Press Release BATON ROUGE, La. -- The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) is now accepting applications for the 2015 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP), Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., announced today.

Applications must be received no later than close of business (4:30 p.m.) May 11, 2015.

The LDAF will administer the grant program funded through the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS). Although, the USDA has not officially released SCBGP funding amounts, the LDAF anticipates about $300,000 will be available to fund Louisiana projects.

The grants designated for the state are to be used for projects that solely enhance the competitiveness of Louisiana specialty crops like fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, Christmas trees, turf grass/sod, nursery and greenhouse crops.

Some groups eligible for the grants include non-profit organizations and corporations, commodity associations, state and local government entities, colleges and universities. Applicants must reside in or their business or educational affiliation must be in Louisiana. One requirement of applicants is that each applicant must obtain a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and include that number on their application.

Grant funds will not be awarded for projects that directly benefit a particular commercial product or provide a profit to a single organization, institution or individual. Projects should focus on issues to help improve specialty crop industries as a whole such as: distribution, production, research, market development, food safety, promotion and education.

LDAF will accept grant applications with a yearly budget value of up to $100,000. Grants can be awarded for projects lasting up to two years and 11 months. Once the deadline has passed, all applications submitted to the LDAF will be carefully evaluated to determine if the projects are qualified based on the criteria listed in the guidelines.

All submitted project applications deemed qualified will be reviewed and scored by a panel consisting of industry stakeholders, and the panel will make funding recommendations to LDAF. All LDAF approved projects will be incorporated into one state grant request, which will be submitted to the USDA.

LDAF has prepared a Request for Applications (RFA) document detailing application instructions, scoring criteria, federal forms, project format examples and other helpful information from the USDA. The document may be found at http://www.LDAF.la.gov. Click on the 2015 Specialty Crop alert.

A complete list of eligible specialty crops may be found at http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/scbgpdefinitions.

Excerpt from:
Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Accepting Applications

A grounds crew member works on the infield at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. (Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post)

It is by now mid-March, and the impossible has happened: temperatures have warmed, the snow has melted (even in Boston), spring seems possible and even probable, and baseball could, in theory, be played somewhere other than Florida or Arizona. Three weeks from now, every team in baseball will have played at least one game. The expectations will be there: green grass, smooth dirt, Opening Day logos.

If you talk to any groundskeeper across baseball or any professional sport, theyre never going to be happy with the field, said John Turnour, the head groundskeeper at Nationals Park. Certainly, for your home opener, you want to look your best.

And this winter, across what seemed like the forever frozen Northeast, that has presented certain challenges. Groundskeepers, by the nature of their jobs, are obsessed with weather.

Other than my wife, said David Mellor, the head groundskeeper for the Boston Red Sox, the first thing I look at when I wake up is the weather. And other than my wife, the last thing I look at when I go to sleep is the weather.

This winter, neither was a particularly enjoyable way to end one day or start the next. Boston received a record 108.6 inches of snow. Washington endured its coldest February since 1979, then got snow in March. Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York all have outdoor baseball parks, all have grass that needs to grow, all will be hosting games within a month, and none were particularly sunny about the prospect a few weeks ago.

I generally try not to look at the weather during the offseason, Turnour said. I enjoy not looking at it. But unfortunately this year, weve had to start paying attention a lot sooner than what Id like to.

At Nationals Park, thats true not only because of the cold, but because of the fact that the field underwent a complete resodding, finished just Monday. When the Nationals and the District government agreed to use Nationals Park to host the NHLs Winter Classic on Jan. 1, the club knew it would be an opportune time to put in new grass specifically, 100,000 square feet of Kentucky bluegrass over the entire playing surface. The old field had endured four seasons, so it was time for a new one anyway.

Its a very straightforward project, Turnour said, and he and his crew as well as an outside contractor hired to do the work began the work Feb. 9. They needed, Turnour said, somewhere between 14 and 21 days to fully strip the old grass, grade out the root zone effectively lowering the field a bit and then regressing. When the winter began, March 1 was the target date to have the new field in.

