Top Headlines

By Ty Higgins, Ohio Ag Net

Big cracks in a ground trying to hold on to a withering crop are getting to be a common sight in fields all across Ohio. It is easy to see how important one component of a growing season can be, and the same can be said for cultivating the next set of ag professionals coming through colleges and universities all over America.

Just as crops needs rain to be productive, universities and Extension programs require funding — a resource necessity for churning out a bumper crop of great ag minds that is becoming as scare as rain in a drought. This is a growing problem in Ohio and around the country. Long time University of Illinois crop physiology professor Fred Below sees challenges for the future of Extension in general.

“We’ve taken at big hit at our Extension programs,” Below said. “It comes down to budget cuts with less and less money and trying to do more with less.”… Continue reading

By Matt Reese

Some think it’s bunk and some swear that it bolsters big yields. In the ongoing debate over whether fungicides in corn really provide plant health benefits beyond treating fungal diseases, university scientists can’t seem to find any clear conclusions that support the plant health argument, particularly in a dry year like 2012. Well, the fine folks at BASF seem to think otherwise and they have some pictures that they feel prove their point.

Brian Essinger, an Ohio-based BASF Innovation Specialist, recently sent this email:

“A friend and colleague of mine just sent me these pictures from NW Illinois.  They were taken at the request of the grower because he could not believe what he was seeing after it going through a week and a half of 95-100+ degree heat.  THIS CORN FIELD HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY RAIN SINCE FATHER’S DAY WEEKEND WHEN IT GOT A COUPLE OF TENTHS.… Continue reading

The 2012 Ohio State Fair runs July 25-August 5 at the Ohio Expo Center. The Ohio Ag Net & Ohio’s Country Journal is looking forward to our time there for our live coverage of the major livestock shows and the Sale of Champions.

We want to see you there, so we are giving away 5 family prize packages!

To get entered to win, in the comments below tell us: What makes the Ohio State Fair Fairtastic?

The contest will close at 8 am Thursday, July 19th and we’ll randomly choose 5 of the comments below to win one of the following prize packs-

Pack #1
(4) general admission tickets to the Ohio State Fair
(4) tickets for $5 off a meal and a free sandwich from the Ohio Pork Producers in the Ohio Food Pavilion
(4) tickets for a free milkshake or ice cream from American Dairy Association Mideast
(4) tickets to The Band Perry concert!… Continue reading

Ag economists Carl Zulauf (Ohio State University), Gary Schnitkey (University of Illinois) and Nick Paulson (University of Illinois) compiled a list of the key agricultural differences in the final Senate bill and the discussion bill considered and passed by the House Agricultural Committee. Here is their summary:

1. It is important to first note that considerable agreement exists among the House Discussion Bill and the Senate passed Farm Bill.

• Both bills embrace risk management as the focus of the crop safety net, have a Supplemental Coverage Option for insurance, contain a county revenue option as a complement to insurance, eliminate direct payments, and retain marketing loans.

• Both bills also embrace as a foundation theme that it is not a viable policy option to have a single risk management program that is uniformly applied to all crops. This decision reflects the diversity of crops grown in the U.S.… Continue reading

Countdown to the 2012 Ohio State Fair: 13 Days!

More than 3,600 pig wings sold by the Ohio Pork Producer’s Council in the Taste of Ohio Café… Continue reading

HumaneWatch.org , a project of the nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF), petitioned Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine to investigate the deceptive fundraising practices of the animal rights group Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). HumaneWatch.org released a full report today exposing HSUS’s misleading telemarketing, direct mail, and television appeals. The new analysis reveals that the animal rights group’s fundraising activities might be more than just dishonest, speculating that these tactics could violate some charitable solicitation or consumer protection laws in the Buckeye State.

The new report delves into years of HSUS’s direct mail, telemarketing, and television appeals, which actively perpetuate the misperception that HSUS’s primary focus is to care for abandoned and abused cats and dogs. However, a look through the group’s tax returns reveals just 1 percent of its multi-million dollar budget goes to local hands-on shelters and rescues. That’s a surprise to many of HSUS’s own donors.… Continue reading

When buying produce, many consumers note food safety as one of the most important things they consider.  Consumers prefer produce backed by trustworthy verified and certified processes. As a result, more retail and foodservice sectors are requiring growers to undergo food safety audits.  In an effort to meet this demand, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Fresh Products Division, which provides voluntary, audit-based programs utilizing Good Agricultural Practices and Good Handling Practices (GAP/GHP), recently reached an agreement with Wal-Mart.

