Author: Christine Gelley

Thank You Hay Day Supporters

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It was a rainy evening at the Eastern Agricultural Research Station on Thursday, June 21, but Southeastern Ohio Hay Day 2018 went on without hesitation. Over 100 people from Ohio and Pennsylvania gathered at the farm to see equipment demonstrations and listen to presentations about making high quality hay.

Tractor dealers were present from L & H Tractor Sales of Caldwell, Baker & Sons Equipment of Lewisville, Lashley Tractor Sales of Quaker City, and JD Equipment of Zanesville. Each brought company representatives and demonstrated new equipment to local hay producers. Additional representatives from Anderson, Kubota, Woods, Rhino, and John Deere shared history of their companies, updates on what new investments have been made to provide better equipment for their customers, and insight on future endeavors.

New at this year’s Hay Day was a tradeshow. Noble County Farm Bureau, Brick Insurance Group, and Heritage Country Store spent time with attendees sharing how their goods and services can be helpful for their farms. Farm Credit Mid-America and Washington Electric Cooperative sponsored the refreshments offered during the program.

Extension personnel from Athens, Belmont, Guernsey, Harrison, Jefferson, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, and Washington Counties worked together to coordinate the event. The Eastern Agricultural Research Station staff were wonderful hosts, accommodating all in a welcoming environment.

Special thanks are extended to all who attended Hay Day this year and to our dealers, vendors, and volunteers! We will continue to bring you this program in years to come.

Save the date for the next Southeastern Ohio Hay Day on June 18, 2020.

Be Counted

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Happy New Year!

I hope that 2017 was a year of success and I hope that 2018 will be even better. Of course, a year is what you make it. Although you cannot control what the year will bring, you can control how you react to what it gives you. Good or bad. I hope that one of your resolutions for 2018 will be to look on the bright side. See the glass half full. Be optimistic. If you chose to make 2018 a great year, it will be.

Yesterday I received a piece of mail titled to “Mr. Noble Osu Extension”. Yes, you read that correct. It was from the Arbor Day Foundation and it promised free gifts inside. Naturally, I wanted to at least see these “free gifts” and find out what they were hoping to get in return. Inside was a survey, return address labels, a calendar, and a list of enticing reasons why I should join the foundation and complete their survey.

One of these was the chance to win a “year’s supply of coffee”, which for me was more like twelve weeks’ worth of coffee, but hey, they got me. I completed the survey, hung up the calendar, and slipped the return labels into my desk. I am saving them for a gag where it would be appropriate to call myself “Mr. Noble Osu Extension.” My response will be counted to promote forest conservation. That alone would have been enough for me.

There are two surveys that I urge you to complete this January. One is the 2017 Census of Agriculture. The other is the 2017 Noble County OSU Extension ANR Program Survey. No, they don’t come with “free gifts”, but they should at least have your name and correct when you receive them. I can already see you rolling your eyes as you read this and thinking “Ugh, surveys!” So let me interject with a familiar story:

Luke 2:1-7: “1In those days Caesar Augustus sent out word that the name of every person in the Roman nation must be written in the books of the nation. 2This first writing took place while Quirinius was ruler of Syria. 3So all the people went to their own cities to have their names written in the books of the nation. 4Joseph went up from the town of Nazareth in the country of Galilee to the town of Bethlehem. It was known as the city of David. He went there because he was from the family of David. 5Joseph went to have his and Mary’s names written in the books of the nation. Mary was his promised wife and soon to become a mother. 6While they were there in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to give birth to her baby. 7Her first son was born. She put cloth around Him and laid Him in a place where cattle are fed. There was no room for them in the place where people stay for the night.”

In the Christmas story we read that Jesus’s parents rode 65 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem, while Mary was nine months pregnant, riding on a donkey, to be counted in a census, so that the government could assess their tax rate! Then when they arrived, Mary was in labor, and there was nowhere to stay except a stable. Can you imagine your first-born child being born in a barn, 65 miles from home, because the government ordered you to go? Does a paper or online census sound as bad now?

