United Producers, Inc. (UPI), the Midwest’s largest livestock marketing cooperative, is pleased to announce that Brian Fracker will be joining the cooperative’s credit services division as senior regional credit officer.
Fracker will serve the financing needs of farmers and farming operations throughout Ohio, offering a full range of loan products and services to help them grow and succeed.
“We are pleased to welcome Brian to our team,” said Bob Siegel, Vice President of Credit. “His extensive experience in agriculture financing will be a tremendous asset to our current members, while also allowing us to introduce UPI to non-members who would benefit from our cooperative’s services.”
Fracker’s experience spans 30 years in banking and finance in Ohio, assisting clients in reaching their financial goals by helping them acquire real estate, equipment, and lines of credit for their operations. Fracker has loaned more than $300 million dollars in his lifetime and brings a wealth of knowledge and credentials to the UPI team.… Continue reading
By Dan Armitage, host of Buckeye Sportsman, Ohio’s longest running outdoor radio show
Here’s some breaking news: Anglers and other boaters operating watercraft less than 26 feet in length are required to use an engine cut-off switch as of April 1, when the U.S. Coast Guard implemented a law passed by Congress. There are a few exceptions, and I encourage you to click on the FAQ link at the end of this announcement.
The engine cutoff switch (ECOS) and engine cut-off switch link (ECOSL) prevent runaway vessels and the threats they pose. The ECOSL attaches the vessel operator to a switch that shuts off the engine if the operator is displaced from the helm. The ECOSL is usually a lanyard-style cord that attaches to an ECOS either in close proximity to the helm or on the outboard motor itself if the vessel is operated by a tiller. When enough tension is applied, the ECOSL disengages from the ECOS and the motor is automatically shut down. … Continue reading
Spring is a time for new growth by plants, animals, and microbes. As temperatures warm, microbial populations double with every 10 degrees Fahrenheit increase in soil temperature. As days get longer, the sun’s energy is captured by plants and that energy feeds microbes and almost all living organisms on earth. Keeping ourselves well fed depends not only on the sun’s energy but also having healthy microbes, healthy plants, and healthy soils recycling soil nutrients.
When plants are healthy, they transmit more energy into the soil in the form of root exudates and sugars to feed the microbes. Unhealthy plants do the opposite which means soils become unhealthy. In a typical unhealthy soil, plants are operating at about 15% to 20% of optimum photosynthesis efficiency so they are putting less energy in the form of sugars into the soil, the microbial population is lower and less diverse, which results in inefficient mineral uptake.
Every year hundreds of employees are injured or die from preventable hazards while working in grain storage and handling. Stand Up 4 Grain Safety is an awareness campaign running this week to promote the safety of workers from hazards found in areas of grain handling facilities and on-site storage including grain bins and their surrounding area. The National Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week is sponsored by an alliance of agricultural industry groups, to provide a collective industry focus and commitment to safety. Everyone deserves to go home from work each day, to that end the industry alliance and safety professionals together recognize a stand for safety March 29 – April 2, 2021.Five learning sessions are offered throughout the week to highlight different aspects of grain handling, from the impact of grain quality on safety to planning and reporting. In addition to the daily live learning sessions, https://standup4grainsafety.org… Continue reading
Bill Patterson of Chesterland has been elected the 25th president of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation and now holds the highest elected office in Ohio’s largest and most influential farm and food organization.
Patterson was elected by OFBF’s board of trustees upon the resignation of Frank Burkett of Massillon, who left the OFBF board to stand for election to the Nationwide board of directors. He was elected to the Nationwide board of directors April 1.
Burkett served as the organization’s president for five years where strengthening partnerships with key groups such as Nationwide was a part of his work. Ohio Farm Bureau founded the Farm Bureau Mutual Automobile Insurance Company in 1926, which later became Nationwide. Today, Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau maintain a close relationship and share a focus of providing valued services for farmers and agriculture. Nationwide is the No. 1 insurer of farms in the nation and supports agriculture nationally.… Continue reading
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Ohio Rural Development Acting State Director Beth Huhn announced that USDA is investing $266 million to build and improve critical community facilities to benefit nearly 3 million rural residents in 16 states and Puerto Rico. This funding includes $156 million to support health-care-related improvements and emergency response services that will benefit nearly 1 million rural residents in nine states and Puerto Rico.
“The Biden-Harris administration has made restoring the economy a top-priority and USDA is playing a critical role,” Huhn said. “Rural America needs safe, modern community infrastructure to help residents and businesses achieve greater prosperity. These investments are important upgrades for these communities to enhance their quality of life to build back better and stronger.”
On Feb. 10, 80 heifers with the quality dairy genetics of Andreas Farms in Tuscarawas County boarded a ship named the Holstein Express — yep, really, Holstein Express is painted right on the side of the ship — bound for Africa. The Andreas heifers were part of a larger group of 1,750 cattle headed to Morocco.
After recently expanding and updating their operation, the challenges of 2020 encouraged the Andreas family to get out of the dairy industry and transition to other agricultural endeavors on the farm. The farm’s 1,200 cows were sold in September of 2020.
