Matt Reese

After last week’s blog about carving turtle shells, several more turtle tales have been discussed. Here they are.

Late this summer, my son and his two ornery cousins were keenly interested in the turtle traps a local trapper had set in my parents’ farm pond. A few snappers had been seen in previous months and it became apparent that the issue should be addressed.

The four-, six- and seven-year-old boys typically run around their grandparents’ farm with wild abandon and get into every kind of mischief they can find. On that particular day their swath of general boyhood destruction and carefree conduct regularly passed through the area of the turtle traps to check in on the possibility of an apprehended aquatic reptile.

Early that afternoon, a cry of euphoria rang out that could likely be heard in the next township at the discovery that a turtle had indeed been secured.… Continue reading

There was a fair amount of online interest this week in a story about a box turtle in Holmes County that was found with the date 1911 carved on the underside of its shell.

The turtle was found by John A. Yoder in early September while he was helping a neighbor shock corn. Here is an excerpt from the Times Reporter story written by Jon Baker (I recommend checking out the whole thing):

Next to the date 1911 were the initials “V.F.” Abe Yoder said that is likely Victor Fender, who lived on a farm off Holmes County Road 600. Fender died in 1985.

Below that are carved the initials “H.T.” and the date 1983. Yoder said that is likely Henry E. Troyer, who owned Fender’s farm in 1983.

The farm is now occupied by Troyer’s son-in-law Joseph D. Miller.

The average life span of a box turtle is 50 years, but a significant portion of them live for more than 100 years.… Continue reading

Whether the weather is cold or mild this winter, it is a grim fact that there will be hungry Ohioans in the months ahead. This continues to be a terrible reality for far too many so close to home. Each year 186 million pounds of food are distributed by Ohio foodbanks to those in need around the state.

“Hunger is a pervasive reality in the Buckeye state that impacts more than one in six Ohioans,” said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director, Ohio Association of Foodbanks.

Because foodbanks, including the Mid-Ohio Foodbank, can leverage funds effectively, monetary donations are more useful than actual food donations. In fact, for every $1 donated to Mid-Ohio Foodbank, four meals can be provided to our hungry neighbors.

With that in mind, Ohio’s Country Journal and Ohio Ag Net are working to raise 10,000 meals at this year’s Farm Science Review. For each $4 donated, a FSR attendee will get to add a scaled-down bushel of corn to a container with the goal of donating funds for 10,000 meals for $2,500.… Continue reading

As Farm Science Review approaches each year and the sultry days of summer give way to the crisp mornings of autumn, the desire to start amassing the firewood I have spent the last several months cutting starts to stir within me like the dry fallen leaves in a brisk October breeze. And, it seems my wood cutting efforts that began last January will pay off again this year as some sources continue to predict a cold, snowy winter for the region.

The editors of the Farmers’ Almanac recently issued a stern warning, to “brace yourselves” for the winter ahead in the Great Lakes Region.

“Depending on where you live and how much cold and snow you like, we have good news and bad news,” said Peter Geiger, Farmers’ Almanac editor.

According to the 2016 edition, winter will split the country in half with the eastern sections of the country shivering in frigid cold, and the other half predicted to experience milder to more normal winter conditions.… Continue reading

Including my children, five generations of the Reese family have worked and played in the old barn on my parent’s property — that is a lot of pitchforking and hay fort building.

When faced with a decision about the future of this incredible, historic structure, my parents made the decision in 2010 to hire a gifted Amish crew to give it a major makeover for future generations of Reeses to continue to work and play beneath the ancient rafters of this grand old barn. Based on the saw marks on the beams, the style and the roofing material, it has been estimated that the barn was built between 1870 and 1880. Think about how Ohio agriculture has changed since then!

