Good evening,
Have you heard the news? The Hardin County Pork Producers are offering six-$500 scholarships, one for each of the county schools. Completed scholarship applications are due to Doug Heilman by March 1. The group is also looking for applicants for the 2014 Hardin County Pork Queen. Pork Queen applications are due to Nancy Weaver also by March 1. I have attached a copy of the rules and applications, as well as a copy of the related news release if you know someone who qualifies and is interested in applying. Applications are also available from the local FFA Advisors and high school guidance counselors, or can be downloaded from hardin.osu.edu.
Pork Queen Scholarship News Release
Pork Scholarship Rules & Application
March 1 is also the date of the Hardin County Sheep Improvement Association’s banquet. This Lamb Banquet will start at 6:30 pm and will be held at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Kenton. Tickets can be purchased until February 24 from the following county Sheep Improvement Association Directors: Adam Burbach, Scott Elliott, Matt Klingler, Barry Musselman, Dave Burkhart, Kristie Fay, Max Garmon, Don Haudenschield, Kenny Williams, Jeff Bowers, Bruce Oberlitner, Gene Haudenschield, Peter Previte, or Russell Senning. Tickets can also be purchased from Madelyn Lowery or from the Extension Office at 1021 West Lima Street, Suite 103, Kenton. The guest speaker will be Amy Schroeder, a sheep producer from Hancock County, who will be sharing information about wool processing and marketing opportunities. See the attached news release for further details.
Speaking of sheep (and goats), this coming week’s Sheep and Goat Webinar topic has changed. Monday night’s (February 17) presentation will be given by Dr. Richard Ehrhardt, Small Ruminant Specialist, Michigan State University Extension, talking about record keeping, why keep records, what records to keep, how to use records to improve farm profitability. Please call the Extension office if you plan to attend so that we know how many to expect for this program. This program will start at 7:00 pm and end by 9:00 pm.
The Hardin County Extension Advisory Committee will meet Wednesday, February 19 in the first floor meeting room of the courthouse at 4:00 pm. Thursday, February 20 the USDA will be holding a meeting for residents in the Alger and Silver Creek area who are interested in the Gypsy Moth control program. If you own a woods and live in this area, you might want to attend this program from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Extension office. For more information, go to http://www.agri.ohio.gov/divs/plant/gypsy/gypsy-index.aspx.
Finally, our Family and Consumer Sciences Educator Kathy Oliver has asked me to include information about the Hardin County LEAD program. Participants for the twenty-second annual Hardin Leadership class, a program designed for the development of informed and effective community leaders, are being recruited now until March 3rd . Hardin Leadership is sponsored and conducted by OSU Extension, Hardin County office and the Hardin Leadership Steering Committee. Nine monthly sessions will focus on the knowledge/skills required by today’s community leader, such as team building, public speaking, and marketing. This year’s program will be offered in morning sessions on the second Thursdays, March through November. I have attached a brochure that further explains this program.
Below are some articles that you might be interested in reading. Enjoy the warming trend and hopefully I will see you soon at a meeting or livestock commodity group banquet.
Mark
Sensitive Crop Registry Update – Ohio Pesticide Safety Education Program
The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) is introducing the Ohio Sensitive Crop Registry. This registry is a voluntary informational tool designed for producers and apiarists to communicate and protect sensitive crops and apiaries. The registry information will not be available to the general public; only registered users will have access. Producers and applicators will be able to register and access the site after February 18. To continue reading this and other pesticide related articles, go to http://pested.osu.edu/pep-talk/pepv18i1.html.
What you need to know about landowner liability, trespassing laws – Leah Curtis – Ohio Farm Bureau
One problem we consistently hear about from Farm Bureau members is trespassing. Unfortunately, the amount of land that farmers have can often times be enticing to those who want to hike, ride ATVs, or just cause trouble. Members also are often concerned about what their liability is in certain situations, if visitors to their property get hurt. Go to http://ofbf.org/news-and-events/news/3755/ to find out the five things to know about Ohio’s trespassing and landowner liability laws.
Preparing Cows for Breeding – Dr. Les Anderson, Beef Extension Specialist, University of Kentucky
A successful breeding season actually begins with management decisions made at calving. Cattlemen can impact rebreeding efficiency by focusing on body condition score (BCS), early assistance during calving difficulty, scheduling a breeding soundness exam for the herd sires, planning their herd reproductive health program, and developing a plan to regulate estrus in their first-calf heifers and late-calving cows. To read more about preparing cows for breeding and other beef articles, go to http://beef.osu.edu/beef/beefFeb1214.html.
Nitrogen Application to Soybeans – Laura Lindsey
After talking with many farmers throughout Ohio during this year’s Extension meetings, one common question keeps popping up. “What about nitrogen application to soybean?” Yes, soybean plants have high nitrogen requirements due to the high protein content of grain. On average, approximately 4 lb N is removed per bushel of grain. (Corn only removes approximately 1 lb N per bushel of grain.) Soybean nitrogen requirements are met through both nitrogen-fixing bacteria (Bradyrhizobia) and residual/mineralized soil nitrogen. To continue reading this article, go to http://corn.osu.edu/newsletters/2014/2014-4/nitrogen-application-to-soybean.
Webinar on Western Corn Rootworm – Andy Michel, Ron Hammond
Corn producers may be interested in this upcoming webinar at 2 PM (Eastern Time Zone) on February 20th. This webinar features experts on western corn rootworm (WCR) biology and management from the western corn belt. There has been a renewed interest in WCR in this area of the country ever since growers have reported problems with resistance to Bt (Cry3Bb1). While this webinar will provide very valuable information, producers should keep in mind differences in managing WCR in Ohio than what is occurring out west. For example, we have no reports of Bt resistance yet in our state, and crop rotation remains our best management tactic to prevent resistance from occurring, as well as prevent damage from WCR. The webinar can be accessed here: https://connect.unl.edu/r9ra3734mey/. Just enter your name, and you will be able to attend the webinar. This webinar is supported by the USDA-NIFA North Central IPM Center.
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