Top Headlines

Eli Lilly and Company has announced an agreement to acquire Novartis Animal Health for approximately $5.4 billion in an all-cash transaction that will strengthen and diversify Lilly’s own animal health business, Elanco. Upon completion of the acquisition, Elanco will be the second-largest animal health company in terms of global revenue, will solidify its number two ranking in the U.S., and improve its position in Europe and the rest of the world.

With a presence in approximately 40 countries and 2013 revenue of approximately $1.1 billion, Novartis Animal Health is focused on developing better ways to prevent and treat diseases in pets, farm animals and farmed fish. Lilly will acquire Novartis Animal Health’s nine manufacturing sites, six dedicated research and development facilities, a global commercial infrastructure with a portfolio of approximately 600 products, a robust pipeline with more than 40 projects in development, and an experienced team of more than 3,000 employees.… Continue reading

According to a University of Illinois crop sciences researcher, there has been a great deal of interest recently in the idea of using nitrogen fertilizer during the growing season to increase soybean yields.

“This is somewhat surprising given that there has been so little evidence from published and unpublished reports showing that this practice increases yields, let alone provides a return on the cost of doing this,” said Emerson Nafziger.

Soybean plants in most Illinois fields produce nodules when roots are infected by Bradyrhizobium bacteria early in the season, Nafziger said. Bacteria growing inside these nodules are fed by sugars coming from the plant.

“In one of the more amazing feats in nature, these bacteria are able to break the very strong chemical bond between nitrogen atoms in atmospheric nitrogen gas (nitrogen gas makes up some 78% of the air but is inert in that form. This ‘fixed’ nitrogen is available to the plant to support growth,” he said.… Continue reading

AGCO, a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment, recently recognized their top performing dealers in 2013. They named Ohio Ag Equipment sixth in overall sales for AGCO in North America.

This announcement was made in January at AGCO’s annual dealer business meeting held in Denver, Colorado, where AGCO’s North American dealers gathered to learn about new products, training, and plans for the upcoming year.

According to Ohio Ag Equipment Vice President, Kelly Love, the company’s ag division has grown substantially in the past decade. “Being one of AGCO’s top performing dealerships in North America will continue to be our goal going forward,” says Love.

Ohio Ag Equipment, a division of Ohio CAT, is an authorized AGCO dealer for the state of Ohio. Ohio Ag Equipment offers high quality machinery, parts and services to the agricultural community from our 4 ag-dedicated facilities in Upper Sandusky, Washington Court House, Liberty Center and Millersburg, Ohio.… Continue reading

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that eligible farmers and ranchers can sign up for U.S. Department of Agriculture disaster assistance programs restored by passage of the 2014 Farm Bill.

Depending on the size and type of farm or ranch operation, eligible producers can enroll in a number of programs administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). The Livestock Forage Disaster Program and the Livestock Indemnity Program will provide payments to eligible producers for livestock deaths and grazing losses that have occurred since the expiration of the livestock disaster assistance programs in 2011, including calendar years 2012, 2013 and 2014. The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program provides emergency assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish that have suffered losses because of disease, severe weather, blizzards and wildfires.

Producers signing up for these programs are encouraged to contact their local FSA office for information on the types of records needed and to schedule an appointment.… Continue reading

James Byers of Vincent, Ohio, distinctly remembers the first time he won a drawing.

“My name came up in the lottery, and I was drafted into the military,” he said.

Although it took a while, his name recently was called again as the final monthly winner of the John Deere Big Gear Giveaway. Byers, who is retired, recalls entering the contest on a cold, snowy day last winter.

“I was bored, so I went on line and entered the John Deere Big Gear Giveaway contest,” he said. “I never expected to win.”

His local John Deere dealership, Bridgeport Equipment & Tools Sales & Rentals, called with the good news. With two acres to mow, Byers decided it was time to splurge and purchase the lawn tractor he had always wanted.

“I used my prize as a down payment on a new John Deere D160,” he said. “Because of the prize money, it was like getting the tractor for half price.”… Continue reading

In 2010, the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association (OSIA) Board of Trustees initiated an award nomination program to recognize outstanding accomplishments made by sheep farmers as well as people who are associated with the Ohio sheep industry.

