Featured News

By Jon Scheve, Superior Feed Ingredients, LLC 

One of the biggest reports of the year was just published and it provides the first look at supply and demand for the 2023 crop. Usually, there are few surprises in this report because the trade is already using the acreage number from the March 31 report and the trendline yield estimate from the February Outlook Forum. In the last 10 years, the yield number was only changed twice on the May USDA report from the February numbers.

The USDA’s usage estimates are generally predictable. They tend to use a slightly higher number than the average of the last 5 years of usage in feed, ethanol, and exports. It seems this was done again for 2023. But, are these numbers attainable?

Acreage

There were concerns that persistent snow in North Dakota would delay a lot of corn planting past the May 25 planting deadline in the state.… Continue reading

March exports of U.S. pork were the largest since May 2021, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). While below last year’s high volume, March beef exports were the largest since October.

Mexico is the pacesetter, but pork exports strengthen in several regions

March pork exports totaled 260,195 metric tons (mt), up 17% year-over-year and the ninth largest volume on record. Export value was also ninth largest at $724 million, up 18% from a year ago. These results capped a strong first quarter for U.S. pork as exports reached 716,691 mt, up 14% from a year ago, valued at $1.96 billion (up 15%).

For Mexico, March pork exports were the second largest on record, while shipments to the Dominican Republic and Malaysia were record-large. Exports also increased to South Korea, Japan, China/Hong Kong, the Philippines, Australia and Taiwan.

“It’s great to see U.S.… Continue reading

By Matt Reese

Greg Peterson, better known to many as Machinery Pete, spent the last 33 years logging and studying farm equipment auction prices around the country. With the highest-ever values for used equipment holding strong in current markets, Peterson has advice for both buyers and sellers of farm equipment in the months ahead.

Sometimes, specific auction items sell higher than expected simply because of the reputation of the person selling them.

“One thing I’ve loved about reporting on the auction space all these years is the chatter aspect. Really, to me, all that matters is what it brings when the gavel falls, but when you go out to an auction and people are saying things, that chatter is valid,” Peterson said. “I see that in the classic case of a very highly respected farmer having a retirement sale who helped their neighbors for years. They’re just good neighbors, good farmers like we see throughout Ohio Minnesota, everywhere.… Continue reading

Farmers took advantage of last week’s midweek sunny spell to make considerable headway in planting, according to the USDA NASS, Great Lakes Regional Field Office. Precipitation limited fieldwork early last week, but several subsequent days of above average temperatures and clear skies facilitated excellent evaporation until a second round of late-week storms. Topsoil moisture conditions were rated 1% very short, 5 percent short, 68 percent adequate, and 26% surplus. Statewide, the average temperature for the week ending on May 14 was 63.0 degrees, 4.0 degrees above normal. Weather stations recorded an average of 0.84 inches of precipitation, 0.05 inches above average. There were 3.7 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending May 14.

Oat progress reached 85% planted and 65% emerged. Winter wheat advanced to 89% jointed and 11 percent headed. Winter Wheat crop condition was rated 71% good to excellent, up from the previous week. Corn and soybean planting progress pushed forward to 265 and 28% planted, respectively.… Continue reading

We know you’re always on the go and staying informed in this hectic world is important to stay competitive. Now, that’s easier than ever before!

NEW from the Ohio Ag Net – get the latest farm news, weather, and market reports delivered directly to your phone. Keep on the move while our team of broadcasters works to bring you the information you need to stay ahead of the field!

By signing up at the form below, or at www.ocj.com/text, you’ll get the voice you know with the news you trust texted to you each weekday at 11 a.m. ET. Sign up is fast, simple, and free!

A great listen for those planting, get ready for an information-packed episode of the Ohio Ag Net Podcast, hosted by Matt Reese and Dusty Sonnenberg. This week, they dive into the critical topic of navigating financial challenges in agriculture in 2023, as they engage in a compelling conversation with Larry Davis from Ag Resource Management. Join them as they uncover valuable advice and insights to help farmers navigate the ever-evolving financial landscape and make informed decisions for a prosperous future.

But that’s not all—Dale Minyo visits with Dale Everman from Homan Inc. to discuss the efficient use of nutrients and the vital topic of manure management, equipment advantages, and the latest farm building trends.

