Month: February 2019

Winter Extension Programming

Brooke Beam, PhD

Ohio State University Extension, Highland County

Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator

February 5, 2019

Winter is a busy time for farmers and Extension Educators alike. There are several upcoming programs in Highland County and in the region that may be of interest to many farmers. For more information about any of the programs outlined below, contact the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.

  • Regional eFields Meeting at the Clinton County Extension Office–February 13, 2019, 9:00AM – 12:00PM.  Clinton County Extension Office.  This meeting is open to anyone interested in on-farm research results from this area and around the state. Go to osu.edu/eFields for more information.
  • The seventh Beef Quality Assurance Training will be held at Union Stock Yards in Hillsboro, OH, on February 13, 2019, at 6 PM. A meal will be served at 5 PM. To attend, you must RSVP in advance to Union Stock Yards (937-393-1958) or to the Highland County Extension Office (937-393-1918).
  • Highland County Fertilizer and Pesticide Recertifications: 
    • February 19, 2019, Ponderosa Banquet Center, 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial, and 6:30 pm Pesticide Recertification (Core, 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6) Private Applicators Only
    • March 4, 2018, Ponderosa Banquet Center, 10:00 am to 11:00 am Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial, and 11:30 am Pesticide Recertification (Core, 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6) Private Applicators Only.

Registration details will come in the mail from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Registration for OSU Extension Pesticide and Fertilizer and your renewal application for ODA Pesticide/Fertilizer must both be completed. Meals will be included at each recertification training at Ponderosa.

  • Ohio Intensive Soybean Management Workshop–February 19, 2019, Clinton County Extension Office, 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM, Cost $35.00, contact Clinton County Extension Office at 937-382-0901 to register. Guest speakers include Dr. Mark Loux, Extension Weed Specialist, Dr. Leah McHale, Soybean Breeding and Genetics Specialist, and Dr. Anne Dorrance, Field Crop Extension Pathologist. CCA Credits will be available for Certified Crop Advisors as well as Private and Commercial Pesticide Applicator Recertification Credits.
  • The topic of the Highland County Monthly Extension Programming for February will be Maple Syrup Production. The program will be held on February 27, 2019, at 10 AM. The program will be held at Ponderosa Steakhouse in Hillsboro and is free to attend. Attendees are encouraged to purchase lunch on their own at Ponderosa. Please RSVP to reserve your seat by calling 937-393-1918. Attendees will learn about the process of producing maple syrup and marketing.
  • Southwest Ohio Corn Growers Annual Meeting, March 12, 2019, from 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM at the Fayette County Fairgrounds. Pre-register by calling the Fayette County Extension Office 740-335-1150 by March 5, 2019. The speaker will be Ben Brown, Program Manager for Farm Management at The Ohio State University, and he will discuss the Farm Bill and farm outlook.
  • The Highland County Extension Office will be hosting a tour of the OSU Meat Lab in Columbus, Ohio, for those who are interested in beef and meat production on March 19, 2019. The tour will coincide with the meat class on campus, so attendees will be able to see the lab on a harvesting day. The tour will be held in the morning and space is limited. Please call the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918 for additional information and to reserve your place for the tour.
  • Southwestern Ohio Beekeeper School will be held on Saturday, March 23, 2019, at the Oasis Conference Center in Loveland. The cost is $35 and includes a continental breakfast and buffet lunch. Classes will be offered for beginners to moderately experienced beekeepers. Vendors will be onsite to sell equipment. Registration is limited to 350 people. Registration is available online. The registration link and class descriptions can be found at osu.eduor the event page http://go.osu.edu/swohbeeschool.
  • The topic of the Highland County Monthly Extension Programming for March will be Storytelling for Video Production. The program will be held on March 27, 2019, at 10 AM. Attendees will learn about the different kinds of documentary films and how storytelling impacts the audience’s perception of videos. The program will be held at Ponderosa Steakhouse in Hillsboro and is free to attend. Attendees are encouraged to purchase lunch on their own at Ponderosa. Please RSVP to reserve your seat by calling 937-393-1918.
  • Small Farm Conference and Trade Show will be held on Friday, March 29thand Saturday, March 30th at the OSU South Centers in Piketon, Ohio.  The conference is designed for small farm owners wanting to learn more about how to make their farms work better for them. Many topics will be offered to help landowners expand their operations. Landowners can attend workshops and seminars taught by Extension professionals and industry leaders on a wide variety of agricultural enterprises.  Attendees will also get to meet various vendors at the trade show.  The trade show will be open part of the day on Friday, and all-day Saturday.  For full details, please go to osu.edu/OSUFARMConference2019.

