We're not talking about punching a time clock and working nine to five.
We're talking about working around the clock.
Rain or shine, hot or cold, because crops and animals won't wait.
Jimmy knows all about it because he lives it.
And Jimmy knows what you're going through because he goes through it too.
He's here to talk about it.
It's seed and feed, chemicals and compost, vaccinations and irrigation.
It's time for Today in Ag with Jimmy Clark.
Hey, g'day to all you great stewards of the land.
It is Today in Ag with Jimmy Clark, brought to you by the First National Bank and trust of Elk City and Sare, Oklahoma.
All right, I got a huge show playing today.
I got Randy Hawley on here from Shattuck.
We're going to be talking a little bit about the wildfires.
And then coming up, the second, third, fourth segment, I got Tony Montgomery from Piney Fork Farms out of Arkansas coming on here.
And we're going to talk tomatoes, strawberries, high tunnels.
So if you got any questions, you can text in and I'll see if I can get them to him.
580-225-9697 is the text line.
First, let's start off with a little bit of weather here.
34 degrees at Arnett, 33 at Cheyenne, 36 at Hobart, 50 at Cherokee, 48 at La Homa.
Out here in the text, pan-anil, all in the 30s.
Lipscomb, Canadian, Miami, 33, 34 degrees, and down at Odell's, 38.
Thank the good Lord for the moisture moving in right now.
That'll help those guys.
Fires are far from out.
And matter of fact, I think I've seen where the big fire smokehouse fires only 5% contain, the one north of Shattuck's only 20% contain.
So this is going to help out a bunch.
So today is the Oklahoma Farm Bureau happy hour.
And I'll have more on them coming up later in the show.
But first, let's get to Mr.
Randy Hawley.
Thank you for joining me on such short notice today, sir.
Well, Jimmy, it's always a pleasure.
I'll usually do what you tell me to do.
Whatever, you don't even go there.
Oh, for a while, remember, I've got to watch my language.
My wife doesn't like the word forget.
Anyway, yesterday, you guys heard me.
I was doing the sale of the show from the quartermaster Creek bull sale.
Wow.
It was great.
Mike and Annie had a great sale yesterday.
So congratulations to them.
I knew a lot of people there.
So anyway, anyway, great sale.
Congratulations again to Mike and Annie Schweitzer for such a great bull sale they put on yesterday at quartermaster Creek.
And anyway, Randy, a lot of devastation in Oklahoma and Western Oklahoma.
And the Dix is paying in on the last few days.
You've been on it just like I have.
And can you give us a little bird's eye view?
What happened up north of you?
You mean it was like a, it's like a war zone up there.
The fire started, the Catesby fire started on Highway 15, just about the state line.
And the wind was blowing out of the west hard, and it was headed west.
And it burned almost to the Fargo blacktop, which is almost 14 or 15 miles.
And then the wind switched to the north.
It was blowing 60 mile an hour.
So they evacuated Shattuck, they evacuated Gage, they evacuated Fargo, they evacuated Arnett.
Elst County, lucky to be on the map.
Oh, it could have burnt the whole county up.
I've never, you know, I've heard of these fires.
I've seen them after they're over.
I've never been involved in one.
My youngest son, Chase, had his big front wheel sys tractor with a disc trying to station him hay.
I finally told him, I said, Chase, get that tractor out of there.
We can replace the hay.
We can replace whatever.
We can't replace your bike.
Get out.
Let's go.
It was.
I've never been involved in something like that.
Yeah, it's terrible.
And, you know, there's yesterday, like I said on my show yesterday at noon, I wanted everybody just be cool, remain calm, let people get out there and assess what's going on because the fires were still going on.
And everybody did a great job.
And now we've got, you know, they got to see some stuff yesterday, and they're still fighting the fires.
More information's coming out on all the fire, the damages.
You know, I didn't, I knew they'd evacuated, but I didn't know what happened until I seen that deal on the weather channel with out there at Fritz, Texas.
It went right through the whole town, the fire did.
And it just, it was headed to Shattuck for fire departments and several other surrounding departments when they got to stop.
And the county, the county workers had greater.
Yeah, we, we just out of habit.
You know, we're talking fires.
We talk fire departments, but guys, these task force that they got in Western Oklahoma and out in Texas, it includes the counties and their equipment, the graders, the bringing water, bringing fuel, it's all county and the fire department's deals.
And so anyway, then I'm getting, I got a lot.
I've got a lot of phone calls from people wanting to donate hay.
And right now, guys, this is what we need.
If you're listening, we need trucks.
We need trucks to haul hay.
We got hay all the way from Fairview down by corn colony south of Cordell.
We need we need trucks.
And Blake Wilson here in Elk City is helping me because he's a friend with all the trucking companies.
But we need trucks.
You know, if anybody can help us out there, that's listening or watching on Facebook, we need trucks.
It's going to be a slow coordination deal.
And also we need donations for fuel.
And Blake and I was talking about this earlier.
What we think would work out good is for people to there's Hutch's truck, truck stops and convenience stores all over western Oklahoma or just gift cards, Visa gift cards, buy some Visa gift cards or some Hutch's gift cards.
