Southern Ohio Farm Show, February 17, 2021

This week on the Southern Ohio Farm Show we are joined by Dr. Tim McDermott for gardening tips, Dave Apsley helps us ientify the pitch pine, information on sustainability, and supplementing beef cattle during the winter with Richard Purdin. Tune in next week for another new episode!

OSU Extension Beef Team to Host Winter Meetings

Garth Ruff, Beef Cattle Field Specialist, OSU Extension

Dr. Kenny Burdine, Extension livestock economist at the University of Kentucky, will focus on beef cattle market outlook for 2021.

What a year 2020 has been. Are you looking to improve herd efficiency and profitability to weather the storm? Look no further than the slate of winter programming to be offered by the OSU Extension Beef Team. Programs planned for early 2021 are designed to provide valuable information for all segments of Ohio’s beef industry.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge to the beef industry to say the least, and the effects will continue to linger for some time. One thing we have learned this year is there continues to be need for gained efficiency and improved management within all segments of our beef cattle industry. This winter’s Ohio State Extension Beef School series will focus on both of those topics. Given current university policies regarding COVID-19, this years Beef Schools will be offered as a virtual series of programs.

What was originally planned as two on-farm face-to-face Cow-Calf Management Schools has now been redesigned as a series of 6 consecutive two hour webinar programs. While perhaps being less ‘hands-on” this webinar format now opens up the opportunity for more cattlemen throughout Ohio to participate. These presentations will occur on Monday evenings from 6 until 8 p.m. beginning on January 18, 2021. The first three evenings will be focused on producing quality forages while the final three will address reproduction and cow/calf management.

The Cow-Calf Management School series is being offered for free, and may be enrolled in as a one time package for all six programs. Find more details including registration under this registration link. Additional information will be available in the coming weeks.

In addition to the Cow-Calf School series, four additional programs focused on single topics are also scheduled.

A Cow-Calf Outlook meeting via webinar has been set for 6:30 p.m. on January 26. Dr. Kenny Burdine, Livestock Marketing Extension Specialist from the University of Kentucky will be the featured speaker. Dr. Burdine will give a market outlook for 2021 and discuss how cow and calf management plays a role in determining value at the time of marketing. Registration for this free program is available here.

The need for increased risk management for fed cattle has been highlighted by a couple of “Black Swan” events: COVID-19 and the 2019 Tyson packing plank fire. Via webinar on Feruary 24 beginning at 6 p.m., the 2021 Cattle Feeding and Management School will feature Justin White of Hudson Insurance who will present on risk management for fed cattle, specifically the Livestock Risk Protection and Livestock Gross Margin Insurance programs. To finish up the program Jason Hartschuh, OSU Extension Crawford County will discuss feedlot ventilation needs. This program will be held via webinar, pre-registration for this free program will be required.

Rounding out our winter programs will be a webinar addressing a fairly new topic for Beef Team programming. Ohio’s dairy industry is a significant contributor to beef production across the state. On March 10 at noon Allen Gahler, Extension Educator in Sandusky County will be teaching a session entitled Beef Sire Selection for the Dairy Herd, taking a look at what EPD and genetic criteria should be considered when mating beef sires to dairy cattle. The registration for this program is linked here.

Find additional detail on each of these programs on the 2021 Ohio Beef School page.

Ohio cattlemen will also enjoy the virtual Pastures for Profit series that will begin in January. Details and registration information will be available soon.

Lastly, continue to stay up to date on county based Beef Quality Assurance education opportunities. Many producers here in Ohio were certified in three years ago in 2018 and will be due for recertification in 2021. Beef Quality Assurance training dates and information as well as registration for the above mentioned programs can all be found at beef.osu.edu.

Not knowing what COVID-19 has in store for this winter, we hope these virtual programs are beneficial until in-person programs can be returned sometime in 2021. We are looking forward to working with as many of you as possible in the coming year. Stay safe!

Solar, Beef, and Hemp Programs Planned

Brooke Beam, PhD

Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator

Ohio State University Extension, Highland County

February 11, 2020

 

The next two weeks are full of exciting programs to attend. Mark your calendars for the programs outlined below and plan to attend.

On Monday, February 17, 2020, Dr. Gustavo Schuenemann, a professor at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, will teach a calving workshop at Union Stock Yards beginning at 6 P.M. Dr. Schuenemann will bring a mechanical cow, which will allow for participants to receive hands-on experience. Space is limited so that all participants will be able to receive hands-on training. RSVP to the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918 to reserve your seat.

