Hardin County Agriculture and Natural Resources Update

Weekly email newsletter

May 19, 2023

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Good afternoon,

Good to see that the weather is finally cooperating with spring planting after some field work allowed for early planting in mid-April. According to the attached May 15 Ohio Crop Weather report, 26% of corn was planted and 28% of soybean was planted a week ago. Winter wheat is mostly rated in good condition with this spring’s cooler temperatures and wet weather. As of April 30, Hardin County township rainfall reporters recorded only 1.72 inches of rain from April 15-30, but frequent rains in early May and cool temperatures slowed down evaporation rates. See the April Extension Rainfall Report for more information.

Ohio Crop Weather

April 15-30 Rainfall Summary

Recent news articles that I have included with this edition of the Hardin County Agriculture and Natural Resources Update include topics such as scouting for Alfalfa Weevil, Soybean Cyst Nematode sampling, and Planting Considerations for Corn and Soybean. If you are a gardener, I have included an article about free Ohio Victory Garden Seeds that are available at the Extension office, and an article and flyer about our OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteers Plant Sale that is taking place tomorrow morning at the Friendship Gardens located at 960 W Kohler Street in Kenton from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm.

Alfalfa Weevil News Release

Soybean Cyst Nematode Sampling News Release

Corn-Soybean Planting Recommendations News Release

Victory Gardens News Release

Hardin County Plant Sale News Release

MGV Plant Sale Flyer 2023

Upcoming webinars and events that you may be interested in include a free webinar series beginning next week on Solar Development in Ohio for which I have attached an article and flyer with details about how you can register to listen in on this free program while you are working in the fields or from the comfort of your office. Topics include Solar Development Overview and Trends, Leasing Land for Solar Development, Connecting to the Electric Grid, Solar Project Approval in Ohio, and Construction and Post-Construction. Registration and additional information about the free Zoom webinar series is available at go.osu.edu/solarwebinars. Those unable to attend can view webinar recordings on the Farm Office energy law library at https://farmoffice.osu.edu/our-library/energy-law.

Solar Development Webinars News Release

Solar Development Webinars Flyer

The next Ag Council breakfast meeting will take place Friday morning, June 2 starting at 7:30 am at the Kenton McDonalds restaurant. Join us this coming month for a roundtable discussion on the spring planting season and get updated on agricultural issues and events. I hope the weather cooperates with you from this point forward and wish you a safe spring planting season. As provided in the past, I have included some ag crops articles from the CORN Newsletter that you may be interested in reading.

 

Mark

 

If You Planted and Heavy Rainfall Affected Your Fields…  – Osler Ortez, Laura Lindsey

According to the USDA-NASS report for the week ending 05/14/23, 26% of Ohio’s corn and 28% of Ohio’s soybean acres were planted. About 8% of corn and soybean was reported emerged. Ohio’s planting (and emergence) progress is coming along for both corn and soybean crops. However, there are still significant acreages to be planted yet, and weather does not always help. Heavy rainfall (1-2 inches of rain) events were reported for some areas of Ohio last week. Heavy rainfall can negatively affect planted and emerged fields, planted and non-emerged fields, and yet-to-be-planted fields. If you are in one of the areas with concerns about heavy rainfall, read about how to manage these issues at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2023-14/if-you-planted-and-heavy-rainfall-affected-your-fields%E2%80%A6

 

Forage Maturity Across Ohio – Jason Hartschuh, Amanda Douridas, Kendall Lovejoy, Carri Jagger, Beth Scheckelhoff, Ed Lentz, Les Ober

Warm weather this spring especially over the last couple of weeks has rapidly progressed forage maturity. Harvesting forages at the proper time for the livestock you are feeding is critical to farm profitability. Poor quality forages must be supplemented to maintain livestock. In the southern part of the state, many forage grasses are in head while in the northern part of the state, some species are in head but most are still in the vegetative stage but will be in head within a week. Read more at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2023-14/forage-maturity-across-ohio.