And we'll give them Blake or I will give these to the trucking companies to cover their fuel costs because fuel is ridiculous.
And there's all kinds of ways we can do this.
I will give you some information on some hay drops.
And part of this I got from Randy.
The western equipment out at Pampa is the hay drop.
Gauge cattle and feed is the hay drop.
And AHA out of Canadian there in Canadian Texas is the hay drop.
That's the ones that I have that are official with me right now.
I know there's more, but it's...
We have one North Shack, Jimmy.
Yes.
Chris Connors.
It's a mile north by Highway 15 to 83 Junction.
He's a hay drop there, too.
We've got a skid steer there and receiving hay there.
And there we go.
And so there's more hay drops.
If I can just add a little bit real quick.
Yeah.
Let's get on the show.
I work for a company.
We, I'm an insurance agent.
We sell federal crop insurance.
I'm not a real big believer in Facebook until the day before yesterday.
Marty Logan, we help sponsor his pickup.
I have our agency ad on his pickup.
We also have been on Jimmy Clark's show.
Jimmy does a great job with posting stuff on social media.
I could even tell you how to post something on Facebook.
But over the last two days, I've had over 20 phone calls.
From people in Durant, to Skytuck, Canadian, I got, hey, we want to send you, hey, I need trucks.
And that's what we're short of.
We've got some, we've got an agent up at Buffalo, Kyra Bentley, her dad, knew some truckers around Alba, some farmers that had trucks, and already got a couple of trucks with all five loads in the shadows yesterday.
Yeah.
And, and I posted that and it was, and man, I've, it's blown up.
Oh, I never dreamed that.
I had a young man or a young man from Watonga called me earlier, or O'Keen, O'Keen.
He said, you know, when I got burned out, he said, everybody help me.
He said, now I want to help you guys.
I just need trucks.
I've got four loads of hay.
I'd love to donate with you.
I just need trucks to come get it.
Yeah, and those guys in Oklahoma, you know, the biggest fire was in Texas, of course, and it don't matter what state you were.
We're helping the fire victims, no matter what state you're in.
We're helping the fire victims and talking.
We would like to thank those people.
That's the people who make this happen.
The farmers are donating the hay, the people that are donating the money, and the truckers that are donating their time and their vehicles to build the Hollis Hay and to help our people.
Go over real quick, just give me a couple of those numbers that you went over on your Facebook account, how many views and whatever you've had on your Facebook since you put our hay deal on.
So, 332,754 people have been reached with this post.
28,009 people have actually engaged the post.
Not everybody likes or shares or anything when they see that deal.
But anyway, 12,000 people have liked it.
443 people have come in it.
And this is the great thing, because this is how the word gets out.
2.4 thousand shares on that post that I made with that picture you gave me yesterday.
You're an amazing man, Jimmy.
You've got lots of fans around the country.
I don't know about that, but it's a beautiful picture in hard times.
And that's a rare deal to...
I've got a former student of mine that works in the oil field, Pumps Wells.
He called and said, You need some help?
I'm going to come help you tomorrow.
He's been with me all morning.
We moved cattle, moved the tractor, did some things.
We got trucks up there loading hay.
We went up north where it started, and he said, Mr.
Alley, he said, This is...
He's one of my former students.
We called him Bull Emkey.
Braxton Emkey is his official name.
He said, It looks like a war zone up here.
He said, How...
How'd you deal with it?
The smoke?
You couldn't be able to see?
I said, You know, in West Oklahoma, we just find a way to get it done.
And it's kind of our standard.
I mean...
Yeah, it's our standards, and there's just great people out here, and we got a ways to go on this deal.
One of the gentlemen I talked to this morning that needed a dump trailer instead of a trailer load of hay because the fire burned the tires off the front of his tractor or whatever was the issue was going on.
You know, we got a dump trailer, but he said he just got through putting down cattle.
And it's sad time.
It's hard.
Those cattle are your family.
People don't think people think we just get out there with whips and beat them around and feed them hay and stuff.
It's personal with those cows.
When the Ray fire went through the Logan Lenore in there, one of my really good friends, Joe Ferris, who works for Bank West, Oklahoma, for Jimmy Harold.
He called me one day when that fire was, he said, Randy, he said, I said, what do you need, Joe?
I need more bullets.
Yep.
And that's a, and that's a, we got so much because he loves his cows.
Oh yeah.
It's a, it's good.
So, well, Randy, if people need, if one donate and they got trucking and they want to donate hay up there to the Gage and Shattuck deal, the Gage cattle and feed is easy to find, but that hay drop again, tell everybody where that hay drop is.
And it's going to people that's need.
I want everybody to know that this stuff is going to people that needs it.
Where is it again?
North of Shattuck?
Yes, North Shattuck.
It's a mile north, mile and a half north of Highway 283, Highway 15 Junction.
Chris Gonyers, his wife's firm is your agent here in Shattuck, Ells County.
He's a works for the post office, delivers mail.
But he lost, I know, three tractors, two balers, a swather, a barn, probably seven or eight hundred bales of hay.
