Acres - July 2012 by Acres of Southwest Ohio

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of Southwest Ohio Serving The Community Since 1960

Issue 5

July 2012

BOB MALCOM

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE 3 Farm Festivals 4 Farm Scapes 6 Taking Farm Security Seriously

12 Sixth Generation Farming

By ACRES staff No rain and hot weather. Will these factors create a drought for Ohio farmers in July and threaten corn and soybean crops? Although the condition of the corn crop is still considered healthy in Ohio, recent dry weather has tempered optimism among agricultural experts who originally predicted a record corn yield. “Most recent reports indicate that throughout the state, just over 70 percent of our soils are classified as short in topsoil moisture,” said Adam Shepard, the Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension

Educator at the Ohio State University Extension Office’s Fayette County branch. “With that being said, our portion of the state has been fortunate in receiving a couple of small rainfalls that has kept us out of critical conditions.” The United States Department of Agriculture report released on June 18 indicates that the condition of the corn crop in the state is 36 percent “fair,” with 42 percent classified as “good” and only 11 percent “excellent.” Soybean conditions across the state are similar to the corn percentages with 45 percent of soybeans classified as “fair” and 34

percent classified as “good.” “As far as the weather trends go, it’s very important to the crops to have cooler conditions during the pollination of the plants,” said Shepard. “With the wide window of planting that occurred this spring we have corn fields in our county that range anywhere from VT (Tassel) to V6 (around knee high). Some of the earlier planted fields are nearing that critical pollination period.” Through mid-July, it is expected to be slightly above normal temperatures and below normal rainfall, according to Jim Noel, who provides weather updates

for the Ohio State Crops Observation and Recommendation Network. “While the weather plays a major role in the growth of our crops, it also plays a major role in the effectiveness of our herbicide applications and the amount of pests growers can find in their fields,” Shepard said. “Long periods of dry, hot weather changes the metabolism of plants which also affects our ability to get the herbicide treatment into the plant successfully.” When selecting the best treatment for application, farmers should consider the

Come to the Fair

16 Breakfast on the Farm

1B Organics Part 1 3B Hints for your Garden

4B Rich History of Tobacco

8B Miniature Cattle! 10B Amish Cook

continued on page 10A

Above the Fields Fewer crop dusting pilots leads to recruiting efforts By DEBRA GASKILL dgaskill@recordherald.com As the plane comes in low over the vegetable fields at Michaels Farms in Urbana, observers are reminded of the early days of barnstorming when biplanes and wing-walkers provided entertainment across rural America. Today, aerial application of agricultural chemicals or seeds — what used to be called crop-dusting — is anything but flying by the seat of your pants. Utilizing high tech items such as global positioning systems and Google maps, today’s aerial application pilots are a dying breed facing a increasing need for their service.

According to Butch Fisher, of Fisher Farm Service in Cardington, there are only six active crop-dusting operatins in the state of Ohio, which is down from 40 in the 1980s. Hours flown by cropdusters rose 29 percent from 2003 through 2007, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. While most aircraft makers are in a slump, leading aerial-application manufacturer Air Tractor Inc., in Olney, Texas, is cranking out more planes than it did last year, according to a 2009 article in the Wall Street Journal. Pilots are drawn to cropdusting not only for the money, but also for the chance to be their own

Carl “Butch” Fisher, Jr. crop dusts a potato field at Micheal Farms Inc. on UrbanaMoorefield Pike in Urbana on Tuesday June 12. Fisher is with Fisher Ag Service which is located in Cardington. OCM News Service photo by Alex Howell, Urbana Daily Citizen

bosses and to do the kind of low-altitude flying and stuntlike maneuvers one wouldn’t dream of performing in a big jet. The ranks of ag pilots have been thinning for years as experienced fliers get older and retire. So the National Agricultural Aviation Association, the industry’s main trade group, is using the field’s newfound attraction to recruit younger pilots. Crop dusting is an agricultural activity that began in 1922 in Troy, Ohio and flourished during the agricultural boom times in the 1940s and 1950s. Originally called crop “dusting” because of the powder insecticides dropped by the airplanes,

