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By Mary Griffith, Amanda Douridas, Mike Estadt, Will Hamman, Ohio State University Extension

The next session of CORN Live is this Thursday, June 24^th from 8:00 – 9:00 am. This week’s webinar will touch on a variety of issues, starting with a crop progress report and field updates from Jason Hartschuh, Extension Educator in Crawford County, and a review of weed management in soybeans with Mark Loux, Professor and Extension Specialist in Weed Science at OSU.

In many parts of Ohio, wind or rain have reduced spray days allowing weeds to grow to a size that is tougher to control. Loux will be available to answer questions about adjustments to weed control programs.

Brad Moffitt, Director of Market Development and Membership at Ohio Corn and Wheat, and John Hoffman, Pickaway County farmer, will also be online to review this year’s growing season for wheat and talk about getting started with wheat harvest.… Continue reading

This country’s built on hard work, heart and sacrifice.

Today let us remember those who paid that price.

Have a safe Memorial Day. God bless America and our servicemen and women.

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Black Swamp Conservancy is inviting the public to a drive-in screening of two films that explore our relationship with the land: Farmscape Ecology and Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry. The program will take place on Thursday, June 17, at the Field of Dreams Drive-In Theater, Liberty Center. Gates will open at 8:30 pm; movies begin at dusk. Concessions will be available for purchase. The screening is free and open to the public. Donations to Black Swamp Conservancy are appreciated and can be made via the Conservancy’s website.

For more information about this event, visit Black Swamp Conservancy’s website at www.blackswamp.org or call (419) 833-1025.

Farmscape Ecology explores the interface between farming and wild nature. Farming is ever-evolving. Today, when we think about what is to come next for farmers, a key question is, “How do we produce food and maintain a livelihood for farmers while respecting the needs of other organisms with which we share the land?”… Continue reading

May 28, 2021 -- . We see temps make another leg down behind this front, and we will be well below normal for this weekend. That likely is a bigger story than rain, at this point...

By Doug Tenney, Leist Mercantile

Planting progress across Ohio during April and into mid-May was extremely varied. In nearly the blink of an eye, dust, not rain showers, were flying across the landscape. It is now full press on to finish planting corn and soybeans as soon as possible. 

Volatility 

Grain producers and traders alike were sharply reminded as volatility was rampant the second week of May. It announced, “It is here to stay.” Already at mid-May, corn had been down the 40-cent daily limit and soybeans down 78 cents. The May 12 Supply and Demand Report was viewed as a neutral report. Traders, however, were disappointed both corn and soybean ending stocks for crop year 2021 were not lower based on strong demand currently seen for both commodities.

USDA estimated corn ending stocks for 2021-2022 would be 1.507 billion bushels and compare to trade estimates of 1.344 billion bushels. Trader disappointment was noted when U.S.… Continue reading

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April 13, 2021 -- We should end up with markedly more sunshine today than yesterday, and temps will hold on to near normal levels. We still are looking at a dramatic turn to cold air to finish the week, though...

No significant change in thoughts this morning. We will be a little damp today, and shift into a wetter pattern tomorrow for the next week to 10 days. Today will feature plenty of clouds and scattered showers will be around for a large part of the day. However, moisture does not look that impressive, and will be limited to mostly a few hundredths to .15″ over 80% of Ohio. Rain chances diminish after sunset.

Tomorrow, rain arrives in SW Ohio by midday and then spreads through the rest of the state through evening, overnight and finally ends early Friday afternoon. Rain totals will end up in a range from .25″-1.” with coverage at 100%. The biggest rains will come overnight into early Friday morning. The map below shows updated thoughts on our rain tomorrow and Friday. We should see clouds break up later Friday afternoon and clearing to try and move in overnight.… Continue reading

