Top Headlines

The Ohio AgriBusiness Association (OABA) and the Ohio Soybean Association (OSA) have joined forces to offer a one-of-a-kind event series: the Ohio Weed Resistance Workshops. The workshop program will be presented at three events across the state on, February 28, February 29 and March 1, 2012 and is being offered at no cost to participants.

“OABA is happy we could join with the Ohio Soybean Association and, along with the support of all of our sponsors, put on these workshops,” said Christopher Henney, OABA President and CEO. “This is a great opportunity for both farmers and custom applicators who have dealt with herbicide resistance in the past and farmers who might be experiencing it for the first time get up to speed on the current state of weed resistance in Ohio and get insight into future projections, as well as learn about how best to manage it and how to utilize latest technologies that can help.”… Continue reading

An Ohio judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a Muslim inmate who sued the prison system last year for serving pork, a food forbidden by his faith. In an order filed last week, U.S. District Court Michael H. Watson dismissed the case after hearing from the involved attorneys that the matter has been settled.

“Details of the settlement announced Wednesday weren’t released. The inmate’s lawyer would not comment,” said Dick Isler, executive director of the Ohio Pork Producers Council. “JoEllen Smith, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, said no policy changes have been made regarding food preparation. Both sides anticipated making the settlement final in about 45 days.”

The suit was filed last fall by Abdul-Hamead Awkal because the prison didn’t offer him halal food options, noting that the system offered Jewish prisoners kosher items. Ohio’s prison system responded by removing pork.… Continue reading

Deteriorating condition of the U.S. lock and dam system puts the competiveness of U.S. soybean farmers at risk according to a study funded by the United Soybean Board’s (USB’s) and the soybean checkoff’s Global Opportunities (GO) program. Entitled “America’s Locks & Dams: A Ticking Time Bomb for Agriculture,” the in-depth examination coordinated by the Soy Transportation Coalition (STC) found American farmers and consumers “…will suffer severe economic distress” if catastrophic U.S. lock or dam failures take place.

More than half of the structures that are part of the U.S. inland waterway system for river barge shipping exceed their 50-year usable lifespan, according to the soybean checkoff-funded report. More than one-third surpass 70 years of age, a concern because major rehabilitation is usually necessary to expand the typical lifespan from 50 to 75 years, according to the study.

“The GO committee invested in this study to calculate the impact of the worsening condition of the lock and dam system and what the impact would be on the rail and highway system if those locks failed,” said Laura Foell, soybean farmer from Schaller, Iowa, and chair of the GO committee.… Continue reading

A recent Yahoo article suggested five degrees, three of them agriculturally related, are useless.

This has set off an online firestorm on the topic. The Facebook page,  I Studied Agriculture and I Have a Job has even been created in response.

We’ve gathered some other responses from across that web that include:

• Yahoo’s ‘College Majors That Are Useless’…Really?, on the Huffington Post by Allen Levin, Dean of the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, University of Minnesota

• Yahoo Thinks Yohttps://ocj.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=6679&action=edit&message=10ur Degree is Worthless

• University of Georgia Dean of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences speaks out at, Flawed list can steer students in the wrong direction.

• Is a Degree in Agriculture Useless?, by Flying T Ranch blog.

• Agriculture-Useless College Degree Part 2, by Agriculture Proud blog

• Family Farm Friday #67: Listen Here Yahoo, by Figuring out the Plot blog

• Video Response from Tucker Cool

• Introduction and Response to Yahoo on Agriculture in College Video response 

• Agriculture-Universal and Extremely Useful Degrees, from Pillar Environmental

• Ag degree useless?

Ohio legislators are proposing to expand the Agricultural Linked Deposit program, or Ag-LINK, which offers farm operators an interest-rate reduction on loans and lines of credit through the Ohio treasurer’s office. House Bill 415, along with its companion, Senate Bill 281, would increase the amount the state treasury sets aside each

year for the program from $125 million to $165 million. It also would increase the amount applicants can receive, from $100,000 to $150,000.

The interest-rate reductions help farmers invest in seeds, feed, fertilizer, fuel and other operating expenses. Since its inception in 1985, Ag-LINK has loaned about $2.8 billion to more than 40,000 Ohio farmers.