“We are phasing out and still breeding and raising heifers we have left,” said Matt Andreas, who managed the dairy with his father, Dan. “We felt it was either time to expand again or maybe change directions. We’re lucky from that standpoint that there are a lot of different options for us moving forward.”… Continue reading
Spring is one of the most important parts of the growing season. Actions taken early in the year set the stage for the entire growing season and help to ensure crops maintain their yield potential. Getting crops off to a strong start will give growers the opportunity to have a productive and successful growing season.
With the great deal of field work that needs to be done in the spring in limited time, it is always important to keep field conditions in mind. In many areas, Ohio’s growers are facing lingering compaction from past fieldwork in wet soil. While spring is not the preferred time to attempt to alleviate compaction, growers must avoid performing field work in wet soils and creating additional compaction this year. One area of concern is the desire to plant early in the growing season. While it is widely discussed and understood that early planting is one management practice that leads to increased yields, planting date is just one of many factors that impact yield.… Continue reading
By Steve Boyles, Ohio State University Extension beef specialist
The objective is to avoid new diseases introduced through replacement stock and airborne diseases. Typically, new animals are quarantined for at least 30 days and more typically for 60 days before being introduced into the herd. If on-site, the isolation area should be of some distance and downwind from other animals. Practicing all-in, all-out procedures will make it easier to clean and reduce opportunities by personnel to introduce contaminants to the main herd. Minimize cross-contamination of feeding/watering equipment. Here are some suggested procedures:
Have a set vaccination program as part of the acclimation of new animals.
Have a written strategic vaccination plan.
Know when and how to use the vaccines listed in the vaccination plan.
Discuss the vaccination history of all cattle purchased before cattle arrive.
All incoming animals are unloaded and visually inspected during daylight hours, when possible. Isolation is maintained until inspection is completed.
By Jason Hartschuh, Extension Educator, Crawford County, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ohio State University Extension
Spring is one of the most challenging seasons on the farm to keep barns properly ventilated. We often see temperatures in the teens and less than a week later see highs in the 70s. Our ventilation system recently roared to life as temperatures in the barn crossed 65 degrees F, reminding me that we still had not gotten around to winter fan maintenance as belts squealed and louvers hung half shut.
Fan maintenance is critical to keeping your cows cool and saving energy. Ventilation systems often consume between 20% to 25% of the total energy used on the farm. Lack of cleaning can reduce fan efficiency by as much as 40% — meaning that your electric bill stays the same, but there is less air is moving through the barn. Monthly maintenance through the summer is critical to keep fans clean.… Continue reading
As talk about taxes picks up in Washington, D.C., agriculture is watching.
Since his time on the campaign trail, President Joe Biden has been talking about potential tax changes and now discussions are ramping up, as are concerns from the nation’s farm community.
There have been recent proposals by several lawmakers to tax unrealized capital gains at death and roll back the stepped-up basis on those capital gains.
“Taxing capital gains when a loved one passes away would have a devastating impact on farm and ranch families, even more so if the stepped-up basis tool is taken out of the toolbox. Stepped-up basis encourages families to grow their businesses and pass them on to another generation, and elimination could force those families to sell their farms just to pay the taxes,” said Zippy Duvall, American Farm Bureau Federation president. “The value of many farms is tied up in land and equipment. Cash flow on most farms is much too small to pay large capital gains taxes.… Continue reading
The report was bullish for both corn and soybeans.
U.S. acres numbers for today: corn 91.44 million acres, soybean 87.6 million acres, and all wheat 46.35 million acres. U.S. grain stocks are: corn 7.701 billion bushels, soybean stocks 1.564 billion bushels, and wheat stocks 1.314 billion bushels.
Watch the acres total for corn and soybeans. Early estimates had that total at 182-183 million acres. A number above that total will be difficult to actually achieve. Last year it was 173.9 million acres.
The corn and soybean price declines of the past two weeks has the potential to see this report set the stage differently compared to past March 31 reports. Some suggest neutral reports could yield price gains today. That is not normal.
Just after the noon report release, corn was up 25 cents, soybeans up 60 cents, and wheat up 13 cents.… Continue reading
By Dusty Sonnenberg, CCA, Ohio Field Leader: a project of the Ohio Soybean Council and soybean checkoff
Weed control is one of the major challenges that soybean farmers face every year. Crop yields can be reduced by as much as 80% when weeds are left uncontrolled. In the Midwest, weed pressure can account for up to 39% yield loss in soybeans. On average, weed pressure impacts soybean yield more than pressure from insects, animals, and diseases combined.
Alyssa Essman is a Weed Science Research Associate at The Ohio State University, and has conducted research looking at the interaction between cover crops and weed control. She studied the impact of “planting green,” or terminating cover crops after planting soybeans, and the effect on weed control and soybean yield.
Alyssa Essman , The Ohio State University, Department of Horticulture and Crop Science. Photo Credit The Ohio State University
When evaluating weed control programs in Ohio, producers often think about the “Big 5” weeds that are most troublesome.