Nominations for these awards can only be submitted by OSIA members and must be received by June 1, 2014. Award recipients will be honored at the 2014 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium. If you would like to nominate someone for any of these awards, please contact the OSIA Office at 614-246-8293 for an application. Award applications will also be posted at www.ohiosheep.org after March 15, 2014. Nominations are being accepted for the following categories. Information and requirements regarding these awards will be available with the award application:

• Charles Boyles Master Shepherd Award

• Friend of the Ohio Sheep Industry Award

• Distinguished Service Award

• Environmental Stewardship Award… Continue reading

Farmers need to start scouting their fields for winter annual weeds and making decisions about spring burndown herbicide applications, a Purdue Extension weed scientist says.

Nearly all fields will require some form of spring herbicide treatment, but the earliest attention will need to be given to fields that didn’t receive one last fall.

“The jury is still out on how the past winter affected winter annual weeds that emerged last fall and were not controlled with a fall herbicide application,” Travis Legleiter said. “Either way, it’s likely that spring burndowns will need to be made to control some winter annual weeds — in particular, marestail.”

Many winter annual weeds will start to grow rapidly as the weather consistently warms.

The key to controlling rapidly growing weeds is to properly time spring burndown treatments while considering weed sizes and air temperatures.

“Applications need to be made when weeds are actively growing but when plants are still small, or prior to bolting for marestail,” he said.… Continue reading

We were sad to hear that former OCJ contributor William “Bill” McNutt, of Worthington, Ohio, age 88, passed away March 12, 2014.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Lorraine; and children, Carol (Carl) Krohn, Donald (Heather) McNutt, Laurel (Duane) Allyn; six siblings and one deceased brother. There are seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

McNutt was a World War II veteran, drafted immediately after his graduation from high school; and recipient of the Purple Heart during action in the European Theater. After being discharged he attended and graduated from OSU, then taught Vocational Agriculture prior to his employment by the Ohio Farm Bureau. He retired from the Ohio Farm Bureau in 1990 after 35 years of service as Director of Advisory Councils. Following retirement he was a freelance writer for various agricultural publications, most often in the field of specialty fruit and vegetable production, plus writing occasional commentary for the Suburban News publications.… Continue reading

Do feral swine play a part in spreading Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv)? That’s what scientists across Michigan and the country are rushing to figure out.

According to MLive.com, scientists are developing a new blood test to detect PEDv to determine if feral hogs are helping spread the disease. David Marks, a wildlife disease biologist at the USDA Wildlife Services office in Okemos, Mich., explained to reporters that the serum test is being used in a national pilot project. If it is found to be successful, scientists will begin to test archived blood as well.

“We keep extra serum every time we catch a feral pig, so if they do find (the disease in archived samples), then the next step would be to test in those states where the virus has been found,” Marks said.

Actual testing of wild pigs in Michigan is still months away, and while biologists aren’t certain PEDv has reached feral hog herds, there is still a possibility.… Continue reading

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the availability of more than $19 million in grants to help train, educate and enhance the sustainability of the next generation of agricultural producers through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP).

“USDA is committed to the next generation of America’s farmers and ranchers because they represent the future of agriculture and are the backbone of our rural economy. As the average age of farmers continues to rise, we have no time to lose in getting more new farmers and ranchers established.” said Secretary Vilsack. “Reauthorizing and expanding the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program is one of the many resources the 2014 Farm Bill gave us to build America’s agricultural future. Through this program, we can build a diverse next generation of farmers and ranchers.”

BFRDP is an education, training, technical assistance and outreach program designed to help farmers, ranchers and managers of non-industrial private forest land – specifically those aiming to start farming and those who have been farming or ranching for 10 or fewer years.… Continue reading

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that farmers and ranchers can sign up for disaster assistance programs on April 15. The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) and the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) will provide payments to eligible producers for livestock deaths and grazing losses that have occurred since the expiration of the livestock disaster assistance programs in 2011, including calendar years 2012, 2013 and 2014, USDA reported.

