Month: May 2022

A DAY in the WOODS

Our June 10^th A DAY in the WOODS program, “Woodlands and Water Day” offered to woodland owners and enthusiasts in SE Ohio at Zaleski State Forest

Registration information and details can be found at: https://u.osu.edu/apsley.1/2022/05/23/woodlands-and-water-day-offered-to-woodland-owners-and-enthusiasts-in-se-ohio-at-the-zaleski-state-forest-on-friday-june-10th/   This program includes an optional float trip on Raccoon Creek ($12 additional fee).

FRIDAY’S ESCAPE to the FOREST

The Impact of Climate Change on Soils

Join us for another piece to the puzzle of climate change – its impact on soils.  Brian Slater, SENR professor, and state Extension Specialist in soils will talk about the impact climate change is having and will have on our soils.

Register here

ISA and SAF credits have been applied for

Attention all Small Grain Producers. Are you interested in learning more about wheat cultivars, updates on grain variety trials, disease and insect management, barley for brewing, and how to identify wheat quality? Please join us!

This event is free to attend thanks to the generosity of the Ohio Corn and Wheat Board. Lunch will be provided.

RSVP is required for lunch orders by June 7.
REGISTER: go.osu.edu/small-grains-field-day or call 330-264-8722
DATE: June 14, 2022
TIME: 8:30AM-2:30PM

LOCATION: OSU Schaffterand Snyder Farms
3230 Oil City Rd.
Wooster, OH 44691

FLYER

BEEF

Six new articles have been posted in this week’s issue number 1295 of the Ohio BEEF Cattle letter: http://u.osu.edu/beef/

Suggesting that feed prices are volatile probably understates the fact. This week we look at factors that can impact the future of feed costs including Chris Zoller’s look at what planting delays and uncertain growing conditions will mean for feed prices.

Articles this week include:

• • It’s not too late to make a Grazing Management Plan
  • Pricing Standing Forage Crops – Your One-Stop-Shop
  • Blankets of Yellow Flowers
  • Beef Quality Assurance Training
  • Feed Outlook: Corn
  • Another Cattle on Feed Record

SMALL RUMINANT

• Heat Stress in Small Ruminants
  • Kelly Froehlich, Assistant Professor and South Dakota State University Extension Sheep Specialist (Previously published with South Dakota State University Extension: November 18, 2021) The Upper Read more…
• Cache Valley Fever Virus: Commercial Sheep and Goat Discussion Group
• The Great Pasture-clipping Debate
  • Amber Friedrichsen, Hay and Forage Grower 2021 editorial intern (Previously published in Hay & Forage Grower: June 15, 2021) As the saying goes, the grass is Read more…

Whether you raise poultry in your backyard, as a hobby, or as a 4-H project, biosecurity should be one of your top priorities.  In light of recent cases of HPAI, or Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, it is important to have a plan in place should any flock health issues arise.

This webinar will discuss biosecurity and health management practices for backyard flocks and 4-H poultry projects, and how to apply those practices to some of the more common poultry diseases.

DATE: Tuesday, May 31st

TIME: 6:30 p.m.

FLYER

SPEAKER: Tim McDermott, DVM, Franklin County Extension

To register, visit  https://go.osu.edu/poultrybio22

SPEAKER: Tim McDermott, DVM
Tim McDermott, Franklin County ANR Educator, will be discussing biosecurity measures for backyard flocks and 4-H poultry, as well as how to identify and apply biosecurity to 8 of the top 10 poultry diseases

Beef News

Six new articles have been posted in this week’s issue number 1294 of the Ohio BEEF Cattle letter: http://u.osu.edu/beef/

Poison hemlock needs to be managed before it makes seed . . . this week Christine Gelley talks about killing it now!

Articles this week include:

• Kill Poison Hemlock Now
• Forage Harvest Management to Speed Drying and Store High-Quality Forage
• Crabgrass for Summer Grazing…Have you lost your mind???
• 10 Tips for Managing High Feed Prices
• Will China meet its growing beef demand by raising it themselves?
• Slow Planting Progress Contributing to Increased Corn Price Expectations

Small Ruminant Animals

• Eastern Ohio Grazing Council Pasture Walks
  • Beth Kruprzak, District Conservationist, United States Department of Agriculture The Eastern Ohio Grazing Council will host a Grazing Workshop on Thursday, May 26, 2022, at Read more…
• Sheep Health and Welfare Traits
• Forage Harvest Management to Speed Drying and Store High-Quality Forage
  • Dr. Mark Sulc, OSU Extension Forage Specialist, The Ohio State University Jason Hartschuh, OSU Extension ANR Educator, Crawford County Allen Gahler, OSU Extension Educator ANR, Read more…

Poultry

This information is provided by Tim McDermott, DVM, Extension Educator in Franklin County.

I want to share some updates and provide some information related to some questions I have been getting. In terms of birds affected per the USDA poultry confirmation website, we are at nearly 38 million.  For comparison’s sake, the 2014-2015 outbreak was 50 million birds affected.

