The Phillips-Rooks Extension District conducts an Agriculture Leasing Arrangements Survey in the counties of Phillips and Rooks each year. The most recent leasing survey was completed in December 2021. Each county randomly mailed 50 surveys to landowners/tenants in each of the counties with each township represented. The surveys were then compiled and summarized in individualized county reports. You may request a copy of the report by contacting the Phillips-Rooks Extension District in Phillipsburg (785-543-6845) or Stockton (785-425-6851).

Champion Trees in Kansas The Kansas Champion Tree Program maintains a searchable database of the largest trees in Kansas so they can be identified, preserved, and enjoyed by all. The majority of trees listed are native to the state, though a few non-native species are also included.

Amid the hustle and bustle of this season, I have recently been reminded that, contrary to the temperatures outside, it is winter. As if the short daylight hours, the Christmas stockings and kids being out for winter break haven’t clued me in on this time of the year, a tiny reminder has made it abundantly clear it is indeed winter.

Feeding Cattle Following Wildfire Maintaining cattle immediately following a wildfire is challenging because of the lack of available feedstuffs, because both grazed and harvested forages are generally diminished. Dehydrated cattle will voluntarily consume ash-contaminated sources of water but should not be allowed to do so if preventable; ash may contain a variety of toxic contaminants.

Preparing Poultry for Winter Winter is here and bad weather will soon be on the way. That means it's time to start getting small flocks that range outdoors ready for the colder temperatures.

The deer heard my footsteps crunching oak leaves as I crested a hill coming up out of the creek bottom. They didn’t make a sound as they darted through the clearing ahead of me. The white of their tails only briefly signaled their retreat before they slipped further into the tree line.

Controlling Volunteer Trees Though trees are a vital part of our landscapes, there are situations where volunteer trees need to be controlled. This is often a case of the wrong plant in the wrong place.

Do looks really matter? This topic is better suited to philosophers, but a series of observations from my trip to the Baltics earlier this year with Kansas Farm Bureau’s Casten Fellows Program has had me questioning my belief that if something works, it does not matter if it looks good. I have pondered the value of aesthetics in the spaces where we spend our time and the possessions with which we fill them.

One of the funny things about getting older is how it warps our perception of time. When we’re young and nearly every experience is new, time moves slowly. As we age, however, there are fewer and fewer things we haven’t experienced, our schedules become more predict able and the days seem to meld together.

Crops and Livestock Budgets Farm owners/managers must answer several economic questions annually to determine the business feasibility of their operation. The budgeting process provides a basic source of information for answering economic questions and making farm management decisions.