Join Farm Office Live from OSU’s Farm Science Review on September 23

Farm Science Review is back!  OSU’s Farm Office Team will be there, and we’ll broadcast the next Farm Office Live from our farm office at the Review.  We can’t promise we’ll be able to ignore biscuits and gravy, pork tenderloins, Bahama mamas, or milkshakes during Farm Office Live, but we can promise you updates on recent developments in the world of farm management and agricultural law. 

The broadcast will be on Thursday, September 23 beginning at 10 a.m.  Here’s what’s on the agenda:

  • Carbon market programs and carbon agreements
  •  Legislative update
  • 2022 crop budgets
  • 2020 Farm Business Analysis program results from crop farms
  • Ohio cash rental rates
  • Dairy Market Volatility Assistance Program
  • Highlights of FSR and upcoming programs

Who’s on the Farm Office Live Team? OSU experts are ready to help farmers, landowners and agribusiness professionals navigate the issues we all deal with in the farm office.  Our team includes:

  • Peggy Kirk Hall – Agricultural Law
  • David Marrison – Farm Management
  • Dianne Shoemaker – Farm Business Analysis and Dairy Production
  • Barry Ward – Farm Management and Tax
To learn more and register for Farm Office Live, visit https://farmoffice.osu.edu/farmofficelive.  Recordings of our previous Farm Office Live webinars are also available at that site.

Kitchen Table Conversations 2021

Grab a cup of your favorite beverage, lunch, or snack and join us from your “kitchen table” to engage in conversations “virtually” on September 21, 22, and 23, 2021 for “Kitchen Table Conversations” hosted by the Ohio Women in Agriculture of Ohio State University Extension. Conversations and discussions on “hot topics” in the agricultural world related to health, marketing, finance, legal, and production for women in agriculture.

These sessions are offered during the Farm Science Review daily from 11:00 AM-12:00 PM via ZOOM. Registration is required to participate.

Register @ https://go.osu.edu/kitchentableconversations2021

Flyer

CONVERSATION TOPICS…

9|21 Raising Livestock on Five Acres or Less

So you have some land and you want some extra income or a supply of food for your family.  This session will investigate all of your options and possibilities.

Sandy Smith, Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Carrol County

9|22 Farm Stress and Mental Health

It can be hard to have a conversation about our mental health, but it is just as important as acknowledging our physical health. When we live where we work stress can sometimes get the better of us. Sitting together as a family around the kitchen table fosters an environment to have tough conversations. During this session, we will have a conversation about the importance of addressing mental health concerns, how to bridge the difficult topics, and the resources that are available to you and your family.

Bridget Britton MSW, LSW….Behavioral Health Field Specialist ANR

 

9\23 On-Farm Research Opportunities

On-farm research can provide valuable local data to inform decision-making and help you understand the ROI of practices and technologies on your farm. The OSU eFields program fosters partnerships between Ohio farmers, industry, and OSU researchers. Learn about recent research trials conducted across the state and how to become involved in the program.

Elizabeth Hawkins, Ph.D…Field Specialist, Agronomic Systems, Assistant Professor

Sunshine on my pumpkins makes me unhappy

Sunburned pumpkins by handle. Note even handle is burned on one side.

This title should seem familiar as a slight twist on the famous John Denver tune from 1971. With temperatures in the low to mid 90’s for at least three days last week across most of the state, fruit that were not properly covered in the canopy were placed at a higher risk for getting sunburned.

Downy mildew infested field with no leaf canopy.

Based on observations over several years, fruit that are cut off the vine tend to burn more readily than those that remain on the vine, likely a function of being able to evapotranpirate enough moisture to stave off burning. As clade 2 downy mildew was reported on August 13 (active on pumpkin/squash), fields that were not protected suffered almost 100% defoliation with 10-14 days. Amazingly this photo with near total canopy loss had nearly no detectable sun burned fruit despite several fruit actually being desiccated to the point where they were shriveling in the sun! If these fruit were cut off the vine, I would have expected significant rind burning to occur.

While there are a few “white washing” products on the market to spray on fruit in the field to prevent burning, they have not been investigated at OSU. The best prevention is a good canopy through harvest. The next best strategies though more labor intensive would be to cut and move fruit to a shaded location to cure naturally. If fruit are in a u-pick patch, moving them to distinct piles and covering with shade cloth may also be a possible solution.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug populations still building

Another pest that we are actively monitoring using clear sticky traps and pheromone lures is the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. This stink bug is known to feed on vegetables, grain crops, small fruit and tree fruit.

BMSB adults on sticky trap

While we are actively monitoring for this pest in eight counties, Adams, Athens, Greene, Seneca and Wayne counties are seeing trap catch increases, mostly related to adults. Late stage nymphs and adults pose the biggest threat to tree crops like apples, with their damage resembling several other types of injury such as hail injury or bitter pit (stink bug surface injury (L), internal injury (R); Celeste Welty).

Stink bug injury on apple, courtesy of Celeste Welty

Soon these adults will migrate from the fields to structures to seek refuge from the cold temperatures as they attempt to over-winter. If you have lived in Ohio for the past few years, you are no doubt familiar with these large brown stink bugs that invade your home or office in the fall.

