Understanding Ohio’s Line Fence Law

BY  | OCTOBER 11, 2018 · 11:05 AM

Since significant changes were made to Ohio’s Line Fence Law in 2008, landowners have contacted us with a variety of questions about how it works.  We have compiled many of the frequently asked questions in our new law bulletin, appropriately titled Ohio’s Line Fence Law: Frequently Asked Questions.  The law bulletin answers questions like:

  • Who has to pay for a new line fence?
  • Can I stop my neighbor from installing a new line fence?
  • Who has to pay for maintenance and upkeep of a line fence?
  • What is the role of the township trustees?
  • What happens when my neighbor and I disagree?

The new law bulletin is available here.  If you still have some questions about Ohio’s line fence law, check out the Line Fence Law section of our Ag Law Library here, including our more in-depth fact sheet and our explanation about line fence affidavits.

Dairy exodus: Ohio has lost 172 dairy farms in 12 months

Commentary by Dianne Shoemaker/ OSU Extension Field Specialist

Since June 25, 66 more Ohio dairy farms have ceased milking cows. In three months, 3 percent of Ohio’s dairy herds are gone.

Since October 2017 — when there were 2,312 operating, licensed dairy farms in Ohio — 172 farms have quit milking, a decline of 7.4 percent of dairy farms in one year.

On Sept. 25, 2018, Ohio had 1,745 Grade A farms and 395 Grade M (Manufacturing Grade) farms, totaling 2,140 operating dairy farms.

Sadly, these numbers will continue to rise, as too many years of poor milk prices and unpredictable markets for milk, cull cows, breeding stock, and feed take their toll.

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Tips for Harvest and Planning for the 2019 Field Season

Source: Dr. Anne Dorrance, OSU (edited)

Based on my trip across the state on Saturday, it is clear harvest has started.  A couple of things to keep track of as the combines run across the fields:

  • Make note of those low yield spots in soybeans to soil sample for soybean cyst nematode levels.
  • Did you leave unsprayed strips?  Harvest each of these first separately.  Yield is not even throughout a field so comparisons to the average of these unsprayed strips are a more accurate measure of what the baseline level of yield is within a field.  This is the number to compare yields for any treatments.
    • Note: the outside borders of the field are usually not comparable since these have additional secondary factors such as shade from trees, compaction, old fence rows etc. which can impact yield.
  • Fields with Sclerotinia should be harvested last. Yes, seed quality will continue to decline but this will avoid contaminating equipment with sclerotia which can then be introduced into more fields.  There are limited fields with this pathogen, and this approach will help keep it that way.
  • Fields with stink bug injury, generally moldy due to Phomopsis etc.: harvest those ASAP and get the seed dried down.  Phomopsis will continue to colonize pods from openings on those pods caused by insect feeding and then colonize the neighboring seeds.  This fungus that causes Phomopsis seed decay as well as other seed decay fungi tend to be a bit slow growing.  If the seed can be harvested, and dried down it will prevent further growth. It has also been noted that on a seed germination test in the fall, germs will be lower, but the seed where only the outside is colonized, not the germ, the fungus will die under out winter conditions (if the storage is dry) and then the germ will improve over the winter for Phomopsis seed decay.
  • While you are also harvesting make note of the varieties that did well on your farms. Not every soybean variety is meant for our wet poorly drained soils. We’ve had lots of reports and observed shallow root systems, extensive root rot, as well as Phytophthora stem rot and sudden death syndrome during 2018. In fields where diseases developed in 2018, pay attention to the resistance on these and other diseases for 2019. 
    • Remember, every company uses a different rating system, read the fine print to be sure that you understand what resistance actually means for those varieties. Is 1 dead or is it the best?

Biodegradable Mulch: Your Next Production Tool?

Vegetable extension-research personnel from Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Iowa met on October 5, 2018 to discuss ongoing work and to plan follow-up activities … all toward helping improve short- and long-term farm success. Biodegradable mulch (BDM) was among the most talked-about topics. Dr. Annette Wszelaki of the Univ. of Tennessee led the BDM discussion and she provides comments for VegNet readers below. Also, note that Dr. Wszelaki will expand on these comments and summarize the large amount of research that her and other teams in various states have been doing with BDM, including on commercial farms, at the OPGMA-led Ohio Produce Network Meeting in Dublin, OH in January-2019. That presentation will be an excellent opportunity to gain a thorough update on BDM and its possible place in your toolbox.