Its not complicated by any means, he said.

View post:
Opening Damp: Long, wet winter challenges MLBs groundskeepers

Mother Nature giveth and she taketh away for locals who have been enjoying Wagner Park over the last few months.

The downtown park was again fenced off on Tuesday to allow sod that was laid last fall time to better establish its root system now that the winter blanket of snow has melted.

Chris Forman, operations manager for the citys parks department, said hes optimistic that the closure wont last more than a few weeks, but stressed that weather extremes could make that longer or shorter.

We dont anticipate that it will be that long of a closure, Forman said Tuesday. The new drainage system is working great, but we dont have as strong of a root system [as wed like right now.]

The popular downtown spot was closed to the public on Aug. 4 while $900,000 in upgrades to its irrigation and drainage systems were installed.

A new layer of sod was placed in October and the parks department at the time felt the new grass needed the winter and some of the spring to fully take root.

But after some early-season heavy snowfall, the fences were taken down on Dec. 23 and people again flocked to the park.

Forman said the field is pretty squishy right now, and with possible rain in the forecast, it was time to close it off.

Its really, really wet out there, he said.

Forman said that while the turf made it through the winter in great condition, they now need to make sure it survives the spring thaw.

The rest is here:
Warm weather leads to Wagner Park closure

How to Lay Sod - Houston Grass South - Sugar Land Katy Pearland

By: HoustonGrassSouth

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How to Lay Sod - Houston Grass South - Sugar Land Katy Pearland - Video

Press Release -- Although our lawns are still dormant this month, you can begin to plan your strategy to have an attractive, healthy lawn this summer. Because the grass is still dormant, most lawns look relatively bad now, so dont judge yours too harshly at this point.

You should go ahead and identify areas where grass has died out completely and only bare soil remains. These areas will have to be repaired in April or May. Otherwise, wait until late April or May to evaluate your lawn and make final decisions on any repair work that may be needed.

Lawn thinning can be caused by several common problems, including insects and diseases, heavy traffic, poor soil fertility and too much shade. Poor maintenance, such as improper mowing and watering, also can be a factor.

One or more of these problems may be affecting your lawn, and the cause may stretch back well into the past.

Winter weather does not stop the lush growth of winter weeds in lawns. Most annual cool-season weeds will not cause significant damage to a healthy lawn, so control is generally not critical.

I would, however, recommend that you mow your lawn now and occasionally hereafter to keep any cool-season weeds from flowering and setting seed. This will reduce annual cool-season weed problems next year.

You may apply a lawn weed killer now if you choose to. Control with herbicides is more important for cool-season perennial weeds, such as dollarweed and clover.

A number of commercial lawn weed killers are available to control a wide variety of weeds. Make sure you choose one that is labeled safe to use on the type of grass you have.

You should know what kind of weeds are growing in your lawn you might take some to the nursery for identification so you can check the herbicide label to make sure the product will control them. Follow label directions carefully to avoid damaging the turf or landscape plants. Two applications generally provide the best control.

Whatever weed killer you choose, do not use a weed and feed. It is too early now to fertilize your lawn, and it will still be too early in March when lawns begin to green up. Research shows that turfgrass does better if you wait until early to mid-April to make the first application of fertilizer. If you have a weed problem that you need to deal with now, use a weed killer without fertilizer in it.

Read more from the original source:
Lawns Require Late-Winter, Early-Spring Care

Harrison County BOE Discuss Proposals for RCB Track and Turf Harrison County BOE Discuss Proposals for RCB Track and Turf

Updated: Monday, March 16 2015 11:46 PM EDT2015-03-17 03:46:06 GMT

The BOE has been working with both Pro Grass and Field Turf Company to come up with estimated cost of fully replacing the track and redoing the football field with artificial turf.

The BOE has been working with both Pro Grass and Field Turf Company to come up with estimated cost of fully replacing the track and redoing the football field with artificial turf.

