As we kick off the new year and plan for the future, I am making adjustments to the Muskingum Ag Network Breakfast program. There will be no breakfast meetings in January or February 2026.
Ag Network Breakfast will resume on Tuesday, March 3, as normal at 8:00 AM at the Friendly Hills Camp and Conference Center, 5880 Friendly Hills Road, Zanesville.
OSU Extension is hosting a Planning for the Future of Your Farm workshop in Muskingum County on February 9 and February 16: Details and registration information are found on the event flyer.
Each year, OSU Extension holds “Planning for the Future of Your Farm” workshops to help families with farm transition planning. We offer three ways for farm families to learn. This include an asynchronous courses, a live Zoom webinar series in March and in-person workshops throughout the year at several locations across Ohio. This workshop challenges farm families to actively plan for the future of the farm business. Learn how to have crucial conversations about the future and strategies and tools that can help you transfer your farm’s ownership, management, and assets to the next generation. Teaching faculty for the workshop are David Marrison, OSU Extension Farm Management Field Specialist and Robert Moore, Attorney with the OSU Agricultural & Resource Law Program.
Topics discussed during this series include:
We encourage parents, children, and grandchildren to attend together to develop a plan for the future of your family farm.
The November 2025 Farm Office Live Tax Webinar focused on critical updates and strategies for agricultural tax planning. Farm Economy and Tax Planning set the stage by examining income trends, cost pressures, and their implications for year-end tax decisions. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) introduced sweeping tax changes, including adjustments to individual rates, standard deductions, child tax credits, and farm-specific provisions such as Section 179 expensing and bonus depreciation, offering new opportunities for producers.
Depreciation and Accelerated Expensing received special attention, highlighting permanent expensing options under OBBB and clarifying rules for MACRS, Section 179, and bonus depreciation to optimize equipment and property investments. Estate and Succession Planning addressed rising exemption limits, special use valuation under IRC §2032A, and strategies for valuing inherited assets, ensuring smooth farm transitions while minimizing tax burdens.
Compliance updates were another major theme, with new 1099 reporting thresholds and guidance for fair associations, alongside the Corporate Transparency Act, which imposes beneficial ownership reporting requirements and faces ongoing legal challenges. Finally, Specialized Agricultural Tax Issues covered nuanced topics such as tax treatment for 4-H and FFA projects, fertilizer deductions under IRC §180, the R\&D credit for farm innovation, and changes to Ohio’s Current Agricultural Use Valuation (CAUV).
Together, these themes underscore the importance of proactive planning and staying informed on legislative and compliance developments to safeguard farm profitability and legacy.
The 2026 in-person Farm Accounting with Quicken Workshops are being scheduled for Ohio locations in February 2026.
Learn how to Customize the chart of accounts to allign with the IRS Schedule F, Utilized sub-categories to track and manage critical farm input expenses, Allocate income and expenses to a farm enterprise, barn or farm location, Build reports that describe the farm finances in real-time, Explore how farm accounting can Do More Than a Tax Return.
Muskingum County is hosting this workshop on February 23 and February 24 (attend both nights) from 6:00 pm to 8:30 PM at the OSU Extension Office, 225 Underwood St, Zanesville, OH.
Registration is OPEN
Deadline to register: One week prior to the start of each workshop.
For questions, please call the OSU Extension county office hosting the workshop or contact: Wm. Bruce Clevenger, OSU Extension field specialist, farm management, at clevenger.10@osu.edu
For a local contact in Muskingum County, contact Clifton Martin at martin.2422@osu.edu
If you are a licensed private pesticide applicator or fertilizer applicator in the state of Ohio you may have recently received information from the Ohio Department of Agriculture for the renewal process. We will also be sending letters by mail to Muskingum County applicators with information to register for continuing education classes to those who need to still earn CEU hours. You may also find our class information on our website at: Pesticide and Fertilizer Recertification | Muskingum (osu.edu).