Last year, more than 800 farmers in 67 counties took advantage of the program. The bills’ sponsors, Rep. Robert

Sprague, R-Findlay, Rep. Brian Hill, R-Zanesville, and Sen. Bill Beagle, R-Tipp City, said they hope a bigger investment in Ohio agricultural businesses will create more jobs and boost the economy.… Continue reading

In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a California law that bans the processing of all non-ambulatory animals, including hogs. NPPC hailed the ruling.

The California Legislature approved the law in 2008 after a video was released by animal activists, showing non-ambulatory, or “downed,” cows at a California beef packing plant being dragged and prodded to enter the processing line. The statute prohibited the buying, selling, or receiving of non-ambulatory animals, the processing, butchering or selling of meat or products from non-ambulatory animals for human consumption and the holding of non-ambulatory animals without taking immediate action to humanely euthanize them.

The National Meat Association (NMA) challenged the law, and a federal district court judge in California blocked it. But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco in 2010 overturned the lower court ruling. NMA appealed the case to the Supreme Court, arguing that the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) pre-empts the California law.… Continue reading

Soy can be found in many products we might use every day.  The United Soybean Board (USB) and the soybean checkoff want more fairgoers to see the wide variety of soy-based products put to good use this year.

The national soy checkoff plans to deliver this message though its Green Ribbon Fairs reimbursement program, aimed at encouraging fairs across the country to promote and use soy-based products.

Through the annual program, now in its second year, town, county, state and regional fairs compete to be reimbursed for using and promoting soy-based products on their fairgrounds year-round, as well as during the fairs. Soy-based products that could be used include paints, insulation, ink, biodiesel, hand sanitizers, cleaning and maintenance products, dust suppressants and more.

“Partnering with other groups helps us to tell a new audience about the sustainability of soy products,” says Geno Lowe, a soybean farmer from Hebron, Md., and USB farmer-director.… Continue reading

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing a modernization of young chicken and turkey slaughter inspection in the United States by focusing FSIS inspection resources on the areas of the poultry production system that pose the greatest risk to food safety.

“The modernization plan will protect public health, improve the efficiency of U.S. poultry inspections and reduce spending,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The new inspection system will reduce the risk of foodborne illness by focusing FSIS inspection activities on those tasks that advance our core mission of food safety. By revising current procedures and removing outdated regulatory requirements that do not help combat foodborne illness, the result will be a more efficient and effective use of taxpayer dollars.”

Currently, some FSIS employees in poultry establishments perform several activities that are unrelated to food safety, such as identifying visual defects like bruising, while others conduct the critical inspection activities.… Continue reading

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is seeking applications to provide assistance to agricultural producers and rural small businesses to complete a variety of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Funding is available from USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) authorized by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill).

“Renewable energy development presents an enormous economic opportunity for rural America,” said Vilsack. “This funding will assist rural farmers, ranchers and business owners to build renewable energy projects, providing opportunities for new technologies, create green jobs and help America become more energy self-sufficient.”

The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) is designed to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses reduce energy costs and consumption and help meet the Nation’s critical energy needs.  For 2012, USDA has approximately $25.4 million budget authority available to fund REAP activities, which will support at least $12.5 million in grant and approximately $48.5 million in guaranteed loan program level awards. … Continue reading

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Bruce Nelson announced a new rule that expands loan opportunities for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, while also establishing a new Land Contract Guarantee Program. The rule provides additional flexibility allowing FSA loan officers to consider all prior farming experience, including on-the-job training and formal education, when determining eligibility for FSA for farm operating and ownership loans. It also expands a previous pilot program, the Land Contract Guarantee Program, from six states to all 50 states. This program is designed to encourage farmers and ranchers to sell their property to beginning and socially disadvantaged (SDA) farmers and ranchers through the use of seller financing.