USDA is encouraging all producers who experienced losses to compile records documenting their losses before enrolling in these disaster assistance programs. Local Farm Service Agency county offices can provide information on the types of records applicants will need. Producers are also encouraged to contact their county office ahead of time to schedule an appointment.

LIP provides compensation to livestock producers that have suffered livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather. Sheep are included as eligible livestock for this program.… Continue reading

The election of pork producers and delegate candidates for the 2015 National Pork Producers Delegate Body will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 10, 2014 at the American Dairy Association Mideast offices, 5950 Sharon Woods Blvd., Columbus, OH 43229. All Ohio pork producers are invited to attend.

Any producer, at least 18 years of age, who is a resident of the state and has paid all assessments due may be considered as a delegate candidate and/or participate in the election. All eligible producers are encouraged to bring with them a sales receipt verifying that hogs were sold in their name and the checkoff deducted.

For more information, contact the Ohio Pork Council at 5930 Sharon Woods Boulevard, Ste. 101, Columbus, OH 43229 or 614-882-5887.… Continue reading

J D Equipment Inc. is proud to announce the Company exceeded its 2013 fundraising goal of $30,000. Representatives from the Company recently presented a check for $32,100 to the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James). J D Equipment donates a portion of each sale of new John Deere Select Series riding lawn mowers sold during the entire year to the Spielman Fund. Jeff Mitchell, J D Equipment’s CEO commented “We are excited to reach a new record in our donation to the Spielman Fund and are proud to report cumulative donations during the five years we have contributed are in excess of $119,000. ”

To learn more about J D Equipment’s community support and watch the donation total grow throughout the year, please visit www.jdequipment.com. For information about purchasing a John Deere riding lawn mower and contributing to the Spielman Fund, contact the store nearest you by calling London (614-879-6620), New Albany (614-475-0707), Hilliard (614-527-8800), Lancaster (740-653-6951), Marion (740-389-5458), Washington Court House (740-335-2071), Wilmington (937-486-5211), or Zanesville (740-450-7446).… Continue reading

USDA will offer soybean producers the opportunity to request a referendum on the Soybean Promotion and Research Order (Order), as authorized under the Soybean Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Act.

Soybean producers who are interested in having a referendum to determine whether to continue the Soybean Checkoff Program are invited to participate. To be eligible to participate, producers must certify and provide documentation that shows that they produced soybeans and paid an assessment on the soybeans during the period of Jan. 1, 2012, through Dec. 31, 2013.

Producers may obtain a form by mail, fax, or in person from FSA county offices starting on May 5, 2014 through May 30, 2014. Forms are also available on the AMS website. Producers who don’t participate in FSA programs can still request a referendum at the FSA county office where they own or rent land.

Completed forms and supporting documentation must be returned to the appropriate FSA county office by fax or in person no later than close of business May 30, 2014.… Continue reading

Class Purpose:

• Increase producer’s knowledge of carcass merit of the lambs they are producing
• Provide carcass data to producers to aid in sire evaluations
• Promote the high quality product being produced by the Ohio lamb industry
• Expand the number of lambs available for the Ohio State Fair Lamb Sale to support the needs of the Kroger Company
  • Provide a greater opportunity for producers to participate in Ohio State Fair sheep activities

Rules for participation:

• Open to any producer of market lambs – wethers and ewe lambs
• Entry Fee – $25/pen of 5 – Maximum of 5 entries per family
• All entries must have a number one pelt (approx. 90 days growth) with a fleece length of (one inch) 1” +/- ¼” (hair breeds will be allowed to show but no shearing will be allowed). Shearing of lambs prior to May 1, 2014 is highly recommended.
• Lambs will not be washed or trimmed.

Ohio Department of Agriculture Director David T. Daniels was presented the 2014 Distinguished Service Award by the Ohio-West Virginia Youth Leadership Association at the Statehouse during the 63^rd Ohio Youth in Government program. The award is presented annually to one who actively advances programs and opportunities for Ohio youth, and champions their accomplishments.

