Month: April 2025

C.O.R.N. Newsletter: April 29-May 5

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

  • Favorable Planting Weather – Aaron Wilson
  • Alfalfa Weevils are Active Statewide – Kyle Verhoff, Aaron Wilson, Garth McDorman, Kendall Lovejoy, Ryan Slaughter, Ryan McMichael
  • Battle for the Belt: Season 3, Episode 5: Weather and Planting Update – Laura Lindsey, Osler Ortez, Aaron Wilson, Taylor Dill
  • Wheat Yield Contest Entry Deadline May 15th – Eric Richer
  • Lep Monitoring Network – Black Cutworm and True Armyworm Update #1 – Amy Raudenbush, Nic Baumer, Lee Beers, Trevor Corboy, Mary Jo Hassen, Alan Leininger, Garth McDorman, Jordan Penrose, Beth Scheckelhoff, Mike Sunderman, Kyle Verhoff, Jacob Winters, Curtis Young, Andy Michel, Kelley Tilmon

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.

Buckeye Tick Testing Website, Fundraiser, and Upcoming Webinar

The long-awaited Buckeye Tick Testing Laboratory at Ohio State University is up and running and ready to accept samples!  Here is the link to the laboratory: https://buckeyebugbite.osu.edu/

There is also a fundraiser going on right now to help buld more capcity for the lab. Consider making a contribuiton to help support the work of this lab: https://buckeyefunder.osu.edu/project/45522

To answer client questions and promote awareness, there will also a webinar on Wednesday May 7th at 4pm:
Please join us for an engaging presentation on tick species, tick pathogens, tick-borne diseases, tick bite prevention, and proper tick removal featuring Ohio State tick experts, Tim McDermott, DVM, assistant professor, Ohio State Extension, College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences, and Risa Pesapane, PhD, associate professor, College of Veterinary Medicine and College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. This hour-long webinar will also highlight Ohio State’s new tick-borne pathogen testing service, Buckeye Tick Test. The Ohio State University Infectious Diseases Institute and the College of Veterinary Medicine are partnering to host this webinar to bring attention to the growing public health concern caused by the exploding tick population in the Buckeye State.
Here is the link to register:
https://osu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_esoUKj-HQiewalmw6aYoBw

Gifting to Manage Estate Taxes

Written by Robert Moore

The federal estate tax exemption is set to drop dramatically in 2026—from $13.99 million in 2025 to an estimated $7–$7.5 million per person. For some farm families, this shift could result in significant estate tax exposure. While most estates won’t exceed the new limit, some farmers, especially those with high-value farmland or appreciating assets, will find themselves suddenly at risk of federal estate taxes.

Gifting is one strategy to reduce the size of your taxable estate, but it’s not always simple or risk-free. Let’s explore when gifting can help, when it might not, and what to watch out for.

Two Types of Gifts

There are two main gifting categories under federal law:

  • Annual Exclusion Gifts – In 2025, you can gift up to $19,000 per recipient ($38,000 for couples) annually without using any of your lifetime exemption.
  • Lifetime Credit Gifts – Larger gifts are allowed, but they reduce your lifetime estate tax exemption.  The lifetime estate tax exemption is the amount of wealth that the IRS exempts from estate taxes.  The exemption can be used at death, gifted away during life, or a combination of the two.

Example: If a parent gifts a $1,019,000 farm to a child, the first $19,000 is exempt from taxes and does not reduce the parent’s estate tax exemption.  The remaining $1,000,000 reduces the parent’s lifetime estate tax exemption from $13.99 million to $12.99 million.

Continue reading Gifting to Manage Estate Taxes →

BEEF Cattle Letter: April 23

Six new articles have been posted in this week’s issue number 1444 of the Ohio BEEF Cattle letter: http://u.osu.edu/beef/

Frequently in recent years we’ve heard growing concern for tick populations in Ohio and the disease they carry and spread. Today, Ohio State University is pleased to announce the opening of their Buckeye Tick Test Laboratory. Find more details in this week’s postings.