Comments and Photos by Dr. Annette Wszelaki, Professor and Commercial Vegetable Extension Specialist, Univ. of Tennessee

Plastic mulches provide many advantages for vegetable production, such as weed and disease management, earliness of harvest, increased yield and quality, and moisture retention. However, plastic mulch use is not without disadvantages, including the cost, labor and environmental issues associated with plastic mulch disposal. Biodegradable mulches (BDMs) offer a potential alternative if they can provide similar advantages to plastic mulch without the disadvantages.

BDMs can look similar to traditional polyethylene mulch (i.e., stretchy and black or white-on-black) or in the form of paper (brown or black, sometimes with creping to give it stretch). They can be laid with a standard mulch layer. BDM’s are designed to cover the soil during the production season, and then begin to degrade as harvest nears. At the end of the season, BDM’s can be tilled directly into the soil. There they will degrade into carbon dioxide, water, and the bacteria and fungi that eat them. The degradation rate varies depending on environmental conditions, but by spring, most remnants will have disappeared.

At the University of Tennessee, we have been working with BDM’s on a variety of crops (tomatoes, pumpkins, and peppers) for 10 years. We have found comparable yields and quality to traditional plastic mulch with these crops, but not all biodegradable mulches and crop responses are equal!

Want to learn more about biodegradable mulches? Come to the session Could biodegradable mulches replace plastic in your production system? at the 2019 Ohio Produce Network in Dublin, January 16-17, 2019. In the meantime, please contact Annette Wszelaki (annettew@utk.edu or 865.974.8332) or visit www.biodegradablemulch.org for more information. Many thanks to Jenny Moore, Jeff Martin, the East TN Ag Research and Education Center Farm Crew, and many students along the way for their contributions to this project.

Figure 1. Creped paper biodegradable mulch just after field laying.

 

 

Figure 2. Stockpile of polyethylene plastic mulch on a Tennessee tomato farm.

Figure 3. Biodegradable plastic mulch in the newly planted pepper field.

Syngenta corn seed settlement claims due October 12

Source: Peggy Kirk Hall, Associate Professor, Agricultural & Resource Law

Those post cards advising producers of a $1.51 billion settlement in the Syngenta corn seed lawsuits are legitimate, and corn producers seeking compensation from thesettlement must file claims by 11:59 p.m. on October 12, 2018.  The settlement is the result of class action and individual lawsuits alleging that Syngenta failed to receive import approval from China before selling its genetically modified Viptera and Duracade seeds in the United States, which led to the rejection of  U.S. corn shipments and a lowering of corn prices from 2013 to 2018.

Who can file a claim?

Three types of claimants that were involved in the U.S. corn market between September 15, 2013 and April 10, 2018 may file claims:

  • Corn producers, which includes any owner, operator, landlord or tenant who shared in the risk of producing any variety of corn, not just Syngenta varieties.  Landlords who operated under fixed cash leases are not eligible.
  • Grain handling facilities that purchased, transported, stored, handled and sold any variety of corn.
  • Ethanol production facilities that produced, purchased and sold dried distillers’ grains from any variety of corn.

How to file a claim?

File electronically through a secure, encrypted portal at www.CornSeedSettlement.com or download a printed form on the same website to file via U.S. mail.  Claimants must file using either a federal tax ID number or social security number and must file a separate claim for each Form 578 filed with FSA.  Note that the settlement claims administrator states that all claims information is confidential and will be destroyed after the payment of claims.

How much will a claimant receive?

Payments will vary and will depend upon the total number of filed claims.  For corn producers, the claims administrator will determine payments based on the following factors: (1) compensable recovery quantity as calculated by number of acres, ownership interest, NASS county yields and predetermined marketing year averages, (2) the year of planting, (3) the producer’s ownership interest, and (4) whether the producer purchased and planted Agrisure Viptera or Duracade seed or a different variety.

When will claimants receive payments?

A claimant might not receive a payment for about a year.  A court hearing to approve the settlement will take place in the U.S District Court in Kansas on November 15, 2018.  If the court approves the settlement, those who object to the approval can file appeals.  Final payments won’t occur until the court resolves all appeals, which could take about a year or more.

Must claimants report payments as income?

Class action settlement payments that compensate for the loss of business income should be reported for tax purposes.  Claimants should consult with tax advisors to determine IRS reporting requirements.

