Virtual Manure Monday Registration

Manure Monday webinars are back. Manure Mondays Registration Form is included in the link below. Join the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs starting Monday, March 4th, 2024 at 2 pm to continue conversations about a variety of aspects dealing with manure management.

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs invites you to the 2024 Manure Monday Series. Sessions will be delivered through Zoom.  The sessions are free. When you register, you will be registered for all sessions. Registration link click here. Session dates will be March 4, 11, 18, and 25 from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm ET.

  • March 4 – Recycling Sand – Emerging Technologies for Sand-laden Manure
  • March 11th–Manure Application Logistics and Field Strategies –making the most of every minute of application
  • March 18th-Manure Additives –Overview of what’s available and how they work
  • March 25 –Composting Bedded Pack Barns -The Ontario Study.

If you have any questions please contact us at by phone at 1-877-424-1300 or by email at ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca.

Farm Science Review is just around the corner!

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

Bio and Renewable Diesel Energy What the Future Holds Webinar

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:

  1. Kirk Merritt from the Ohio Soybean Council
  2. Tom Verry from Clean Fuels Alliance America (formerly the National Biodiesel Association)
  3. Seungki Lee from OSU College of Food Agriculture and Environmental Science (Ag Economist)
  4. Page Tohorson from Benchmark Biodiesel- Private sector

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

To mulch or not to mulch?

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.

2023 Small Farm Conference Registration Open!

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

2023 Session Descriptions

Small Farm Conference Brochure 2023

Online Fruit Pruning School is March 9 and 14

Greetings,

The Ohio State University South Centers is hosting a two-part Online Fruit Pruning School on Thursday, March 9, and Tuesday, March 14, 2023. This is a FREE online event that will be conducted virtually via the Zoom communications platform.

Part 1 on March 9 will focus on pruning fruit trees including apples, peaches, and pears. Part 2 will be held on March 14, and will cover small fruits like blueberries, grapes, and raspberries. Both sessions will begin at 9:30 a.m.

Please register no later than Monday, March 6, 2023. Simply visit the link below and fill out the registration form. We also plan on offering recordings afterward, so you can access the event on-demand, as we know this fits some people’s schedules better.

Register here: http://go.osu.edu/pruningschool

For even more information, consult the attached flyer.

Looking forward to seeing you (virtually) again this year!

Ag Outlook – Great Lineup for Speakers on Tuesday, February 14

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.

Agenda:

  • Welcome & Dinner—5:30 p.m. – Country-style dinner.
  • Commodity Grain Market Outlook, Seugnki Lee, PhD., Ohio State University, Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics
  • Long-Term Care: Is the Farm at Risk? — Robert Moore, JD., OSU Extension, Attorney, OSU Agricultural & Resource Law Program
  • 2023 Weather Outlook – Aaron Wilson, PhD., OSU Extension, Assistant Professor and Field Specialist, Ag Weather, and Climate

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

Check out the Official Flyer Here

Ohio’s Woodland Stewards: Friday’s Escape to the Forest series on February 10

Included are very high-resolution images of the Emerald Ash Borer Beetle. Specimens provided by Dr. David Wagner of the University of Connecticut.

Join us for our first Friday’s Escape to the Forest webinar of 2023.  Ohio State Extension Specialist in Forest Entomology, Kayla Perry will be our presenter as we get up to date on what is going on with emerald ash borer (EAB) and how our forests are doing post-invasion. She will discuss the status of Emerald Ash Borer in post-outbreak forests.

Join OSU’s Kayla Perry, State Extension Specialist in Forest Entomology, as we talk about Emerald ash borer (EAB; Agrilus planipennis). EAB has caused widespread decline and death of ash trees throughout eastern North America since it was first detected in southeastern Michigan in 2002. This presentation will provide an update on the distribution, management, and ecological impacts of EAB, with a focus on forests that have experienced the longest duration of invasion by this insect.

Register here for the webinar.  Continuing education credits for ISA and SAF will be offered. Continue reading

OSU Extension’s Water Quality Wednesday Webinar Series is back for 2023!

Join OSU’s Water Quality Extension Associates for their annual winter webinar series focusing on the interaction between agriculture and water quality. These webinars will take place monthly from January to March 2023. Continue reading

Register for ‘Solve Problems and Reduce Risk with Healthy Soil’ Event

The Nature Conservancy is promoting an event for farmers and landowners to solve problems and reduce risk by making their soils healthy. This event will be held at the Hancock Hotel in Findlay, OH from 9AM-4PM on Wednesday, December 14th. Continue reading

OSU Extension’s CLM Webinar Series is back for December!