The division will now provide auditing services to verify farmers are meeting the requirements of the Produce GAP Harmonized Food Safety Standards along with Wal-Mart-specific food safety requirements. The integration of our auditing services into retail purchasing processes helps local farmers meet the quality assurances needed to sell their fruits and vegetables to nationwide chains, such as Wal-Mart.

“Having the right tools and partners to ensure the safety of our food is critical,” said Frank Yiannas, Vice President of Food Safety for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.… Continue reading

Countdown to the 2012 Ohio State Fair: 2 Weeks!

At the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association two on-grounds locations, more than 4 tons of beef was sold in the form of 15,000 burgers and 7,500 ribeyes. In addition, 6,000 pounds of potatoes were sold.… Continue reading

Countdown to the 2012 Ohio State Fair: 2 Weeks!

At the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association two on-grounds locations, more than 4 tons of beef was sold in the form of 15,000 burgers and 7,500 ribeyes. In addition, 6,000 pounds of potatoes were sold.… Continue reading

When buying produce, many consumers note food safety as one of the most important things they consider.  Consumers prefer produce backed by trustworthy verified and certified processes. As a result, more retail and foodservice sectors are requiring growers to undergo food safety audits.  In an effort to meet this demand, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Fresh Products Division, which provides voluntary, audit-based programs utilizing Good Agricultural Practices and Good Handling Practices (GAP/GHP), recently reached an agreement with Wal-Mart.

The division will now provide auditing services to verify farmers are meeting the requirements of the Produce GAP Harmonized Food Safety Standards along with Wal-Mart-specific food safety requirements. The integration of our auditing services into retail purchasing processes helps local farmers meet the quality assurances needed to sell their fruits and vegetables to nationwide chains, such as Wal-Mart.

“Having the right tools and partners to ensure the safety of our food is critical,” said Frank Yiannas, Vice President of Food Safety for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.… Continue reading

A freight train has derailed in Columbus, causing an explosion and injuring at least two people.

It happened around 2 a.m. Wednesday morning next to The Expo Center and Fairgrounds. People who live within a one-mile radius of the scene were evacuated to The Rhodes Center and are being assisted by The American Red Cross.

The train was carrying a number of agricultural products. Lost in the spill were a few cars of feed grain and some tanks carrying what became the fuel for the fire, ethanol.

The train was in route to North Carolina from Chicago.… Continue reading

Countdown to the 2012 Ohio State Fair: 15 Days!

The Ohio Sheep Improvement Association sold approximately 4,500 lbs. of Fresh American Lamb at the 2011 Ohio State Fair.… Continue reading

The recent decision at the G20 summit to include Canada in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) has the United States, New Zealand and Australia up in arms over Canada’s open agricultural subsidy schemes, in particular its programs for Canadian pork production.

The TPP countries — the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam — also voted to include Mexico in the TPP. The inclusion of Canada and Mexico now takes the 11-member TPP group to nearly 30% of global GDP, a substantially larger trading power than the 27-nation European Union (EU) bloc.

While trading power is one element, the TPP goes beyond a traditional trade agreement and deals with behind-the-border impediments to trade and investment. The group serves as a pathfinder to broader regional economic integration, similar to the EU. This ultimately gives it potential to form the basis for free trade across the Asia- Pacific region.… Continue reading

By John Newton and Cameron Thraen, Ohio State University Extension

The following key information has been generated by simulating the milk marketings of 5,000 representative farms over the time period 2006-2012. Representative farms were structured to include herd demographics, seasonal production patterns, and farm growth rates common to farms found in Mideast portions of the U.S. Portions of the 2012 margins were estimated using Chicago Mercantile Exchange futures prices. All of the provisions contained in the U.S. Senate version of the DMPP and DMSP have been implemented over this period.