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the name changed to “aerial application” in the 1980s when liquid-based chemicals took the place of powders. Crop dusting began on Harry Carver’s farm west of Troy when he was trying to contain an infestation of catalpa sphynx worms, which had defoliated his 5,000 catalpa trees. The Wooster Experiment Agency, which was part of the Department of Agriculture at the time, suggested that aircraft be used to drop lead arsenate onto the trees to kill the worms. In an earlier experiment, Lt. John Macready, serving in the US Air Service, a predecessor of the US Air Force, at McCook Field

the first year, the incorporated a fixed-wing plane, gradually phasing out his use of helicopters, due to safety and maintenance concerns. Today he has five planes— three Air Tractor Turbine planes, which carry 500 to 800 gallons and two Cessna 188 planes which carry between 220 and 230 gallons—and three pilots, himself, his son and another full-time pilot. During the “rush” of July and August, Fisher said he will employ two other pilots to pick up the slack. There are two types of aerial applications: dry, which includes seeing and top-dressing fields at a rate continued on page 10A

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(the forerunner of WrightPatterson Air Force Base) in Dayton piloted a Curtiss NJ4 “Jenny” to what has been described as a “34acre stubble field” on a farm near Troy owned by Edward Sweitzer. On Aug. 3, 1921, the plane flew 20 to 25 feet above Carver’s catalpa trees and dropped between 500 and 600 pounds of the lead arsenate, killing the worms and the business of crop-dusting began. Butch Fisher has been crop-dusting for 37 years. He began flying for pleasure at age 14, and as his interest in flying grew, since he was part of a farm family, so did his interest in aerial applications. He used helicopters for

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ACRES of Southwest Ohio

July 2012

Acres Fan Has a Lot to Say

of Southwest Ohio Serving The Community Since 1960

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March 2012

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Sales Adams County (937) 544-2391 Lee Huffman, Publisher lhuffman@peoplesdefender.com Brown County (937) 378-6161 Steve Triplett, Publisher striplett@newsdemocrat.com Clinton County (937) 382-2574 Sharon Kersey, Ad Director skersey@wnewsj.com Fayette County (740) 335-3611 Sherri Sattler, Ad Director ssattler@recordherald.com Highland County (937) 393-3456 Mickey Parrott, Ad Director mparrot@timesgazette.com Subscriptions Lori Holcomb, Circulation Director (937) 382-2574 lholcomb@wnewsj.com Contact ACRES of Southwest Ohio: 761 S. Nelson Ave. | Wilmington, OH 45177 (937) 382-2574

ACRES of Southwest Ohio is published monthly by Ohio Community Media, LLC and is available through the Georgetown News-Democrat, Hillsboro Times-Gazette, Ripley Bee, Washington CH RecordHerald, West Union People’s Defender and Wilmington News Journal. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue in whole or in part is prohibited. ACRES of Southwest Ohio is available for purchase at each of the newspaper offices for $1/copy or contact us to subscribe. Subscriptions $19.95 per year. Please Buy Locally & Recycle.

Swartz, a retired Marion vocational-agriculture teacher and vocational administrator in Marion, recently received his first copy of “Acres” in the mail. After reading it, he sent me an email. It was the kind of email that all of us editors dream of getting, but unfortunately get very rarely. Dennis Swartz was very happy with what he saw and read in his first “Acres” issue. Here is what he said: “Mr. Brock: I want to express my thanks for the ACRES newspaper I received today. As a retired Agricultural Educator and part-time farmer, it is good to see articles about people and businesses located in the immediate area. Also, I notice a number of advertisers that are familiar, and hope they continue their support. Having a daughter and sonin-law in Wisconsin, I am well aware of the daily papers they receive that are completely agriculture in nature and appreciate a similar newspaper in our area of northcentral Ohio with local information. I am growing increasingly tired of our local papers either having no agriculture news or when they do, using articles across the wire service from California, Iowa or distance places that have no better stories than could be found locally. Then, they wonder why no one subscribes anymore! Keep up the good work, I will be subscribing to get ACRES on a regular basis if it continues to be the paper this first issue portrays.” Great comments about our new

