Month: February 2025

BOI is Back!

Written by Jeffrey K. Lewis, Esq., Program Coordinator, Income Tax Schools

Yes, you read that right—the Beneficial Ownership Information (“BOI”) reporting requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) are once again in effect. On February 17, 2025, a federal judge lifted the stay he had issued on January 7 in Smith v. U.S. Department of Treasury, which had temporarily halted the Government from enforcing BOI reporting requirements nationwide. This recent ruling eliminates all nationwide barriers that had been hindering the enforcement of the CTA. As a result, millions of businesses must now comply with BOI reporting requirements or face the risk of civil and/or criminal penalties.

Updated Deadlines
On February 18, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) issued a notice outlining the following key updates:

  1. Most reporting companies, unless subject to a later deadline (such as disaster relief extensions), now have until March 21, 2025, to submit their initial, updated, or corrected BOI report to FinCEN.
  2. If FinCEN determines that additional time is needed for compliance, it will issue another notice before the March 21, 2025, deadline with any further changes.
  3. The named plaintiffs in National Small Business United v. Yellen are still not required to report their BOI to FinCEN at this time.

Continue reading BOI is Back! →

Heat Lamp Use for Newborn Livestock

It’s that time of year when we hear in the news of barn fires as a result of heat lamps being used for lambing, kidding, and even calving. As temperatures get colder, livestock producers raising young animals need to make conditions favorable for rearing newborns in adverse conditions. Adding heat lamps to livestock pens should be done with caution. With any electrical appliance or heating source, precautions need to be taken.

If you must use a heat lamp, best management practices recommend the following tips:

1. Purchase a high-quality heat lamp. Use lamps that are enclosed with a heat lamp guard (wire or otherwise). If using a lamp outdoors, make sure the lamp is labeled for outdoor use.

2. Use high- quality bulbs. Low quality bulbs such as thin glass can shatter.

3. Regularly inspect to make sure that the bulb is tightly secured, and wiring is not exposed, is sealed, and is secured.

4. Avoid using bulbs over 250W.

5. Many lamps are used over numerous years. Remove any dust, cobwebs, or dead insects before use.

6. Secure the lamp to a panel using a non-flammable chain or a heat lamp clamp. Do not use twine or rope.

7. Make sure the lamp is secured high enough that adult livestock cannot tamper or abuse the fixture (with head butts, kicks, or bashing). Continue reading Heat Lamp Use for Newborn Livestock →

How Many Farms Pay Estate Taxes?

Written by Robert Moore

Estate taxes have been a hot topic lately, especially with the looming expiration of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). The TCJA significantly increased the federal estate tax exemption, which stands at $13.99 million per person for 2025. However, if Congress does not intervene, that exemption will drop to approximately $7.2 million in 2026, reverting to pre-TCJA levels.

Estate Taxes and Farms: The Current Reality

Despite the frequent debate about estate taxes, very few farm estates actually owe them. According to the USDA, only about 0.3% of farm estates are subject to federal estate tax under the current exemption. In fact, in 2022, the USDA estimates only 87 farm estates nationwide had to pay any federal estate tax at all.

If the exemption decreases in 2026, more farms will be affected, but the overall percentage will still be relatively small. Here’s what the numbers look like:

  • The percentage of all farms owing estate taxes would rise from 0.3% to 1.0%.
  • Large farms (those with $1 million to $5 million in gross income) would see the biggest jump, with taxable estates increasing from 2.8% to 7.3%.

See the chart below for a full breakdown.

Why Estate Taxes Matter for Farm Families

Even though only a small percentage of farms will be affected, for those that are, estate taxes can pose a significant challenge to passing the farm on to the next generation. Many farms are asset-rich but cash-poor, meaning they have substantial land and equipment value but limited liquid assets. This can create difficulties in paying estate taxes without selling off land or assets critical to farm operations. Continue reading How Many Farms Pay Estate Taxes? →

Tri-State High Tunnel School

Friday, March 14, 2025
9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Eastern
Cost: $25 per person
Pesticide Credits Pending
Register: go.osu.edu/htschool

Join us for an exciting new endeavor, the Tri-State High Tunnel School, focused on high tunnel production with information to benefit commercial growers, beginning farmers, and educators, among others. A lunch is included with your registration.

Join us in person at one of several host locations:
Ohio – Piketon, Chillicothe, Wooster, Tiffin

Indiana – Goshen, Richmond

Michigan – Ann Arbor

Hosted by Extension Specialists and Educators with Michigan State University, Purdue University, and The Ohio State University.

QUESTIONS: Bradford Sherman (sherman.1473@osu.edu)

BEEF Cattle Letter: February 19

Six new articles have been posted in this week’s issue number 1435 of the Ohio BEEF Cattle letter: http://u.osu.edu/beef/

This week, discussion on the good, the bad, and the ugly of freezing and thawing temps!

