The Indiana DNR has received reports of sick and dying songbirds from 15 counties statewide. As the investigation continues, the DNR recommends all Hoosiers remove their birdfeeders statewide.

The 15 counties are Clark, Delaware, Hamilton, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, LaGrange, Lake, Marion, Monroe, Newton, St. Joseph, Union, Washington, and Whitley.

DNR is working with the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (IN ADDL) and the USGS National Wildlife Health Center to determine the birds’ cause of death.

The affected songbirds showed neurological signs of illness as well as eye swelling and crusty discharge.

Several samples have been sent to IN ADDL. All bird samples submitted have tested negative for avian influenza and West Nile virus. Final laboratory diagnostic results are pending.

The following steps are recommended statewide:

• Use the DNR sick/dead wildlife reporting tool at on.IN.gov/sickwildlife to alert DNR staff.
• Stop feeding birds until the mortality event has concluded.
• Clean feeders and baths with a 10% bleach solution.
• Avoid handling birds. If you need to handle birds, wear disposable gloves.
• When removing dead birds, wear disposable gloves and place birds and gloves in a sealable plastic bag to dispose with household trash.
• Keep pets away from sick or dead birds as a precaution.
Additional information will be shared when final diagnostic results are received.

A Rochester favorite is on the state's Cheddar Brick Road.

A kick-off was held earlier this month at Crystal Springs Creamery in Osceola for the American Dairy Association Indiana's Cheese Trail.  It features 10 dairy farms and creameries across the state.

The inaugural trail features stops at Schnabeltier - Rochester, Fair Oaks Farms – Fair Oaks, Heritage Ridge Creamery - Middlebury, Hufford Family Farms – Manchester.

Indiana DNR has received reports of sick and dying songbirds from five counties.

DNR is working with the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (IN ADDL) and the USGS National Wildlife Health Center to determine the birds’ cause of death.  The five counties are Monroe, Clark, Jefferson, LaGrange, and Lake.

The affected songbirds showed neurological signs of illness as well as eye swelling and crusty discharge.

“Several species are being affected,” said Allisyn-Marie Gillet, DNR ornithologist, “including blue jay, American robin, common grackle, Northern cardinal, European starling, and a few others.

Gillet said that all bird samples submitted have tested negative for avian influenza and West Nile virus. Final laboratory diagnostic results are pending.

The following recommendations are good practice for anyone who experiences sick or dead wild birds on their property:

• Use the DNR sick/dead wildlife reporting tool at on.IN.gov/sickwildlife to alert DNR staff.
• Stop feeding birds until the mortality event has concluded.
• Clean feeders and baths with a 10% bleach solution.
• Avoid handling birds. If you need to handle birds, wear disposable gloves.
• When removing dead birds, wear disposable gloves and place birds and gloves in a sealable plastic bag to dispose with household trash.
• Keep pets away from sick or dead birds as a precaution.

The championship game for the 10U softball program took place Thursday, June 17, 2021, between the teams of Winning Edge and Core Mechanical.  Core Mechanical went into the game as the underdog falling to Winning Edge in past games.  Thursday night’s game had a different feel to it though with the girls and the coaches all hyped up and ready to rock on both teams.

Core Mechanical came out on top with a final score of 9-1 to become the 2021 10U Softball League Champions.  Core finished their season with an overall record of 9-1-4.

In the picture:

Front row from left to right:

Addisyn Zimmerman, Summer Tyler, Makenna Jackson, Chloie Tyler, and Ella Halterman

Back row from left to right:

Assistant Coach Ray Widman, Natasha Back, Ali Field, Macie Widman, Alivia Byers, Jaylynn Zartman, and Coach Holly Zartman

The American Red Cross is experiencing a severe blood shortage as the number of trauma cases, organ transplants and elective surgeries rise– and deplete the nation’s blood inventory. Donors of all blood types – especially type O– are urged to make an appointment to give as soon as possible to prevent further impact to patients.

Right now, hospitals are responding to an atypically high number of traumas and emergency room visits, as well as overdoses and resulting transplants. In comparison to 2019, the Red Cross has seen demand from trauma centers climb by 10% in 2021− more than five times the growth of other facilities that provide blood transfusions.

Schedule an appointment to give blood now by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

In addition to trauma needs, there is a great hospital demand for blood as people who deferred care during the height of the pandemic present with more advanced disease progression, requiring increased blood transfusions.Over the last three months, the Red Cross has distributed about 75,000 more blood products than expected to meet these needs. As a result of this shortage, some hospitals are being forced to slow the pace of elective surgeries until the blood supply stabilizes. Blood is perishable and cannot be stockpiled, so it must constantly be replenished by generous blood donors.

Donors are urged to make an appointment to give blood now.As a thank-you, those who come to give?now through June 30 will receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email, courtesy of Amazon. (Restrictions apply. Additional information and details are available at?RedCrossBlood.org/Together.)? 

In most cases, those who have received a COVID-19 vaccine can donate. However, knowing the name of the manufacturer of the vaccine they received is important in determining donation eligibility.