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE HUB COMING product to be sure. TO AREA FARM GIANT GRAIN And I thank him very of Southwest Ohio much for his kind S F words. INSIDE THIS ISSUE Dairy Clearly the Marion Local people Farming want local food County man has strong Utterly of Southwest Ohio FEEDING THE Challenging feelings about Ohio BOB MALCOM WORLD farming and Record Crops Don’t sign ... Expected! agriculture. So after on the receiving the email, I dotted line! Money and Aid gave him a call and for Farmers asked him his views on farming. I was especially interested in Shaffer Sales & Service Some HOTX Tomato! what he felt Ohio farmers wanted for their elected officials INSIDE THIS ISSUE Shaffer Sales & Service in Columbus and Washington. “I think Ohio farmers Spring is Here! want their elected officials Shaffer Sales & Service to have a better understanding of what the business of farming is all about,” he For All Your Fencing Needs… told me. “I think too many people SHOLLERS FENCE view farming and agri-business the same way they do any other business, Washington. “Time is really a critical and that’s not the case.” elements for farmers. But things just Swartz says our representatives in Columbus and Washington both need get dragged out too much,” he said. When asked what one thing he to be better educated about what would like to see elected officials issues face farmers and how unique Ohio agriculture is compared to other provide Ohio farmers, he chuckled a little and said just one word - “Rain.” businesses. I agree with him, However, rain is But he added that farmers the one vital tool for our farmers that themselves have a responsibility for can’t be legislated in Columbus or this lack of education. Washington. “Farmers don’t do a very good job A greater power is needed for that of marketing themselves, or to happen. marketing their products. Today, farmers are dealing with non-farmers more and more, so when they do, Gary Brock is the they need to tell their story,” Swartz Editor-in-Chief of said. Acres. He said the one thing that farmers comment on frequently is how long it takes for anything to get passed or approved in Columbus and 5 Love of

Budgeting for Increased Operation of Machinery on The Farm By TONY NYE nye.1@osu.edu Farmers need to consider the costs of operating machinery when making needed adjustments to operating budgets each year. Gary Schnitkey, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois, reports that every two years the costs of machinery operations are calculated and made available through the websitefarmdoc farmdoc.illinois.edu. The 2012 costs are now available under the “Machinery Costs” link in the management section. Schnitkey reports that, overall, costs have increased by about 15 percent between 2010 and 2012. In their estimates, combine costs have declined between 2010 and 2012 because acres covered with the combine are assumed to increase in 2012. The following are other examples of per acre costs for selected 2010 and 2012 operations: • Chisel plowing costs increased from $12.80 per acre in 2010 up to $14.50 per acre in 2012, an increase of 13 percent.

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6 Small Farm Conference coming to Wilmington

Standard Wilmington News Journal Permit No. 10 Wilmington, Ohio Post Office

7 Roots in

3 Farming:

Always Changing

Agriculture

4 Buggy Spring Ahead

9 Adams County Snapshot

Fayette County's Bluegrass Farms site of $10 million grain distribution facility

Chickens 101 Community Since 1960 Serving The 10 11 Events

Issue 3

May 2012

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E NC E

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Dennis Swartz knows his business. And his business is his passion. And his passion is farming.

April 2012

Thought

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Farming •1 Year Warranty • Free Estimates

Publisher — Pamela Stricker Editor — Gary Brock Layout — Tina Murdock

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4 Food For

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By GARY BROCK gbrock@acresmidwest.com

of Southwest Ohio

to Acres

Issue 2

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July 2012

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

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of Southwest Ohio

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Around Ohio

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By RYAN CARTER rcarter@recordherald.com

