Country Life

To encourage sun safety awareness and remind everyone to protect their skin while outdoors, the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention has declared May 25 — the Friday before Memorial Day — as “Don’t Fry Day.”

Skin cancer is on the rise in the United States due to overexposure to ultraviolet rays of the sun. The American Cancer Society estimates that one American dies every hour from skin cancer. This year alone, ACS estimates there will be more than 76,250 new cases of malignant melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, and more than two million new cases of basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers in the U.S.

“Farmers and ranchers are fortunate to be able to spend much of their working lives outdoors,” said Bob Stallman, American Farm Bureau Federation president. “The downside of prolonged exposure to the sun while on the farm or ranch is that it can lead to skin damage and cancer.”… Continue reading

By Ty Higgins, Ohio Ag Net

Last year, Gov. John Kasich initiated a comprehensive review of state government management, operations and policies in key areas.

Referring to this process as the Mid-Biennium Review (MBR), because it came half-way through Ohio’s two-year budget cycle, Gov. Kasich worked with his cabinet and staff to develop new strategies that improve the management of Ohio’s government agencies and health systems, improve Ohio’s education and workforce development efforts, and improve Ohioans’ access to low-cost, reliable energy.

In addition, the MBR, also referred to as House Bill 487, includes funding for two important farmland preservation aspects of the Clean Ohio program with $6 million to purchase agricultural easements and $36 million to preserve green space.

Ohio, like the nation, is in a less than desirable economic situation, and according to Beth Vanderkooi with the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, the Clean Ohio program was in jeopardy of deep cuts.… Continue reading

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Gasoline prices this summer could stay relatively steady provided that an already-tense Middle East doesn’t flare up and nothing else happens to disrupt supplies, a Purdue University economist said.

As long as market conditions remain basically as they are now, gasoline likely will remain between $3.50 and $4 per gallon, said Wally Tyner, an agricultural and energy economist. Because regional variability in gasoline prices has increased, motorists in California and much of the West Coast can expect to see prices above $4 for most of the summer, and the South and Southeast below $3.65.

But Tyner cautions that global instability and disruptions in supply could force prices upward.

As always, the political situation in the Middle East and U.S. relations with Iran will play a large part in what motorists pay for gasoline.

“Any disturbance in the Middle East or heightening of tensions with Iran could move crude oil up,” Tyner said, “and that would send gasoline higher.”… Continue reading

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By Ty Higgins, Ohio Ag Net

Will the new farm bill be passed in 2012? The possibility is fairly slim. In fact, American Farm Bureau Federation lobbyist Mary Kay Thatcher believes there is only a 15% chance of the law moving through Congress this year. If a new farm bill is not passed before the current one expires there will be an extension of the current law. That is not the best scenario, according to Thatcher.

“I don’t think we will get that extension without a price to be paid for it,” Thatcher said. “It could be $1 billion less in direct payments a year or $2 billion less in CRP payments per year.”

There is also a really good chance that Congress will get interested in the budget deficit again after the election, which may mean more cuts. Those cuts would result in an even more difficult time coming up with a good, viable safety net in a farm bill next year.… Continue reading

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Ty Higgins, Ohio Ag Net

As E15 inches closer to being available around the country, the American Petroleum Institute is accusing the Environmental Protection Agency of not doing its homework before approving the sale of gasoline containing 15% ethanol.

An API-funded review of studies on equipment compatibility with E15 produced sobering results, according to Bob Greco, the Institute’s Director for Downstream and Industry Operations.

“An estimated half of the existing retail outlet equipment is not compatible with E15,” Greco said. “Unfortunately it may be hard for a station to know if its equipment is or is not compatible. This could discourage many of the nation’s 157,000 gasoline retail outlets from selling E15.”

Without a market for higher ethanol blends, Greco said the federal biofuels mandate could result in higher compliance costs or production constraints that could place upward pressure on gasoline prices for consumers.

