Ag Newsletter. Agriculture & Timber Sales Tax Exemption Expiration Update. Master Gardeners Annual Fruit & Nut Tree Fundraiser.

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1 Ag Newsletter Special points of interest: December 2015 Agriculture & Timber Sales Tax Exemption Expiration Update Master Gardeners Inters Plant Id MG Fruit & Nut Tree Sale Private Applicators License Upcoming Dates MG Fruit sale end Dec 4th 5 Hour Pesticide CEU Conf. Dec. 4th Winter CEU Conf. Dec 10th Private Applicators Training Dec. 16th If you currently hold an Agriculture & Timbers Sales Tax Exemption card they will now expire every four years. All current cards are set to expire on December 31, 2015; prior to expiring you should receive information by mail about the renewal process. Anyone who would like to continue claiming their sales tax exemptions after January 1, 2016 will need to renew their current registration numbers with the Texas Comptrollers Office. When you renew your Agriculture & Timbers Sales Tax Exemption card your 11-digit number will not change however you will be issued a new card with an expiration date. Here is a quick guide on how to renew your licenses. What you will need? Current Agriculture & Timbers Sales Tax number Social Security number Webfile/RT number; if filling online. (This number should be located on the top right hand side of the renewal letter.) How to Renew? Renew by Phone- Call AG RENEW ( ). The Agriculture & Timbers number renewal telephone line is available 24 hours a day seven days a week. A confirmation letter will be mailed and your new card should be received in about five to seven days. Renew Online- Visit mycpa.cpa.state.tx.us ; if you already have an account you my continue or create a first time user login. When finished you may print a curiosity card for your records until the original in mailed. A confirmation letter will be mailed and your new card should be received in about five to seven days. Renew by Mail- Follow the instructions in the renewal letter. It is recommended that you mail in your completed and signed renewal letter by November 30, 2015 and keep a copy for you records. A confirmation letter will be mailed and your new card should be received in about four to six weeks. For more information please contact the Texas Comptroller s Office online at comptroller.texas.gov or by phone at Master Gardeners Annual Fruit & Nut Tree Fundraiser The Waller County Master Gardeners are holding their annual fruit and nut tree fundraiser. Pre-orders are being taken NOW and you have just two weeks to place your orders. Pre order sales will end on Friday, December 4, If you wish to order by mail, kindly submit completed order form with your check payment to: Waller County Master Gardeners, 846 6th Street, Hempstead, TX We also invite you to come by the AgriLife Extension Office to order in person at the above address. Master Gardeners will be there to assist you from 9:00am-noon, Monday through Friday. AgriLife office personnel will be happy to assist you in the afternoons. Please visit us online for tree information, order form and instructions for ordering. Follow the Tree Sale tab on the top menu.

2 Page 2 Ag Newsletter Interested in becoming a Master Gardeners The Master Gardener Program is a volunteer development program offered by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension service and is designed to increase the availability of horticultural information and improve the quality of life through horticultural projects. Master Gardener volunteers receive in-depth horticultural training. In return, they provide volunteer service through AgriLife Extension by delivering horticultural and environ-mental Earth -Kind education to their communities. Program participants should be able to communicate with the public by telephone, personal contact, as a speaker or through written correspondence. Master Gardener volunteers serve as horticultural docents supervised by AgriLife Extension personnel who assign, review and facilitate volunteer work. While participants will benefit personally in this training, it should be understood that the principal criteria for acceptance into the program is the availability and willingness of the applicant to volunteer. The Master Gardener Training Program fee is $160 for the Training Class. The Master Gardener Handbook, a wealth of knowledge packed in a 3-3 ring binder, class presentations and handouts will be provided. The fee also includes lunches and registration for 2 field trips as well as the fee for the mandatory back-ground check that is required of all Extension volunteers and employees. Applications will be accepted thru Thursday, December 17, Please send the course fee of $160 with your Application, Signed Volunteer Agreement, and your Volunteer Application Form (background history check) to the Waller County Extension Office. Please make checks payable to the Waller County Master Gardener Association. If the class series is canceled your check will be returned. Please visit the Waller County Master Gardener website at wallermg/, the Texas Master Gardener website at the Waller County Extension website at waller.agrilife.org/, and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension website at to learn more about us. Merry Christmas and Happy New Years! Merry Christmas and Happy New Years from all of us at the Waller County Extension Office. Everyone please be safe when traveling to see family. Please note our office will be closed Thursday, December 24, 2015 and Friday, December 25, 2015 for the Christmas holi- day. We will resume normal business hours on Monday, December 28, Please note our office will be closed Thursday, December 31, 2015 and Friday, January 1, 2016 for the New Year holiday. We will resume normal business hours on Monday, January 4, Wednesday, December 16, Private Applicator Licenses Training If you plan on using a state limited use or state restricted use pesticide, such as Grazon P+D, 2 4- D, Weedmaster, etc., and need a license, the Texas AgriLife Extension Service will be sponsoring a Private Applicator Training and Testing on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 at the Waller County Extension office. Books and study materials for the course need to be purchased ahead of time 1pm at the for $40.00 at the Extension Office. A registration fee of $10.00 will be charged for the training. Waller County The registration fee will include the training, additional study materials, refreshments, and breakfast. The training will begin at 9 am and conclude at 1pm. The Texas Department of Agri-culture Extension who over sees the testing and administration of Applicator Licensing has contracted with PSI Services to administer the exam for agriculture pesticide applicator licensing. Applicants will coordinate testing with PSI at one of their 22 locations around Texas. Details on the process, loca- office. tions, cost, and other pertinent information will be provided at the training to help applicants complete the licensing process. Once an applicant has completed the training, and pass the exam with a score of 70 or above, they will you will be eligible to apply or your Private Applicator Li-cense, which will allow you to purchase all state limited use and restricted use pesticides used in agriculture. See Flier for details 2015 from 9am-