Articles this week include:

  • Frost Seeding Season is Here
  • Managing Frost Heave in Alfalfa
  • Virtual Beef School focuses on Drought Recovery
  • Small Farm Conference & Trade Show: Sowing Seeds for Success
  • Price Risk Always Exists, even in a Bull Market
  • Weekly Livestock Comments for February 14, 2025

Newsletter release by Stan Smith, OSU Extension ANR Program Assistant, Fairfield County

C.O.R.N. Newsletter: February 18-25

In this edition of the C.O.R.N. Newsletter:

  • Managing Frost Heave in Alfalfa – Emma Matcham, Kyle Verhoff, Dave Barker
  • 2025 Corn college and Soybean School – Alyssa Essman, Stephanie Karhoff, Amanda Douridas
  • Forage Resiliency Webinar Series – Christine Gelley
  • OSU Corn Deoxynivaleno, DON, (Vomitoxin) Resistance Screening Program – 2024 – Jason Hartschuh, Rich Minyo, Pierce Paul, Stephanie Karhoff

C.O.R.N. Newsletter is a summary of crop observations, related information, and appropriate recommendations for Ohio crop producers and industry. C.O.R.N. Newsletter is produced by the Ohio State University Extension Agronomy Team, state specialists at The Ohio State University and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC). C.O.R.N. Newsletter questions are directed to Extension and OARDC state specialists and associates at Ohio State.

Forage Resiliency Webinar Series

The Ohio State Integrated Forage Management Team will be offering a three-part Zoom webinar series on forage resiliency to cover information on how to remain resilient to a variety of environmental challenges in forage production systems. Webinars will be held from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month in March, April, and May. Details including registration information are as follows:

  • Webinar 1: Weather Damage Evaluation- Tuesday, March 4

Register at: https://go.osu.edu/1forageweb2025

  • Webinar 2: Options for Spring Planting- Tuesday, April 1

Register at: https://go.osu.edu/2forageweb2025

  • Webinar 3: Emergency Forages- Tuesday, May 6

Register at: https://go.osu.edu/3forageweb2025

East Ohio Women in Agriculture Conference Celebrates 10 Year, Registration is Open!

 

For the 10th year, Ohio State University (OSU) Extension will empower women, high school-age and beyond through its East Ohio Women in Agriculture Conference. The event will take place on March 21, 2025, from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm at the Shisler Conference Center 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster, OH 44691.

This year’s program will feature 24 break-out sessions in 6 tracks including: Plants, Animals, Business & Marketing, Home & Family, Special Interest, and Personal Development. These informative and interactive sessions are presented by Ohio State University Extension educators, farmers, industry professionals, and partner agencies.

We are thrilled to have international speaker, author, and farm coach, Elaine Froese, at our conference this spring. She’s on a mission to guide farm families, across North America, to get unstuck, communicate better, find harmony through understanding, and secure a profitable farm legacy. Elaine is traveling from her home farm in Manitoba, Canada to speak with us! She will share a special keynote about Living an Intentional Life, will teach a breakout session to help tackle tough family conversations, and will have Coach on Call individual sessions available throughout the day. Every participant will also receive two of Elaine’s books in electronic format and a hard copy of Elaine’s book, “Farming’s In-Law Factor.” You can learn more about Elaine Froese at elainefroese.com.

“This conference connects women of all ages to not only each other but also to meaningful informational resources for their journey in agriculture.” Kelsie Mannasmith, Ohio State student said, “Through Elaine Froese and other guest presenters the 10th anniversary will help women continue, or even begin their paths in agriculture.” Continue reading East Ohio Women in Agriculture Conference Celebrates 10 Year, Registration is Open! →

OSU Small Farm Conference is March 8 in Wooster

By: Peggy Kirk Hall, Thursday, February 13th, 2025

“Sowing Seeds for Success” is the theme of the 2025 Small Farm Conference hosted by OSU Extension on March 8, 2025.  The conference will take place at the Shisler Center on OSU’s Wooster campus.

Conference session topics are geared to beginning and small farm owners as well as farms looking to diversify their operations. Five different conference tracks will cover Horticulture and Crop Production, Business Management, Livestock, Natural Resources and Diversifying Your Enterprise.  Topics will range from Growing in a Hoophouse, Integrated Disease Management Strategies for Apple and Peaches, High Tunnel Tour, Using Cover Crops for Soil Regeneration, Creating Habitat for Beneficial Insects on the Farm, Growing Microgreens, Money to Grow: Grants 101, Growing Your Farm With Agritourism, Navigating Licenses and Certificates for your Small Farm Market, How Can Value – Added Help Your Farm, Vaccination Programs for a Small Farm, and a Grassfed Beef Tour.

The conference will also provide an opportunity to talk with vendors.  A conference trade show will feature new and innovative ideas and services for farming operations.

The cost of the conference includes lunch and is $100 and registration is due by February 28, 2025. Follow this link to register  https://go.osu.edu/2025smallfarmconference or scan the QR code below.

Ohio Cropland Values and Cash Rents Survey

If you are a producer, landowner, or agricultural professional in Lorain County, please consider filling out this cropland value and cash rents survey. Data from this survey helps county educators and state specialists as we get questions about land values and rental agreements. The more people that contribute, the more accurate our data. If you want locally accurate data, we need people from Lorain County to participate.

Here is a link to the survey: https://go.osu.edu/ohio_cropland_values_cash_rents_survey_24-25

Thank you for helping out OSU Extension!