IN CASE OF EMERGENCY


by Michael Creasman, CFP


three to six months’ worth of ex- penses. Well, like all generalities, it does not always apply. You are bet- ter advised to calculate the amount needed for your own particular emergency fund on the basis of your job stability and income predictabil- ity. So, if you think that your job is on shaky ground, you would be well advised to save at least a year’s worth of expenses. If you work on commis- sion or your income is erratic, the same advice holds. What you should be seeking to avoid is the necessity of selling stocks or borrowing heavily in the event of an emergency.


maintain two to three years’ worth of expenses in money-market ac- counts, short-term CDs, or other liquid investments.


several years has made people more sensitive to the need to build an emergency fund. Te amount of money in this fund will vary de- pending on a person’s age, occupa- tion, and financial obligations. At CREASMAN 401(k) PLAN AD- VISOR, INC., we can help you de- sign short- and long-term financial strategies. Our initial meeting with you will be a fact-finding interview where we discuss your financial objectives, tolerance for risk, and timeline for needing funds. Please call us at 828-253-7231 to schedule a consultation. We are located at 1328F Patton Ave. Happy holiday season!


www.creasmanfp.com Te economic crisis of the past HINT: Retirees are advised to


You may have heard the stan- dard advice to maintain an “ eme rge n c y fund” equal to


Outdoors with Ken Higgins Food plots for non-farmers


By Ken Higgins One of the hardest parts of hav-


ing private hunting land, whether it’s a tract of leased land in South Carolina or family-owned land in North Carolina, is planting a wildlife food plot. Tere are so many variables in nature that work against you. First is the weather. Food plot


seeds need a good soaking rain after planting to start the germi- nation process. Tis leads to an obsession of watching weather reports, trying to pick the day be- fore a rain to drive several hundred miles to plant food plots. After deciding on the day, it’s


time to plant the seeds. I spent this past summer thinking about and reading about the latest Magnum, Buck Snort and New Zealand Pro- Graze food plot mixes. Te com- panies that sell deer food-plot seed mixes have some good and bad high-priced products. If you read the content labels of


these expensive seed mixes you will find a high percentage of low-cost filler seeds. Te next thing to think about


is whether the seed is an annual or perennial. Annual seed grows for one season, dies and has to be replanted the next season. Peren- nial seed last for years and usually is not replanted every year. Te next thing that can go wrong


is the depth at which the seeds are planted. A good rule of thumb is a planting depth of three times the width of whatever seed being planted. Don’t forget the soil pH


Just in time for Ken Higgins blows leaves off his South Carolina food plot.


test, so the seeds will germinate. If you are forced to plant and


lime at the same time, first disc the soil, spread powdered lime until the ground is a uniform white and lightly disc again. In the photo, there is a food plot


planted two years ago during a drought. Te only work required has been to spread a bag of 0-24- 24 fertilize every spring. Tis food plot is a combination of oats and crimson clover. I bought all the seed in bulk. Tis is the meth- od I used to get results during a drought. Two months before planting, I


disced and then limed the ground to get a pH reading of 6.7 on aver- age. When it was time to plant in


September, I put oats in five-gallon buckets and filled them with warm water. I stirred in about one or two ounces of plant starter/accelerator in each five-gallon plastic bucket before snapping on the lid. Te oats should soak no more than two days. I disced again and planted the


water-swollen oats, using my hand to sling wet handfuls down each row made with the disc harrow. Planting by hand is the only way to distribute wet oats. Next, I lightly disced the field to


cover the oats. A firm seed bed is needed for the crimson clover to be sown. After sowing oats, the ground has


Christmas 828-254-7936 20 THE TRIBUNE/LEADER - December 9 - December 15, 2010


to be packed so there is maximum seed-to-soil contact. A cultipacker can be used. A four-wheeler, pick- up, or tractor works also. I used a tractor to pack this field. Crimson clover was planted on the packed soil, using a seed sower set on the maximum flow rate. A final pack- ing and the food plot was finished. Neither plant is a perennial. Te


Genuine Lane Cedar Chest 199 to $


399


Holiday Sale Priced $


crimson carries a red seed on the stem. Tis photo in South Caro- lina was taken during the April turkey season. Later in the sum- mer, the red seed stem dies and falls to the ground where hundreds of clover seeds are re-seeded with September rains. Oats produce the same results. Lightly disc the field in the fall


and help the seeds along if you prefer. Now for the good part that saves money on fertilizer. Te crimson clover takes nitrogen out of the air which is then transferred to the clover root system which feeds the new growing root system of the oats. I prefer oats or wheat for this


mixture with crimson clover. I see deer walk through rye to reach oats and wheat when given a choice. Rye tends to get tough the older it gets. Tis photo was taken around noon and five turkeys were feeding on the crimson clover as we drove into the field. When you start to buy seed,


call around and check prices. My best results have been to buy bulk oats from the N.C. Agri Bulletin or the S.C. Market Bulletin. I buy oats for $30 per 55 gallon drum. If you’re planting more than two acres, this is probably the best way to save money on oats. Large farms sell oats in bulk. Carry several 55 gallon open-


top drums in your truck bed. You can pull your truck under a grain shoot that fills each plastic barrel. I dropped in several moth balls as the oat drums are filled. I’ve still got oats I bought in 2007 that are sealed and insect free. Candler Feed & Seed (667-4133)


has the best prices on bagged oats ($17 per 50 pounds) and wheat($13 per 50 pounds). Teir crimson clover prices have fallen from $120 per 50 pounds to $38. A seeding rate of 50 pounds of oats and 15 pounds of crimson clover for a food plot the size of a football field (about an acre) is what I use. Sometimes I mix in two pounds of chicory, which is a good deer can- dy plant. It’s also drought resistant and a strong perennial. If you have a choice, plant food


plots that face north and east. Tese are usually cooler and re- tain more moisture. A must-have book published by Quality Deer Management Association is called Quality Food Plots for $35. Te Web site is qdma.com.


www.weavervilletribune.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28