Featured News

By Doug Tenney, Leist Mercantile

Last month, I strung together a series of early morning cycling rides near my home in Fairfield County. I experienced fantastic sunrises with scenes I had never experienced before. Cycling for decades, and again last month, has given me the opportunity to see things I likely would never see while driving my truck. I have always been thrilled to see barns, or even newer pole barns, with a cupola adorning the roofline; it’s just something you don’t see that often. One morning, I even noticed a hay hook at the very end of the building, perhaps to be a bit different, just like the ones used 80-plus years ago. I’ve cycled past that barn dozens of times, never seeing that hay hook earlier. It just goes to show that there is something new to see when we look and pay attention. What new things will you observe in the coming months wherever you go?… Continue reading

By Dan Armitage

Ohio has a new state record sunfish on the books. A farm pond in Ohio’s most northwestern county has just produced a new state record green sunfish. The species was confirmed to be a green sunfish by fisheries biologist Brad Agler from the Ohio Division of Wildlife District 2, St. Joseph River Fish Unit.

Weighing 1.35 pounds, the record sunfish was caught by Jaret Stevens of Pioneer on May 18 from a pond in Williams County.  The fish measured 11.45 in. long and 10.82 in. girth and was landed with a spinning rod spooled with six-pound test monofilament and baited with a red worm.

Steven‘s catch replaces the previous state record green sunfish which was caught from a Richland County farm pond by SueAnn Newswanger of Shiloh, Ohio on May 13, 2018, weighing 1.2 pounds and measuring 11.0 inches long.  Ohio’s record fish are determined on the basis of weight only and are certified by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio State Record Fish Committee with assistance from fishery biologists with the Ohio Division of Wildlife.… Continue reading

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) and the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association (OSIA) today celebrated the inaugural Buckeye Baa-ttle at the Ohio State Fair, where legislators, cabinet members, and media representatives joined Ohio’s talented 4-H and FFA sheep exhibitors in the show ring.

Following an evening of friendly competition, State Representative Haraz Ghanbari (R‑Perrysburg)was named Grand Champion, while Kevin Miller, Director of Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, earned Reserve Champion.

“Our 4-H and FFA exhibitors are some of the best ambassadors for Ohio agriculture,” said ODA Director Brian Baldridge. “The Buckeye Baa-ttle gave them the opportunity to share their knowledge with Ohio’s leaders while showcasing the dedication, responsibility and hard work that goes into raising livestock. That’s what the Ohio State Fair is all about.”

The Buckeye Baa-ttle paired each participant with an experienced 4-H or FFA sheep exhibitor who served as their coach and mentor throughout the competition. Together, they demonstrated the teamwork, communication, and animal care skills required to successfully exhibit livestock.… Continue reading

Grand Champion and Reserve Champion cheesemakers were selected on Thursday, July 23 at the 2026 Ohio State Fair Cheese Contest held at Miceli Dairy Products in Cleveland.

The American Dairy Association Mideast, which coordinated the event, is pleased to announce that Pearl Valley Cheese of Fresno received the Grand Champion award for its Swiss cheese. As is tradition in the Ohio State Fair Cheese Contest, the Grand Champion Cheese is selected from entries in the Swiss class. Following that selection, judges choose the Reserve Champion Cheese from among the first-place winners in all contest classes, recognizing the competition’s overall outstanding cheese. This year’s Reserve Champion award was presented to Urban Stead Cheese of Cincinnati for its Nati Gouda.

Winners of the contest by classification are as follows:

Swiss Class:

First Place      Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno

Second Place Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno

Other Swiss Class:

First Place      Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno – Baby Swiss

Second Place Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno – Lacey Baby 

Mild Cheddar Class:

First Place      Snowville Creamery, Pomeroy 

Second Place Middlefield Original Cheese, Middlefield

Third Place      Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati

Aged Cheddar Class:

First Place      Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati

Second Place Middlefield Original Cheese, Middlefield

Surface Mold Bloomy Class:           

First Place      Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati – Misty River Camembert

Second Place Black Radish Creamery, Granville – Bankston 

Third Place      Marchant Manor Cheese, Cleveland – Lapworth Peppercorn

Bacteria Ripened Class:

First Place      Black Radish Creamery, Granville – Pious

Second Place Black Radish Creamery, Granville – Raclette

Third Place      Marchant Manor Cheese, Cleveland – High Heaven Triple Cream

Spreadable Class:

