Hello,
Have you been working on your Farm Bill ARC/PLC decisions? OSU’s Farm Bill Decision Central webpage can be found at https://aede.osu.edu/research/osu-farm-management/2018-farm-bill and contains a wealth of information with ARC/PLC Decision Aid Tools, Commodity Program Resources, County Meetings, Frequently Asked Questions, and other helpful resources. I have been taking appointments to meet with farmers one-on-one to help them with entering FSA Farm information and Crop Insurance Information into the decision tools to help them make a choice between ARC-CO, ARC-IC, and PLC. Tomorrow morning (2/7) at our Ag Council breakfast, I plan to have Farm Bill information to share at the Kenton McDonalds starting at 7:30 am so feel free to join us. I have been asked to share the following message from the Hardin County Farm Service Agency: “The Hardin County Farm Service Agency would like to remind all producers who have not yet made an appointment to enroll their farms in ARC/PLC to do so immediately. The application deadline is March 16 2020, if you fail to enroll by the deadline then you will not eligible to receive payment for 2019 ARC/PLC and your program election defaults to the previous farm bill election on the farm. Appointment times are becoming very limited, so please contact the Hardin County FSA Office at 419-673-7238 now to secure a date and time.”
If you missed this week’s Conservation Tillage Club breakfast, you missed a good presentation on Soil Health from Hans Kok, sponsored by the American Farmland Trust. See the attached news article for more information about his message. The final Conservation Tillage Club breakfast will feature ODA Engineer Mark Seger speaking about the new H2Ohio program. Join us Tuesday, February 18 starting at 7:30 am at the Plaza Inn Restaurant in Mt. Victory to find out more about the conservation and nutrient management phosphorus reduction cost share programs that are being made available to farmers this spring. If you or someone you know is in need of fertilizer certification for the first time, Hardin and Union County Extension are holding a 3-hour fertilizer certification training at Richwood Marketing on Wednesday, February 12. I have attached both a news article and flyer with more details about this training for both private and commercial applicators who apply fertilizer to crops for sale on 50 or more acres in Ohio.
February 4 Conservation Tillage Club News Release
Fertilizer Certification News Release
3 Hour Fertilizer Training Richwood Flyer
More upcoming livestock banquets have been announced in the county. Be sure to attend the 4th annual Hardin County Poultry Banquet on February 29 starting at 6:00 pm at the Kenton Christian Missionary Alliance Church Family Center. The following week, the Hardin County Sheep Improvement Association is holding their annual Lamb Banquet on March 7 starting at 6:30 pm at St. John’s Evangelical Church in Kenton. Check out the flyer and news articles for these upcoming banquets to find out how you can get tickets for your family to attend. Other area events that I’ve attached flyers for include Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council 2020 Annual Meeting “Foraging For Profit” being held February 21 in Reynoldsburg, Solar Panel Workshop for information and resources on solar leases February 26 in Urbana, and a Women in Ag Event featuring a choice between six guest speakers with different topics being held March 26 in Sidney.
2020 OFGC Annual Meeting Brochure
Other upcoming local events include Cattle Producers meeting Monday (2/10) starting at 6:30 pm at the Hardin County Chamber and Business Alliance; Farm Bureau meeting Thursday (2/13) starting at 5:30 pm at the Christian Missionary Alliance Church; Hardin County Dairy Banquet Saturday (2/15) starting at 12:00 noon at the Plaza Inn Restaurant; Farm Bureau Membership Kickoff with “Family Feud” Saturday (2/15) starting at 6:30 pm with a BBQ dinner, meal, and games. RSVP by calling the Hardin County Chamber and Business Alliance at 419-673-4131. Cost is $15 for a single and $25 for a couple. There is also a Soil and Water Conservation District meeting scheduled for Thursday (2/20) starting at 7:30 am at the SWCD office. The Hardin County Horse Banquet is Saturday (2/22) starting at 6:30 pm at the Kenton Moose Lodge. I have included ag crops articles below from the CORN Newsletter that you may be interested in reading.
Mark
Early Indications Point to a Wetter Spring – Jim Noel
It is that time of the year where winter is here but spring is just around the corner. The weather, climate and hydrology patterns still remain wet across the region. This makes Ohio vulnerable to wet conditions. The outlook for February calls for normal to slightly below normal temperatures with not too far from normal rainfall. There is a chance February could be drier than normal but the chances are not high. The jet stream remains active from Japan across the North Pacific Ocean into North America but not as active as last year. Therefore, the spring outlook is for a chilly start but a warmer than normal finish. At the same time, above normal rainfall is forecast so we are likely to see spring planting challenges again into 2020 like many of the last 10+ years. However, it does not look as bad as 2019 at this time. Many of the climate models show trends toward normal or below normal rainfall and hotter weather for summer which if it comes to happen will create challenges. You can keep up-to-date on all the NOAA climate outlooks at: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/
Managing Stored Grain Through Winter – Jason Hartschuh
Managing stored grain throughout the winter is an important part of your grain marketing plan for farm profitability. This winter we are already receiving reports of stored grain going out of condition, which can lower the value and be a hazard to those working around the grain facility. At a minimum, stored grain that has gone out of condition can cause health hazards, especially when grain dust contains mold and bacteria. Out of condition grain can also form a crust or stick to the bin walls and if someone enters the bin for any reason an entrapment could occur. Read more at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2020-02/managing-stored-grain-through-winter.
OSU Extension Farm Business Analysis Program – Dianne Shoemaker
Additional author: Haley Shoemaker
How well do you know your farm? Sure, you could probably drive your fields blindfolded and you could name without a doubt the cow that will always come in the parlor last; but what about your farm as a business? If this question made you stop and think, then it’s time to become more familiar with your cost of production and other financial measures that make the rest of your farming operation possible. The Ohio Farm Business Analysis Program is focused on working with farmers across Ohio to better understand the numbers behind their farm business in order to make more informed production, marketing and financial management decisions that will impact the farm’s overall profitability. Find out more at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2020-02/osu-extension-farm-business-analysis-program.
OSU Extension and Ohio Soybean Council Energy Study: Understanding the Impact of Demand Charges & Power Factor in Agriculture – Eric Romich
Farmers have long explored options to provide energy savings associated with their agricultural operations. Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Soybean Council have partnered to provide research-based data driven tools to help Ohio farmers assess and navigate various energy infrastructure investment options for their farm. Specifically, the project team is interested in learning more about your experience and interest in implementing energy management strategies such as peak demand reduction, power factor correction, and/or the integration of solar generation systems to reduce electricity costs on your farm. Continue reading this article at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2020-02/osu-extension-and-ohio-soybean-council-energy-study-understanding.
Ohio Farm Custom Rate Survey 2020 – Barry Ward
A large number of Ohio farmers hire machinery operations and other farm related work to be completed by others. This is often due to lack of proper equipment, lack of time or lack of expertise for a particular operation. Many farm business owners do not own equipment for every possible job that they may encounter in the course of operating a farm and may, instead of purchasing the equipment needed, seek out someone with the proper tools necessary to complete the job. This farm work completed by others is often referred to as “custom farm work” or more simply “custom work”. A “custom rate” is the amount agreed upon by both parties to be paid by the custom work customer to the custom work provider. Finish reading about the Ohio Farm Custom Rate Survey at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2020-02/ohio-farm-custom-rate-survey-2020.
Mark A. Badertscher
Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator
OSU Extension Hardin County
1021 W. Lima Street, Suite 103, Kenton, OH 43326
419-767-6037
hardin.osu.edu