Daniels is a strong supporter of Jr. Livestock Exhibitions at county and independent fairs and the Ohio State Fair, which teach 4-H and FFA youth about responsible food animal production and leadership skills. Under Daniels’ leadership, the Ohio Department of Agriculture operates a program for college students to develop leadership skills and increase awareness of the Ohio Department of Agriculture as a career. Daniels has also formed a partnership with Ohio FFA on an Agricultural and Rural Community Outreach grant program, which helps local FFA chapters finance worthy community development projects. This partnership helps students fund community projects that teach them the value of giving back to their communities while gaining experience as agricultural leaders.… Continue reading

After seven years of negotiations, a free trade agreement (FTA) was struck between Australia and Japan.

Under the terms of the FTA, the 38.5% Japanese tariff currently levied on Australian beef will be halved to 19.5% over 18 years. The tariff currently applies to frozen beef. A tariff on chilled beef will be cut to 23.5% from 38.5% over 15 years.

In separate press releases issued by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), concerns about the impact this bilateral agreement between Japan and Australia will have on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade talks were expressed.

“NCBA is deeply concerned that the Bilateral Trade Agreement between Japan and Australia does not call for full tariff elimination,” said Bob McCan, NCBA president. “This bilateral agreement undermines the long-standing goals and principles that are the base of the TPP. This development only pushes the high-standing ideals of TPP further out of reach for all countries involved, and it is not a move that U.S.… Continue reading

Ohio Agriculture Director David T. Daniels honored Ohio Quality Wines as Director’s Choice recipients at an event held at the Statehouse for retailers, distributors, restaurateurs and winery owners.

More than 30 wines were evaluated by a panel of judges, on behalf of Director Daniels, for the highly coveted award. The 2014 award recipients are:

•White Wine (Tie): 2012 Firelands Barrel Select Chardonnay and 2012 Ferrante Signature Grand River Valley Riesling

• Red Wine (Tie): 2012 Valley Vineyards Cabernet Franc and 2012 Valley Vineyards Syrah

• Specialty Wine: 2012 Ferrante Vidal Blanc Ice Wine

All of the Director’s Choice award recipients are eligible for the Ohio Quality Wine designation. It was created in 2007 by the Ohio Grape Industries Committee and is assigned to wines made from at least 90 percent Ohio-grown grapes. These wines must also achieve at least 15 of 20 points on a sensory evaluation and pass a chemical analysis before receiving the quality seal.… Continue reading

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s April 9 World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates continued a series of recent reports that have offered corn and soybean producers a more optimistic grain-price outlook than what was expected for most of the winter, Purdue Extension agricultural economist Chris Hurt says.

Cash corn prices fell to near $4 a bushel during the fall and early winter months – a price well below the estimated $5 per bushel it cost farmers to produce the crop. Grain producers were afraid of just how low prices would fall and how long they would persist. Sustained low prices not only eat away at grower profits, but they also can lead to decreases in farmland values and cash rents.

“That fear was very real,” Hurt said. “But recently, both old- and new-crop corn futures have pierced the $5 mark on the heels of USDA reports showing better old-crop corn usage and reduced acreage for 2014 plantings”

Low corn prices drove winter corn use higher than originally anticipated, causing the USDA to increase export estimates by 125 million bushels in the April 9 WASDE report.… Continue reading

Convenient utility box, located on the front of the tractor, stores larger tools, tow chains, parts and other supplies.

Finding room in a tractor cab for tools, parts, and other items needed while in the field, has always been an issue with operators.  Small toolboxes have been supplied and located on different areas of the tractor, but the storage space has been limited.  Now, John Deere has found a convenient solution with a new Tractor Utility Box.

“We’ve increased the storage capacity of this new Tractor Utility Box,” says Phil Lauer, marketing manager, John Deere. “And, it is designed with a special front weight mount kit to be attached easily on the front weight support of the tractor. This will mount to as few as 4 weights up to a full rack.”

The new Tractor Utility Box is the first to use a patent-pending weight mount system that bolts on in minutes.… Continue reading