As the pandemic continues to create challenges for meeting and/or offering ‘live’ and in-person programming, much of our traditional winter programming remains ‘virtual’ into the foreseeable future. In response, check out this one-stop shop to view upcoming regional and statewide agriculture and natural resources programs: https://agnr.osu.edu/programming. Once there, simply click the topic you are interested in to view 2020-21 events, including several beef school and forage production programs. I will continue to highlight some individual offerings but you will see by the list at this website I could never single out every program.  There is something for everyone.  If you have any questions, contact me at 740-618-6332.

We will host a series of hour-long webinars each Tuesday in January at 10:00 AM to replace the annual in-person event.  The 2021 Precision U sessions will focus on “Tackling Spring Operations with Reduced Working Days.” Changing weather patterns have led to fewer days available in the spring to complete planting, spraying, and fertilizing. University and industry experts will share research results and technology available to help you work smarter and more efficiently. Please plan to join us for these sessions!

2021 Precision U: Tackling Spring Operations with Reduced Working Days

January 5 – Gambling with Planting Decisions – Dr. Aaron Wilson (Ohio State University Extension) and Dr. Bob Nielsen (Purdue University)

January 12 – Improving Fertilizer Efficiency with the Planter Pass – Matt Bennett (Precision Planting Technology) and Dr. John Fulton (Ohio State University)

January 19 – Pre-season Crop Protection Decisions – Dr. Mark Loux and Dr. Scott Shearer (Ohio State University)

January 26 – Sprayer Technology to Improve Field Performance – Dr. Joe Luck (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)

There is no cost to register for Precision University, but registration is required. CCA CEUs will be offered at each session. For more information or to register, visit http://go.osu.edu/PrecisionU.

2021 Precision U Flyer

This year between January and March in 2021, the Pastures for Profit curriculum will be offered as a virtual course. One live webinar will be offered per month along with “work at your own pace” videos and exercises that accompany each webinar. The Pastures for Profit program is a collaboration between Ohio State University Extension, Central State University, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Ohio Department of Agriculture, and the Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council.

Each webinar will be offered live on Zoom at 7 P.M. and feature three presentations in a 90-minute span. Attendees will be able to interact with the speakers and ask questions in real time. Once registered, attendees will be granted access to the online course including the webinars and complementary resources. Participants that attend all three webinars will have the opportunity to earn a certificate of completion. Registered participants will also receive their choice of a curriculum binder or USB drive of the traditional course by mail.

The webinar schedule and topics are as follows.

Webinar One- Core Grazing Education: Wed., January 13th at 7 p.m.

• Evaluating Resources and Goal Setting
• Getting Started Grazing
• Soil Fertility

Webinar Two- The Science of Grazing: Wed., February 3^rd at 7 p.m.

• Understanding Plant Growth
• Fencing and Water Systems
• Meeting Animal Requirements on Pasture

Webinar Three- Meeting Grazing Goals: Wed., March 3^rd at 7 p.m.

• Pasture Weed Control
• Economics of Grazing
• Creating and Implementing Grazing Plans

A series of additional videos that complement each webinar will be accessible to registered participants that include topics such as:

• Soil Health & Fertility
• Species Specific Tips
• Stocking Densities
• Forage Sampling and Analysis
• Winter Feeding Strategies
• Conservation Practices
• Genetic Traits of Forages
• Pasture Layouts

• Farm Economics
• Pasture Walks/Virtual Tours

These videos will focus on more specific pasture management topics at the beginner and experienced manager levels.

The Pastures for Profit course utilizes Scarlet Canvas. For best performance, Canvas should be used on the current or first previous major release of Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari. Canvas runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, or any other device with a modern web browser.

Cost of the course is $50, which includes the Pastures for Profit manual. Current and new members of the Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council are eligible for a $10 discount on registration. Register for the course by visiting https://afgc.org/ofgcwebinar.

