Registration is open for the 2nd annual Ohio State Organic Grains Conference, January 4-5, 2024 at the Maumee Bay Lodge and Conference Center near Toledo, Ohio. The 2024 conference offers programming for experienced organic growers, growers transitioning to or considering organic, and consultants or educators who support these growers. Continue reading
LONDON, Ohio – More than 50 companies will join the ranks as exhibitors for the 61st Farm Science Review Sept. 19-21 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center. The new exhibitors represent various sectors in the agriculture industry including livestock handling, equipment advancements, agronomic technology, agricultural policy, and more.
Paulding County Extension Office has tickets for sale at a discounted price total of $10 per ticket. Tickets will be for sale until Monday, September 18 at noon. Continue reading
The USDA NASS Ohio Cash Rent County Estimates for 2023 were released by NASS this past Friday. The attached Excel file contains the 2017 through 2023 county average estimates. This data can be accessed directly through NASS Quick Stats.
https://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/
Ohio NASS will have their formatted summary for 2023 available sometime in the near future: https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Ohio/Publications/County_Estimates/index.php
Attached is a Formatted PDF of the data for simpler viewing with a comparison of the change in cash rent for all counties in Ohio from 2017-2023.
The OSU Extension Energy Outreach team will put on a program on renewable diesel energy on Sep 26, in lieu of our monthly meeting. Please see the attached flyer for the link.
Join speakers from Ohio State University Extension, Clean Fuels Alliance America, Benchmark Biodiesel, and the Ohio Soybean Council to learn more about current trends in the soybean biodiesel market. Questions- Email: Dan Lima: lima.19@osu.edu or Gwynn Stewart: stewart.1818@osu.edu
DATE: Sept. 26, 2023
TIME:10:00 a.m.- 11:30 a.m.
To register: https://go.osu.edu/biodiesel
The virtual panel will include:
The goal is to introduce the Bio/Renewable diesel market to the public/farmer. We hope to highlight the market potential of this fuel for not only the public but the soybean producer as well.
Sincerely,
The OSU Extension Energy Outreach Team
The Western Ohio Cropland Values and Cash Rents Survey Summary 2022-23 has been published to the Farm Office page:
https://farmoffice.osu.edu/farm-management-tools/farm-management-publications/cash-rents
A blog post is also available highlighting the key findings:
By Sarah Noggle, OSU Extension, Paulding County
It is important to take a moment to reflect on the mental health challenges that farmers face year-round. Farming can be a rewarding profession, but it can also be incredibly demanding and isolating. From dealing with unpredictable weather and fluctuating markets to managing finances and family responsibilities, farmers carry a lot of stress on their shoulders.
The impact of mental health challenges on farmers is significant. According to a recent study by the American Farm Bureau Federation, 91% of farmers reported experiencing stress, anxiety, fatigue, or other mental health challenges. Furthermore, a 2020 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that farmers have a higher suicide rate than the general population.
It is clear that we need to prioritize farmers’ mental health. Here are some steps we can take:
As members of the farming community, we all have a role to play in prioritizing farmers’ mental health. Let’s work together to ensure that every farmer has the support and resources they need to thrive. Our community has many partnerships. I believe in prevention via awareness of programs such as Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR). For more information visit our Ohio State Farm Stress website https://go.osu.edu/farmstress
Stay safe while planting this spring season.
For those of you who have Alfalfa in the county, be on the lookout for Alfalfa weevil. These are pictures shared with me last week. 
A few weeks ago in the CORN Newsletter information was shared about scouting for this pest.
Alfalfa fields should be scouted weekly for weevils until at least the first harvest. Follow-up scouting may be needed after the first harvest in heavily infested fields.
Spot problem fields early by checking alfalfa tips for feeding damage – small holes and a tattered appearance. Fields that have a south-facing slope tend to warm up sooner and need to be checked for weevil earlier.
Green alfalfa weevil larvae (the main feeding stage) at various growth stages, and brown adults. Photo by Julie Peterson, University of Nebraska.
Here is a video about scouting weevils in alfalfa: https://forages.osu.edu/video Continue reading
Are you planning on spreading mulch around your trees and landscape this year? Master Gardener Volunteers see this common practice of mulch placed under trees and right up the tree trunk!
