Author: Sarah Noggle

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 →

Paulding County Farm Bureau is looking for volunteers to help before, during and after the Paulding County Fair.

The Paulding County Farm Bureau is looking for volunteers for various time slots before, during, and after the Paulding County Fair in 2022. Due to the farming season and weather-related events, there are times the Farm Bureau needs to reach out beyond its board membership. Without volunteers in the community, these activities won’t be able to take place.

The fair runs from Saturday, June 11 to Saturday, June 18. These volunteers are preferably adults or older youth partnering with a parent/guardian. Tasks include helping with selling ice cream in their booth, helping with the Farmer Share Breakfast, helping with the Kids Dream Day event, and set-up and teardown of their building.  Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b054faaa82da4f94-paulding

Thank you,

Abram Klopfenstein, President of Paulding County Farm Bureau

Jessica Vandenbroek, Organizational Director, Paulding, Putnam, Allen, and Van Wert Farm Bureau

Summer Ag Events in NW Ohio

 

Hi all,

I wanted to share the upcoming events in NW Ohio Extension related to Agriculture to get those events on your calendar. Here is the link https://go.osu.edu/summernwohio22 or you can download the PDF of the newsletter 2022 Summer NW Ohio Newsletter PDF Version. I hope to see you at these summer events.

USDA Video Showcases Key Partnerships Driving Science-Based Conservation in Western Lake Erie Basin

A new USDA video provides a closer look at the collaborative partnerships driving innovative water quality assessment and conservation in the Western Lake Erie Basin. The video, Science-Based Solutions: Leveraging Partnerships to Protect the Western Lake Erie Basin, shows how USDA’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) watershed studies in the Western Lake Erie Basin bring researchers, farmers, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations together to develop science-based solutions and strategically place them where they can deliver the greatest conservation benefits.

Under CEAP, a network of researchers, from government agencies to universities, work together to monitor the impact of conservation practices on the landscape. These studies directly inform USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service programs, practices, and planning and ensure that the agency provides technical and financial assistance to landowners to develop and implement impactful conservation plans.

Regional partnerships like those driving conservation efforts in the Western Lake Erie Basin have proven to be effective, as demonstrated by the recently released USDA report, Conservation Practices on Cultivated Cropland: A Comparison of CEAP I and CEAP II Survey Data and Modeling.

CEAP is a multi-agency effort to quantify the environmental effects of conservation practices and programs and develop the science base for managing the agricultural landscape for environmental quality. Project findings will be used to guide USDA conservation policy and program development and help conservationists, farmers and ranchers make more informed conservation decisions.

Northwest Ohio Gardening Day

Join OSU Extension Henry County and the Henry County Master Gardeners for the first-ever Northwest Ohio Gardening Day on Friday, April 29 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Henry County Fairgrounds (821 S. Perry St., Napoleon, OH 43545). This event will be filled with many gardening topics, speakers, and hands-on demonstrations to help get your garden growing and looking great! Lunch will be provided as well as take-home materials.

Presenters include: 

  • Bruce Clevenger, OSUE Defiance County: Planting Trees for Success
  • Amy Stone, OSUE Lucas County: Rain Barrels, Rain Gardens, & More
  • Eric Hite, Four County Career Center: Weeds Diseases & Insects of Trees & Shrubs
  • Reed Johnson, Ohio State University: Backyard Bee Keeping
  • Tom Jenny, OSUE Master Gardener Henry County: Starting Seeds for Your Garden
  • Kenn-Feld / John Deere: Getting the Most From Your Outdoor Power Equipment “Demos included”
Cost: $20, Make Checks Payable to OSU Extension Henry County
Registration Deadline: Wednesday, April 27th, 2022
 
For more information, contact: 
Alan Leininger, ANR Educator Henry County; leininger.17@osu.edu
Sieara Baker, Master Gardener Coordinator Henry County; baker.3270@osu.edu
104 East Washington Street #302 Napoleon, OH 43545-1660 Phone: 419-592-0806

Why Should You Calibrate Your Sprayer Even If it has a Rate Controller?

By:  Erdal Ozkan

Whenever I give a presentation about the need to calibrate a sprayer and how to do it, there is always someone asking me this same question: “I have a rate controller in the cab that regulates the flow rate of the sprayer regardless of the changes in sprayer ground speed. I just enter the gallons per acre application rate, and the controller does the rest, just like cruise control in a car. So, should I still calibrate the sprayer? The answer is, Yes, a calibration should be done. Although the rate controllers do an excellent job of regulating the flow rate of nozzles to keep the application rate constant regardless of the changes in travel speed, a manual calibration at least once a year is needed for two reasons: 1) to ensure the rate controller is functioning properly, 2) the rate controller is not forced to operate outside the pressure operating range for the nozzles on the sprayer boom. Let me elaborate on both points I made and share with you the reasons why a manual calibration of a sprayer is a good idea.

