Articles

2024 ARC-CO Corn & Soybean Payment Estimates

| Clifton Martin

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

Heavy rain for some, status quo for others

| Clifton Martin

Just as quickly as the rain moved in, the pattern has turned dry and warm once again. Temperatures were 6-9°F above average last week, with daytime highs soaring into the mid to upper 80s over the weekend. We are starting off this week in the mid to upper 80s as well, but a slight cool down is in the forecast. Highs will drop by a couple of degrees each day, with overnight lows in the 40s and 50s this week.

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October 1 brings open burning restrictions

| Clifton Martin

The warm, dry, windy months of October and November are upon us, and they bring increased fire risk across Ohio. That’s why Ohio law prohibits all open burning from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. during October and November.  The risk of fire spreading is high during those times and  volunteer firefighters with daytime jobs aren’t readily available to respond to the higher fire risk.

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Managing Perennial Weeds in Pastures and Hayfields this Fall

| Emma Matcham, Eugene Law, PhD, Ted Wiseman

Fall is an important time of year for managing perennial weeds in forage crops, especially pastures. Some weed issues were exacerbated in 2025 due to last year’s drought, and we’ve seen many pastures and hayfields with high levels of hemp dogbane, milkweed, Canada thistle, and others. Perennial species can be particularly hard to control since their root systems and other underground structures allow them to regrow quickly after their above ground structures are killed. Fall is an important window for perennial species control, since actions taken now can reduce the amount of energy they store underground for next year.

Frequent mowing is a type of mechanical weed control that helps deplete the amount of carbohydrates that plants have stored in their root systems. Over time, plants that are mowed frequently will be less able to grow back quickly. Using a systemic herbicide in conjunction with mechanical weed control can further reduce a perennial weed’s ability to bounce back in spring. Systemic herbicides are able to move from where they are sprayed on the plant surface to the underground portion of plants. Fall is one of the most effective times of year for systemic herbicide use on perennial plants as the plants will actively move the herbicide throughout the root system as they fill their carbohydrate storages, but they must be used when plants are still actively growing. Optimal timing will be a few weeks after the last cutting, but before hard frosts begin—in most years, that’s sometime in September for Ohio. Control is more effective if perennial weeds are allowed to regrow to around 6-12 inches tall before applying herbicides….continue reading

Forage Analysis has likely never been so important

| Stan Smith

With what became known as perhaps the worst drought in Ohio history in 2024 followed by an extremely wet spring of 2025, perhaps never more than now has the adage “you can’t manage what you don’t measure” been more valid or meaningful to those trying to feed a beef cow. While cattlemen are concerned about the quality of Ohio’s late made forages this spring and early summer, it’s important for those who are balancing the needs of cows in various stages of production to know the nutritional value of the various feedstuffs they may be utilizing.

In this excerpt from one of the OSU Extension Beef Team’s 2021 Beef School sessions, Perry County Educator Ted Wiseman goes over the interpretation of a forage analysis and how the wide range in forage quality we’re seeing may need to be supplemented.

New Publication: Using Long-Term Leases in Farm Transition Planning

| Robert Moore

Planning how to pass on the farm to the next generation can be one of the most challenging tasks for a farm family. Parents often want to recognize the hard work and commitment of a farming heir while still treating non-farming heirs fairly. The difficulty is that most of a family’s wealth is usually tied up in farmland and operating assets. If all the farmland is left to the farming heir, non-farming heirs may feel shortchanged. But if farmland is split among heirs, the farming operation can lose access to land needed to sustain the business. Non-farming heirs may wish to inherit land for sentimental or financial reasons, yet their ownership could lead to conflicts over leases, sales, or use of the property that disrupt the farm’s future.

These decisions can become emotional as well as financial. A farming heir often contributes years of labor with the understanding they will one day operate the farm. Non-farming heirs may feel entitled to an equitable share of the family wealth, even if it means dividing farm assets. Options like requiring a buyout by the farming heir can create additional financial stress and may not be realistic given high land prices. Many families struggle to balance fairness to all heirs with the need to preserve the land base for a viable farming operation.

A new bulletin, Using Long-Term Leases in Farm Transition Planning, explores one way to resolve this challenge. A long-term lease allows parents to leave farmland ownership to a non-farming heir while granting the farming heir a secure, extended right to farm that land. This strategy protects the farmland base for the farming heir, provides rental income to the non-farming heir, and helps the farming heir avoid the high cost of purchasing additional farmland. The publication explains how long term leases work, the advantages and disadvantages of this approach, and considerations for setting lease terms that work for both parties. It includes practical examples of how families can use this strategy in their transition plans, as well as the importance of adjusting rent over time and consulting legal counsel before finalizing an agreement.

The bulletin is part of the Planning for the Future of Your Farm series and is now available on the Farm Office website.