My parents are the third generation of the Reese family to own the farm. My great-grandfather, Pearl Jay Reese, and his wife, Jessie Mae, purchased the farm in 1918. Here is more about the barn from the Hancock Historical Society.… Continue reading

Ty Higgins barely gets a chance to catch his breath this time of year as we go from the busy Ohio State Fair straight into the Ohio Crop Tour and then he jumps right back in the passenger seat to ride along on the Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tour.

It is always interesting every year to see how our Ohio yield numbers compare to the yields found on the Pro Farmer Tour for the state. So, as a review, here is what we found in Ohio last week on the2015 I-75/I-71 Ohio  Crop Tour.

It seems that this year, both in Ohio and around the nation, the final yields will be all about balance. There is no doubt there are disastrous conditions out there. We encountered some extremely poor fields — some of the worst we have ever seen — in northwest Ohio. There were also a tremendous number of unplanted fields in the region.… Continue reading

This summer you may see some unusual field signs when traveling rural roadways in northwest Ohio.  Here’s why.

In June, 20-year-old Brian Myers from Paulding County was tragically killed in a car accident.  He was serving as an intern for AgriGold in northwest Ohio and was attending The Ohio State University.

Brian was known for being enthusiastic about AgriGold and agriculture. As a tribute to Brian, all of the current interns gathered earlier this week with help from other AgriGold employees, Brian’s family, and staff members at Pond Seed Company to prepare and put up field signs in Brian’s territory — a task Brian had been assigned for the summer. The group replaced the typical hybrid information on the signs with an unusual, but fitting, tag line.

“Our tag line is ‘WE KNOW CORN’ and we changed it to ‘BRIAN KNOWS CORN.’ His family came in for a ceremony and we put stickers on signs together.… Continue reading

Nearly every USDA NASS rainfall checkpoint in the state of Ohio is in the plus category for rainfall totals since April 1, and the rains keep coming. Van Wert is leading the state in rainfall totals with a staggering 28.24 inches of rain since April 1 which puts the location more than 15 inches of rain above normal. Those totals were compiled before another series of heavy rains early this week.

The most recent round of rains put down in excess of five inches in some areas following an ominous orange-looking sky and severe thunderstorms. A Fairfield County farmer reported three inches of rain falling in less than a half hour from the downpour. Some areas experienced strong winds and hail as well from the strong front that turned daylight into night as it moved through on Monday.

The big rains once again swamped soggy crop fields, flooded roadways and thwarted any attempts to make hay.… Continue reading

There has been quite a stir in the world of college football lately about a painfully awkward interview between ESPN’s Colin Cowherd and recently hired M*ch*gan head football coach Jim Harbaugh.

On the day of the now notorious interview I was driving around western Ohio with Ty Higgins doing several story visits and we listened to the Harbaugh interview intently in the car. At first, when I heard that the new M*ch*gan coach was on, I immediately conjured up those wonderful crisp fall football Saturdays and the pure joy of watching the Buckeyes clobber the team from up north. Hopefully this experienced coach can help refuel the greatest rivalry in the sport (in a string of very painful and dramatic M*ch*gan losses, of course).

The interview got off to a slow start, though, and I was soon thinking less of fall football victories and more about the painful experience of the increasingly hard-to-listen-to interview.… Continue reading

I look forward to them every year — the stories from visits to Ohio Century Farms.

In my estimation, taking a couple of hours to step back in time to the earliest days of Ohio agriculture is time vastly better spent compared to watching any reality television, soap opera or televised sporting event that can be conjured up. And, the stories are real — not a statement that applies to reality television.

Seriously, there could be some really good “based upon actual events” movies made from Century Farm stories that were instrumental in shaping the state’s top economic driver today. The stories of these seldom-noticed gems of Ohio history are sitting right under our noses and are vastly more entertaining, informative and incredible than the most dynamic sporting matchup or even a hotly debated interview with a man who decided he wanted to be a lady.