  1. If you are stopped by a police officer for speeding, telling the police officer that the car was in cruise control set to the speed limit will not get you out of getting a ticket. Cruise controls go bad, and so will the rate controllers. That is why it is best to manually check the flow rate of nozzles to make sure the gallons per acre application rate you enter on the controller matches the gallons per acre rate provided by the nozzles.
  2. Your controller may be in good shape, but if the ground speed sensor is giving inaccurate data to the controller, it will not work accurately. For example, if the speed sensor works based on revolutions of the tractor wheels, the ground speed determined may not be accurate, because of the slippage that may occur under some ground conditions. Even the tire pressure being off just a few psi may change the tire revolutions per minute leading to erroneous travel speed readings. Continue reading →

Ohio Farmers Invited to Participate in Multi-State On-Farm Research Survey

By:  Osler Ortez

Photo by Aaron Hird, USDA/NRCS

Photo by Aaron Hird, USDA/NRCS

A working group from The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Kansas State University, and The Ohio State University have partnered to conduct a multi-state assessment of farmers’ approaches to on-farm research, including its importance and motives to participate.

Understanding farmers’ perceptions of on-farm research will be vital for the long-term success of initiatives that promote agronomic research on field scales. The information will also be critical in helping to shape future extension programming efforts. The survey will close on May 23rd and it is open for responses before that date. The survey is short, and it should take about 5-10 minutes to complete. Your information/responses are voluntary and will be recorded anonymously.

Access the survey here: https://kstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_71iwM5FE0zhSW10

Questions can be directed to:
Carlos Pires, carlospires@ksu.edu or 785-770-6335

Osler Ortez, ortez.5@osu.edu or 330-263-9725

We appreciate your time and participation! Sent on behalf of:

  • Carlos Pires, Ignacio Ciampitti, Charles Rice (K-State)
  • Fernanda Krupek, Gabriela Carmona (UNL)
  • Osler Ortez (Ohio State)

When the Rain Won’t Let Up

By:  Bridget Britton, Behavioral Field Specialist, OSU Extension

Each morning when waking up recently it feels as though we look out the window and it is either raining or has rained overnight. Farmers are natural meteorologists and are in tune with what is going on with the weather at any given hour of the day.

According to Aaron Wilson, Ohio State University Extension climatologist, there has been measurable rainfall on all but 3 days so far in the month of April. Wet weather and planting delays are sources of additional stress. Though we can’t know for sure when the fields will dry up enough to plant, there are things you can do to keep some of the stress from overwhelming you.

  • Get moving: This is normally when the physical activity starts ramping up. You might not be out busy in the fields yet but start prepping your body and mind now by doing whatever exercise you enjoy to get in the right mindset. This “exercise” might include working on equipment, cleaning your shop, or catching up on things you’ve been putting off.
  • Make time for laughs: Have you ever heard laughter is the best medicine? Well, it might not be the best, but it can help. Make sure you find time to spend with your funny family member or employee. You know who they are. Continue reading →

eFields Partnering with Growers to Evaluate Xyway™ Fungicide

By:  Sarah Noggle

Northern Corn Leaf Blight Symptoms

Northern Corn Leaf Blight Symptoms

Preventing significant yield losses from disease is likely on the forefront of growers’ minds following the 2021 growing season. A new product in our disease management toolbox is FMC’s fungicide Xyway™ LFR®. OSU Extension eFields program is partnering with growers to conduct on-farm trials evaluating the effect of an at-plant soil application of flutriafol (Xyway) on corn health and yield. Information from this trial will be used to improve corn disease management recommendations for growers throughout the state.

At each field site, an untreated control will be compared to plots treated with Xyway (applied in-furrow and/or 2×2). Additionally, growers also have the option to include a third treatment of Xyway (in-furrow/2×2) + VT/R1 Foliar Fungicide. For this study, a minimum of three replications is required, and four are preferred. Plots must also be randomized to eliminate bias due to plot order. Plots should be at least 500 feet long to ensure accurate yield monitor data.

If you are interested in hosting an on-farm trial, contact Paulding County ANR Extension Educator Sarah Noggle at 419-399-8225 or noggle.17@osu.edu or Rachel Cochran, Water Quality Extension Associate at cochran.474@osu.edu.

eFields is a program at The Ohio State University program dedicated to advancing production agriculture through field-scale research. To learn more visit digitalag.osu.edu.