3 Page 3 Name that Plant? Ashe juniper, Blueberry juniper This evergreen tree is a perennial, cool- and warm-season native. It is commonly called cedar but is not a true cedar. Ashe juniper produces limbs from the main trunk that are generally straight and are used commercially as fence posts. The slender leaves are sharp pointed, each with a gland on the back that can be round or elliptical, pink or greenish. On long leaves, these glands are elongated and tapering. From seedling to 2 years old, Ashe juniper bears Cool Season Annual Forages: To Plant or Not to Pant...Now or Later Areas of Texas have received very little rainfall since the end of June. As we begin the month of October many of us are questioning whether to plant cool season annual forages (such as ryegrass, small grains or legumes). Many are optimistic about the wetter-than-normal winter that most likely will come because of an exceptionally strong El Nino this year. However, for many of us that hope is not enough as we look at the cost associated with planting. Ideally we would like to plant to soil moisture. Summer pastures should be overseeded in October and early November depending on location. Delaying planting may give us an opportunity to plant to soil moisture depending on rainfall. Delaying planting too late (late November or December) will decrease overall forage production as well as result in a shorter grazing period. If predictions are true and we do have a wetter-than-normal winter be prepared to manage any winter forages planted, especially those overseeded into existing warm season perennial sods (bermudagrass, bahiagrass, etc). Late (April/May) ryegrass or legume forage production can slow down the spring recovery of our warm season perennial grasses. Be prepared to increase stocking rate or harvest excess forage at that time to allow for warm season perennials to break dormancy. Article from the Forage Fax World Cattle Numbers According to the United Na-tions Food and Agriculture Organization, the most recent data (2013) show billion cattle worldwide. Brazil leads with million (14.4% of world total), followed by India (189.0 million, 12.9%), China (113.5 million, 7.8%), and the U. S. (89.3 million, 6.1%), giving these four countries over 40% of the world s total. While the U. S. is only fourth in numbers it is first in total beef produc-tion. Rounding out the top 10 in numerical order are Ethiopia, Argentina, Sudan, Pakistan, Mexico, and Australia, but no other country has as much as 4% of the total. There are 104 countries (of 209 listed) with over 1 million head. Greenland is last, with 15 head. ( from the Beef Cattle Browsing Newsletters series prepared by the Exten-sion Animal Science Department.

4 Page 4 Private Applicators Ag Newsletter Licenses Training WHEN: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015 Training will cost $10 Books will be $40 Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Waller County Office & Cooperative Extension Program 846 6th Street Hempstead, TX Phone: Fax: 9AM-1PM REGISTER WILL BEGIN AT 8:30AM WHERE: WALLER COUNTY EXTENSION OFFICE, 846 6TH STREET, HEMPSTEAD, TX Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Waller County and Texas Department of Agriculture are offering certification and recertification training for private applicators license. The purpose of this training is to obtain a Private Applicator License from Texas Department of Agriculture. This license will enable the applicator to purchase and apply state limited use and federally restricted chemicals on his land or land he has control of for the purpose of production of agricultural commodities. All farm and ranch operators who do not have a Private Applicator s License to purchase restricted use pesticides (such as 2, 4-D, Grazon P+D, Training will cost $10 Tordon 22K, etc.) will need to attend this training. There are two manuals that can be purchased for $40 that are used in the class. Having these manuals in advance will help you become familiar with pesticide prior to attending the training. Books will be $40 If you are interested in obtaining a Private Applicator license, please contact the Waller County office at (979) to RSVP and to purchase the manuals. Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Cooperative Extension Program at Prairie View A&M University are open to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating.

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7 Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Waller County Office & Cooperative Extension Program 846 6th Street Hempstead, TX Phone: Fax: Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Cooperative Extension Program at Prairie View A&M University are open to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating. We re on the web Stacie Villarreal County Extension Agent Ag/Natural Resources Hallie Decker County Extension Agent Family and Consumer Science (start date of Jan. 1, 2016) Te Anna Reed CEP Extension Agent Family and Consumer Sciences Joshua Williams CEP Extension Agent 4-H and Youth Development Vacant CEP Extension Agent Ag/Natural Resources Dee Abrams Office Manager Debbie Tiner Assistant Office Manager