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The Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation recently awarded grants to fund efforts in agriculture-related programming created to enhance agricultural literacy efforts while creating pathways for young people to learn about the variety and viability of careers in agriculture. The new Workforce Development & Ag Literacy grants are designed exclusively for county Farm Bureaus.

“We believe that the key to a vital agricultural industry in the next decade and beyond that is helping young people understand all the growth opportunities agriculture has to offer,” said Kelly Burns, executive director of the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation. “By helping young people gain a better understanding of agriculture, we introduce them to the educational and employment possibilities related to farming.”

A total of four grants were awarded to county Farm Bureaus in the amount of $5,000 each. This funding may be used for new education programs or to expand existing programs that focus on grades 6-12.… Continue reading

John Patterson, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director in Ohio, announced that landowners and operators in designated counties throughout Ohio will have the opportunity to offer cropland for enrollment in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) upland bird practice and pollinator practice titled State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE).

Upland Bird SAFE

The Upland Bird SAFE is available on a continuous (ongoing) basis in the following counties: Adams, Auglaize, Brown, Butler, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Crawford, Darke, Defiance, Delaware, Fairfield, Fayette, Fulton, Gallia, Greene, Hancock, Hardin, Highland, Jackson, Knox, Lawrence, Logan, Madison, Marion, Miami, Morrow, Paulding, Pickaway, Pike, Preble, Ross, Seneca, Shelby, Union, Williams, and Wyandot. 

The Ohio Upland Bird SAFE utilizes a wildlife management practice specifically developed by conservation organizations and agencies located within Ohio to establish and restore habitat for ring-necked pheasant, bobwhite quail, and other upland birds on eligible cropland. The program specifically targets declining quail and pheasant populations in areas of greatest impact.… Continue reading

By Matt Reese

The term sustainability has been closely tied to agriculture for many years, but to be truly sustainable, farms rely upon a broad network of agribusinesses focused on sustainability for their businesses as well as the farms they serve.

This summer, the Ohio AgriBusiness Association (OABA) is working with member businesses highlighting the benefits of these layers of sustainability for Ohio agriculture as a whole.

Chris Henney, president and CEO of OABA, has put significant organizational emphasis on sustainability.

“Sustainability probably means a little something different to almost everyone, but when I think about sustainability, I think about a three-legged stool. I think about it in terms of what most people think of as the traditional environmental sustainability. We want to be good stewards of our environment, but it also has to make economic sense from a business standpoint. You have to be able to stay in business to be sustainable,” Henney said.… Continue reading

By James Hoorman, Hoorman Soil Health Services

Some cooler temperatures are coming and some rain has occurred.  Most farmers are hoping for more rain to get their crops out of the ground and growing.  One thing, where ever the soil had higher amounts of soil organic matter (SOM), the crops emerged and are growing much better.  Every 1% SOM holds about 0.5 to 0.8 inches of rain, which helps crops germinate and grow until they get their roots established.  Building SOM requires getting more roots in the soil.  No-till and cover crops are two ways to build SOM and reduce adverse weather.

As wheat harvest approaches, farmers may be considering double cropping soybeans.  In a dry year, soybeans may not be the best option, but letting wheat stubble remain bare promotes weeds.  Many cover crops can grow and thrive with little soil moisture including buckwheat, cowpeas for nitrogen, and teff (forage crop). … Continue reading

The newest Ohio Ag Net Podcast welcomes world travelers, auction updates, and policy experts. Hosted by Matt Reese and Dusty Sonnenberg, this episode starts with the Ohio Soybean Council to speak about some international market development missions that support Ohio soybean farmers. Madison Layman and Bill Bayliss discuss their recent trip and the value of beans abroad. 

Dale Minyo speaks with Dale Everman of Homan Inc. about egg packing automation. From packaging technology, sourcing labor, and automating production, he speaks to the many solutions for Ohio — the second leading state in egg production. Equipment is a year round business and Dave Cornish of RES Auctions updates with Matt about current market trends and the most popular purchases of the season. 

Ohio Farm Bureau’s Brandon Kern, Senior Director of State & National Policy, updates listeners on action in the state capitol. The upcoming state budget could be leaving out some important funding to H2Ohio programs.… Continue reading

By Horacio Lopez-Nicora, OSU Extension Nematologist and Pathologist, adapted from C.O.R.N. 2023-17

The soybean cyst nematode (SCN) remains the most devastating and yield limiting soybean pathogen in Ohio and North America. SCN can cause over 30% yield reduction with no visible symptoms, therefore, early detection of this pathogen relies on testing your fields to know your SCN numbers!

