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

Agriculture icon celebrates 60 years

Written by Ed Lentz, ANR Educator, Hancock County

Drivers may see the recognizable triangular orange symbol warning drivers of slow-moving vehicles in the area for the next two to four weeks as farmers gear up for crop planting. The emblem is required on farm vehicles moving less than 25 miles per hour and horse-drawn vehicles. What you may not know is that Ohio was an agricultural leader in the development of this SMV emblem.

In the late 1950s, two researchers in the Department of Agricultural Engineering of Ohio State University, Walter McClure and Ben Lamp, completed a 10-year retrospective study of fatal tractor accidents to understand the nature and causes of highway tractor collisions. They found a significant number of fatalities related to highway travel by slow-moving vehicles. Ohio State Highway Patrol, county sheriffs, and municipal police cooperated in a later study by gathering detailed data on 708 slow-moving vehicle accidents and estimated that 65% of the motor vehicle accidents involving slow-moving vehicles were rear-ended collisions. Continue reading

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“The program assists farmers with a free of charge, safe and environmentally responsible disposal of unusable, outdated pesticides.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

Livestock and Grain Producers: Dealing with Vomitoxin and Zearalenone

Vomitoxin in the 2020 corn crop continues to plague both livestock and grain producers. Livestock producers are trying to decide how best to manage corn and corn by-products with high levels of vomitoxin, and those who grow corn are trying to decide how best to avoid vomitoxin contamination in 2021.

In the 15 minute video below, OSU Extension Educations John Barker, Rob Leeds, and Jacci Smith discuss where and why this year’s vomitoxin issues originated, considerations for avoiding problems in coming years, how it impacts livestock, and what’s involved in testing grain for vomitoxin.

Working Safely with Anhydrous Ammonia

By Kent McGuire – OSU CFAES Safety and Health Coordinator

Many farmers are applying anhydrous ammonia as a part of their spring planting season. Anyone working with anhydrous ammonia should be familiar with the safe use of the product, understand the potential for injury and know how to respond to an emergency. There are several hazards associated with working with anhydrous ammonia in the field. One hazard is that anhydrous ammonia is stored under high pressure. An unintended release can occur if the equipment is not well maintained, equipment becomes damaged, or workers are not trained to follow exact procedures. Additional hazards can be based on anhydrous ammonia’s chemical properties. Contact with skin can cause freezing of tissue or chemical burns. Severe irritation to the eyes can take place since anhydrous ammonia seeks out water. And because of the strong odor, inhaling anhydrous ammonia can irritate the lungs and respiratory system. Some simple suggestions when working with anhydrous ammonia in the field include:

– Always have water readily available. This should include a squirt bottle of water with you and 5 gallons of emergency water mounted on the nurse tank.

– Personal protective equipment should include long sleeve clothing, goggles, chemical gloves, and a respirator with the approved cartridge. Continue reading

Take some time during Farm Science Review to share the film SILO.

Earlier in the year, I had the opportunity to watch the film SILO during the American Farm Bureau Federation National Meeting.  If you are involved in farming or work in agribusiness this movie is a great one to watch.  Safety around grain bins is one of the areas of focus I have had for Paulding County. Many of our local fire departments have volunteers trained in grain bin rescue and via grants have the equipment to use in the county if the need arises to complete a rescue. With Farm Science Review in a virtual, online format, the opportunity to see the movie is free.  There are specific times but please take time for this great opportunity.

Free screenings of the film SILO will be offered as a part of Farm Science Review 2020. It is a great opportunity for friends and family to spend an evening together watching a movie from the comfort of their own home. A way to start a dialog around safety for families, FFA chapters, or older 4-H members. Thank you for your support in keeping our farm communities safe this harvest season.

Link and flyer to get registered for the event

Event Notice – Farmer’s Breakfast Special “Stay-at-Home” Spring Planting Edition

From Mary Griffith, ANR Extension Educator, Madison County

Stuck at home and really wish you could come to an Extension event? Us too, but we thought we could bring another great speaker to you. Join OSU Extension and Ohio Farm Bureau on Friday, April 17 and April 24 from 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. for their virtual breakfast series. Each meeting will kick off with a weather forecast from the State Climate Office of Ohio’s Aaron Wilson, followed by a guest speaker. On April 17, Scott Schearer of OSU Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering will be discussing “Combating Compaction:  Minimizing Soil Compaction this Spring.” On April 24, John Fulton also of OSU Department of Food, Agriculture, and Biological Engineering will be presenting “Planter Set-up to Maximize Yield.”

In order to join us virtually please register at go.osu.edu/farmersbreakfast to receive the link! Please contact Madison County ANR Educator Mary Griffith at 740-852-0975 or griffith.483@osu.edu with questions.

Managing Stored Grain Through Winter

Stay safe when working in grain bins

Stay safe when working in grain bins

By: Jason Hartschuh, OSU Extension Crawford County

Managing stored grain throughout the winter is an important part of your grain marketing plan for farm profitability. This winter we are already receiving reports of stored grain going out of condition, which can lower the value and be a hazard to those working around the grain facility. At a minimum, the stored grain that has gone out of condition can cause health hazards, especially when grain dust contains mold and bacteria. Out of condition grain can also form a crust or stick to the bin walls and if someone enters the bin for any reason an entrapment could occur. For more information on safety when working around grain visit http://go.osu.edu/AFM and listen to episode 41 of the podcast on grain bin safety. Continue reading

ODA reminds farmers of requirements for DiCamba use

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Brett Gates, (614) 752-9817, bgates@agri.ohio.gov

Revised label and new training required before use in 2019

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (Jan. 16, 2019) – The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) is reminding farmers of revised labels and new training requirements for applicators who intend to use dicamba herbicide products this year. In October 2018, U.S. EPA approved revised labels for the three dicamba products that are labeled for use on soybeans: Engenia (BASF), XtendiMax (Monsanto) and FeXapan (DuPont). Continue reading

Website open for online Pesticide and Fertilizer Re-certification registration

The link for the Paulding County pesticide and fertilizer re-certification is active and live.  The new option for 2019 to pay by debit or credit card.  Registration is needed to be filled in online even if you are not paying by credit card.  I realize some applicators have stopped in the office and paid.  We will be sending the online link in an individual email for all those who pre-registered by calling our office.  Thanks for your patience during our learning year.  Continue reading

Paulding County to offer ODA Fertilizer or Pesticide Testing location

For those people who have been asking when is Paulding County going to be a testing site for the Pesticide or Fertilizer test, we are now going to have two dates in 2019.  Registration seats for the test will still need to be secured through the Ohio Department of Agriculture at https://agri.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/oda/divisions/plant-health/pesticides/ .  When getting on the website please choose the section in the middle of the page “Exam – then register for your exam” (see picture below).

Continue reading

Pesticide License “Crash Course”

With the new changes for the Dicamba restrictions, I have had many phone calls to sign up for the Pesticide Testing through Ohio Department of Agriculture.   Additionally, our office is selling the Private Pesticide Applicator study materials.

If you are one of those people who would rather have a hands-on class to help with the testing process, please join us on February 7, 2019 from 9:30 – 11:30 for a Pesticide crash course.  Cost of the class is $25 and registration is requested prior to the event for planning purposes.  These classes will cover CORE and Category 1.  The final 30 minutes will be spent preparing and registering for the exam.    Study materials are a separate fee and I recommend that you call the office to order before walking in.  These study materials are flying off the shelves like hot cakes.