API says EPA has done an inadequate job of answering questions surrounding E15, in particular dispensing equipment and other infrastructure implications.… Continue reading

By Ty Higgins, Ohio Ag Net

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack got on the phone Monday with FFA students to discuss the need to prevent student loan interest rates from doubling on July 1. The Obama administration and Congress agree student loan interest rates need to stay low, but they can’t agree on how to pay for it.

Vilsack told the FFA members the administration prefers the Senate’s approach to paying for it, closing tax loopholes, over the House’s desire to offset the extra spending by eliminating a women’s preventative health program in President Obama’s health care overhaul.

“There are some concerns on the part of the administration that preventative healthcare ought not to be cut,” Vilsack said. “Particularly for those in rural areas where we are dealing with a healthcare system that has not favorably treated rural residents. We end up paying more out of pocket and having poorer results and less access.… Continue reading

More than $24 million is available to agricultural producers and landowners to improve and protect the waters and resources in the Great Lakes Basin, announced Terry Cosby, State Conservationist for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Applications to install specific conservation practices through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) are being accepted for priority ranking through June 8, 2012.

Producers in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin can apply at their local USDA office for funding through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP), and the Conservation Technical Assistance Program (CTAP). NRCS specialists provide farmers and ranchers with technical assistance to help determine the best conservation practices to improve and protect the resources on their land.

All eight states are using the same dates for the sign-up. Interested landowners should contact their local USDA office before June 8, 2012, to apply.… Continue reading

With just 79 days until the Ohio State Fair, the Ohio Department of Agriculture is encouraging students (K-12) to submit their entries for the 2012 “Agriculture is Cool!” Creative Expressions contest. Ohio children enrolled in school or home schooled during the 2011-2012 academic year have until July 9, 2012 to capture their personal interpretation of why Ohio agriculture is cool for their chance to win two tickets to see The Band Perry at the Ohio State Fair.

Entries, which can include an original video, photograph, drawing, or painting, will be judged in the following age categories. One winner from each age group and category will be chosen:

Grades K-2: Photography, Drawing or Painting
Grades 3-5: Video, Photography, Drawing or Painting
Grades 6-8: Video, Photography, Drawing or Painting
Grades 9-12: Video, Photography, Drawing or Painting

All entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges that may include representatives from the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the Office of the Governor, the Ohio Expo Center, and professionals in the areas of video production, photography, drawing, painting and other visual arts.… Continue reading

With just 79 days until the Ohio State Fair, the Ohio Department of Agriculture is encouraging students (K-12) to submit their entries for the 2012 “Agriculture is Cool!” Creative Expressions contest. Ohio children enrolled in school or home schooled during the 2011-2012 academic year have until July 9, 2012 to capture their personal interpretation of why Ohio agriculture is cool for their chance to win two tickets to see The Band Perry at the Ohio State Fair.

Entries, which can include an original video, photograph, drawing, or painting, will be judged in the following age categories. One winner from each age group and category will be chosen:

Grades K-2: Photography, Drawing or Painting
Grades 3-5: Video, Photography, Drawing or Painting
Grades 6-8: Video, Photography, Drawing or Painting
Grades 9-12: Video, Photography, Drawing or Painting

All entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges that may include representatives from the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the Office of the Governor, the Ohio Expo Center, and professionals in the areas of video production, photography, drawing, painting and other visual arts.… Continue reading

By Leisa Boley-Hellwarth, attorney in Mercer County

It was a beautiful March Sunday afternoon, with record high temperatures, a light breeze and sunshine. I had just sat down at my farm office computer, when I happened to glance out the window and looked again, before it registered. Holstein heifers were galloping down the driveway! Not one or two, but what appeared to be a barn full, all of breeding age. Maybe it was their idea of a spring fling. They were kicking their heels and racing around.  The rodeo began.

It was a little like the Supreme Court, some ran right and some ran left. So we started with the ones in the middle and gradually herded them all back into the heifer barn.

