Farm Management

Join us on March 4 for the Field to Finance Monthly Roundtable

🌱 Join Us for Field to Finance – Growing Success! 🌾

Are you a new or beginning farmer looking to sharpen your skills in agronomy and farm management? Whether you’re 18 or 80, the Field to Finance – Growing Success monthly series in Paulding County, OH, is here to support you!

📅 Next Session: Tuesday, March 4, 2025
🕘 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
📍 Paulding County Extension Office, 503 Fairground Drive, Paulding, OH
💲 FREE to attend!

🔥 This Month’s Topics:
🌽 Agronomy (9:00 AM): Using the Corn, Soybean & Wheat Budgets
📊 Farm Management (10:00 AM): Technology in Agriculture (QGIS) & The Value of Farm Meetings in Transition

Each session features expert speakers, hands-on learning, and valuable networking with experienced farmers. RSVP is appreciated to ensure we have enough handouts and refreshments!

👉 Register here: go.osu.edu/FarmForward25

For questions, contact Sarah Noggle at (419) 399-8225 or noggle.17@osu.edu.

👩‍🌾👨‍🌾 Don’t miss this opportunity to grow your farm, your finances, and your future! Tag a friend who should join you!

2025 Field to Finance March 2025 Flyer

Join us for Breakfast on Friday, March 7

🥞🚜 Join Us for the March 7 First Friday Breakfast! 🚜🥞

Paulding County farmers, start your morning off right at the Farm Management & Agronomy Monthly Agriculture Breakfast! 🌾☕

📅 Date: Friday, March 7
⏰ Time: 7:30 – 8:30 a.m.
📍 Location: Paulding Pancake House, 18187 US 127, Cecil, OH

Enjoy a delicious breakfast while catching up on current ag trends, local farming news, and valuable insights from our guest speaker, Samantha Bluhm, Paulding County Farm Bureau Organizational Director. She’ll be sharing details on upcoming Farm Bureau events and the value of membership. 🌱🤝

This is a great opportunity to connect with fellow farmers in a relaxed setting and strengthen our local ag community! 👨‍🌾

Come to one or all sessions—just be sure to RSVP so we can have enough handouts ready!

📩 RSVP & Questions? Contact Sarah Noggle at (419) 399-8225 or noggle.17@osu.edu

Breakfast is at the attendees’ cost. See you there! 👏

#PauldingAg #FarmCommunity #AgricultureBreakfast #Networking #OhioFarming

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 →

Join us next week for three ag-focused events!

Paulding County Extension is set to host THREE programs next week! Continue reading Join us next week for three ag-focused events! →

Farm Accounting with Quicken Workshops Across the State

Financial record keeping is critical for farm businesses.  At a minimum, the records support the completion of the annual income tax forms and documents.  Having accurate and accessible data makes tax time smoother and less stressful.

Record keeping can Do More Than a Tax Return.  Records can be utilized to manage critical farm input expenses, calculate the cost of production, allocate income and expense to each farm enterprise, farm, or field location, build reports that describe the farm finances in real-time, and lead to stronger financial documents such as the annual balance sheet and income statement.

Is it time to re-evaluate how the farm keeps financial records? If so, OSU Extension is pleased to offer five Farm Accounting Workshops with Quicken across Ohio this winter.  These workshops will be held at:

  • Auglaize County, January 28 & 29, 2025 – 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm — Call: 419-910-6050 to RSVP
  • Jefferson County, February 4 & 5, 2025 – 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm — Call: 740-264-2212 to RSVP
  • Ross County, February 10 & 11, 2025 – 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm — Call: 740-702-3200 to RSVP
  • Fairfield County, February 12 & 13, 2025 – 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm — Call: 740-653-5419 to RSVP
  • Seneca County, February 20, 2025 – 9:30 am to 3:30 pm — Call: 419-447-9722 to RSVP

Continue reading Farm Accounting with Quicken Workshops Across the State →

Join Us for Farm Office Live in 2025!

From the Farm Office Team

As we wrap up the year, the Farm Office Team would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in our Farm Office Live webinars over the past year. Your engagement and support make these sessions impactful and worthwhile.

We are excited to announce the dates for our 2025 Winter Series and invite you to mark your calendars for these upcoming webinars. Sessions will take place on Fridays from 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon on the following dates:

  • January 17
  • February 21
  • March 28
  • April 25

What to Expect

Farm Office Live webinars offer timely and essential updates for farm operations, from legislative changes to business management insights.

Here’s the Tentative Agenda for our first session on January 17, 2025:

  • Legislative Round-Up
  • Farm Business Analysis Program Update
  • Long-Term Care Update
  • Quarterly Fertilizer Update
  • Crop Input Outlook
  • Livestock Outlook
  • 1099 Reminders
  • Farm Policy & Farm Bill
  • Winter Program Update

Where to Find More Information

Stay up-to-date and access past recordings and slides on our website: Farm Office Live.

