May 8, 2020

Good evening,

The May 4 Ohio Crop Weather Report showed about 2.5 days suitable for field work this past week with 10% of corn and 7% of soybeans planted statewide.  About 63% of wheat has jointed and 67% of oats have been planted according to this attached USDA report.  Locally in Hardin County field activity had been less according to reports from our Ag Council Virtual Coffee Hour held May 1.  Although there was fertilizer spread and some burndowns completed, planting had been slower due to wetter soils but has picked up recently.  Further north in Hancock County where it is drier, farmers have been planting daily for over a week and a half.  If you have wheat growing in your fields, you might want to scout it for early season diseases such as Septoria leaf blotch and possibly Powdery Mildew as the news release that I have attached explains some fields may have the diseases pictured below as a result of the cool temperatures and wet conditions.  Read the attached news release about these possible timely issues.

Ohio Crop Weather Report

 

 

 

 

 

 

Septoria on wheat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Powdery Mildew on wheat

Early Season Wheat Diseases News Release

 The current pandemic has brought up a lot of uncommon issues to agriculture.  One of these issues is a result of some meat processing plants closing or not operating at full capacity due to labor issues brought about by COVID-19.  See the attached news article published in the Kenton Times that I contributed to about how Hardin County pork producers Mark Watkins and Doug Heilman are adapting to this situation.  The food supply chain issue has caused people to rely more on local foods in some areas so I have included “Talking Points: COVID-19’s Effect on the Meat Supply” and “Buying from a Local Meat Processor and Why it Matters” to this e-newsletter.  Still other families are considering on-farm processing of livestock so I have included an article entitled “What You Need to Know About Animal Processing on the Farm in Ohio.”  Several homeowners have increased vegetable production in their own gardens as well, including our own OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteers who you can read about their efforts to help with food insecurity in Hardin County with the Grow Ohio news release that I have attached.

Swine Producers COVID Article

Talking Points Impacts of COVID 19 on Meat Industry

Why Buying Local Matters

What You Need to Know About Food Animal Processing in Ohio

Grow Ohio News Release

Other information that you may find interesting that has been included with this email includes the mid-May edition of the Ohio No-Till News that includes no-till and cover crop tips along with instructions about how to access the free videos on the Conservation Tillage Conference website that can be found at ctc.osu.edu.  Marion County Extension has an upcoming online series on Growing Food Justice which I have attached a flyer for further information that begins on May 13.  Understanding Credit and Debt is the final fact sheet from a series that I have been providing over the past several weeks from Michigan State University Extension.  Be sure to check out the articles below from the CORN Newsletter and most of all, take a peak at the OSU Extension Ag Appreciation Video that we put together for you by clicking here, after all you might recognize someone you know.

Ohio No-till News

Growing Food Justice May Series

Understanding Credit And Debt

 

Mark

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Late Can I Plant Forages? – Mark Sulc

The Ohio Agronomy Guide states that most cool-season perennial forages should be planted by the first of May. While some of you reading this article were able to plant forages by now, many of us (myself included) once again were not able to meet that deadline due to wet weather. So how hard and fast is the May 1 deadline, especially in a cold spring like we have experienced? Don’t we have a little more time to plant forages? I hate to say this, but the answer is neither simple nor clear cut.  Finish reading this article at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2020-12/how-late-can-i-plant-forages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Economic Assistance for Agriculture during COVID-19 – David Marrison, Ben Brown, Barry Ward, Peggy Hall, Dianne Shoemaker

The coronavirus pandemic has certainly altered all our lives. The impact is being felt by families, businesses, governmental agencies, and civic organizations. To help families and businesses alike, various levels of government have passed legislation to help lessen the economic blow of COVID-19. This article provides a brief overview of some of the assistance which has been made available. These include tax deadline provisions, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation rebates, unemployment compensation, and Wind and Hurricane Indemnity Program, Plus (WHIP+).  Click on https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2020-11/economic-assistance-agriculture-during-covid-19 to read more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Managing stored grain into summer – Jason Hartschuh, Elizabeth Hawkins

If you are storing more grain on farm this spring than usual, you are not alone. Over the last few weeks, we have heard from more producers who are considering holding grain longer into summer months than they normally would. We have also heard a few reports of spoiled grain as producers fill April contracts. Carrying graining into summer has been done for many years successfully but requires much more intensive management than winter grain storage.  Learn more about managing stored grain at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2020-10/managing-stored-grain-summer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alfalfa Weevil Update – Kelley Tilmon, Aaron Wilson, Mark Sulc, Rory Lewandowski, Andy Michel

Peak alfalfa weevil feeding damage occurs between 325 and 575 heat units (based on accumulation of heat units from January 1 with a base of 48°F).  Locations in red are there, and locations in orange are getting close.  Now is the time for most alfalfa growers to step up their alfalfa weevil scouting.  For more details on alfalfa weevil scouting and thresholds please see our April 13 article https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2020-09/alfalfa-weevil-%E2%80%93-it%E2%80%99s-closer-you-think.

 

 

 

 

 

 

USDA Announces Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) – Ben Brown, David Marrison

On April 17, the preliminary details about the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) were released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program aimed to assist farmers, ranchers, and consumers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CFAP provides $19 billion in funds authorized through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES).  The $19 billion program includes two major elements. The first element is for Direct Support to Farmers and Ranchers. This program will provide $16 billion in direct support to farmers based on actual losses where prices and market supply chains have been impacted by COVID-19. The program will also assist producers with additional adjustment and marketing costs resulting from lost demand and short-term oversupply for the 2020 marketing year caused by COVID-19. It has been reported, although not confirmed by the USDA, that in the direct support program, $5.1 billion will be allocated to support cattle producers, $3.9 billion for row crop producers, $2.9 billion for dairy, $2.1 for specialty crops, $1.6 billion for hog producers and $500 million for other commodities. Go to https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2020-11/usda-announces-coronavirus-food-assistance-program-cfap for more.

 

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

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