farm management

Planning for the Future of Your Farm Workshop

December 3, 2025December 3, 2025 | Clifton Martin

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:

Developing Goals for Estate and Succession
Planning for the Transition of Control
Planning for the Unexpected
Communication and Conflict Management during Farm Transfer
Legal Tools and Strategies
Developing Your Team
Getting Your Affairs in Order
Selecting an Attorney

We encourage parents, children, and grandchildren to attend together to develop a plan for the future of your family farm.

More information about all Planning for the Future of Your Farm Workshops offered by OSU Extension is available here.

Recording available from the November 2025 Farm Office Live Tax Webinar

December 3, 2025December 3, 2025 | Clifton Martin

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.

Farm Accounting With Quicken Workshop – Muskingum County

December 3, 2025 | Clifton Martin

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

2026 Agronomy School – January 29

December 2, 2025December 2, 2025 | Clifton Martin

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.

Things to Consider Before a Timber Harvest, Oct 7 at Cherry Orchards

September 30, 2025September 30, 2025 | Clifton Martin

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

October 1 brings open burning restrictions

September 30, 2025 | 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.