“USDA continues to find ways to improve our services for farmers and ranchers by streamlining processes, accelerating delivery, and using innovative solutions to 21st century agricultural challenges,” said Nelson. “These improvements demonstrate FSA’s commitment to helping the next generation of America’s farmers and ranchers participate in our nation’s agricultural economy.… Continue reading

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) announced the discovery of a hemlock-killing pest in southeast Ohio. Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) is a small, aphid-like insect native to Asia that threatens the health and sustainability of eastern hemlock and Carolina hemlock in the eastern United States.

HWA was first reported in the eastern United States in 1951 near Richmond, Va. By 2005, it was established in portions of 16 states from Maine to Georgia, where infestations covered about half of the range of hemlock.

The relatively small infestation was discovered at Shade River State Forest in Meigs County as part of ODNR’s ongoing forest health survey program. At this time, five trees out of approximately 500 hemlock trees surveyed were infested. HWA is primarily transmitted by wind and birds. Officials believe the finding in Ohio is the result of natural spread from nearby areas where the pest is established.… Continue reading

A program on preventing microbial contamination on fruit and vegetable farms takes place in northern Ohio on Feb. 20. Hours are 1-4 p.m. at the Homerville Auction, 9430 Spencer Road, in Homerville in Medina County.

Good Agricultural Practices, or GAPS, for fruit and vegetable production are the focus.

“The Food and Drug Administration will be releasing draft standards for safe production of fruits and vegetables later this year,” said Ashley Kulhanek of Ohio State University’s Fruit and Vegetable Safety Team, the program’s sponsor. “So it’s a good time to learn about GAPS.”

Participants will receive a resource workbook, paper handouts and certificate of participation. The program is tailored to members of the Amish and Mennonite communities but is open to the general public as well, whether or not they sell at the Homerville Auction.

Kulhanek said attendees won’t actually become “certified in GAPS” by taking the course. That certification comes only through a farm audit by the U.S.… Continue reading

The cost of foodborne illness in the United States is now estimated to be up to $77.7 billion a year, according to an analysis by Ohio State University researcher Robert Scharff.

Although the new estimate, published in the January 2012 issue of the Journal of Food Protection, is a significant reduction from the researcher’s initial estimates in 2010, “these numbers are still big,” said Scharff, an economist and researcher with the university’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC). “The decrease doesn’t necessarily reflect a decrease in foodborne illness. Primarily, it’s due to methodological changes by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in how the incidence of foodborne illness is measured. Both the CDC numbers and my new estimates of related costs are more accurate — that’s the important thing.”

In 2011, the CDC issued new figures for the incidence of foodborne illness, estimating that about 48 million people in the United States suffer from foodborne illnesses each year, resulting in 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.… Continue reading

Concerns about the worldwide energy supply and national, environmental and economic security have resulted in a search for alternative energy sources. A new University of Illinois study shows Miscanthus x giganteus (M. x giganteus) is a strong contender in the race to find the next source of ethanol if appropriate growing conditions are identified.

M. x giganteus is a bioenergy crop that can be grown to produce ethanol. The study investigated the establishment success, plant growth and dry biomass yield of the grass. Tom Voigt, lead scientist and associate professor in the U of I Department of Crop Sciences, said the overall goal is to promote biomass yield per acre for ethanol production using the fewest inputs with no environmental damage.

Researchers compared establishment and growth rates, and biomass yield at four locations over the past three years to identify regions best suited for the grass. Data was collected at sites in Urbana, Ill.;… Continue reading

By Matt Reese

On January 9, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA would be restructuring the department to meet budget restrictions. Part of that plan calls for the consolidation and closure of offices across the country. In Ohio those offices include:

• Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, APHIS, in Bowling Green, Wood County
• Agriculture Research Service, ARS, Coschocton, Coshocton County
• Farm Service Agency Offices (FSA)

• Brookville, Montgomery County
• Pomeroy, Meigs County
• Springfield, Clark County
• Somerset, Perry County
• Carrollton, Carroll County

• Cincinnati, Hamilton County
• Columbus, Franklin County

Those in the affected communities have been quick to express their concerns. The Montgomery County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) claims that the closure of their FSA office will result in decreased efficiency if merged with the neighboring Preble County FSA.

