Soil Health

Success Stories of Conservation program to be held February 20th

Ohio State University Extension and Northwest State Community College are partnering to provide a regional event focused on successful implementation of agricultural conservation practices, called “Success Stories of Conservation”.  The event will feature farmers giving 5-minute “lightning talks” that will discuss how specific conservation practices have benefitted them on their operations, followed by a panel-type question and answer session. In addition, Dr. Jim Uphaus, Professor and Chair of the Agriculture program at Rhodes State College, and Dr. Vinayak Shedekar, Assistant Professor of Agriculture Water Management at The Ohio State University, will host breakout sessions focusing on the return on investment of conservation practices and the benefits of utilizing farm drainage, respectively. The event’s keynote speaker will be Greg LaBarge, Field Specialist in Agronomic Systems at The Ohio State University, discussing his research in the Powell Creek Watershed and what watershed-scale implementation of conservation practices can do. Continue reading Success Stories of Conservation program to be held February 20th →

Register for Water Quality Wednesdays!

The Water Quality Team’s fifth annual webinar series, Water Quality Wednesdays, is back for 2025! Join OSU’s Water Quality Extension Associates for the series focusing on the interaction between agriculture and water quality. Each webinar will have a unique topic and speakers. We will be hosting three webinars, on the last Wednesday of the month, from January to March in 2025. Continuing education credits (CEUs) will be offered for Certified Crop Advisers (CCAs) for each webinar. Certified Livestock Manager (CLM) CEUs will be offered for relevant topics. All webinars will be recorded and posted to the OSU Agronomy Team YouTube channel (go.osu.edu/AgronomyYouTube) for later viewing. CEUs will not be available from the recordings.

The first webinar will be held on Wednesday, January 29 from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM. See the official flyer here 2025 WQW Series Flyer. Register at go.osu.edu/WQW25!

For more information, contact Rachel Cochran, Cochran.474@osu.edu, (567)344-5016 or visit waterqualityextension.osu.edu.

 

Join Paulding County Extension for January 7th Cover Crops Roundtable Meeting

Join OSU Extension Paulding County and escape the cold with some hot topics at our January 7th Cover Crops Roundtable meeting! Continue reading Join Paulding County Extension for January 7th Cover Crops Roundtable Meeting →

Get Ready to Dig into Soil Health with the 2025 Ohio State Soil Health Webinar Series!

Are you ready to expand your knowledge of soil health? The 2025 Ohio State Soil Health Webinar Series is here, bringing expert insights on hot topics requested by viewers in recent years.

This free, virtual series offers a unique opportunity to learn from leading researchers, educators, and farmers who are shaping the future of soil health. Recordings will be available through the Ohio State Extension Agronomic Crops Team page, but event planners encourage live participation. Joining live sessions allows attendees to ask questions, share insights, and engage in meaningful conversations with experts.

Register now at go.osu.edu/SoilHealthWeb to receive meeting links and calendar reminders. Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs) can earn continuing education credits by attending live sessions. Continue reading Get Ready to Dig into Soil Health with the 2025 Ohio State Soil Health Webinar Series! →

Sarah Noggle Receives Prestigious Ohio No-Till Council Educator of the Year Award

Plain City, Ohio: On December 4, 2024, the Ohio No-Till Council announced Sarah Noggle, an esteemed educator in agriculture and natural resources, as the recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Educator Award. This prestigious recognition highlights Noggle’s exceptional contributions to advancing sustainable farming practices, soil health, and agricultural education in Ohio and beyond.

Noggle was selected from a diverse pool of educators representing elementary, high school, university, and adult education programs across the state. Her ability to engage and inspire learners of all ages, coupled with her expertise in conservation and agricultural sustainability, set her apart as a leader in her field.

As an educator, Noggle serves as a tireless advocate for conservation agriculture, with a focus on no-till practices, soil health, cover crops, and sustainable farming systems. Through her leadership and innovative educational programs, she has empowered countless farmers, landowners, and community members to adopt practices that improve soil health, enhance water quality, and strengthen the long-term viability of agricultural operations.