On Tuesday, February 18, 2020, Peggy Kirk Hall and Eric Romich, OSU Extension Specialists in agriculture law and solar energy respectively, will help landowners who are considering leasing land for future solar projects by teaching the basics of solar leasing. The program will be held in the Large Meeting Room of the Highland County Administration Building at 9:30 A.M. Topics included in this presentation include solar development trends, converting farmland to solar production, and key considerations to weigh before signing lease agreements for solar energy production.

On Monday, February 24, 2020, several workshops will be offered at the Ag is Everyone’s Business Breakfast. Specific to the Ag is Everyone’s Business Breakfast, there will be a beef workshop, hemp workshop, and a business round table.

For the beef workshop, Dr. Lyda Garcia, Assistant Professor for the Department of Animal Sciences at The Ohio State University, will lead an in-depth program on meat science and the beef industry. Dr. Garcia is responsible for teaching undergraduate courses in meat science, including introduction to meat science, harvest and fabrication, process meats, and meat carcass evaluation. Samples of steak from several kinds of production practices will be provided  to participants in this workshop.

Jim Belt, Ohio Department of Agriculture’s hemp inspector, will teach a workshop on hemp in Ohio. This workshop is designed to guide farmers who are interested in growing hemp through the application process, what considerations they need to evaluate before entering the hemp industry, and the regulations specific to Ohio.

The third workshop available to attend at the Ag is Everyone’s Business Breakfast is a business roundtable. This roundtable will include updates on the Willowbrook Solar Farm Project by Mike Volpe, Vice President of Open Road Renewables. Other panelists will include elected officials. Other topics relevant to agriculture production in Highland County will be discussed as well.

Tickets to the Ag is Everyone’s Business Breakfast are available through the Highland County Chamber of Commerce, 937-393-1111. For more information about any of the programs outlined above, contact the Ohio State University Extension, Highland County office at 937-393-1918.

 

Beef, It’s a trend for 2019

Over 185 individuals received their BQA certification at the training held on January 22, 2019, at Union Stock Yards in Hillsboro, OH.

 

 

Brooke Beam, PhD

Ohio State University Extension, Highland County

Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator

January 16, 2019

In the mid-1990s, the National Cattlemen’s Association launched a marketing campaign around the slogan of “Beef, it’s what’s for dinner.” This was a slogan I heard repeatedly as a child growing up on a beef farm. This winter, however, beef is on the minds of agricultural producers and opportunities to capture marketing advantages.

One opportunity beef producers should take advantage of is to become beef quality assurance certified (BQA) to make their livestock more marketable to buyers. Quality assurance practices were developed in the 1960s when Pillsbury was developing safety and quality standards to produce food for astronauts. The same basic principles were applied in beef research studies in the early 1980s. The findings included that quality assurance practices in beef production increased the quality of the meat produced and generated a more uniform herd.  As of January 1, 2019, several large companies have decided to only purchase beef from producers that are beef quality assurance certified.

Since August of 2018, the Highland County Extension Office, in conjunction with Extension educators from Adams, Brown, and Clermont County Extension Offices, have held five BQA trainings in Hillsboro to help beef producers be prepared for the marketing change in 2019. From these five trainings, 486 beef producers from southern Ohio have received their national certification in BQA. In fact, the most recent training had such a large demand, two additional trainings have been scheduled. The next BQA training will be held on January 29, 2019, at 2 PM at United Producers, Inc., and an additional training will be held at Union Stock Yards on February 13, 2019, at 6 PM.

In addition to the BQA trainings, the Highland County Extension Office will be holding additional beef-related programming in the first quarter of 2019. On Tuesday, February 5, 2019, the Highland County Extension Office will host a live webinar of the 2019 Ohio Beef School in the Large Meeting Room of 119 Governor Foraker Place in Hillsboro. The program will begin at 7 PM and the event is free, but RSVPs are encouraged to reserve a seat. The 2019 Ohio Beef Cattle School will discuss a series of topics related to the winter management of cow herds to ensure a productive year.

Those who are interested in beef and meat production have the opportunity to tour the OSU Meat Lab 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.

For more information about any of the programs listed above, contact the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.