It may seem strange to many to find a gigantic grain shipping facility in the middle of Fayette County, however, that is exactly what is under construction at Bluegrass Farms in Jeffersonville. When completed, the $10 million Central Ohio Logistics Center (COLC), in combination with Queensgate Terminals in Cincinnati, will be an intermodal terminal, which involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation (rail, ship, and truck) without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. This method reduces cargo handling, improves security, reduces damage and losses, and allows freight to be transported faster. Bluegrass Farms of Ohio began in the 1980s when the Martin family began raising identitypreserved soybeans for local suppliers. In January 2008, Bluegrass opened its state-of-the-art soybean processing facility at 9768 MilledgevilleJeffersonville Road, Jeffersonville. In addition to producing identitypreserved beans, Bluegrass works exclusively with nonGMO, or non-genetically modified organism, crops. “We recognized that every market in the world has its own requirements,”

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6 Dugan’s Column

8 Doing it

Naturally

9 Brown County

12 Baldwin

Snapshot

Family Farm

10 Maple Grove 2 Ohio Farmers Farm 4 Ohio Mills ensure purity, tests each 13 Events truck load that enters the Around Ohio 20 Biotechnology 10 Wind Power facility, and has each lot tested at the state in Agriculture certification lab to support 12 Recognizing 14 Bee-utiful Bees their guarantee of 99.5 Farm Conference focuses on marketing to consumers Small

David Martin (left), the president of Bluegrass Farms of Ohio in Jeffersonville, recently led a tour of this facility for an Israeli delegation. The tour showcased local businesses as trade opportunities for Israel.

