Country Life

The Ohio Lamb and Wool Queen serves as a spokesperson for the industry throughout her year of reign at numerous promotional events and activities around the state. The queen is selected by judges at the Ohio State Fair on August 1, 2010. Contestants will attend an interview and answer an impromptu question from a panel of judges live at the conclusion of the Guys and Gals lead competition. The selection of the queen is based on personality, presentation, poise, knowledge of the Ohio Lamb and Wool industry and participation in the Guys and Gals Lead competition. If you or someone you know is interested in applying for the 2010-2011 Ohio Lamb and Wool Queen please download the application by visiting http://www.ohiosheep.org/OSIA/Queen.html.

We encourage all ladies between the ages of 17-21 who are involved in the industry to consider applying for this position. This is a terrific opportunity to build a wealth of knowledge of the Ohio Lamb and Wool Industry and expand communication skills and network within Ohio agriculture. … Continue reading

The Ohio Lamb and Wool Queen serves as a spokesperson for the industry throughout her year of reign at numerous promotional events and activities around the state. The queen is selected by judges at the Ohio State Fair on August 1, 2010. Contestants will attend an interview and answer an impromptu question from a panel of judges live at the conclusion of the Guys and Gals lead competition. The selection of the queen is based on personality, presentation, poise, knowledge of the Ohio Lamb and Wool industry and participation in the Guys and Gals Lead competition. If you or someone you know is interested in applying for the 2010-2011 Ohio Lamb and Wool Queen please download the application by visiting http://www.ohiosheep.org/OSIA/Queen.html.

We encourage all ladies between the ages of 17-21 who are involved in the industry to consider applying for this position. This is a terrific opportunity to build a wealth of knowledge of the Ohio Lamb and Wool Industry and expand communication skills and network within Ohio agriculture. … Continue reading

The State Executive Director for Ohio’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), Steve Maurer, would like to announce a new program available for retired or retiring owners and operators who are willing to sell or lease Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres to beginning or minority farmers.  The Transition Incentive Program (TIP) provides annual rental payments to the retired or retiring landowners for up to two additional years after the date of the expiration of the CRP contract, provided the transition is not to a family member.  Sign-up for the new TIP program began in May, at your local FSA office.

To be eligible, TIP requires that the retired or retiring farmer:

§  Have land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) that is in the last year of the contract.

§  Agree to allow the beginning or minority farmer to make conservation and land improvements.

§  Agree to sell, or have a contract to sell, or agree to long-term lease (a minimum of 5 years) the land under CRP contract to a beginning or minority farmer by Oct.

By Matt Reese

It is easy to romanticize agriculture’s past. The water was clean, the air was fresh and the sun always shone (except when a rain was needed). There were pigs, geese, horses, cattle, sheep and chickens all residing in a quaint red barn that offered no unpleasant odors. All creatures lived in harmony and farmers had a nearly unlimited social license with the general public to run their operations with freedom from excessive regulations.

Well, times have changed for the reality (or the perception) of the farm and in the minds of the general public with regard to the general public’s social license for agriculture. This social license long granted the privilege of operating with minimal formalized restrictions based on maintaining a trust with the public; if people think farms are doing the right things, then there is no need to regulate them more formally.

Though people may used to think that way, it seems that they do not any longer.… Continue reading

When we get in our semis and straight trucks to haul grain, we are glad when we hit the brake peddle to stop and we stop. The air brake system on our trucks is actually pretty simple and works the same on almost all trucks.

All air brake systems use air pressure to apply the brakes when you step on the pedal. The air is stored in a series of pressure tanks on the truck. The air is pressurized by the air compressor on the

truck’s engine. The pressure is regulated by the air governor on the air compressor. Most, if not all systems, work on 120 psi of pressure.

Some systems have an air dryer, which dries the moisture out of the air to keep it from freezing in the winter time.

The air dryer has a cartridge in it that should be changed once per year. The air is pressurized by the compressor,

passes through the air dryer and into the tanks.… Continue reading

Ohio communities seeking to promote the viability of local farms and agricultural economic development are encouraged to apply for grant funding from Ohio State University’s Center for Farmland Policy Innovation.

Proposals are due by Sept. 24, 2010. The center expects to disburse $50,000 for two or three innovative projects that promote community-based agricultural economic development priorities in local communities, said Jill Clark, the center’s director. In addition, the center also expects to disperse a total of $10,000 for two or three smaller planning grants. These grants focus on community-based agricultural economic development specifically through the community planning process, including creating or revising a community plan to address local agricultural needs and facilitate solutions.

Community-based agricultural development involves community planning, organizing and acting to enhance the health of a community through viable local agriculture. It is a collaborative local effort to retain and grow the benefits of food and agriculture, and to advance sustainable farming.… Continue reading

The Ohio Department of Agriculture today announced its third annual photo contest. Participants will have until Dec. 31, 2010, to capture their personal interpretation of this year’s theme “Life of a Farmer.”

“Life of a Farmer” can be interpreted in many ways. Entrants are asked to show the department their unique definition of the life of an everyday farmer, which could include photos of farmers at work, with their animals or enjoying life on the farm.

Following the Dec. 31 deadline, an independent judging panel will rank the photo submissions. The winning photographers will be invited to join Director Boggs and other invited guests for a reception and unveiling of the top photos. The top photos will be placed on display at the Ohio Statehouse. All photos may be used by the department for educational or promotional incentives.

General photography contest rules:

• Entrants must be at least 16-years-old and the original photographer.