Month: May 2025

BEEF Cattle Letter: May 28

Six new articles have been posted in this week’s issue number 1449 of the Ohio BEEF Cattle letter: http://u.osu.edu/beef/

While we commonly think of summer as tick season, this week Tim McDermott explains we actually see tick activity and positive detections of tick-borne disease all 12 months of the year in Ohio.

Articles this week include:

  • An Update on Ticks and Tick-borne Disease in Ohio, plus the Buckeye Tick Test Lab
  • Concerning parasites, are you controlling what you think you are controlling?
  • Estrus Synchronization Success Hinges on Compliance
  • Enhancing Pre-Veterinary Education: The Value of Animal Sciences at Ohio State ATI
  • Pastures for Profit will be offered in-person this June in Logan County
  • May Cattle on Feed: Dressed Weights, Drought, and Disruptions to Trade

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

C.O.R.N. Newsletter: May 27-June 2

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

  • Battle for the Belt: Season 3, Episode 9- Diego Miranda, Maria Kessler, Taylor Dill, Laura Lindsey, Osler Ortez
  • Lep Monitoring Network – Black Cutworm and True Armyworm #5- Rosalind Holt-Frank, Evan Hodkinson, Trevor Mullen, Amy Raudenbush, Nic Baumer, Lee Beers, JD Bethel, Trevor Corboy, Mary Jo Hassen, Alan Leininger, Clifton Martin, Garth McDorman, Jared Myers, Jordan Penrose, Amanda Perkins, Beth Scheckelhoff, Mike Sunderman, Kyle Verhoff, Jacob Winters, Curtis Young, Andy Michel, Kelley Tilmon
  • Statewide Slug Monitoring Project- Update #2- Rosalind Holt-Frank, Evan Hodkinson, Trevor Mullen, Amy Raudenbush, John Barker, Amanda Barnum, Nic Baumer, Amanda Douridas, Ken Ford, Seth Kannberg, Dean Kreager, Alan Leininger, Clifton Martin, Kendra Rose, Jocelyn Ruble, Clint Schroeder, Ryan Slaughter, Jacob Winters, Ted Wiseman, Andy Michel, Kelley Tilmon
  • Using Manure With Corn- Glen Arnold
  • Help Shape the Furture of Agricultural Information- Stacy Cochran

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.

House Farm Bill Reconciliation Summary Overview

By:Peggy Kirk Hall, Attorney and Director, Agricultural & Resource Law Program Tuesday, May 27th, 2025

Guest author:  Dr. Carl Zulauf, Professor Emeritus, Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, Ohio State University.

Note:  The U.S. House of Representatives passed its budget reconciliation bill on May 22, 2025.  Prior to the bill’s passage, the budget reconciliation process required the House Agriculture Committee to reduce spending by $230 billion over the 10-year budget period. The committee’s final proposed provisions for doing so, which represents the Farm Bill attention we’ve long awaited, were included in the budget reconciliation bill passed by the House. Thank you to our guest author and Farm Bill expert, Dr. Carl Zulauf, for the following summary of the House’s proposed Farm Bill changes that now move over to the Senate for consideration. Continue reading House Farm Bill Reconciliation Summary Overview →

Income Tax Schools at The Ohio State University Summer Tax School 2025

Written by Jeffrey K. Lewis, Esq., Legal Associate, Agricultural and Resource Law Program, Income Tax Schools

Income Tax Schools at The Ohio State University Announces Summer Income Tax School Webinar
Barry Ward & Jeff Lewis, OSU Income Tax Schools

An “Update on Current Tax Issues and Law Changes” along with a section on “Taxpayers in Trouble” are the focus of the upcoming Summer Tax School Webinar featured by Income Tax Schools at The Ohio State University.

This webinar is scheduled for August 11th and registration is now open. The registration page can be accessed at: go.osu.edu/summertaxschool.

This Summer Tax School is designed to update tax preparers about current tax issues, new law changes and tax legislation. This school will also include a section on working with “taxpayers in trouble”. Continue reading Income Tax Schools at The Ohio State University Summer Tax School 2025 →

BEEF Cattle Letter: May 21

Six new articles have been posted in this week’s issue number 1448 of the Ohio BEEF Cattle letter: http://u.osu.edu/beef/

While this is the time of year when we traditionally concern ourselves with hay quality, this week John Yost reminds us that water remains the single most important nutrient to sustain life.

Articles this week include:

  • Water, the forgotten nutrient?
  • Controlling Buttercup – A Persistent Challenge
  • Forage Resiliency Webinars are posted on YouTube
  • Address Lameness Cases Sooner Rather Than Later
  • Southeast Pasture Conditions
  • Early Tariff Impacts on Beef Exports

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

Buyer Beware – Artificial Intelligence Planting Uncertainty for Gardeners

Article by Frank Becker, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator for Wayne County

Already a few times this spring, I have come across social media posts and advertisements for spring sales of garden and landscape plants. Upon closer review of these listings, I began to notice strange characteristics in the images. Plant sizes and growth habits were severely abnormal, as were the colors and patterns on the foliage. It didn’t take me long to realize that the suspect images were the result of an artificial intelligence (A.I.) creation. You may have also noticed similar posts. In popular online gardening forums on various social media platforms, it is now very common to come across posts and images that feature plants and landscapes that appear to have come forth out of a dream world, rather than out of our yards and gardens.