First Place      Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati – Pineapple Jalapeno Quark

Second Place Miceli Dairy Products, Cleveland – Impasta

Third PlaceBlue Jacket Dairy, Bellefontaine – Quark

Cheese Curd Class:

First Place      Blue Jacket Dairy, Bellefontaine – Garlic

Second Place Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati – Plain

Third Place      Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Mixed

Open Class – Traditional:

First Place      Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Co-Jack

Second Place Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno – Colby

Third Place      Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno – Marbled

Open Class – Flavored:

First Place      Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Colby Bacon

Second Place Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Garlic Dill

Third Place      Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Garlic Chive

Open Class – Spicy:

First Place      Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Horseradish

Second Place Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Pepper Jack

Third Place      Biery Cheese Co.,… Continue reading

By Dusty Sonnenberg, CCA, Field Leader, a project of the Ohio Soybean Council and Soybean Checkoff

When farmers scout soybean fields for diseases, the use of fungicides is a common tool for disease management; however, there are some diseases that are not a true fungus, so a fungicide will not be effective at controlling them. The Field Leader had the opportunity to visit with Horacio Lopez-Nicora, PhD, Soybean Pathologist and Nematologist at The Ohio State University.  He shared the difference between some of the common diseases we deal with and those that are not a true fungus, as well as some thoughts on managing these plant stressors.

Field Leader: As we go through the growing season, what are some of the plant diseases you have been seeing or getting reports about that have your attention?

Lopez-Nicora: The oomycetes are water mold pathogens. They look like fungus. They grow like fungus. But they are not true fungi.… Continue reading

The grand champion of the 2026 Ohio State Fair is Carson Nahrup with his Grand Champion Hampshire , while the reserve grand champion is Peyton Courtright with her Grand Champion black-face cross.

The judge, Wade Franklin of Texas, sorted 553 head of market lambs on July 29.

Grand Champion Market Lamb: Carson Nahrup, Warren County with the champion Hampshire.

Reserve Grand Champion Market Lamb: Peyton Courtright, Fairfield County, with the champion black-face cross

Third Overall: Carson Nahrup, Warren County, with the reserve champion black-face cross

Fourth overall: Addy Dunlap, Warren County, with the champion white-face cross

Fifth overall: Delaney Dudte, Wayne County, with the champion Oxford

Sixth overall: Carson Nahrup, Warren County, with the champion natural

Seventh overall: Brynlee Bollinger, Wayne County, with the reserve champion Oxford

Eighth overall: Betsy Youngpeter, Allen County, champion Shropshire

Ninth overall: Callie Hoppes, Marion County, reserve champion white-face cross

Tenth overall: Carson Nahrup, Warren County, reserve champion Hampshire

Breed Champion Results

Hampshire:
Grand: Carson Nahrup – Warren County
Reserve: Carson Nahrup – Warren County

Shropshire:
Grand: Betsy Youngpeter – Allen County
Reserve: Payton Prince – Champaign County

Southdown:
Grand: Zayden Wooten – Mahoning County
Reserve: Cameron Prince – Champaign County

Dorset:
Grand: Harper Horning – Crawford County
Reserve: Brynn Shearer – Wayne County

Oxford:
Grand: Delaney Dudte – Wayne County
Reserve: Brynlee Bolinger – Wayne County

AOB:
Grand: Delaney Dudte – Wayne County
Reserve: Gavin Richards – Wood County

White-face Cross:
Grand: Addy Dunlap – Warren County
Reserve: Callie Hoppes – Marion County

Natural:
Grand: Carson Nahrup – Warren County
Reserve: Carson Nahrup – Warren County

Crossbred:
Grand: Peyton Courtright – Fairfield County
Reserve: Carson Nahrup – Warren County

By Greg LaBarge, Ohio State University

When considering cover crops in a row-crop system, it is important to first identify the goals you want to achieve on your farm. The decision to adopt cover crops should be driven by desired outcomes rather than simply the availability of a cost-share program. Potential goals include scavenging residual nitrogen following a corn crop or manure application, reducing soil erosion by keeping topsoil in place, lowering nitrogen fertilizer needs for a future corn crop, and suppressing troublesome weeds. While the economic value of these benefits can be difficult to quantify, they provide a stronger long-term justification for cover crop adoption than cost-share payments alone and help guide the management decisions necessary for success.