The 2017 Census of Agriculture is your chance to be counted. It is conducted once every five years. The information collected from the census is the only uniform, comprehensive, and impartial source of data that reaches every state and county in the U.S.A. It is used so that you will be represented appropriately by the United States Department of Agriculture in conversations with trade associations, researchers, policy makers, extension educators, agribusiness, and more. Every single voice matters. The census survey is lengthy, but keep in mind that every farmer in the U.S. has to complete the same survey. Some sections may not apply to you, but I guarantee that at least one will. You should have received a census form in the mail in December. You can chose to complete the paper forms or you can complete the census survey online at www.agcensus.usda.gov. If you did not receive a census packet, you can complete the survey online, or request one by calling (800)-727-9540. The deadline to respond is February 5, 2018.

Noble County OSU Extension looks forward to providing programming for you in 2018. Thank you to those who have completed the survey already. If you have not, please help us develop helpful program content by completing the 2017 ANR Program Survey online at: http://go.osu.edu/nobleanrsurvey17.

If you want to be represented in your community and nation, take these opportunities to be counted.

Have a wonderful New Year readers!

The Colors of October

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This article was first published in the Oct. 9, 2017 edition of The Journal.

 

The most relaxing place I know is a ridge top in October that overlooks a deciduous forest. That place is where I can find inner peace. With a good cup of coffee in one hand and an excellent book in the other, that is my place of solitude. So today, I will pay homage to the leaf pigments that create the splendid colors of October.

Deciduous trees are those which drop their leaves in autumn. Before the leaves drop, a color change occurs. The leaves of some trees turn a crusty brown. It gives the illusion that the leaf has simply died and will drop, but it is really more complex than that.

Within the leaves are a complex combination of pigments. Usually the pigment that is most apparent in the spring and summer is chlorophyll. It is responsible for green leaves. Therefore, when leaves begin to change it is the sign that chlorophyll is breaking down (due to fewer hours of sunlight during the day) and we see a color change. Where do the other pigments come from?

The other pigments were there all along, we just couldn’t see them. If chlorophyll was the dominant pigment, we only saw green. When chlorophyll declines, the other pigments are expressed. Carotene and xanthophyll pigments exhibit yellow colors. Anthocyanin pigments are responsible for reds and purples. In acidic conditions red is widely expressed and in alkaline conditions blue is expressed.

The combinations of these pigments vary from species to species, tree to tree, and even leaf to leaf. They create the lovely variety of fall colors so many of us enjoy this time of year. In wet years, you may see more reds and purples. In dry years, you may see more yellows and oranges. This is because anthocyanin pigments are water soluble.

A great local place to observe the autumn scenery is the Eastern Agricultural Research Station in Belle Valley. On a clear day from the overlook at the top of the ridge, you can see for miles. I encourage you to come and see.

A great time to do that would be at Beef and Grazing School, which continues on Tuesday, October 10 and Tuesday, October 17. Both programs run from 5:30-8 p.m. If you would like to know more details about these events, please call 740-732-5681.

Ohio Apples Today and Yesterday

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We recently had a get together at the Extension Office to learn more about apples. Most trees in our area are loaded with apples this year. Multiple environmental factors contribute to the massive crop this year.

Some sources say that John Chapman’s favorite apple variety was ‘Rambo’.

One was moisture level. Fruit development has been great, but fungal issues are abundant. Most fungal issues are only aesthetic for home apple growers. All you need to do is wash the apples and cut out problem spots before eating, canning, or freezing the apples. If you are interested in growing the “perfect apple”, it will take dedication, a strict spraying schedule, and perfect weather. If that isn’t appealing to you, pruning at the appropriate time and density will help you along.

In recent years, we have had very warm early springs followed by a cold snap. A late frost event can stunt apple production. If trees are near bloom, in bloom, or in early fruit development, freezing temperatures can cause the flowers or fruit to drop off the tree or rot. Fortunately, this year we did not have a harmful cold snap.