But he's willing to donate some area to have a hay drop to help his...
You know, and he talks to me about, I don't need to hay as bad as my neighbors do, because they've lost all their grass.
He was kind of on the north end of it.
But so many people...
And Jimmy, I'd like to just say thank you to you, thank you to Ag Defense, thank you to all the people who donate, our truck drivers.
It's kind of the Oklahoma standard they talk about.
Yes, it is.
Well, Randy, God bless you, and thank you for all the help you're doing up there.
And if there's anything I need to do, you know how to get a hold on me, and you have a blessed day up there.
Yep.
Our deal is on our website.
You can go to Ag Defense, and you can find my number, or you can call our office.
They'll get a hold of me.
But if you have anything you could donate or want to donate, please call them.
God bless you, and have a great day.
Thanks, Randy.
Thank you.
Have a good one, Jimmy.
You too.
Bye.
All right.
Another thing I got updated on before I go to break here is I know people have been donating Buccos of water and Gatorade and perishable stuff, little snacks, jerky, stuff like that.
Please, they're needing face wipe, face wipes now, and chapstick and stuff like that.
Just get hold of your local fire department.
It's the best way to do this.
And either they'll need it, they'll take it, or they'll let you know who to take it to, because all the fire departments in Western Oklahoma are still on this, and all the fire departments in Texas, obviously, are on there.
And I know there's some fire departments from Kansas involved in this deal, too.
And we'll get down to all the people that help next week.
Like I said, this fire is far from over.
We need to get it under control, get everything settled down, and we need to get this under control.
And I know we're going to have to get this under control.
And I know we're going to have to get this under control.
And I know we're going to have to get this under control.
The Pray for Panhandle, Pray for Panhandle for Texas, those are your two best places to get updated on what's needed, what's not needed, and all this other good stuff.
So anyway, uh oh, I need to get you on.
Yep, hang on a second.
I have a, somebody's never been on my show before.
Have I not?
I've been a part of your show.
I know, you've never been on your show.
You've never been on my show.
How you doing, Jimmy?
I'm doing great.
Hey, I want to, uh, you're talking about all the good things about people giving some stuff.
There must be a sense of good attitude floating around because I want to say thank you.
And I'm going to guess this gentleman is probably listening because he was driving a farm truck.
Right?
Yep.
You know who you are?
I had the flatbed with the spikes and also the OU tag on the back.
This is you.
Thanks for paying for my meal at Brahms.
Wow.
Pay it forward thing.
And I feel incredibly bad because nobody was behind me for me to pay it forward.
So somebody's going to get lucky.
One day, I'm going to buy them a lunch.
But I thought, you know what?
I bet you that guy is listening to Jimmy.
Hope so.
So I'm going to say thank you.
If he's got OU tag on, probably so.
Yeah.
And I was talking to Mr.
Chief Shervenka.
Right.
About everything and about donating for...
You're talking more about getting some hay and everything out there.
Right.
I forget about.
I'm talking about the fire.
I'm talking about the fire.
I'm talking about the fire.
I'm talking about the fire.
I'm talking about the fire.
I'm talking about the fire.
I'm talking about the fire.
I'm talking about the fire.
I'm talking about the fire.
I'm talking about the fire.
I'm talking about.
Jimmy Clark.
That life insurance that I have on myself, it's not for me.
It's for my wife, that she doesn't have to sell the home.
She doesn't have to go worry about, how am I gonna make this car payment?
How am I gonna come up with the cost out of pocket to pay this funeral?
Because, you know, that's an expensive cost.
And it's a cost that you're going to have.
If you had a machine in your garage that made money, it was a money-making machine.
You went out every day, and you flipped the switch on that machine, and it generated money to pay your bills, would you insure that machine?
I've never had anybody say no.
Sure they would.
Well, you are that machine.
You flip your switch on every morning when you get up.
You flip your switch on when you go to work.
But yet we don't insure ourself.
It doesn't make any sense to me.
Hi, I'm Mickey Lively.
I'm an insurance agent with Oklahoma Farm Bureau.
My office is located in Greer County.
Call me anytime at 580-782-3827.
Life insurance and annuity products offered through Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company.
Property and casualty products are offered through Oklahoma Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance and affiliated companies.
You can buy parts anywhere, but the people at our store are different than people at other stores.
And if they're not, we're going to make them different.
They should be more knowledgeable.
They should be more friendly.
They should be more customer-oriented.
They should be part of the community.
We pride ourselves of doing business with people.
You can buy parts anywhere.
It's the people that make the difference.
We try our best not to tell the customer no, but to find what they need.
Napa Auto Parts of Elk City, 716 West 3rd, more parts for more cars.
This is the Western Oklahoma Livestock Auction Market Report for Monday, February 26th.
2,173 head were sold.
Fourhead of Steers at 480 brought 312.
Six at 567 brought 279.
10 at 602 brought 314.
Six at 738 brought 251.
13 at 855 brought 235.50.
Ninehead of Heifers at 494 brought 273.
11 at 546 brought 278.
Three at 598 brought 248.
