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The Ohio Soybean Association released a statement Sept. 25 expressing concern in the Trump administration’s decision to supply aid to Argentina following a move by the Argentine government to export more soybeans to China.

The association issued the following statement:

“Earlier this week, the Argentine government announced it would waive taxes on its soybean exports, resulting in a purchase of 35 vessels of soybeans by China. Yesterday, the U.S. government announced it will extend a $20 billion aid package to the Argentine government and potentially make a purchase of the country’s foreign bonds. The timing of this news is particularly troubling as farmers begin to harvest a crop that may have nowhere to go. In response, Ohio Soybean Association President and Williams County soybean farmer Rusty Goebel issued the following statement:

‘It’s hard for Ohio soybean famers to swallow that just a day after Argentina maneuvered to supplant our market share in China, the Trump Administration announced it will send taxpayer money to Argentina to prop up its failing economy.… Continue reading

The 2025 Farm Science Review has come to a close, and what a memorable week it was. Highlights included Monday’s vendor luncheon, Tuesday’s kickoff breakfast, and the Ice Cream Social celebrating Dale Minyo’s upcoming retirement. On Wednesday, AgRevolution surprised Dale with a cake during his remote broadcast, adding to the festivities.

Throughout the show, our team was on the ground — from the Gwynne Conservation Area to the demonstration fields — capturing interviews, covering events, and sharing the stories of exhibitors and attendees. Visitors even had fun trying out their best Dale Minyo impressions.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at this year’s Farm Science Review. We’re grateful to have shared it with you!

… Continue reading

New details about the United States and European Union trade agreement have been released in a joint statement, titled, “Framework on an Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade.”

In late July, the United States and the EU reached a trade deal, where President Donald Trump announced a 15% tariff on all European Union goods, instead of the 30% sweeping rate.

Within the framework, the European Union states they will eliminate tariffs on all U.S. industrials goods and provide preferential market access for U.S. agricultural products, including tree nuts, dairy products, fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, processed foods, planting seeds, soybean oil, and pork and bison meat.

The EU will also provide preferential market access for U.S. seafood, including lobster.  

According to a fact sheet from the White House, “This colossal deal will enable U.S. farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and manufacturers to increase U.S. exports, expand business opportunities, and help reduce the goods trade deficit with the European Union. … Continue reading

NOAA and its research partners are forecasting a mild to moderate harmful algal bloom (HAB) in western Lake Erie this summer. This year’s bloom is expected to measure 3 on the HAB severity index, with a potential range of 2–4. This is in line with predictions for the last five years.

The HAB severity index is based on the bloom’s biomass (the amount of algae) during the peak 30 days of the bloom. Moderate blooms have an index of 3–5, while an index above 5 indicates more severe HABs. Blooms over 7 are particularly severe, with extensive scum formation and bloom coverage affecting the lake.

The size of a HAB is not necessarily an indication of how toxic it is. Each algal bloom is unique in terms of size, toxicity and ultimately its impact on local communities. NOAA continues to develop new tools to detect and predict how toxic blooms will be.… Continue reading

In partnership with Ohio State University Extension, 4-H Youth Development, and the Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine, the Ohio Beef Youth Council is offering two beef youth days.

The beef youth days are scheduled for May 17 at The Ohio State University, Columbus and May 31 at Ohio State ATI, Wooster. Sessions will begin at 8:30 a.m. and run until 3 p.m. Youth ages 8 to 21 years of age are welcome, and parents are invited to attend as well. There is a registration fee to attend that includes lunch.

The program will be the same at both locations and will cover important beef industry topics for different age divisions. Participants ages 8 to 12 will learn about biosecurity, nutrition, genetics, carcass evaluation, and cut IDs. Participants 13 and up will learn about biosecurity, nutrition, genetics, carcass evaluation, cut IDs, reproduction and utilization of the calving simulator.

There will be hands-on sessions where participants will be able to engage and elevate their knowledge and skills in the beef industry.… Continue reading

The Buckeye Temp Tracker is powered by BA Genetics and takes note of soil temperatures in four counties each week. Check back each Wednesday for the next update throughout this planting season.

Each reading is in degrees Fahrenheit.