 

Interested in Soil Health? Learn together with OSU Extension – Jason Hartschuh, Elizabeth Hawkins, Amanda Douridas

Improving soil health can provide a variety of benefits including improved water infiltration, increased water holding capacity, and increased nutrient availability. However, it can be challenging to quantify these benefits in the field. With funding from Ohio Soybean Checkoff, the eFields program is continuing an effort to help better understand how management practices influence soil health and ultimately crop yields. OSU Extension has worked to identify a few soil tests that can provide helpful indicators of improved soil health. We are looking for farmers interested in soil health and who want to participate in a statewide field survey collecting soil health data from fields under various management practices, specifically conventional tillage, no-till, manure application, and cover cropping. Find out how to get involved at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2023-14/interested-soil-health-learn-together-osu-extension.

 

Lep Monitoring Network Update #2 – Black Cutworm & True Armyworm – Amy Raudenbush, Kylie Harbert, Suranga Basnagala , Mark Badertscher, Lee Beers, CCA, Trevor Corboy, Dirk Dempsey, Jamie Hampton, Alan Leininger, Clifton Martin, CCA, Beth Scheckelhoff, Curtis Young, CCA, Kelley Tilmon, Andy Michel

We are currently in our second week of monitoring for black cutworm (BCW) and true armyworm (AMW) moths in Ohio. Both moths are early season pests in Ohio that migrate to the state and lay eggs in fields. Once the eggs hatch, the caterpillars cause damage to the emerging corn plants. Counties with high trap catches should be prepared to scout high risk fields. In addition to BCW and AMW, European corn borer (IA & NY) traps were set last week and numbers will be reported in next week’s newsletter. Go to https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2023-14/lep-monitoring-network-update-2-%E2%80%93-black-cutworm-true-armyworm to learn more about this effort.

 

Cressleaf Groundsel Identification – Alyssa Essman

Fields of yellow flowers can be found all over the state. Issues with cressleaf groundsel can bring about questions concerning toxicity to livestock. Previous C.O.R.N. articles have covered management and can be found at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2023-08/cressleaf-groundsel-scouting. Cressleaf groundsel may be confused with members of the mustard family, or other species with yellow flowers that bloom this time of year. Below are some key ID characteristics and pictures that can be helpful in differentiating cressleaf groundsel from other species. To continue with identifying this weed, go to https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2023-13/cressleaf-groundsel-identification.

 

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

Master Gardener Annual Plant Sale

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Hardin County – The 18th Annual Hardin County Master Gardener Plant Sale will be from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm on Saturday, May 20 rain or shine at the Friendship Gardens of Hardin County. The Friendship Gardens of Hardin County is located behind the old HARCO Workshop Building, 960 W Kohler Street in Kenton. Follow the signs to the parking that is available at the garden.

In addition to plants and garden items supplied by the Hardin County OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteers, there will also be the Hardin County Men’s Garden Club and vendor Star Farms Native Plants at this annual event with plants for sale. In the past, the public has been able to find a wide choice of their favorite flowers, bedding plants, roses, herbs, trees, and various other potted plants at this event.

Sharing from their own knowledge and experience, gardeners from the OSU Extension Hardin County Master Gardener Volunteers, Hardin County Men’s Garden Club and vendor Star Farms Native Plants will be on hand to answer questions and provide advice for a successful gardening year. In addition, free packets of Ohio Victory Gardens seeds provided by the Ohio Department of Agriculture will be available.

Make sure you put Saturday, May 20 on your calendar to attend. Hopefully the weather will cooperate, and conditions will be more suitable for planting by the date of this year’s plant sale. The OSU Extension Hardin County Master Gardener Volunteers look forward to seeing you at the Friendship Gardens once again this year. Come early as noted in the past, the event has been popular, and plants go fast. So, bring your boxes and wagons, and get your green thumb on for the new planting season!

Ohio Victory Gardens Offers Free Seeds

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Hardin County – It’s time once again to get your hands dirty and start growing! The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) and Ohio State University Extension offices are kicking off the fourth year of the Ohio Victory Gardens program. Due to high demand, the program has expanded to include 50 counties, up from 42 counties last year. Thousands of seed sample kits are available for free to the public to get people planting.

Specific days and times for each office are available on the Ohio Victory Gardens website, as well as planting resources and information. Hardin County OSU Extension will make available Ohio Victory Garden seed packets containing a combination of carrots, cucumber, lettuce, and sunflowers. Seeds are currently available at the Hardin County OSU Extension Office, 1021 W Lima Street in Kenton and will also be available at its annual Master Gardener Volunteers Plant Sale being held Saturday, May 20 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm in the Friendship Gardens of Hardin County located at 960 W Kohler Street in Kenton.