Eight at 699 brought 238.
29 at 802 brought 220.50.
33 at 811 brought 219.50.
Butcher Cows were 32 to 133.
Butcher Bulls brought 109 to 143.
Bread Cows were 1105 to 2325.
Pears brought 1175 to 2250.
Western Oklahoma Livestock Auction Exit 71.
Clinton, Oklahoma, sale every Monday at 10 a.m.
to consign, call Brandon Hickey 580-497-6095.
From pump to pivot, Valley Water experts can provide efficient turnkey pumping solutions for large or small operations.
From identifying a source to remote management, Valley Water experts have you covered with the most efficient and cost-effective solutions for all your water management challenges.
Contact your local Valley dealer.
Knudsen Irrigation, 1-800-373-9325, or online at knudsenirrigation.com.
That's Knudsen Irrigation, 1-800-373-9325, or online at knudsenirrigation.com.
Friends, I would like to invite you to join us at the Davis Angus Value Genetics Bulls and Female Sale on Saturday, March 2nd at 1230 p.m.
where you can get better beef bulls at an affordable price, selling 90-yearling and 18-month-old bulls, and 30 commercial bread heifers and first calf heifer pairs.
The bulls have been DNA tested, ultrasound tested, and been tested for feed efficiency on the Grow Safe System.
Please join us on Saturday, March 2nd at 1230 p.m.
on County Road 2150 near Burns Flat, Oklahoma.
You can get more information at davisangus.com or go to Facebook and search Davis Angus.
Jimmy's all wound up and ready to go.
Here comes more of Today in Ag with Jimmy Clark.
All right, welcome back.
Let's go with Canadian Texas for your Ag weather update.
34 degrees, wind chills at 23, humidity is at 77, dew points at 28.
The winds are out of the south at 21 miles an hour, with wind gusts up to 29.
So far, month to date precipitation, 20.23, 23 one hundredths of an inch.
Sub freezing minutes today, 429, 8 inch soil temperature, 45 degrees.
All right, I got a quick update on another fire that just started, and it is north and west of Butler by the Mark West gas plant.
Keep an eye out on it for there today.
I know we got unfavorable weather for major wildfire today, but anyway, never know.
A lot of big grass up there north of Butler.
Anyway, on the show with me right now, on the phone with me, is Mr.
Tony Montgomery from Piney Fork Farms.
And if I got your address right, you're in Evening Shade, Arkansas.
Is that correct, sir?
Yes, sir.
I got it right.
Finally.
I'm good.
Anyway, oh, yeah, I'm supposed to share this information here also with you.
Today, the guys today is 22924, so this is leap year that you realize on social media.
It'll be four more years before you can share that memory that happens today.
Well, that's right.
So, I mean, you got to look at the numbers there, but Tony, you farm, you love farming, and I know you fishing because your wife ratted you out the other day because she's gone fishing a little bit.
And if I lived in Arkansas, I'd be fishing a lot too.
But tell everybody who you are and what all your farming operation consists of.
Okay, I'd be glad to.
I actually live eight miles west of Eveningshade, Arkansas, in rural north Arkansas, north central.
And we live in a little community called Zion, Z-I-O-N.
And if you know your Bible, that's a biblical name.
But we started here about 37 years ago.
And my dream was to come up here and plant blueberries.
My wife, she was going to get a regular job, which she did.
And so we started our blueberry farm.
We've got three and a half acres of high bush blueberries.
And we added blackberries.
They come and go.
Blackberries, if you know anything about them, in my part of the world, they last about seven or eight years, and then you've got to renovate them.
And that's what I'm in the process of doing now.
But about 12 years ago, I met somebody who spent time in, I believe it was either Scotland or Ireland, I think it was Ireland, a young lady.
And she worked in a high tunnel.
And she explained to me what a high tunnel was.
And then about the following year or so, the NRCS started offering high tunnels to farmers.
And my only requirement was I had to give up some land that was already in production.
Well, I had some blueberries that was not very productive for me.
So it was kind of an easy decision.
I took out about, I don't know, four, five, six hundred blueberry plants and put in a couple of high tunnels.
And of course, they started, they do a cost share on it.
And so then we've been in the raising tomatoes in there for about the last 12 years.
And I know, Jimmy, that you're getting you one here real soon.
Yes, sir.
And that's what you call my attention.
They are a tremendous growing method.
And I'm attracted, it's kind of like my blueberries.
I'm the only one in my county that tried to raise commercial blueberries.
And I've always liked the unusual.
I like the challenge we have had in both tomatoes and blueberries.
We've had every challenge and problems that you can possibly have.
But you stick with it and you one by one, you learn what to do in those situations.
Right.
What?
How many tunnels you got?
I can't remember to well, right now I have two active tunnels.
I have another one that does not have plastic or they call it film.
They have any covering on it.
So I've actually got three, but I'm operating to right now.
And then so the way I discovered Tony was YouTube, YouTube and Google are everybody's friends these days.
But anyway, I've been on YouTube for three or four years watching gardening techniques because you can learn a lot on YouTube.