16 Biggest Local

Standard Wilmington News Journal Permit No. 10 Wilmington, Ohio Post Office

Farm Sale in 20 years

One of the most said David Martin, the important components of president of Bluegrass Farms. “Bluegrass Farms of Bluegrass Farms’ soybean products is how they are Ohio can accommodate handled in the field. any combination of “We have developed a cleaned, unclean, bulk or Ephemerals percent purity. very extensive program bagged products. We can At the Jeffersonville that protects the integrity also vary the cleaning Issue directly 4 consumers purchase to the By GARY BROCK of our grain,” said Martin. facility, there are process to meet your Awholesome Sweet and safe consumers,” he told sort soybeans “We use our own internal machines toEditor needs. If a rough cleaning 2012 Dodge Business Ram 3500 those attending the products, he said. by weight, size, and even measurements, as well as of the product is ordered, There isboth a robotic an longer independent weBycan accommodate His• DODGE opening session opening night seminar. CHRYSLER WILMINGTON -cows. U.S. dairy farms producers of which and enabled it to becolor. Maribeth Uralriththe • JEEP that precisely loadslocal” inspection agency, Later, to order and reduce the of 30 held “The177 was one number produce almost billionone their shipped farther. witharmreinforce maribeth2@hotmail.com The “buy Beef Prices Up at pallets, and a by help insuredevelopment the viabilityof the communities costs. If a precision 33 Dodge City Drive, Peebles, OH pounds trend of milkinannually further 2011 for Wilmington College movement that has startsall 50 here Clinton County Itincludes turntable contraption that reliability transportation of our cleaned product that must www.bobmalcom.com 587-2621 • 800-956-6727 with states contributing to the local Dairy cows have been andrefrigerated from Ohio State, the 2282896 consumers is ‘local sparked an increased pallet. Our strongest have high quality and Alpacas and Puertoto Rico; however, economy each though support and methods to ward off shrink-wraps an important part of life in process. livestock export station home U.S. Department of foods,’” he said. demand for locally Most enter attribute our ability to visual standards most milk only travels ofsoybeans businesses and and the spoilageis dairy farming America since isthe first Bluegrass’s unique varieties required, Farmsin isolate One of Agriculture industry grown station. Livestock The animals and 100HUFFENBERGER miles to the get top food community tax and base.produced about began to increase. Today inleave By GARY English Bluegrass settlers arrived in processing facility without and protect them from ofJamestown Ohio can process any recently has been from thetrends dairy to the local dairies, Ohio’s the United States there are America’s in the early foods means that those were fed,experts, watered along and with a ghuffenberger@wnewsj.com everincluded, being touched by unwanted standard requested.” grocery.the Dairy is the by are important over more than 60,000 1600s. As pioneers and trade show, for small demand providedCrisis an opportunity farmers and producers human hands, making It isthat very The soybeans handled one agricultural contributors the nation’s U.S. dairy farms settlers continued to move contamination. to to take afarmers rest afterthat being Three thousand head offered consumers who want who to know how to number the perfect choice manage atwest Bluegrass business in California, overall economy. Each provide to milk, cheese, and them along include: with them went important trucked Rockhold from Nebraska. of Blackknow Angus heifers,their all food athat can information where market inproducer foodand sell their Wisconsin, each stagetoofU.S. production. specialty soybeans, tofu, New York, dollar the yogurt consumers. for inclusion their cattle. Each family cannotabevariety on a of pregnant with girl calves, like sauce, every doproducts miso, foodcows grade, We concentrate benefit comes from, who is Cattle products directly First Generation Idaho, receives insoy milk sales, in to Pennsylvania, Ohio’s DairyonFarmers keptsoymilk, two or more truck more thansaid 28 Tony Nye, used theproducing Feed The World andmore tofu.can increase stage of production from non-GMO, and identitygrowers, it and want to forFarmer Michigan, New Mexico, turn, tempe, generates more to contribute to the soymilk, with their "dry" times consumers consecutive hours, said “Our contract growers planting until preserved (FTW)buy livestock export and Maine and money going back into the Vermont, economy of the the final state of staggered,soybeans. so that they an OSU Extension products from as their farm income experience product delivered to thanhavecommunity. “Our have roots milk go back FTW Manager Randy station in Sabina lastdairy fall in California Ohio is and the country would year and Small close alone; to home asis Litwiller,educator substantially by doing specialty ourjust customers.” nearly 25As years when we who has more a resting aas$31 billionlocation industry American dairies’ produce milk. Along producing round. towns grew, Atley Brothers FarmofProgram said Mechling. Ohio State saidso, Martin. Bluegrass tests seeds began Identity Preserved than 20 years betweenpossible, a Nebraska employing 400,000-plus contribution to the with providing safe, high grains,” farmers kept more animals theymilk are planted, Grain as seed,” said milk before But farmers University Extensionpeople. husbandry dairiesand livestockcoordinator. economy and significance quality and dairy and sold any surplus isolationAmerican pasture and story continued on page 3 third-party Martin. “WeBecause are now Swearingen Francis Fluharty, a who to create aproducers ripple effect on wantexperience. is monumental byMark being products, milk producers, they had. milk was contracts educator Eastport, Maine, where of help to protect one of the leading building on the same agricultural create jobs, highly perishable, farmers inspections Family Farm ruminant nutritionist take advantage of the While in the truck, Mechling told those both they the boarded ships fields skills and and the movement agriculture activities the economy thetoenvironment, and could notknowledge live very far the cattlewith don’tjoint lie down headed “buy forand Russia. appointments local” attending theinSmall applying them to the economic well-being of U.S. On dairy farms, the contribute to the wellaway from consumers. and cows can’tOSU actually October 2011, with Extension to market andasell their Conference andruralInAmerica. food industry. Our trained Getting the When averageFarm herd size is 115 being of their pasteurization was When sleep standing up,Ohio FTW officially opened professionals select and the products directly to Trade Show in dairy farmer spends money cows with seventy-seven developed by Louis Pasteur communities. The dairies said. out Research docks athave its to Litwillermost cultivars that Agricultural consumers percentWilmington of dairy farmsMarch 9the loading in France in have the 1860s, the in the U.S. is an effective A convoy of 10 to of Corn unique facility follow and hasaon since page 3A continued having fewer than 100 blend of small and large processmilling kept milk safe and Development rigid and and 10. properties from the 12 trucks, each carrying received government also spoke to the precise set of rules 38 to 45 Center, “The biggest best plant breeding cattle, arrived approval for export designed to ensure together opening challenge that farmersprocessing. programs in the in Sabina.night attendees, country and link livestock have to overcome is It’s one of only six After discussing the cattle were these traits to marketing. to get their unloaded, they went approved, permanent specific uses “Ninety-nine over to the hay feeders products export inspection and within the food inside the facility andpercent of processing facilities in industry.” within an hour, all of the United States. the them were contented For the 3,000 head of Bluegrass Farms has state-of-the-art and lying down on four pregnant cattle, the technology to sort soybeans by weight, size, inches of shavings, FTW facility was used and even color. Most soybeans enter and leave Litwiller said. not as an inspection site Bluegrass's processing facility without ever but rather as a resting story continued on page 3 being touched by human hands.