Join OSU Extension’s Water Quality Team for the third installment of their Certified Livestock Manger (CLM) Webinar Series! The webinar to be held from 10-11:30AM on Monday, December 5th will discuss how to utilize manure as an organic fertilizer on your operation. Continue reading

Soil Health Tour 2022 Sites Finalized

 

The 18 in-person and 6 virtual tour stops for the 2022 Soil Health Tour have been finalized and are almost ready to be visited by farmers, conservationists, and soil-lovers around Northwest Ohio, Southeast Michigan, and Northeast Indiana. The tour officially opens Monday, September 19th at 8AM and closes Wednesday, September 28th at 5PM. A wrap-up event will be held Thursday, September 29th at the Paulding County Extension Office from 6-8PM to close out the tour. Register for the September 29th event at go.osu.edu/soilhealthtour.

The flyer with tour site information can be accessed here.

The in-person tour stops are as follows: Continue reading

Save the Date for 2022’s Soil Health Tour!

 

Save the Date! The second annual Soil Health Tour, presented by OSU Extension Paulding County, will be held September 19th-28th, 2022. Visit tour stops showcasing a variety of soil health practices across the region. This year, we have expanded to include tour stops in Northeast Indiana and Southeast Michigan as well as Northwest Ohio. We are also introducing a few virtual tour stops to showcase sites that may be inaccessible to the public or better explained through photos and videos. However you plan to attend, we hope to see you during Tour Week!

Wrap up the Soil Health Tour with Paulding County Extension on Thursday, September 29th, 2022 at the Paulding County Extension Hall. Join us, a guest speaker, and farmers and landowners who provided tour stops for an educational and networking event. Meal will be provided with $10 registration fee. Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) continuing education credits will also be offered at the wrap-up event on September 29th.

Stay tuned for more information as we get closer to the event: go.osu.edu/SoilHealthTour; We can’t wait to see you!

2022 Pesticide Disposal for Farmers

ODA has announced the 2022 pesticide disposal dates and locations for farmers.

“The program assists farmers with a free of charge, safe and environmentally responsible disposal of unusable, outdated pesticides. No household or non-farm pesticides are accepted, nor are pesticides accepted from commercial companies.”

  • August 17, 2022 – Van Wert County
  • August 24, 2022 – Erie County
  • August 30, 2022 – Greene County

For more information see the link:  https://agri.ohio.gov/divisions/plant-health/pesticides/disposal

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

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.

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.

Upcoming Western Lake Erie Basin Conservation Practices Public Input Meeting

Input Meeting Email Flyer – Link to flyer

Join OSU Extension’s Water Quality Associates on Tuesday, February 22nd from 10-11AM for a public input meeting regarding on-farm conservation practices. This webinar is aimed toward farmers in the Western Lake Erie Basin who farm or live near our target watersheds, found on the attached flier. This virtual webinar will allow OSU’s Water Quality team to hear directly from farmers and landowners to guide local watershed planning efforts and funding priorities. What conservation practices do you want to learn more about? Are there practices that you think may work for your farm, but you don’t know where to start? Are there practices you are interested in if additional funding or support becomes available? Join us for an informal discussion to talk about these topics.

Register for this webinar at www.go.osu.edu/inputmeeting, or contact a Water Quality Extension Associate to give your input if you can’t attend the meeting. Contact Paulding County’s WQEA Rachel Cochran, cochran.474@osu.edu, (567) 344-5016, with any questions.

Farm Office Live – Did You Miss the January Topics? Recording Available.

Farm Office Live 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 agri-business stakeholders, our specialists digest the latest news and information and present it in an easy-to-understand format.

Photo of Farm Office Team Presenters

To register, visit the Farm Office Live registration site at https://osu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8abbbMu0RdC-oPB5DFuB3w.

Register once and you’ll receive reminders for future sessions.

DOWNLOAD JANUARY SLIDES 

Future dates: 

February 16 7:00 – 8:30 pm
February 18 10:00 – 11:30 am
March 16 7:00 – 8:30 pm
March 18 10:00 – 11:30 am
April 20 7:00 – 8:30 pm
May 18 7:00 – 8:30 pm

Did you miss a Farm Office Live?  Access our past Farm Office Live recordings and materials https://farmoffice.osu.edu/farmofficelive

We’re Hiring! Water Quality Extension Associate Position in Fulton County

OSU is hiring for the Water Quality Extension Associate position located in Fulton County, Ohio. This position serves Fulton, Williams, and Lucas counties. For more information or to apply, visit this link. Continue reading