Green Acorns and Cattle by Mario Villarino
January 2, 2024 – The howling winds of cold fronts and rainstorms often knock green acorns from oak trees in a pasture. Most cattle like the taste of acorns and tend to seek them out. But hungry cattle that consume too many green acorns will get sick. Their gastrointestinal tracts will be upset; they will develop diarrhea, become dehydrated, constipated and emaciated; and they might die. Acorn poisoning is caused by chemicals...
Garden Seeds for Your 2024 Garden From Master Gardener David Wall
December 31, 2023 – It’s time to start thinking about what vegetables, herbs, and flowers you want to grow in 2024. Do you want basics, exotics, heirlooms, hybrids, organics or combinations of these? Let’s start with the basics of onions, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and okra. Where will you get seeds? This can be very simple or as complicated as you want. On the simple side, go to your local nursery,...
Hopkins County Unemployment Continues Downward Trend
December 30, 2023 – The latest unemplyment numbers are in and Hopkins County continues to report the lowest percentages in the immediate North East Texas area. Hopkins County reported an unemplyment rate in November 2023 of 2.8% dropping from 3.2% in October 2023. The new November number was also much lower than one year ago as the November 2022 percentage was reported as 4.1%. Only 533 Hopkins County work hopefuls reported to...
What is Beeswax From Master Gardener David Wall
December 29, 2023 – Beeswax. What is it? How is it made? Well, we start with a beehive. The hive is built from nothing, and when constructed, serves as a home, a giant food storehouse, and a nursery. All three items are built from beeswax. So, what is it and how is it made? Basically, it’s a wax made (secreted) by eight honeybee abdomen glands and produced in scale...
Make Your Reservation Now For Chamber Banquet
December 27, 2023 – From Butch Burney, Chamber President/CEO It is with great pleasure that the 2024 Board of Directors invites you to the 97th Annual Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce Banquet on Thursday, February 15, at 6 p.m. at the Hopkins County Regional Civic Center. We will host a Networking Cocktail Happy Half Hour at 6 p.m. Dinner will be served at 6:30, and the awards will follow at 7 p.m. Please take this opportunity...
Trading Post for December 27, 2023
Linseed oil for decks, $35 per gal. Coleman clean fuel, $25 per gallon. 21″ Pulsar push mower, new, $250. 21″ Troy Bilt Mower, new. $250. 903 335 8666 or 903 951 8547 For sale JD 2550 cab tractor with loader and hay forks. Near Winnsboro, $16,000. 903 717 1194 Seen: two stray dogs. One is a shih tzu, one looks like a Papillon. The Papillon is black and white. The dogs were seen in the area behind Watson Realty Co. For more...
Honey Facts From Master Gardener David Wall
December 24, 2023 – Honey contains 64 calories per tablespoon including 17.25 grams of sugar: much better sugar for you than table sugar, but sugar nevertheless. We all know that honey is good for us if sugar isn’t a problem, but did you also know: Honey contains substances to help your brain to work better. Honey by itself can sustain human life. One spoonful of it will provide sustenance for 24 hours. It...
Trading Post for December 21, 2023
For sale JD 2550 cab tractor with loader and hay forks. Near Winnsboro, $16,000. 903 717 1194 Seen: two stray dogs. One is a shih tzu, one looks like a Papillon. The Papillon is black and white. The dogs were seen in the area behind Watson Realty Co. For more info., please call 903-885-3365. Needing to buy 30 rolls of hay call 903-348-1738 Clean, unfertilized, free range eggs – $5 a dozen to cover the cost of chicken feed. Also...
Frankincense and Myrrh for Christmas From Master Gardener David Wall
December 17, 2023 – We all know the story of the Magi bringing gold, frankincense and myrrh to Joseph, Mary and Jesus, but there was always the question of what was it, and why was it so important to warrant giving to the Christ child. Further, why has it been traded as an object of value for thousands of years. Frankincense is tree sap or resin that comes from multiple trees in the Boswellia genus. Trees are tapped,...
A Year in Review 2023 by Mario Villarino
2023 Livestock and Forage Education Hopkins County Dr. Mario Villarino| County Extension Agent- Agriculture and Natural Resources RELEVANCE Livestock and forage production are a 3.96 billion dollars industry in the Central Region . Livestock and forage enterprises are affected by climate and market variability. Hopkins County currently has more than 100,000 head of cattle with 27,000 head of dairy cattle....