Save the Dates!

Don’t miss these opportunities to gain valuable insights and connect with experts who are here to help you navigate the ever-evolving agricultural landscape.

We hope you enjoy a wonderful holiday season, and we look forward to seeing you in 2025! As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Warm regards,
The Farm Office Team

Farmer and Farmland Owner Income Tax Webinar

Article by Barry Ward & Jeff Lewis, Income Tax Schools at The Ohio State University

Are you a farmer or farmland owner wanting to learn more about the recent tax law issues? If so, join us for this webinar on Friday, December 6th, 2024, from 10 am to noon. This webinar is a part of our Farm Office Live Series and serves as our Farm Office Live! Webinar for December. To register for this webinar, go to: https://go.osu.edu/register4fol

This webinar will focus on issues related to farmer and farmland owner income tax returns as well as the latest news on CAUV and property taxes in Ohio and another reminder regarding changes to the Ohio Commercial Activity Tax (CAT). This two-hour program will be presented in a live webinar format via Zoom by OSU Extension Educators Barry Ward, David Marrison, and Jeff Lewis. Individuals who operate farms, own property, or are involved with renting farmland should participate. Continue reading Farmer and Farmland Owner Income Tax Webinar →

NW Ohio Corn Fields Needed for Research Projects

Are you a farmer in Northwest Ohio who planted corn this year? The Water Quality Extension Associates are looking for partners to participate in an “End-of-Season Soil Nitrogen After Corn” study to help understand nitrogen use and efficiency and potential adjustments to N programs. OSU Extension will pay lab costs for up to two samples per farm.

For more information, please visit go.osu.edu/eosnitrogen or reach out to Rachel Cochran at cochran.474@osu.edu or Heather at torlina.1@osu.edu.

Green Fields Green Dollars Episode 2 is out now!

The second episode of OSU Extension’s newest video series, Green Fields Green Dollars, is now live on the OSU Agronomy YouTube channel! Hosted by Rachel Cochran, Water Quality Extension Associate, and Clint Schroeder, Farm Business Analysis Program Manager, episode two focuses on the economics of cover crop benefits. Check out the video, linked here, to learn more about cover crops’ impact on yield, breakdown of returns by experience level, and value of ecosystem services.

Fall Forage Management

Alfalfa forage field

Article is taken from https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2024-26/fall-forage-management by Dr. John Yost

The fall is a critical time in our yearly forage management calendar. Regardless of how the growing season has progressed, your fall management practices will set the stage for getting the next spring off on the right foot. In this article, we will give some recommendations on soil fertility, fall planting of new alfalfa stands, and when to take the last forage harvest for the season.

Your soil fertility program is far and above the most critical component of your alfalfa management. While current weather conditions and harvest timing will most influence the quality of a single cutting, a well-balanced fertility program will ensure that the plant has the available resources to perform within its environment. Again, the goal is to finish the growing season with a healthy plant that has had sufficient time to accumulate top growth that will protect the crown from cold temperatures during the late fall and winter. Allowing for enough top growth will also allow the plant to increase its energy reserves to initiate rapid growth in the spring.

Continue reading Fall Forage Management →

Two August Field Days to Explore Barriers and Benefits of Crop and Livestock Integration

Exploring Crop and Livestock Integration Field Days

Article taken from https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2024-25/two-august-field-days-explore-barriers-and-benefits-crop-and by Cassandra Brown

Over the last 50 years, both crop and livestock production systems in the U.S. have become increasingly specialized and separated. A two-year Ohio State project has partnered with 31 working Ohio farms to examine the economic, ecological, and social impacts of specializing or integrating these farming systems. During this event, attendees will consider soil health results and other on-farm data from our two-year study, join in discussion with study participants about the benefits and barriers to integrating crop and livestock systems, and hear about specific strategies or issues from area farmers.

There is no cost to attend, but registration is required to receive the meal provided during the event. This project is supported by a grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Two options to attend “Exploring Crop and Livestock Integration: Barriers and Benefits”

2024 Third Quarter Fertilizer Prices Across Ohio

Loading of fertilizer applicator

Article is taken from https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2024-23/2024-third-quarter-fertilizer-prices-across-ohio by Clint Schroeder, Eric Richer, CCA, Amanda Bennett

Results from a quarterly survey of retail fertilizer prices in the state of Ohio revealed fertilizer prices were slightly lower than the July national averages reported by Progressive Farmer for the second consecutive quarter – DTN (Quinn, 2024). The survey was completed by 17 retailers, representing 11 counties, who do business in the state of Ohio. Respondents were asked to quote spot prices as of the first day of the quarter (July 1st) based on sale type indicated. This is part of a larger study conducted by OSU Extension to better understand local fertilizer prices, which began in December 2023.