Spring is a good time to sample for SCN. A soil test in spring will reveal if SCN is present and if so, at what levels. If you are planning to participate in an on-farm trial that requires soil sampling, a subsample can be used for SCN testing. Additionally, if you planted corn, a soil sample from that field will reveal if you have SCN but most importantly, how much SCN. Knowing your SCN numbers will help you determine the best management strategy.   

With funding from the Ohio Soybean Council and promoting the mission of The SCN Coalition we will process up to TWO soil samples, per grower, to be tested for SCN, free of charge.… Continue reading

National Dairy Month kicks off this week’s episode of the Ohio Ag Net Podcast, hosted by Matt Reese and Dusty Sonnenberg. Scott Higgins joins the conversation to talk about the visions of the American Dairy Association Mideast, and favorite dairy products of the season. They will discuss challenges with slim dairy margins, along with product processing opportunities in the state. 

Middle school students are practicing utilizing their wallets at Graham Middle School. Joel Penhorwood interviews Principal Nick Guidera, discussing the GrowNextGen program in his school. Real Money Real World for youth financial literacy was giving hands-on experiences with the dollar. 

Matt checks in with WJ Fannin, Ohio Cattlemen’s Association Commercial Cattleman of the Year, in Fayette County. From stockyard sales to individual cuts of meat, his business meets the needs of consumers. They will talk about cattle barn technology and operating a data-driven herd. 

0:00 – Intro and opening discussion
6:15 – Nick Guidera on Real Money Real World 
13:53 – Cattleman of the Year: WJ Fannin 
18:28 – Dairy Outlook with Scott Higgins … Continue reading

By Dr. Mark Loux, adapted from C.O.R.N. 2023-15

It’s always fun when rainfall is feast or famine.  Dry periods such as the coming week are great for about everything except weed management.  From the perspective of making sure residual herbicides work, we like to see a decent rain about once a week.  Residual herbicide treatments need to be applied and receive a half to one inch of rain within a week or so after tillage or an effective burndown treatment, to control weeds that will start to emerge at that time.  More time than this allows for weeds to emerge before herbicide can be moved down into the soil, reducing the degree of control that residual herbicides are capable of providing.  This is especially important for shoot uptake herbicides, such as group 15 – acetochlor, metolachlor, pyroxasulfone, and dimethenamid.  Weeds are germinating and emerging more rapidly now compared with a month ago, so timeliness of the rain is more important. … 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.

… Continue reading

Shelby and Auglaize County producers are eligible for additional funding through the Mississippi River Basin Initiative, which accelerates voluntary, on-farm conservation investments to address water quality concerns in the Mississippi River watershed. Interested producers can apply for this opportunity between May 8 and June 9, 2023. 

Funded through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), producers will receive financial and technical assistance to apply conservation practices, such as nutrient management, cover crops and tillage management. The impact of these practices reduces nutrient loading in local water bodies and the Gulf of Mexico. Click here for the Ohio NRCS FY 23 Mississippi River Basin Initiative Practice List and the FY 23 Mississippi River Basin Project Map.

Get Started

Known as “America’s River,” the Mississippi River is North America’s largest river, flowing over 2,300 miles through America’s heartland to the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River watershed not only provides drinking water, food, industry and recreation for millions of people, it also hosts the migratory flyway and home for more than 325 bird species.… Continue reading

By Jon Scheve, Superior Feed Ingredients, LLC 

With old crop corn bouncing 30 cents off the lows from earlier this week, the following summarizes some market factors contributing to current price movement. 

Ukraine uncertainty

Some of the rally is likely due to the Ukraine grain corridor discussions and whether Russia will be renewing the deal. Russia’s deadline for a decision is May 18, debates as to if it will continue will occur until then, and likely well after that date too regardless of the outcome. 

Wheat production issues

Another reason for the rally may be severe reductions in hard red winter wheat yields in the southern plains. If Kansas City wheat prices could continue to trade higher the next few weeks, it likely keeping wheat from replacing corn in feed rations.

Recession?

Some financial analysts this past week were suggesting the recent economic data shows a recession may be becoming less likely and a “soft landing” is possible.… Continue reading

He is risen!