Another mulch volcano! That is a big NO, NO! It’s important to keep mulch off the tree trunk because the covered tree trunk will grow roots under the mulch. As the new roots grow in the soft mulch, the deep roots begin to die off. Eventually, a tree with a weak root system could be blown over by a strong windstorm.
For more information on mulching trees see this excellent article written by Joe Boggs that can be found on the OSU Buckeye Yard & Garden onLine (BYGL), https://bygl.osu.edu/node/1494.
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts hundreds of surveys every year and prepares reports covering virtually every aspect of U.S. agriculture.
If you receive a survey questionnaire, please respond quickly and online if possible.
The results of the surveys help determine the structure of USDA farm programs, such as soil rental rates for the Conservation Reserve Program and prices and yields used for the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs. This county-level data is critical for USDA farm payment determinations. Survey responses also help associations, businesses, and policymakers advocate for their industry and help educate others on the importance of agriculture.
NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents and publishes only aggregate data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified.
NASS data is available online at nass.usda.gov/Publications and through the searchable Quick Stats database. Watch a video on how NASS data is used at youtube.com/watch?v=m-4zjnh26io&feature=youtu.be.
The Paulding County Farm Service would like to remind our conservation participants, that once you have successfully completed your CRP practice and gathered all bills, receipts, and seed tags to submit these to FSA for cost share reimbursement. Make sure there is an itemized bill for all components listed on your CRP Conservation Plan. If any of the work was done by yourself, include a bill for work completed, time to complete, and cost.
Participants are advised that starting or installing a practice before approval of the CRP contract is at their own risk. Cost share may be ineligible if the offer is not accepted or if the practice does not meet specifications in the approved Conservation Plan.
Please be advised that this is a cost-share payment program. As a participant, you are willing to share in the expense of improving and conserving natural resources on your land. As such, you may have out-of-pocket expenses. Continue reading
Maps are now available at the Paulding County FSA Office for 2023 acreage reporting purposes. FSA staff have mailed maps to the operator on each farm. If you do not receive your 2023 maps in the mail, please contact our office or email us at ohpaulding-fsa@usda.gov.
Please see the following acreage reporting deadlines for Paulding County:
Share your thoughts on cover crops in an online survey at bit.ly/CoverCrop23. Why do you plant cover crops… or why don’t you? What do you want to know about cover crops? Where do you get your information about them? Your insight will help guide research, communications, seed development, and more.
This National Cover Crop Survey is the seventeenth since 2012 conducted by USDA-NIFA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program, Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA), with the help of Informa/Farm Progress.
After completing the questionnaire, you may enter a drawing for one of three $100 Visa gift cards.
Ohio State Extension announced plans to host a Small Farm Conference in Mansfield Ohio on March 11, 2023. The theme for this year’s Mid-Ohio Small Farm Conference is “Sowing Seeds for Success.”
Conference session topics are geared toward beginning and small farm owners as well as farms looking to diversify their operations. There will be five different conference tracks including Farm Office, Horticulture and Produce Production, Livestock, Agritourism/ Marketing, and Natural Resources.
Some conference topic highlights include: How to purchase our family farm, food animal processing, beekeeping, sweet corn, blueberry and pumpkin production, small ruminant nutrition, agritourism laws, fruit tree pruning, and cut flower diseases.
Anyone interested in developing, growing, or diversifying their small farm is invited to attend including market gardeners, farmers market vendors, and anyone interested in small farm living.
Attendees will have the opportunity to browse a trade show featuring the newest and most innovative ideas and services for their farming operations. The conference provides an opportunity to talk with the vendors and network with others.
The Conference will take place from 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the Mansfield OSU Campus in Ovalwood Hall, just minutes from I-71 and US Rt 30.
For conference and registration call OSU Extension Morrow County at 419-947-1070 or OSU Extension Knox County at 740-397-0401. Please follow this link to register for the conference: https://go.osu.edu/2023osusmallfarmconf
Join Defiance and Paulding County OSU Extension in Jewel, Ohio for the next Ag Outlook meeting on Tuesday, February 14 from 5:30 – 9:00 PM at the Jewell Community Center, 7900 Independence Rd., Defiance, OH 43512.
Registration is preferred online @ https://go.osu.edu/23DefianceOutlook or call the Defiance County Extension office at 419-782-4771
RSVP by February 13. NO LATE REGISTRATIONS.
