Goat Banquet

Hardin County – The fifth annual Hardin County Goat Banquet will be held on Saturday, April 6 at the Family Center of the Christian Missionary Alliance Church located at 15436 State Route 309 in Kenton. Registration and seating will open at 5:00 pm with the public invited and the meal will begin at 5:30 pm. There is no cost, as each family is asked to bring a side dish and/or dessert. The main dish, drinks, and table service will be provided. There is no need for tickets, but pre-registration is encouraged by contacting the OSU Extension office at 419-674-2297 by April 1st.

There will be crowning of the 2024 Hardin County Fair Goat Royalty and announcing of the winner of the Hardin County Goat Boosters Scholarship. The evening will conclude with lots of fun door prizes, sponsored by businesses and individuals in the surrounding communities. There will be a silent auction, 50/50 drawing, and other raffles. Come join us for a fun evening! Questions about the Hardin County Goat Banquet can be directed to Jamie Ferguson at jamie.hazelton2020@gmail.com or by visiting the Hardin County Goat Banquet Facebook page.

March 8, 2024

Good afternoon,

I hope that you have been enjoying the nice weather lately and have taken the opportunity to get things done outside. Maybe you have been working inside the shop or attending our winter Hardin County Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension meetings, as there have certainly been enough events to keep you busy this winter. Our Hardin County OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteers just had their Spring Garden Seminar yesterday in Kenton. The Winter Livestock Banquets are in full swing, with the Lamb Banquet taking place this past weekend in Kenton. We had our Pesticide and Fertilizer Recertification in Mt. Victory earlier this week, but there still is a Make-up/Specialty Pesticide-Fertilizer Recertification training being held at the Extension office in Kenton on March 27 if you missed it and still need to recertify before March 31.

Spring Garden Seminar News Release

Livestock Banquet Season Article

Lamb Banquet News Release

Pesticide Recertification News Release

The Pork Banquet is coming up March 16 at the Upper Scioto Valley School in McGuffey, The Conservation Tillage & Technology Conference is taking place in Ada next week on March 12-13. Find out how keynote speaker Alex Harrell, Soybean Yield Champion from southwest Georgia produced a yield of 206 bushels per acre. Go to ctc.osu.edu to register for this conference ($150 conference registration fee) or on-site at the Ohio Northern University McIntosh Center next Tuesday and Wednesday. The Beef Banquet is taking place March 23 in the Community Building at the fairgrounds in Kenton.

Pork Banquet News Release

Conservation Tillage Conference News Release

2024 CTC brochure

Beef Banquet News Release

There will be a “Battle for the Belt” regional Extension seminar in Kenton March 20 at the Extension office. You can register for this event online at https://go.osu.edu/2024hardinbattleforthebelt or call 419-674-2297. There is a $10 charge to help cover the cost of the catered lunch. Come hear OSU Extension state and field specialists review the results of the first year of corn vs. soybean planning date research for this statewide project. The Poultry Banquet will take place March 30 at the Christian Missionary Alliance Church in Kenton. See the attached news articles, brochure, and flyer for more information about these events.

Battle for the Belt News Release

Battle for the Belt flyer 2024_Hardin

Poultry Banquet News Release

Our next Hardin County Ag Council breakfast meeting will be held April 5 starting at 7:30 am at the McDonalds in Kenton. Come participate in our monthly roundtable discussion of county agricultural issues and events and get the latest information from OSU Extension. I hope to see you soon at one of the livestock banquets or upcoming Extension events. Until then, I have included some articles from the CORN Newsletter for your reference.

 

Mark

 

Spring Planting Weather/Climate Outlook – Jim Noel

Spring is quickly approaching. The question is, what is in store for planting season from Mother Nature? We have a strong El Niño ongoing in the eastern Pacific Ocean, but it is weakening quickly and should end during planting season. Often effects in the atmosphere can linger a bit longer. The years where strong El Niño events come to an end in spring include 2016, 1998, 1982, 1973, 1958 and 1878. You can see this in the first graphic above. Read more at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2024-05/spring-planting-weatherclimate-outlook.

 

Growers and Retailers Needed: Understanding Yield Response to K Applications in Ohio – John Fulton, Aaron Heilers

Potassium (K) is a key nutrient for growing profitable crops in Ohio. Recently in Ohio, consultants, retailers, and farmers have been concerned that soil K values have been decreasing. One cause for this decrease is higher soybean and corn yields leading to higher K removal rates in grain harvested from Ohio fields. Further, moving to annual applications of P and K for corn-soybean rotations has been the trend over the past decade. In recent years, certain regions in Ohio have noted corn and soybean yield responses to K that seem to fall outside the Tri-State Recommendations. Find out more at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2024-05/growers-and-retailers-needed-understanding-yield-response-k.