By Harold Watters and Greg LaBarge, Ohio State University Extension
Making better nitrogen rate decisions can help the pocketbook and the environment. Nitrogen is one our highest cost variable inputs to produce an acre of corn with around 15% of the variable cost. Nitrogen also gets a lot of attention in water quality discussions. If we apply more nitrogen than the corn needs in a year, it is likely headed out the tile and downstream.
Long-term nitrogen rate trials conducted at OSU’s Western Agricultural Research Station and Northwest Agricultural Research Station show how variable the right N rate for corn is from year to year. Soil types at two locations are different with Western being a silt loam soil and Northwest a lake-bed clay. Figure 1 has a trend line drawn by location with all treatments shown by individual symbol at each rate. Note that the highest yield varies tremendously from year to year, varying by nearly 150 bushels per acre.… Continue reading
You probably worked on your sprayer and other major equipment over the winter to gear up for pesticide applications. Have you put any effort into preparing for applicator safety? Here are some questions to ask yourself in preparation for the season:
Do I have the required personal protective equipment on hand? Review your pesticide labels, and make sure you do. One of the new dicamba formulations used on DT soybeans requires a respirator — did you know that? Be sure you have whatever the label requires.
Are you sure you have the right kind of PPE? Let your pesticide label be your guide. Leather or cotton gloves do not protect you from pesticides — they absorb chemical and hold it close to your skin. One exception: certain fumigants do call for the use of cotton gloves. Otherwise these are not appropriate to use with pesticides.
The incoming cold temperatures are not likely to impact winter wheat. The magnitude of freeze damage depends on: 1) temperature, 2) duration of temperature, and 3) wheat growth stage.
Prior to the Feekes 6 growth stage, the growing point of wheat is below the soil surface, protected from freezing temperatures. Most of the wheat in Ohio is at the Feekes 4 (beginning of erect growth) or Feekes 5 (leaf sheaths strongly erect) growth stage and should be unaffected by the incoming cold temperatures, predicted to be mid- to low 20s on Wednesday and Thursday.
At Feekes 6 growth stage, our research has shown only a 5% reduction in wheat yield at a temperature of 20°F for 15-minute duration and 50% reduction in wheat yield at a temperature of 12°F for 15-minute duration. (Although, it should be noted, there is a great deal of variability in response due to environmental conditions for the remainder of the growing season.… Continue reading
The Ohio AgriBusiness Association is pleased to announce the newly elected members to the Board of Directors.
Representing the Agrichemical industry: Nick Franks, Tyler Grain & Fertilizer Co.
Representing the Feed industry: Anne Staugler, Big K Mills, Inc.
Representing the Grain industry: Travis Algren, Consolidated Grain & Barge Inc.
Representing the Members-at-Large: Heath Barnes, Mercer Landmark and Jeff Osentoski, Heritage Cooperative
“Our Board of Directors contribute their time, experience and expertise for the good of the industry and the association,” said Chris Henney, OABA president and CEO. “We are pleased to welcome our newest board members and congratulate those that were reelected.”
The newly elected members were announced at the OABA Annual Meeting on March 24. Algren and Barnes are new members on the board; Franks, Osentoski and Staugler were reelected by OABA members. The respective terms for these board members will expire on Dec. 31, 2023.
Below is the complete list of Board members:
Chairwoman: Jackie Seiber — L W Seibert Farms, LLC
Vice Chairman: Robert Mullen — Nutrien
Immediate Past Chairman: Nathan Louiso — Axis Seed
Earlier this year, we brought you an update from the Blanchard River Demonstration Farms Network and Stateler Family Farms. The Stateler’s were testing the impacts of standing corn side-dressed with liquid swine manure. The results are in! Listen to Dale’s interview with Glen Arnold, Greg LaBarge and Anthony Stateler. This video is sponsored by the Blanchard River Demonstration Farms Network.… Continue reading
The upcoming March 31st USDA report is highly anticipated for several reasons:
It provides the estimated remaining stocks stored on farms and at commercial elevators.
It shows how tight stocks are and if price rationing is necessary.
It includes the first official planting intentions estimate for the upcoming year based upon surveys filled out by producers in early March.
Last month the USDA Economic Outlook Forum estimated 92 million corn acres and 90 million soybean acres would be planted in 2021. However, these are budgetary derived numbers and not based upon actual producer surveys. Therefore, the market will be comparing these estimates and other private estimates until the March 31streport. Prices will then adjust accordingly.
How important is each USDA report?
Many people say the end of March report day is important, and it is, but how does it compare with other reports throughout the year?… Continue reading
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers technical expertise and financial assistance to help Ohio maple producers fund their operations, conserve natural resources and recover from natural disasters. Maple producers are encouraged to contact their local USDA Service Center to learn about resources to support their operations both during the harvest season and throughout the year.
“We know this is a busy time for our maple producers,” said Mark VanHoose, acting State Executive Director for USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Ohio. “Whether you’ve been a producer in our state for years or are just getting started, we encourage you to contact your local USDA Service Center to learn about programs and services to fit your business needs.”
FSA offers funding opportunities to help maple producers start, expand and maintain their operations.
“I encourage Maple producers, especially operations interested in organic certification to reach out to NRCS,” said John Wilson, acting State Conservationist for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).… Continue reading
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