Month: December 2019

No Cookie-Cutter Solution to Farm Transition

By:  Stephanie Karhoff

Cookie cutter

There is no cookie-cutter approach to farm transition planning.

Ask yourself this question – is your farming operation identical to your neighbor’s? The answer of course, is no. No two farms are alike, and for this reason there is no cookie-cutter approach to transition planning. Instead, plans are unique in regards to the family’s needs, and goals for the business. Yet, there are universal issues that we all need to address. Below are recommendations from the OSU Extension fact sheet Planning for the Successful Transition of Your Agricultural Business. Continue reading No Cookie-Cutter Solution to Farm Transition →

Help OSU Extension Document the Yield Impacts of the 2019 Planting Delays

By: CFAES Ag Crisis Taskforce

Flooded fieldNormal planting dates for Ohio range from mid-April to the end of May. This season was quite different when planting for both crops was delayed until late May and stretched into June and even July across many parts of Ohio. We found ourselves grasping for any information we could find including 1) how much of an effect late planting dates would have on yield, and 2) what, if anything, we should change in management of these late planted crops. The historical planting date information we did have was somewhat helpful, but we did not have any data on what could happen when planting is delayed into the second half of June nor July. Continue reading Help OSU Extension Document the Yield Impacts of the 2019 Planting Delays →

Buying Hay; Consider Quality and Value

By: Garth Ruff, Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Educator, OSU Henry County Extension

While there are some visual and sensory characteristics to look at, the only sure fire way to determine quality is to pull a sample and do a forage analysis.

While there are some visual and sensory characteristics to look at, the only sure fire way to determine quality is to pull a sample and do a forage analysis.

As 2018 was a lousy year for making dry hay across the state, 2019 wasn’t much better or perhaps worse yet. For those who have to purchase hay this winter there are a few things to consider in terms of hay quality and value. There are some visual and sensory characteristics we can look at, as a gross indication of forage quality. The presence of seed heads (grass forages), flowers or seed pods (legumes), indicate more mature forages. Good-quality legume forages will have a high proportion of leaves, and stems will be less obvious and fine. While we tend to favor bright green forages from a visual perspective, color is not a good indicator of nutrient content, but bright green color does suggest minimal oxidation. Continue reading Buying Hay; Consider Quality and Value →