Lindie Huffman, Agriculture and Natural Resources

We often hear a lot about managing storm water in urban settings, but we may not think about how it impacts farms. During a rain event, clean rainwater can mix with mud, manure and other contaminants and become wastewater.

To manage storm water on your farm you have to divert rainwater from production areas to keep it clean and to reduce the volume of wastewater. To stay in compliance with the Clean Water Act, agricultural operations must manage wastewater in a way that creates no discharge to surface water resources.

USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director John W. McCauley, announced that funds are now available for Guaranteed Conservation Loans. Conservation loans allow farmers and ranchers to implement conservation practices on their land that will help protect natural resources.

"Guaranteed Conservation Loans are a useful alternative to help operators implement any Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) approved conservation practice including, but not limited to, waste management systems, conservation structures or water conservation measures," said McCauley.

Unlike other FSA guaranteed loan programs, Conservation Loans are not limited to family size farms. Operators who may not normally qualify for an FSA guaranteed farm operating or ownership loan could be eligible for a Guaranteed Conservation Loan.

According to McCauley, the Guaranteed Conservation Loan limit is $1,302,000 and interest rates and terms will vary. The maximum guarantee FSA can issue is 75 percent.

A streamlined application process is available for applicants with a strong financial position. The streamlined process reduces paperwork requirements and eliminates the requirement to provide a cash flow statement and supplementary documentation.

Interested applicants who do not already have a conservation plan approved by NRCS should work with their local NRCS staff to develop a conservation plan. As with other guarantees, lenders can reduce risk, increase liquidity and offer lower rates by selling the guaranteed portion in the secondary market.

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Pendleton County Champions Coalition Thoughts on 24/7 Smoke-free Campuses:

Why smoke-Free campuses?

Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death in this country and secondhand smoke is known to be a cancer-causing agent. Devastating cancers are caused by chewing tobacco products. The Pendleton Champions Coalition seeks to create a healthy atmosphere and to protect the health of all students, visitors and employees of our school system.

Lindie Huffman, Agriculture and Natural Resources

With old man winter just around the corner, it’s important to closely follow local weather forecasts and warnings and be familiar with seasonal weather terminology.  This knowledge could save lives.

Listening to a Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) Weather Radio is one of the best ways to monitor severe winter weather notices.  These radios only receive weather alerts for your specific county or the surrounding area.  SAME Weather Radios provide an alerting tone when the weather-watching tone occurs for your particular county or designated area.

The holiday season is a time for giving thanks and giving back.  Now is the perfect time of year to teach children the importance of community service and nurture the spirit of giving.

Start by choosing a charity in your own community.  Then talk to youth about the kinds of charities they would like to support.

If an organization is looking for food donations, give your children the money you want to spend on donations and let them choose the food items at the grocery stores. Thoughtful selections give them a chance to think about what some who are less fortunate might need.

The holidays are fast approaching and while you probably haven’t hit your maximum stress level yet, it will surely hit soon enough.  With last minute shopping, problems with turkey baking, finding all your stuffed-away decorations and dealing with relatives right around the corner, it’s expected that everyone will have stressful moments.

This fall, your nose is not enough to detect a deadly situation caused by odorless gases. Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and natural gas leaks increase this time of year and now is the time to think about making sure your home is equipped with the right detectors to protect you and your family.

Cutting your own Christmas tree brings to mind a Currier & Ives image of a 19th century family in a one-horse open sleigh towing a large pine through a snow-covered field. Kentuckians can experience the modern-day equivalent on farms throughout the Commonwealth.

“Christmas tree farms enable families to make holiday memories,” Agriculture Commissioner James Comer said. “They also help Kentucky farmers make a living. I encourage all Kentucky families to buy a fresh Kentucky Proud tree this holiday season.”

During the five weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's, Americans produce an extra one million tons of trash per week compared to any other time of the year.  Thinking green this holiday season can include more than just boughs of holly. Whether it is shopping, choosing a gift or entertaining, small changes in your holiday habits can make big differences. Here are a few ideas and suggestions on how to have a wonderful, gift-giving holiday season and still be Earth friendly.

Stress is something that everyone deals with at some point in their lives, including teenagers.  Adolescence can be a difficult time of growth and self-discovery for most people. Teens not only develop stress from biological changes that their bodies are going through, but they develop stress from many things around them. Teens can experience stress as a result of family, peers, society, the media, school and even themselves.