The Ohio Century Farm program started in 1993 as a joint effort between the Ohio History Connection, Ohio’s Country Journal and the Ohio Department of Agriculture.… Continue reading

Imagine how much things have changed in agriculture since the soils of Ohio were first planted to crops. Then, the farmers could not rely upon huge databases, satellite guidance or decades of replicated yield plots to make their farming decisions. They had to rely upon their personal experience and trial and error. It is no wonder that planting by the phase of the moon via information from almanacs was so common for so long.

Though not even an afterthought for most modern farmers, generations gone by have put a great deal of stock in planting by the phase of the moon. In response to several questions we have gotten and conversations we have had on the subject, I wrote a bit about planting by the phase of the moon a few weeks ago with a promise to follow up after the planting season.

With corn and soybean planting season wrapped up in Ohio, it is time to take a look at how farmers in the state fared with regard to planting in the ideal phase of the moon.… Continue reading

It was a week of high adventure on the highways of Ohio.

Early in the week a semi hauling 2,200 piglets crashed on U.S. 35 near Xenia in Greene County. The highway was closed for eight hours after the accident. Piglets scattered in every direction, including the nearby wooded areas. Authorities guess that around 1,100 were killed and the remaining 1,100 were rounded up in a monumental pig scramble for the ages.

Then on Wednesday a story came out about a Fairfield County man who spotted a young, endangered black bear lying dead on the side of the road on US 33 outside of Sugar Grove, not too far from my house. The 160-pound bear was apparently the victim of a hit and run accident.

ODNR’s 2014 Black Bear Report found that bear sightings in the state were down from the previous year with 135 sightings compared to 158 in 2013.… Continue reading

We were very sad to hear about our friend and co-worker Kirby Hidy passing away this weekend. Anyone who knew Kirby knew that he loved to share stories. His love of story telling made its way into the OCJ a few times when he wrote some guest columns. Kirby will be missed, but his many great stories will live on for all who knew him. Here is one of my favorites, originally published in December of 2011.

The Christmas pony

By Kirby Hidy

I was about four years old when I sat on my first horse. Mom and Dad took my brother and me to a local rodeo and horse show. An uncle and several other local cowboys and cowgirls competed in various events from rough stock to wild cow milking (my uncle’s event) to various pleasure horse and youth classes.

As my family and I walked around the grounds, I was fascinated by the horses and, as far as I was concerned, REAL LIVE COWBOYS!… Continue reading

Next month, summer will finally arrive along with the Ohio agricultural fair season. With the 2015 crop of Ohio fairs, there will of course be new chances for hard work to pay off, the talents of Ohio’s youth will be showcased and show ring dreams will come true.

This year’s fair season gets an earlier start than in recent years. The season kicks off June 8 with the Paulding County Fair, followed by the Putnam County Fair and the Pickaway County Fair starting on June 22. The fair season concludes this year with the Loudonville Independent Fair in Ashland County starting Oct. 6 and the Fairfield County Fair starting Oct. 11.

Throughout the fair season, Dale Minyo and Ohio Ag Net will be on the road again this summer visiting fairs around the state. Stop by and say “Hello” and check in on the markets and happenings in Ohio agriculture.

Most of the OCJ/Ohio Ag Net staff will be at many events during the Ohio State Fair held from July 29 to Aug.… Continue reading

Though folks in the ag media have been expressing outrage concerning the questionable marketing practices from fast food giant Chipotle for years, the restaurant chain’s misleading tactics have seemingly gone unnoticed (and have even been celebrated) by most everyone else. That changed in April, though, when Chipotle announced that it was removing all foods containing genetically modified ingredients from its menu — the first major restaurant chain to do this.