This winter OSU Extension’s Agronomy Team will offer a variety of educational programs for farmers and crop consultants to attend online. The team will offer both traditional programs including a Corn College, Soybean School, and Precision University, as well as focusing on some new hot topic areas. New programs will focus on three areas: Investing in Soil Health, Crop Diversity to Improve Your Bottom Line,  and Farming in Weather Extremes. CCA CEUs will be offered at each session. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required for each session to receive log-in information. The schedule with registration information for each program is listed below.

AgCrops Virtual Program Give-aways

Be one of the first 300 people from Ohio to sign-up and attend a 2021 Virtual Winter Meeting hosted by the AgCrops Team and you will receive a set of handouts! Included in the shipment to your door is a copy of the Corn, Soybean, Wheat, and Forages Field Guide, a 2020 eFields Report (2019 pictured), digital soil thermometer, and a 2021 Agronomic Crops Team Calendar (with important marketing, crop insurance and USDA report dates identified). These items were generously funded by the Ohio Soybean Council and the USDA NIFA Integrated Pest Management program.

The Dirt on Soil Health: Investing Below the Surface. In this weekly series, farmers, industry, and academic experts will weigh in on practical steps to improve soil health and measure impact on crop yield and farm profitability. Thursdays, January 14 – March 18, 8am-8:30am. Register: http://go.osu.edu/soilhealth2020

• January 14 – Does Soil Health Pay? Farmer Panel, Nathan Brown, Matt Falb, and Les Seiler
• January 21 – What Can Soil Health Tests Tell You? Steve Culman
• January 28 – Can Improving Soil Health Improve Yield? Jordon Wade
• February 4 – Cover Crop Management, Hans Kok
• February 18 – Compaction Solutions, Scott Shearer
• February 25 – Soil Health in Ohio, Elizabeth Hawkins and Steve Culman
• March 4 – What’s the Return on Investing in Soil Health?, Rick Clark
• March 18 – Programs and Funding to Support Soil Health

Crop Diversity to Improve Your Bottom Line. This series will look at practices and considerations to successfully incorporate alternative grain crops into your rotation to diversify your operation. Thursdays, January 14 – March 4, 9:00am-10:30am. Register: http://go.osu.edu/cropdiversity

• January 14 – Specialty Small Grains, Winter Malting Barley (Greg McGlinch), White Wheat (Dennis Pennington), Wet Wrapped Oats (Al Gahler), Triticale (Jason Hartschuh)
• February 4 – Seed Production, Corn and Soybean Seed Production (Fred Pond), Cover Crop Seed Production
• March 4 – Non-GMO Crop Production, Best Practices for High Yielding Non-GMO Soybean Production (Laura Lindsey), Weed Control (Mark Loux), Insect Management: The Forgotten Corn Pests (Chris DiFonzo)

Farming in Weather Extremes. This series will present practices and technology farmers can utilize to adapt to challenging growing seasons with increasing extreme weather events. Thursdays, January 21 – March 18, 9:00am-10:30am. Register: http://go.osu.edu/adapt

• January 21 – Disease Management Options for Today’s Weather, Pierce Paul and Aaron Wilson
• February 18 – Managing Water in Today’s Wet and Dry Growing Seasons, Aaron Wilson, Eileen Kladivko, Larry Brown, Lyndon Kelley
• March 18 – 2021 Growing Season Weather Outlook and Changing Climate Patterns, Aaron Wilson

Corn College and Soybean School. Best management practices and important updates for the 2021 growing season. Speakers include Peter Thomison, Steve Culman, Pierce Paul, Laura Lindsey, Mark Loux, Anne Dorrance, Andy Michel, and Kelley Tilmon.  February 11, 9:00am-12:00pm (Corn College) and 1:00-4:00pm (Soybean School). Register: http://go.osu.edu/agronomyschools

If you have questions about Agronomy Team Programs, please contact Amanda Douridas (Douridas.9@osu.edu), Mary Griffith (Griffith.483@osu.edu), or Laura Lindsey (Lindsey.233@osu.edu). Extension will offer online programs focused on other topics areas as well as agronomic crop production including farm management, livestock production, pesticide applicator recertification and more – for a full list of Extension programs visit: https://agnr.osu.edu/programming

