Missaukee County
Missaukee County Extension
6180 West Sanborn Road, Suite 2
Lake City, MI 49651-9330 /

P: 231-839-4667 F: 231-839-5282

/ E-mail:

Web: www.msue.msu.edu/Missaukee

October 2007

Missaukee Dairy Quiz Bowl team excels at state competition
The 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl competition is an activity that operates like its more broad-based cousin, the High School Quiz Bowl. The difference is that all the questions included relate to an aspect of dairy cattle.
Young people who participate in Dairy Quiz Bowl gain valuable information that they can use if they choose to become dairy farmers or follow careers that require knowledge of science, business management or food science.
The four-member Missaukee County 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl team placed fourth in the junior division of the Michigan 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl contest at Michigan State University on July 16. The event was part of the State 4-H Dairy Expo.
Jacob Buning, Nathan Buning, Mark Dick and Bryce TeBos competed with 16 other junior division teams from across the state.
During the competition, the team members were asked questions that tested their knowledge about dairy cattle and herd management. The focus for this year’s contest was dairy cattle reproduction and genetics.
To prepare for the contest, the Missaukee County team met monthly beginning in January. Several practice sessions were held at local farms to help the team members learn first-hand about dairy herd management practices. / Specific topics covered during the farm visits included ovulation synchronization protocols, caring for cows at calving, key factors for successful artificial insemination and the importance of recordkeeping in managing reproduction on the farm. A highlight of the on-farm sessions was when the team watched a local veterinarian use an ultrasound machine to determine the pregnancy status of a group of cows.
Contact Kathy Lee,
4-H’ers, leaders honored at annual banquet
The 4-H Youth Development Program is about much more than completing projects for the county fair. 4-H members gain valuable experience in teamwork, responsibility, leadership and service. Adult volunteer leaders provide important support and give the youths the chance to gain positive feedback from caring adults.
Missaukee County 4-H’ers came together early in October to celebrate another year of achievements during the annual 4-H Recognition Awards Banquet at the Lake City Sportsmen’s Club.
Continued
/ Michigan State University Extension helps people improve their lives through an educational process that applies knowledge to critical issues, needs and opportunities. Offices in counties across the state link the research of the land-grant university, MSU, to challenges facing communities. Citizens serving on county Extension councils regularly help select focus areas for programming. MSU Extension is funded jointly by county boards of commissioners, the state through Michigan State University and federally through the US Department of Agriculture. /

4-H banquet--continued

The evening included a slide show highlighting 4-H’ers in activities like Achievement Day at McBain Public School, displaying posters and presenting demonstrations and exhibiting projects at the annual Missaukee Agriculture Youth Show (the county fair).
Emily Lawens was named 4-H Member of the Year. Emily is the daughter of Tim and Lisa Lawens of Lake City. She prepared a scrapbook of the 4-H activities she took part in during the past year as part of the Silver Spurs 4-H Club.
Several adult volunteer leaders were recognized for their service to Missaukee County young people. Kathy Kazor was honored for her five years as a leader, Sonya Jones received a 10-year pin, Hildee Fisher has completed 15 years and Judy Brinks 25-years).
Friend of 4-H awards were presented to Terry Whipple (horses), Marcia Moore (newsletter), Judy Brinks (program support), Cyndi Peasley (4-H council), TP Plumbing (sponsorship) and David Stroud (Program support).
Christopher Reitz was awarded a Shooting Sports medallion for finishing 10th in the U.S. 4-H National competition in archery. Chris is a member of the Blazing Arrows Club.
Contact: David Stroud,
Extension helps growers handle challenging summer weather
A lack of nearly any rain during June, July, and August caused corn to show severe signs of drought stress, which caused stress for Missaukee County farmers. Yellow leaves took on the look of frost-damaged corn and there was concern that the corn would soon be too dry to properly ferment and make good quality corn silage.
Voelker John Deere Implement Sales volunteered the use of a tractor, shredder and trailer to send to county farms to collect corn samples to test for moisture. / Mid-August samples indicated that fear was well founded, as several samples were indeed below the recommended level for moisture. Several inches of rain over the next week, complicated the situation, and delayed the beginning of harvest.
Area MSU Extension educators Jerry Lindquist, Kathy Lee, and Dave Stroud sampled corn moisture levels again Aug. 21 at the Falmouth Co-Op and Aug.22 at the Marlin Vennema farm. Eighteen different farms provided corn to sample.
The results were very encouraging that the dry corn had absorbed the moisture into the plants and whole plant moisture tests showed the crop, while approaching the optimum level, was not yet ready to chop. Moisture levels ranged between 78 percent 64 percent (it should be in the low 60s before being chopped and ensiled).
By late August some of the previously sampled fields that had dropped down below the optimum moisture levels were now above the line.
The conclusion was that while yellow frost-damaged corn is dead or dying and will not increase in moisture, yellow drought-stressed corn is not dead and will still absorb moisture from rain and continue growing. This knowledge was valuable to local farmers in their attempt to harvest high-quality corn silage during a year of very unusual weather conditions.
The crop was not as large as hoped for, but the close attention to the moisture levels helped farmers to harvest high quality corn silage.
Contact: Dave Stroud,
Coming Events
Nov. 19 – Missaukee 4-H Council meeting,
MSUE Community room 7pm
Dec. 12 – MSUE Beef Team Winter Meeting
Gaylord, location tba
Jan. 12 – Mich. Forage Council Annual Meeting
Clinton County Fairgrounds, St. Johns
Feb. 11 – MSUE Forage Team Meeting
Grape Arbor Inn, McBain
MSU is an affirmative-action, equal opportunity employer, Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, or family status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Thomas G. Coon, Extension Director, Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI 48824