Escape to the Forest – Featuring Maple Syrup

Join OSU’s Les Ober, Geauga Co. Extension, and SENR’s Gabe Karns and Kathy Smith, for this session on how to make your own syrup or explore turning your woods into a sugarbush as an income opportunity.  Continuing education credits will be available.

Join us for this timely Friday Escape to the Forest Webinar–  From Tree to Table: Ohio Maple Syrup  March 12th from 10 am – 12 pm.

Register here:  go.osu.edu/syrup

We hope to see you there!

Recap of the Virtual Jr. Swine Day in Ohio 2021

From Dale Ricker, OSU Extension Swine Program Specialist

The Junior Swine Day recording can be found at the link below. This is great to show to your 4-Hers and FFA members taking Swine Projects.  Additionally, there is a Showmanship Video.

Video from the event: https://osu.zoom.us/rec/share/jgIGuk8mUJw-rwcxGv-D7tiMfAsBxx1fL6hciXrCfpaMvjGLZO9rXWZ2U4vrpXzH.apQP95CSC3pR4juh

Showmanship video: https://youtu.be/TwrEyYgVVvw

Ohio Pork Information Center Website:   http://porkinfo.osu.edu/

Contact Information:

Dale Ricker, OSU Swine Extension Program Specialist
Phone: 419-523-6294
Putnam County OSU Extension
1206 E. 2nd. Street
Ottawa, Ohio 45875

Don’t Forget about the February Virtual Coffee Shop on Friday

Don’t miss out on our February Virtual Coffee Shop. Friday, February 26 @ 7:30 AM on Zoom.

Ask questions with OSU Extension Educator, Sarah Noggle.

Topics to be discussed

        • Fertilizer & Pesticide Recertification (What if I missed the January event)
        • New TriState Fertilizer Guidelines
        • H2Ohio
        • Farm Bill Questions

Register at https://osu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYucO2vqDwpG9MzgNw-e77lbhBW7Pu8LE2u

Do you need the Ohio Fertilizer Certification?

The question this week in the Paulding County Extension Office: Do I need to have the Fertilizer Certification?

Producers who have let their Fertilizer Certification expire or who are new producers needing the Fertilizer Certification based upon Senate Bill 150 have two options to obtain this training.

  1. Take the Fertilizer Certification Test via the Ohio Department of Agriculture. (Link to Testing Dates and Times)
  2. Take the in-person class.

One of the only opportunities in NW Ohio to receive the certification is in Allen County (Lima) on March 3rd from 6:00 – 9:00 pm.  The class size is limited and you must call or email to register. See the flyer here: FACT Flyer2021 Pre-Registration is required by February 26th. The cost for this training session is $30/person and includes training materials and handouts. To register, please call 419-879-9108 or email Clint Schroeder at schroeder.307@osu.edu. Location: Allen County Fairgrounds – Youth Activities Building, 2750 Harding Hwy, Lima, OH 45804 Continue reading

Did you miss out on our Ohio State University Corn or Soybean College?

Did you miss out on the Ohio State University Extension Corn or Soybean College on February 11th? We have an opportunity for you to rewatch the recordings.  The recordings are broken down into topics and smaller sections. If you are having any problems viewing, please reach out to me.

The recorded presentations up on our Ohio State Ag Crops YouTube Channel:

Pierce Paul summarized the Q&A portion of his session in the Corn Newsletter last week. You can access that summary here.

Water Quality Wednesday: Best Management Practices for Water Quality

Join the Ohio State University Water Quality Extension Associates for the third installment of the Water Quality Wednesday winter webinar series: Best Management Practices for Water Quality. Speakers include Greg Labarge, OSU Extension Agronomic Systems Field Specialist, Dr. Libby Dayton, OSU Extension Research Scientist, and Stateler Family Farms. The event is on February 24th from 10 – 11:30 am via Zoom. Registration is free but required to attend: http://www.go.osu.edu/WQW. CCA and CLM credits will be available for this program. For more information, contact Brigitte Moneymaker, moneymaker.4@osu.edu.

To view past Water Quality Wednesday events, visit the OSU Agronomic Crops YouTube page and click on the Water Quality playlist. The same link direct you to register for the rest of the WQW events: http://go.osu.edu/WQW

 

Resource Kit Available for Those Exploring a Meat Processing Business

A team of Ohio State business and meat science specialists has compiled a Meat Processing Business Tool Kit for people who are exploring the meat processing business. Designed as a decision-making aid for people exploring investing in or expanding a meat processing facility, this online tool kit can help entrepreneurs evaluate the business and navigate business planning. The Meat Processing Business Tool Kit may be found linked here on the OSU South Centers webpage.

This “Tool Kit” is designed to be intuitive as entrepreneurs move through the business planning process.

U.S. Farm Profits Projected to Fall in 2021

by: Chris Zoller, Extension Educator, ANR in Tuscarawas County

The United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service (USDA-ERS) on February 5th released their projection for U.S. farm income in 2021.  Farm income is projected to fall this year primarily because government payments received by farmers are expected to decline to $21.8 billion (46.3%) after increasing $24 billion (104%) in 2020 (see Figure 1).

Figure 1.  U.S. Net Farm Income and Net Cash Farm Income, 2000 – 2021 Forecast

Net cash farm income (NCFI) is calculated by subtracting cash expenses from gross income.  This figure is expected to grow 23.7% in 2020 but drop by $10.4 billion (7.5%) in 2021.  Net Farm Income (NFI) is considered a broader measure of profitability that includes changes in inventories, depreciation, and gross imputed rental income.  Like NCFI, the U.S. NFI is expected to increase in 2020 and decline 9.7% to $111.4 billion in 2021.  If this happens, it will be the first time since 2016 that NFI has fallen.  However, NCFI and NFI would remain above their respective averages during the 2000 – 2019 period.  A bright spot from the USDA-ERS report is that farm commodity cash receipts are expected to increase by 3.6% in 2021.

Planning

Based on these projections, budgeting is going to be very important for 2021.  Ohio State University Extension has corn, soybean, and wheat budgets available here: https://farmoffice.osu.edu/farm-mgt-tools/farm-budgets.  I encourage you to use your financials and these budgets as a planning tool.  Scheduling an appointment with your lender, accountant, and Extension Educator to discuss options will be time well spent.

CFAP Payments Halted Until Review Conducted by Biden Administration

by David Marrison, OSU Extension

In accordance with the Regulatory Freeze Pending Review memo issued by the White House on January 20, the United States Department of Agriculture has suspended the $2.3 billion of additional assistance to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program put in place during the final days of the Trump Administration.

The Trump administration had previously announced on January 15 providing additional assistance of CFAP expanding eligibility for some agricultural producers and commodities as well as updating payments to accurately compensate some producers who already applied for the program.  The expanded eligibility was targeted primarily for contract pork and poultry producers and others previously excluded from the relief payments. Continue reading