Victory Gardens originated during World War I, an answer to a severe food shortage at the time. People were encouraged to find any usable space, plop in some seeds, and contribute homegrown fruits, vegetables, and herbs to the effort. The idea was wildly successful, growing an army of amateur gardeners and serving to boost morale and patriotism.

While we’re not in wartime, we can all commiserate the past few months have been tough, mood-boosters are welcomed. So, the Ohio Department of Agriculture and Ohio State University are reviving the effort and once again inspiring people to get their hands dirty, realize the fruits of their labor and share with others if inspired. We believe a good day in the garden is good for the soul.

The Victory Gardens Program offers a full website with details on seed distribution, advice, and resources on every aspect of planting and harvesting produce at https://u.osu.edu/ohiovictorygardens/ online. All Victory Gardens participants will be eligible to win a free starter gardening toolkit by completing a short online survey to enter.

 

Article written by Ohio Department of Agriculture and edited by Mark Badertscher-OSU Extension, Hardin County

February 6, 2023

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Good afternoon,

There’s been a whirlwind of Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension programs happening in the area so I thought I better get out another email to let you know what is coming up in the near future so you don’t miss an opportunity. Allen County OSU Extension has a new AgNR Educator by the name of Nic Baumer and he has an Allen County Ag Outlook and Agronomy Day coming up tomorrow at the Allen County Fairgrounds starting at 9:00 am. See the attached flyer for more details if you plan to make the trip to Lima. This coming Thursday, February 9 is the next Conservation Tillage Club breakfast with Dr. Pierce Paul speaking on Corn Diseases. I asked him to address tar spot and ear rots since we have had issues locally with tar spot the past two years and vomitoxin the past few years. I have attached a flyer with more information about this breakfast series at the Plaza Inn Restaurant which will wrap up on February 23 with the topic of Farm Bill Programs.

Allen County Ag Outlook and Agronomy Day Flyer

Conservation Tillage Club Flyer

Next Friday, February 10 will be another busy day as we have a Cover Crop Management Seminar planned at the Plaza Inn Restaurant in Mt. Victory from 9:00 am-12:00 pm with a complimentary lunch. See the attached article and flyer for registration information.  Then starting at 1:00 pm the same day, we have an Agricultural Fertilizer Certification Class for anyone who needs to get their fertilizer certification for the first time. This will be held at the Extension office in Kenton. If you would like to register, see the attached news release and flyer. We have extended the registration period for both of these events.

Cover Crops Management Seminar News Release

Cover Crop Management Flyer

Fertilizer Certification News Release

Fertilizer Certification Flyer

We are offering a combined self-paced online and face-to-face Master Gardener Volunteer Training Course starting February 13 here at the Extension office in Kenton for anyone who might be interested in becoming an OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteer. See the attached brochure to learn more about this Hardin County group of volunteers. We can still enroll people in this course if you know someone interested in gardening who would like to help out with horticulture programs in the community. It is also the beginning of the winter livestock banquet season with the February 18 Horse Banquet being the first of six livestock banquets planned in the county. This banquet will be at the Kenton Moose Family Center. See the attached news release for information about this event and how you can reserve a ticket.

ABOUT MGV PROGRAM_Hardin

Horse Banquet News Release

If you are interested in reading more OSU Extension newsletters, go to https://hardin.osu.edu/program-areas/agriculture-and-natural-resources/agnr-newsletters to find the Northwest Ohio ANR Newsletter 2023 along with several other good sources of information. Ohio Custom Rates and Machinery Costs can be found at https://farmoffice.osu.edu/farm-management/custom-rates-and-machinery-costs and upcoming Farm Office Live webinars can be found at https://farmoffice.osu.edu/farmofficelive. As before, I have provided additional Ag Crops articles below.