June 2012 consumers of your 1B Keeping an products have no idea eye on rising Serving TheareCommunity Since 1960 how your livestock energy costs

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raised,” Fluharty said. To remain 1182 W. Main St.,Wilmington Farming: competitive as foreign (937) 382-3858 www.billmarineford.com Business food production markets grow, he said local and Pleasure farmers: “Need to market local, market Agriculture organic and market high and the Arts value.” In fact, he said surveys show that Agricultural experts are almost 80 percent predicting a record year for corn of local production in the state and consumers possibly throughout the nation. want to purchase This colossal corn If the weather had not locally-produced crop is based on prices gotten cold again after food. and earlier than normal the 80-degree days that Fluharty also pointed warm weather, according occurred in April, corn out that peoples’ to the Ohio Corn and would already be perception of the Wheat Growers starting to sprout, Farmers warned Association. according to agriculture welfare of the animals If farmers projected acres are against signing oil has an impact on their wishing to take officials. Because the By GARY BROCK realized, there will be an weather has been good greater risks with Editor-Publisher purchasing decisions. and gas leases with approximate 4.1 millionhigher value “niche” lately, many farmers “We have to be positive, increase from began planting earlier said Dale2011 Farmers have never acre crops, agents for big oil and believe in what we according than normal. Berjliner, with theto needed help more thannationally, do,” he said. the USDA. As of April 29 last Clinton County office companies they need it today. The Mechling “Inof2011, thereService were year, only one percent of the Farm The good news is workshop gave Agency.acres of corn the corn crop had been that help is available 91,921,000 participants information andsaid forfarmers 2012, it’s can planted in Ohio, here in southern Ohio plantedHe on issues including: that there will according to the United receive assistance, to help smaller acreageestimated acres and States Department of including funding farmers with all the be 95,864,000 obstacles to marketing to help them Agriculture National insurance planted,” said Adam problems they meat; labeling; the limit the theirAgriculture risk in Agricultural Statistics encounter in 2012 - Shepard, meanings of grass-fed, growingResources smaller from crop decisions to and Natural Service. In comparison, antibiotic-free, free but higher acreage financial assistance. Extension Educator at as of April 22 this year, range, organic and valueOhio cropsState such as It is time to think outthe local 34 percent of corn has grain-fed; how to find strawberries, lima of the box. University Extension been planted. the right processor; and asparagus beans, That is the message Office. “And any timeand Then just one week how to price a product. crops. given those attending cornsimilar increases, soybeans later on April 29, 57 “Farmer can capture want atobit. provide the “Resources: How have to“We go down In percent of the corn crop to those assistance do I Find the Info I 2011, more of those retail there were had been planted. Outdoor Power Equipment Experts farmersacres who provide Need” seminar March 74,976,000 of “Although input prices food dollars by selling •Sales t GARYinBROCK Turf Equipmenrunning “niche” crops and 10 at Wilmington door. “And they comes haven’t 80swhere lease in. By years. from his greenhouse the the 20s. His degrees as theif seed from the the heat comes By STEVE TRIPLETT soybeans planted are high for corn, there directly to the According topart theof the compared •heService products to Collele, already,” warned, An oilby company w.ofsApril hafand ferproduce directother .gbrock@recordherald.com com "I believe the first wwfirst furnace, which runs up. After that we will “they produced the sun.cannot striplett@newsdemocrat.com to the is still good money to be consumers that they’reOhio Department he said. made from it,” said consumers,” “Small Farmof will soon.” step foot is onwhen a landowner’s tomatoes in them until Thanksgiving. on any kind Rd., of pelletized lower that to 68," Nighttime it can 2012 number projected 1271 Wayne Wilmington, OH Parts • about 128 E. 22were & 3 sold Maineville, OH leaving on the table Natural Conference” TWO Resources held ... that of 73,902,000.” FSA representative Shepard. “Also for some farm The stand the way getproperty And to do any drilling, After shivering 1993. We started erecting "We think by doing fuel, was the fritz. Hall.to"At nointime a little tricky. During (were 8on 6table 6couple ) 7and 01sits -looks 20at50 said when they sell LOCATIONS 513) 2 39-6024 lettuces County, the"We dining of a farm family making the allextracting, of that • Currently,weekend. there are 47 through a cold winter (three(greenhouses) we could run burning while the tomato is those yearschanging he has had Infrom Ohio,Fayette there are 3.8 of the larger growers, as a Anddrilled there is money million acres of corn horizontal wells over the wrong decision when wells, reopening a existing here in southern Ohio, before that," said Hall throughout the winter. corn, butfive-page the pricelease of growing do we want it an to some closeproduct calls like they were able to in Ohio. and aid for those document. It is nearly 5 it beagent says sign on the running well - anything continued on page 3A prepare their fields last people would line up for a recalling the beginning of They are a little more corn has caught up and below 64“Just degrees." out of gasatatall, to be planted, expected Mark Mechling, OSU Extension Educator, opens the 2012 Small Conference night.night, continued A leasing agent sitting line,” ArnoldFriday travels dotted permit from the page•3A without ODNR estimates that by job where the his venture away from cold tolerant," said Hall. isp.m. more efficient to burn OfFarm course bright but anever has he on which is a 12 percent summer for this year’s

