Join us for an Agriculture and Water Quality Program on August 4th

Join Paulding County Extension from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM on Thursday, August 4th for a program titled “Agriculture and Water Quality: How do TMDLs and Edge-of-Field Monitoring fit in?”

Greg LaBarge, Field Specialist in Agronomic Systems from Ohio State University Extension and Josh Griffin, Lake Erie Programs Manager from Ohio EPA will speak at this event.

This program will focus on water quality, the agricultural practices that impact it, and the potential solutions for improving it by discussing edge-of-field research being conducted by The Ohio State University. Curious what practices could be improving and impeding water quality on your farm? Have you been thinking about how the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) process will impact farming in Northwest Ohio? Join us to hear what the process for TMDLs consists of, where the Maumee Watershed is in that process, and what farming practices can contribute to improved water quality.

Register for this free event at go.osu.edu/TMDL. CCA credits for Soil and Water management will be provided.

Click here to see a flyer with more information

Soil Health Nexus Educator Training to be held July 13th in Paulding

Join OSU Extension for an event sponsored by the Soil Health Nexus aimed at educators and advisers in the agricultural community. This event will serve as an in-service to educate attendees on all things soil health, and will allow you to become more confident in your abilities to expand this knowledge to others. This event will be held July 13, 2022 from 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM in the Paulding County Extension Hall, 503 Fairground Drive, Paulding OH 45879. Registration is free, but required to attend the event. A meal will be provided with registration.

Questions about who should attend this event can be directed to Sarah Noggle, noggle.17@osu.edu, or (419) 399-8225.

Register here for the July 13th event. Registration has been extended until July 6th, one week prior to the event.

Click here to see a flyer with more information

Fair Week was a Hot, But Great Week!

Hello Paulding County! Welcome to summer! Last week’s scorching weather broke for a beautiful weekend and our Jr. Fair exhibitors were thankful for the slight cool down.  Now, the heat and humidity has returned and concerns are popping up about a flash drought. Expect this weather rollercoaster to continue due to our La Nina weather pattern.

Last week, I was able to participate in various Jr. and Sr. Fair activities at the first county fair in Ohio. From speaking to helping in Acres of Fun, the livestock sale, still project awards, livestock shows, taking tickets…. I definitely got my steps in. I am so thankful for all the community support that makes this county fair so successful. Hats off to all those involved via helping hands, sponsorships, volunteering or any little part of the fair. To see the fair results, check out the Paulding County 4-H Blog at Paulding County Fair | Paulding County 4-H Clover Connection (osu.edu)

Poison hemlock has been in bloom across the county and you may also see wild parsnip as well. I have an included a really good information article on this weed in this week’s edition. Also, have included a nice article on a perennial weed- Canada Thistle.

Be safe and hydrated. Have a great week!

Relentless Canada Thistle

By: Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County OSU Extension;

Source: https://u.osu.edu/beef/2022/06/22/relentless-canada-thistle/

The time has come for Canada thistle flowers to line the roadways and begin to bud in pastures and hayfields. The lavender-colored aggregate flowers that develop into fluffy seed are one of the most distinguishing characteristics of the plant. They are easy to find blooming from June through August. If it wasn’t such an unpleasant plant to encounter, I might call it pretty. It isn’t poisonous, thank goodness, but it certainly is troublesome. Some animals will tolerate it while grazing, but most will avoid it while it is growing or sort it out of a hay bale. Continue reading

Regenerative Grazing Pasture Walk to be held in Paulding County!

Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) is hosting a series of Farm Tours across Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan this summer to showcase organic and ecological farms in the region. Among those being showcased is Canal Junction Farm, right here in Paulding County! A Regenerative Grazing Pasture Walk will be held at the farm on Saturday, July 16th, 2022, starting at 10AM. The address is 18637 Rd. 168, Defiance OH. Questions can be directed to Ralph, Sheila, and Kyle Schlatter at (419) 399-7545 or canaljunctionfarm@gmail.com. Their farm’s website is canaljunction.com.

More information about this OEFFA Farm Tour and other stops along the tour can be found at OEFFA’s website, or this link.