 

Mark

 

Sampling Corn Grain for Vomitoxin – Pierce Paul

Moldy grain and vomitoxin levels vary considerably within the grain lot. This is largely because the number of ears infected with Gibberella zeae, the fungus that causes Gibberella ear rot and produces vomitoxin in the grain, and number of infected kernels on a given ear within a field are highly variable. In addition, ears, and kernels with a similar appearance in terms of surface moldiness may have vastly different levels of internal fungal colonization, and consequently, different levels of vomitoxin contamination. Find additional information about sampling for vomitoxin in corn at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2023-03/sampling-corn-grain-vomitoxin.

 

Cover Crop Management Seminar – Mark Badertscher

Cody Beacom and Jim Hoorman are the headline speakers for a Cover Crop Management three-hour morning program presented by the Ohio No-Till Council, Hardin County OSU Extension, and The Nature Conservancy. The event will be held at the Plaza Inn Restaurant, 491 S Main Street, Mt. Victory, starting at 9:00 am on Friday, February 10. Coffee and cake will be provided by Wingfield Crop Insurance Service starting at 8:30 am. Cody Beacom, Bird Agronomics, will explain the basics of cover crops, from the selection of the best mix for summer or fall seeding to managing in the spring, whether using a burndown herbicide, “planting green”, or using a roller crimper. Find out more about this upcoming seminar at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2023-03/cover-crop-management-seminar.

 

Virtual Corn College and Soybean School – Laura Lindsey, Amanda Douridas, Taylor Dill

Due to popular demand, the AgCrops Team will host the 3rd annual virtual Corn College and Soybean School on February 10, 2023 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM featuring your OSU Extension state specialists and soil fertility guest speaker, Dr. Kurt Steinke, from Michigan State University. CCA CEUs will be available during the live presentations. To register, please go to: go.osu.edu/cornsoy.  Please register by February 9 at noon. There is a $10 registration fee for this event, which goes directly to support OSU AgCrops Team activities. Read more at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2023-03/redminder-join-us-3rd-annual-virtual-corn-college-and-soybean.

 

Northwest Ohio Agronomy Day – Alan Leininger

Henry County will be hosting the 2023 Northwest Ohio Agronomy Crops Day on February 8th, 2023. This year’s event will feature Dr. Pierce Paul, Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Plant Pathology at the Ohio State University. He will be presenting on the topic of Development and Management of Ear Rots, Mycotoxins, and Tar Spot. Also featured is Dr. Laura Lindsay, Associate Professor in the Department of Horticulture & Crop Science at Ohio State University. She will be presenting the topic of Soybean Planting Date and Management Interactions. Aaron Wilson, Assistant Professor, Ag Weather and Climate Field Specialist for Ohio State University Extension & State Climatologist of Ohio will present an Agricultural Weather & Climate Update. Finish this article at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2023-03/northwest-ohio-agronomy-day.

 

Hot Topics in Grain Crops Series – Ed Lentz

The Ohio State University Extension – Hancock County office will be offering its Hot Topics in Grain Crops Series over three evenings in February and March at the Hancock County Agricultural Service Center, 7868 CR 140, Findlay, OH 45840. Each meeting will cover one specific crop – wheat, corn, and soybean. Local research results and a discussion on upcoming production issues will be presented at the meeting. There will also be a Question-and-Answer period to address any issue concerning that crop which was not part of the presentation. The programs will be led by Dr. Edwin Lentz, who has a doctorate in Crop Management and Physiology and has been providing agronomic expertise to Ohio farmers for over 30 years. Programs are free but please register by calling the Hancock County Extension office, 419-422-3851 or email lentz.38@osu.edu at least one day before the program. See more at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2023-03/hot-topics-grain-crops-series.

 

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

Cover Crop Management Seminar

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Hardin County – Cody Beacom and Jim Hoorman are the headline speakers for a Cover Crop Management three-hour morning program presented by the Ohio No-Till Council, Hardin County OSU Extension, and The Nature Conservancy. The event will be held at the Plaza Inn Restaurant, 491 S Main Street, Mt. Victory, starting at 9:00 am on Friday, February 10. Coffee and cake will be provided by Wingfield Crop Insurance Service starting at 8:30 am.

Cody Beacom, Bird Agronomics, will explain the basics of cover crops, from the selection of the best mix for summer or fall seeding to managing in the spring, whether using a burndown herbicide, “planting green”, or using a roller crimper.

