The 8th Annual Farm Home Ranch Day brought a diverse crowd together at the Graham County Fairgrounds Friday morning for workshops and classes on a range of topics including
- Farm chemicals
- Bed bugs
- Home canning
- Tree pruning
- Disease control for fruit and nut trees
Farmers can gain continuing education credits from the event to maintain licenses for chemicals and pesticides used in agriculture.
The event was organized by the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension and the Safford Ag Center.
Home canning is making a comeback and Cindy Pearson gave a presentation on home canning methods. Pearson teaches weekly classes through the Cooperative Extension, focusing on proper heating and sealing methods.
Randy Norton gave presentations on agriculture chemicals. Norton heads up the Safford Ag Center that primarily focuses on cotton research.
A presentation on bed bugs made participants queasy and nervous about the nasty little bugs. Mark Curley from Rattlesnake Exterminating was on hand to answer questions. Curley said that bed bugs are becoming a problem in the community. He talked about cases where students have brought them home in their backpacks and others where people have brought them home in luggage.
The Graham County 4H Club provided mid-morning refreshments for the group and local companies displayed machinery and implements for farming and ranching.
From Left: Isaiah Soto, Joey Soto, Kaislynn Hatch, Jacob Flowers, Riley Flowers, Brett Flowers, Bradyn Willey, Wyatt Hatch, Jaryn Curtis, Rilyn Willey
