Hello,
This week was a busy week out of the county as I had training in Livestock Quality Assurance, entomology, and 2-stage ditches. Area Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Educators also met to finalize plans for this winter’s Private Applicator pesticide training recertification meetings. Hardin County’s sessions for private applicator pesticide training recertification will be held March 13 at Henry’s Restaurant in Kenton. There are two sessions planned with one starting at 9:00 am and another starting at 2:00 pm. Check out the website pested.osu.edu for meeting dates and other pesticide training information. The website also has commercial applicator pesticide training information if you are interested in that area.
I have attached the final rainfall report for the month of October which covers the time period of October 1-15 as well as information regarding the entire growing season which began April 15. Rains have slowed harvest but hopefully it will stabilize soon so that the crops can be taken off with the least amount of harvest loss. Some fields have problems with corn lodging and there are also a few soybean fields still out there. Double-cropped soybeans are very short this year so they have special harvest issues as well.
The Hardin County Agriculture Hall of Fame Banquet is planned for Tuesday, December 3 at St. John’s Church in Kenton. The program will start at 6:30 pm with our own Shannon Wilcox Donnelly as the guest speaker. Shannon is a graduate of Upper Scioto Valley High School, where she received both her State and American FFA Degrees. She served as both a state and national FFA officer and was an agricultural education instructor and FFA advisor at Riverdale High School. Watch for next week’s announcement about this year’s inductees to the Hardin County Agriculture Hall of Fame. Tickets and other information about the event will be forthcoming.
The Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium is coming up December 14 for sheep and goat producers. The 2013 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium (BSS) will concentrate on, “Looking to the Future: Marketing, Nutrient Management, and Product Demand.” The event will be held at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) Shisler Conference Center, 1680 Madison Ave, Wooster. Registration for the conference is due November 25. See the attached BSS news release and flier for more information. I have also included some articles below for you to read if interested.
2013BuckeyeShepherdsSymposium BSSFlyer2013
Mark
Forage Focus: Reducing the Risk of N Loss When Stockpiling Fescue – Chris Penrose, OSU Extension Educator, Agriculture & Natural Resources, Morgan County
After feeding corn stalks in the fall, probably the lowest cost way to feed cattle is to stockpile forages for fall and winter grazing. Stockpiling means to make the last harvest by clipping or grazing of a hay field or pasture and then let it grow for grazing latter; in this situation, in the fall or winter. While most predominantly grass based fields will work, fescue works the best as it maintains quality into and throughout the winter better.
Many studies have demonstrated that adding nitrogen (N) to the fields will increase quality and quantity of the grass. Urea is the most common form of N used for stockpiling in Ohio, but the biggest risk is applying the urea, then not getting a rain allowing much of the nitrogen to be lost through volatilization. To continue reading this forage article and other beef articles, go to http://beef.osu.edu/beef/beefNov0613.html.
“Getting Your Farm & Family Affairs in Order” – December 14, 18 & January 9 – Webinars – Sam Custer, OSU Extension Educator – Darke County
Farm accidents, cancer, disability, heart attacks, failing health, and death are all words farmers do not like to hear. Farming is the nation’s second most dangerous occupation in the United States. This combined with the aging farm population, could mean that your farm business might lose one of its key managers unexpectantly. Is your farm ready for the unexpected? Have you prepared the next generation to run your farm business after you are gone? To help address the “ah-crap” moments caused by the unexpected, OSU Extension is pleased to be offering a webinar workshop, titled “Getting your Farm & Family Affairs in Order.” This webinar is open to farmers across the country and will be held three times. Farm families are encouraged to choose the one which works the best for their family. To find out how to watch these webinars on your computer or to attend a session in Darke County, read the attached article.
Current Agricultural Use Value (CAUV) – Ed Lentz, OSU Extension Educator – Hancock County
The State of Ohio recognizes that agriculture is a business and that the acres required for successful operation may be different than land property requirements for other enterprises. In consideration of this difference a state program called the Current Agricultural Use Value has been in place for almost four decades. Current Agricultural Use Value (CAUV) is a real estate tax assessment program that allows farmland to be taxed on an agricultural production value rather than the full real estate market value. Ohio voters passed a referendum for the CAUV option in November, 1973 and it became law after the Ohio General Assembly passed Senate Bill 423 in April, 1974.
In most situations, CAUV results in a considerably lower property tax bill for owners of farmland compared to the market value rate. To find out more about CAUV and how it can affect your property taxes, read the attached article.
Ohio State University to Offer Agriculture and Natural Resources Tax Webinar and Workshop – December 19 – Wyandot County: Elks Lodge – 320 E. Wyandot Ave. Upper Sandusky
Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences will host a day-long tax webinar and workshop Dec. 19 for those who want to learn more about federal tax law changes and updates they may encounter when filing 2013 tax returns for farmers. The six-hour program will focus on special issues specific to farm tax returns related to agriculture and natural resources and is open to tax preparers as well as individuals who file their own farm taxes, said Larry Gearhardt, director of the Ohio State University Income Tax School Program of Ohio State University Extension. For more information, go tohttp://cfaes.osu.edu/news/articles/ohio-state-university-offer-agriculture-and-natural-resources-tax-webinar-and-workshop.
Don’t Get Wrapped Up in Machinery – Kathy Mann – Agricultural Safety and Health Program Coordinator
Farms use various pieces of equipment to increase the ease and efficiency of production agriculture. Common pieces include tractors, mowers, combines, grinders, augers, balers, and the list goes on and on. Although each piece of equipment is unique and designed with a specific purpose in mind, all farm machinery shares one-commonality, risk points. They include places with gears, chains, cutting edges, and revolving shafts. Each piece of machinery usually has more than one risk point. By becoming familiar with the risks associated with operating farm machinery, you can protect yourself from serious injuries or an untimely death. Wrap points include any exposed machine parts that rotate. The most common examples are power take-off shafts or PTOs, but there are several others. A few not commonly recognized include beater bars on self-unloading ensilage wagons and blades on manure spreaders.
Engineers have developed numerous guards to prevent accidents with wrap points. Master shields enclose the area where PTO drivelines connect to the tractor. Stub shaft shields cap exposed PTO stub shafts when not in use. Shaft shields enclose PTO drivelines. Implement shields are similar to master shields; however, they are attached to the implement and cover the rear PTO connection point.
Here are some tips to protect yourself or others:
• Remove drawstrings from jackets and sweat shirts before working around equipment with wrap points.
• Never wear jewelry when working with or around farm machinery.
• Keep long hair pulled back when working with all equipment and especially when working around equipment with wrap points.
• Never wear loose or frayed clothing when working with or around equipment.
• Shield all potential wrap points when possible.
• Replace damaged or bent shields immediately. Mangled shields are as dangerous as no shields at all.
• Never step over or crawl under rotating shafts.
• Never reach over, under, or around potential wrap points.
• Shut down all equipment and wait for all moving parts to stop before performing any maintenance or repairs.
• Place warning labels on all possible wrap points.
For more information check out: http://ohioline.osu.edu/aex-fact/0994_3.html
Mark A. Badertscher
Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator
OSU Extension Hardin County
1021 W. Lima Street, Suite 103, Kenton, OH 43326
419-674-2297 Office