2021 Beef School Opportunities

2021 Cow Calf Outlook Meeting – January 26, 6.30 p.m. (Flyer) (Register Here)
Dr. Kenny Burdine, University of Kentucky Livestock Marketing Specialist

2021 Ohio Cattle Feeding Webinar – February 24, 6:00 p.m. (Flyer) (Register Here)
Risk Management Livestock Risk Protection and Livestock Gross Margin Insurance – Justin White, Hudson Insurance
Feedlot Ventilation Requirements – Jason Hartschuh, OSU Extension Crawford County

2021 Ohio Cow – Calf Management Schools Webinars (Register Here) One Registration Link for all Sessions.
Due to COVID restrictions, the 2021 OSU Extension Cow-Calf School will be coming to you virtually. Join us for one or all of a series of a Monday evenings 6-8pm as we address the following:

Making Hay for Beef Cattle
1/18/2020: Getting Started
Reviewing Forage Fertility – Jason Hartsuch
New Seeding Species Selection – Christine Gelley

1/25/2020: Addressing Hay Shortfalls
Annual Forage Options – Allen Gahler
Baleage Do’s and Don’ts – Jason Hartschuh

2/01/2020: Hay! Now What?
Forage Analysis – Ted Wiseman
Forage Storage 101 – Garth Ruff

Cow-Calf Management
2/08/2020: Breeding Season Considerations
Managing the Breeding Season – Alvaro Garcia-Guerra
EPD Update: Breeding for Cow Longevity – John Grimes

2/15/2020 Managing Reproduction
Semen Handling – Dean Kreager
Preg Checking – Allen Gahler

2/22/2002: Improving Profits
Making Cow Culling Decisions – Dean Kreager
Maximizing Feeder Calf Value – Garth Ruff

Beef Sire Selection for the Dairy Herd Webinar – March 10, 12:00 p.m. (Flyer) (Register Here)
Presenter: Allen Gahler, OSU Extension Sandusky County

https://u.osu.edu/beefteam/2021-beef-school/

by David Apsley

Our first A DAY in the WOODS program for 2021 “The Fall and Rise of Bald Eagles in Ohio” will take place on January 8 at 10 am.  This program will be presented by Brad Perkins, Executive Directory of the Ohio Forestry Association, and Laura Kearns, Wildlife Biologist with ODNR-Division of Wildlife.

Brad is passionate about bald eagles and photography.  He has monitored eagle nests in Ohio for 25 years.  Laura is actively involved in bald eagle surveys and nest census work in Ohio.

Learn about the recovery of this magnificent bird and its current status in Ohio.   Brad and Laura will share stunning photography, current statistics and trends,  tips for observing and identifying eagles, rescue stories, as well as, their personal experiences studying and photographing bald eagles in Ohio.  The program will conclude with a question answer session.

To register for this Zoom Webinar visit: http://go.osu.edu/ditw2021

The OSU Specialty Crops Team and Ohio Controlled Environment Agriculture Center is excited to offer a live virtual High Tunnel and Season Extension School in January and February 2021. The program will include six live sessions addressing questions raised by growers ranging in experience from beginner to advanced. Sessions are interactive, last one hour, and cover two key subjects. Registration is free and you may sign-up for as many sessions as you wish. Please see the schedule below for the dates and session topics. All sessions are virtual and will be from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. ET on the days listed (Tuesdays in January and February 2021).

Please follow this link for registration details: https://go.osu.edu/high-tunnel-school-21

Questions: Please contact Matt Kleinhenz (kleinhenz.1@osu.edu)

For flyer click here: osue-virtual-ht-school-wi21-flyer-2 (002)

Register here: go.osu.edu/mapledays2021 

by: Mary Griffith, Chris Zoller, Hallie Williams, OSU Extension Educators

Enrollment for the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2021 crop year opened in October, with the deadline to enroll and make amendments to program elections on March 15, 2021. This signup is for potential payments for the 2021 crop.