In summary, survey participants reported the average price of all fertilizers was lower in Ohio compared to the national prices, with Potash ($456/ton in Ohio versus $506/ton nationally) and 28% UAN ($309/ton in Ohio compared to $345/ton nationally) offering the largest discounts (Quinn, 2024).

Continue reading 2024 Third Quarter Fertilizer Prices Across Ohio →

Is it time to cull the mature female and replace her with a heifer?

Cull or keep this mature cow?

Article is taken from https://u.osu.edu/beef/2024/07/10/is-it-time-to-cull-the-mature-female-and-replace-her-with-a-heifer/#more-16653 by Dr. Andrew Griffith, Assistant Professor, Livestock Marketing Specialist, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee

I had a discussion last week concerning selling older cows and replacing them with bred heifers. This is an important decision for most cow-calf producers including myself as I have bred heifers for sale and I have some older cows whose useful life in the breeding herd is extremely short. Thus, there are multiple questions to answer.

The first is if and when a mature female should be marketed. The second is if she should be replaced with a younger breeding female now or at some later date.

From the market price perspective, it is extremely important to compare the value of the mature female with the value of replacing her. As an example, boning utility cows in Tennessee had an average price of $143.50 per hundredweight last week and had an average weight of 1,210 pounds, which results in a value of $1,736 per head.

The decision at this point is to develop and breed a female or to purchase a bred female. Bred females are guaranteed bred and will generate revenue more quickly which makes them more valuable than one to be developed and bred.

Register today, space is limited.

Article is taken from https://u.osu.edu/beef/2024/07/10/beef-cattle-a-i-workshop-hosted-in-muskingum-county/

OSU Extension Muskingum County will host an introduction to artificial insemination of beef cattle on July 30 and August 1, 2024 from 6:00 to 8:30 pm at the Extension Office in Zanesville. This two-night workshop is a classroom event starting on night one and concluding with hands-on-practice on night two.

Topics that will be covered during this workshop include: Advanced Reproductive Tract Anatomy and Physiology, Estrous Synchronization, Pasture Considerations, Expected Progeny Differences (EPD’s), and Tools, Equipment, & Techniques. Program cost is $20 per person and RSVP’s are due July 25.  The classroom location is the meeting room at the Rural Services Building, 225 Underwood St, Zanesville, OH.

Please RSVP and register using the online webform and payment portal found at go.osu.edu/muskingumbeef.

Direct questions to Clifton Martin, Extension Educator, Muskingum County (740-454-0144), or to Dean Kreager, Extension Educator, Licking County (740-670-5315), or see this flyer.

2024 Ohio Farm Custom Rates Released

Farm equipment in a field.

Article is taken from https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2024-21/2024-ohio-farm-custom-rates-released by Barry Ward, Eric Richer, CCA, John Barker, Amanda Bennett

Farming is a complex business and many Ohio farmers utilize outside assistance for specific farm-related work. This option is appealing for tasks requiring specialized equipment or technical expertise. Often, having someone else with specialized tools perform tasks is more cost-effective and saves time. Farm work completed by others is often referred to as “custom farm work” or more simply, “custom work”. A “custom rate” is the amount agreed upon by both parties to be paid by the custom work customer to the custom work provider.

Custom rates increased for the majority of field operations in 2024 as compared to surveyed rates in 2022 but the increases did vary by operation. Examples include an increase of 6% for Planting Corn (30 Inch Rows with Fertilizer Application), 5.6% for Harvesting Corn (Combine, Grain Cart, Haul Local to Farm), 21% for Spraying (Self-Propelled Sprayer, Crop Protection Chemicals), and 24% for Field Cultivator.

New field operations in this year’s survey and summary include drone/UAV application and cover crop seeding.

Continue reading 2024 Ohio Farm Custom Rates Released →

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”

Western Ohio Cropland Values and Cash Rents Survey Summary 2022-23

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:

https://farmoffice.osu.edu/blog/tue-08292023-1159am/western-ohio-cropland-values-and-cash-rents-2022-23

Enterprise Budgets from OSU Extension

I have had some calls about the location of the OSU Extension enterprise budgets for Corn, Soybeans, and Wheat. I thought I would share the information with the entire email list. Budgets are located at https://farmoffice.osu.edu/farm-management/enterprise-budgets#2022. You will need to scroll down on the page and choose the budget you are looking for under 2023.

Have a great week!

Upcoming Labor Management Workshops – Build Your Farm Labor Management Know-How

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.

Continue reading Upcoming Labor Management Workshops – Build Your Farm Labor Management Know-How →