June 3, 2020 Issue, Page 5 of 8

Page Text

Agricultre Wednesday, June 3, 2020 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Page 5 Looking for some gardening tips this month? The Beckham County Ex- Remain alert for insect lawns can first become vis- tial damage from later life Watch for forks in the main aerated covers. tension Office offers garden damage. Add spider mite ible in mid-May. Make cer- cycle stages as grubs in the trunk and remove the least Flowers tips for June. to the list. Foliage of most tain fertilizer applications summer. desirable trunk as soon as it Pinch back leggy annuals General Landscape plants becomes pale and have been adequate before Fruit and Nut is noticed. to encourage new growth. Find someone to water speckled; juniper foliage applying a fungicide. Renovate overgrown Pine needle disease treat- plants in the house and gar- turns a pale yellowish color. Seeding of warm-season strawberry beds after the last ments are needed again in Fertilize and water appropri- den while on vacation. Har- Shake a branch over white grasses should be completed harvest. Start by setting your mid-June. ately. vesting vegetables and mow- paper and watch for tiny by the end of June (through lawnmower on its highest Remove tree wraps dur- Feed established mums ing the lawn are a must and specks that crawl. Watch July for improved varieties setting and mow off the foli- ing the summer to avoid and other perennials. imply that someone is home. for first generation fall web- such as Riviera and Yukon) age. Next thin crowns 12-24 potential disease and insect When picking fresh roses Mulch ornamentals, vege- worm. to reduce winterkill losses. inches apart. Apply recom- buildup. or removing faded ones, cut tables, and annuals to reduce Turfgrass Brown patch disease of mended fertilizer, preemer- Softwood cuttings from back to a leaflet facing the soil crusting, and to regulate Fertilize warm-season cool-season grasses can be a gence herbicide if needed new growth of many shrubs outside of the bush to en- temperatures and moisture grasses at 1 Ib. N per 1,000 problem. and keep watered. will root if propagated in a during hot summer months. square feet. Don’t fertilize White grubs will soon be Trees and Shrubs moist shady spot. courage open growth and air Mulching will reduce about fescue and other cool-season emerging as adult June Bee- Vigorous, unwanted Protect trees from lawn- circulation. 70 percent of the summer grasses during the summer. tles. Watch for high popula- limbs should be removed mowers and weed eaters by Stake tall perennials be- yard maintenance. Dollar spot disease of tions that can indicate poten- or shortened on new trees. mulching or using protective fore toppling winds arise. Lucas, other representatives urge payments for cattle producers US Rep. Frank Lucas immediately provide flexi- tially devastating to their op- USDA’s failure to adequate- mately 2.9 million head of ered as a result of the CO- (District. 03-Oklahoma) bility to allow producers that erations. ly design a program that re- cattle were slaughtered for VID-19 pandemic should joined Rep. Rick Crawford sold cattle after April 15, “For some cow/calf and sponds to those losses. the weeks ending April 17 be eligible for USDA’s re- (Arkansas-01), Rep. Mike 2020, eligibility for Coro- stocker producers, the spring “Many small farmer-feed- through May 23. Slaughter Conaway (Texas-11) and navirus Food Assistance sale of calves is the only in- ers are similarly harmed by will continue in the weeks sponse in CFAP, regardless 48 of his House Republican Program (CFAP) payments come from their cattle herd USDA’s choice of an April ahead, and live cattle prices of if those sales were before colleagues in urging the U.S. for sales. We also request a for the year, and now any 15 date for CFAP. Due remain impacted in the wake or after an arbitrary April 15 Department of Agriculture detailed explanation and the who sold after April 15 are to the severe reduction in of slaughter disruptions. date. to allow cattle producers that methodology used in the se- immediately harmed by idling or closures at pack- “Furthermore, price de- sold cattle after April 15 to lection of the date to differ- USDA’s program design. ing plants that dramatically “Congress has entrusted clines began in feeder and be made eligible for Corona- entiate between CFAP pay- According to USDA Agri- reduced U.S. cattle slaughter live cattle markets in mid- you with significant resourc- virus Food Assistance Pro- ments for sales and CFAP cultural Marketing Service capacity, many small farm- March, and even in late May, es to support agricultural gram (CFAP) payments for payments for inventory. (AMS) data, 1.55 million er-feeder operations had to price recovery remains mod- producers affected by COV- sales. “The details included in feeder and stocker calves hold market-ready cattle est from lows in April, and ID-19. We