“What made a good sound-bite does not make good sense, or dollars!  In an effort to look as if they are doing something (anything) to help us taxpayers, the USDA will be severely harming a system that efficiently, effectively, frugally, and cooperatively serves the citizens of Montgomery County. … Continue reading

By Matt Reese

Improving water quality starts with getting an accurate soil sample. This is a crucial step in avoiding costly over application of phosphorus and environmental challenges in the coming years. This was an important part of the discussion surrounding the improvement of water quality in Lake Erie at the Soil and Water Conservation Society this week at the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

“If phosphorus is surface applied, chances are that phosphorus levels are much higher than indicated in an 8-inch soil sample,” said Kevin Elder, with the Ohio Department of Agriculture. “The surface may test very differently than the typical 8-inch sample. When you’re soil sampling, you should do a surface test too.”

Having the proper information is vital for the implementation of the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Program that will be increasingly important for farmers in the future. Elder outlined the 4R concept that promotes using the right fertilizer source, at the right rate, at the right time, with the right placement.… Continue reading

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Ohio State Conservationist Terry Cosby announced the availability of Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP) funding to enter into agreements with eligible partners to carry out high priority wetland protection, restoration and enhancement activities on eligible lands.

“Nationally, up to $17 million is available through General WREP for wetlands restoration and enhancements on a competitive basis,” Cosby said.  “Eligible partners are encouraged to submit WREP proposals to our state office by February 10, 2012.  The proposals will be evaluated by Ohio NRCS staff using a competitive process with recommended proposals being forwarded to the national NRCS office for review, ranking and final selection.”

WREP is a voluntary conservation program that works through partnership agreements with states, nongovernmental organizations and tribes.  It is a component of the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) through which NRCS enters into agreements with eligible partners to leverage resources to carry out high priority wetland protection and improve wildlife habitat.… Continue reading

President Barack Obama recently announced that he will ask Congress for the authority to merge federal agencies in the interest of streamlining government and reducing redundancies. First on the president’s proposed list of changes is a combining of six federal offices related to or in charge of trade and commerce: the Department of Commerce, the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the Export-Import Bank, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the Trade and Development Agency and the Small Business Administration.

The American Soybean Association released the following statement in response to the president’s announcement.

“While the American Soybean Association (ASA) supports initiatives to improve government efficiency and eliminate redundancy, we have strong concerns about at least one aspect of the President’s proposal, and that is with the plan to merge the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) with other trade agencies. We believe that USTR should remain an independent agency within the Executive Office of the President (EOP), focusing on trade negotiations, trade agreements and trade enforcement.… Continue reading

Cargill will award $350,000 in scholarships to U.S. high-school seniors who live in communities where Cargill has operations and plan to enroll in post-secondary education next fall. National FFA has administered the Cargill Community Scholarship Program for more than 20 years. 

Through the program, Cargill will award 350 national scholarships of $1,000 each. In addition, each recipient’s high school will receive a $200 grant from Cargill. National FFA will process the applications and select the scholarship recipients, although students do not need to be FFA members to be eligible for Cargill’s program. Students are chosen based on academic achievement and leadership in extracurricular and community activities.

“We are pleased to join FFA in recognizing outstanding students and supporting their educational goals,” said Mark Murphy, assistant vice president of corporate affairs for Cargill. “We recognize that our continued success depends on the growth and health of our communities and partners, including our local schools and young people.”… Continue reading

As automakers retool engines to maximize gas mileage while minimizing emissions to meet future Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) standards, a new study reveals that ethanol provides the higher-octane these high-efficiency engines require while remaining both affordable and environmentally friendly.

The study, conducted by AVL, a global leader in the development of powertrain engines with internal combustion systems, was funded in part by the National Corn Growers Association’s Ethanol Committee and Research and Business Development Action Team. The goal of this research was to explore the role corn ethanol could play in meeting the new CAFÉ standards enacted by the U.S. federal government.

“The findings of this study further support our existing understanding of ethanol in that they demonstrate its inherent ability to meet our nation’s need for an affordable, sustainable domestically-produced fuel source,” said NCGA Ethanol Committee Chairman Chad Willis. “NCGA, together with the states that also contributed, funds studies such as this to add to the data on biofuel.… Continue reading