Good evening,
I just returned from a week of vacation and it is time to get back into the ‘swing’ of things. It seems like everyone was waiting to January to schedule programs. There are definitely many things going on, so I have attached a copy of the Northwest Ohio Region Newsletter in case you did not receive one in the mail. It lists most of the Extension programs planned for this winter in the northwest corner of our state, including Hardin County as well as neighboring counties. Before you look at that booklet, I want to highlight what is going on in Hardin County the next week. The Hardin and Auglaize County New and Small Farm College eight week short course will start Thursday, January 19 at OSU Lima campus at 6:00 pm.
The Ohio Beef Cattle School will start up on Tuesday, January 17 at the Extension office at 7:00 pm. Dr. Justin Rhinehart, Associate Professor, Extension Beef Cattle Specialist, University of Tennessee Department of Animal Science, will focus on key management practices that will help the cow/calf producer stay viable in the beef cattle business. He will discuss how genetics and nutrition are key components of reproduction management that will keep females productive. Dr. Amy Radunz, Associate Professor, Beef Cattle Production, University of Wisconsin – River Falls will follow with “Achieving the genetic potential of your calf crop – it starts at conception!” This presentation will cover how nutrition and management during gestation impacts the lifetime development of the resulting calf. This year’s Ohio Beef Cattle School is being brought to you from Farm Credit Mid-America in Bellefontaine. If you plan to attend, please contact the Extension office or reply to this email. See the attached flyer for more information.
A Tractor Safety and Machinery Operation certification course for youth has been scheduled for Wednesday evenings from February 1 through March 8 through OSU Extension. March 15 is a possible make-up day in the event of inclement weather. The six sessions will go from 6:00-9:00 pm in the OSU Extension office Spark Lab, 1021 W Lima Street, Kenton. There will be an exam at the conclusion of the course, along with a hands-on operation skills course component that is planned for Saturday, March 18 at the Hardin County Fairgrounds as part of the Community Farm Safety Day planned by OSU Extension and Farm Bureau. This certification course is recommended for youth ages 14-15 who will be operating farm machinery either on their parents’ farm or someone else’s farm. Individuals successfully completing the course will receive a certification card. Other ages can observe the class, but are not able to be certified until age 14. Older youth can participate at the recommendation of their parent or employer. If you know of someone who should participate in these sessions, please see the attached news release and registration flyer.
Tractor Safety Course News Release
Ohio State University Extension announces a series of four webinars available to producers, Certified Crop Advisers, and industry offered throughout January and February 2017. The Corn, Soybean and Wheat Connection series is scheduled to begin on January 24, 2017 and will focus on issues and updates in grain crop production. Each webinar will begin at 7:00 pm and can be viewed at several host sites across the state or from your home computer. Certified Crop Adviser credits will be available each evening at physical locations only. The first session on January 24 will feature Dr. John Fulton and Dr. Elizabeth Hawkins on how to efficiently utilize data from precision agriculture technology to guide farm management decisions. For more information about how to participate, see the attached news release.
Agronomy Webinars News Release
Now for what is going on in other counties: If you hire farm workers who work with pesticides, you need to be aware of the new Worker Protection Standards that have gone into effect as of the new year. Who needs to know about revised WPS?
FARMS, FORESTS, NURSERIES, and GREENHOUSES ……….. especially horticultural growers & employers of custom agricultural applicators! One way to become informed is to attend a scheduled workshop that is listed on the Worker Protection Standard flyer that is attached to this email. Want to attend an Agronomy Day close to Hardin County? You might be interested in the Wyandot Agronomy Day described on the attached flyer from Crawford County Extension Educator Jason Hartschuh. Registration is due January 19 for the Wyandot Agronomy Day on January 26. He is also hosting a Livestock Mortality Composting Certification workshop along with the local SWCDs on January 24. See the attached flyer for registration due January 20. I thought that I should mention there are additional agronomy articles below, but maybe I better quit while I’m ahead.
Worker Protection Standard flyer
FCTPAT Region-Hartschuh Flyer 2017
Mark
Early Look Ahead to Spring Planting Season and Growing Season – Jim Noel
Winter so far has seen major swings in weather patterns but in the end we are close to normal temperatures and precipitation. For the remainder of January milder and wetter are the words. The attached graphic shows the NWS Ohio River Forecast Center’s 16-day precipitation outlook which is wet. Normal precipitation is near 2 inches with the mean forecast being 2-5 inches. Going forward for the remainder of winter it looks a little warmer and wetter than normal with still significant swings in weather patterns. To read more about the weather, go to http://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2017-1/early-look-ahead-spring-planting-season-and-growing-season.
Seed treatments for Watermolds and Fungi that affect soybean in Ohio – Anne Dorrance
There are some new fungicide seed treatments and an updated efficacy chart from the North Central Extension Research Committee, my soybean colleagues across the region. We look at all of our results across our trials and make modifications to this list. The table is posted online so if you are interested in reading the full article and looking at the table about seed treatments, go to http://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2017-1/seed-treatments-watermolds-and-fungi-affect-soybean-ohio.
Software for Developing Nutrient Management Plans Workshop – Greg LaBarge
Nutrient management plans provide a field by field risk evaluation for sediment, phosphorus and nitrogen loss and nutrient recommendations for crop production. The workshop will demonstrate one method to develop plans for general use and is accepted for Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) practice cost share program. The software used is open access and works on PC platforms. There is not cost. To find out more about these workshops coming up in Ottawa and London, go to http://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2017-1/software-developing-nutrient-management-plans-workshop.
2017 Putnam County Agronomy Night – Glen Arnold
The annual OSU Extension Putnam County Agronomy Night is scheduled for Thursday, January 19 at the Kalida Knights of Columbus Hall starting at 6:30 p.m. Topics for the evening will include “Soybean Damage From Stinkbugs and other Pests this Past Growing Season” by Kelley Tilmon, The Ohio State University. “Weed Control – The New Herbicide and Seed Options Coming” will be the second topic for the evening. The presenter will be Jeff Stachler, Extension Educator – Auglaize County. Glen Arnold, OSU Extension Field Specialist will be reporting on “Using Liquid Manure to Sidedress Corn.” The final topic at Agronomy Night will be an update on the Putnam County SHARP Test Plot, presented by Putnam County Soil & Water. There is no cost to attend Agronomy Night thanks to financial support from local agricultural businesses. Preregistration is not necessary. Continuing Education Units and Certified Livestock Manager credits are available.
2017 Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council Conference – Mark Sulc
The Ohio Forages and Grasslands Council Annual Conference will be held February 3, 2017 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Ohio Department of Agriculture in Reynoldsburg, OH. The program theme is “High Quality Forages.” The keynote speaker will be Dr. Kim Cassida, Forage Extension Specialist at Michigan State University, who will discuss “Managing Grass-Legume Mixtures” based on extensive research and experience in Michigan and her prior work in West Virginia. She and Dr. Jeff McCutcheon (OSU Extension, Southeast Region Director) will discuss “High Energy Pasture for Grass-Finished Beef” and two Ohio producers, Bill Lawhon of Knox County and Jeff Ramseyer of Wayne County will expand on that topic by discussing how they utilize annual and perennial forages in their grass-based beef operations. Go to http://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2017-1/2017-ohio-forage-and-grasslands-council-conference to read more about this conference.
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