Survey for Ohio Cropland Values and Cash Rental Rates

Hello ANR Friends,

We are once again surveying ag professionals (Extension Educators, Farm Service Agency CEDs and County Committees, financial officers/lenders, appraisers, and others) across Ohio to generate information for those interested in farmland. You might notice that our timing is different this year. We hope that you’ll still be able to assist in this important survey effort for Ohio. We value your thoughts and responses greatly!

This year, there are three options to complete the short survey.

  1. Complete the survey online at: https://go.osu.edu/ohiocroplandvaluescashrents2122
  2. Complete the attached survey (Ohio Cropland Values and Cash Rents Short Survey 2022) by printing it out, filling it out, scanning, and emailing the completed survey back to ward.8@osu.edu
  3. Complete the survey in the body of this email and return it to ward.8@osu.edu (Please see the survey at the end of this email.)

You can also access the online survey through this QR code:

If you’re able to assist with this effort, we ask you to please complete the online or attached survey by April 30th, 2022.

All survey data will be anonymous and distributed only in a summary format. Summary conclusions from the latest survey of agriculture professionals, the “Western Ohio Cropland Values and Cash Rental Rates 2020-21”, are available online at: https://farmoffice.osu.edu/farm-management-tools/farm-management-publications/cash-rents

I would like to thank the many of you that have taken the time to share your thoughts and information with us in the past and thank you all in advance for your valuable time in providing data for this research! We expect it to benefit you and your clientele. Summary data of this research will be available via our Farm Office website: https://farmoffice.osu.edu/ and the free online OSU Extension newsletter, “Ohio Ag Manager”. Subscribe to receive this electronic newsletter at:  http://ohioagmanager.osu.edu/

Thank you!
Barry Ward, Director, OSU Income Tax Schools
Leader, Production Business Management
College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences
Ohio State University Extension
614-688-3959 Office
ward.8@osu.edu
https://farmoffice.osu.edu/

Wheat Growth Stages and Wheat Resources

Education is key to knowing to growth stages of wheat for applications of herbicides, fertilizer, and maintaining good growth. The following are some great resources for wheat.

Join us for Farm Office Live on April 22

I just wanted to shoot you all a quick note letting you know that this month’s Farm Office Live is two weeks away!  Yes, that means we have changed the date of this month’s Farm Office Live.  Instead of Wednesday, April 20th, Farm Office Live will now take place on Friday, April 22nd from 10:00 – 11:30 AM.

Topics on April 22 will include:

  • State and Federal Legislation Update
  • LLC Liability Protection Review
  • 2021 Midwest Farm Performance Preview
  • Fertilizer and Crop Budgets Update
  • FSA Program Updates
  • Ohio General Assembly Website Tour

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Information Meeting

Thanks to Tim McDermott, Ohio 4-H is pleased to offer Backyard Poultry Biosecurity

  • With concerns are around HPAI and poultry rising, especially as we approach the fair season, good biosecurity practices are very important! Learn about health risks and biosecurity practices specific to poultry projects with Dr. Tim McDermott! Youth and adults are welcome to join us on April 5th from 5:30-7:00 pm on Zoom (Zoom link and details below).

Join Zoom Meeting

https://osu.zoom.us/j/97510455262?pwd=K0tmUjM3eDF6S25RNXlMNTBzR2pkUT09

Meeting ID: 975 1045 5262

Password: 730686

One tap mobile

+16468769923,,97510455262#,,,,0#,,730686# US (New York)

Paulding FCS is hosting a Grant Writing Workshop

Casey Bishop, FCS, Paulding County

The Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing Course will be offered in Paulding County by Ohio State University Extension Community Development Educators, Melissa Rupp, and Kyle White. In this two-day program, you’ll learn what to do before you write a grant, organizational mission and structure, components of a grant proposal, finding and connecting with funders, and writing and finalizing an actual proposal for review.

Attendees should come prepared with a grant project idea which they will detail further during the course. This course is open to individuals, organizations, non-profit, or anyone with a general interest. Attendees must attend both sessions, Apri l 5th, 2022, and May 3rd, 2022, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. This program will be held in the Youth Leadership Building at 501 Fairground Drive, Paulding, Ohio 45879. Registration is mandatory and limited to the first twelve (12) individuals. The deadline to register is March 25th, 2022. For pricing or to register online go to: go.osu.edu/PauldingGrant

For additional information on any FCS programs, contact Casey Bishop (Paulding County Extension Educator, Family, and Consumer Sciences) at bishop.807@osu.edu or call 419-399-8225.

March Edition of Farm Office Live

This month’s Farm Office Live will be held on March 16th, from 7 – 8:30 pm, and again on March 18th from 10 – 11:30 am. The Farm Office Team provides the latest outlook and updates on ag law, farm management, ag economics, farm business analysis, and other issues dealt with in your farm office.  Targeted to farmers and agribusiness stakeholders, our specialists digest the latest news and information and present it in an easy-to-understand format. To sign up for the webinar (and if you can’t attend the recording link) go to go.osu.edu/farmofficelive.