A cover crops expert panel consisting of Jan Layman, Hardin County farmer and president of the Ohio No-till Council; Cody Beacom, Bird Agronomics; and Matt Burkholder, Farmer Advocate for Conservation; will answer questions and concerns from the audience.

Jim Hoorman, Hoorman Soil Health Services, will present details regarding the nutrient and soil health benefits of cover crops.

Lunch will be provided at noon by The Nature Conservancy and the Farmer Advocate for Conservation program.

The program is free and limited to 50 participants. Pre-registration is required at http://go.osu.edu/covercrop2023 or by calling OSU Extension, Hardin County at 419-674-2297 by February 3.

Fertilizer Applicator Certification Training in Kenton

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Hardin County – A three-hour fertilizer certification program will be held in Kenton for any private or commercial applicator who needs to obtain fertilizer certification for the first time. This training will be held at the Hardin County OSU Extension office, 1021 W Lima Street, Kenton, Ohio on Friday, February 10. The class will begin at 1:00 pm and end at 4:00 pm. There is a $30 class fee payable to OSU Extension for this training.

Please arrive early so that materials can be distributed, and the program can start on time. This training will meet the fertilizer certification requirements for those with or without a pesticide license. Pre-registration is required by calling the Hardin County OSU Extension office at 419-674-2297 or register online at https://go.osu.edu/HardinPAT-FACT no later than a week before the training.

Agricultural fertilizer applicator certification is required in Ohio for farmers who apply fertilizer to more than 50 acres of agricultural production grown primarily for sale. This requirement was signed into law in June 2014, and also requires certification for commercial agricultural fertilizer applicators. Farmers who have their fertilizer applied by co-ops or custom applicators are not required to be certified if they do not side-dress their own corn.

Applicators who are a Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) or Certified Livestock Manager (CLM) are not required to attend the training. Fertilizer is defined for the regulation as any substance containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, or other plant nutrient in a dry or liquid formulation. All application types such as broadcast, side dress, sub-surface, knifing and other are included in the certification requirement. Lime and limestone are not included as fertilizer for the certification and farmers who only use starter fertilizer in their planter boxes are exempted.

The agriculture fertilizer certification is not required for manure applications as these are currently regulated, unless farmers are applying livestock or poultry manure from a Concentrated Animal Feeding Facility (CAFF). In this case, they would need to have either the CLM or Ohio Fertilizer Certification.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture is the agency issuing the certification for agriculture fertilizer applications. Once an applicator completes the fertilizer training, the ODA will bill them $30 for their fertilizer certificate unless the applicator currently holds a pesticide applicator license.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture website has information regarding the regulation at https://agri.ohio.gov/divisions/plant-health/fertilizers. For more information about other training sessions or general materials for the agriculture fertilizer certification, visit https://nutrienteducation.osu.edu or contact Mark Badertscher, Hardin County OSU Extension at badertscher.4@osu.edu.

January 10, 2023

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Hello,

I hope you had a good holiday season and are looking forward to the upcoming winter meeting season. Our annual Conservation Tillage Club breakfast series begins this Thursday, January 12 at 7:30 am at the Plaza Inn Restaurant in Mt. Victory. This years line up of topics includes Using Precision Ag Data, Grain Marketing Outlook/Soybean Crush Plant, Corn Diseases, and Farm Bill Programs. See the attached news release and flyer for more details. We hope to see you there starting this Thursday and then every other week in January and February for a total of four events. This year’s Western Ohio Dairy Luncheon series is off to a good start with the next meeting January 18 featuring “Milking a Dairy Farm Analysis for All It’s Worth” in New Bremen. See the attached flyer for more information.

Conservation Tillage Club Breakfast News Release

Conservation Tillage Club Flyer

Western Ohio Dairy Luncheon Flyer

Once again this year were are having a New Pesticide Applicator class in Kenton on January 19. This class is for those farmers or farm employees who want to get their private pesticide applicator license for the first time. We will be following up the class with Ohio Department of Agriculture testing sessions at the Extension office in January, February, and March. If you or someone you know is interested in signing up for the class, contact me to register. I have included both a copy of the news release and flyer with this email. The West Ohio Agronomy Day is being held in Fort Loramie on January 23. This year we have a good line-up of speakers so see the attached flyer for more details about this special day of field crop agronomic speakers.