For more information, an extensive list of frequently asked questions about the Syngenta corn seed settlement is available here.

Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2

Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 has been detected for the first time in the United States, in Medina Ohio.

This virus is fatal to wild and domestic rabbits and may impact pet owners, breeders, and 4-H youth to name a few. Here is more information about what you can do to prevent this disease.

Beef Quality Assurance Updates

By Christine Gelley, Noble County Extension

Beef and dairy farmers who sell cattle through United Producers, Inc. have been formally advised to complete Beef Quality Assurance Training before January 2019. Muskingum Livestock in Zanesville has shared the same advice.

Throughout 2018, many agricultural organizations and businesses have been sharing the message that some of America’s largest meat distributers will only buy beef that is backed by BQA after the turn of the New Year.

This certification is not mandated by law. However, it is being required by some of the links that make up the beef supply chain, including auction barns, feed lots, packers, retailers, and consumers. Essentially, marketing beef without BQA certification will become increasingly difficult and those who do so successfully may find their compensation inadequate.

There are many opportunities for beef and dairy producers to get certified. You can take the training class at anytime, online, for free, through the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association at www.bqa.org. Local training courses have been and will continue to be offered.

Upcoming Beef Quality Assurance Trainings

  • October 15 at 6 PM at the Morgan Co. High School Ag Room, 800 Raider Dr. McConnelsville, OH.
  • October 18 at 6 PM at the Perry County Extension Office, 104 S Columbus St, Somerset, OH.
  • October 22 at 7 PM at the Frontier Power Community Room, 770 South 2nd St. Coshocton, OH.
  • October 30 at 6:30 PM at the Marietta High School Auditorium, 208 Davis Ave. Marietta, OH.
  • November 13 at 7 PM at the Muskingum Livestock Auction Barn, 944 Malinda St, Zanesville, OH.
  • November 29, 2018 at 7pm at the Knox County OSU Extension Office, 160 Columbus Rd, Mount Vernon, OH.
  • December 13 at 6PM at the OSU Extension Regional Office, 16714 Wolf Run Road Caldwell, OH.
  • December 18 at 7 PM at the Muskingum Livestock Auction Barn, 944 Malinda St, Zanesville, OH.

Learn more about Beef Quality Assurance at:http://u.osu.edu/beefteam/bqa/.

Take the online training at www.bqa.org.

Biennial and Perennial Weed Control is Best in the Fall

Dwight Lingenfelter, Extension Associate, Weed Science, Penn State University
William S. Curran,Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of Weed Science, Penn State University

Fall is an excellent time to manage biennial and perennial weeds. In particular, biennials such as common burdock, wild carrot, and bull, musk, and plumeless thistles are much easier to kill while they are in the rosette stage of growth, prior to surviving a winter. Once biennials start growth in the spring they rapidly develop with the goal of reproducing and it becomes more difficult to control them.

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Safe Driving During Harvest Season

By: Dee Jepsen – State Agricultural Safety and Health Leader

As tractors, combines, and grain trucks begin to appear on Ohio roads, roadway safety becomes a focus for all who share the road with farm machinery.

Vehicle collisions can happen at any time. Many are a result of speed differential between slower-moving farm equipment and passenger vehicles, where the motoring public doesn’t slow down in time before colliding with machinery. Other collisions are a result of cars and trucks passing farm implements without a clear distance of on-coming traffic. Following safe road practices, farm operators can do their part to be seen with enhanced visibility. And while SMV operators are not required to move out of the way for passing traffic, they may choose to do so when enough berm is available. Other steps for enhanced visibility are listed below.

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What to Plant in the Fall Season

The nights are cooler. The days are shorter. Vegetables in the garden are looking peaked, and summer flowers are turning brown.

 It’s prime time for some planting.

“A typical consumer looks at it as, ‘Oh, winter is coming, let’s give up gardening.’ That’s not necessarily so,” said Daniel Struve, an Ohio State horticulturalist emeritus. In fact, he recommends fall for planting many trees, shrubs, grass and flower bulbs and even fall flowers for some late color.

Sean Barnes, a horticulturist at Ohio State’s Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens, agrees — noting that trees and shrubs benefit from a chance to get their roots established before the stress of a hot, dry summer.

They shared their tips for making the most of fall planting.

Are you planting trees and shrubs?

Warm fall soils promote root growth. “They really are active; you just can’t see it,” Struve said.

There are exceptions.

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