I had the opportunity to take in a couple of events within the past week here in Henry County and beyond. One of those events was the Norden Family Farm tour on Sunday afternoon, at the farm of Terry Norden and family. After a soggy start to the weekend, you couldn’t have asked for a better day to enjoy the cows, calves, and of course the dairy products processed locally at Arps Dairy. The crowd consisted mainly of families with young children which was great to see. The value of exposing young people, especially young children cannot be overestimated as many are two to three generations removed from being actively involved in agriculture. By looking next door to the 4-H office I have a constant reminder the youth are the future of a community. I am always available to provide assistance for anyone looking to host a similar event that is education based and aids in telling the story of agriculture here locally.
Another event that took place over the weekend was the Pickers Paradise at the fairgrounds. I have always enjoyed history, and historical items related to agriculture and food production. While there is usually “something for everyone” at a flea market or auction, one can appreciate the preservation of artifacts of a simpler time in our history, and the creativity that goes into to repurposing objects, such as old planter boxes. Those relics provide a small reminder of both how things used to be and how much progress has been made in agricultural technologies since those times.
We also completed a round of Beef Quality Assurance in NW Ohio this past week. A big thanks to the Henry County Cattlemen for providing a nice meal at the program here in Henry County. We had over 40 people in attendance and certified. Dr. Justin Kieffer, veterinarian for all of the Ohio State livestock farms taught on animal health and the importance of having a good relationship with your veterinarian.
Last week, I briefly mentioned that Japanese Beetles would be making their appearance, and I saw a few on Tuesday evening. According to OSU horticulture specialist Joe Boggs, damage has been occurring on a wide range of host plants from sycamores to oaks to black locusts. Although it’s easy to identify Japanese beetle skeletonizing damage while beetles are present on favored hosts like grape, damage may be more difficult to diagnose later in the season particularly on less well-known hosts. In a perfect world they would favor giant ragweed and marestail, however that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Going into this next week if the weather permits, I suspect that there will be some wheat being harvested. With combines and equipment out and about, remember to share the road and to be safe. I’ll end this week with a quote from Cavett Robert: “If you don’t think every day is a good day, just try missing one.” Have a great week.
Garth Ruff,
Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Educator
OSU Henry County Extension