Since the announcement, the formerly beloved burritos have been blasted around the country on the air, on the Internet and in newsprint. A flood of information came out about the incredible hypocrisy of Chipotle’s “food with integrity” campaign that disregards an overwhelming scientific consensus, basic, well-founded nutritional facts, honesty, and common sense. The menu’s high caloric content, lofty sodium levels and sugary sweet beverages have well-known, scientifically proven ill effects if consumed in quantity, yet the restaurant chain claims that it offers a healthy eating choice because it is removing genetically modified ingredients from the menu.… Continue reading

Extreme, over simplified, unscientific, and exaggerated problems for the sake of marketing, activism and bolstering the bankrolls of non-government organizations have proven to be far too successful to go away anytime soon.

The reason these tactics work: they are sexy. PETA, Greenpeace, and the Humane Society of the United States have been successful because they know that sexy sells. The videos and pictures of abused animals, the mournful music, the attractive celebrities endorsing these groups doing crazy media stunts — all of this offers a unique flair that makes it stand out due to being extreme, memorable, unique, clever, terrifying, or otherwise instantly recognizable as something desirable or worthwhile. In short — sexy.

The details of the science behind genetically modified crops are inherently boring to most people. Short, emotional headlines about their potential ills for mankind (where the facts need not get in the way) are sexy. That is the problem.… Continue reading

In these days with more science than the world has ever known, there is still plenty that is unknown in the world of agriculture. Because of that, there are still those out there who consider the sage advice in the pages of almanacs.

At the office, we consulted multiple farmer’s almanacs this spring to identify the best days to plant corn. In general, according to almanac wisdom of old, it is best to try and plant corn in the first quarter following the new moon. In both April and May, the new moon phase starts on the 18^th. The very best dates are after the first quarter, which starts on the 25^th of both months. Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces are considered the best Zodiac signs for planting.

With all of this in mind, we came up with a list of the best days to plant with input from Blum’s Farmer’s and Planter’s Almanac, Harris’ Farmer’s Almanac and the Old Farmer’s Almanac.… Continue reading

The year my family started planting Christmas trees was 1983 — 32 years ago. Back then, my father was my age now and I was the age of our son who is five.

The family tradition continued this year, albeit a bit later than normal.

We typically plant trees as soon as things dry out in very early April, but this year the rains kept coming and the fields were slow to dry. The bare root tree seedlings have a limited life in the shipping boxes. We try to get the trees planted within a couple days of their arrival and this year the trees sat in the boxes for more than two weeks as the rains never offered a chance to get in the fields. We finally got the first round of trees planted on April 16.

In 1983, we planted the Christmas tree seedlings with flat dibble bars that are used to make a triangular hole in the ground to insert the seedling and then close the hole up.… Continue reading

In this country we continue to see consumer food choice being eroded away in the name of consumer food choice. Here is an example that recently came through my inbox that shows how this is happening.

I got an email asking for my support of the Real Food Challenge. The program is directed at college students and community leaders to encourage them to push for the local college or university to shift a portion of their food use to “Real Food.”

Here is more from the email directed to those associated with The Ohio State University:

“The Real Food Challenge is a national initiative to encourage universities and other institutions to buy more food from local sources. Students at OSU are very involved locally in reaching out to the university. If you think the organization you represent might be interested in signing on to the attached letter to OSU President Michael Drake, and if you have any questions, please contact…”

Now, so far this sounds very reasonable.… Continue reading

A rule that was once called WOTUS,

Crafted by an Agency of POTUS,

Does it sound much more cool as the Clean Water Rule?

Has the EPA gone and snowed us?

Now everything’s all in a muddle

Ag and the EPA in a scuffle,

‘Cause the water rule’s a dud, ‘bout as clear as mud,

Who’d have thunk tryin’ to govern a puddle?

You can take a donkey and call it a horse,

And some fool will believe you of course,

But let’s not be fooled by this Clean Water Rule,

And let them pass this ass for a horse.

First, let me say that my recent trip to Washington, D.C. reaffirmed my general belief that most people who work for the government do so because they truly want to help. I think that holds true for the folks at the oft-criticized Environmental Protection Agency as well. They just want to help and do what they think is right, generally speaking.… Continue reading