 

Don’t Guess, Soil Test!

Submitted by Faye Mahaffey

OSUE Brown County Master Gardener Volunteer

How did your garden do this year?  Was your tomato yield down? Did your green beans do as well as you wanted? Maybe it’s time to do a soil test!

According to OSUE Fact Sheet HYG-1132, Soil testing is an excellent investment for garden, lawn, landscape plants, and commercial crops. It is a very inexpensive way of maintaining good plant health and maximum crop productivity. The standard soil test provides the status of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), pH, cation exchange capacity, lime requirement index, and base saturations. Additional tests are also available for iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), soluble salts, nitrates, and organic matter content. With a representative soil sample and an accurate test, sound fertilizer recommendations can help gardeners and growers improve plant quality and productivity, and save money, too!

The soil test takes the guesswork out of fertilization and is extremely cost effective. It not only eliminates the waste of money spent on unnecessary fertilizers but also eliminates over-usage of fertilizers, hence helping to protect the environment.

Soil samples can be taken in the spring or fall for established sites. For new sites, soil samples can be taken anytime when the soil is workable. Most people conduct their soil tests in the spring. However, autumn can also be a great time to take soil tests if one wants to avoid the spring rush and suspects a soil pH problem. Fall soil testing will allow you ample time to apply lime to raise the soil pH. Sulfur should be applied in the spring if the soil pH needs to be lowered.

A soil tests every two to three years is usually adequate. Sample more frequently if you desire a closer monitoring of the fertility levels, or if you grow plants that are known to be heavy feeders.

A soil sample is best taken with a soil probe or an auger. However, a spade, knife, or trowel can also be used to take thin slices or sections of soil. Soils should be collected in a clean plastic pail or box.

Gardeners, homeowners, landscapers, growers, farmers, and all other interested parties should contact their local OSU Extension office to find out the scope of services in each county, if they have questions about soil testing. See http://extension.osu.edu/counties.phpfor a list of OSU Extension offices, their contact information, and services that each office offers.

Interested in learning more about soils and soil testing? Mark your calendar and plan to attend our garden seminar on Thursday, February 21 at 7:00 p.m. at the Mt. Orab campus of Southern State Community College. James Morris, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator and Community Development Educator for Brown County OSU Extension, will talk about soils as well as soil testing. Remember that all seminars are free and open to the public and are held in Room 208. Please remember that in case of wintry weather, you should check SSCC’s website, www.sscc.edu, or call 937-444-7722, for any campus closures. If the campus is closed, the seminar will be canceled and rescheduled.

Dreaming about your garden? Ordering seeds? It’s time to think about the health of your soil!

 

Small Farm Conference and Trade Show

Come Join Us for the Small Farm Conference & Trade Show

The two-day conference will be held on Friday, March 29th and Saturday, March 30th at the OSU South Centers in Piketon, Ohio.

The conference is designed for small farm owners wanting to learn more about how to make their farms work better for them. Many topics will be offered to help landowners expand their operations. Landowners can attend workshops and seminars taught by Extension professionals and industry leaders on a wide variety of agricultural enterprises.  Attendees will also get to meet various vendors at the trade show.  The trade show will be open part of the day on Friday, and all day Saturday.

Attached is the brochure that includes a mail-in registration, and the agenda with session descriptions.

Please see the flyer below for additional information.

For full details, please go to go.osu.edu/OSUFARMConference2019.