And I and I came across you and I'm like, how come I haven't got across this came across you sooner because he's down there.
He explains it the way it needs to be.
And there's no punch.
There's no there's always tricks to stuff that he's not holding nothing back.
He's not being selfish and holding back any information on stuff.
And what is the name of your YouTube channel that you are on?
It is called.
Let me think a minute because I'm not on there a whole lot.
If it's high tunnel, high tunnel field, high tunnel to me, hang on just a second.
I have to zip over there because YouTube channel, I forget my own name because I've got about three different places on there.
Let me change my account so I can get it right for you.
It says here, switch account.
Yeah, because we need to get that right.
We need to mention a couple of times during the show.
Here we go.
Let me punch that one right there and see what it tells me.
It's high tunnel field and tomato production.
Yes, there you go.
So not only do I want to explain, most of my methods of raising the high tunnel work in the field, production method too.
So that's what I kind of, that's why I named it that, because these methods are not just limited.
And there is, I mean, if you're willing to do research, I don't believe there's secrets in anything.
I use for my blueberries.
I don't know about that.
Have you ever talked to a cotton farmer?
Yeah, I mean, you use the universe, because they spend the money to research these crops.
And so why would you not use them?
Yeah, exactly, exactly.
And also, if you get on YouTube and just search Piney Fork Farm, Tony will come up that way.
That'll be the easiest way.
OK, yeah, I wasn't aware of that.
And I may in the near future change that, you know, my YouTube channel to just Piney Fork Farm, because we do more than just tomatoes.
Exactly.
Well, we need to take a break.
And when we come back, we're going to talk.
We're going to start talking from the seed to the high tunnel.
OK, sounds right.
I'm going to be right back after this Oklahoma Farm Bureau break.
Today in Ag with Jimmy Clark.
Hey, folks, I'm Ken Russ, new owner of Hobart Stockyards.
We want to thank Greg Slamming for the great job and dedication he has done serving the community in southwestern Oklahoma.
I look forward to continuing working with you cattle producers and marketing your cattle.
We are bringing in multiple independent cattle buyers and along with current buyers to guarantee you get top prices for your cattle.
Give me a call at 580-530-0192.
Here at Hobart Stockyards, we only sell the best.
And remember that Jesus is Lord.
At Lone Star Gin, four and a half miles south of Pampa, Texas on Highway 70, our mission is to provide superior customer service to our producers while getting their cotton gin in a timely manner.
We possess 120 plus bale per hour capacity, high tech moisture systems, on-site sampling, and we move cotton in a timely manner from the field to the gin.
With excellent hands-on marketing, our gin is designed to maximize profits for our farmers.
Visit us at www.lonestargin.com or give us a call at 806-665-0677.
SEI Agritech is excited to announce they are now open with their new LNC Blending Feed Facility for their new product line at SEI Agritech 1400 South Randall in Elk City with all the feed rations that you've come to know and trust.
The new facility is the only LNC Blending Facility in the area.
SEI Agritech in Elk City now open with their new facility in their current location 1400 South Randall in Elk City.
For more information, give Kent a call at 580-225-0317.
Well, I'll use myself as an example.
I go in there, I need oil filters for my tractor or something like that.
I'll get the oil filter, whatever I need.
Any greases for lubing everything up.
If I need some electrical fittings or any type of nuts and bolts to fix something that's broke, I can get it there.
Any penetrating oils.
I mean, just anything that you need, we can get, we have, or we're going to get for you for any type of agriculture or oil field or just working on something around the house, whatever you need.
The other three owners, myself, Ronnie Redd, Casey Miller, Brock Kauck.
We're all local guys, been here almost all of our lives.
We put back into the community.
We love Elk City.
When you buy through us, you're buying from somebody that's putting it back into the community instead of going to some big corporate office somewhere out of state.
We invest back in the schools.
We sponsor stuff all the time, different sports and just whatever.
Cam Rock is the name of the company.
We've got what you need for your agriculture or oil field industry, whatever you need.
It's 2111 South Main, Elk City, south of Fred's Steakhouse.
Three local guys just looking to do business with our community.
We've been part of Western Oklahoma's ag industry since statehood.
I'm Marty Maddux from Great Plains Bank in Elk City.
We proudly support our local FFA labor auctions and premium sales.
Our local lenders have a combined 127 years of banking experience.
We handle all ag related loans like land purchases, farm operating loans, and stocker lines of credit.
And we recently helped over 700 area farmers and ranchers with their PPP loans.
Great Plains Bank in Elk City is here to lend agriculture a helping hand.
Member FDIC.
Calling all rural residents of Western Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle, are you tired of hauling off your own trash?
Call DEG Trash Hauling.
They can have a dumpster delivered to you in no time.
DEG offers weekly or bi-weekly pickup in four different size dumpsters.
You have a big job?
DEG also has roll offs available in several sizes.
With DEG, you find affordable rates and no contracts.
Satisfaction is always top priority.
For more information, call DEG at 580-497-6950.
That's 580-497-6950.
Let DEG Trash get rid of your trash.
He loves talking about farming and ranching.