are disappointed Lucas’ office in Washing- the May 19 announcement have been marketed for the for an extended time and well below the 5% price de- ton, D.C., shared this letter of CFAP create significant weeks ending from April 17 now must sell those cattle cline threshold set by USDA that the current rollout ap- sent to Department of Ag- disparities for many cattle through May 22. Millions as soon as slaughter capac- to allow commodities to be pears to significantly miss riculture Secretary Sonny producers, particularly those more calves will continue ity is available for those eligible for CFAP. For some the mark for many impacted Perdue: who sold their animals after to be marketed in coming animals. Therefore, many cattle futures contracts, pric- cattle producers, and we im- “On behalf of the under- April 15. For producers who weeks, and those producers of these producers sold at es in late April were nearly signed members who rep- have marketed cattle since will continue to be impacted lower prices after the April plore you to provide flexibil- as low as the lows achieved resent cattle-producing dis- April 15, USDA’s choice of by both the dramatic price 15 CFAP date. According to ity to address this shortcom- in March and April. Produc- tricts, we request that you that particular date is poten- decline in recent months and USDA AMS data, approxi- ers who sold at prices low- ing immediately.” USDA approves Oklahoma to accept SNAP benefits online The U.S. Department of the retail industry.” and to Congressman Lucas written by former House Agriculture announced May “Oklahoma’s — approval for his work to expand the Agriculture Committee 20 the approval of a request of expanding SNAP online SNAP online purchasing Chairman Frank Lucas, au- from Oklahoma to provide purchasing is great news pilot program to our SNAP thorized USDA to conduct online purchasing of food to those who use SNAP to customers here in Oklaho- and evaluate the possibility to Supplemental Nutrition feed their families and pro- ma,” he said in the release. of allowing retail food stores STEN SEN \ Chour RLS Assistance Program house- ducers and small businesses “This is fantastic news for to accept SNAP benefits holds. The USDA SNAP who are providing for their our SNAP customers,” said through online transactions. online purchasing pilot pro- neighbors,” Lucas said. “As OKDHS Adult and Fam- As part of its response to gram, created in the 2014 we continue to safely and ily Services Director Patrick COVID-19, USDA’s Food Farm Bill authored by for- responsibly practice social Klein, in the release. “Like and Nutrition Service has mer House Agriculture distancing, this new pilot so many Oklahomans, it is worked closely with all in- Committee Chairman Frank program will help Oklaho- much safer during this pan- terested states, retailers and Lucas, will allow Oklaho- demic for SNAP recipients benefit processors to make mans continue to stay safe mans to be able to purchase as they order their grocer- to be able to order grocer- online purchasing a reality food online with their SNAP ies online and use curbside ies online and pick them for more SNAP households. benefits. pick-up. As one of the mem- up curbside instead of go- OKDHS continues to “Even before the current bers who helped enact this ing inside a grocery store. work with potential retail- coronavirus pandemic, Con- pilot program, I’m excited The pilot program has been creditors and debtors through financial gress recognized the chang- to see the wonderful benefits successful in other states ers to test and implement the online purchasing using turbulence. ing needs of families and this brings about to my fel- and we are excited it is now individuals as advances in low Oklahomans.” available in Oklahoma.” SNAP benefits. technology further shaped During the pandemic, In less than six weeks, our society,” Congressman thousands of Oklahomans In April 2019, Department amidst an unprecedented sit- Lucas said in a news release who never needed services of Agriculture Secretary uation, USDA has expanded from his office in Washing- before from Oklahoma Hu- Sonny Perdue announced SNAP online purchasing ton, D.C. “As I shepherded man Services have filed for the launch of the two- to 36 states and the Dis- Reorganization * Restructuring * Bankruptcy the 2014 Farm Bill, my col- SNAP benefits, said Okla- year SNAP online purchas- trict of Columbia — nearly leagues and I saw the need to homa Human Services Di- ing pilot that began in New three-quarters of the states, CHRISTENSENLAWGROUP.COM ensure that SNAP customers rector Justin Brown. York before being rolled covering 90% of SNAP 405.232.2020 580.302.6400 have access to these innova- “We are grateful for our out to additional states. The households, the release from Oklahoma City Clinton * Thomas tive tools that are changing federal partners at the USDA 2014 Farm Bill, which was Lucas’ office stated.