While we only have established thresholds for this pest in apples, these were established in the mid-Atlantic and have not been vetted in Ohio yet. We would expect these thresholds to work well in Ohio but research has not been conducted to confirm the results. Monitoring strategies for vegetables, grapes and small fruit can be found here: https://www.stopbmsb.org/managing-bmsb/management-by-crop/

The monitoring system in apples requires two traps, one placed at the edge of an apple block and one placed in the interior. When the cumulative weekly total of both trap catches exceeds 10 stink bugs, an alternate row middle spray for BMSB may be justified. The details are outlined in this article: https://www.stopbmsb.org/stopBMSB/assets/File/BMSB-in-Orchard-Crops-English.pdf

Spotted-wing Drosophila still active on small fruit

Although we are moving toward the end of the season for most small fruit producers, keep in mind that spotted-wing Drosophila populations remain high across the state where traps have been placed on farms. Because of their short life cycle and abundance of ripe fruit, expect these populations to increase up until the first significant frost/freeze event.

SWD larvae in fruit

For growers who have abandoned their small fruit plantings for this year, SWD adults can easily be seen buzzing around ripe fruit as they oviposit eggs beneath the soft skin. Evidence of infestation can be readily seen as soft juicy fruit are filled with white SWD larvae. Even for growers who have maintained a regular spray schedule to control this insect, SWD adults can still be detected flying around bramble and blueberry patches albeit in lower numbers.

Since the threshold for this pest is only one adult per trap, it is necessary to maintain a spray schedule as long as the farm intends to harvest fruit. Once the decision has been made to end harvest, the sprays can be halted.

IR-4 Survey for Specialty Crop Growers

Attention Specialty Crop Growers!

IR-4 (https://www.ir4project.org/) is conducting their biannual Specialty Crop Growers & Extension survey to assess what disease, pest, and weed problems growers have a difficult time managing because they do not have sufficient management tools.

If you aren’t familiar with IR-4, we have included a link to their website above to learn more.

The deadline to complete the survey has been extended to September 1, 2021.

If you are a specialty crop grower or an Extension Educator working with growers, please take the time to complete the survey to provide your insight and experiences. You can find the link at: https://www.ir4project.org/ehc/ehc-registration-support-research/env-hort-grower-needs-2/

Building a Self-Help Network of Cooperatives: The Electric Co-op Story

As communities and regions look to innovative models for economic and community development, the cooperative model, and particularly networks of cooperation have emerged as a strategy to build local ownership and wealth. The story of rural electric cooperatives across the United States is a story about the power of self-help networks. Doug Miller of Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives will share how the rural electric co-op community has built connections among local cooperatives, state and national organizations, and co-ops of cooperatives to support over 900 rural electric co-ops serving over 50% of the nation’s landmass.

September 2, 2021, 3:00 p.m. EST, Online

No cost, but registration is required.

Learn more and register for the webinar at https://go.osu.edu/appalachiacooperates

Meet Our Speaker

Doug Miller is the vice president of statewide services for Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc., the statewide trade association of Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives, a position he has held since December 2014. On behalf of the 24 Ohio electric distribution cooperatives, Doug oversees safety training & incident prevention, lineman development training, legislative & government affairs, communications & member services, and director & employee training. Doug is a graduate of the University of Toledo and has been in the utility industry for more than 30 years. Prior to his current role, Doug worked at Logan County Electric Cooperative as manager of member services, before assuming the role of CEO, in which he served for 18 years. Doug has been a Touchstone Energy board member for six years and currently holds the office of president.

The Appalachia Cooperates Initiative is a learning network connecting cooperative, community, business, and economic developers and advocates in Central Appalachia. To learn more about the Initiative, connect with us directly by emailing osucooperatives@osu.edu!

We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. To request accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact gardner.1148@osu.edu.

Farm Office Live…August 27

“Farm Office Live” returns August 27, 2021, at 10:00 AM with special appearances by Ben Brown and attorney Robert Moore! Tune in to get the latest outlook and updates on ag law, farm management, ag economics, farm business analysis, and other related issues. Targeted to farmers and agri-business stakeholders, our specialists digest the latest news and issues and present it in an easy-to-understand format.

Special Guests

Ben Brown – A former member of the OSU Farm Office Team, Ben’s areas of expertise include farm management, commodity markets, and agricultural policy.

Robert Moore, Esq. – A former OSU Extension employee, Robert now practices agricultural law at Wright & Moore, with a focus on farm succession planning, estate planning, and business planning.

August Topics: 

  • Tax Proposals
  • Tax Planning in the Midst of Uncertainty – Robert Moore, Esq.
  • Ohio Cropland Values & Cash Rents
  • FSA Program Update
  • Grain Marketing Update – Ben Brown
  • Your Questions

To register or to view a previous “Farm Office Live,” please visit https://go.osu.edu/farmofficelive. You will receive a reminder with your personal link to join each month. 

The Farm Office is a one-stop shop for navigating the legal and economic challenges of agricultural production. For more information visit https://farmoffice.osu.edu or contact Julie Strawser at strawser.35@osu.edu or call 614.292.2433

Who’s on the Farm Office Team? — Our team features OSU experts ready to simplify farm management issues and make farm ownership less stressful:

Peggy Kirk Hall – Agricultural Law
Dianne Shoemaker – Farm Business Analysis and Dairy Production
David Marrison – Farm Management
Barry Ward – Farm Management and Tax

Tell us what makes you a Woman in Agriculture!

 

Get your video on! Tell us why you are a woman in agriculture….educator, lawyer, business owner, farm owner or operator, veterinarian, pharmacist, researcher, community gardener, etc.

Hold your video device horizontal and tell/show us in 30 seconds or less your story. This will be used at Farm Science Review and other women in agriculture events throughout OSU Extension. Upload your MP4 video at this link https://go.osu.edu/womeninagvideo. Save the file as your first and last name and town. Ex. Gigi_Neal_Georgetown .

Video submissions are needed by September 3!