By: Sam Nelson and Mark Weinraub

Hot, dry weather for the next two weeks will continue to stress corn and soybean crops in the western and northern U.S. Midwest, although improving odds for rainfall in the east offered some hope to struggling soybeans, meteorologists said on Tuesday.

"The rains will be too late for corn but it will help soybeans. We see upwards of an inch to 1-1/2 inches (of rain) this week and again next week for Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky," said Don Keeney, meteorologist for MDA EarthSat Weather.

A midday run of the weather forecasting models boosted expectations for rain in the middle of next week, said Jason Nicholls, meteorologist for AccuWeather. The new forecast calls for rains of 0.2 to 0.7 inch around the region, up from earlier outlooks of 0.1 to 0.6 inch.

USDA Rural Development State Director Tom Fern is in Vanceburg today to announce funding for a local non-profit group to promote job creation and business development.

Rural Development recently awarded a Rural Business Enterprise Grant in the amount of $75,000 to the Center for Appalachian Philanthropy.

“The Obama Administration and USDA are committed to helping rural small businesses grow, and to providing the technical support needed to spark sustainable job creation,” Fern said.

The Pendleton County Conservation District continues the Dead Livestock Removal Program for the 14th year as a service to the landowners/producers in Pendleton County.

However, the rules and regulations have changed this year so be aware of the changes and prepare to abide by them. The new rules are: there will be a limit of five total head (this includes mixed or all one species) to the same name/address without any questions. After that the Pendleton County Animal Control person will be asked to check for neglect or natural causes of death. If natural death there can be an additional two pickups total of seven in one fiscal year. This fiscal year will be July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013. Any Natural Disaster will be reviewed by the Conservation District Board of Supervisors.

No question about it, 2012 is proving to be a record breaker where heat and drought are concerned. You’ll want to make some adjustments due to the weather to take care of your horses this summer. It’s very important to also consider what you will need to feed them later on this year.

Horse owners rely on pasture to meet a significant portion of their horses’ daily nutrient needs. With dry conditions across Kentucky, you may be facing the need to feed hay sooner than you normally do and supplies are going to be tight this year.

Throughout their 4-H career, young people have ample opportunities to learn and experience leadership. Some of the hands-on leadership opportunities come in the form of officer positions available to 4-H’ers at the county, district and state levels.

4-H offers clubs in many different interest areas. Some 4-H’ers first leadership experience is being a club officer at the county level. It is here that youth learn how to plan and run a meeting. As 4-H’ers build on their leadership skills, they also have the opportunity to run for district and state-level club officer positions.

Soon, many vegetables and fruits will be ready for harvesting, and many gardeners will have more produce than they can readily eat. Those who want to preserve fresh, summer foods for later consumption will consider either freezing or canning the harvest. But is one way of preservation better than the other? The answer depends on the type of food you want to preserve.

If proper techniques and correct temperatures are used, frozen foods retain greater amounts of their vitamin content, natural color, flavor and texture.

Farm apprentice Sarah Dehart, 32, is pulling carrots out of Cultivate KC's field at Gibbs Road Farm in Kansas City, Kan.

She is sporting true farmer's gear: overalls, a plastic tub of vegetables on her shoulder and a tan. Also tucked into the bib pocket of her overalls is a smartphone, a tool that has the potential to help spread urban farming knowledge in a viral sort of way.

Cultivate KC is a not-for-profit organization that encourages and develops urban farming through policy, outreach and marketing. So Ami Freeburg, the farm's program assistant, and Dehart commiserate that smartphones are too easily lost or soiled out in the fields to make it very practical to snap photos of the produce as it's picked and upload the images onto the organization's Facebook page.

Getting farmers wired requires finding an interface for two different ways of life. On the one hand are most consumers, who work and play networked to one another by computer, smartphone or tablet. On the other are the farmers, who are mostly cut off, working in fields where cellphone signals can be weak to nonexistent.

The Kentucky Personnel Board voted unanimously Friday to open an investigation into alleged improprieties at the Department of Agriculture under former commissioner Richie Farmer.

The investigation stems from a lengthy audit conducted by state Auditor Adam Edelen that found a host of irregularities in the department during Farmer's administration, including instances when state hiring laws allegedly were circumvented and certain employees were given bonuses.

Edelen's findings were forwarded to several agencies, including the state Personnel Board, which investigates improprieties involving state merit — or non-political — employees.

The 8th annual Quilt Extravaganza will take place in Berea, KY on August 3 and 4. The event celebrates the art of quilting and offers something for everyone. Berea Community School, at 1 Pirate Parkway, is the main location for Quilt Extravaganza. The admission fee is $3. Quilt Extravaganza hours are 10 am to 6 pm on Friday, August 3, and 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday, August 4.  For more detailed information call 859-985-9317.

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