Updated: Monday, March 16 2015 11:42 PM EDT2015-03-17 03:42:21 GMT

The Guardians of the West Fork Watershed held a public meeting Monday at the West Milford Community Center to discuss the goal in making the West Fork River Water Trail.

The Guardians of the West Fork Watershed held a public meeting Monday at the West Milford Community Center to discuss the goal in making the West Fork River Water Trail.

Updated: Monday, March 16 2015 6:37 PM EDT2015-03-16 22:37:44 GMT

Last week Harrison County Superintendent Mark Manchin sent out a memo regarding the employee-led prayer ban.

Last week Harrison County Superintendent Mark Manchin sent out a memo regarding the employee-led prayer ban.

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Harrison County BOE Discuss Proposals for RCB Track and Turf

After several Yankees groused over New York City FC potentially tearing up their field, and concerns arose this past week about the already questionable conditions at Yankee Stadium, at least for Sundays home debut, those worries proved to be much ado about nothing.

NYCFC passed its first home test with a 2-0 win over New England, and the Yankee Stadium pitch passed its test with flying colors. No, it wasnt lush and green the way the Bombers would expect center field to be by midseason, but considering it was frozen a week ago and sod was still being put down midweek, it was an amazing turnaround.

Its the winter right now, so its just going to get better and better. If we keep winning on it, Im not going to have any problems with it, laughed Mix Diskerud.

Coach Jason Kreis said: This was a tremendous challenge that was placed in front of the groundskeepers here at Yankee Stadium in order to get the field prepared after all the very difficult weather weve had this winter. And for me it was fantastic. The fact they were able to put that together for us on such a short time, Im really pleased.

Photo: Ray Stubblebine

And its to understand their worries, with all the griping the Bombers had done, Mark Teixeira saying, Itll definitely cause an issue. Its terrible for a field. Grass, dirt, everything gets messed up.

But it sure didnt mess up David Villa, who had a goal and an assist and a dominant performance.

The pitch was fine today, Villa said. You have to bear in mind the cold weather weve had to endure the last month, and the team thats been working on it worked extremely hard. We should thank them for it and hopefully in the next few months with nicer weather the pitch will be in even better condition. As players we have to adapt on a weekly basis to the conditions. Id like to thank the team that worked on the pitch, because it was in a very good shape today.

Granted, there are 16 more MLS home dates, barring playoffs. But at least the first came off without a hitch. Sporting director Claudio Reyna admitting he breathed a sigh of relief.

Yes, I walked it on Friday and all I can say is credit to the Yankees ground crew, Reyna said. They did an amazing job. The coaches were pleased with it, the players were happy with it; amazing work by the Yankee grounds crew.

Excerpt from:
NYCFC players on first Stadium run: Thats some good grass

PEA RIDGE -- Bobwhites once filled fields in the south, but their numbers have dropped. A new partnership and plan at Pea Ridge National Military Park aim to boost their numbers.

Ten years ago, people might have seen a bobwhite or two on the park land, said Kevin Eads, park superintendent. In recent years, park managers have seen an increase, Eads said.

A new vegetation plan meant to return the battlefield land to a state closer to what it was during the battle could further help the bobwhite population. The plan calls for about two-thirds of the park's fields to be converted to native grasses, Eads said.

"Those native grasses will look similar to some of the crops that would have been there," Eads said.

Research for the new vegetation plan started in 2012, and park staff members took their landscape cues from 1836 and 1837 survey records.

The plan calls for thinning the forests and removing invasive species such as cedar trees, which will be cut and reused in fences around the battlefield or for mulch.

The plan set the stage for a partnership of the park, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative.

Bobwhite hunting used to be a pastime on par with eating fried catfish or barbecue or watching Southeastern Conference football, said Don McKenzie, National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative director.

The tradition "slipped away on our generation's watch," he said.

But at the same time, farming practices and residential development replaced habitat where bobwhites once thrived.

Read more:
Pea Ridge altering vegetation to attract dwindling bobwhites

When Kennen Huck puts his backhoe digger in park and begins to break the sod in a rectangle shape of eight feet long, 36 inches wide and 5 feet deep, he tries not to put a face to the person placed inside the casket which will soon to be lowered into the ground.