Joel Penhorwood then shifts gears and connects with Cindy Layman to explore the exciting world of GrowNextGen Virtual Field Trips. Delve into the immersive experiences offered by these virtual trips, designed to ignite curiosity and promote agricultural understanding among students and educators alike.… Continue reading

Hocking County Historical Society, Logan, Ohio, is holding an online auction of historic barn paintings to benefit 10 historical societies throughout Ohio, including those in the following counties: Shelby, Champaign, Fulton, Stark, Portage, Ashland, Summit, Wood, Ross, and Hocking. Each historical society currently displays 7 to 8 of the paintings. The paintings, oil impasto, are done on a Masonite panel and framed in rustic barn siding, made by the artist and author, Robert Kroeger. The barn paintings and their stories are featured in the recently released book, Round Barns of America, available in bookstores and through online retailers. The auction is on biddingowl.com and under the Hocking County Historical Society. It begins on May 1 and ends on May 31.

The 72 paintings feature 11 round barns in Ohio, including Stark County’s Timken barn and Lancaster’s round barn in the county fairgrounds as well as the oldest documented round barn, built by President George Washington in 1794.… Continue reading

By Greg LaBarge, Ohio State University Extension Field Specialist

The best way to take a nitrogen credit from fall manure applications is with a Pre-sidedress Nitrogen Test (PSNT) soil test. The two primary nitrogen types applied with manure are ammonium and organic N. The ammonium portion is not soil stable, and a portion is lost after application. How significant that loss is depends upon soil temperatures and precipitation. For example, we can expect more fall-applied manure ammonium for the following corn in November compared to a September application. Organic N is soil stable. We expect about a third of the organic N to mineralize and supply N to the corn crop. Given all the variables impacting N applied with fall manure, a PSNT test is helpful to determine a final sidedress nitrogen rate.

The savings can be significant. For example, in 2021 and 2022, Glen Arnold and I used the PSNT on incorporated fall-applied swine manure with two rates of 5,000 and 8,000 gallons per acre at Northwest Ag Research Station.… Continue reading

If you’ve ever wanted to try out a zero-turn mower, or test drive a tractor, now’s your chance with Apple Farm Service’s Ride N Drive event. Apple Farm Service is excited to announce the upcoming event for Saturday, May 20, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Dayton.

Visitors can mow the fairgrounds with a new zero-turn mower, drive around in a new compact tractor, and try out a handful of attachments. Five brands of equipment will be available with sizes and models for small to large yards.

“We love putting these Ride N Drives on,” said Kent Holmes, marketing manager for Apple Farm Service. “It’s the perfect opportunity for you to find out first hand if you like a certain model, type of machine, or if you are ready to switch to a zero-turn or lawn tractor. There are absolutely no strings attached and the event is completely free, so bring your entire family!”… Continue reading

By Stephanie Karhoff, Ohio State University Extension Field Specialist
Early season scouting sets the stage for a successful crop but determining the culprit(s) behind stand losses can be difficult. Cool temperatures, planting issues, soil crusting, seed, and seedling disease, herbicide damage, and insect injury can all cause delayed emergence and thin stands. The key is to scout early and identify the issue before replanting or making other management decisions.

When scouting fields, first ask yourself if the problem is occurring in a pattern or scattered randomly through the field. For example, do thin stands correspond to low-lying or poorly drained areas? This may indicate flooding injury or damping off from fungal-like pathogens like Pythium and Phytophthora spp. that thrive in wet conditions. Next, consider recent weather and soil conditions. A heavy rainfall event followed by a warm, dry period can cause soil crusting, reducing stands and plant vigor. Next, assess individual plants throughout the entire field.… Continue reading

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By Dean Kreager, OSU Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Licking County

By now hay feeding is complete and animals are enjoying the green grass instead of trying to find a way to get to the other side of the fence. How much damage was done in the areas hay was being fed this winter?

Pugging is the damage to sod created by animals’ hooves. Studies have shown that pugging damage can reduce forage productivity by up to 80% or more in severely damaged areas. For those who like to be scientific, there is a published system of scoring the damage based on Australian research and described by the University of Kentucky. A chart is available online. With that system, you can look at the percent of damage within one square foot along with the depth of the damage from zero to over 4 inches. These measurements should be repeated in several locations to find an average.… Continue reading

By Doug Tenney, Leist Mercantile

U.S. highlights: U.S. corn exports down 75 million bushels, U.S. corn ending stocks up 75 million bushels. U.S. soybean exports unchanged, crush unchanged, soybean ending stocks up 5 million bushels.

World highlights: Brazil soybean production 155 million tons, last month was 154 million tons. Brazil corn production 130 million tons, last month was 125 million tons. Argentina soybean production 27 million tons, last month was 27 million tons. Argentina corn production 37 million tons, last month was 37 million tons. USDA today projected China would be importing 98 million tons of soybeans during the current marketing year from September to August. Last month was 96 million tons. 

Following the noon USDA report release, corn was down 4 cents, soybeans up 1 cent, and wheat  up 18 cents. Prior to the report, corn was down 3 cents, soybeans down 4 cents, and wheat up 8 cents.