If changes are not made by the March 15^th deadline, the election defaults to the programs selected for the 2020 crop year with no penalty. While it is optional to make changes to program elections, producers are required to enroll (sign a contract) each year to be eligible to receive payments. So, even if you do not change your program elections, you will still need to make an appointment at the Farm Service Agency to sign off on enrollment for the 2021 crop year by that March 15^th deadline.

Producers have the option to enroll covered commodities in either ARC-County, ARC-Individual, or PLC. Program elections are made on a crop-by-crop basis unless selecting ARC-Individual where all crops under that FSA Farm Number fall under that program. These are the same program options that were available to producers during the 2019 and 2020 crop years. In some cases producers may want to amend program election to better manage the potential risks facing their farms during the 2021 crop year.

As you consider amending your program choices, here are some important reminders:

• PLC payments are triggered by low prices. PLC is a disaster price program and pays when the marketing year average price is below a reference price. The marketing year average price (MYAP) is an average price calculated using cash prices across the nation over the course of a year. The 2021 marketing year for wheat is May, 2021 – June, 2022 and for corn and soybeans is August, 2021 – September, 2022. This means that the MYAP for 2021 for wheat will not be known until June, 2022 and the MYAP for corn and soybeans will not be known until September, 2022. PLC payments will only be triggered for a covered commodity if the MYAP published at the end of the marketing year are below the reference price. The reference price for corn is $3.70, for soybeans is $8.40, and for wheat is $5.50.
• ARC-County payments are triggered by low county revenues. Revenues are calculated using the market year average price times the county average yield. When producers enrolled for 2019 and 2020, they were enrolling after the 2019 crop had been harvested. Yields for 2019 were known at the time of the enrollment deadline for that year. For the 2021 crop year, producers will be enrolling before the crop is planted.
• Producers have less information about both price and yields for the 2021 enrollment period, compared to the last enrollment period. When producers enrolled for 2019 and 2020, we were more than halfway through the marketing year for each crop, so there was much more information on price expectation. For the 2021 crop year, producers will be enrolling before the marketing year begins.
• The maximum ARC-IC payment is triggered in cases where an FSA Farm has 100% Prevent Plant acres. At the time of enrollment for the 2019 crop year, producers knew if they had FSA Farms that fit this description and were able to use that information to decide if ARC-IC was a good fit for a FSA Farm. For the 2021 crop year, producers will need to decide by March 15^th if ARC-IC is still the right choice for those farms without knowledge of how many acres they will have in Prevent Plant. While some FSA Farms triggered large payments for ARC-IC in 2019, producers may want to re-assess this program election for the 2021 crop year if they do not expect to put those farms in 100% Prevent Plant in 2021.

For most producers, the number one consideration driving program election is the markets. What are markets going to do? We will not know the MYA price for corn or soybeans until September of 2022, and a lot could change in that time.

OSU Extension and the Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics (AEDE) are offering several webinars between now and the March 15^th enrollment deadline for producers to get up to date market outlook information. For information about AEDE’s 2021 Winter Outlook Meetings, visit https://aede.osu.edu/research/agricultural-policy-and-outlook-conferences/county-meetings.

Additionally, OSU Extension will be offering two webinars this winter focused specifically on the ARC/PLC decision, reviewing decision-tool calculators available to evaluate options, and current market outlook. The dates for these webinars are January 13^th from 1:00-3:00 pm and February 25^th from 9 -11 am. Both programs are free to attend, but registration is required. Register online at: http://go.osu.edu/arcplc2021.

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2021 AGRICULTURE HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES!

Is there someone you know that has demonstrated life long exemplary service to their community and the industry of agriculture?  If so, we would like to hear their story.  Please complete the nomination form and return to the Licking County Extension office by December 31, 2020.  We are glad to help you through the process.  The application can be completed online and emailed to me or it can be completed and mailed.   Click on the following link for the application: Hall of Fame Nomination Form 11.13.19