beef

Upcoming Highland County Extension Programs

Brooke Beam, PhD

Ohio State University Extension, Highland County

Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator

 

As the fall harvest season ends, the Highland County Extension Office will begin to hold Monthly Extension Programming again. The next Monthly Extension Program will be held on December 10, 2018, at 10 am at Ponderosa Steakhouse. Gary Ludwig, from the USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, will be the guest speaker. Mr. Ludwig’s presentation will be Managing Black Vulture Predation. He will cover information on:

  • Black Vulture Identification and Habits
  • Fact and fiction regarding the Black Vulture’s Protected Status
  • Applying the Integrated Wildlife Damage Management (IWDM) Process to Black Vulture Problems
  • Obtaining and effectively utilizing a Federal Depredation Permit
  • The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) as Administered by the FSA

RSVP to the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918 to reserve your seat. The cost to attend this program is free; however, attendees are strongly encouraged to purchase lunch on their own at Ponderosa.

The next Beef Quality Assurance Training will be held at Union Stockyards on Tuesday, January 22, 2018. The program will start at 6:30 pm. This will be the fifth in a series of BQAs held in Hillsboro within a span of six months to certify beef producers in the safe handling and treatment of cattle. Companies, like Tyson and Wendy’s, will be requiring beef producers they are sourcing their beef products from to be BQA certified in 2019. At this point in time, BQA certification is not mandatory for beef producers, but it is strongly encouraged if you are hoping to market your beef to a company that is requiring the certification. If you were not able to attend one of the previous BQAs, consider attending this upcoming training. RSVP to the Highland County Extension Office to reserve your seat.

Dates have been announced for the 2019 Highland County fertilizer and pesticide recertifications. In 2019, there are several thousand individuals who need to recertify their fertilizer and pesticide applicator licenses. Over 100 Highland County residents will need to renew their licenses. There will be two recertifications held in Hillsboro in 2019, so all Highland County residents needing to recertify will be able to do so in Highland County. The dates for these recertifications are:

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, the cost to attend both a fertilizer and pesticide training will be $40.00.

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

 

Highlights of Highland County Agriculture Virtual Reality Video

For those of you who were unable to attend the Highland County fair, below you will find the virtual reality video that was shown. The video highlights several Highland County farms and a variety of agricultural production practices, as well as a prominent community event.

Special thanks to White Clover Farm, Karnes Orchard and Starlite Dairy for allowing their farms to be recorded for the project.

White Clover Farm near Hillsboro, Ohio.

Dr. James Linnie owns and operates White Clover Farm, a grassfed beef operation located outside of Hillsboro, Ohio. Dr. Linnie started the farm in 2005 while he was working part-time as a gastroenterologist. Today, Dr. Linnie’s business consists of a herd of 100 percent grassfed beef that are rotated every few days to fresh pastures. The scene shown in the VR video is of Dr. Linnie moving his cattle from one section of the pasture to another. If you compare the two pastures in the video, you can clearly see the difference between which pasture the cattle have been grazing and the pasture they are going to be grazing. In fact, the cattle had only been gazing in the previous pasture for 24 hours.

Karnes Orchard

The Karnes family has a history of having an orchard on their family farm since 1876. In March of 2012, the Karnes family replanted 2,200 fruit trees and in 2013 planted an additional 2,000 trees for a wider selection of fruits. Karnes Orchard now raises over 30 varieties of apples, pears, plums, peaches, and cherries. In addition to fresh fruits, fresh apple cider is available in the Karnes Orchard Market seasonally. The scene filmed in the VR video shows picking Honey Crisp apples in the orchard as well as the washing, sizing, and packaging process.

Starlite Dairy

Starlite Dairy is owned and operated by Tom and Janet Shawhan near Marshall, Ohio. At Starlite Dairy, the cows are milked twice a day. During optimal weather conditions, a cow can produce an average of 80 pounds of milk a day. The milking parlor at Starlite Dairy holds 16 cows at a time and it takes between 6 to 8 minutes to complete the milking process.