Its just too tough.

Huck is the grounds manager at St. Marys Cemetery in Bismarck, and, for the past 15 years, he has mowed and trimmed the grass around the 8,600 gravesites and plowed the narrow, winding roads at the 40-acre site overlooking much of the city.

At the time he was hired by the St. Marys Catholic Church parish, Huck was working at a local beverage distributor. But being raised on a farm in the New Salem area, Huck enjoyed working in the outdoors.

Huck said he knew a sister at St. Marys Catholic Church who remembered he liked to work outdoors. When she knew of the job opening at the cemetery, she recommended him to Deacon Rex McDowell, the cemetery manager.

His work is done behind the scenes, typically a day or two before the burial.

Using a bucket designed for the dimensions of a grave and with unique shaped claws to puncture the hardest of soil, Huck can sit in the cab of the backhoe and quickly and efficiently dig a gravesite with walls clean, straight and a precise depth in less than an hour.

Huck also subcontracts with other area cemeteries in the area.

Ive been to cemeteries where there are hundreds or thousands and to family plots where there is one person buried," he said.

When he is not in his backhoe, Huck and a seasonal part-time employee keep the cemetery grounds mowed and trimmed. Huck said it can take up to six days manicuring the plots and maintaining the sprinkler system.

Read more here:
NEIGHBORS: Grave digger offers respect to families

Each year, thousands of Arizona residents email or call Rosie Romeros radio show with questions about everything from preventing fires in their chimneys to getting rid of tree roots invading their sewer system. His goal is to provide answers that suit the specific lifestyle wherever someone lives in Arizona.

Q: We are planning to build a 2,366 square-foot home in a new home community located in Green Valley. Is it worth paying $3,000 to use two-by-sixes in outer wall construction instead of two-by-fours?

A: Yes, it is desirable to build the exterior wall using 2x6 studs. That extra dimension will hopefully allow for about a 30 percent increase in thickness for the batts of insulation that the builder installs in exterior walls as a result. While 2x4 construction is perfectly acceptable from a structural standpoint, those smaller studs will only allow for a 3.5-inch thickness in insulation. On the other hand, the 2x6s will accommodate a 5.5-inch thickness.

That increase in insulation may or may not reward you with an equivalent decrease in your heating and cooling utility bills. However, it most definitely will save more money than if you used the thinner insulating material.

Of course, lots of factors enter into calculating energy savings, including the number, size and quality of your windows; the efficiency rating of your heating and cooling equipment; ductwork design and installation; the attic insulation (be sure to opt for a minimum of R38 there); the geographic orientation of your home; the number of recessed light fixtures (each one of them puts a big hole in your ceiling allowing conditioned air to escape into the attic); and the size, number and quality of exterior doors as well as their weather stripping.

Q: We have a smoke detector that is driving us crazy. It started chirping and we put in a new battery, but it kept on chirping. Whats going on?

A: You might try another replacement battery. Perhaps the one you used is old or defective. But its also possible that your smoke detector has worn out due to its age. Most detectors need to be replaced every 10 years.

Q: Last summer around the Fourth of July, I had some Bermuda sod laid in my front yard. Then, in winter, I over-seeded the lawn with rye grass. But unfortunately, the rye ended up dying out because I had a broken water line. So now that spring is coming, I want to get my Bermuda to come back. How and when do I do that?

A: First thing to do is fix that water line so you dont have trouble again. Then as the weather warms up, its going to be pretty easy to tell if the Bermuda is coming back because it will start greening up a little bit. At that point, its time to start watering, and youll be able to get the grass going pretty quickly. Keep watering throughout the spring. Whenever it starts to get a little dry outside, you should water again. And of course, water regularly in the summer.

Q: I bought my wife five miniature roses in pots in January. Now, of course, the flowers are all gone, but can I transplant these minis into a pot to put outside on the patio? And how do I do it?

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Is Two-by-Six Construction Worth the Extra Expense?