Good Evening,
This week has really went by fast. I have been totally engrossed with the upcoming 11th Annual Hardin County Agriculture Hall of Fame Banquet. Monday is the deadline for getting tickets. The cost to attend the banquet is $12 for the meal and program to honor this year’s inductees. If you would still like to order tickets, call the Extension office (419-674-2297) and we will make arrangements for your party to attend. I have attached a flier to help promote this event which will honor Franklin Garmon, Laurie Laird, Rex & Joan Sullinger, and Bernard & Virginia Williams.
If you haven’t had the chance to greet our new office associate, stop by and introduce yourself to Carol Wagner. Carol has just completed her second week with OSU Extension so I am no longer the new person in the office. We had 69 applicants for the position and we interviewed eight individuals for this position. Kathy Oliver, our Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension Educator has asked me to inform you about the upcoming ‘Zero Weight Gain Challenge’ challenge for the holidays. This starts soon and covers the time period November 25-January 5. If interested, see the attached news release and flier to find out how to sign-up online.
13 Zero Weight Gain News Release 2013 ZWG sign up
I continue to be impressed with the work our Hardin County Soil and Water Conservation District has been doing. This week I joined them for their Conservation Tour as we viewed conservation projects, the University of Findlay Animal Sciences Center, and ADS Drainage to see drainage tile being made. Thanks to Mark Lowery and the rest of the people in his office for organizing such an informative tour. Also, today the Hardin County Farm Bureau held a meeting on organizing farms and agribusinesses as Limited Liability Corporations (L.L.C). Allison DeSantis from the Ohio Secretary of State’s office spoke to the group about this method of organizing businesses. For more information, go to OhioSecretaryofState.gov or email her at adesantis@ohiosecretaryofstate.gov with your questions.
Below are some current articles that you may be interested in reading. I have also attached an update on the 2013 Farm Bill put together by Sam Custer, OSU Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator from Darke County.
Mark
North American CCA Exam Registration – Harold Watters, CPAg/CCA, Assistant Professor, Ohio State University Extension, Field Specialist Agronomic Systems
The next North America Certified Crop Adviser Exam Date is February 07, 2014. The Registration Period closes on December 06, 2013. Keep in mind, to become eligible for the CCA certification, you must take and pass both the North American and your local (state/province) board exams. For us in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois that is the Tri-state exam. A group of educators and practicing CCAs from each state gathers regularly to update and verify the exam. To continue reading this article, go to http://corn.osu.edu/newsletters/2013/2013-38/north-american-cca-exam-registration.
Soil Health Workshop – Putnam County Extension Office – 1206 East Second Street – Ottawa – December 10th from 9AM till 4PM
The cost is $30 and includes handouts, a Cover Crop Field Guide, and a meal. Topics will include soil demonstrations, presentations on soil ecology and soil microbes, nutrient recycling and reducing N and P runoff, soil compaction, economics of cover crops, adapting agriculture to extreme weather events, and hour long discussions on using legumes to build soil nitrogen, grass cover crops, and brassicas (oilseed radish, kale, rape) to reduce pests like weeds, insects and diseases in your crop land. Pre-registration to the Putnam Co. Extension office (419-523-6294) is required to hold a spot by December 9th.
Managing Temperature in Dry, On-farm Stored Grain – Curtis Young, OSU Extension Educator, Van Wert County
To maintain the dollar value of a bin of dry grain (corn or soybeans), one must manage the condition of the grain throughout the storage period. Although storage problems commonly occur more frequently during a bad harvest year, many also result from poor dry-grain management practices in good harvest years. This management begins with the loading of the grain into the bin, followed by managing temperature and moisture content of the grain mass and having a regular observation program of the grain to detect development of problems before they get out of hand. Go to http://corn.osu.edu/newsletters/2013/2013-38/managing-temperature-in-dry-on-farm-stored-grain to continue reading this article.
Online Mortality Composting Certification – Amanda Douridas, Champaign and Union Counties AgNR OSU Extension Educator
Composting livestock mortalities can be an efficient and inexpensive method of disposing of on-farm mortalities. Rendering facilities are becoming harder to come by and so are landfills that accept mortalities. Transportation costs are increasing as well. Composting offers a year round alternative that may be more cost effective than other disposal methods. Once the compost cycle is complete, the finished product can be land applied to the farm’s fields as a nutrient resource. To find out more information about online mortality composting certification, go to http://beef.osu.edu/beef/beefNov2013.html.
Bt Transgenic Corn Update – Ron Hammond, Andy Michel – OSU Entomologists
The Bt corn trait table that is available on our Agronomic Crops Insects web site (http://oardc.osu.edu/ag/) has been updated as of November 1, 2013. This table lists almost all of the hybrids available for growers and the pests they manage, along with the refuge requirements. However, make sure you read the bag label and information for all needed information and requirements. The reason why this table is not completely up-to-date is that Pioneer just announced last week the release of a new Bt product in their Optimum family, Leptra. Leptra is a combination of Herculex 1 (Cry1F), YieldGard Corn Borer (Cry1Ab), and Agrisure Viptera (Vip3A). However, Ohio growers should know that this product is intended for the southern U.S. where it will help in the management of the numerous above-ground lepidopteran pests in that part of the country, including various corn borers, corn earworm and fall armyworm. Thus, Ohio growers should not expect to see this available anytime soon in our state. Currently, it does not contain a Bt protein for rootworm control.
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