Zanesville, OH; Coshocton, OH–Join OSU Extension in Muskingum and Coshocton Counties for the 2026 Agronomy School on January 29, 2026. Agenda topics include corn and soybean production trends, farm economics, vomitoxin management, and soil and water management. Featured speakers include Laura Lindsey (Professor, Soybeans/Small grains), Eric Richer, (Field Specialist, Farm Management), Jason Hartschuh (Field Specialist, Dairy Management and Precision Livestock), and Vinayak Shedekar (Assistant Professor, Agricultural Water Management). This event will take place on Thursday, January 29, 2026, 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM at the Coshocton County Community Room, 637 Chestnut Street, Coshocton, OH. PRE-Registration is required, and the fee is $30 per person. The registration deadline is Thursday, January 22, 2026. Fertilizer Certification and Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) credits have been applied for. A program registration form is available at go.osu.edu/agschool and all registration is managed through the Coshocton County Extension Office. For more information, contact Clifton Martin in Muskingum County at 740-454-0144 or martin.2422@osu.edu and Brett Kinzel in Coshocton County at 740-622-2265 or kinzel.40@osu.edu.
The fourth annual Ohio State Organic Grains Conference will be January 7-8, 2026, at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions in Sandusky, Ohio. The conference offers programming for experienced organic growers, growers transitioning to or considering organic, and consultants or educators who support these growers.
Featured speakers for 2026 include Willie Hughes from W. Hughes Farm in Janesville, Wisc.; Dr. Matt Ryan from Cornell University; Dr. Aaron Wilson, Ohio State climate and agricultural weather specialist; and Nate Powell-Palm from the Organic Agronomy Training Service (OATS). The two-day event will feature additional panelists and speakers covering a wide range of agronomic and management topics related to organic grain farming.
The conference is presented by Ohio State University Extension’s Farm Office and Ohio State’s Organic Food & Farming Education and Research (OFFER) program with input from a planning committee of land grant staff and researchers and organic farmers from Ohio and surrounding states.
Pre-registration is $140 per person through December 5, and $175 from December 6 through December 26. Attendees can also pay at the door for an additional fee. Continuing education credits will be available for Certified Crop Advisors. For more information, visit go.osu.edu/OrganicGrains.
Muskingum County is among the Ohio counties included in the 2024 ARC-CO payment estimates for corn and soybeans, which are based on USDA final program parameters and county yield data. While statewide payments total about $168 million, Muskingum’s payment level depends on whether its 2024 revenue fell below it’s benchmark revenue, triggering ARC-CO support. Counties with average or above-average yields generally receive little or no payment, so Muskingum’s payment will reflect its yield performance relative to trend-adjusted benchmarks. No PLC payments will be issued for corn or soybeans because market prices exceeded reference prices, making ARC-CO the primary safety net for Muskingum producers.
A more comprehensive explanation is detailed in 2024 ARC-CO Corn & Soybean Payment Estimates, Ohio Counties, November 2025
Meet Neil and Fayebell Cherry to learn about their efforts to manage the woodlands on their property near Crooksville in Morgan County.
Observe their efforts to salvage yellow-poplar trees damaged by recent drought and insect outbreaks.
Learn the basic Dos and Don’ts of harvesting timber including: 1) working with a professional forester, 2) deciding which trees to harvest, 3) marking trees to harvest, 4) components of a good contract, 5) Best Management Practices to minimize soil erosion and many other considerations.
Understand the importance of managing invasive plants especially before a timber harvest.
Date: Tuesday, October 7th
Address: Cherry Orchards
10340 State Route 669,
Crooksville, OH 43731
(Follow yellow “Forestry Event” signs!)
Time: Program- 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Cost: Free to Attend!
Please RSVP by October 1: go.osu.edu/cherryorchards
Call: 740-385-3222 and ask for Angie Seum, OSU Extension Hocking County
With an estimated several hundred thousand head of cattle on roadways each day in the U.S., BERP offers practical curriculum and training opportunities for local responders to more appropriately prepare for and respond to accidents involving livestock transportation. Read more