Key factors from an evaluation of the Dairy Margin Protection Program

1. The outcome for the margin calculation depends on which National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) all-milk, corn, and alfalfa hay prices are used by the Secretary of Agriculture: (1) NASS preliminary prices, (2) NASS revised prices, or (3) NASS final agricultural prices. As the prices are revised the calculated dairy producer margin are subject to change; however, the Senate language does not indicate which prices will be used nor does it include language or provisions that allow for margin revisions.… Continue reading

Ohio growers may find that although alfalfa can weather the current extreme heat and drought conditions from a quality standpoint, there will be less alfalfa overall because of the lack of moisture the region continues to experience, an Ohio State University Extension educator said.

An established alfalfa plant has a deep taproot allowing it to extract moisture from the soil and continue growing even under drought conditions, said Rory Lewandowski, an agricultural and natural resources educator for OSU Extension.

And while the plants can go into a prolonged dormancy in drought conditions and still recover when it rains, the short-term forecast calls for continued hot, dry weather, he said. So growers whose plants have regrowth beginning to bloom at 4 to 6 inches need to know that there will be little additional tonnage gained by delaying harvest, Lewandowski said.

“The bottom line is that drought-induced moisture stress can cause plants to move through maturity stages quicker, and plants bloom sooner on fewer and shorter stems,” he said.… Continue reading

OHIO CROP WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS

The average temperature for the State was 82.4 degrees, 10.0 degrees above normal for the week ending Sunday, July 8, 2012. Precipitation averaged 0.63 inches, 0.15 inches below normal. There were 174 modified growing degree days, 21 days above normal.

Reporters rated 6.1 days suitable for fieldwork during the seven-day period ending Friday, July 6, 2012. Topsoil moisture was rated 49 percent very short, 39 percent short, 12 percent adequate, and 0 percent surplus.

FIELD ACTIVITIES AND CROP PROGRESS WEEK ENDING SUNDAY JULY 8th, 2012

Conditions throughout the state are hot and dry. The heat and dry weather during the last number of weeks has continued to put significant stress on both crops and livestock. Field activities for the week were baling hay and harvesting wheat and oats.

As of Sunday July 8th, 41 percent of corn was silked (tasseled), which was 40 percent ahead of last year and 29 percent ahead of the five-year average.… Continue reading

OHIO CROP WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS

The average temperature for the State was 82.4 degrees, 10.0 degrees above normal for the week ending Sunday, July 8, 2012. Precipitation averaged 0.63 inches, 0.15 inches below normal. There were 174 modified growing degree days, 21 days above normal.

Reporters rated 6.1 days suitable for fieldwork during the seven-day period ending Friday, July 6, 2012. Topsoil moisture was rated 49 percent very short, 39 percent short, 12 percent adequate, and 0 percent surplus.

FIELD ACTIVITIES AND CROP PROGRESS WEEK ENDING SUNDAY JULY 8th, 2012

Conditions throughout the state are hot and dry. The heat and dry weather during the last number of weeks has continued to put significant stress on both crops and livestock. Field activities for the week were baling hay and harvesting wheat and oats.

As of Sunday July 8th, 41 percent of corn was silked (tasseled), which was 40 percent ahead of last year and 29 percent ahead of the five-year average.… Continue reading

Countdown to the 2012 Ohio State Fair: 16 Days!

Beginning on July 17, more than a week before the Fair officially kicks off, the first of 22,769 animals will move in for the Fair’s livestock shows.… Continue reading

Based on the heightened interest due to the recent proposals from the Department of Labor, many people around the state are asking for a tractor training course. Volunteers interested in teaching tractor and machinery certification to teens, as well as secondary ag science teachers and Extension personnel who need to know their obligations for signing the “Certificates of Training,” are encouraged to attend this training.

An in-service training is scheduled for July 25 on the Farm Science Review grounds in London from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participant fee is $25 per person and lunch is provided.

The course will provide a comprehensive overview of the training exemptions teens need to complete prior to working in agricultural environments. Teaching resources are included in the workshop registration fees, and will include print and on-line access to up-to-date training materials. Tractor driving course layouts and skill test evaluations are also part of the hands-on workshop.… Continue reading