Here's more of Today in Ag with Jimmy Clark.
All right, welcome back.
Here's an Ag weather update for you in northwestern Oklahoma.
34 degrees at Camargo.
25 is the windchill.
29 is the dew point.
84% humidity.
That's what we need to help with these fires.
Sunset at 631.
70% chance of rain and snow today at 42.
It was 90-something Monday.
27 tonight, 69 tomorrow.
Light winds and sunny.
Beautiful day.
Well, Tony Montgomery with Piney Fork Farms is on here with me out of Arkansas, and he has a YouTube channel.
Piney Fork Farms is the best way to get ahold of it.
If you want a very easy step-by-step explanation about how to grow tomatoes or strawberries in a high tunnel, even outside the high tunnel, he is simple.
That's what it takes.
You need to be simple.
Tony, thank you again for coming on today and appreciate you taking your time out of your busy work schedule because gardening is firing up, isn't it?
Yes, we are right around the corner.
So you've got, I watched one of your YouTube videos and you've got a small, I guess, greenhouse, you want to call it.
And you make it simple to start your vegetables.
Tell everybody exactly kind of what you do there.
Well, it's, my greenhouse is a, it's 12 by 12.
It's not real big, but I start my seeds in what you call a flat.
You've seen the little black trays at various garden centers and places.
And so I generally put 100 seeds per flat.
I just take a pencil or something, make a little furrow, put 25 seeds in each row, and then cover it up with some of that.
And I use a germination mix, which is really fine.
You know, tomato seeds are small.
And so I put them in that very loose peat moss and durmeculite, and it's got perlite in it.
And then I'll tamp it down and water it.
And I use heat mats.
I've got two or three of them, and they've got a thermostat control in it.
So I want that bottom heat to be about 75 degrees.
And for my situation, so that I don't have to spend a lot of money on my heating my greenhouse, air temperature, you know, up to 75 or 80 degrees, I made a hood.
I just take some one-by-one strips and make a little, actually it's just a hood, a little box hood to go over these flats.
And then I put a greenhouse film or greenhouse plastic on it, which is clear.
And then that traps all that heated moisture in there.
Oh, yeah.
It's like a mini greenhouse on top of them, or like a mini tunnel, actually, on top.
Yeah, it's a mini tunnel, mini greenhouse.
And for me, and then, of course, my greenhouse gets full sun.
And then usually within five, six days, they're coming up.
And like I say, I heat my greenhouse.
I've got a wood furnace, and I've got a heat exchanger inside there.
So, and the greenhouse is just those clear panels, so it's not insulated.
And if you get like I did last night, you know, 27 degrees, well, then that's pretty cold inside that greenhouse, too.
Yes, it is.
All right.
So you've started your tomato plants, and what is it, three, four weeks before you move them to the high tunnel?
Well, what I can do that this I've learned this on my own.
I can go from a seed to a tomato plant ready to go in the high tunnel in five weeks.
Oh, cool.
And it takes about, let's say it takes a week to get them up, and then you want another week to get them where you got that second pair of leaves.
Your first two leaves are, you know, kind of oval, and they call those cotyledons and then what they call the true leaves.
When you get the two true leaves, I transplant those into a four inch pot.
And the reason I do that was through the University of Missouri, they put out a high tunnel book.
They were, I think they're one of the foremost in our nation when it comes to high tunnel research.
I didn't know that.
They had a little booklet out, and so I owned high tunnels, so I bought the little booklet.
And the reason that you go to, I go to a four inch pot, you've got more room for those roots to expand quickly.
If you keep them in those little, like a 50 cell tray, and let's just say those 50 cell trays are one by one, or even inch and a half by inch and a half, as soon as those roots get going, it ain't no time they're hitting the sides of those walls, and you're restricting the root growth.
And y'all buy everybody's bottom at a garden center.
We've all bottled them there.
And so by going to that four inch pot, then about three weeks later, I've got one that's 18 inches tall.
I've seen that, and that was one of my favorite YouTube videos that I've watched so far.
Yours, because you move it over into that pot, and I know some of those, you've got the professional pots, and some people put them over in solo cups and stuff like that.
But when you pulled that root, that tomato plant out of that pod, I could not believe the root system you had.
They are full.
And then see, what I'm able to do in my high tunnel, I use the white plastic, and I've got a 4-inch auger that goes on to my drill.
So all I've got to do is cut a little slit in the plastic, drill a 4-inch round hole, and I can take that tomato out of the pod and drop it right into the soil.
All right, so you're going to your high tunnel, and a lot of stuff you do in the high tunnel is similar to what you do outside in your garden, except you're just doing more plants in the high tunnel.
So you go to your high tunnel.
Do you have a weed mat down?
At least I may not start with it, but I do use the white plastic in the rows, and then the middles, I just use that black woven ground cover.
Right, the landscaping cover, they call it.
There's all kinds of names out there.
But anyway, all right, so we got a couple minutes before we take our last break.
So you've got, what are you using for your watering system?
I've got a drip irrigation.
Now, on the tomatoes, I run, it's the flexible, it's called, it's not the tubing, it's the, well, there's another name for it, but it's the real flimsy.
