FREE Farm Pesticide Disposal Day

 

Do you have pesticides sitting in storage that you do not intend to use?  The Ohio Department of Agriculture will be sponsoring three Ohio Pesticide Clean Sweep Days around the state for farmers wishing to dispose of unwanted pesticides and Licking County is one of them!  The pesticide collection and disposal service is free of charge, but only farm chemicals will be accepted.  Paint, antifreeze, solvents, and household or non-farm pesticides will not be accepted.

The disposals are limited to farmers only.  Commercial entities are not supposed to bring product.  Pesticides do not have to be in original containers or identifiable for disposal.  The largest container that can be accepted is a 55 gallon drum as long as it has a good sealed bung.  There is no limit to the amount of pesticides that a farmer can bring, although ODA would like to know if someone is bringing anything larger than a pickup load.

Pesticides can be dropped off at the collection site within the Licking County Highway Facility next to the Licking County OSU Extension Office on August 28th between 9:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M.

Open to residents from any county in Ohio.

For additional information or questions, please call the Extension office at 740-670-5315.

 

 

Is your farm Beef Quality Assurance Certified yet?

Beef Quality Assurance

“Consumers are concerned for animal health, and the sustainability of the production systems their food’s raised in.”

That statement is just one of several discussed during the 2018 Ohio Beef School presentations that have caused teaching and certifying Ohio’s cattlemen in Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) to become a priority. Adding even more meaning to that statement is the fact that Tyson Foods, who harvest and process 25% of the US beef market share, and also Wendy’s, now the second largest fast food hamburger chain in the U.S., have both announced beginning in 2019 cattle they purchase must originate from producers and feedyards who are Beef Quality Assurance certified. Not only are today’s consumers sharing their concerns, but now the businesses who are supplying the public’s demand for a quality beef product raised in a humane and sustainable fashion also want some guarantees that it’s happening throughout the production chain.

In response, Ohio State University Extension is working in cooperation with the Ohio Beef Council, the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association and Ohio’s cattle auction markets and collection points to offer Ohio’s cattlemen several opportunities to become Beef Quality Assurance Certified.

Local opportunities include:

  • September 15th 10 a.m. at the Hartford Fairgrounds Babcock Building.
  • November 6th 7 p.m. at Muskingum Livestock Sale Barn.
  • December 4th 7 p.m. at Muskingum Livestock Sale Barn.

BQA Training 2018-1vspj8d

July rainfall information

July 2018 Rainfall Totals:

                                                       Inches

  • Alexandria                             4.47
  • Bowling Green                      4.90
  • Madison Township                5.65
  • Newton Township SE           4.15
  • Newark                                  4.15
  • S. Union Township                5.70
  • Union Township                    3.35
  • Washington Township S        2.95

                                Average       4.42

                  Historical average 4.37

Late Summer Establishment of Perennial Forages

Author(s):

Rory Lewandowski, CCA, Mark Sulc

Seeding alfalfa

Ohio growers experienced another wet spring and compressed 2018 spring planting season.  On some farms, this caused postponement of plans for spring seeding of alfalfa and other perennial forages.  In some areas, the prolonged wet weather affected forage harvest schedules, resulting in harvest equipment running on wet forage fields leaving ruts, compacted soils and damage to alfalfa crowns.  Some of these forage acres need to be re-seeded.

Late summer, and especially the month of August, provides growers with another window of opportunity to establish a perennial forage stand.  Read more Continue reading →

Ohio Agricultural Law Blog–Hiring of foreign agricultural workers is webinar topic for July 25, 2018

Written by Peggy Kirk Hall, Associate Professor, Agricultural & Resource Law

The next topic in the Agricultural & Food Law Consortium’s webinar series on July 25, 2018 is “Compliance with DOL and Immigration Laws and Regulations for Agricultural Businesses” featuring attorney Misty Wilson Borkowski of Cross, Gunter, Witherspoon & Galchus, P.C., in Little Rock, Arkansas.  Ms. Borkowski, who dedicates her practice to immigration law, will discuss the latest developments in the laws and regulations that agricultural businesses must comply with when hiring foreign agricultural workers.  The webinar is intended to benefit all involved with the hiring of foreign agricultural workers, including producers, farm labor contractors, and attorneys.

The financial stability of farming operations throughout the United States is heavily dependent on the proper employment of foreign agricultural workers.  Understanding the law and regulations applicable to the hiring of those workers can be a daunting task, even for those operations that regularly use foreign agricultural workers.  For example, U.S. farmers who have H-2A workers or are considering utilizing the H-2A Visas for foreign agriculture workers must comply with U.S. Department of Labor and Immigration laws and regulations with regard to recruitment, hiring, paying, withholding taxes, housing, transportation, and related matters.

