We were fortunate to get a nice rain shower yesterday as we were heading into the beginning phases of drought conditions, especially in the northern part of the county. As crops are in the early to mid reproductive stages any precipitation received should have a positive effect on grain fill and yield. That being said crops could still use timely rainfall until physiological maturity is reached at which point dry down becomes a priority in order for a timely harvest.
Over the past couple of months, I have written about maximizing plant rotation and yield in the garden and there is still time to do some planting. Over the years, I really started to like Brussel sprouts and there is still time to get them planted. In addition, beans, peas, carrots, cabbage, and spinach can still be planted for a fall crop. If you are going to plant spinach, germination will be improved if you refrigerate them for one or two days before sowing.
Today marks the one week until the opening of the Henry County Fair. While some agriculture educators tend to shy away from the county fair, however between the tractors, livestock and the people I tend to enjoy it. Growing up in Morgan County our county fair theme was always, “show what you grow, and share what you know”. The county fair provides an opportunity to network and to share all of what we do, with folks around the county. Furthermore, the county fair provides an excellent opportunity for education and learning. The education begins with the youth that have prepared a project to exhibit at the fair. Whether it be a cooking or sewing project in a booth, a poultry project that took seven weeks, or a steer that has been on feed for a year, each exhibitor has hopefully had fun while learning something about their project.
If you are at the fair be sure to stop by the Ag Hall and take in some of the agricultural education opportunities offered by the Extension office. On Monday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. the Master Gardeners and myself will be hosting a “Horticulture 101” session where we will discuss soil fertility, proper plant placement, pollinators, and native plants. At the end there will be time for Q&A, so be sure to bring all of your home horticulture questions for the group. Then on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. we will have a variety of OSU Extension programming including Tick Identification, The Value of On-Farm Research, 4-H International Exchange Program, and a review of highlights from the previous year.
I’ll end this week with a quote from former President Franklin Roosevelt: “Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.” Have a great fair week and good luck to all!