CCA Credits Applied For and the Cost: $10.00/person
Please see the Agricultural Guestworkers in Ohio_invite for an exciting hybrid event presenting some novel research and a panel discussion about H-2A farmworkers in Ohio. All who are interested in the status of on-farm workers and agricultural labor issues in the state are very welcome! For those attending in person, light refreshments will be served. Please direct any questions to Dr. Margaret Jodlowski (jodlowski.1@osu.edu), Dept. of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics.
The program is In-Person or Virtual on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, and the program is 1-2:30 pm or Reception: 2:30-3:30 pm
In-Person Location: Room 250A Agricultural Administration Building; or Virtually via Zoom
Paulding County Extension is re-starting its Cover Crops Roundtable Series after a three-year hiatus. This series was created as a platform for farmer-to-farmer interaction, with OSU Extension serving as the discussion moderator. The goal of the series is to allow peer learning through networking, problem-solving, and idea sharing regarding the benefits and challenges of growing cover crops on the farm. Continue reading
Join the Water Quality Team for our 4th Certified Livestock Manager Webinar of the series on February 6th from 10-11:30 am for “A Summary of eBarns On-Farm Research”. Speakers include OSU’s own Dr. Brady Campbell, Assistant Professor, and Small Ruminant Specialist, Courtney Krieger, Water Quality Extension Associate, and USDA’s Dr. Jessica Pempek, Research Animal Scientist. CLM and CCA Credits will be offered at the end of the program. Register at go.osu.edu/CLM to attend this webinar. For questions email emmons.118@osu.edu
eBarns was new in 2022 and focuses on applied livestock, forage, and manure management research across Ohio. The report can be found online at go.osu.edu/ebarns2022. Continue reading
The 2023 Workshop Series from the Farm Labor Dashboard project will help farm operators and managers build the knowledge and skills they need to successfully recruit and manage the right employees for their farms. The online series (offered via Zoom) is geared to produce and diversified livestock producers who are new to managing employees, and to farmers who are considering changes to how they arrange for and manage, labor on their farms.
Topics include practical approaches to building more successful work crews; conducting financial planning to meet payroll needs; practical and effective strategies for hiring, training, and keeping farm employees, and negotiation basics. Sessions begin January 7 and continue through early March.
A special session for agricultural service providers on January 10 will introduce tools and strategies to help farmers with payroll planning. Additionally, there will be monthly peer learning sessions for people who want to take a deeper dive into delegation, productive conflict, and other creative approaches to labor management.
Advance registration is required.
Learn more at the Farm Labor Dashboard or email beth.holtzman@uvm.edu.
The workshops are made possible by grant support provided by USDA/NIFA under award 2021-49400-35641.
The 2023-24 Midwest Fruit Pest Management Guide is now available. The easiest way to get a hard copy is to order from the website https://mdc.itap.purdue.edu/item.asp?Item_Number=ID-465. You can also download the guide for free.
This guide provides conventional pest management recommendations for commercial tree fruit, small fruit, and grape producers throughout the Midwest and surrounding states. These recommendations have been formulated to provide up-to-date information on pesticides and their application.
By now many of you who are up for certification for Private Pesticide or Commercial/Private Fertilizer (Category 15) are receiving letters your renewal letters from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. If you have completed your total hours for re-certification, you may mail the invoice and payment into ODA for the $30. This is called the RENEWAL fee. Many times this is confusing as you only do this once every three years. (There is also an option to pay the RENEWAL online at https://www.planthealthrenewal.agri.ohio.gov/ApplicatorPrivate/. To pay online with a debit/credit card, you will need to have the control ID/number on the back of your card. Unfortunately, if your card is worn out, and you can’t read the number, our office does not have access to it. You would need to call ODA.)
If you have not taken the RE-CERTIFICATION classes, Paulding County is offering the class on Tuesday, January 31 (Fertilizer at 8:30 AM and Pesticide at 9:30 AM). The classes are $35 for Pesticides and $10 for fertilizer (If you need both, $45). Online registration is required for the class. The link to register is http://go.osu.edu/PauldingPATFERT23. You may send in registration and payment to Sarah Noggle, ATTN: PAT/FERT, 503 Fairground Drive, Paulding, OH 45879. You will need to print and include the following registration form with your payment. 2023 Paulding PAT and FERT Registration Flyer Debit/Credit card payments are available for 2023 but you must use the online registration.
If you have any questions please email Sarah at noggle.17@osu.edu