Pollinators must have been busy as well! Cross-pollination is essential for apples. Apple trees are primarily pollinated by insects. It aids in fruit development and overall crop success. This means that at least two different varieties of apples should be grown in an orchard so that cross-pollination can occur. There is no need to fear whether the apples will grow true to type or not. The apple that develops from the pollinated flower will bear the same characteristics as the other apples on the tree. However, if you grew the seeds from one apple and compared them to the seedlings from another apple from the same tree, the resulting trees may be very different!

Think of it this way: If you have a siblings from the same two parents, you probably share many of the same genetic characteristics. If you have a child with your partner and your sibling does the same, your children may share some characteristics, but will also have many additional differences due to the introduction of your partner’s genetics. This can help us understand the vastness of apple varieties. In the 1800s, there were over 17,000 documented varieties of apples in the United States. When grown from seed, each apple tree is genetically unique. Explore the USDA’s collection of historical pomological watercolor paintings to browse over 3,800 watercolor paintings of apples. These paintings were completed between 1886 and 1942.

So how do growers produce apples that are so consistent? That consistency is attributed to vegetative reproduction, usually through grafting. In these cases, cuttings (which are called scions) are taken from the desired apple tree and grafted onto root stocks that are compatible with the soil and climate of the orchard. This allows for the distribution of genetically consistent trees that are also adapted for specific regions of growth.

Apple history is deep and fascinating. As Ohioans, we all know of the legacy left by John Chapman or “Johnny Appleseed”, who carried apple seed and planted orchards across the mid-west. Before him, the pilgrims brought apples across the Atlantic Ocean to North America. Before the pilgrims, the Spanish conquistadors brought apples to South America. As of today, it is believed that the true origin of apples is Kazakhstan. It wasn’t until the Soviet Republic dissolved that scientists were able to map the lineage of apples that far. It is interesting that Kazakhstan is not too far from the believed location of the Garden of Eden.

As with many pieces of ancient history, the details are hazy. Even in home orchards, it can be incredibly difficult to trace the origin of well-aged apple trees. The best way to know what type of apples you have is to experiment with them. Taste them. Cook with them. Preserve them. Keep notes from year to year. Talk with your neighbors about their orchards. Look up periodicals from the time period that your property was first developed. All of these activities can lead you closer to knowing the history of your favorite apple.

To find out more about how to grow and enjoy apples in Ohio, you can contact OSU Extension by leaving a comment on this blog, visit ohioline.osu.edu and search for “apples”, or consult Ohio Apples, our state apple organization at ohioapples.com.

Poison Ivy Scouting

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Poison Ivy Growing Among Woodsorrel

Whenever I take a walk around our house, I keep my eyes open for poison ivy. In the past couple weeks it seems to have awoke from its seasonal slumber and is ready to take off. The sooner you can control poison ivy the better. In order to control it well, it is important to understand this persistent plant.

The old saying “leaves of three, let it be” has been most helpful for me over the years to keep from getting confused between poison ivy and other look alikes. Poison ivy is a climbing woody vine that loses it’s leaves each winter. Leaves are egg shaped with three leaves per petiole that may be toothed, lobed, or entire. Poison ivy attaches to trees and rocks with aerial roots, which may have a hairy, fibrous appearance. Leaves may take on a reddish hue late in the season. It reproduces by creeping stems, roots, and seed transported by birds. Poison ivy can thrive in many areas that other plants do not.

All parts of the plant contain resins that cause allergic reactions for most of the U.S. population. These resins cause issues if burned, directly touched, or indirectly transferred from one surface to another. Resins are continually present on the leaves, stems, and roots, even in the winter.

Poison ivy is often confused with Virginia creeper, which is a creeping and trailing vine that secures itself to objects with specialized stems call tendrils. Virginia creeper has 5 leaflets, instead of three and is not poisonous. Poison oak is another common mix up. Poison oak has three leaflets, but the leaves look very similar to a classic oak leaf. The lobes have blunt tips and hairs on both the top and bottom of the leaf. Poison oak is not a creeping weed, but rather grows upright from the soil surface. For this plant the “leaves of three, let it be” statement still applies.

Poison ivy and poison oak are responsive to glyphosate, triclopyr, and 2, 4-D herbicides, which are commonly used in poison ivy killers. Always follow the label when using a herbicide and wear adequate protective gear while handling!