 

What’s on your plate tonight?

Brooke Beam, PhD

Ohio State University Extension, Highland County

Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator

 

Currently, the rolling landscapes of southern Ohio are filled with lush, green fields of crops that create a picturesque scenery for those who stop to enjoy the view. The same can be said for those who stop to enjoy the local products of agricultural producers as their plate will be filled with fresh, flavorful food. Local produce and meats have numerous benefits for both the consumer and agricultural producer. These benefits include economic stimulus, environmental, health, and quality of life benefits.

Did you know that the average family of three spends $9,000.00 annually on food? According to Brian Raison, from Ohio State University Extension, if the average family of three spent just 10 percent of their money on local foods, it would cause an economic impact of $900 to go to local producers. More consumers of local foods would lead to a greater economic impact for local agricultural producers. Currently, agricultural markets are in a challenging place for many farmers in the United States. Diversification into multiple commodities is one way to help alleviate some of the financial stress caused by lower commodity prices, but there also needs to be a strong local market for these products.

Local foods don’t travel thousands of miles to be marketed, and therefore do not have as many negative environmental impacts. “Food imported from far away is older and has traveled on trucks or planes, and sat in warehouses” before it gets to the consumer (Grubinger, 2010, p. 2). Due to the decreased travel time, the food is fresher, contains more nutrients, and is generally more colorful (Grubinger, 2010; Raison, 2014).

Additionally, local foods have positive health benefits. Going for a walk at a u-pick farm, eating fresh produce, and preparing meals at home with family all have added physical and mental health benefits. Going to local farm businesses can be a social experience. Meeting new people, trying new things, and learning about local food production can be a great opportunity for people of any age to become more active in the community.

What are some local foods and where can you find them? Great question! Apples, peaches, sweet corn, strawberries, lettuce, tomatoes, meat, and milk, among others, are all produced locally and available for your table (some things may only be available seasonally). There are multiple farm stands, farmers markets, orchards, and u-pick farms you can visit to purchase these (and more) local products. If you don’t want to go through the process of making a pie or salad with fresh fruit, there are bakeries and restaurants in Highland County that are using local products on their menu. So, try something new tonight and eat locally.

For more information about local foods contact the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.

References:

Grubinger, V. (2010, April). Ten Reasons to Buy Local Food. Retrieved from https://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/factsheets/buylocal.html

Raison, B. (2014, October 17). Local Food. TEDxDayton. Retrieved from https://u.osu.edu/raison/local-food/

 

Upcoming Events

The next Monthly Extension Program will be held on August 27, 2018, at the Pondo Center in Hillsboro, Ohio. The guest speaker will be Dr. Scott Shearer, who will discuss Big Data and UAVs in Production Agriculture. Advanced registration is required as lunch will be included in the registration fee. Tickets are available for purchase at the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918. The cost of registration is $20.00. The deadline to purchase a ticket in advance is August 23, 2018. For more information contact Brooke Beam at 937-393-1918 or beam.49@osu.edu.

 

Beef Quality Assurance Trainings:

  • Tuesday, August 28, 2018, 6:30 P.M., Union Stockyards, Hillsboro
  • Thursday, September 13, 2018, 6:30 P.M., Producers Stockyards, Hillsboro
  • Thursday, October 25, 2018, 6:30 P.M., Producers Stockyards, Hillsboro

Call your local Ohio State University Extension Office to register for the date and location of the BQA training of your choice. The Highland County Extension Office can be reached at 937-393-1918.

Tickets for the 2018 Farm Science Review are now available at the Highland County Extension Office. Tickets purchased at the Highland County Extension Office are $7, tickets will be $10 at the gate. Children 5 and under are free.

