mild cases to dramatic widespread outbreaks losing up to 50% of the deer population.

What Is The "Hoof Disease" That I Hear Deer Hunters Talk About Related To HD?

As noted above, many deer survive HD infections. In these surviving deer, the fever at the onset of the disease often causes growth interruptions in the hooves and later peeling or sloughing of the hoof walls (see photo). If a deer has sloughing/splitting hooves on two or more feet during  firearms deer season, it is likely that it had HD a couple of months earlier.

Was The HD Outbreak Caused By Overpopulation?

High-density deer herds may have higher mortality rates; however, the relationship of deer density to severity of HD is not clear-cut. The number of deer that are immune, the virulence of the virus, the number of livestock nearby, or the abundance of midge vectors may influence the outcome of infection within a deer population regardless of deer density. However, dense deer herds would be expected to support virus spread better than sparse herds.

Are Livestock Affected?

In contrast to the significance of EHD and bluetongue viruses to white-tailed deer, the importance of these agents to domestic livestock is more difficult to assess. Most bluetongue virus infections in cattle are silent; however, a small percentage of animals can develop lameness, sore mouths, and reproductive problems. Cattle can be short-term bluetongue virus carriers. Less is know about EHD in cattle. EHD virus has been isolated from sick cattle, and surveys have shown that cattle often have antibodies to this virus, indicating frequent exposure. For domestic sheep the situation is more straightforward. Sheep are generally unaffected by EHD, but bluetongue can be a serious disease similar to that in deer.

Will Livestock Become Infected From Deer?

Past observations have revealed that simultaneous infections sometimes occur in deer, cattle, and sheep. Discovery of illness in deer indicates that infected biting midges are present in the vicinity, and, thus, both deer and livestock are at risk of infection. Once virus activity begins, both livestock and deer potentially serve to fuel an outbreak; however, the spread of disease from deer to livestock, or vice versa, has not been proven. Furthermore, long-term carrier status for EHD or bluetongue viruses has not been reported in deer.

Will HD Recur?

Yes. HD activity has exhibited relatively distinct geographic patterns.

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