Technology

Space Weather Disturbances and Farm GPS Interruptions: Understanding Last Week’s Solar Flares

Over the past week, one of the most frequent questions and concerns brought to the Paulding County Extension Office was about GPS malfunctions affecting farm operations. Many farmers reported having to manually steer combines, manure tankers, fertilizer applicators, and grain carts due to disrupted GPS signals. So, what caused these issues, and how can farmers prepare for similar disruptions in the future?

Introduction

Last week, a series of intense solar flares, part of ongoing solar activity, caused disruptions to satellite-based systems around the globe. Farmers using GPS technology for precision agriculture were particularly impacted, as these tools are essential for tasks like planting, soil mapping, and irrigation management. This article will explore how space weather, specifically solar flares, affects farm operations dependent on GPS, the science behind solar flares, and what to expect as we head toward the solar maximum. Continue reading Space Weather Disturbances and Farm GPS Interruptions: Understanding Last Week’s Solar Flares →

Register for Paulding’s Agricultural Technology and Farm Data Course!

Ohio State University Extension Paulding County and Rhodes State College are partnering to provide a three-part education series focused on showing farmers how to use the data they are already collecting on their operations. Most farms are already collecting many kinds of data, including field boundaries, yield maps, soil test results, etc. This course will show attendees how to combine this data with publicly available data layers such as elevation and soils maps to better understand the performance of their management practices. The first session will take place from 6:00PM to 8:00PM on Tuesday, April 2nd, 2024, at the Paulding County Extension Office. Continue reading Register for Paulding’s Agricultural Technology and Farm Data Course! →

AEDE Economic Outlook and Policy Webinar Series 2024

The Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics (AEDE) is hosting our annual Spring Monthly Webinar Series.

What are the key international issues with grain marketing in 2024? Do renewable energy needs ask too much of rural Americans? Uncertainty and rising prices have become fixtures in our financial and economic decision-making of late. This uncertainty and unrest have far-reaching impacts on not just our wallets but also on the very environment we live in. Join our expert economists for a new webinar series as we explore what’s going on in key commodity and labor markets. This series features a different AEDE economist breaking down an interesting topic every month throughout spring.

The Spring 2024 series schedule is below. Please register for each event you would like to attend separately by clicking the appropriate link on the AEDE website. Once registered, participants will receive a confirmation email with a link to view the selected webinar(s) live at the scheduled time(s). Participants will receive an automated reminder email for all upcoming sessions they registered to attend. Those unable to join live should still register to receive a recording of the webinar. All webinars will also be posted on the AEDE YouTube channel’s playlist for the series shortly after they are given live.  Click here to register.

  • January 24 – Dr. Jared Grant: “An Influencer’s Impact: How Trust May Shape Food Demand”
  • February 21 – Dr. Seungki Lee and Dr. Ian Sheldon: “Grain Marketing in 2024: What are the Key International Issues?”
  • March 20 — Dr. Yao Wang: “Place-Based Economic Development: The Case of Intel”
  • April 17 — Dr. Mark Partridge: “Do Renewable Energy Needs Ask Too Much of Rural Americans? A View from Ohio.”
  • May 15 — Dr. Ale Hollingsworth: “Excess Emissions: Environmental Impacts, Health Effects, and Policy Debate.”
  • June 5 — Dr. Margaret Jodlowski: “Agricultural Labor Supply and Citizenship Status”

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! →

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 Agriculture icon celebrates 60 years →

Farm Survey

Farmers, ranchers, and their partners raising children wanted! Researchers are looking for primary caregivers of children under 18 to participate in an online survey about how they are juggling children and work. Full- and part-time farmers and ranchers are welcome to participate and may choose to enter a raffle to win one of fifty $50 checks.

For questions or to request a paper survey, contact Florence Becotat at 715-389-9379 or becot.florence@marshfieldresearch.org

To fill out the online survey, visit this link:https://redcap.link/Survey1_FarmersRaisingChildren 

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

Are Starlink Satellites the Solution to Rural Internets Setbacks?

By: Andrew Holden, Extension Educator, Agriculture & Natural Resources, The Ohio State University Extension

Disclaimer: The purpose of this article is to provide you with information about a new internet service technology and is not an endorsement of the company or their services. I hope that this information will assist you in making informed decisions and help you learn more about the importance of high-speed internet for rural communities.  

Slow internet can frustrate almost anyone, but if you live in a rural area, slow internet, if any, can often be your only choice. The lack of high-speed internet access has been a concern for many years in rural America. While companies slowly improve service and governmental programs try to address these issues, many rural residents are left waiting for faster internet that can’t come soon enough. One company that is attempting to close this digital divide is SpaceX, with its high-speed satellite internet system called Starlink. While Starlink is just beginning to roll out service, the initial results appear to be promising. Continue reading Are Starlink Satellites the Solution to Rural Internets Setbacks? →