Events

Cow/Calf Workshop set for February 7 in Millersburg

Reserve your spot today!

Ohio State University Extension will offer a Cow/ Calf workshop in Millersburg, Ohio, at Paint Valley Farms on Friday, February 7, from 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM. The cost is $15 per person, and to RSVP, please call the Holmes County Extension Office at 330-674-3015.

Reproduction and genetics are important factors for a cow-calf operation. The Long-term investment in genetics plays a critical role in developing and managing a herd to ensure longevity. Join OSU Extension in Holmes County to discuss and demonstrate the practices that you might apply on your farm to improve your operation by optimizing reproduction and cow-calf profitability.

Topics covered will include breeding season management, post-drought Continue reading Cow/Calf Workshop set for February 7 in Millersburg →

Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council to Meet in Reynoldsburg

Make plans to attend February 7.

The Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council will be hosting their Annual Meeting on Friday, February 7, 2025 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at The Ohio Department of Agriculture (8995 East Main Street, Reynoldsburg OH 43068). This meeting serves as an opportunity to interact with forage growers of all backgrounds and interests and share with each other. Along with socialization you can listen to intriguing presentations, interact with vendors of forage growing supplies, and enjoy a delicious lunch.

The Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council is Ohio’s commodity organization for pasture and hay crops. The Ohio State University partners closely with the Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council to support forage education, research, and outreach throughout the state. It is the only organization of its kind, bringing together farmers, conservationists, academics, industry representatives, and service personnel into a shared environment to converse and build relationships that lead to more productive forage and Continue reading Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council to Meet in Reynoldsburg →

Beef 509 back in 2025 in a New Format

Beef 509 returns in new “regional” format.

The Ohio Beef Council and the Ohio Cattlemen’s Foundation in partnership with the Stockyards Packing Company will hold the BEEF 509 program in a new regional format in 2025. The program will take place in Southwestern Ohio on two Saturdays Feb. 22 and March 1 at the Stockyards Packing Company, 6365 College Corner Pike, Oxford, Ohio 45056.

BEEF 509 is an educational program designed to teach cattle producers about the food side of their business and how to utilize best management practices to improve beef quality and enhance profitability while learning about value within the beef chain.

Topics to be covered include Continue reading Beef 509 back in 2025 in a New Format →

Grazing Management Lunch and Learn Series: Native Warm Season Grasses

.

Native warm season grasses often are not associated with pasture production here in Ohio. But native warm season grasses allow producers to diversify their operations and increase forage production. On this January 29 webinar (Microsoft Teams), join Jason at 12:15 p.m. as he talks about successfully managing warm season grass stands and how they can benefit your operation.

Click here to join this live event.

Ohio Virtual Beef School begins January 29: An evening with Kenny Burdine

Plan to join us for one or all of these sessions!

The OSU Extension Beef Team is pleased to be offering a Virtual Beef School featuring one webinar per month beginning January 29 and concluding in April.

For the first session join us – either in person in the Fairfield County Ag Center in Lancaster, or via ZOOM – on January 29 as we spend an evening exploring the economics of the beef cattle and livestock sector with University of Kentucky Extension economist Kenny Burdine.

Going into 2025 beef cattle prices are at record highs! Can it continue? How long will the consumer continue to support these price levels? Is it too late to Continue reading Ohio Virtual Beef School begins January 29: An evening with Kenny Burdine →

Join us for a Manure Management Workshop

Plan to join us.

Join Seneca County Extension to learn more about tips and tricks of manure management for both the livestock producer and the agronomic farmer. Information on water quality and the H2Ohio program will be presented as well. Certified Crop Advisor and Certified Livestock Manager credits are available for those who attend the entire workshop.

The topics to be discussed are Using Manure with Growing Crops, Pollution Abatement Laws/Regulations and H2Ohio Manure Practice, and Watershed Phosphorus Trends. Refreshments will be provided. This workshop is free to attend but please register at go.osu.edu/scmanure or call 419-447-9722

OCA Replacement Female Sale Results; Demand remains strong

– Garth Ruff, OCA Replacement Female Sale Manager

82 lots averaged $2905.

The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) held their 12th annual Replacement Female Sale on November 29th at the Muskingum Livestock Auction Company in Zanesville, Ohio. A large crowd was on hand and online to bid on 82 high quality females in the sale. The sale represented an excellent opportunity for cow-calf producers to add quality females with documented breeding and health records to their herds.

Buyers evaluated 81 lots of bred heifers, bred cows, and cow-calf pairs at the auction. The sale included 54 lots of bred heifers that averaged $2,961, 3 cow-calf pairs sold for $3,333, and 24 lots of bred cows that averaged $2,804. One open cow sold for $1,250. The 82 total lots grossed Continue reading OCA Replacement Female Sale Results; Demand remains strong →

Management Strategies in Times of Drought

Attend and learn more about drought disaster assistance.

Some suggest during this year Southeastern Ohio experienced what might be the worst drought in our history. Regardless where it may rank, few of this generation have the experience of managing through a time when feed resources were in such short supply for a commodity as valuable as beef cattle and other ruminant livestock.

That said, please plan to join us in the Fairfield County Ag Center on Monday, December 2 beginning at 7 p.m. when we will explore not only feed management strategies for times such as these, but also the drought disaster relief programs presently available to farmers in much of Ohio. Representatives from Ohio State University Extension, USDA/NRCS and the Farm Service Agency will discuss feed alternatives, feed management strategies, Federal and State drought “disaster” programs and funding opportunities for both feed and water.

Reservations are encouraged but not required by contacting OSU Extension in Fairfield County (740-653-5419) or simply following this link: go.osu.edu/feedmanagement

Drought 2024: Winter Feeding Options for Beef Cows

Plan to attend one of these meetings.

Although hurricane Helene provided some much needed moisture across southern and eastern Ohio, drought conditions persist and impacts will linger through this coming winter. With severe drought from July through September hay inventories have been negatively impacted and many producers may find themselves short on forage for the winter and early spring.

Join OSU Extension field specialists Jason Hartschuh and Garth Ruff at one of four locations across southern and eastern Ohio as they address managing forage shortages due to drought.

Topics discussed will be alternative feeding strategies, comparison of feed ingredients, and managing cow herd inventory.

All programs start at 6:30 p.m. and there is no RSVP needed for any of the following locations Continue reading Drought 2024: Winter Feeding Options for Beef Cows →

Grazing Management Strategies and Mud Management

Register today!

ODA’s on-line Grazing Management Lunch and Learn Series returns on September 26 at 12:15 p.m.

With every operation it is important to have a plan! Determine what you want to achieve and have a strategy in place to get you there. In this lunch and learn we’ll look at the grazing management strategies that Kevin Swope of Heritage Lane Farm implements on his Columbiana County Bison farm. From spring grazing to winter management, we’ll take a walk through his operation as he shows us the decisions that were made on his farm and how they can work for you.

Find registration information linked here.