Articles this week include:

  • Revisiting Custom Grazing
  • Effectively Using Summer Annual Grasses
  • Virtual Beef School, session 4; Heifer Development and Implementing Genomic Testing on Your Farm
  • Buckeye Tick Test Laboratory is now open for business
  • April Cattle on Feed Points to Higher Placements, but fewer Heifers
  • How can a person afford to pay $???? for an animal and expect to make a profit?

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

Women in Ag Webinar: Cut Flowers for Beginners on May 7

 

Join us on May 7, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., for the next session on…

Cut Flowers for Beginners

Interested in growing cut flowers on a small scale? Join Sabrina Schirtzinger, Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Knox County to learn valuable tips and tricks to get started!

Register for the entire series using this link one time. go.osu.edu/wiawednesdaywebinars2025

C.O.R.N. Newsletter: April 22-28

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

  • Spring Conditions Starting to Prevail – Aaron Wilson
  • Wheat Management for Spring 2025 – Laura Lindsey, Pierce Paul, Ed Lentz, and Alyssa Essman
  • Reminder to Scout for Alfaflfa Weevil – Kyle Verhoff, Aaron Wilson, and Jason Hartschuh
  • Battle for the Belt: Season 3, Episode 4: Ultra – Early Soybean Planting and Weed Control – Taylor Dill, Laura Lindsey, Osler Ortez, Alyssa Essman
  • Flowing Forward Podcast – Jocelyn Ruble and Heather Torlina

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.

BEEF Cattle Letter: April 16

Six new articles have been posted in this week’s issue number 1443 of the Ohio BEEF Cattle letter: http://u.osu.edu/beef/

This week Ted Wiseman cautions against encouraging too much lush, spring pasture growth by over fertilizing!

Articles this week include:

  • Fertilizing Pastures After a Drought: Ensuring Adequate Mineral Intake and Preventing Grass Tetany
  • OSU’s Forage Quality Analysis Service
  • Good Practices for the Prevention of Anaplasmosis
  • Spring Fencing Clinic, April 25th
  • 2025 National Feeder and Stocker Receipts and Percentage of Heifers
  • Cautionary Note on Beef Demand – Public Financial Sentiment Matters

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

Show Me the Money: Ohio’s New Pay Stub Law

Gavel in front of a paper titled

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

On April 9, 2025, Ohio enacted House Bill 106, known as the Pay Stub Protection Act. This bipartisan legislation marks a meaningful step forward in promoting wage transparency and safeguarding worker rights across the state. Prior to this law, Ohio stood out as one of the few states without a mandate for employers to issue pay stubs. With its passage, the Act now ensures employees are provided with comprehensive earnings statements, bringing Ohio in line with the practices of most other states.

What the Law Requires
Under the Pay Stub Protection Act (codified in Ohio Revised Code Section 4113.14), employers are now mandated to provide each employee with a written or electronic pay statement on every regular payday. These statements must include: Continue reading Show Me the Money: Ohio’s New Pay Stub Law →

Forage Testing Now Available!

The Forage Quality Analysis Service at the Sustainable Agroecosystems Lab has updated their forage testing packages. They utilize near-infrared scanning technology to assess forage nutritive value, which provides consistent, fast results. This lab is run by Dr. Marília Chiavegato on Ohio State’s Columbus campus. The new package options include digestible energy calculations, which is particularly important for balancing equine diets. See more information about pricing and sample submissions at https://u.osu.edu/forageanalysis/

-Emma Matcham, Integrated Forage Systems State Specialist

forage testing packages

C.O.R.N. Newsletter: April 15-21

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

  • Recent Rain Patterns: Implications on Nitrogen Management for Wheat Production – Manbir Rakkar, Laura Lindsey, Stephanie Karhoff, and Ed Lentz
  • Battle for the Belt: Season 3, Episode 3- Corn & Soybean Germination – Taylor Dill, Laura Lindsey, Osler Ortez, and Alexander Lindsey
  • Forage Quality Analysis Service – Emma Matcham

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.