A cornerstone of Noggle’s work has been her commitment to fostering meaningful connections between farmers and agricultural professionals. Her efforts in Extension programming have built bridges between research and application, ensuring that evidence-based practices reach the hands of those who steward the land. Noggle’s dedication to local and statewide initiatives, including her work with cover crops and farm stress, exemplifies her holistic approach to serving Ohio’s agricultural community. Continue reading Sarah Noggle Receives Prestigious Ohio No-Till Council Educator of the Year Award →

NW Ohio Newsletter 2025

📬 The 2025 Northwest Ohio Newsletter is Coming!

Exciting news! The 2025 Northwest Ohio Newsletter will be hitting mailboxes near the end of December! 🗓️

Packed with the latest updates on agriculture, Extension programming, and community opportunities, this newsletter is your go-to resource for staying informed and connected.

Prefer to read online? 📲 Check out the Virtual Version here.

Stay tuned—there’s a lot to look forward to as we kick off a new year together! 🌾

#Agriculture #Extension #NWOhio #StayConnected #LeanOnYourLandGrant #PauldingCountyStrong #OSUE

Farm Office Live Scheduled for October 18

OSU Extension will be offering the October Farm Office Live webinar on Friday, October 18 from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.  Farm Office Live is a monthly webinar of updates and outlooks on legal, economic, and farm management issues that affect Ohio agriculture. Some of the topics that will be addressed during this webinar include Fall Crop Insurance Update, USDA Drought Assistance Programs, Legal Update, Tribute to Paul Wright, Practical Out of Country Labor Resource for Farms, 4th Quarterly Fertilizer Price Summary, and  Winter Program Update. Featured speakers include guest Farm Office members Peggy Hall, Jeff Lewis, David Marrison, Robert Moore, Eric Richer, and Clint Schroeder. Register for this and future Farm Office Live webinars through this link on farmoffice.osu.edu.

Cover Crops Roundtables – Join us monthly!

Join Paulding County Extension for their monthly, year-round series focusing on topics related to cover crops at their Cover Crops Roundtable meetings! These meetings are held on Tuesdays each month from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM at the Paulding County Extension Office. Continue reading Cover Crops Roundtables – Join us monthly! →

Save the Date: CAP Field Day on August 28, 2024

CAP Field Day
Nutrient Management
August 28, 2024   5-8 pm
Location – Todd Hesterman Farm
R 802 Rt 109, Napoleon, Ohio 43545

No Cost to Attend,  Meal Included,   Registration needed by August 26
Contact Alansundermeier@gmail.com  or call 419-261-0625

CAP Field Day: Nutrient Management

Check Roots for Soybean Cyst Nematode: What’s Your Number?

Soybean Cyst Nematode in hand

Article is taken from https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2024-24/check-roots-soybean-cyst-nematode-what%E2%80%99s-your-number by Horacio Lopez-Nicora

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is quietly expanding its presence in Ohio, with increasing numbers across the state. Fields affected by SCN might not show aboveground visible symptoms, but SCN females can be detected attached to soybean roots six to eight weeks after planting. We encourage Ohio soybean growers to actively manage SCN by checking roots for the presence of SCN. If you’re unsure whether you have SCN in your fields, take a walk through your fields with a shovel, digging up plants every 30 to 50 paces. Carefully remove soil from the roots (a water bucket can help) and look for SCN females (Fig. 1). Initially white to cream, turning yellow and eventually brown, SCN females are significantly smaller than nitrogen-fixing nodules (Fig. 1). The SCN females will eventually fill with over 200 eggs, transforming into cysts that protect the eggs and allow them to survive for several years in infested fields. We encourage growers, agronomists, and crop consultants to check soybean roots for SCN throughout July, August, and September.

Figure 1. Soybean roots infested with SCN. Note the significantly smaller lemon-shape SCN female (red circle) attached to roots compared to larger nitrogen-fixing nodules (yellow circle).

Figure 1. Soybean roots infested with SCN. Note the significantly smaller lemon-shape SCN female (red circle) attached to roots compared to larger nitrogen-fixing nodules (yellow circle).

Knowing if you have SCN is the first step in managing it effectively. Watch this video to learn how to check your roots for SCN females. If SCN is detected in your field, a fall soil sample can determine your SCN numbers and help tailor appropriate management strategies. If you are already planting SCN-resistant varieties, checking roots can help evaluate the effectiveness of your resistance management or identify if the SCN population in your field is adapting to those resistant varieties (a shift in virulence).