The free webinar will take place on Wednesday, July 25, 2018 at Noon EST.  Go to this link for log on information.

OSU’s Agricultural & Resource Law Program is one of four partners in the Agricultural & Food Law Consortium, a national, multi-institutional collaboration designed to enhance and expand the development and delivery of authoritative, timely, and objective agricultural and food law research and information.  The Consortium hosts a series of webinars on timely and important agricultural and food law topics which are freely available to the general public and designed to be appropriate for non-attorneys as well as attorneys. For a listing of upcoming webinars and access to past webinars that have been archived, please click here.

Ohio Agricultural Law Blog–Agricultural nutrients targeted in Clean Lake 2020 bill and Kasich Executive Order

Original author: Peggy Kirk Hall, Associate Professor, Agricultural & Resource Law

Recent actions by the Ohio legislature and Governor Kasich will affect the management of agricultural nutrients in Ohio.   The Ohio General Assembly has passed “Clean Lake 2020” legislation that will provide funding for reducing phosphorous in Lake Erie.  Governor Kasich signed the Clean Lake 2020 bill on July 10, in tandem with issuing Executive Order 2018—09K, “Taking Steps to Protect Lake Erie.”  The two actions aim to address the impact of agricultural nutrients on water quality in Lake Erie.  Continue reading

Continue reading →

Woodland Stewardship Opportunities at the Vinton Furnace State Forest on August 10

Original author Dave Apsley

Families, just like yours, own three-quarters of the 8.1 million acres of woodlands in Ohio.  Yet folks do not know where to turn for advice and assistance when they need it.  The program “Woodland Stewardship Opportunities” will cover a wide range of topics that will help woodland owners to care for the woodlands on their property.  Foresters, wildlife biologists and other natural resources professionals from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, local Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and Ohio State University Extension will be on hand to discuss and demonstrate:

  • Techniques that you can use to improve your woodland for wildlife, timber income, recreation or whatever benefits that you hope to realize from your property
  • Strategies for dealing with those pesky invasive plants and insects on your property
  • Tools that you can use to encourage oaks on your property
  • The many resources (people, agencies and programs) available to answer your questions and help you accomplish the goals that you have for your woodlands

The program starts at 9:00 AM and ends at 3:30 PM.   A registration fee of $12 will cover the cost of lunch and program materials.  Please RSVP by calling OSU Extension Vinton County at 740-596-5212, or email Dave Apsley at apsley.1@osu.edu by August 6.

Continue reading →

OSU South Centers Hops Field Night

The Ohio State University will be hosting the Hops Field Night at the South Centers in Piketon on August 8, 2018.

This field night is geared towards all growers, new and experienced.  The field night will be held partially indoors, with the majority of the workshop being out in our hops field.  Some of the topics to be discussed are:

  • Galvanized Trellis System
  • Hop Mechanical Harvesting Demonstration
  • Drying Demonstration
  • Insect & Disease
  • Pest Management
  • Nutrient Management & Fertigation demonstration
  • Drip Irrigation Management

Attendees will receive hands-on experience, visit our hops field, and receive multiple handouts-including the Ohio Hop Disease Management Guide.

For full information please click here

Attendees must preregister.  To register, please contact Charissa Gardner at gardner.1148@osu.edu or at 740.289.2071 ext. 132.

 

You don’t want to miss this educational one-on-one opportunity

Beef Bus Tour

By Christine Gelley

Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator

Noble County

OSU Extension

 

Community Beef Tour Heads South

The Ohio Beef Study Group is a community led group of agriculturalists that have been traveling together for decades to learn more about agriculture, meet interesting people, and see interesting places. This fall the group is headed South through Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and West Virginia from Tuesday, September 25 to Saturday, September 29. Continue reading →

2018 Ohio Sheep Day

Originally posted by Lynn Snyder – May 8

The 2018 Ohio Sheep Day is scheduled at OARDC Sheep Research Unit, Eastern Agriculture Research Station (EARS), location of the Ohio’s Appalachian counties sheep research being conducted at The Ohio State University.

Ohio Sheep Day will offer visitors the opportunity to visit a successful sheep farming operation dedicated to commercial sheep production in a profitable way. Sheep farmers and anyone interested in sheep management and production is invited to attend. A lamb luncheon is included as part of registration and no pre-registration is required.

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