Author: Nanette Neal

Equine Pasture Walks – OSU ATI in Wayne, Clermont, and Ashtabula Counties

Join us for a unique hands-on learning experience focused on equine pasture management. Hear from a variety of experts while engaging in an interactive tour on a working horse pasture—perfect for seeing best practices in action. Bring your questions and curiosity as we explore how to create healthier, more productive grazing environments for your horses!

The events are free for all to attend, and no RSVP is required, but consider marking yourself as “going” on the Facebook event page to help spread the word! Event updates will be posted on the Facebook event page. Pick the one closest to you to join us, or feel free to visit different farms throughout Ohio!

We look forward to your participation and hope to see you there!

  1. OSU ATI – July 23, 2025,  at the Ohio State ATI Equine Center, located at 3339 Apple Creek Road, Apple Creek, Ohio 44606. RSVP
  2. Clermont County – August 20, 2025, at Grassy Acres Horse Retreat, 3991 Afton-Elklick Road, Batavia, OH 45103 RSVP
  3. Ashtabula County – September 3, 2025, at Grand Haven Horse Farm, 2000 E Union Road, Jefferson, OH 44047 RSVP

All sessions are from 6-8 pm, with light refreshments at 5:30 pm.

Topics include:

  • Plant/root physiology
  • Forage and poisonous plants ID
  • Mud management/ dry lots
  • Grazing sticks and forage calculations

Additional Information and Contacts:

  • July 23rd, OSU ATI – Janessa Hill at hill.1357@osu.edu or 330-674-3015
  • August 20th, Clermont County – contact Gigi Neal at neal.331@osu.edu or 513-732-7070
  • September 3rd, Ashtabula County – contact Amanda Barnum at Barnum.28@osu.edu or 440-576-9008

About the Ohio State ATI Equine Center:

The Ohio State ATI Equine Center is part of Ohio State University’s Agricultural Technical Institute’s 1,725-acre working farm in Apple Creek, Ohio. The Center supports coursework and learning opportunities for Ohio State ATI students on the Wooster, OH, campus pursuing degrees in equine, animal science, and related fields.

For more info:

Grain Handling System Open House

You are invited to the Molly Caren Ag Center Grain Facility for an open house to learn more about grain handling systems and safety. Technology and design will be on display July 24, 2025, from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM. OSU Extension and industry representatives will be on hand to discuss Millwright design and efficiencies, grain automation, harvest equipment, grain scale and software, and safety.

Two scheduled presentations offer a chance for CCA and pesticide continuing education and recertification credits.

  • 1:00-1:30 PM Vomitoxin Management (Comm. 2A and Private 1, CCA IPM)
  • 1:30-2:00 PM Grain Bin Fumigation (Comm. 10C and Private 6, CCA IPM)

The event is FREE, but an RSVP is required for lunch. Those who want credits will be charged $5 per session, payable on the day of the event.

To see more details and RSVP by July 18, go to go.osu.edu/GrainOpenHouse.

The Molly Caren Ag Center grain facility is located 1 mile north of the Farm Science Review at 990 St. Rt. 38 NE, London, OH 43140.

Clermont County Master Gardeners at the Fair

Monday, July 21st to Friday, July 25th

The Clermont County Master Gardener Volunteers (MGVs) are excited for another year at the Clermont County Fair.

We’d love for you to stop by and say hello! Join us daily from 3 PM to 7 PM inside the Floral Hall at our Master Gardener booth to see what’s happening in our corner of the fair. 

Here’s what’s blooming at our booth:

Floral Hall Fun
Take a stroll through the Floral Hall to see this year’s judged floral and vegetable displays submitted by Clermont County residents. Then, stop by our booth to talk with Master Gardeners about what’s growing in your yard or garden.

Meet the Master Gardeners
Got a plant question? Curious about joining our next training class? We’re happy to share knowledge and resources — and we’d love to tell you how you can become a Master Gardener Volunteer too!

Giveaways!

  • Pick up free seed packets to get your next garden started.
  • Grab a few fresh vegetables harvested straight from our demo garden.
  • Enter to win raffle baskets filled with garden goodies! (Ask us how to unlock a second chance entry — it’s easy and fun!)

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener, a curious visitor, or just exploring new interests, the Master Gardeners look forward to chatting with you about your garden and answering your questions.

See you at the Clermont County Fair!

 

Submitted by Heather Thompson, Clermont County MGV

New Sprayer Technologies and Best Practices: Vineyards and Orchards

This workshop will feature presentations on best spraying practices using conventional sprayers and new sprayer technology, including spray drones and Intelligent sprayer units. The afternoon will provide field demonstrations showing adjustments to improve the effectiveness of conventional sprayers, as well as sprayer operation and calibration demonstrations. OSU, MSU, and PSU Extension Specialists and the USDA-ARS Application Technology Research Unit are developing this workshop. Registration is required. Please see the agenda for program details. Lunch and workshop materials are included with registration.

DATE: August 12, 2025

TIME: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

LOCATION: Quarry Hill Winery & Orchard, 8403 Mason Rd #2, Berlin Heights, OH 44814

REGISTRATION COST (includes lunch and refreshments): Early Registration: $45 per person until July 1; Late Registration: $60 per person, July 2 until August 1

REGISTER at GO.OSU.EDU/SPRAY2025

FLYER

This workshop provides you with the opportunity to learn best spraying practices using conventional sprayers as well as the new technology available to growers to make the pesticide application more precise and cost-effective. For example, you will see an “intelligent sprayer” with AI application (developed here in Ohio several years ago) that detects the existence of targets to be sprayed and varies the application rate on the go depending on the canopy characteristics (size, canopy leaf density).  Another new technology gaining popularity is using drones to spray pesticides. These new technologies, as well as several types of conventional orchard/vineyard sprayers, will be demonstrated in the afternoon part of the workshop. There will be plenty of time to talk with the presenters of talks, as well as with the vendors who will bring their sprayers to the site for demonstrations.