 

Please Participate! Using Data-Driven Knowledge for Profitable Soybean Management Systems – Laura Lindsey

Help us help you grow more profitable soybeans through the power of data science. Soybean agronomists are developing an app to help you make decisions in real time. The more data we collect, the more accurate the tool will be. (And…the more data we have from Ohio, the more applicable the tool will be to our state!) The app will allow growers to drop a pin in a field, enter input variables, and receive crop management decision help directly and through online scouting tools such as Sporecaster and Tarspotter. Continue reading this article at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2024-05/please-participate-using-data-driven-knowledge-profitable-soybean.

 

EPA’s Existing Stocks Order for Dicamba Use in 2024 – Alyssa Essman, Peggy Hall

On February 6th, 2024, the registration of the three dicamba products labeled for over-the-top applications (OTT) in soybean were vacated by a federal court in Arizona. Read more about this in the previous C.O.R.N. newsletter, “Dicamba registration vacated.” On February 14th, the EPA issued an existing stocks order, which stated that dicamba ordered, packaged, and ready for shipment prior to the registration vacation can be sold and used in the upcoming growing season. An in-depth overview of this order can be found here, “EPA issues “existing stocks” order for over-the-top dicamba use.” In Ohio, the dates for sale and use of existing stocks of XtendiMax, Engenia, or Tavium for use on dicamba-tolerant soybean (ordered or in possession as of February 6th, 2024) are as follows: May 31st, 2024 – last date for sale, distribution, and June 30th, 2024 – last date for use. Click on https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2024-05/epa%E2%80%99s-existing-stocks-order-dicamba-use-2024 to read more.

 

Ohio’s Premier Ag Conference March 12-13 in Ada – Mark Badertscher, Randall Reeder

Sixty outstanding presenters with topics on agronomic crops, soil health, nutrient management, water quality, carbon, and precision agriculture technology will bring approximately 800 participants to Ada, Ohio March 12-13. The Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference will be held for the 32nd year at Ohio Northern University. A great opportunity to listen, learn and network with farmers, Certified Crop Advisers, industry representatives, Natural Resources Conservation Service professionals, university professors and students, and about 25 Exhibitors will gather for this event. Finish reading about the Conservation Tillage & Technology Conference at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2024-05/ohio%E2%80%99s-premier-ag-conference-march-12-13-ada.

 

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

Poultry Banquet

Hardin County – The 2024 Hardin County Poultry Banquet will be held Saturday, March 30th at the Family Center of the Kenton Christian & Missionary Alliance Church located at 15436 State Route 309 in Kenton, Ohio.

Chicken will be provided as the main course. Each family attending is asked to bring their most requested, best-tasting side dish and dessert to share. There will be no charge for the evening, but reservations are necessary. Doors open at 5:00 pm, dinner will begin at 6:00 pm. Table service will be provided.

The 2024 Hardin County Fair Poultry King and Queen will be crowned and winners from the 2023 Poultry Department will be recognized. Enjoy a wonderful time of fellowship and delicious food along with awesome gift baskets and raffle prizes! Prepare your favorite dishes and come join us for a pleasant and fun-filled evening celebrating all things poultry in Hardin County!

The reservation deadline for this year’s Poultry Banquet is Saturday, March 16th. Please call, text, or email Catherine Scharf at (419) 996-9234 or ceoscharf@gmail.com to make a reservation. Reservations can also be made through the Hardin County OSU Extension office.

Battle for the Belt – Corn vs Soybean

Hardin County – Should I plant corn or soybean first in the spring? What crop has the smallest yield penalty for delayed planting? Can you adjust your management practices to mitigate losses due to late planting? How are diseases affected by planting date? OSU Extension is bringing this “Battle for the Belt” program to the Hardin County OSU Extension office, 1021 W Lima Street, Kenton, on Wednesday, March 20 from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm.

We will answer these questions and more during our Battle for the Belt Winter meetings. Come hear OSU Extension State Corn Specialist Osler Ortez and State Soybean Specialist Laura Lindsey provide the first year’s results of this statewide research project along with graduate student Taylor Dill’s field observations.

Agronomic Field Specialist Stephanie Karhoff will provide corn disease and planting considerations. State Soybean Disease Specialist Horacio Lopez-Nicora will provide soybean disease and planting considerations. There will be follow-up questions and applications facilitated by research specialist Luke Waltz.

