OSU Extension

OSU Extension Latest Crop Guide Now Available

October 23, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

The 2014 Guide on Corn, Soybean, Wheat and Alfalfa now available for purchase from OSU Extension Service. The printed guide is $12.50. There is also a PDF version of the guide if you’d like to put it on your computer or mobile device available for download for $10.00

Click the image to go to the Extension’s online store to order.

According to OSU Extension:

The guide contains information on insect, disease and weed identification as well as agronomic information that should be valuable when checking fields. The guide is divided into seven sections: Corn Management, Soybean Management, Wheat Management, Alfalfa Management, Weed Identification, Sampling, Pesticide Application Technology, and General Crop Management. This spiral-bound book includes color photographs, as well as an index of topics that can be used to quickly locate page numbers for your topic of interest.

Reminder: OFU Forum on Water Quality in Toledo September 22

September 19, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

The Ohio Farmers Union will bring together scientists and agricultural experts in late September in a forum on seeking solutions for the annual algal blooms in the western basin of Lake Erie.

The forum will be held Sept. 22, 1 p.m., at Forrester’s on the River, Boers-Boyer Way, 26 Main St., Toledo. The event is free and open to the public. RSVPs are appreciated to Linda Borton, Ohio Farmers Union, at lborton@ohfarmersunion.org.

OFU President Joe Logan said it’s important for farmers to acknowledge their part in Lake Erie’s woes, and that OFU is trying to help spread the word on innovative farm management practices that assure that farmers are doing their part to protect Ohio’s waters.

“Farms dominate the landscape in the western Lake Erie watershed and farmers use many tons of phosphorus and nitrogen to grow crops – so people naturally look toward agriculture as a contributor to Lake Erie’s excess nutrient loads,” Logan said.

“Farmers always try to keep nutrients on their land, but the increasing intensity of rain storms make doing so more challenging. Farmers may need to embrace new management practices and new technology,” he added.

OFU’s forum will include speakers:
•   Jeffrey M. Reutter, director, Ohio Sea Grant & F.T. Stone Laboratory
•   Todd Hesterman, NW Ohio coordinator, Conservation in Action
•   Gregory LaBarge, Ohio State University Extension
•   Adam Rissien, Ohio Environmental Council

Logan said OFU is committed to information on water quality and agriculture being “fact and science-based.” He also said that broad, regulatory programs may not be the silver bullet for solving Ohio’s water quality issues but “innovative agricultural practices, along with targeted state and federal regulations will be more likely to attain our goals.”

Logan hopes the forum will be a reasoned and productive discussion among farmers, scientists, urban interests and agency officials that can support their collective effort toward saving Lake Erie.

“We have a very serious problem threatening a crucially important state, national and international resource – it’s time for everyone to get on board and begin working together toward an effective solution.” Logan said.
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OSU Extension – USDA host Licking County Meeting – Make Your Land Work for You

November 4, 2012 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

The Ohio State University Extension and the U. S. Department of Agriculture will host a public meeting November 8 at 6pm. The meeting will be held at the Licking County USDA Service Center located at 771 East Main St., Newark, Ohio 43055 to discuss local conservation and agriculture topics.

The discussion will begin with, “What is algae and why is there so much of it?” As OSU Extension experts explain what’s happening with algae in our lakes and what that means for farmers and other citizens.

“Why better soil grows better crops, and better pastures grow more nutritious food for grazing animals” as USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) District Conservationist explains how to make your land more productive.

Learn how USDA supports agriculture through conservation efforts and disaster relief as the NRCS State Conservationist and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director provide agency updates.

For more information about this meeting, please contact Christina Reed at 614-255-2527 or by email at Christina.Reed@oh.usda.gov

U.S. Drought Facts and Resources

July 23, 2012 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

According to the USDA’s Economic Research Service, 62 percent of U.S. farms are now affected by drought conditions which stretch across the country from Rhode Island to California in the continental U.S. and includes most of Hawaii.

In Ohio there are currently four counties in the state’s northwest corner with USDA drought designation: Williams, Defiance, Paulding and Van Wert. Ohio’s four counties are listed as “contiguous designations” as they are adjacent to four counties in Indiana which are counties with “primary” designations.

The ERS says on its website that it’s impossible to say exactly how much food prices will be impacted by the drought, but does say based on past experience and how inputs move through our system of food that consumers can expect the following:

Beef, pork, poultry and dairy prices will likely begin to be impacted in two months. Packaged and processed foods with corn and soybean inputs could take 10 to 12 months for full price impacts.
When herds are culled during droughts, there could be some short-term price reductions in certain meat products due to increased short-term supply.
Historically, if the farm price of corn increases 50 percent, then retail food prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increases by 0.5 to 1 percent. More generally, as an overall commodity price index increases, about 14 to 15 percent of that increase is passed on to retail prices for products that use that commodity as an ingredient.
Based on 2010 data 2/3 of U.S. crops and 2/3 of U.S. livestock are in drought areas.

A few online resources

The USDA’s Drought Page – contains the latest news releases and other information from USDA focusing on agency actions and farmer assistance due to the drought.
The U.S. Drought Monitor – is a multi-agency effort focused on recording the drought levels and severity across the U.S. The map on this page is related the severity of drought, not whether a particular county has been designated by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack or any other official as in an emergency or other special status.
The National Drought Mitigation Center – focuses on drought impacts and the science of droughts.
The Office of the State Climatologist for Ohio – contains many links to climate and weather-related information regarding Ohio.
Ohio Dept. of Agriculture Drought Information Page – contains links to information including SBA loan information for those affected by the drought.
OSU Extension – Managing the Drought of 2012 – tons of information and links covering farm and home topics.

Farmland Preservation Event Highlights Marketing Your Farm

November 21, 2011 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

One of the best ways to preserve Ohio’s farmlands is for family farmers to understand and exploit their market opportunities and keep the family farm in agricultural production.

A breakout session at the 12th Annual Ohio Farmland Preservation Summit put on by the Ohio State University Extension provided Ohio farmers, planners and activists with a few tools and ideas to help farmers in Ohio market what they produce.

The Ohio Farmers Union was a sponsor of and exhibitor at the Preservation Summit.

Mike Hogan, an Extension Educator and Associate Professor at OSU, presented the breakout session, Local Food Business & Community Resources. Hogan also serves as the statewide Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator and the Local Foods Network Leader for OSU Extension. Additionally, he serves as the Ohio Coordinator for the USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program. Hogan specializes in sustainable agriculture and small farm issues including direct marketing, local food systems and alternative crop and production systems.

Hogan’s first message is that farmers shouldn’t get hung up on the definition of “local.”

[Read more…]

Video: Nat Gas boom – busy laundromats & increased homelessness

September 29, 2011 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

I spent a few hours at the Farm Science Review at Ohio State University’s Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London last week. Along with OFU President Roger Wise and OFU Executive Director Linda Borton, I attended a panel discussion put on by four OSU faculty members whose research and teaching revolve around rural economics, development and environmental issues. I hope to post, in this space soon, the entirety of the panel discussion after I get a few audio things fixed with the recording.

After the panel, I asked OSU Assistant Prof. Mike Lloyd who is based in Noble County as part of the OSU Extension Service. Lloyd has seen the natural gas boom begin in Ohio with an increase in mineral rights lease activity. Since he and others knew the gas rush was coming, he has also observed what has happened on the other side of the border in Pennsylvania and has spent time talking to local officials there about the economic impacts of the gas industry. Lloyd has also been providing some educational opportunities for eastern Ohio landowners on what to expect from the process of negotiating mineral rights on their land.

[Read more…]

A few online resources

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