1 Peter 1:3: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”… Continue reading

By James Hoorman, Hoorman Soil Health Services

Insects damage over 30% of all crops worldwide amounting to at least $220 billion lost annually. Insect damaged plants allows many plant diseases a way to enter wounds, further complicating crop damage.  Insects can sense when a plant is unhealthy. These plants become a preferred food source, since they feast on plants high in nitrates due to incomplete photosynthesis.  Healthy plants produce full proteins which the insects cannot digest, so they avoid healthy plants. Good plant nutrition decreases insect and disease crop damage.

Another way to reduce crop damage is through predators that consume both insects and disease organisms. Most predators need food, shelter, and habitat to help these beneficial predators thrive.  Small fields surrounded by natural vegetation offer refuge and extra food. Diverse crops and multispecies cover crops with small open flowers promote predators. Soils high in crop residue (mulch) and biological activity offer winter refuge and food for predators.… Continue reading

By Dusty Sonnenberg, CCA, Ohio Field Leader, a project of the Ohio Soybean Council and soybean check-off.

In agriculture, the year is broken down into seasons. There is the planting season, the growing season, the harvest season, and winter meeting season. When it comes to agronomic research, they also have seasons. These include the planning season, the meeting season and the research season. Planning and research occurs all year long. Research goes on during the growing season, (and beyond in the laboratory). Meeting season occurs in the winter, as well as summer field days.

“When planning research, we try to move from the root upward,” said Horacio Lopez-Nicora, Plant Pathologist and Nematologist at The Ohio State University. “Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) will continue to be an important part of our research. We are looking at different seed treatments. We are also looking at different sources of resistance that can be effective at managing the sources of SCN resistance.”… Continue reading

By Matt Reese

Big land auctions require careful attention to many small details.

Kevin Miller, with Oakridge Realty and Auction Co. in Allen County, sells quite a bit of farmland in Ohio, some of it in very large tracts. 

“We do specialize in farmland sales and auctions is obviously one part of that, we also do the traditional private treaty sale. Last year we sold over 1,100 acres at auction at one time. That was in about 17 different tracts. On Sept. 1 we have 762 acres from one seller and we’ll be selling that in 7 tracts,” Miller said. “When you have that much land, you have to figure out how to coordinate to get the best sale for the owners and bring in the most buyers. Large tracts of land offer challenges. They require a lot of data and a lot of studying to figure out how to break those down into different sized tracts to be attractive to buyers.… Continue reading

The 2022 Dean’s Charity Steer Show, held at the Ohio State Fair on Tuesday, August 2, raised an astounding $240,000 for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio.

Media personalities, celebrity exhibitors, and 4-H youth, along with their steers, donated their time to raise money and compete for bragging rights in front of a large crowd of supporters in the Cooper Arena. 

The show was hosted by The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) and Cathann A. Kress, Ohio State vice president for agricultural administration and dean of CFAES. The president of Ohio State, Kristina M. Johnson, was also in attendance. Clark Donley, news director at Columbus Radio Group, served as emcee of the event. 

The final dollar amount raised won’t be available until after all donation pages close on August 31, so if you missed the show, there’s still plenty of time to donate to the worthy cause at give.osu.edu/deanscharitysteershow. … Continue reading

By Dr. Laura Lindsey, Adapted from C.O.R.N. 2022-23

Currently, most soybean fields in Ohio are at the R3 growth stage, meaning there is a pod at least 3/16 inch long (but less than 3/4 inch long) at one of the four uppermost nodes on the main stem with a fully developed leaf. Some late planted fields may still be at the flowering growth stage while some early planted fields may be entering the R4 growth stage (pod 3/4 inch long at one of the four uppermost nodes on the main stem with a fully developed leaf).

What does the soybean crop need to maximize yield during pod set? The number of pods per acre sets the maximum number of seeds per acre, which is the component most strongly related to final yield. Therefore, pod development becomes one of the most critical stages in the life of soybean.… Continue reading

By Matt Reese and Dale Minyo

Chris Weaver is a sixth-generation farmer from central Maryland who has put a focus upon soybean agronomic research. He is credited with growing 158-bushel soybeans and boosting farm yield averages to over 100 bushels. Weaver stopped in Ohio in July to share some tips with farmers, courtesy of Golden Harvest. 

“We went from 60- to 70-bushel beans in 2010 when I took over, to over 100-bushels for an average on the farm. I had to overcome a bunch of hurdles to get my father and grandfather to understand not everything is a snake oil. It is a tough mindset to change everything we have been doing in the past. We had to change our thought process to increase the bean yield on the whole farm. We had to look at things differently. It is not about growing 158-bushel beans, it is increasing your farm average to increase your productivity to increase your ROI,” Weaver said.… Continue reading

He is risen!… Continue reading