Find out the results of this year’s research and discuss them over a catered lunch made possible by the Ohio Soybean Council and Ohio Corn & Wheat. Registration is $10 per person at https://go.osu.edu/2024hardinbattleforthebelt or call 419-674-2297.

Beef Banquet

Hardin County – The Hardin County Cattle Producers will hold their annual Beef Banquet on Saturday, March 23 in the Community Building at the fairgrounds, starting at 6:30 pm. Pre-sale tickets are $20 ($25 at the door), kids ages 7-10 are $10, and kids ages 6 and under are free. The 2023 Hardin County Junior Fair Beef Barn Exhibitors are free with a reservation given to any Cattle Producers Director or the Hardin County OSU Extension office.

Tickets can be purchased from the following county Cattle Producers Directors: Madisen Jolliff, Mackenzie Wallace, Dustin Badertscher, Adam Billenstein, Jeff Oestreich, Justin Eibling, Stacia Hall-Boughan, Derek Dunson, Kristie Royer, Brieanne Sullivan, Deana Gibson, and Dick Cronley by March 15.

Scholarship winners will also be announced the night of the banquet. The Hardin County Cattle Producers are offering $500 scholarships to qualified students for the 2024-25 school year. Scholarships will be awarded to applicants who themselves or their parents are current members of the Hardin County Cattle Producers or currently have a beef cattle project in either 4-H or FFA. Applicants for the Cattle Producers scholarships can go to go.osu.edu/2024beefscholarship to apply online by the March 15 deadline.

The Cattle Producers Service Award will be presented as well at the annual Beef Banquet. The Service Award is presented to a person or organization that has demonstrated dedication to the mission of the Hardin County Cattle Producers.

Conservation Tillage & Technology Conference March 12-13 in Ada

Hardin County – The Conservation Tillage & Technology Conference (CTC) will be held in- person March 12-13 at Ohio Northern University in Ada. The first day of this year’s conference will feature Alex Harrell, Soybean Yield Champion from southwest Georgia with a yield of 206 bushels per acre. His presentation has been made possible by sponsor Brandt Professional Agriculture.

Shawn Conley, Extension Soybean Specialist, University of Wisconsin, will return and be paired with Alex Harrell and Laura Lindsey, OSU Extension, during the Agronomic Crop Management session after lunch, Tuesday. Shawn Conley is always one of the conference’s most popular speakers.

Paul Jasa, Extension Agricultural Engineer, University of Nebraska, will return to CTC as another one of the main speakers, sponsored by Calmer Corn Heads, he will speak four times. Pioneer is sponsoring Dr. Nicolas Martin, University of Illinois, speaking on “Do Management Zones Increase Yields?”

With about 60 speakers total, CTC gives plenty of opportunities to gain valuable information. Among the speakers are Barry Fisher, a soil health expert; Dan Quinn, Purdue University; Kevin Erb, University of Wisconsin; Bill Lehmkuhl, Precision Agri Services; Jane Fife, 3 Bar Biologics; Laura Johnson, Heidelberg University; Shawn Lucas, Kentucky State University; Terry Hofecker, Soil 1; and about 25 OSU Extension Educators and campus faculty.

Connect with other farmers and CCAs, experience new ideas, and increase your net income. Historically over 800 individuals will attend each day of this two-day conference, making it the largest agricultural meeting in northwestern Ohio. Plenty of CCA and CLM credits will be available. Take advantage of the opportunity to discuss one-on-one with speakers, exhibitors, sponsors, and other participants. Bring a friend and/or family members.

The meeting and program have been developed by The Ohio State University Extension Specialists along with Agriculture and Natural Resources Educators in local counties with assistance from local Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Ohio Department of Agriculture, and United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Farmers, consultants, industry representatives, and government officials will meet each day to listen to university specialists, industry representatives, and producers discuss new products and ideas for agriculture. Master Farmer Awards and the Ohio CCA of the Year will be announced.

Tuesday sessions will include No-till, Cover Crops, and Soil Health; Nutrient Management; Agronomic Crop Management; and Precision Ag & Technology. Wednesday sessions will include No-till, Cover Crops and Soil Health; Agronomic Crop Management; Water Quality; Climate, Carbon, and Soil Health.

Registration is $100 (https://www.allenswcd.com/cttc/) and is a flat rate of $100 if postmarked before March 1, 2024 and then $150. (On-site registration will be $150.) Registration will include access to all recorded presentations from about April 15 to July 1, including CCA and CLM credits. QR codes will be active for those weeks. (Crop Consultants must register individually to receive CCA credits.) For more information about the conference, go to https://ctc.osu.edu.