It's only good for one year.
OK, yeah, I know what you're talking about.
I run one on each side of the tomato because the roots go where water is.
So about 10 inches away from my tomato plants on each side, I've got that.
And it's laid under the plastic, and it'll drip.
I like the high, high-volume drips.
Mine will 100-foot row.
It'll put out about a gallon and a half per minute.
Well, you just cost me more money.
I wanted you to know that, right?
Because I planned for a single row, now I'm going double row.
Yeah, I did the single row for years, and then I talked to my county agent.
He said, you give them more water, they're going to grow better.
Well, they did.
Well, we still have a minute here, left in there.
So D, let's get with your fertilizer.
What do you do when you move them from the cup to the ground?
What's your fertilization plan?
Well, you know, if you take a soil test before you do anything, that's your P and K, your potassium and phosphorus, go ahead and you incorporate that into the soil before you make your beds.
But as soon as I plant them, I use a water soluble, and it's a plant soluble, it's a 945-15, I believe are the numbers.
And I'll mix that up a tablespoon to the gallon and give each of them about maybe a cup.
And that gets them started.
And if you'll do that, you don't really have to do anything for another, no more fertilize probably for about three weeks till they really set good roots.
Okay.
And what was that fertilizer number again?
I believe it's a 945-15.
Yeah, that's what I missed the 45.
I had 9514.
I thought I'm not the brightest of guys, but that don't make sense.
Okay, so do you do that right on the plan, or are you mixing it through your drip system?
That one there, I do.
I hand water those.
Okay.
So I can go through the drip, but I really want it really close.
I mean, just right on top of the root ball.
And with a real low nitrogen, you're not going to burn it.
So I'll do that, and then I back off and see how it...
Now, you could have put all your stuff in the soil at one time, but with tomatoes, they need some nitrogen when you start.
When they start to flower, they're going to need some more nitrogen.
And then when they put on tomatoes, you're going to need some more.
So you've got to decide...
And after I give them the initial, you know, pre-planning, once I give them that 945-15, I put everything through the irrigation system.
Okay.
Well, Mr.
Montgomery, we're going to take our last break, and I'll be right back to you here in about three minutes.
Okay, thank you.
Let's take Oklahoma Farm Bureau break.
Maybe I'll remember to talk about them when I get back.
But we'll have your Hobart Farm and Garden Ag weather update coming up here in just a minute.
Today in Ag with Jimmy Clark.
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Oh, Jimmy's all wound up and ready to go.
Here comes more of Today in Ag with Jimmy Clark.
Here's your Hobart farm and garden ag weather update.
I picked Hollis, capital of Harmon County.
35 degrees, 29 is what it feels like.
Dew point is 30, humidity is 83.
The winds are out of the south at seven miles an hour.
Sunset 634, 60% chance of rain today, 41 for a high.
Tonight partly cloudy and 29.
Tomorrow just gorgeous.
Mostly sunny and 73 degrees.
One important notice that I need to let you guys know about before we get back with Tony on talking tomatoes and high tunnels and all that good stuff.
Guys, we have to be really super careful with the hay that we're bringing out of any out of Texas and southern Oklahoma or southern Arkansas.
We have to be super careful.
Even Jackson County is in the fire ant quarantine.
As you heard me say on the show yesterday, they never had fire ants in the panhandle of Oklahoma.
The last big Laverne fire, they brought hay from, because the quarantine had been lifted.
They got fire ants in the panhandle of Texas, or of Oklahoma now.
We have to be careful there.
It's easy to Google, fire ant quarantine and the map will come up.
So please be careful where you get your hay from, from donations and stuff like that.
We just got to be super careful with that.
We don't need fire ants up here because we need, we need to keep our quail.
How about that?
Well, Tony Montgomery, Piney Creek, Piney Fork Farms.
Oh, I want to say Piney Creek.
There's a lake up there called Piney Creek in there.
Well, Jimmy, you're not far from wrong.
I live, my farm is on Piney Creek.
Okay.
So that's why we called it that.
And there's more than one Piney Creek in Arkansas, but yes, it's one of my water sources, and that's why we named it.
Okay.
So there was golf there anyway.
Well, we were talking about your fertilization when we went to break.
So you got your fertilization, and you were talking about, you know, right off the bat, hit it with a good dose of this 945-14, actually watered into it, not through the drip system after that.
So, okay, so your plant is planted, and what are the things you look for for why your tomato is growing, to keep a good eye on diseases and stuff like that?
Because, I mean, you're not, you're gonna get more diseases on tomato plants outside your high tunnel, but you can still get them on the inside, because you were talking about, not only diseases earlier, when I was talking to you earlier this week, you know, in a high tunnel, you get in a kind of a controlled environment, and you attract bugs.
Well, that's right.
And, actually, I've had them all.
But I'm down there at least twice a day.
And one of the things that folks need to know, I mean, high tunnels are, I love them, they're a lot of fun, but there is some maintenance.
So let's say you get in the spring, and you're going to, you've already got your tomatoes planted, and you're going to have 45 degrees tonight.
