Month: December 2017

From Across the Field – Revisiting an Old Foe

As we progress through the final month of 2017, field operations are winding down across the county. I estimate that there is around 1 percent of the corn crop yet standing and that soybean harvest is all but complete. Still quite a bit of tillage happening in parts of the county, otherwise the 2017 crop year wrapped up. From a very wet start to insect and weed pressure, mix in a dry spell, and finish with a wet end, this year figures to be one talked about for quite some time. Continue reading From Across the Field – Revisiting an Old Foe →

FDA: Antibiotic Sales Drop 10% for Livestock in 2016

By Wyatt Bechtel, Drovers

Antibiotic sales for use in livestock has dropped according to a report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

On Dec. 7, FDA released a summary report for 2016 on “Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed for Use in Food Producing Animals.” A key finding in the report was antibiotic sales and distribution in the U.S. dropped 10% from 2015 to 2016 for food producing animals. Continue reading FDA: Antibiotic Sales Drop 10% for Livestock in 2016 →

Dicamba Restrictions Added

After statewide bans, multiple lawsuits and countless disgruntled farmers nationwide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has required the makers of dicamba, a controversial weed killer, to revise its label.

The label changes and new training requirements shift more responsibility into the hands of farmers to ensure if they apply dicamba, the herbicide does not spread to neighboring fields. The problem is the weed killer has been shown to easily go airborne and move far from its intended area, harming or killing plants and other crops along the way. Continue reading Dicamba Restrictions Added →

Free Nutrient Management Plans for Western Lake Erie Basin

By Jessie Schulze and Sarah Noggle, Ohio State University Extension

Nutrient Management Plan Writers are still working for the 2018 year in the Western Lake Erie Basin to write free plans for non-CAFO farmers. Our goal is to complete 65,000 acres for NMP’s in 2018. These plans are written free of charge to farmers and require a small amount of your time and effort. Continue reading Free Nutrient Management Plans for Western Lake Erie Basin →

Do Woolly Worms Really Predict the Winter Ahead?

By Joel Penhorwood, Ohio’s Country Journal/Ohio Ag Net

Imagine yourself as a student on the campus of The Ohio State University. It’s a nice, sunny day outside. Students are walking to class, others are having conversation beside Mirror Lake, and in the distance, you see your entomology professor running around with a crazed look in his eyes while waving a comically-sized insect net.

Yes, the latter really happened. The man in question is known as the BugDoc, professor emeritus of entomology at The Ohio State University, Dr. David Shetlar. I had the pleasure of visiting with him recently to ask him something that bugs my brain every year at this time, no pun intended.

Old wives’ tales are something of a hobby for farmers in Ohio it seems, especially when it comes to predicting winter weather. Everything in the Lord’s creation is up for grabs when it comes to telling us how bad the upcoming winter will be. Whether its corn husk thickness, leaf amounts, or wool growth on sheep, something somewhere will tell us winter is coming. Continue reading Do Woolly Worms Really Predict the Winter Ahead? →

Are Soybeans Responsive to Nitrogen Fertilizer?

By Laura Lindsey, Ohio State University Extension

Soybean plants have a high demand for nitrogen as soybean grain contains a large amount of protein. An 80-bushel per acre soybean crop requires approximately 302 pounds of N per acre. As soybean yield increases, many farmers question if nitrogen supplied through fixation and the soil is adequate to maximize yield. Continue reading Are Soybeans Responsive to Nitrogen Fertilizer? →

From Across the Field: A New Agronomy Day in Henry County

What a great holiday weekend. You couldn’t have asked for better weather to toss the pigskin or to get a little farm work done. I utilized the opportunity to spend time with the extended family and the head south to work on a couple of projects on the home farm.

As we approach the winter meeting season here in Extension I have planned a full slate of educational events, that I hope you, the readers will find interesting and valuable to you and your agricultural enterprise. While there will be more details forthcoming I wanted to highlight one of the meetings in this week’s column.

How many of you remember Corn and Soybean Day as a Henry County event at the Bavarian Haus? That was a program that I have been told and reminded about countless times in the first six months on the job, and I am pleased to announce that it is back, sort of. Corn and Soybean Day will continue to be held at Founders Hall in Archbold in late January, however a new event, Northwest Ohio Crops Day will be held at the Bavarian Haus in Deshler on February 9th in 2018. Continue reading From Across the Field: A New Agronomy Day in Henry County →

Why Record Soybean Acres in 2018 Matter on Your Farm

By Sonja Begemann, Farm Journal Seeds and Crop Production Editor

USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist is forecasting soybeans to reach a record of 91 million acres in 2018—equal to that of their rotation partner, corn at 91 million acres. Before switching acres to soybeans consider market implications.

“The past few years the market has been essentially asking for soybeans,” says Matt Bennett, farmer and owner of Bennett Consulting in Illinois. “The price ratio for beans to corn has been robust. For fall prices we’re looking at 2.75:1 which definitely suggests beans are more profitable than corn.” Continue reading Why Record Soybean Acres in 2018 Matter on Your Farm →

2017 Census of Agriculture Gets Underway

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) starts mailing the 2017 Census of Agriculture to the nation’s producers this week. Conducted once every five years, the census aims to get a complete and accurate picture of American agriculture. The resulting data are used by farmers, ranchers, trade associations, researchers, policymakers, and many others to help make decisions in community planning, farm assistance programs, technology development, farm advocacy, agribusiness setup, rural development, and more. Continue reading 2017 Census of Agriculture Gets Underway →