Pork Banquet

Hardin County – The Hardin County Pork Producers will hold their annual Pork Banquet on Saturday, March 16 at the Upper Scioto Valley School auditorium in McGuffey, starting at 6:30 pm. The evening will include naming of the Hardin County Pork Industry Queen and Pork Producers Scholarship Recipients, as well as pork dishes and door prizes. Adult and non-exhibitor ticket prices are $8, fair workers from the Pork Producers Pavilion are $4, and free for 2023 Hardin County Junior Fair Swine Exhibitors.

All Hardin County Junior Fair Swine Exhibitors attending the banquet will receive a hoodie from the Hardin County Pork Producers. When calling in reservations, you must give shirt sizes for the swine exhibitors by March 1st to receive your hoodie.

The banquet is open to all interested people, but advance tickets are required. Tickets can be purchased through March 8 from the following county Pork Producers Directors: Tyler Skidmore, Steve & Kelly Searson, Doug & Christine Heilman, Tim Holbrook, Mark Watkins, Matt Holbrook, LeVern & Nancy Weaver, Nathan Weaver, Rusty Bingham, Wes VanScoy, Ranae Sherman, Alyson Purcell, Jody Dye, and Dillon Rall. Tickets can also be reserved from the Extension office by calling 419-674-2297.

The Hardin County Pork Producers are offering up to six $750 scholarships to qualified students. Scholarships will be awarded to high school or college students from the six county schools. Applicants must be a son/daughter of a Hardin County Pork Producer or have been a 4-H or FFA member who has/had swine projects at the Hardin County Fair. Questions about the scholarships can be addressed to Steve Searson at 937-407-0785.

The Pork Producers are also looking for 2024 Pork Industry Queen Contestants. Eligible candidates for the title of Hardin County Pork Industry Queen must be age 15 through 19 as of January 1, 2024. To be eligible for the State Pork Industry Queen contest, the entrant must be 17 prior to January 1 of the year they will be competing. Anyone qualified and interested can become Hardin County Pork Industry Queen, but only those who reside on a farm on which hogs are raised and is the daughter of parents now actively engaged in the production of pork will be eligible for the State Pork Industry District III Queen Contest in 2024. Selection will be held before a panel of judges at the Pork Banquet on Saturday, March 16. Questions about the Pork Industry Queen can be addressed to Nancy Weaver at 567-674-0559 or Alyson Purcell at 567-674-4512.

Applications and rules for both the Hardin County Pork Producers Scholarships and Hardin County Pork Industry Queen can be found at hardin.osu.edu and must be received online by March 1, 2024.

Pesticide & Fertilizer Recertification Training

Hardin County – Some farmers have received a notice that informs them that their current pesticide and/or fertilizer applicator licenses will expire at the end of March 2024 and that they must complete their continuing education hours to renew before this date. Thirty dollars is sent to the Ohio Department of Agriculture in Reynoldsburg to renew the license and $35 to OSU Extension for the pesticide continuing education requirement. If fertilizer recertification is needed, the cost to OSU Extension is $10 for the fertilizer continuing education requirement.

Farmers must have a private applicator license to apply restricted use pesticides on their farm or for an employer’s crops. A commercial license is required for individuals who apply products on fields other than their own or as a business. The Environmental Protection Agency determines whether a product is designated restricted or general use. Restricted use products may be organic or traditional pesticides.

To obtain a private pesticide applicator license, farmers must pass a series of exams that test their competency in pesticide safety and application knowledge. They also must be certified in one or more of seven categories in addition to Core knowledge. These categories include Grain and Cereal Crops, Forage Crops and Livestock, Fruit and Vegetable Crops, Nursery and Forest Crops, Greenhouse Crops, Fumigation, and Specialty Uses.

Farmers must have a private fertilizer applicator license if they apply fertilizer on 50 or more acres of crops grown for sale. This does not include crops that are used on the farm for their livestock or fertilizer used through the planter. It does include fertilizer applied in the fall, pre-plant, or side dressing. If fertilizer is applied by a commercial applicator, the farmer does not need to have fertilizer certification. Like pesticide applications, there must be record keeping of fertilizer applied to the farmer’s crops that can be requested by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. If an applicator does not have a fertilizer license and needs one, they can attend a three-hour training to become certified or study the fertilizer manual and take a test on their own.

