Small Farm Manure Management Featured at Expo

There is something for livestock producers of every size this year at the North American Manure Expo in London, Ohio August 3-4, 2016. The Expo begins with three tour options including composting, dairy and beef farms. Grazing operations may find the beef tour interesting as the tour looks at grazing management strategies Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park uses for buffalo and Continue reading

Morgan County Ag and Livestock Field Day Scheduled

Plans are finalized for the 16th Ag and Livestock Field Day in Morgan County. This year we are pleased to announce that our host farm will be Wiseman Livestock farm, home of Russ, Dee and Austin Wiseman. The field day will be on Monday, August 8, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and our headquarters will be at 2262 Newlon Rd, Malta (from Malta, take SR 37 west 7.2 miles to CR 39, Newlon Rd, and proceed two miles on CR 39 to the location, signs will be posted).

The program will begin with a tour of Continue reading

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Brexit and the Cattle Markets

– Brian R. Williams, Assistant Extension Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University

As most are already aware, the citizens of the United Kingdom voted on June 23, 2016 to end its membership in the European Union. The immediate effect of the vote caused markets across the globe to come tumbling down. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped just under 3.4 percent following the vote, while some individual European stocks dropped by as much as 20 percent. Meanwhile the value of the dollar jumped to the highest levels since March as investors sought more stability. In the days following the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the EU, many of the markets have begun to Continue reading

Plants of Concern to Livestock in Summer

Clif Little, OSU Guernsey County Extension Educator

It seems like one of those years when growing conditions start off great but then we move into dry and hot conditions at the peak of summer. With such conditions we will have an increased potential for livestock poisonings.  As summer progresses the preferred forages for grazing dry up and become less available and animals are forced to consume plants they might otherwise not eat.  Therefore, there are recognizable circumstances like drought, overgrazing, nitrogen fertilization and summer storms that all have the potential to contribute to livestock poisoning. So what are some plants of concern for grazing livestock during these dry conditions in Ohio?  I’ll cover some Continue reading

North American Manure Expo Comes to London, Ohio

Amanda Douridas, OSU Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Champaign County

The North American Manure Expo is returning to Ohio August 3-4, 2016 for the first time in eight years. This top notch event provides ample opportunity to learn more about manure nutrient management and see the latest industry technology and equipment. The theme for the 2016 expo is Manure: Returning Nutrients to Their Roots. The Expo will be held at the site of the Continue reading

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Scout for Potato Leaf Hopper in Alfalfa

Rory Lewandowski, OSU Extension Educator, Wayne County

If potato leaf hoppers (PLH) are going to be a problem in alfalfa, July and August are generally the months when high numbers can build up and cause damage to alfalfa stands.  Young regrowth and stands more than 7 days away from harvest are the stands most likely to need a rescue insecticide treatment if PLH is present in high numbers. The PLH is a later season pest because it does not overwinter in Ohio. It lives year round in the gulf coast region and is carried north each year on Continue reading

Weekly Livestock Comments, July 1, 2016

– Andrew P. Griffith, University of Tennessee

FED CATTLE: Fed cattle traded $6 higher than one week ago on a live basis. Live prices were mainly $122 to $123 while dressed prices were mainly $195 to $196. The 5-area weighted average prices thru Thursday were $122.48 live, up $6.39 from last week and $195.94 dressed, up $8.17 from a week ago. A year ago prices were $151.36 live and $239.88 dressed. Prices exploded on Thursday in the live cattle market as trade was not Continue reading