Hardin County – A class to help farmers prepare to become private pesticide applicators has been planned for January 16 at the Hardin County Extension office, 1021 West Lima Street, Kenton. In Ohio, pesticide applicators are required by law to have an Ohio Pesticide Applicators License to purchase and apply restricted-use chemicals. These pesticides include but are not limited to herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides. This class will begin at 12:00 pm and end at 4:00 pm. There is a $40 registration fee which covers books for those enrolled.

The class will emphasize the two main categories that most Hardin County pesticide applicators need, which are Core (applying pesticides properly and safely), as well as Grain and Cereal Crops. Resources will be shared for other categories that are available for certification, which include Forage Crops and Livestock, Fruit and Vegetable Crops, Nursery and Forest Crops, Greenhouse Crops, Fumigation, and Specialty Uses. Once a trainee has properly prepared for their pesticide license, they can schedule to take a test at an Ohio Department of Agriculture testing site. Ohio Pesticide Licenses are good for three years, and then the applicator must recertify by attending a three-hour recertification meeting before license expiration or re-test. ODA has a separate fee for maintaining an Ohio Pesticide License.

There are several reasons why someone may wish to become a private pesticide applicator. These reasons may include that they plan to take over the pesticide certification for their farm due to retirement or a change in responsibilities, they plan to use restricted-use chemicals in addition to general-use chemicals to have more options to control problem weeds or pests, or they are new to spraying pesticides on the farm. This class is not designed for commercial pesticide applicators, as they must get training directly from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Those planning to participate in the class need to call the Extension office at 419-674-2297 by January 9 to register.

Hardin County – The 2024 Conservation Tillage Club breakfast program series will begin on Thursday, January 11 at the Plaza Inn Restaurant in Mt. Victory. Each session will start at 7:30 am with a complimentary buffet breakfast followed by the program at 8:00 am. Other sessions will be held on January 25, February 8 and 22.

On January 11, the program will feature John Fulton, Professor, OSU Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering and Elizabeth Hawkins, Field Specialist, Agronomic Systems, OSU College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Fulton and Hawkins will present information how subsurface phosphorus fertilizer placement can increase production efficiency profits, improve water quality, and benefit soil health. This is one of the featured practices of the H2Ohio program and Shallow Run Project being promoted in Hardin County and northwest Ohio.

The January 25 program will feature Kendra Dauer, Risk Management Consultant with StoneX in Bowling Green who will present a program on the 2024 Grain Marketing Outlook. Dauer will discuss the world market situation for corn, soybean, and wheat including world events, demand, supply, planting intentions, and other factors that might influence the grain markets in 2024. Other local information that might affect grain markets here in Ohio will be a topic of discussion as well.

February 8 Aaron Wilson, OSU Assistant Professor and Agricultural Weather and Climate Field Specialist’s presentation will focus on being climate smart and farming with weather extremes. Topics of discussion include recent weather patterns and how they have affected crop production practices in Ohio. He will discuss ways farmers are managing shorter field working windows and things they can do to help lessen the impact of weather and take advantage of extended growing seasons. Areas of interest include what impacts might increasing temperatures and intense precipitation events have on water, manure, and pest management in Ohio.

The February 22 event will feature a program on Drone Use in Agriculture by Henry County OSU Extension Educator Alan Leininger. Drones are becoming more common in agriculture than just for scouting crops for insects, weeds, and disease. More recently, they are increasingly being used for pesticide applications in fields throughout Ohio. What types of drones are available and what are the legal and licensing requirements to use these new tools on the farm?

The Conservation Tillage Club breakfast program series is jointly sponsored by OSU Extension and the Soil and Water Conservation Districts of Hardin, Logan, and Union Counties, and in cooperation with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Breakfast is courtesy of the generous support from agricultural lenders and agricultural businesses. All events are open to the public and no advance registration is required. Continuing education credits for Certified Crop Advisers is pending.

Good morning,

You may or may not be aware that Hardin County has had a recent outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.  It is very important that you take steps to protect your backyard flock, if you currently have ANY poultry.  The recent HPAI outbreak in multiple counties in Ohio has resulted in over 4 million birds being affected and prompted a lot of questions.

OSU Extension’s Poultry Specialist will be hosting a webinar on Tuesday December 19^th @ 6pm in collaboration with the USDA Incident Response Team to try to provide an opportunity for you to learn more about the outbreak and how it is affecting both the Ohio poultry industry and the backyard/4-H poultry communities.  This is a great opportunity to ask questions and see what educational support is available.

Here is the list of topics to be discussed:

• Biosecurity basics
• Symptoms and signs of HPAI in poultry
• Control Area – what is it and what does it mean for backyard farms?
• Surveillance Zone – what is it and what does it mean for backyard farms?
• How long does a quarantine last?
• What is the status of the incident?
• What can you do if you have questions?
• Q&A

HPAI in commercial or backyard flocks often originates from wild, migratory birds.  It is highly contagious, spreads quickly among flocks, and may be fatal to the birds.

“The recent HPAI detection does not present an immediate public health concern, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  No human cases have been detected in the United States.  According to USDA, HPAI cannot be transmitted through properly cooked meats or eggs.” -Ohio Poultry Association.

If you have a home or residential flock, please keep a close eye on them using the information included.  Measures of protection are also provided to help keep your flock safe.

If you suspect your home birds may have HPAI, immediately contact the Ohio Department of Agriculture at 614-728-6220.

If you suspect your commercial flock may have HPAI, immediately contact the Ohio Poultry Association at 614-882-6111.

Avian-Influenza-Trifold Brochure

Here are the webinar details:  Please share widely. 

You are invited to a CarmenZoom webinar.

When: Dec 19, 2023 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Topic: Ohio Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Update

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://osu.zoom.us/j/97306640698?pwd=VlF5ZnFzMS8wRWU4VVByQ3RDZ0JBZz09

Password: 482285

Or iPhone one-tap :

US: +16468769923,,97306640698#  or +16513728299,,97306640698#

Or Telephone:

Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

US: +1 646 876 9923  or +1 651 372 8299  or +1 301 715 8592  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 408 638 0968  or +1 669 900 6833  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 346 248 7799

Webinar ID: 973 0664 0698

Password: 482285

International numbers available: https://osu.zoom.us/u/awbgJrQS3

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The Ohio State University

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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