A license must be renewed every three years. A farmer can meet this requirement by completing three hours of approved pesticide continuing education anytime during the three year period and one hour of fertilizer continuing education during the same three year period. Recertification training emphasizes effective management strategies that enhance crop productivity, encourage responsible use of products, and promote safe practices for applicators, the public, and the environment. OSU Extension offices are currently offering recertification programs to fulfill the three hours of the pesticide continuing education requirement and additional one hour of the fertilizer continuing education requirement for license renewal. An applicator may also choose to retest every three years to renew a private pesticide or fertilizer license in place of recertification training.

Hardin County Pesticide and Fertilizer Recertification programs will be offered Monday, March 4 at the Plaza Inn Restaurant in Mt. Victory. The pesticide recertification session will begin at 9:00 am and end at 12:00 pm. This session is for private applicators and will consist of Core, Grain and Cereal Crops, Forage Crops and Livestock, and Fumigation. A lunch option will be made available at the Plaza Inn Restaurant for additional cost. The fertilizer recertification will start at 1:00 pm and end at 2:00 pm. Farmers need to call the Extension office at 419-674-2297, or stop by at 1021 W. Lima Street, Suite 103 in Kenton to pre-register. An option to pre-register online is available at https://go.osu.edu/HardinPAT-FACT. Further information regarding make-up or specialty recertification in other areas can be obtained by contacting the Extension office by March 24.

Both pesticide and fertilizer recertification for make-up and/or specialty categories will be offered on March 27, from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm at the Extension office in Kenton. Pre-registration is required by calling the Hardin County Extension office or registering online. Be sure to include pesticide categories needed and whether fertilizer recertification is needed. On March 27, pesticide recertification will begin at 9:00 am for three hours, followed by an hour of fertilizer recertification at 1:00 pm. Seating is limited to 25 people at the Extension office.

Training dates for commercial pesticide applicators can be found at http://pested.osu.edu/commercialapplicator. Training dates for Private Pesticide Applicators for other counties in Ohio may be found at http://pested.osu.edu/privateapplicator. The commercial and private applicator licenses are a way that commercial pesticide applicators and farmers show good stewardship in caring for our land and producing our food in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner.

Drone Use in Agriculture Breakfast

Hardin County – The 2024 Conservation Tillage Club breakfast program series will conclude Thursday, February 22 at the Plaza Inn Restaurant in Mt. Victory. The session will start at 7:30 am with a complimentary buffet breakfast followed by a drone use in agriculture program at 8:00 am.

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 seeding cover crops and 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 will be questions answered by Leininger.

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 are available.

Lamb Banquet

Hardin County – The Hardin County Sheep Improvement Association will hold their annual Lamb Banquet on Saturday, March 2 at St. John’s Evangelical Church in Kenton at 6:30 pm. Tickets for the banquet can be reserved from the Extension office by calling 419-674-2297 and paid for at the door the night of the banquet. Adult tickets are $20, Children (4-8 years old) $10, and 2023 Hardin County Junior Fair Sheep Exhibitors are free with a reservation given to the Extension office by February 23.

Banquet guests are asked to arrive early to participate in the silent auction, bidding for various items that were donated to provide funds for the scholarship program. A dinner will be prepared with various cuts of lamb for the banquet guests to enjoy. A presentation on the 2023 New Zealand Sheep and Agriculture Tour will be made by Hardin County OSU Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator Mark Badertscher.

The Hardin County Sheep Improvement Association is looking for 2024 Lamb & Wool Ambassador contestants and scholarship applicants. An ambassador applicant and his or her parent/guardian must be residents of Hardin County or a Hardin County School District prior to entering the contest; and live on a farm where sheep are produced or have a sheep project in the Hardin County Junior Fair to be eligible. Applicants must be 15 to 20 years of age as of January 1, 2024. Contestants must complete an entry form and prepare a three to five-minute talk on the “Role of Youth in the Sheep Industry,” “What does being a Lamb/Wool advocate mean to you?” or “What are the positive things that you know about the Lamb/Wool industry?”

The Hardin County Sheep Improvement Association is also offering two five-hundred-dollar scholarships to students entering/attending college for the 2024-2025 school year. An applicant and his or her parent/guardian must be residents of Hardin County or a Hardin County School District prior to entering college; and must have had a sheep project and shown at the Hardin County Fair. The applicant must be maintaining a 2.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

The application and rules for the Hardin County Lamb & Wool Ambassador and the scholarship application and rules can be found at hardin.osu.edu. Applications must be received online by February 24. For more information about the Lamb & Wool Ambassador program, contact either Melissa Gossard at 419-235-3412 or Kristen Ferguson at 567-204-9199. Questions about the Sheep Improvement Association scholarship should be directed to Bruce Oberlitner at 419-675-6272.