Videos

To apply fungicide or not to apply fungicide? That is the question many farmers are having to answer. Bill Mullen, Director of Agronomic Services with Seed Consultants gives his advice on whether an application is necessary this year.… Continue reading

The dairy industry’s constant search for the most cost effective and efficient production options has resulted in some unique technological changes in recent years. Milking a cow with robots, something thought of as near science fiction not long ago, is now being accepted as the way of life on a number of Ohio dairies.

Bar-Lee Jerseys, a family dairy farm in Willard, has in the past months put the technology to work. Jason Nuhfer is the fifth generation to milk and breed registered Jersey cattle.

“I graduated from Ohio State in 2008. At that time we started doing some facility improvements,” Nuhfer said.

A new free stall barn was added his graduation year. The calf barn was brought on in 2011 and the robotic milking system started the first of December this past year. Two Lely Astronaut A4 Robots were installed, each able to handle about 60 cows each.

“As we’ve done these facility improvements, kind of our number one goal was cow comfort — to keep that in mind,” he said.… Continue reading

The Syngenta Grow More Experience Site in Irwin, Ohio, one of 60 such locations across the country, was host last week to retailers from around the state hoping to step up their agronomic knowledge in order to pass it on to Ohio’s farmers.

“We have several retailers out and our goal today is for our retailers to actually come out and get an experience of what Syngenta has in our pipeline as well as some future technologies,” said Leon Hunter, agronomy manager for Syngenta East Heartland. “And one of the key objectives of today is to share with them a lot of different things that are happening agronomically. It’s not as much product focus, it’s more around the agronomic things that they can do to provide more education to their growers on how to produce more crop.”

Hunter noted some important lessons that have been highlighted from the agronomic side.

“One of our key focuses this year is to do some education around the Soybean Cyst Nematode and some of the portfolio products that we have to bring awareness to how devastating this particular disease can be.… Continue reading

Not only was June 29th the first day of wheat harvest for Allen County’s Ben Bowsher, it was also his first day in the cab of his new Case IH combine. Ty Higgins took a seat on the cooler (or buddy seat) for a ride along to see how well harvest was going at BS Farms.… Continue reading

With 450 acres of wheat in Auglaize County this year, Toby Kramer and Lazy K Farms took full advantage of some great late June days to get harvest underway. The Ohio Ag Net’s Ty Higgins dropped in for a Cab Cam with Kramer to find out all about the operation and the unique modification he made to his Lexion combine.… Continue reading

A trip to southwestern Ohio wrapped up the 2016 Feeding Farmers program, courtesy of AgriGold. Each Friday for the past four weeks, the crew of the Ohio Ag Net traveled to various parts of the state delivering lunch, fellowship, and midday broadcasts to farm families that are the backbone of American agriculture.

Don Tharr heads up Black Walnut Farms in Warren County alongside his family. The farm overlooks ideal scenery in the valley its positioned in. A retired teacher, Tharr said this year’s planting was behind that of normal years and that they were getting ready to take on the never-ending-job that is weed control.

The farm is staying busy this summer erecting grain bins in which they are planning to pour the concrete for this week. From beginning to end, Tharr said the whole process takes all of three weeks, weather permitting.

With his sons having grown and now supporting their own families with the farm, Don said they’ve had to position themselves marketing-wise to make that sustainable down the road.… Continue reading

For Wood County farmer Dave Baer, a limited window of opportunity in late May made the 2016 planting season fast and furious, and like many of his neighbors and farmers all over Ohio those crops haven’t seen more than 1 rain event…until the morning of June 23^rd. Seed Consultants‘ Bill Mullen talks about what the hot dry weather has done to the crops in that part of the state and what the latest rains mean for them.… Continue reading

Just east of the Ohio-Indiana state border sits Green Oak Farms where a barn of Gale Long’s is filled with an impressive collection of antique tractors. The Ohio Ag Net crew came across the collection during this year’s Feeding Farmers tour. Long said he has been bringing together the tractors for several years, getting a few here and a few there, eventually amassing what amounts to quite the sight. No particular color has sway on the barn as Farmall, John Deere, Allis-Chalmers and much more decorate the shop.

Watch as Ohio Ag Net’s Joel Penhorwood visits with Long about the old iron.

 … Continue reading

Week number three of Feeding Farmers, courtesy of AgriGold, took the Ohio Ag Net crew to Watson Farms in northern Ohio on the Sandusky-Seneca County line.

The family operation is headed up by Dusten Watson. He took over in recent years after his dad Lee handed down the keys to the next generation, something he plans to do himself down the road. The farm also recently brought on the full-time employee Joe Ringholz.

They’ve experienced a unique planting season. Some much needed rain this past Thursday was “a godsend.” Dusten did say that they should’ve stayed home with regard to planting on May 9th as everything put in the field that day had to be replanted.

Ty Higgins talks more about the farm in the video below.… Continue reading

Fennig Equipment is putting the versatility of a Hagie sprayer to good use. The Ohio Ag Net’s Dale Minyo visits with Adam Fennig about setting up the Hagie to not only see cover crops, but to also apply dry fertilizer.… Continue reading

Farm Science Review has been utilizing the John Deere ExactEmerge planter over the past two years and recently invited farmers to come to the farm and take a look at one of the planters up close. FSR Farm Manager Nate Douridas talks about how the planter has performed for them.… Continue reading

After a full month of being sidelined from planting his Licking County fields, Luke Garrabrant was finally able to find some ground ready to go on Friday, May 27th. The Ohio Ag Net’s Ty Higgins took a lap around on one of Garrabrant’s farms to get an update for the area in a new Cab Cam.… Continue reading

Ron Grayson Burns and his family have diversified their farm and are now raising conventional and organic corn, soybeans and wheat in Union County. The Ohio Ag Net’s Ty Higgins found out more as he visited with Burns, who works at Farm Credit and his brother Austin, who works for JD Equipment, when they’re not in the field. Their dad, Ron and family friend, Steve Wiant were also at the farm running three planters to make up time in this delayed planting season.… Continue reading