Some people have really good memories and can easily remember what a particular summer was like twenty years ago. Others have years of calendars or notebooks of daily weather data. One of the facets of a number of farm data management platforms is the availability of weather data. Some don’t have any of the above – that’s the category I fall in to.

One resource that can help fill the gap is information from the Kansas Mesonet. Established in 1986 at KSRE research centers and experiment facilities around the state, these stations provide valuable current and historical weather data for ag producers and homeowners alike. Gradually, the Mesonet is expanding to new locations selected based upon unavailability of automated weather data in the region. They intend to improve weather collection in the state and make it readily available to the public and research.

What information can they provide? A visit to the main page (www.mesonet.k-state.edu) shows a map of the state with tabs for temperature, 24 hour precipitation, and wind speed. On seven degree days like this morning, it’s a snapshot of where everyone around you is sitting as well. Each individual weather collection station is shown. A simple click on any station pulls up that station’s current conditions and a NOAA weather forecast image for the day.

There’s also huge datasets behind the home page, as well. Tabs for Weather, Agriculture, and Fire provide information on everything from soil temperature to growing degree days to heat indices. Soil moisture data is available at many sites across the state. Inversion prediction information is available as well.

Thinking about a spring burn and want to know about soil moisture and what humidity levels look like? The Kansas Mesonet has that information. Thinking about a spring garden or corn planting? Soil temperatures are available to help you make planting decisions. Lots of historical data is available as well, allowing you to look at long term and recent trends. They even have an animal/cattle comfort level webpage based on current conditions.

Looking for weather data? The Kansas Mesonet likely has it. Check them out at www.mesonet.k-state.edu . For real time updates, follow them on Twitter at @ksmesonet . Don’t have a station nearby? Reach out to Christopher “Chip” Redmond and inquire about the requirements for a station! Contact him at christopherredmond@k-state.edu or 785-477-6204.

Farm Transition Meeting - February 13, 2019

Trying to keep the family farm going is a dream for many farmers, but there are usually a lot of questions on how to make that happen. For example: should you structure the farm in a trust, an LLC or a simple partnership? We hope to answer these questions and many more at our Farm Transition meeting on February 13th at the Fair building in Holton, 12200 214th Road.

Roger McEowen, Kansas Farm Bureau Professor of Agricultural Law and Taxation at Washburn University and a former KSU Ag Law Specialist will be on hand to try and answer these questions. We’ll also have Mark Peterson, Stanton, Iowa, tell his unique tale of keeping the family farm going for another family while facing his own dilemma of how to pass the farm on once again. The meeting will begin at 1:30 pm and is open to all interested persons. We are happy to partner with the Jackson Heights FFA Alumni to bring these speakers to our area.