Thank you for your interest in providing responses to this survey. Before proceeding, please review the following information related to the study and your rights.

By completing the survey, you will help us determine the average level of awareness, and base knowledge of feed and water use efficiency in small ruminant livestock. This online survey will direct you through a set of questions. The Ohio State University Office of Responsible Research Practices has classified this project as Exempt and assigned the study number 2023E1338.

You can access the survey at https://go.osu.edu/2024smallruminantefficiency or by the QR Code provided.

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Sulfur is an element found in two out of the 20 protein-forming amino acids in plants. It is also essential for chlorophyll production, the most important pigment in the plant kingdom.

Additionally, a higher amount of sulfur is needed in legumes for nitrogen fixation. Legumes are thought to be the most sensitive plants to sulfur deficiency due to the fact it will slow down all three essential functions in this category.

For these reasons, plants, and all life for that matter, need sulfur to survive. It is considered a secondary macro-nutrient because of its essential requirement at lower levels than the other macro-nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Plant symptoms of sulfur deficiency are young leaves with light green veins and interveinal areas. Younger leaves due to protein synthesis and light green due to decreased chlorophyll content…

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The C. Wayne Ellett Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic (PPDC) moved to The CFAES Wooster Campus about a year ago. We are located at the OSU CFAES Wooster Campus on the second floor (Selby Hall, room 234) of the Department of Plant Pathology. We continue to provide diagnostic services and support for plant and pest-related problems for a wide range of stakeholders (agricultural/green industries, growers and agribusinesses, health care professionals and the general public).

All plant and arthropod samples are evaluated by Francesca (Program Director and Plant Diagnostician) and Suranga Basnagala (Arthropod Diagnostician and Entomology Coordinator) in the PPDC laboratories located on the CFAES  Wooster campus…

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The Ohio State Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic (PPDC) received a sample of sawfly larvae from Holden Arboretum collected on a species of alder (Alnus spp.) in June 2023. The larvae were eating alder leaves when they were collected by the propagator at Holden Forests and Gardens.

Among the sawflies in North America that are reported to feed on alder, Nematus erythrogaster is the only one that resembles these larvae.

Because of the inability to identify the color-faded larvae due to storage in ethanol, we sent them to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) for confirmation. Then, they submitted the sample to the National Identification Services (NIS) for molecular identification.

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Ohio grain, beef cattle, and dairy producers will have an opportunity to sharpen their commodity marketing skills at the 2024 Professional Marketer Program.  This advanced marketing school will consist of 5 sessions held one day each week during the month of February.  It will be held at the Buckeye Ag Museum in Wooster, OH.

The session topics and speakers are as follows:

February 1, 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Introduction to Hedging with Futures and Options Markets, John Yost, OSU Extension Wayne Co.

Developing a Marketing Plan, John Yost, OSU Extension Wayne Co.

February 7^th, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Enterprise Budgets, Breakevens, and Farm Taxes, Barry Ward, Leader of Production Business Management – OSU Dept of AEDE

Budgeting for Family Living Expenses, David Marrison, OSU Extension Farm Management Specialist

Working with your Lender, Evan Hahn, Farm Credit

Crop Insurance, Eric Richer, OSU Extension Farm Management Field Specialist

February 14^th, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Climate and Weather Outlook, Aaron Wilson, OSU Extension Ag Weather & Climate Field Specialist

International Policy Impact on Commodity Markets, Ian Sheldon, Andersons Professor of International Trade – OSU Dept of AEDE

Fundamentals of Grain Markets, Seungki Lee, Assist. Prof. of Farm Management – OSU Dept of AEDE

Fundamentals of Beef Cattle Markets, Nevil Speer, Consultant

Fundamentals of Dairy Markets, Chris Wolf, Cornell University

February 22^nd, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Futures & Option Markets Technical Analysis, Alan Brugler, Brugler Marketing & Management

Pricing Strategies and LDP’s for Beef Cattle, Kenneth Burdine, University of Kentucky

Advanced Pricing Strategies for Grain, Linsday Rettig, Grain Marketing Specialist – Kalmbach Feeds

Milk Marketing for Income Protection, Jason Hartschuh, OSU Extension Dairy Management Field Specialist

February 28^th, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Mental Health and Work Stress, Bridget Britton, OSU Extension Behavioral Health Field Specialist

Being the Best Boss, Rob Leeds, OSU Extension Delaware Co

Farm Insurance, Robert Moore, Attorney and Research Specialist – OSU Extension

Farm Bill Update, Jack Irvin, Vice President, Public Policy – Ohio Farm Bureau

At the end of each session, participants will have time to work on developing a marketing plan for their operation.  The cost of the program is $150 and provide you with a binder of all course materials and lunch and break refreshments each day.  The registration deadline is January 20^th.  You can register at http://go.osu.edu/2024professionalmarketer or by calling the Wayne County Extension Office at 330-264-8722.

Does the recent weather have you wanting to grab a book and spend some time indoors?

Check out three upcoming Virtual Book Clubs this winter. Each month in January, February and March, participants will be discussing a specific book. Discussion will occur using Zoom and will last 60 minutes on Monday evenings from 7:00 – 8:00 pm.

In case you are a big football fan and were planning on watching the National Championship game, we will be ending early tomorrow night after the introduction and discussion of the breakdown of the three remaining Monday evenings.

It is free to participate in the book club(s), but participants must purchase the book(s), or check them out at your local library if available. Each month has a unique Zoom address that you will receive once you have registered. You will also receive a second email on how we will be breaking down the book over the month that will include the reading assignments and questions or topics that we will be discussing…

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In further support of their effort to transition to 840 radio frequency identification (RFID) tags for official identification for cattle and bison throughout the U.S., the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making 840 RFID tags available free to cattlemen and veterinarians. In Ohio, both the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association and the Ohio Department of Agriculture have been approved to distribute these free tags while they last.

The RFID tags can be used in breeding and market cattle. There are both white “840” button tags and orange “840” calfhood vaccination (OCV) button tags available. All RFID tags are low frequency tags. Veterinarians may receive both white and orange tags, while cattle producers may only receive the white 840 tags…

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Back when no-till farming was fairly new, one familiar catch phrase was “Farm Ugly.” Managing pastures in a more regenerative fashion sometimes appears a bit ugly too.

Right or wrong, I finally finished clipping the last few paddocks at the end of November. It wasn’t because they really needed to be clipped, but more because they were aesthetically more pleasing afterwards. It also puts most of them in the same starting phase for next less places for coyotes to hide…

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