That same month, the Supreme Court Justices all headed in the same direction. They reached a unanimous decision in “Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency” and sided with landowners who challenged an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) compliance order.… Continue reading

People interested in learning how to feed the world’s growing population can attend an open house on the subject at Ohio State University’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center on June 13, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“Feeding the World in 2050: Career Opportunities for Future Scientists,” hosted by the department of Plant Pathology, will emphasize the wide array of degree programs and career opportunities in plant pathology and agricultural sciences, said Anne Dorrance, a plant pathologist with joint appointments with OSU Extension and OARDC.

Participants will have the chance to visit programs in bioinformatics, disease diagnostics, disease management, organic agriculture, urban farming and invasive species, as well as examine diseases of field crops, fruits, vegetables and ornamentals, she said.

A selection of laboratories, greenhouses and research plots will be open for visitors, including one of the largest disease-screening wheat nurseries in the northeastern U.S. featuring research in the genetics of breeding, biological control, host resistance to fungicides, epidemiological models and forecasting, inoculation techniques, and disease management strategies.… Continue reading

Today at midday we held our first Ohio Ag Net and AgriGold ”Feeding Farmers in the Field” winner, Jason Lehner of Marion. Jason says he’s finished planting corn and would like to start on beans, but the 2 inches of rain they got Tuesday night is preventing that from happening.

This spring the Ohio Ag Net and AgriGold will be honoring Ohio farmers and helping them get planting done with a little fun. Each Thursday between May 3-31, we’ll randomly choose one lucky farmer to receive lunch along with their family and hired hands. If you haven’t already, get entered for Feeding Farmers in the Field.

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While the U.S. Department of Labor’s decision to withdraw proposed farm youth labor rules means farm families won’t have to take on new requirements for minors to work on their farms, previous legislation still requires young farm workers to have some training, said Ohio State University Extension’s state safety leader.

The proposed rules would have banned children younger than 16 from using most power-driven farm equipment without first taking a specific training course. But even with the legislation shelved, Dee Jepsen said all of the discussion has raised awareness of current regulations and likely will mean organizations such as OSU Extension will see more young people signing up for existing training.

“The people have spoken and they don’t want the new regulations, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have any youth safety regulations,” she said. “Even though the Labor Department rescinded the stronger proposal, there is still legislation for 14- and 15-year-old students wanting to work outside their parents’ farms.… Continue reading

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the number of farmers markets nationwide increased by 54% between 2008 and 2011. As the desire for local products grows, the need to help local farmers has also increased. However, farmers markets are not the only way to obtain locally grown products. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), a program more than 20 years old, is an additional way to merge these two aspects.

Through a CSA program, customers purchase memberships, or shares, in the farm in exchange for fresh produce throughout the growing season. CSA’s have become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a grower, enabling benefits for both parties.

Jessica Nagel, agriculture project specialist, Wood County Board of Developmental Disabilities, will educate and prepare those looking to join (or start) a CSA program during her presentation, “Community Supported Agriculture: Connecting the Producer and Consumer” at the monthly Northwest Ohio Ag-Business Breakfast Forum, Thursday, May 17 from 7:30 – 9 a.m.… Continue reading

J D Equipment is proud to announce it has already reached a $10,000 commitment to the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research for 2012. J D Equipment will donate a portion of each sale of John Deere riding lawn mowers sold during 2012 to the Stefanie Spielman Fund.

J D Equipment began this commitment to the Stefanie Spielman Fund in 2011. A $26,000 check for the company’s 2011 donation was recently presented to Chris Spielman by J D Equipment’s CEO Jeff Mitchell, and Vice President John Griffith.   The Company is anticipating its 2012 contribution will exceed $30,000.

All donations made to the Stefanie Spielman Fund are used to support vital breast cancer research and patient assistance at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute. The fund just reached a milestone of $10 million raised amongst the community to support breast cancer research.… Continue reading