U.S. 2022-2023 ending stocks: corn 1.417 billion bushels, last month 1.342 billion bushels; soybeans 215 million bushels, last month 210 million bushels; and wheat 598 million bushels, last month 598 million bushels. … Continue reading

By Matt Reese

The long-awaited ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on California’s Proposition 12 animal confinement law was not in favor of the arguments made by the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and the American Farm Bureau Federation.

“We are very disappointed with the Supreme Court’s opinion,” said Scott Hays, NPPC president, and Missouri pork producer. “Allowing state overreach will increase prices for consumers and drive small farms out of business, leading to more consolidation. We are still evaluating the Court’s full opinion to understand all the implications. NPPC will continue to fight for our nation’s pork farmers and American families against misguided regulations.” 

The May 11 decision by the court was 5-4 with dissention from Justices Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, and Ketanji Brown Jackson and Chief Justice John Roberts.

“Companies that choose to sell products in various states must normally comply with the laws of those various states,” wrote Justice Neil Gorsuch in the court ruling.… Continue reading

By James Hoorman, Hoorman Soil Health Services

As the planting season progresses, many cover crops and weeds continue to grow. Letting cover crops grow may reduce soil moisture, improve soil structure, reduce dust storms, and add soil carbon.  Crop rollers naturally kill cover crops by mechanically terminating (crimping) them.  Crimpers are used to kill grass cover crops (cereal rye, oats, barley, whet, millets, sorghum species), vetches (hairy, common), annual clovers (crimson and balansa), brassicas (kale, rape), buckwheat, sunflowers, and multi-species cover crops. Crimpers do not work well with perennial cover crops like red clover, alfalfa, or annual ryegrass.  Best results when the heads or flowers are in the “boot” or head stage, when mechanically crushing cover crop stems kills them.

Crimping advantages include suppression of weeds by forming a natural mulch, reduced summer soil temperatures, it conserves soil moisture, decreases soil erosion, adds organic matter, and reduces blowing soil.  Crimping cover crops works well on corn and soybeans but not on small seeded crops like hay.… Continue reading

Backyard lovers, campers, outdoors enthusiasts, and pet owners beware. If you thought last year’s tick season was bad, just wait. This year has the potential to be even worse.

Ticks—and the diseases they carry—are on the rise in Ohio and will likely continue to increase. There has been a steady increase in tick-vectored disease numbers in Ohio each year, and officials don’t expect to see a reverse of the trend, said Tim McDermott, an educator with Ohio State University Extension, the outreach arm of The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).

“While you can encounter a tick during any season, spring marks the beginning of heavy tick season, and this year, the tick population statewide is expected to continue to rise,” he said. 

McDermott said there are multiple factors contributing to the increase in tick-vectored disease, including global climate change, tick range expansion, and increasing numbers of wildlife living in close proximity to people. … Continue reading

By Joel Penhorwood and Matt Reese

Ohio continues to face concerns regarding high path avian influenza (HPAI) after dealing with some devastating losses last year in the state’s poultry industry. 

The virus is still causing problems around the country with 15 states dealing with HPAI issues in February and March in commercial and backyard poultry flocks. Pennsylvania has been the worst hit with over 75,000 birds affected in late February and early March, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. This winter, though, Ohio has been in the clear in terms of commercial and backyard poultry flocks after facing some tough situations last summer and fall. A wild, deceased bald eagle was found in Clermont County with HPAI in Clairmont County in November of 2022 and some additional wild waterfowl tested positive in Lake County in March.

While they were challenging, Ohio’s HPAI issues with poultry last year did serve as examples in the event of the future arrival of HPAI or other foreign animal diseases in the future.… Continue reading

Each year, the Ohio Agricultural Council offers up to three $1,500 scholarships annually to Ohio high school seniors who plan to pursue a degree in agriculture and up to three $1,500 scholarships to undergraduate college students from Ohio who are currently pursuing a degree in agriculture. 

The OAC is pleased to announce the 2023-24 recipients of the Scholarship Program. 

Haven Hileman is a junior at The Ohio State University. She is the daughter of Ed and Robin Hileman. Through involvement with organizations like 4-H, FFA, and Farm Bureau, Haven has discovered a love for advocating and educating others about the agriculture industry. Haven is majoring in Animal Sciences at OSU and, upon graduation, plans to become an agricultural education teacher and raise livestock on her family farm. 

Lauren Mellott grew up on a small grain farm in Butler, Ohio, where she learned the importance of the agricultural industry and found her passion for providing education about and advocating for the industry that provides the world with food, fuel, and fiber.… Continue reading