Agriculture Glance

4-H agent hired

Yuma County has a new 4-H agent, and not a moment too soon with the Yuma County Fair only a few weeks away. The fair will be March 30-April 4.

Amy Parrott will take over the position, effective March 1. At least she won't have a learning curve, having grown up in the Yuma County 4-H program. She also had worked with the 4-H program for two years in a temporary position as instructional specialist senior.

"We're very excited to have someone who knows the program and will be able to take charge of things we have going immediately," said Barry Bequette, director of Yuma County Cooperative Extension. "She already has Yuma contacts in place. And the fact she worked for us for two years will make the transition easier."

Yuma County has been without a 4-H agent since late November, when Tim Kock accepted a position with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the Republic of Georgia. A second 4-H agent position has been frozen because of funding cutbacks for the program throughout the state.

Since Kock's resignation, the 4-H program has been handled solely by Marlena Parrott, an instructional specialist senior.

Since Marlena Parrott is the mother of Amy Parrott, she will be moved to another position in the extension office and a new 4-H instructional specialist will be hired, hopefully by July 1, Bequette said.

Amy Parrott has a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Arizona and a master's degree in education from Northern Arizona University.

Farm Bureau board meet

The Yuma County Farm Bureau will have a board meeting at noon Wednesday at Booth Machinery.

FFA Career Day winners

The 2004 Yuma District FFA Career Development Event Day was held recently at Arizona Western College. Individual placings for the various competitions include:

Agricultural Mechanics - Erik Rico, Anthony Baughn and Mike McDaniel, all of the Antelope High School FFA Chapter.

Agronomy - Fernando Rodriguez, Darrell Skousen and Amber Ahlstrom, all of Antelope.

Dairy Management - Ellie Casas, Cibola; Ben Hinderer, Cibola; Cory Willis, Kofa.

Entomology - Manny Martin and Omar Morales, both of Antelope.

Field Crop Management - Elizabeth Valenzuela, Lori Yankosky and Katrina Ashby, all of Cibola.

Horse Evaluation - Ashley Shaffer, Yuma; Haley Boelhauf, Cibola; and Kayla Hughes, Yuma.

Livestock Evaluation - Dru Palmer, Cibola; Lesley Franklin, Kofa; and Holly Boelhauf, Cibola.

Meats - Courtney Draper, Justine Verser and Justin Lillie, all of Cibola.

Aquaculture - Tyler Seale, Kevin Gooding and Brenton Lute, all of Cibola.

Job Interview - Krissy Buchan, Yuma; Ashley Perry, Kofa; and Heather Page, Parker.

Nursery/Landscape -Kyle Ramsay, Cibola; Brandon Phipps, Cibola; and Mary Lopez, Antelope.

Soils - Tina Bonsall, Antelope.

First-place teams and their members include:

Agricultural Issues - Antelope FFA: Priscilla Fowler, Ashley Jones, Carly McLaurin, Mariah Lownds, Lindsey Pratt and Jennifer McDaniel.

Agricultural Mechanics - Antelope FFA: Jessica Jorajuria, Erik Rico, Mike McDaniel, Anthony Baughn.

Agronomy - Antelope FFA: Darrell Skousen, Fernando Rodriguez, Amber Ahlstrom.

Dairy Management - Kofa FFA: Cory Willis, Nick Slater, Andy Hamm, Brent Weddle.

Entomology - Antelope FFA: Omar Morales, Manny Martin.

Field Crop Management - Cibola FFA: Elizabeth Valenzuela, Lori Yankosky, Katrina Ashby, Pedro Martinez.

Horse Evaluation - Yuma FFA: Kayla Hughes, Alison Hobbs, Ashley Shaffer.

Aquaculture - Cibola FFA: Adam Tucker, Kevin Gooding, Brenton Lute, Tyler Seale.

Livestock - Kofa FFA: Ashlee Racel, Mike Easterday, Kyle Kuechel, Lesley Franklin.

Nursery/Landscape - Cibola FFA: Edwin Orozco, Brandon Phipps, Kyle Ramsay.

Meats - Cibola FFA: Justine Verser, Courtney Draper, Ambur Luster, Jimmie Lillie.

Crop insurance deadline near

Arizona producers of four major spring planted crops have until Feb. 28 to sign up for federally subsidized crop insurance. That is also the deadline to make any changes to existing policies.

The four crops that share the approaching deadline are cotton, extra long staple cotton, corn and grain sorghum.

Producers must not only decide what percentage of their expected yield to insure and at what price level, but also, in many cases, what type of insurance policy they want to use for their coverage.

While all crops in Arizona are insurable under the traditional Multiple Peril Crop Insurance, there are other choices to evaluate. Producers should contact their private crop insurance agent before the deadline to learn what the choices are for where they farm.

Dinner's on Yuma County Farm Bureau

Eileen Dunn of the Yuma County Farm Bureau presented a basket of products representing foods grown in this area to the family of Jackie Rosch. The drawing was held as part of the observance of Food Check-out Day, held annually by the organization to demonstrate the affordability and safety of the nation's food supply. Accepting the basket containing a variety of fresh vegetables, juice, pasta and other foods are Rosch and her children, Zackery, Kathrine, Benjamin and Christina.