     Virginia Creeper

Poison Oak (Photo Credit-School of Forest Resources & Conservation – University of Florida)

Edible Wild Plants-Risk vs. Reward

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This time of year the questions start to trickle in about edible wild plants. Many are interested in identifying and collecting edibles, but this is a hobby that should be pursued with extreme caution. I have been asked multiple times to host an edible wild plant workshop, but the risk of accidental consumption of a harmful plant following an event like that is too great. Therefore, I have yet to get a workshop going and my most responsible overall advice is simply, don’t do it. Unless you are stranded in the wilderness and need to survive on wild edibles, the risk vs. reward odds are not worth testing.

Collecting wild edibles is an endeavor that could start out with good intentions and end in the hospital, or worse. Before you eat any plant or fungus you find in the wild, check, check, and check again to verify it is what you think. Many edibles seem perfectly safe just by looking at them, but don’t forget that there are other factors like pathogens or parasites that could make you ill that are unable to be seen, so eat at your own risk.  If you determine it is “safe” to eat, only consume a tiny bit at a time, just in case something goes haywire. Also, keep an unaltered sample of what you have consumed, so that medical personnel could implement the appropriate treatment in an emergency. Also, remember that some wild edibles, like ginseng, are illegal to collect from state lands in OH. Permits can be acquired in some areas during the designated season for harvest. Don’t forget that in some wildlife areas removal of any vegetation is illegal.

Controlled cultivation is a safer bet. Many people successfully propagate their own mushrooms, herbs, and more. There is quite a bit of information about how to accomplish this task through OSU Extension and other sources. In fact, on Saturday, April 8 there will be a Growing Shiitake Mushrooms Workshop at the Noble County Soil and Water Conservation District Office. Anyone is welcome to attend this free event which will run from 10 a.m. to Noon featuring our local service forester-Adam Komar of ODNR as the guest speaker. Please call 740-732-4318 to RSVP.

Ohio State has a resource handbook about mushrooms that many have found helpful. Find it here: Mushroom Handbook

Looking for a list of edibles in the Mid-West Region? Click here: Edibles List

Banishing Bed Bugs

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This article was originally published in The Journal on December 19, 2016.

Recently I heard through the county grapevine that there have been some local cases of bed bugs (Climex lectularius). I have not identified any infestations myself and I hope that will still be true in 2017. In any case, it is always good to be prepared to address a situation such as this. So, let’s start by debunking a prevalent myth about bed bugs:

“Only dirty people get bed bugs.”- False. This is absolutely false.

The spread of bed bugs is more related to the movement of people than it is to cleanliness. However, it may be more difficult to treat or diagnose a case of bed bugs in cluttered spaces and within displaced groups of people, rather than in a spotless environment. Bed bugs are arachnids that are exclusively mobile by crawling. They are sensitive to light and will hide in dark crevices, such as bed frames, mattress seams, and base boards, which is why people often notice bites before they notice bugs. The most obvious sign of bed bug presence is black speckles of feces on crevice surfaces. Bed bugs often use carpeted areas to approach new hosts and climb into luggage, purses, clothing and more.

After hitching a ride to a new environment, they make a new home in your home. You probably won’t notice the first day, or even the first week. That means that by the time you do notice them, they have multiplied. A female bed bug typically lays about five eggs daily throughout her lifespan, which can range from 6-12 months. Eggs hatch into the first of five nymph stages within 4-12 days. Although bed bugs require a feeding between each nymph stage, they can survive for extended periods of time without a meal.

Biting occurs at night and there is usually no pain to the host during the act of biting. Residual effects of the bite can cause mild to moderate skin irritation for 1-2 weeks. Bed bugs rarely transmit disease.  All in all, they are a severe annoyance that is very challenging to eliminate without professional intervention.

If you suspect that you have bed bugs in your home or business get a positive ID. Sticky traps near hiding areas are effective for collecting specimens. Another method that works well is to use clear tape to capture a specimen and secure it to a white or clear surface. Then examine the specimen to confirm if it is or is not a bed bug. Professionally assisted eradication is the most effective method for ridding your environment of these pests. It is very difficult to get effective control using only cultural methods or only with pesticides. It will require a combination of both and may take multiple attempts. Always check furniture for signs of bed bugs when you spend the night away from home and also check before bringing new furniture into your home.