Morrow County

Corn Stalks – Under 30 degrees

Bean Stubble – 32 degrees

Perry County

Corn Stalks – 39 degrees

Bean Stubble – 37 degrees

Fayette County

Corn Stalks – 42 degrees

Bean Stubble – 39 degrees

Mercer County

Corn Stalks – Under 30 degrees

Bean Stubble – Under 30 degrees

Position: Editor — Full-time position
Location: Remote (Must reside in Ohio or be willing to relocate)
Start Date: Immediately
Application Deadline: Jan. 31
Salary: Commensurate with experience and skill set

Job Description:
Ohio’s Country Journal and Ohio Ag Net are seeking a detail-oriented, experienced editor and content creator to join our team. The ideal candidate will excel in a collaborative, fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. Strong knowledge of agriculture is required. This role demands the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously, adapt to evolving workflows, and contribute original content while maintaining the publication’s editorial standards.

Required Skills:

• Proficiency in Adobe Photoshop, WordPress, and Microsoft Word
• Strong command of AP Style, excellent writing, editing, photography and interviewing skills
• Minimum three years professional experience in the field of agricultural communications

Preferred Skills

• Ability to create content using a variety of media (video, digital) across several platforms (website, social media, broadcast).

Responsibilities Include:

• Manage the Editorial Calendar for the semi-monthly publication, Ohio’s Country Journal
• Curate and determine article content for ocj.com

By Jon Scheve, Superior Feed Ingredients, LLC

Usually, December is a time when many traders reduce exposure to the market and choose to not participate in trading at all. This can increase market volatility during the last half of December and first few days of January.

Currently, there are several market forces that could cause price movement up or down during the holiday season and early January. Following are the ones I’m keeping an eye on:

Right now, U.S. corn values are competitive globally, so that should help support demand and maintain a price floor in the short term. However, the biggest issue will be if July futures increase, because that could encourage Brazilian farmers to plant more corn acres between late January and early March. If Brazil increases planted corn acres, and they have normal weather, this could lead to additional corn exports from South America and put downward pressure on corn prices in the second half of 2025 if there is normal weather in the United States.… Continue reading

By Dr. Laura Lindsey, OSU Extension Soybean and Small Grain Specialist, and Alan Geyer, Adapted from C.O.R.N. 2024-39

Yield results for the 2024 Ohio Soybean Performance Trials are available for all locations. Click here for sortable yield data available for viewing on your computer or mobile device.

Ohio Crop Performance Trials website: https://u.osu.edu/perf/.

The purpose of the Ohio Soybean Performance Trials is to evaluate soybean varieties for yield and other agronomic characteristics. This evaluation gives soybean producers comparative information for selecting the best varieties for their unique production system.

Figure 1. 2024 Ohio Soybean Performance Trial locations- Henry, Sandusky, Mercer, Licking, Preble, and Clinton County.

In 2024, soybean yield varied greatly among the six trial locations (Henry, Sandusky, Mercer, Licking, Preble, and Clinton Counties) (Table 1). Soybean yield was lowest in Henry and Sandusky Counties, averaging as low as 37.8 bu/acre for the early maturity trial (2.0-3.1 relative maturities) in Sandusky County.… Continue reading

By Dan Armitage, OCJ outdoors writer

As part of Governor Mike DeWine’s ongoing — and popular — H2Ohio initiative, the ODNR has completed a new wetland restoration project at Little Portage Wildlife Area in Ottawa County. As with the 100-plus H2Ohio efforts already completed, the project will improve water quality while benefitting the surrounding communities and revitalizing the area’s ecosystem by replacing subsurface field tile drainage to redirect water from more than 400 acres of farmland to the wildlife area wetlands for filtration before flowing into the Little Portage River.

“This wetland restoration will continue to protect and preserve both the Little Portage River and the Little Portage Wildlife Area,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “Taking these steps is necessary to help ensure that Ohio’s waterways are free from excess nutrient runoff that causes water quality issues and protect our many beautiful natural areas for future generations.”

This project will improve the overall water quality of Lake Erie as well, as the Little Portage River flows directly into the lake and the wetlands will filter any excess sediments, nutrients, or pollutants that can contribute to harmful algal blooms. … Continue reading

This week’s episode is full of Ohio State Fair excitement! From interviews with champions to chats on this year’s successful State Fair to conversations about the fairground’s massive construction projects, this episode has it all. Join the team at one of the favorite events of the year and stay updated on its agricultural impact.

Also featured in this episode is Dale speaking with Rudi Pitzer Perry of Farm Credit Mid-America about the benefits of farm diversification and the proper steps to take towards developing your farm.

