Numbers Up for Local Fairs

More money was spent at the livestock sale at the Sand and Sage Round Up this year, and twice the number of open entries was noted for the Holly Gateway Fair, according to Lacey Mann, CSU S.E. Area Extension Agent.  Mann said this year’s livestock sale posed a 25% increase over last year and came in at $138,785, about $35,000 more than last year, with the same number of participants.  She told the Prowers County Commissioners, there were unit and reserve champions from the county at this year’s state fair with 48 general projects entered in state competition.  Lacey said the Holly Gateway Fair had the Old Gym packed with exhibits this fall and open entries nearly doubled last year’s crops, vegetables and baked good entries.  The Junior Livestock sale posted $73,125 in receipts.  She added than the southeast director’s position has been filled by Jennifer Wells, who will be starting her new job on December 1^st. 

Dr. Wilma Trujillo, CSU Extension Area Agronomist reported a local interest in winter canola as a rotational crop with winter wheat.  Trujillo, in her Third Quarter Update for the county commissioners, said Kansas farmers have planted 200,000 acres and four local farms have planted the canola on the east end of Colorado.  She said the oil grain seed differs from the grain market as it is not as volatile, so the farmer’s economic risk can be spread out.  Some advantages to the canola are the harvest can be hayed and the hulls can be processed into cake.  Colorado Mills should be able to handle the harvest, she added.  Although the seed is small, it can be coated for a larger size for handling.  As it is a genetically modified seed, it’s not cheap, going for $9 per pound, but the payout is also sizable.  Planting should be done in late August, and the ground needs to be well irrigated to start a good root system.

By Russ Baldwin