Barry Alexander, farm manager for Cundiff Farms in Trigg County, showed off many of his conservation and energy-efficient practices. The Secretary was particularly impressed with Alexander’s use of solar panels to power his grain handling system, as well as employee housing and selling excess power back to the grid.
Farmers representing the Kentucky Soybean Board and Association, Kentucky Corn Growers, and the Kentucky Small Grain Growers Association hosted a two-day “show and tell” farm tour for guests from the Kentucky Cabinet for Energy and the Environment this week.
Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Goodman was accompanied by Deputy Secretary John Lyons, Energy Assurance and Efficiency Coordinator Amanda LeMaster, and Executive Advisor Anne Marie Franklin.
University of Kentucky to host irrigation workshop
The University of Kentucky will host an irrigation workshop at 9 a.m. CST Feb. 18 on the videoconferencing platform Zoom. The workshop is sponsored by Kentucky Farm Bureau.
During the workshop, UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment specialists will provide an update on their irrigation research projects. Matt Dixon, meteorologist with the UK Ag Weather Center will discuss instances when irrigation is needed in Kentucky, based on historical weather events.
Only a small percentage of Kentucky grain producers regularly irrigate their crops, but many producers are interested in irrigation due to its potential benefits. Irrigation can keep crops from becoming stressed during dry periods, and it can help producers use the correct amount of inputs and may help those inputs remain in the field.