Final weeks for COVID-19 antibody testing

As more than a third of Americans have become fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the Red Cross is winding down COVID-19 antibody testing for blood, platelet and plasma donations. 

Through June 25, the Red Cross is testing all donations for COVID-19 antibodies. Testing may show possible exposure to the virus or whether a donor has developed an immune response to vaccination.The conclusion of Red Cross antibody testing represents a new, hopeful phase as the nation continues to journey out of this pandemic.  

More than $1 billion in payments will be released over the next several weeks starting June 15 for agricultural producers with approved applications for the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program and for producers who have already received payments through the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+). These U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs provide disaster assistance to producers who suffered losses to 2018 and 2019 natural disasters.

Producers weathered some significant natural disasters in 2018 and 2019, and USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) provided support for crop value and production losses through QLA and crop quantity losses through WHIP+.

“From massive floods to winter storms, and from extreme drought to excess moisture, natural disaster events in 2018 and 2019 were exceptionally catastrophic for agricultural producers nationwide - many suffered the impacts of multiple events in not just one but both years,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “FSA staff worked tirelessly for many months to develop and implement comprehensive disaster programs that meet the varying and unique needs of a large cross-section of U.S. production agriculture. QLA and the second round of WHIP+ assistance will provide much-needed assistance to help producers offset significant financial loss.”

QLA Payments

QLA provides assistance to crop and forage producers who suffered a quality loss due to qualifying natural disasters occurring in 2018 or 2019. FSA will begin issuing payments to producers on June 15.  FSA accepted applications from Jan. 6 to April 9, 2021.  Based on these QLA applications, producers will receive 100% of the calculated assistance under QLA.

For each crop year, 2018, 2019 and 2020, the maximum amount that a person or legal entity may receive, directly or indirectly, is $125,000. Payments made to a joint operation (including a general partnership or joint venture) will not exceed $125,000, multiplied by the number of persons and legal entities that comprise the ownership of the joint operation. A person or legal entity is ineligible for QLA payment if the person’s or legal entity’s average Adjusted Gross Income exceeds $900,000, unless at least 75% is derived from farming, ranching or forestry-related activities.

Second WHIP+ Payments

WHIP+ provides payments to producers to offset production losses due to hurricanes, wildfires, and other qualifying natural disasters that occurred in 2018 and 2019. WHIP+ covered losses of crops, trees, bushes and vines that occurred as a result of those disaster events.

Producers who applied for and have received their first WHIP+ payment can expect to receive the second payment beginning in mid-June for eligible crop losses.  Due to budget constraints, producers received an initial WHIP+ payment for 2019 crop losses equal to 50% of the calculated payment.  This second payment will be equal to 40% of the calculated payment for a total 90% WHIP+ program payment. This second round of WHIP+ payments are expected to exceed $700 million.  A third round of payments may be issued if sufficient funds become available.  Producers with 2018 crop losses have already been compensated at 100%.

Future Insurance Coverage Requirements

All producers receiving QLA Program and WHIP+ payments are required to purchase federal crop insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage for the next two available crop years at the 60% coverage level or higher. If eligible, QLA participants may meet the insurance purchase requirement by purchasing Whole-Farm Revenue Protection coverage offered through USDA’s Risk Management Agency.

More Information

USDA offers a comprehensive portfolio of disaster assistance programs.  On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool can help producers and landowners determine all program or loan options available for disaster recovery assistance. For assistance with a crop insurance claim, producers and landowners should contact their crop insurance agent. For FSA and NRCS programs, they should contact their local USDA Service Center.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

For me, hostas and mulch are my answer to the many heavy shade maple trees I have. That and a few rocks are how I accent the hosta beds.

Mark Kepler, Extension Educator- Agriculture and Natural Resources

Purdue Cooperative Extension Service-Fulton County 1009 West Third Street, Rochester IN 46975

574 223 3397 http://www.ag.purdue.edu/counties/fulton/pages/default.aspx https://www.facebook.com/Purdue.Extension.Fulton/

Indiana residents can fish the state’s public waters without a fishing license or a trout/salmon stamp on Saturday, June 5 and Sunday, June 6.

The two Free Fishing Days kick off National Fishing and Boating Week, June 5-13, a national celebration that highlights the importance of recreational fishing and boating. Those activities are excellent opportunities to get outside and connect with family and friends, and spending time outdoors is also good for your health.

June is an especially good time to fish for largemouth bass, sunfish, catfish, and Skamania steelhead. Fishing tips and videos can be found at on.IN.gov/learn2fish.

Some urban parks will be stocked this week with catchable-size channel catfish; see wildlife.IN.gov/fishing/urban-fishing for locations. For public fishing areas and access sites statewide, explore the Where to Fish map at on.IN.gov/where2fish. Indiana is also home to several water trails across the state that provide opportunities to fish while you paddle; see on.IN.gov/watertrails for more information.

To learn more about Free Fishing Weekend events, visit on.IN.gov/fishfree. This year’s last Free Fishing Day will be Sept. 25.