If you fear that you have encountered bed bugs while traveling, there are steps to take to reduce the risk of spreading them to your home. Upon your return, bag and seal clothing and other belongings before you enter and immediately heat treat whatever you can in the dryer. Proceed to washing items in hot water and drying them again. Exposure to high heat will kill bed bugs. Vacuum any upholstery or carpet that you may have contacted on the way in.

Getting bed bugs is not the end of the world, but it can be embarrassing and difficult to treat. I hope that you do not encounter bed bugs, but if it happens hopefully you will know what to do after reading this article.bed_bug_lifecycle

Try, Try, Again

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This article was also printed in The Journal on October 3, 2016.

This spring I had an idea to start a research project by planting some grass seed. I shared the idea with some of my mentors and colleagues and we got to work. It seemed simple enough, but I didn’t get the results that I hoped for. Despite my efforts to create good conditions for the seed, the grass did not establish. Instead, I grew a great big patch of weeds. Oh, how disappointing it was to see so many cocklebur plants and foxtail stems where my grass was supposed to be. I looked at it and wanted to throw in the towel. I had plans for that grass, but it wasn’t there. Now what do I do? Can I fight off these weeds? Do I give up on my project idea? Do I start all over? After thinking all this over and asking for advice, we decided that the project idea is still good. Just because the grass didn’t establish this spring, doesn’t mean it is a lost cause. One thing is for sure, it certainly won’t work if we don’t try. So far, it seems like this project has been a failure, but the only way it can really fail is if we give up. So, I am trying again.

My friend Doug had a similar experience this summer. Doug has specific plans in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to put in a strip of pollinator friendly plants along a section of his property. In order to follow the developed plan, he would have to wait until Spring 2017 to get started. Doug wanted to get a head start and do something beneficial this year. He had an idea to plant buckwheat this summer in the location where his pollinator plants would go in 2017. Buckwheat is a short-season annual plant that is versatile and low maintenance. Bees, butterflies, deer, and turkeys find it attractive, the grain can be used to make flour for human consumption, and it is very useful as a cover crop and green manure. After investigating his options and talking to people who had success growing buckwheat he decided to plant some.

Doug followed the directions for planting the seed, but the buckwheat didn’t come up within the time frame he expected. He inspected the field and the only remnants of the seed he found were damaged or dead. He called me concerned that he had done something wrong. We kicked around ideas, but were unable to pinpoint exactly what happened. Despite the setback, Doug didn’t give up. He replanted the strip of land with a fresh supply of seed. At the beginning of September, I got a message from Doug with photos of a long strip of white flowers that read, “Hi Christine, So…What do you think of my buckwheat?” “Wow! It’s beautiful!”, I responded.

It truly was beautiful, not just the image of the gorgeous spicebush swallowtail butterfly that sat gracefully perched on a cluster of flowers, but the reassurance that what may appear to be failure on the first try, can blossom into success. Let’s face it, no one is an expert at something they’ve only tried once. We’ve heard the saying a hundred or more times, but let’s keep saying it so we don’t forget, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again.”


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Giving Thanks for Ohio Agriculture

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Did you know that so far this year Ohio has produced enough young, chilled or frozen turkeys that each Ohioan could eat up to 12 lbs. of turkey and there still be leftovers? Yum, that is a lot of healthy protein. It is incredible to see how diverse our agricultural production is when you look at the numbers from our great state. I hope that the spread on your Thanksgiving dinner table will include at least one local favorite. Get lunch ready before you read on, because this is going to make you hungry.

