Ag census provides snapshot of county

The U.S. Department of Agriculture conducts the Census of Agriculture every five years.

The results of the most recent census were released recently. Here is an assortment of findings contained in the report:

Foster County had 235 farms in 2022. A farm is defined as any place that produces and sells more than one thousand dollars of agricultural products annually.

One hundred farms were larger than one thousand acres. The average farm size was 1,540 acres.

Nearly two-thirds of Foster County farmland is rented.

The market value of agriculture goods sold in Foster County exceeded 159 million dollars in 2022.

Two hundred and nineteen Foster County residents said farming was their primary occupation. The average age of the producers was 56 years. Thirty-seven producers were 34 years old or younger.

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The soil is still frozen 20-inches-deep in many parts of our county, but a warm-up will occur eventually.

Now is a good time to ensure your sump pump is working properly.

There are three main things to check:

First, make sure there is no debris blocking the inlet to the pump. Unplug the pump, remove the lid and then feel around the inlet with your fingers. Gravel and any other type of debris in the sump can be removed with a vacuum.

Second, check to see that the on/off switch is functioning properly. Plug in the pump and then slowly add water with a bucket or hose. The float should move freely, and the pump should turn on when the float reaches the appropriate level.

It’s recommended that the process be repeated a second time to ensure the switch is functioning as it should.

Finally, check the operating condition of the pump. Add enough water to the sump so that the pump runs continuously for at least ten seconds. Listen for strange sounds. If the pump seems to be struggling or if it sounds irregular, this may be a sign that the pump needs to be replaced.

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The pruning of shrubs is one of the first jobs that can be tackled in spring.

Summer-flowering shrubs, including panicle hydrangea, roses, Japanese spirea and potentilla, should be pruned now, before the buds break.

It’s also the right time to prune shrubs that are grown for their beautiful foliage: barberry, burning bush and dogwood.

The pruning of spring-flowering shrubs (lilacs, forsythia, viburnums and honeysuckle) should be delayed until the plants finish blooming in early June.

If you cut these shrubs back now, you’ll remove the flower buds and there won’t be any blossoms to enjoy this spring.

Generally, we need to remove only a few branches from our shrubs.

More drastic pruning may be needed if the plants are way overgrown.

One strategy is to remove 20 to 35 percent of the stems each year for three years.

This gradual approach preserves the integrity and appearance of the hedge.

If you have questions about trimming trees and shrubs, please contact me in the Extension office (652-2581, [email protected]).