Area 4-H Meat Goat Clinic
On Saturday, April 1
st
, a group of potential Montgomery County goat showmen, traveled to Richmond County to attend a 4-H Meat Goat Clinic. The clinic covered topics such as Show Goat Selection, Show Goat Nutrition, Judging Tips, Parasite Management, Clipping and Hoof Trimming. Speakers for the event included area goat producers John McInnis and Scott Simmons, NC Cooperative Extension Agents Tiffanee Conrad and Sara Beth Routh, and NC State's 4-H Youth Livestock Specialist, Brent Jennings. With over 75 people in attendance, the clinic was a huge success. Participants enjoyed the day's events and garnered a lot of hands-on experience that will make them more competitive in the show ring this year.
Sheep Management Demonstration
The FFA students at West Montgomery High School have been busy learning how to work with sheep this semester. They started the school year off with two ewes and one ram and in early March, they welcomed twins to their small flock. On April 7
th
, the Livestock Agent was asked to come teach the animal science classes how to vaccinate, ear tag and perform basic flock maintenance for sheep including hoof trimming, body condition scoring and FAMACHA scoring. After discussing each topic, students were offered the opportunity to try it themselves. It was a great way to apply what they had already learned in the classroom in a fun, hands-on way.
April Montgomery County Cattleman's Association
The Montgomery County Cattlemen's Association met on Tuesday night, April 11
th
at 6:30pm at the Ag Center on Glen Road in Troy. After the invocation, a steak dinner was enjoyed by everyone. President, Archie Smith called the meeting to order. There were 43 people in attendance. Mr. Phillip Beaman, Montgomery County Farm Bureau Agency Manager was the guest speaker for the evening. Phillip talked about the importance of having insurance, the different types of insurance policies available to farm/land owners and what Farm Bureau could do to help the farmers of our county. After a brief question and answer session, the meeting was adjourned. The Montgomery County Cattlemen's Association's next meeting will be Tuesday, September 12
th
after taking the summer off. If you are interested in joining the Cattlemen's Association, contact Jamie at 910-576-6011.
Pesticide Collection Day
Pesticides, even those commonly used around the house can be hazardous to our environment if disposed of improperly. Plants, animals and humans can all be affected by the unsafe and careless disposal of everyday chemicals from our homes
.
To reduce these dangers and provide a proper method of disposal, the Livestock and Horticulture Agents partnered with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Pesticide Disposal Assistance Program (PDAP) to provide a successful, free Pesticide Collection Day in Montgomery County on Wednesday, April 19th.
Workers at the event kept track of how many containers were collected as well as the total weight of pesticides collected during the day.
According to the PDAP staff after the event,
37 containers
of pesticides,
totaling 316 pounds
were collected. With an estimated disposal cost of $1.10 per pound, this collection day saved the citizens of Montgomery County approximately $348 and provided residents with the peace of mind that the unwanted or out of date chemicals were discarded in an environmentally safe manner.