I’m drooling already thinking about dipping succulent turkey into a serving of fluffy mashed potatoes. When you think potatoes you probably think Idaho, but Ohio produced a fair 2.76 million lbs. of potatoes in 2015. What goes better on the side of a great meal than a flaky croissant roll? Thanks to Ohio wheat growers, soft red winter wheat production is forecasted at 44.8 million bushels. Broken down into terms you can throw around for family trivia, 1 bushel of wheat can be milled into 42 lb. of white four, which is enough to make more than 70 dozen dinner rolls. As for pumpkin pie, you can eat up while eating local. Last year’s pumpkin production was nearly 8.5 million lbs. Not a pumpkin fan? Apple is delicious too and also a thing to be proud of. Already in 2016 apple production has surpassed 42 million pounds. That is about 4 lbs. of apples per Ohioan. Isn’t that amazing?

Now, if you’re trying to keep things healthy this year, hidden calories can be found all over the table. Butter is one of those things that can really enhance flavor. It can also be easy to get carried away with how much we add to our meal. In contrast to criticism by the public for many years, it has actually been proven that butter is a healthy choice for families in moderation. Moderation is the key. One tablespoon of butter is about 100 added calories to your side dish. Real whipped cream is delectable on top of a dessert, but it also can also be one of those overlooked calorie additions. Depending on what type you use one tablespoon could add 25 calories or more. Rethink your drink too if you’re monitoring sugar intake. Water in your cup will help you savor the flavor of what is on your plate. Ohio State Extension has a variety of information that can help you prepare a safe, healthy, and happy Thanksgiving dinner. Feel free to give us a call or visit ohioline.osu.edu and click on “Food” to see the factsheets we have available anytime, day or night.

Basic Disease Prevention Goes a Long Way in Herd Health

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Caring for groups of livestock and groups of young children share many similarities when it comes to disease prevention and control. I am reminded of this a week after Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) came home with our daughter for the third time since August. Since they often inhabit the same spaces, they eat, drink, and play together. Both young children and livestock taste surfaces while exploring their environments. It’s wonderful for developing social skills and also wonderful for spreading pathogens. Neither toddlers or livestock can effectively wash their bodies after every encounter with an infected individual or contaminated surface. As caregivers, we have to do our best to prevent disease from entering the system, because once it is there, control becomes increasingly challenging. Some illnesses can be treated effectively with antibiotics, but the more we use antibiotics, the greater resistance is built within the bacterial population. Not to mention, that viruses (like HFMD) cannot be treated with antibiotics. Given all this, the best way to fight illness is through prevention.

Beginning on January 1, 2017 Veterinary Feed Directives (VFDs) will be required for use of any fed antibiotics for livestock that are also medically important for humans. A VFD is similar to a prescription, but does not need to be filled by a pharmacist, only approved by your veterinarian. Feed stores can continue to sell feeds and minerals containing antibiotics, but the seller must have a current VFD to buy them. Antibiotic feeds have been used for years as ways to prevent and treat bacterial illnesses in livestock and this has helped improve herd health. In conjunction, antibiotic feeds have been used unethically by some parties to promote weight gain or to compensate for sub-par management practices. Research has shown and concluded that overuse of antibiotics increases resistance to their effectiveness in the long run. Therefore, it is important for human and animal health to only use antibiotics when disease is a present threat (not just suspected) and in an ethical manner.

There are many ways to stop disease before it starts and they have been identified for livestock producers in quality assurance (QA) guidelines. To quote the Good Production Practices (GPP) factsheet, “It is every animal owner’s responsibility to assure that proper management and welfare are at the core of animal care.” There are ten core GPPs:

  1. Use an appropriate veterinarian/client/patient relationship as the basis for medication decision-making.
  2. Establish and implement an efficient and effective health management plan.
  3. Use antibiotics responsibly.
  4. Properly store and administer animal health products.
  5. Follow proper feed processing protocols.
  6. Establish effective animal identification, medication records and withdrawal times.
  7. Practice good environmental stewardship.
  8. Maintain proper workplace safety.
  9. Provide proper animal care.
  10. Utilize tools for continuous improvement.

These are the core guidelines for herd health. Inevitably, disease will still get through our barriers on occasion. When it does consult your veterinarian about how to treat the herd, whether it be with medication, isolation of infected animals, or improved practices. The best things you can do in preparation for VFD implementation in 2017 is to establish and maintain a relationship with your veterinarian and follow QA guidelines.