• Regarding keeping up bird feeders: My recommendation is to minimize or eliminate places where birds gather in a group during this outbreak. If you keep poultry, I highly recommend you do not put up bird feeders.  While songbirds have not been discovered as affected when I went through the list of wild birds on the USDA APHIS website, feeding is still considered a biosecurity risk.  Birds defecate where they eat and working with the feeders can spread the virus to other places when tracked on shoes.  Songbirds can also attract raptors as predators and unfortunately, raptors seem to be among the most negatively affected family of birds, similar to poultry.
• Regarding putting up hummingbird feeders:  I have not seen any reports of hummingbirds being affected by HPAI.  Hummingbird feeders also do not attract the variety of other birds that regular feeders do.  I would still practice good biosecurity when feeding hummingbirds while this epidemic is in place. I would not feed hummingbirds if I kept poultry.

In terms of where we are in migration, May birding in Ohio is noted for being some of the best in the world. Last week was the Biggest Week in American Birding which attracted thousands to the western Lake Erie basin who are now heading home.  Hopefully not take the virus back with them. This generally marks the peak, but not the end, of migration.

We need to keep spreading the word and all doing our parts on Biosecurity.  I did another video with OPA and ODA that I would ask you all to share with your clients, Facebook pals, and 4H clubs.  It is an update on questions we have received, signs of HPAI, and who to call.

An Update on HPAI

• Link on YouTube
• Link on Facebook

Poultry Biosecurity webinar on Tuesday, May 31^st @ 6:30. The flyer is here,  CLICK HERE for registration.  This is likely one of the last Biosecurity classes I will be teaching this season so feel free to share out with any clients that may need to attend.  If they cannot attend, I have a recorded webinar found HERE on YouTube.

Join us for an opportunity to have an open discussion about how to foster pollinators and other beneficial insects through your farming practices. Bring your questions to our experts! REGISTER HERE https://farmland.salsalabs.org/wfl_virtuallearningcircle_615

Geared for new and advanced hay producers! This school will cover the basics of soil sampling, annual and perennial grasses and legume forage crops, equipment considerations, storage options,  forage testing, and hay marketing. Dinner is provided by Pike and Scioto County Farm Bureaus.

COST:  $10/person – pay upon arrival at the event.

Flyer

Beef Cattle

Six new articles have been posted in this week’s issue number 1293 of the Ohio BEEF Cattle letter: http://u.osu.edu/beef/

This week we focus on scouting for spotted knapweed, springtime concerns for grass tetany, and preparing for what we hope becomes an abundant harvest of high-quality hay!

Articles this week include:

• Scout Like Joe
• Forage Quality Targets Based on Animal Class
• Grass Tetany – A Complicated Disorder with An Easy Prevention
• Measuring Forage Moisture Content Using an Air Fryer
• This May Be a Year to Think Early About Winter Hay Needs
• Weekly Livestock Comments for May 6, 2022

Small Ruminant

• 4 Reasons to Introduce Wool into your Garden
  • American Wool (Previously published online: American Wool: May 12, 2021) If you’re looking to reap the full benefits of your garden, then you’re tending to Read more…
• Why and How to do Sheep and Goat Fecal Egg Counting
• Focus on Optimizing the First Cut
  • Amber Friedrichsen, Hay and Forage Grower 2021 editorial intern (Previously published in Hay & Forage Grower: May 10, 2022) First cutting is just around the corner, Read more…

Ohio Pawpaw Conference May 21, 2022 ● Piketon, Ohio

Interested in learning more about pawpaw production in Ohio? Join The Ohio State University South Centers and the Ohio Pawpaw Growers Association for the 2022 Ohio Pawpaw Conference on May 21, 2022. Gain invaluable growing and production industry intelligence needed to make informed business and production decisions. This conference will provide access to pawpaw experts and industry leaders who can deliver the most current science-based knowledge on pawpaw industry trends. LOCATION: The Ohio State University South Centers 1864 Shyville Road Piketon, Ohio 45661 DATE: Saturday, May 21, 2022 COST: $20 per person (includes breakfast, lunch, and snacks) FLYER Discounted Lodging To take advantage of discounted lodging, call the Comfort Inn of Piketon at (740) 289-3000 before May 12 and mention the OSU South Centers pawpaw event. Space is limited. Register soon, space is extremely limited: go.osu.edu/pawpawcon Conference Schedule 8:30 a.m. Registration and breakfast 9:00 a.m. Welcome 9:15 a.m. What the Ohio Pawpaw Growers Association Does for You 9:30 a.m. Wondrous Wild Pawpaws: Production and Growth of Native Stands 10:30 a.m. Break 10:45 a.m. Strategic Roadmap for Pawpaws: From Principles to Practical Applications 11:45 a.m. Pawpaw Fruit Quality: Its Components, Determinants, and Importance to Growers, Processors, and Consumers 12:15 p.m. Lunch and networking, view research posters and displays., Pawpaw taste testing in the kitchen area 1:00 p.m. Wagon tours/Grafting Demonstrations 3:00 p.m. Dismissal.

Join us for the next Friday’s Escape to the Forest Webinar Series – The Itsy Bitsy…TOTALLY INCREDIBLE Spiders of our Forests

Friday, May 20^th at 10 am – 12:00 pm

Curious about the 8-legged friends in your woods?? Join OSU Extension Educator Ashley Kulhanek, as she dismisses the myths and dives into the incredible world of spiders dwelling in a forest near you.

Registration is available here.