Well, about sundowns, you've got to go down there and raise up the sides, you know, complete, close the doors, raise the sides up, completely box it in.
And then come morning time, if you're not real careful, you've got to get down there at a reasonably early time, because that thing will shoot up, let's say you're going to have a 65 degree day, that high tunnel may get up to 85 degrees.
So you've got to run down there, drop the sides, open the doors up, so there's a lot of maintenance.
Well, while you're there, you just walk through and, you know, randomly look around, turn some leaves over, look for bugs, make sure they're nice and green, and then if everything's fine, you're done.
What is different about growing tomato plants inside than outside?
The major thing that I have noticed is, and you and I talked about, we use a 50% shade cloth.
Once we get up, let's say, after the first 30 days, you get into, in the May, somewhere right in there, you're starting to get pretty hot, I'll go ahead and put a shade cloth over the whole top of it, not the sides, but over the top.
That gives me at least six hours sunlight, filters, you know.
You're told you're going to have filtered sunlight, but a tomato needs about 12 hours a day, so if you put a shade cloth on there, you're dropping that down to about six filtered, which is still fine.
I mean, that's enough to...
And that's the big difference.
You don't...
I don't understand it, but you don't get the intensity of the sun.
Yeah, that makes very much sense.
Anyway, so do you grow strawberries in your high tunnel?
I've done it before, and I'm doing it this year.
Tell us, we got about four minutes.
Tell us more.
Well, now, I did this with the advice of my, one of the professors at the university.
I called him first of January and asked him, I told him I want to put some strawberries in there.
And I asked him, I said, when do I plant these?
Now, these are bare roots.
And she told me January.
Now, I'm a little surprised about that, but I'd already had my rows made up.
Everything was just fine.
And so I planted these about the 15th or 19th of January, put the plants in there, gave them some water.
And I was down there, you know, just a couple of hours ago.
And I've given them a little bit of that same fertilizer I'm telling you about, the water soluble, low nitrogen, given them two dose about a week apart.
And they're growing, they're putting up new growth from the crowns.
They're just looking great.
They're nice and green.
OK, so before you talk to her, when were you outside?
Well, I was thinking maybe just put them out in March.
You know, I thought, well, that's plenty early.
But she's right.
I mean, I understand from her perspective what they were doing.
They have been researching these in the tunnel.
Now, it's been about eight or nine years ago since I tried to raise some in the tunnel, and I planted them last time in the fall.
You put them out here in my part of Arkansas about the 1st of October.
Let them over winter, and then come springtime, they take off.
But I was talking, you know, I have bare roots, so she wanted them to grow as quickly as possible.
And if you will go down to your garden, any of your gardeners right now, they will see with the temperatures we have, they'll see those strawberry plants already putting up, you know, new shoots and everything.
Yeah, because our ground temperature already right now, now it's probably going to change a little bit because of the cold front that's come through.
But it doesn't sound like it's been any different than where you are there in Northern Arkansas.
But our ground temperature is already 15 and above.
So it's coming on.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
And what I've noticed now, here's the great thing about the high tunnel, from my perspective, if you're willing to sell these, I've got the black ground cover, the weed barrier, and that is going to heat up quicker.
And in the high tunnel, you can maintain a little higher temperature.
Say tomorrow, it's just going to be 45 degrees outside in sunny.
Well, with that high tunnel raised up, I can get my temperature up to about 70 degrees.
So I'm going to have tomatoes, or excuse me, strawberries, before anybody else does.
Well, that's an advantage for selling, because I personally absolutely love strawberries.
And when I think of spring, the first fruit that I can get my hands on is going to be a strawberry.
Okay.
Now, here's the shocker for people out here.
Tell everybody what your favorite tomato is.
My favorite tomato now, and of course, you cannot buy it in a market.
I have to buy my seeds.
It's called Florida 7514.
Now, that's just a number.
It doesn't mean a thing.
It means it's from Florida.
Well, it means it's from Florida.
And this was developed in Florida for that Florida market.
And here's what I like about those seeds that were developed for that market.
They can withstand the hot temperatures.
And that's important for Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas Panhandle.
It's, it's yes, yes.
Anywhere in this region here.
I mean, I may not get quite as hot as you, but we'll hit 100 degrees, you know, a couple of days every year.
Well, Tony, thank you so much for coming on.
If you guys want to follow him on his YouTube channel, it just is plain and simple.
It's as easy as it's get.
It's piney.
Just get on YouTube.
Google our Google YouTube search for piney for farms.
And it comes up and he's there's eight or 10 of them on there.
I've watched half of them.
And I thank you so much for coming on today.
Jimmy, you're welcome.
And I just want you to know, my prayers will be for Texas and Oklahoma for these fires.
I pray they're over soon.
Thank you very much.
Have a great day.
Yes, sir.
One more thing, quick thing.
Penny News.
Check out all the sponsors and all the pictures from FFA Weeks.
It's great.
Anthony Moore, Nick Archer's mugs are in there.
So anyway, check it out.
It's Today in Ag with Jimmy Clark.
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