Horace McQueen – Grass Grows—and armyworms march!

With the good comes the bad. Hay meadows, and pastures, that have been fertilized recently need to be watched carefully for armyworm invasions. Texas A&M forage specialist for East Texas, Dr. Vanessa Corriher-Olson, reports that several counties are reporting growing problems with armyworms. She says that daily checking of pastures and hay meadows is the only way to assure you get an early jump on the destructive pests. And you have to get down in the dirt to look for the culprits. Once three or more armyworms per square foot are found, spraying with an approved chemical works well. Also if the hay meadow is ready to cut for hay, laying the crop on the ground prevents further damage to the forage.

The growing interest in foods grown close to home is getting more and more converts. For folks wanting the latest information about production and marketing of locally grown fruits and vegetables, a two day program is coming up. It’s the “Beginning farmer fruit and vegetable conference” September 22 and 23rd in Overton at the A & M Center. The Thursday-Friday affair will feature a number of discussion leaders and speakers that can help guide farmers to developing a “game plan” for growing and selling their products. Cost of the program is $60 for both days. To pre-register, or for more information, call Dr. Joe Masabni, program organizer at the Center. His number is: 903-834-6191.

Just another day in the sordid scandals that continue to rock sports programs in our nation. This time, not an Olympic swimmer but an overrated, overpaid, underperforming pro football player. That’s Colin Kaepernick, who is being paid $11 million a year by the San Francisco 49’ers. His quarterbacking skills are lacking and his team owners are searching for a way to get him out of their hair. Kaepernick has been a troublemaker for some time, using a racial slur against an opposing black player last year—that little incident cost Kaepernick a $11,000 fine.

Then in a football game Friday night, August 26, Kaepernick refused to stand during the playing of the national anthem. His excuse: “I am not going to stand up and show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of

color.” His rant continued as he continued to criticize the U.S. Incidentally the NFL has no rule requiring athletes to stand during the National Anthem. The NBA does require players to stand. Kaepernick is a recent convert to Islam and he is “engaged” to a militant hip-hop female who is a leader in the “Black Lives Matter” organization. Not the type of person you would want at a family get-together! That’s –30—[email protected]