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 28^th 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.

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

BQA Training 2018-1vspj8d

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

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 Late Summer Establishment of Perennial Forages →