Lauren Goldsby, a University of Florida Horticulture Extension Agent shares this about A.I. images being shared online; “An AI, or artificial intelligence, generated photo is made using a computer program instead of being captured by a camera. These programs can produce images based on a user’s description or request, generating realistic or abstract photos. Scroll through the comments on these images and you’ll see a mix of reactions. Some love the photos, asking where they can find these plants. Others are quick to point out that they aren’t real. For the most part, these images are harmless fun, sparking creativity and potentially inspiring people to spend more time outdoors with their own plants.” Continue reading Buyer Beware – Artificial Intelligence Planting Uncertainty for Gardeners →

Buckeye Lady Beetle Blitz Community Science Program Training 2025

Join OSU Extension in Lorain County for the 2025 Lady Beetle Blitz Community Science Program training. The training will be held here at the Extension office on June 10 at 11am till about 12:30pm. Please reach out to the office to guarantee your spot as there is limited supplies. Please see the flyer above for more details on this program. Call 440-326-5851 or email becker.643@osu.edu to register.

Employee or Independent Contractor? Department of Labor’s Latest Guidance Signals Policy Shift

Written by Jeffrey K. Lewis, Esq., Legal Associate, Agricultural and Resource Law Program, Income Tax Schools

The classification of workers as either independent contractors or employees has once again become a focal point of federal labor policy, reflecting the broader ideological shifts that accompany changes in presidential administrations. With the transition to new leadership in the White House, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) has issued new guidance that redefines the criteria used to determine worker status. This latest interpretation marks a departure from the 2024 Democratic rule (the “2024 Rule”), instead embracing a model more consistent with prior Republican approaches. The change has significant ripple effects for employers and workers as it influences everything from wage protections to benefits eligibility and legal liability.

On May 1, 2025, the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division (“WHD”) issued Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2025-1(the “2025 Bulletin”), offering updated guidance on how to assess whether a worker qualifies as an employee or independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”).

The 2025 Bulletin explicitly states that the WHD will no longer apply the analytical framework established by the 2024 Rule when evaluating worker classification under the FLSA. Instead, the WHD will rely on the standards set forth in Fact Sheet #13 (July 2008) and Opinion Letter FLSA2019-6 (referred to as the “2008 Guidance” and “2019 Guidance,” respectively). However, the 2025 Bulletin clarifies that the 2024 Rule remains applicable in the context of private litigation. Continue reading Employee or Independent Contractor? Department of Labor’s Latest Guidance Signals Policy Shift →

C.O.R.N. Newsletter: May 20-26

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

  • May Chill Ahead – Aaron Wilson
  • Head Scab Risk Update – Stephanie Karhoff, Laura Lindsey, Pierce Paul
  • Scouting for Soybean Seedling Diseases in Ohio – Horacio Lopez-Nicora
  • Battle for the Belt: Season 3, Episode 8: Wet Weather and Nitrogen Loss – Maria Kessler, Taylor Dill, Diego Miranda, Laura Lindsey, Osler Ortez, Manbir Rakkar
  • Crop Progress Update and Replanting Decisions in Corn and Soybean – Osler Ortez, Laura Lindsey, Eric Richer 
  • Lep Monitoring Network – Black Cutworm and True Armyworm – Update #4 – Amy Raudenbush, Nic Baumer, Lee Beers, JD Bethel, Trevor Corboy, Mary Jo Hassen, Seth Kannberg, Alan Leininger, Clifton Martin, Garth McDorman, Jordan Penrose, Amanda Perkins, Beth Scheckelhoff, Mike Sunderman, Kyle Verhoff, Jacob Winters, Curtis Young, Andy Michel, Kelley Tilmon
  • Alfalfa Weevil Update – Kyle Verhoff, Aaron Wilson, Garth McDorman, Ryan Slaughter, Ryan McMichael, Ted Wiseman
  • Pastures for Profit will be offered in-person this June in Logan County – Emma Matcham, Jacob King

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.

Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) Expands Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Area

Authors: Amy Stone and Ashley Kulhanek

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) is expanding the spotted lanternfly (SLF) quarantine to include counties in northeast and northwest Ohio to reduce the spread of the invasive insect. The media release that was distributed is included in its entirety.

The counties currently quarantined include:

  • Belmont
  • Carroll
  • Columbiana
  • Cuyahoga
  • Erie
  • Franklin
  • Hamilton
  • Jefferson
  • Lorain
  • Lucas
  • Mahoning
  • Muskingum
  • Ottawa
  • Portage
  • Seneca
  • Summit
  • Trumbull
  • Wood
    (*those in italics where recently added)

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (May 15, 2025) – The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) is expanding the spotted lanternfly (SLF) quarantine to include counties in northeast and northwest Ohio to reduce the spread of the invasive insect.

The six new counties now under quarantine are: Wood, Seneca, Summit, Portage, Trumbull, and Carroll counties. A map of all counties under quarantine can be found here. Continue reading Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) Expands Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Area →