The morning part of the workshop will be indoors with limited seating capacity. Registration will be closed once the seating capacity is reached, so please consider registering early.

Junior Fair Forms Due July 16 at NOON

It is that time! The Clermont County Fair is almost here, and preparations are in full swing at the fairgrounds, with the Ag Society (Senior and Junior) and at OSU Extension.

Drug Use Notification Forms (DUNF), Clermont Sales Committee Rules, Hog Hair Length, Junior Fair Standards of Behavior, and UPI Affidavit are available to be completed. All forms must be submitted by NOON on Wednesday, July 16, 2025.

DUNF

Exhibitors in the following categories must complete one form for each animal, except for chicken and rabbit pens, which require only one form per pen.

  • Lactating Dairy Cow
  • Lactating Dairy Goat
  • Market Beef (steer or heifer)
  • Beef Feeder (steer or heifer)
  • Dairy Beef Feeder
  • Market Chicken – Broiler
  • Market Chicken – Meat Pen
  • Market Goat (dairy/meat)
  • Market Hog (barrow/gilt)
  • Market Lamb
  • Market Turkey
  • Market Rabbit (fryer/meat pen) – complete 1 for fryer and 1 for meat pen

DUNF Link

For DUNF questions, contact 513-732-7070 or neal.331@osu.edu

Clermont County Sales Committee Rules

Please complete 1 form per exhibitor.

Sales Committee Rules Link

Hog Hair Length

By reading this rule and typing/signing the exhibitor’s name, parent’s name, and club organization below, you agree to the following rule.

  • For any hog to be allowed to be sold, its hair length must be at least ½-inch long. No exceptions.
  • No clipping of any hog project after 8 a.m. Sunday of the fair.
  • If the grand or reserve champion barrow or gilt is determined to have hair length less than 1/2 inch, it will not sell, but pursuant to Ohio law, the animal is still terminal, and the exhibitor is required to have it delivered to a facility as determined by the Clermont County Agricultural Society.

If any of these requirements are not met, the animal is not eligible to be sold.

A third-party person hired by the Sales Committee will measure the hair length at the Sales Committee’s convenience.

Hog Hair Length Link

Junior Fair Standards of Behavior

This form is to be completed by all Clermont County Junior Fair participants in 4-H & FFA, consultants, and volunteers.

Junior Fair Standards of Behavior Link

United Producers Exhibition Livestock Producer Affidavit

Junior Fair Exhibitors of market swine, market beef, market dairy steers, beef feeders, dairy feeders, market goats, and market lambs must complete the United Producers Inc. “Exhibition Livestock Producer Affidavit” prior to showing and/or selling those animals at the Fair.  Each exhibitor needs to complete one (1) form for each species being shown, not one per animal. Example: If you are showing market beef and market lambs, you would complete 2 affidavits – one for market beef and one for market lambs.

UPI Producer Exhibition Affidavit

All forms must be completed by NOON on Wednesday, July 16, 2025.

 

Clermont County Hazard Mitigation Plan – Open for public feedback

Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP)

Urban Ag Field Day

Are you new to Urban Agriculture, or have you been growing for years? No matter your experience, join members of the Urban Ag team for a variety of crop management topics aimed to help your Urban Ag farm operate more efficiently and profitably. The field day will be held at the NECIC site, which features several types of actively farmed high tunnels and raised bed systems on-site. Learn about strawberry production, modernizing your irrigation system, and the benefits of row covers. Each presentation will be 15-20 minutes long with time for questions at the end. Bring your production challenges, and we’ll discuss how to solve them.

-Registration IS required for this event by June 20. Please use this link or QR code to the right: https://go.osu.edu/necic25
-There is NO registration fee to attend this event.

DATE: June 25, 2025
TIME: 4:00–6:00 p.m.
LOCATION: North End Community Improvement Collaboration, 311 Bowman Street, Mansfield, OH

FLYER

EVENT SPONSORS:

  • OSU IPM Program
  • OSU Urban Ag Team
  • OSU CFAES
  • Immediate Needs Grant
  • USDA NIFA 20247000643574
  • USDA FSA
  • FSA23CPT0012850

Bird n’ Tick Talk

“Bird n’ Tick Talk” offered by A DAY in the WOODS to woodland owners and enthusiasts in SE Ohio at Vinton Furnace State Forest

2025 Quality Assurance is due JUNE 1!

USDA to Open General and Continuous Conservation Reserve Program Enrollment for 2025  

Stakeholder Toolkit: 

Description: USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) plans to reopen the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), a popular conservation program that enables agricultural producers and private landowners to increase wildlife habitat and conserve natural resources. FSA is accepting offers for both the General and Continuous CRP today through June 6, 2025.

The program, which marks its 40th anniversary this year, helps producers and landowners generate income from unproductive or marginal cropland while re-establishing valuable land cover to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and support wildlife habitat. Acceptable offers from all CRP signups must be approved by September 30, 2025.

We need your help to spread the word to eligible producers. This toolkit includes:

  • Newsletter Article
  • Talking Points
  • Social Media Suggestions
  • Graphic (attached)

If you have any questions, please contact Christina Cooley at Christina.Cooley@usda.gov .