Upcoming Beef Quality Assurance Certification Trainings

By Brooke Beam, PhD

Ohio State University Extension, Highland County

Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator

July 24, 2018

While the vast majority of American citizens are disconnected from production agriculture, a cultural movement over the last decade has urged consumers to be more interested in their food and how it was produced. This interest in food and agricultural production has coincided with the introduction of the Millennial generation into the consumer market. Millennials differ from previous generations, as they are expected to be the “largest consumer spenders in history” and they are known as trendsetters in the agricultural marketplace (B. D. Johnson, 2016, p. 1).

Millennials want to live healthy lifestyles, and they are influencing not only their generation’s eating habits but also their children’s and parents’ eating trends (G. Johnson, 2016b). Scott Muchkin, a food trends researcher at Wolfe Research in New York, stated that the best advice farmers could follow was to have transparency in their farming operations (G. Johnson, 2016a). Munhkin stated modern consumers want to know everything about how their food was produced. Companies like Tyson Foods and Wendy’s have listened to the demands of the consumer and are setting goals to achieve transparency and high standards of beef production.

Tyson Foods harvests and processed “25 percent of the US beef market share” (OSU Extension Beef Team, 2018, p. 1). Wendy’s is “now the second largest fast food hamburger chain in the U.S.” (OSU Extension Beef Team, 2018, p. 1). Both corporations announced that beginning in 2019, all “cattle they purchase must originate from producers and feedyards who are Beef Quality Assurance certified” (OSU Extension Beef Team, 2018, p. 1).

The Ohio State University Extension Offices in Adams, Brown, Clermont, and Highland Counties will be offering Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certification trainings for area beef producers along with local sale barns and veterinarians. These BQA certification trainings will allow for cattle to be sold to companies, like Tyson and Wendy’s, that will require BQA certification in 2019.

Four BQA certification trainings will be offered in Hillsboro, Ohio. Dates and locations of the upcoming BQA certification trainings are:

  •       Tuesday, August 14, 2018, Noon, Union Stockyards, Hillsboro
  •       Tuesday, August 28, 2018, 6:30 P.M., Union Stockyards, Hillsboro
  •       Thursday, September 13, 2018, 6:30 P.M., Producers Stockyards, Hillsboro
  •       Thursday, October 25, 2018, 6:30 P.M., Producers Stockyards, Hillsboro

Call your local Ohio State University Extension Office to register for the date and location of the BQA training of your choice. The Highland County Extension Office can be reached at 937-393-1918.

References

Johnson, B. D. (2016, June 9). Future Food: What Will It Be? Retrieved April 16, 2017, from Successful Farming: http://www.agriculture.com/farm-management/future food-what-will-it-be

Johnson, G. (2016a, February). Food Trends: Consumers Want Healthy, Local Foods. Successful Farming.

Johnson, G. (2016b, February 19). Meet Your New Boss: The Millennials. Successful Farming.

OSU Extension Beef Team. (2018). Beef Quality Assurance. Beef Team Blog. Retrieved from https://u.osu.edu/beefteam/bqa/

Upcoming Events:

Ohio Hop Growers Guild 2018 Hop Yard Open House will be held on Saturday, July 28, 2018, from 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. The public is welcome to attend and experience how hops are commercially grown in Ohio. Sign up at the Ohio Hop Growers Guild Facebook page. Three regional hop yards will be participating:

Scott Hop Farms

9681 U.S. Route 68

Georgetown, Ohio 45121

http://www.scottfarmsohio.com/hops.html

 

Little Miami Farms

3391 Cemetery Road

Xenia, Ohio 45385

 

Ohio Valley Hops

8329 S. State Route 48

Maineville, Ohio 45039

 The Ohio State University will be hosting the Hops Field Night at the South Centers in Piketon on August 8, 2018, from 5:30 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. The cost is $15 per person and dinner will be served at 5:30 P.M. The deadline to register is Monday, August 6, 2018. The field night will be geared toward all growers, new and experienced. Some topics that will be discussed included galvanized trellis systems, mechanical harvesting demonstration, drying demonstrations, insect and diseases, and pest management. To register, contact Charissa Gardner at gardner.1148@osu.eduor at 740-289-2071 ext. 132.

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