Maintaining low SCN levels is much easier than reducing high numbers below damage thresholds. With support from the Ohio Soybean Council and The SCN Coalition, we can process up to two soil samples per grower for SCN testing, free of charge [read more here]. Share your #SCNRootCheck photos on social media by tagging @TheSCNCoalition on Twitter and Facebook, and @Ohiosoycouncil on Twitter and @ohiosoybeancouncil on Facebook.

Register for Soil Health Field Day on August 15

Hand holding soil

Article is taken from https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2024-23/register-soil-health-field-day-august-15 by Stephanie Karhoff, CCA, Randall Reeder, Amanda Douridas, CCA

Join Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio No-Till Council in partnership with Cargill RegenConnect® on Thursday, August 15 for a Soil Health Field Day featuring leading experts and hands-on field demonstrations.

The event will be held at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center (135 OH-38, London, OH 43140; East end of Farm Science Review exhibit area). Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. with a welcome message from Janelle Leach, Conservation Agronomist with Cargill, at 9:15 a.m. Morning sessions will include the following:

  • Cover Crop Management & Termination – Dr. Alyssa Essman, The Ohio State University
  • Rain Fall Simulator and Slake Test – Jay & Ann Brandt
  • Cover Crop Selection Decisions & Planting Rates and Timing – Jason Hartschuh, The Ohio State University

Free lunch courtesy of our sponsors will be followed by keynote speaker Dr. Paul Jasa of University of Nebraska-Lincoln discussing “What Research Shows about No Till Systems and Cover Crops.”

The field day will close with a farmer panel discussion and additional time to interact with vendors. Register online by clicking here.

Have you Registered for the July 31st Cover Crop ‘Til You Drop Field Day?

Soil depth tool next to crop

Article is taken from https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2024-22/have-you-registered-july-31st-cover-crop-%E2%80%98til-you-drop-field-day by Amber Emmons, CCA, Rachel Cochran, CCA

We are now only three weeks away from Ohio State University Extension’s Water Quality Team field day: Cover Crop ‘Til You Drop! View the video below for more information about this conservation-focused field day.

The field day will begin at 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 31st, 2024, at 13079 Rd 10L, Ottawa, OH. The field day will wrap up at 2:00 PM with an optional wetland tour to follow. The keynote speaker for this event will be Dr. Manbir Rakkar, Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management State Specialist with The Ohio State University Extension. She will discuss how cover crops interact with both soil health and water quality.

Have you registered yet? We hope to see you on July 31st! Visit go.osu.edu/24WQTeamFieldDay or contact Rachel Cochran at Cochran.474@osu.edu with questions.

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 Farm Science Review is just around the corner! →

Controlling Slugs and Voles in Cover Crops

From the OSU CORN Newsletter:

By Rachel Cochran, CCA and Paige Garrabrant, Water Quality Extension Associates

Last week, OSU Extension’s Water Quality Team launched their annual webinar series with a two-part webinar on cover crops. The team works closely with producers throughout the Western Lake Erie Basin to implement practices that not only improve growers’ operational efficiencies and profitability, but also to promote soil health and reduce nutrient and sediment loss. Several producers that the team works with have requested more education specifically on cover crops.

The webinar last week focused on cover crops with a handful of different speakers. Tim Reinbott, Director of Field Operations at the University of Missouri’s Agricultural Research Stations, provided listeners with some insight and advice on controlling slugs and voles, which are common in no-till and reduced-till situations. Continue reading Controlling Slugs and Voles in Cover Crops →

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

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

Webinar Series on Soil Health for 2023

Greetings Soil Heath Enthusiasts,
The Ohio State University Extension Soil Health Committee as part of the OSU Agronomy Team wanted to make sure you were aware of our upcoming soil health programs scheduled for this winter.

To participate in the SOIL HEALTH 2023 WEBINAR SERIES – Registration can be found at www.go.osu.edu/soilhealthweb
CCA Credits will be available for each webinar.

Continue reading Webinar Series on Soil Health for 2023 →

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

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

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 Soil Health Tour 2022 Sites Finalized →