 

Upcoming Events: 

The next Monthly Extension Program will be held on Wednesday, January 30, 2019, at 10 AM at Ponderosa Steakhouse in Hillsboro, OH. The topic of this program will be on Small Business Video Production and will be presented by Brooke Beam. If you have a small business and would like to incorporate more videos into your marketing plans or you are interested in learning the basics of video production, this program is for you! If you have a camera or a mobile device, bring your camera equipment with you to participate as this will be a hands-on workshop.

 

Fertilizer and Pesticide Recertifications: 

February 19, 2019

Ponderosa Banquet Center, 545 S. High Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133

5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial

6:30 pm Pesticide Recertification (Core, 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6) Private Applicators Only

March 4, 2018

Ponderosa Banquet Center, 545 S. High Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133

10:00 am to 11:00 am Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial

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.

Leadership Highland Community Government Day

Brooke Beam, Ph.D.

Ohio State University Extension, Highland County

Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator

January 16, 2019

Participants of Leadership Highland toured the maintenance buildings at the Highland County Engineer’s Office. From left to right: Rob Holt, Mat Greene, Mike Hart, Diana Grooms, Michelle Unsworth, and Brooke Beam.

 

The participants of Leadership Highland met on January 16, 2019, for Community Government Day. The participants learned more about the infrastructure of the county government and the history of the courthouse.

Leadership Highland participants attended the Highland County Commissioners meeting. Commissioners Terry Britton and Gary Abernathy received a check from Nate Jester, manager of the Pike State Forest, for a tree removal program. Also present at the meeting were Jared Warner, from the Highland County Health Department, and Bill Fawley, Highland County Auditor.

Commissioners Gary Abernathy and Terry Britton led the Highland County Commissioners meeting on Januery 16, 2019.

The last remaining jail cell in the old jail is now used for storage of books. The other cells have been converted into modern office spaces.

Tom Parrin, the custodian of the Highland County Administrative Building and Courthouse, provided a tour of the old jail and courthouse buildings. Parrin showed the last remaining jail cell, the law library, and the circus banners that were repurposed to build the roof of the old jail building. Tom Horst provided additional historical context for the old jail building by providing detailed informational packets. Horst said that the old jail building originally cost $22,000.00 to build and the woodwork alone cost $4,000.00.

On the third floor of the old jail, participants of Leadership Highland were able to see parts of the circus poster that was repurposed to build the roof.

Judge Rocky Coss, Common Pleas judge, provided an additional tour of the courthouse and described the inner workings of the Common Pleas Court. Judge Coss showed the history and renovation of the courthouse, as well as the historical fixtures in the building. Judge Coss introduced the participants of Leadership Highland to Ike Hodson, the Clerk of the Highland County Clerk of Courts. The Clerk of Courts maintains records from court cases and also processes passports.

Judge Coss describes the history of the Common Pleas Court to the participants of Leadership Highland.

 

In the afternoon, participants met with Dean Otworth, the Highland County Engineer, and Chris Fauber, the Deputy Engineer, at the Highland County Engineer’s Office. Otworth and Fauber described the process of maintaining a budget, providing proper maintenance for the roadways, and the process of plowing the roads during the winter. Otworth and Fauber provided a tour of the vehicle maintenance building and the storage facility for the salt.

The next meeting of Leadership Highland will be in February, focusing on business and industry. For more information about Leadership Highland, contact the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918 or email beam.49@osu.edu.

 

Upcoming Events: 

The next Beef Quality Assurance Training will be held at Union Stockyards on Tuesday, January 22, 2018, at 6:30 P.M. A meal will be served at 5:30 P.M. prior to the class. Please RSVP to the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.

Another Beef Quality Assurance Training will be held at United Producers Inc., at 2 P.M. on January 29, 2019. There will not be a meal included at this training. Please RSVP to the Highland County Extension Office at 927-393-1918.

The next Highland County Master Gardener Volunteer meeting will be held on Thursday, January 17, 2019, at 10 AM in the Large Meeting Room in the basement of 110 Governor Foraker Place, Hillsboro, OH.

On Tuesday, February 5, 2019, a live webinar of the 2019 Ohio Beef Cattle School will be held in the Large Meeting Room of 119 Governor Foraker Place, Hillsboro, OH. The program will begin at 7 P.M. The 2019 Ohio Beef Cattle School is free to attend, but RSVPs are required. The topic of the webinar is on the winter management of the cow herd to ensure a productive 2019. RSVP to the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918 or via email to beam.49@osu.edu.