New Pesticide Applicator Class News Release

New Pesticide Applicator Flyer

West Ohio Agronomy Day Flyer

We plan to train a new group of Master Gardener Volunteers for Hardin County this winter. If you are interested or know of someone who has an interest in gardening and is willing to share their knowledge doing horticulture programing with county residents as part of the OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteers, have them check out the new release about our upcoming Master Gardener Volunteer Training and the attached flyer. Deadline for registration for this combined self-paced online and in-person training is January 30. The orientation will be held on February 13 with other classes to follow. If your family is interested in farm succession planning, there is an online “Planning for the Future of Your Farm Webinar Series” starting on January 23. See the attached flyer for more information about how to register your family for this series.

New Master Gardener Volunteer Course News Release

Master Gardener Volunteer Course Flyer

Planning For The Future Of Your Farm Flyer

Other links that you may be interested in include AGNR News Articles at https://hardin.osu.edu/program-areas/agriculture-and-natural-resources/agnr-news-articles, Farm Management Budgets at https://farmoffice.osu.edu/farm-management/enterprise-budgets, and Western Ohio Cropland Values and Cash Rents at https://farmoffice.osu.edu/farm-management-tools/farm-management-publications/cash-rents. I have included some articles about upcoming webinars and other programs below that you may be interested in reading.

 

Mark

 

Don’t Miss Out on 2023 Soil Health Webinar Series – Stephanie Karhoff, Tony Nye, Taylor Dill, Jamie Hampton

Join the OSU Extension Agronomic Crops Team 2023 Soil Health Webinar series for a Thursday morning series about soil health. You won’t want to miss out on this year’s line-up of farmers and academic experts covering a wide range of soil health topics as they dig below the surface to investigate new developments in soil health and soil management. Read more at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2023-01/dont-miss-out-2023-soil-health-webinar-series.

Join Us for the 2023 Precision U Webinars – Elizabeth Hawkins, John Fulton, Amanda Douridas, Ken Ford, Amanda Bennett

A different approach to farming is on the horizon as automated technologies are becoming available. The 2023 Precision U event will focus on “Automating Agriculture: The Future of Farming.” The event will be online with three Zoom webinars. Topics include regulation of autonomous equipment in Ohio, adoption on the farm, and the Ohio Rural Broadband Initiative. CEUs for Certified Crop Advisors will be offered. For more information, visit go.osu.edu/PrecisionU. Please plan to join us for one or all of these events! More information can be found at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2023-01/join-us-2023-precision-u-webinars.

2023 “Climate &…” Webinar Series – Aaron Wilson

As we know, weather and climate impact agriculture in significant ways. Please join us for our first in a series of three webinars on January 19, 2023 from 8-9 a.m. as we explore the impacts of extreme weather and climate on diseases with Drs. Pierce Paul and Aaron Wilson. This includes a short presentation on tools available from the Midwestern Regional Climate Center to help with in-season decision making and/or post-seasonal analysis. Additional webinars are available in February and March. Finish reading this article at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2023-01/2023-climate-webinar-series.

2023 Water Quality Wednesdays – Amber Emmons, Courtney Krieger, Rachel Cochran, Paige Garrabrant, Matthew Romanko

Join OSU’s Water Quality Extension Associates for their annual winter webinar series focusing on the interaction between agriculture and water quality. These webinars will take place monthly from January to March 2023 on the last Wednesday of each month. Each webinar will have knowledgeable speakers and will offer continuing education credits (CEUs) for Certified Crop Advisers (CCAs). Topics in 2023 will be cover crops and wetlands. There is no cost to attend these webinars, but registration is required to receive the connection link. All webinars will be recorded and posted to the OSU Agronomy Team YouTube channel for later viewing. CEUs will not be available from the recordings. Go to https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2022-42/2023-water-quality-wednesdays for more details.

Conservation Tillage Club Breakfast Series – Mark Badertscher

The 2023 Conservation Tillage Club breakfast program series will begin on Thursday, January 12 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 26, February 9 and 23. 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. Find out more about the Conservation Tillage Club breakfast series at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2023-01/conservation-tillage-club-breakfast-series.

