Ag News for America
The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) honored three families who have maintained their farms for more than 200 years as Ohio Bicentennial Farms during a ceremony at the Pickaway County Fair on Monday, June 17.
The farms recognized included:
Fagan family, 1809
Cromley family, 1803
Cromley Connor family, 1803
There are currently 64 bicentennial farms in Ohio.
The 24th Annual Red Power Round Up is going to be held Wednesday, July 19, through Saturday, July 22 at the Allen County Fairgrounds at Lima, Ohio. Co-Chair Doug Etzcorn of Wapakoneta tells Brownfield he’s expecting a lot of tractors.
“We were hoping for 1,000 and now it sounds like we’re going to be in that 1,200 to 1,300 range,” said Etzkorn. “And it sounds like the Cub Cadet numbers, we were anticipating around 400, not it sounds like we might have close to 500 Cub Cadets there.”
In addition to the tractors, Red Power Round Up will feature entertainment, activities for the kids, as well as memorabilia.
Show hours will be from noon to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 8 a.m. to whenever on Saturday.
Tthe complete Red Power Round Up schedule of events is available here.
Audio: Doug Etzkorn, Co-Chair, Red Power Round Up (6:10 mp3)
With forage supplies at record tight levels and the price for hay remaining strong, Stan Smith, Ohio State University Extension program assistant in Fairfield County says if there ever was a time to get the most out of a forage crop, now is the time.
Audio: Stan Smith, Ohio State University, Extension program assistant, Fairfield Co. (2:45 mp3)
Statewide, 93 percent of intended soybean acres in Indian have been planted, five points ahead of the 5-year average, but in southern Indiana planting progress slips down to just 76 percent. Overall, 81 percent of the soybean crop is in fair-to-good condition.
The Indiana corn crop has a rating of 78 percent fair-to-good and the winter wheat crop is rated 75 percent fair-to-good.
As of Sunday, June 16, first cutting alfalfa was 78 percent complete, just 4 points behind the 5-year average, 74 percent of the state’s pastures are in fair-to-good condition.
Topsoil moisture in the state is 97 percent adequate to surplus.
As of Sunday, June 16, the Ohio field office of the National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) reported that soybean planting in the state was 97 percent complete, three points ahead of the 5-year average.
82 percent of the Ohio soybean crop and 73 percent of the state’s corn crop was in fair-to-good condition.
The three days suitable for field work last week allowed for some hay to be made, as of Sunday first cutting was 73 percent complete.
The winter wheat crop is beginning to turn color, 79 percent of the crop is in fair-to-good condition, down three points from a week ago.
Topsoil moisture is 95 percent adequate to surplus.
One group closely watching what’s taking place with immigration reform is the American Sheep Industry.
Fran Boyd, Senior Washington Representative for ASI says a lot of what’s taking place in the Senate right now is headed in the right direction.
“As you know we successfully use in the United States the H2A program for our herders that come in,” said Boyd. “And we would like to see some of the special procedures that we have with the Department of Labor codified in law and a lot of what is taking place in the Senate right now is taking it in the right direction.”
But Boyd says it’s not just sheep producers that would benefit from immigration reform.
“I don’t think anybody would disagree that our agricultural labor needs in the future are going to be very dependent on immigrant labor and therefore we need to have a law and program and regulations that work both for the employer and the employee,” Boyd said.
Ed Lentz, Ohio State University Extension educator in Hancock County, Northwest Ohio says recent rains have helped both corn and soybeans.
“We were really on the dry side with some uneven emergence and uneven growth in soybeans, so that will help get those evened out,” said Lentz. “Some of the corn was still looking pale because the nitrogen they had put on side-dress had not kicked in and that rain will get the roots going to the nitrogen, or the nitrogen moving so we should see a lot of quick response from the rain.”
While the recent cooler temperatures maybe not good corn growing weather, Lentz says it has been good for the wheat crop.
“Because wheat has no problem with dry weather, it’s generally disease and heat,” Lentz said. “This should really help to give us good grain fill.”
Audio: Ed Lentz, Extension educator, Hancock Co. Ohio (3:20 mp3)
The combination of extremely favorable sap conditions and a long sap run in 2013 resulted in a very good year for maple syrup production in Ohio. According to the Ohio field office of the National Ag Statistics Service (NASS), the record 155,000 gallons produced, topped the previous record set in 2011 by 24 percent.
Nationally, 2013 production totaled 3.25 million gallons, up 70 percent for the previous year.
Ohio ranks number five in maple syrup production, producing five percent of the total U.S. production.
Ohio maple syrup production by the numbers:
Total taps – 440,000
Syrup yield per tap – .352 gallons
Beginning Monday, June 17, local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices will be accepting nominations for county committees. David Drake, Acting State Executive Director for the Ohio Farm Service Agency (FSA) says the county committees serve an important role providing grassroots input to help the agency administer programs.
“They help us administer our Commodity Price Support loans and repayments, our conservation programs, our incentive, indemnity and disaster payments for some of our commodities, some of our emergency programs and also some payment eligibility programs,” said Drake. “Really the county committee representative is the farmer’s voice with USDA as far as how we administer our various programs.”
Nomination forms are available at local Farm Service Agency offices or online.
The deadline to submit nominations is August 1.
Audio: David Drake, Acting State Executive Director, Ohio FSA (4:40 mp3)
The Upper Blanchard Watershed has been identified as the priority watershed in Ohio to receive funding through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI).
“NRCS is accepting applications from farmers in the Blanchard Watershed, specifically for this program,” said Michelle Lohstroh, Acting State Conservationist in the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Ohio office. “That includes portions of Allen, Hancock, Hardin, Putnam, Seneca and Wyandot counties, and the focus is to reduce runoff from farm fields.”
Lohstroh tells Brownfield that in addition to providing technical assistance, the NRCS has financial incentives available to landowners in the watershed.
“We have over $2.5 million available for that watershed to help producers install those practices,” the Acting State Conservationist said. “Our sign-up period extends through July 1 and we’re really hoping people take advantage of this opportunity, because it is in one special part of the state as a priority.”
To answer questions about the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, NRCS will hold two information meetings, June 18 in Vanlue and June 19 in Findlay, information is available by contacting local NRCS offices.
Audio: Michelle Lohstroh, Acting State Conservationist, Ohio NRCS (4:05 mp3)
Latest: 