Fertilizer and Pesticide Recertifications: 

February 19, 2019

Ponderosa Banquet Center, 545 S. High Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133

5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial

6:30 pm Pesticide Recertification (Core, 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6) Private Applicators Only

March 4, 2018

Ponderosa Banquet Center, 545 S. High Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133

10:00 am to 11:00 am Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial

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.

Ring in 2019

Brooke Beam, Ph.D.

Ohio State University Extension, Highland County

Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator

As 2018 comes to a close, many individuals reflect on the past year and look forward to a prosperous, healthy, and happy New Year in 2019. There are many traditions associated with the New Years celebrations across the globe. For example, did you know that Alud Lang Syne is a Scottish song?

One of my favorite traditions is to ring in the New Year with fireworks. While I enjoy fireworks displays on television, many individuals create their own backyard fireworks displays to enjoy with family and friends. Whether you enjoy the annual New Year celebrations from the comfort of your own home or by lighting your own fireworks displays, safety for both the individuals lighting the fireworks and for those watching the displays in-person are paramount to start the New Year off right.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says that sparklers burn at 1200 °F. In comparison, water boils at 212 °F and wood burns at 575 °F. “In 2013, sparklers caused 41 percent of fireworks injuries,” according to the NFPA. More than half of fireworks-related injuries are burns, but injuries can also include contusions, lacerations, foreign object in the eye and even death, according to the NFPA and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Hand and finger injuries account for 36 percent of fireworks injuries, followed by eye (19 percent), and head, face or ear injuries (19 percent) (NFPA, 2014).

According to Dr. Nicholas Kman and Andrea Whittaker, RN, of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, “fireworks-related injuries are the most common on New Year’s Eve and the Fourth of July.” Kman and Whittaker recommend several tips to avoid being injured by fireworks:

  • “Never lean over fireworks when lighting the fuse. Back up to a safe distance right after lighting them.
  • If you find unexploded fireworks, leave them be. Never try to relight or handle them. Soak them with water and throw them away.
  • Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose nearby.
  • Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
  • Light fireworks one at a time, then move away from them quickly.
  • Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.
  • After fireworks are done burning, douse with plenty of water before throwing them away to prevent a trash fire.
  • Do not experiment with homemade fireworks or fireworks made for professional displays (these will be packaged in brown paper).
  • Parents and caretakers should always closely supervise teens using fireworks.
  • Parents should not allow young children to handle or use fireworks.
  • Only use fireworks outdoors” (Kman & Whittaker, 2018, p. 1).

If you are interested in learning more about fireworks safety or would like to become a certified pyrotechnician, Rozzi Fireworks will be holding an all-day training on April 27, 2018, at the Clinton County Fairgrounds. Registration will be available on their website, www.rozzifireworks.com, in mid-March. Celebrate the New Year responsibly and have a great start to 2019! For more information about upcoming Highland County Extension programs, contact the office at 937-393-1918.

References:

National Fire Protection Association. (2014). Fireworks Fact Sheet. Retrieved from https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/News-and-Research/Fire-statistics-and   reports/Fact     sheets/FireworksFactSheet.pdf.

National Fire Protection Association. (2018). Fireworks Safety Fact Sheet. Retrieved from            https://firesafety.osu.edu/posts/documents/fireworkssafetytips-july-safety-tips.pdf

Kman, N., & Whittaker, A. (2018, June 29). Fireworks safety: How you can prevent burns and injuries. Retrieved from https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/firework-safety

 

Upcoming Events:

A fifth Beef Quality Assurance Training will be held at Union Stockyards on Tuesday, January 22, 2018, at 6:30 P.M. Please RSVP to the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.

The next Highland County Master Gardener Volunteer meeting will be held on Thursday, January 17, 2019, at 10 AM in the Large Meeting Room in the basement of 110 Governor Foraker Place, Hillsboro, OH.

Fertilizer and Pesticide Recertifications: 

February 19, 2019

Ponderosa Banquet Center, 545 S. High Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133

5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial

6:30 pm Pesticide Recertification (Core, 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6) Private Applicators Only

March 4, 2018

Ponderosa Banquet Center, 545 S. High Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133

10:00 am to 11:00 am Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial

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.