 

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

Master Gardener Volunteer Training Offered

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Hardin County – The Hardin County OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteers will host a Master Gardener Volunteer training course for new Master Gardener Volunteers this winter. The Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program provides intensive training in horticulture to interested Ohio residents who then volunteer their time assisting with educational programs and activities for Ohio residents through their local Ohio State University Extension county office. Volunteers are not required to have gardening skills or knowledge; but a passion for learning about gardening and sharing this knowledge with others is a must!

Training will be a combination of a self-paced online course combined with in-person classes held at the Hardin County Extension office beginning with orientation on Monday, February 13 from 9 am – 12 pm. Other scheduled in-person classes will be held according to availability of those who enroll. Additionally, new interns will gain hands-on training working alongside current Master Gardeners at the Friendship Gardens in Kenton. Spring garden seminars will be an option for meeting training requirements. The training course is open to interested volunteers from any county with the volunteer commitment to be completed in the volunteer’s home county program.

Specialists from the Ohio State University Extension and experienced Master Gardener Volunteers will be teaching sessions along with some local experts. Some topics include botany, soils, entomology, plant pathology, plant propagation, herbaceous and woody ornamentals, lawns, vegetables, herbs, fruit, pollinators, integrated pest management, pesticide safety, backyard wildlife, houseplants, and therapeutic horticulture.

The cost of the training is $150.00 and includes the training manual and materials for the class. There is also a requirement for a background check at the volunteer’s expense. The program requires 50 hours of classroom training and a commitment of 50 hours volunteer time to become a certified Master Gardener Volunteer. Registration deadline is January 30.  More information is available at https://mgvolunteers.osu.edu or by calling Mark Badertscher at 419-767-6037 at Hardin County OSU Extension. For more information about the Hardin County OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteers, visit their Facebook page.

 

Conservation Tillage Club Breakfast Series Planned

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Hardin County – The 2023 Conservation Tillage Club breakfast program series will begin on Thursday, January 12 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 26, February 9 and 23.

On January 12, the program will feature James Uphaus, Chair and Assistant Professor, Agriculture Technology, Rhodes State College. Uphaus will present information about Using Precision Ag Data. Uphaus will share examples about how farmers can take the data from their combine, planter, and sprayer monitor information about their fields’ soil variation and associated cropping practices to create prescription maps from field-based results with a goal to increase agriculture product sales and return on investment.

The January 26 program will feature Amanda Matheny, Grain Origination Specialist with Cargill who will present a program on the Grain Marketing Outlook and the new soybean crush plant being built in Sidney. Matheny will provide information to help crop producers successfully market their soybean and corn commodities based on global supply and demand with an emphasis on market trends. Cargill is the largest soybean extractor in North America and will increase their local capacity with an additional 20 million bushels that will be needed to run the new plant being constructed in Sidney. Upon completion in the summer of 23, the operation will have capability to dump 60 soybean trucks in an hour and draw territory will include over 35 counties in Ohio and Indiana.

February 9 OARDC/OSU Extension Corn Disease Specialist Dr. Pierce Paul will return to the Conservation Tillage Club breakfast program to provide an update on corn diseases in Ohio. Recently, the area has experienced vomitoxin issues in corn, brought about by Gibberella Ear Rot. Tar Spot has also infected corn in Hardin County for the first time in 2021, and with a later season appearance in 2022. He will speak about how to identify these diseases in the field, discuss their disease cycle, and how to manage these issues both in the field and how to prevent problems with grain storage. Discussion will include selecting for disease resistance, weather influence on spore development, scouting for infections, and proper use of fungicides.

The February 23 program will feature both Megan Burgess, District Conservationist, USDA-NRCS Hardin County and Leisha Billenstein, District Conservationist, USDA-NRCS Logan County speaking about the Farm Bill Programs available to local producers in 2023. Information shared will include programs, benefits, who is eligible, how it works, how to apply, along with more information about cost sharing and payment rates. Since these are federal programs, information provided will be based on what is available at the current time for Ohio and surrounding counties. Additional information can be found on the USDA farmers.gov website.

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.

New Pesticide Applicator Class

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Hardin County – A class to help farmers prepare to become private pesticide applicators has been planned for January 19 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 $30 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 5 to register.