On February 17th, 2021, the Northwestern FFA Chapter held their annual Greenhand/Chapter Ceremony. The purpose of this ceremony is to award 1st and 2nd year members for all their hard work in the program. There were many members of our chapter that received their Greenhand Degree. This is a degree given to first-year students who have demonstrated that they have a thorough understanding of the history and purpose of FFA and they have an SAE plan. Members also are required to recite the FFA creed. The members who received this degree were, Darren Basista, Issac Beun, Jozielynn Brenner, Brooklyn Brinker, Jonathan Burgess, Owen Cassidy, Kayla Cutter, Mateo Dague, Morgan Ervin, Owen Ferriman, Bladen Friend, Nathaniel Fulton, Logan Garman, Jamison Gilbert, Mallory Gilbert, Caeden Graham, Aaron Hales, Will Hamey, Elle Hanshaw, Kelly Harper, Keegan Johns, Brianna Lance, Anthony Linscott, Austin Mooney, Avery Mullet, Mason Myers, Joshua Pinkley, Carson Polak, Denny Ray, Alexa Riffel, Ella Saal, Caydence Scale, Ethan Schwartz, Andrew Sims, Miranda Smith, Chloe Starcher, Thomas Stawicki, Brook Stinemetz, Easton Thomas, Emily Thompson, Mariah Thompson, Alysa Troyan, Anthony Welch, Mary Wellert, Gavin Witucki, Taylor Wurst, and Madalyn Yasch.… Continue reading

Ohio Farm Bureau’s Young Agricultural Professionals program has awarded $500 grants to eight local YAP groups and two Collegiate Farm Bureau groups.

The grants are courtesy of Farm Credit Mid-America and fund YAP-focused educational programming or events. Winning groups were acknowledged at the 2021 Young Agricultural Professionals Winter Leadership Virtual Experience in January. Here is a list of the recipients and their programming.

Ashland, Wayne and Medina YAP 

This group plans to host its annual Ag Toy Drive in December. Members come together to donate an agriculture-themed toy or donate cash that will be donated to that county’s Toys for Tots program. Sponsors are invited to donate toys or cash as well. Last year, over $7,500 was donated in toys. 

Ashtabula County YAP

In the upcoming professional development series, Building the Future, YAP members will be creating events and programs where participants will be meeting other young professionals, industry professionals and community leaders.… Continue reading

By Leisa Boley Hellwarth, a dairy farmer and attorney near Celina

It’s always about the money. Always.

         Here’s a current example. In March of 2018, Dean Foods notified over 100 dairy farmers across 8 states that they were terminating their contracts, effective end of May, 2018. Dean Foods blamed an oversupply of raw milk, a decrease in fluid milk consumption and Walmart’s new 250,000-square-foot milk processing facility in Indiana. Sadly, some of these dairy farms went out of business when they were unable to locate a new processor.

         In what seemed like karma, Dean Foods filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 on Nov. 12, 2019. When they sought bankruptcy protection, Dean Foods was the largest milk processor in the US. Dean Foods explained they intended to use the Chapter 11 proceedings to keep running the business and address debt and unfunded debt obligations as it sought to sell the company.… Continue reading

December 10, 2020 -- The forecast stays mostly the same, although we are decreasing precipitation totals from this weekend's event just a bit this morning...

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) believes Congress should approve a COVID relief package before the end of the year, in a shift from previous comments that a measure wasn’t likely until early next year.

For weeks, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have been negotiating a possible compromise between the White House’s $1.9 trillion and the Democrats’ $2.2 trillion proposals, but they remain at an impasse.

U.S. hog farmers are facing billions in collective pandemic-related losses and NPPC continues to press for a COVID relief package that includes assistance for U.S. pork producers.

“The impact is being felt by farms, big and small, across the country,” said Gene Nemechek, North Carolina Pork Council Interim CEO. “Many farms are losing money, and others are being forced to close altogether. That’s why it is critical that Congress quickly move forward with a COVID-19 relief package that includes specific relief for our nation’s livestock farmers.”… Continue reading

The Miami Valley Career Technology Center (MVCTC) FFA Chapter has a primary goal to follow the National FFA Mission.  The miss is to make a positive difference in students’ lives by developing their potential for career success through agricultural education and Career Development Events (CDE). 

Animal Behavior & Animal Welfare CDE ensures an educated public and helps prepare students to enter industry careers. The purpose of the Animal Behavior & Welfare CDE is to stimulate student interest and promote education in understanding animals’ evolutionary biology, their biological needs, indicators of differing levels of welfare, and holistically evaluating different facilities, husbandry and management. Also, this CDE will provide recognition for those who have demonstrated skills and competencies due to animal behavior & welfare instruction. This contest is aligned with the Agriculture and Environmental Systems Career Field Pathways for Animal Science and Management. … Continue reading

October 21, 2020 -- Scattered showers today will be mostly north of a line from Youngstown to Dayton. In that area, we can see rain totals of a few hundredths to half an inch, with coverage at 60%. south of that line, expect clouds and some sun, but no new moisture today...