February 28

CHICKEN /BISCUIT DINNER & BAKE SALE: Saturday, February 28th starting at 4:00 pm., Thompson United Methodist Church.

Now Through March 8th

Clifford Community Youth Group Homemade Easter Egg Sale. Now through Sunday, March 8th, sponsored by Clifford Community Youth Group. To order call Robin Correll at 570-222-4344 or Lisa Barhite 570-222-5493.

March 1

St. DAVID’S MALE CORUS: On Sunday, March 1st. at 3 p.m., the Harford Congregational UCC will host the St. David’s Male Chorus in concert. There will be a free will offering. This is a community out reach  program, and all are welcome to attend! Welsh cookies, tea and coffee will follow the concert. Rob Fisher and his sister, RaeBelle Albeck, will offer an organ/piano concert from 2:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

PAMPER CHEF BINGO: - Fundrasier for educational scholarship Sunday, March 1st. Susquehanna Community Elementary School doors open at 1:30 p.m. Questions call Kathleen Hinkley at 570-853-4921.

SUNDAY BREASFAST:  Susquehanna American Legion Sunday, March 1st, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Eat in or take out. Benefits Gino Merli VA Hospital.

March 6

FULL MOON HIKE:  Friday, March 6 at 6:30 p.m. Salt Springs Park. Come & explore the park by the light of the moon.

March 7

WHO GOES THERE: Saturday, March 7 at 1:00 pm Salt Springs Park.Learn abpit the mammals in the park.

MON., Mar.  2: Meatloaf w/Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Vegetable Medley

WW Roll, Cherry Crisp

TUE., Mar. 3: BBQ Pork Ribette, Corn Chowder, Coleslaw, WW Roll. Tropical Fruit

WED., Mar. 4: Chicken Marsala, Roasted Red Potatoes, Green and Wax Beans

WW Roll, Lemon Pudding Parfait

THU., Mar. 5: Herb Roasted Pork w/Gravy, Parslied Potatoes, Red Cabbage and Apples, WW Roll, Fresh Fruit Salad

FRI., Mar. 6: Tomato Basil Fish, AuGratin Potatoes, Garlic Broccoli WW Roll, Chocolate Chip Cake

Although the weather certainly doesn’t look like Harford Fair weather, the plans for this year’s fair are in full swing.  The big name entertainment for Thursday night is set as is most of the entertainment for the Shade Pavilion for fair week.

The next monthly meeting of the Harford Agricultural Society is scheduled for Monday, March 2, 2015 at 7:30 PM at the Lecture Hall at the Harford Church.  A thank you is extended to all of the department superintendents who completed and returned the survey distributed by director Heidi Stephens-Pavelski.  All fair superintendents are encouraged to attend the March meeting to discuss the survey results and to gather more information about various awards within departments, how they are paid for, and where sponsorships are needed for things within departments.   

The regular monthly meetings are open to the public and are held on the first Monday of each month at 7:30 PM in the Lecture Hall at the Harford Church.  If you are interested in becoming a member of the fair association, you just need to have a member sponsor you for membership.  Planning, preparation, and decisions are well underway for the 158th fair which will be held August 17-22, 2015.  

Plan to attend the meeting if you have any interest in the Harford Fair and bring your suggestions for the fair which is the largest community event in the area and involvement by the community is critical to the success of the fair.

Do you own a farm business and are looking towards the future, perhaps retiring, scaling back from farming or transitioning from a farm business to take on another adventure?  If so you will want to mark your calendar to attend this “Farm Succession and Transition” workshop on Wednesday, April 15, at Montrose Bible Conference Center, Montrose, PA.

The workshop is a partnership of The Penn State Extension Service, and PA Farm Link a non-profit dedicated to “linking farmers to the future”, and Bradford Ag Coalition and will provide information on various aspects of creating a farm business succession/transition plan.

Topics covered will include: Succession/transition from a legal perspective; Estate planning and necessary documents; Farm family communication dynamics & challenges; Family meeting guidelines; and Generational challenges & strategies.

Breakouts will be held for both landowners and next generation to discuss their challenges, with a time of brainstorming solutions and strategies to address the issues.  Certified International Farm Transition Network facilitators will be available to assist families in planning the next steps. Speakers will include: Jared Grissinger, PA Department of Agriculture; an Ag Law Attorney and Darlene Livingston, PA Farm Link.

Included in the workshop is a copy of: “Planning the Future of Your Farm” Pennsylvania edition (normally sold for $10.60 per copy). Participants will be encouraged to ask questions, and will be given a list of potential resources in the area to provide future assistance with a farm succession/transition plan.

Registration is due by April 1st and includes lunch.  The workshop will begin with registration at 9:15 a.m. and end at 3:00 p.m.  Reservations can be made online at www.pafarmlink.org or by calling 717-705-2121.

Producing the highest quality hay is a goal that every farmer should have.  Whether you are feeding hay to your own animals or marketing your hay to others, quality is of the highest importance.  Penn State Extension is offering four Hay Production Workshops across Pennsylvania to aid farmers in producing high-quality hay.  The workshop will be held locally at the Susquehanna Career & Technology Center at Elk Lake High School in Dimock on April 9, 2015 from 9:30 am-2:00 pm

Marvin Hall, Professor of Forage Management at Penn State University will be joined by local Penn State Extension Educators to present information on how to improve the quality of your hay crop.  The workshops will address current production topics including:  How and Why to Have Your Hay Analyzed, and What the Numbers Mean; Roundup Ready Alfalfa; Choosing Herbicides and Proper Timing of Forage Weed Control; Reducing Hay Drying Time; Preservatives.

Pre-registration is required. Registration fee varies by location.  For more information about the program contact Dwane Miller at 570-622-4225 or Andrew Frankenfield at 610-489-4315.

SURVEY FARMERS’ PLANTING INTENTIONS FOR 2015

HARRISBURG, PA – What is on the horizon for U.S. farmers in 2015 as they finalize plans for planting this spring? The March Agricultural Survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will survey approximately 82,000 of the nation’s farmers to determine their plans for the upcoming growing season.

“Each year, the agriculture industry eagerly awaits USDA’s Prospective Plantings report, which provides the first survey-based estimates of U.S. farmers’ planting intentions for the year,”

said NASS’s Northeastern Regional Director, King Whetstone. “The March Agricultural Survey provides the factual data that is the basis of these projections, making it one of the most important surveys we conduct each year,” he states.

NASS will mail the survey questionnaire in late February, asking producers to provide information about the types of crops they intend to plant in 2015, how many acres they intend to plant, and the amounts of grain and oilseed they store on their farms. NASS encourages producers to respond online or by mail. Those producers who do not respond by the deadline may be contacted for a telephone or personal interview.

NASS will compile and analyze the survey information and publish the results in the annual Prospective Plantings report and quarterly Grain Stocks report, both to be released on March 31, 2015.

As with all NASS surveys, information provided by respondents is confidential, as required by federal law. NASS safeguards the privacy of all responses and publishes only aggregate data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified. These and all NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov. For more information call the NASS Northeastern Regional Field Office at 1-800-498-1518.