March topics will include

  • Updates on FSA programs
  • Federal Tax Law Update/Medicaid Planning Review
  • Financial Efficiency Review for Grain Farms
  • Fertilizer Update/Crop Budgets
  • Grain Marketing Outlook

Bumblebee Short Course for Community Scientists

Six free, weekly webinars will focus on bumblebee biodiversity, ecology, and conservation. All sessions are on Fridays from 1 PM (Eastern Time) to 2:30 PM (Eastern Time) from March 18th to April 22nd.

Register here. (http://go.osu.edu/bumble)

Our course webpage with resources and recordings: https://u.osu.edu/thebumblebeeshortcourse/

  • March 18 — Bumble Bee Biology, Part 1, Jamie Strange: The Ohio State University
  • March 25 — Bumble Bee  Biology, Part 2, Jamie Strange: The Ohio State University,  A Brief Overview of Federally Endangered Bumble Bees, Tamara Smith: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
  • April 1 — Bumble Bee Identification (note dual offerings and a later start for Western ID), Attend one or both sessions, Bumble Bees from Eastern or Western North America,
    • 1:00 – 2:30 EDT Identification of Bumble Bees from Eastern North America, Karen Goodell: The Ohio State University
    • 3:00 – 4:30 EDT Identification of Bumble Bees from Western North America, Lincoln Best: Oregon State University
  • April 8 — Bumble Bee Botany, Randy Mitchell: The University of Akron
  • April 15 — Threats and Opportunities for Conservation, Hollis Woodard: University of California, Riverside
  • April 22 — You Can Make a Difference for Bumble Bees: Programs to Document Bumble Bees in Yards, Parks, Gardens, and Natural Areas AND What Plants They Use, Sam Droege: Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab, USGS, Jenan El-Hifnawi: USGS Bumble Bee Survey Coordinator

Sponsored by The Ohio State University Department of Entomology. This series is funded in part by a USDA/NIFA Integrated Pest Management Pollinator Health grant. Coordinated by Denise Ellsworth, OSU Department of Entomology All sessions will be recorded and posted on our course website and on YouTube http://go.osu.edu/bumbles

Hope you can join us this month to learn about our flying teddy bears!

Filter the Kool-Aid before you Drink It!

By: Bob Nielsen, Purdue University
Frankly, today’s agricultural world is teeming with misinformation, half-truths, pseudo-data, bogus ideas, and sincere but incompetent researchers. Distinguishing fact from fiction can be difficult when evaluating claims for crop inputs. This YouTube presentation discusses concepts related to becoming a critical thinker and a healthy skeptic when it comes to making important agronomic decisions. It will help you learn how to distinguish between factual agronomic information and crap-tual agronomic information.

 

Ohio Dairy Producer Lunch and Learn Series

The OSU Extension Dairy Team will be offering a series of webinars this winter to provide producers with timely updates on risk management strategies, milk market outlook, farm safety, and maximizing manure value. The webinars will take place at 1 pm on the following Fridays:

  • March 4: Keeping Yourself and Employees Safe on the Farm: Dairy farms can be a dangerous place, thus keeping our families and employees safe is critical. Taylor Dill and Jamie Hampton will be talking about assessing safety risks on your farm and developing a plan to help keep everyone on your farm safe.
  • March 18: Utilizing Your Farm’s Manure to Maximize Farm Profit: Manure can be an income or an expense, depending on how it is managed. Maximizing manure nutrient retention can help make it an income, especially with current fertilizer prices. Learn more about the current fertilizer situation and ways to better utilize manure from Glen Arnold, Chris Zoller, Eric Richer, Haley Zynda, and Chris Shoup.

To register for the webinar series, visit https://go.osu.edu/2022osudairyprogram. If you have questions about these educational programs, please contact Jason Hartschuh at Hartschuh.11@osu.edu.

Additionally, you can find the recorded session by contacting the dairy team.

  • February 11: Dairy Risk Management: The first two risk management tools many producers utilize are the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) and the Dairy Revenue Protection programs. Dianne Shoemaker will be covering changes that have been made to the DMC program, including the supplemental coverage which allows for an increase in milk production coverage. Jason Hartschuh will be covering the Dairy Revenue Protection program which can be used to set a floor under your milk price.
  • February 18: Milk Production, Demand, and Price Outlook for 2022: Dr. Chris Wolf, the dairy economist at Cornell University, will be providing us updates on current dairy markets. Milk prices have been continuing to climb – what are the driving factors and how long will milk prices stay up? Even with higher milk prices, margins may stay tight.