Featured audio includes conversations with:

• Carole Pontious and Doug Bayliss with the Ohio State Fair Boer Goat Department
• Rudi Pitzer Perry of Farm Credit Mid-America
• The Ohio State Fair Grand Champion and Reserve Champion Market Wether Goat exhibitors, Maya McCoy and Braxton Method
• The Ohio State Fair Sheep Department Co-Directors Pat Myers and Jim Brandt, with Roger High of the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association
• The Ohio State Fair Grand Champion and Reserve Champion Market Lamb exhibitors, Ava Shroyer and Marshall Miller

The 2024 Ohio’s Country Journal and Ohio Ag Net Crop Tour is being sponsored by Ohio Field Leader, a project of the Ohio Soybean Council and the soybean checkoff. The 2024 Ohio Crop Tour includes both in-person and a virtual option in cooperation with Ohio State University Extension to let everyone in on the yield estimating fun. A good deal of variability is expected on this year’s tour given the challenges of this planting season.

The in-person tour will be held Aug. 6 and Aug. 7 with one group heading north and one group heading south. Each group will sample a representative corn and soybean field in 14 counties. 

We will be reporting our findings as we go and are interested to see what we may find out there after what has been a challenging growing season so far statewide. Be sure to follow along on Aug. 6 and Aug. 7 at ocj.com… Continue reading

By Victor Shelton, Retired NRCS Agronomist/Grazing Specialist

I like to walk over the pastures in early spring for a number of reasons. First of all, to check plant density, diversity and soil cover. If there was extra soil disturbance in the past few months, it might mean that we have small gaps in the perennial plants that could give way for optimistic weeds to surface. Now is a good time to try and address that. Overseeding clover is probably one of the easiest and surest methods, especially if you lack sufficient legumes in the stand.

Gaps in the forage that are most optimistic for weeds are spaces where there is no cover and bare soil presents itself. If there are areas or spots that have been grazed tightly to the ground and only tolerable species are left, such as bluegrass and native white cover, it is generally a sign of a long-term issue and it stands out quite loudly when it’s adjacent to taller avoided forage species such as rank left-over summer growth of tall fescue.… Continue reading

By Vinayak Shedekar, The Ohio State University

Controlled drainage structures are a common presence in Ohio’s drained landscapes. Oftentimes incentive programs through NRCS or H2Ohio help pay for the design and installation of water control structures. Some producers voluntarily invest in control structures given their benefits for water conservation and crop yield. Long-term research at The Ohio State University has shown a 6% yield increase for corn and 3.5% yield increase for soybeans within the elevation zone influenced by controlled drainage, compared to a free draining outlet. Naturally, one is inclined to manage the structures actively only during the growing season. However, if managed properly during the non-growing season, controlled drainage has tremendous benefits to water quality downstream. The non-growing season management becomes a requirement if you are enrolled into an incentive program. Simply raising the outlet elevation by stacking boards in the control structure after harvest in the fall and leaving the structure in “controlled drainage” mode throughout the winter and spring, can help reduce up to 50% of the drainage discharge from the tile outlet.… Continue reading

In this episode of the Ohio Ag Net Podcast, host Matt Reese of Ohio’s Country Journal and Dusty Sonnenburg of Ohio Ag Net talk with Tadd Nicholson, executive director of Ohio Corn & Wheat and Jed Bower, a farmer from Fayette County and past president of Ohio Corn and Wheat about the Commodity Classic in Houston. They talk about the Corn Congress at Commodity Classic and the big tickets items such as ethanol, trade and the Farm Bill.  

More in this week’s podcast:   

• Hilary Poulson, Farm Credit Mid-America: Poulson is the Growing Forward specialist at FCMA and she talks with Dale about the program goal and outlook.  
• Dr. Aaron Wilson, The Ohio State University: Wilson is the State Climatologist of Ohio and talks with Dale about a look at the weather.  
• Steve Gerten, Award Winner: Matt talks with Gerten who was named the National Land Improvement Association Contractor of the Year.

By Dee Jepsen and Laura Akgerman   

The Ohio AgrAbility program works with farmers of all abilities. Our team provides outreach education about good body mechanics and safe lifting. We also make recommendations to farmers, agricultural businesses, landowners and gardeners about making their work environment safe and accessible.

A popular recommendation is to use equipment that is based on Universal Design (UD) concepts. The term Universal Design refers to the creation of products and systems that can be used by all people, without the need for adaptation or specialization. Using UD equipment and tools around the farmstead can be beneficial to all individuals and promotes independence for those with physical or mobility limitations. The UD products encourage farmers to maintain good ergonomics and body mechanics, which may make tasks easier and reduce the chance of injury.

Here are some Universal Designed examples that can be purchased or fabricated for accessing trailers, tractors and trucks.… Continue reading