Ohio growers have a wide range of cover crop options, with at least 32 species that can be successfully planted. However, not all species perform equally well at meeting goals such as nitrogen scavenging, erosion control, nitrogen fixation, or weed suppression.… Continue reading

By Allison Kinney, Ohio Ag Net

The farming economy rarely offers producers much breathing room. With grain prices under pressure and input costs remaining high, many farmers are searching for ways to trim expenses without sacrificing productivity. For Fred Yoder, a farmer in the Plain City area, no-till and cover crops have become an important part of the equation.

Yoder, who has farmed for more than 50 years, does so now alongside his son, Josh, where they raise corn, wheat, and soybeans using 100% no-till practices. The family has no-tilled for the past 20 years and incorporated cover crops into its operation for the last 15 years. A combination that Yoder credits with improving both his soil health and farm profitability.

“Our farm is the most productive it’s ever been, but it’s because we’ve incorporated some regenerative ideas into our farming practices,” Yoder said.

In Yoder’s experience, he has seen dollars per acre benefit from using no-till practices with a cover crop rotation.… Continue reading

Seed Genetics Direct has announced the winners of its 2026 Wheat Yield Contest, recognizing growers who achieved outstanding wheat yields and test weights.

James Jacobs, Sales Manager for Seed Genetics Direct, said the contest continues to highlight the strong performance of AGI wheat genetics across a variety of growing conditions.

“Seed Genetics Direct is proud to carry the AGI brand, which gives us access to the top wheat breeding programs and their highest-yielding wheat varieties,” Jacobs said. “Our wheat sales increased approximately 85% last year, and with our continued performance and industry changes, we anticipate a 100% increase in fall 2026 wheat sales.”

The 2026 Wheat Yield Contest winners are:

First Place
Delmar Weiler of East Earl, Pennsylvania, earned first place with a yield of 141.1 bushels per acreusing AGI 244B. As the contest winner, Weiler will receive a $2,500 seed credit from Seed Genetics Direct and a $2,500 herbicide and fungicide credit from Herbicides Direct.… Continue reading

By Brianna Smith

Modern farm equipment records an incredible amount of information every time it enters the field. Yield monitors, planter sensors, and other precision agriculture technologies continuously generate data, yet much of that information goes unused.

James Uphaus, Ph.D., instructor of agronomy and digital agriculture at Rhodes State College, believes this data holds tremendous potential to help farmers better understand field variability, improve soil health, and make more informed management decisions. During a presentation at the 2026 Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference this past spring, Uphaus shared how farmers can leverage existing digital resources and on-farm data to benchmark soil health and identify opportunities hidden within their fields.

Q: Why is understanding field variation important when evaluating soil health?

A: “Variation is critical because if you have no variation, you really have no opportunity to learn. If every acre in a field yields exactly the same, you don’t know where you can improve.… Continue reading

If you made memories at the Ohio State Fair anytime within the last 50 years, the 50-Year Club has a seat waiting for you!

The Ohio State Fair 50-Year Club will gather for its annual celebration on Tuesday, August 4, at 10:00 a.m., bringing together generations of fairgoers who share a love for one of Ohio’s most treasured traditions. The event this year will be in the new Ohio Showcase Building on the Ohio State Fairgrounds

The morning will be filled with friendship, nostalgia, and entertainment as members reconnect and celebrate the fair’s rich history. Attendees will enjoy performances by the talented Ohio State Fair Youth Choir and Band, showcasing the energy and spirit of Ohio’s next generation. A special highlight of the celebration will be the presentation of the Giant Step Award to Roy Pollard. For more than 30 years, Roy has been a familiar and friendly face at the fair, serving as a shuttle conductor while helping thousands of visitors enjoy their fair experience.… Continue reading

Warm, mostly favorable weather allowed Ohio farmers to make steady progress in the field last week, with crop development continuing near or slightly ahead of historical averages. Corn and soybean conditions remained generally positive despite declining soil moisture, while winter wheat harvest is essentially complete across the state. USDA reports there were 5.7 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending July 26.

Corn silking has reached 63%, ahead of last week’s 42%, and on trend with the 63% five-year average. Corn reaching the dough stage is at 13%, trending right along with the 13% average. Ohio corn condition was rated 62% good to excellent, with 49% good and 13% excellent.

Soybean blooming reached 70%, ahead of 55% last week, and just below the 71% average. Soybean pod setting has reached 33%, ahead of last week’s 18% but barely behind the 34% five-year average. Ohio soybean condition was rated 57% good to excellent, with 49% good and 8% excellent.… Continue reading