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Get Ready, Spring is Almost Here!

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temperature in January and February is always in the 80s and the sun tan is free. Such are the working conditions at LH Sundance on Evans Road south of Georgetown. Owner Larry Hall grows hydroponic tomatoes in three large greenhouses on his farm. Hall has a degree in chemistry that has come in very handy for the operation he created. In 1993 Hall started a new chapter in his life after raising the normal local crops, tobacco, corn and soybeans, for a number of

tobacco. The only type of tomato Hall grows is the Beefstake variety. These tomatoes fit nicely on a juicy cheeseburger or smaller ones go well sliced up in salads. He gets a nice variety to market to local grocery stores where consumers find a tempting array in packaging. Hall is considering doing lettuces and greens in the future. But make no mistake about it; tomatoes are king on the Hall Farm. If things go well Hall will start to sell tomatoes

the end of 2012, the state across from from county Ohio propane. Wethem also tells triedthem sunshiny days to arecounty had anyDepartment damage. of natural increase from 2011. corn crop.” I will have approximately that they need to meeting with farmers Resources. This Daytime "A few years agopermit whenisn’t coal but found wesign hadit so appreciated. 250 horizontal wells drilled. they can get it recorded conducting and wegranted the oil or some problems with it,"the temps in the seminars greenhouses had theuntil ice storm, wegas • By the end of 2013, nextHall. day with the County “awareness raising” producer has whole permission said go into almost lost the approximately 750 Auditor’s meetings to keep the the greenhouse," That "I from the farmer. The fueloffice. of choice for said Hall. horizontal wells will the farm couple Butright farmers in the loop on both had a written permission Hall now is woodjust two smallisgenerators. be drilled. isn’t sure. So they place a the law and their rights.OuIthad pellets. A silo stands wew rented dlease. oone orand Po er Equi•pBy m ent Experts the end of 2014, We are Growing call. the greenhouses Arnold says that when he one because Arnold points out that beside they were Tuthere rf Eareqasuipm ent 1,500 approximately call full that of ‘the 4:40 gets calls from land owners with any lease, and“We is kept fuel. continued on page 6A wells will call,’” said Dale p.m. concerned about signing a problems many w wand .s h afferdirhorizontal ect.co m wissues "We try to keep it A Farm Father be drilled. Arnold, Ohio first E. thing lease, the128 as there are to resolveOH between 72-77Farm Bureau 1271 Wayne Rd., Wilmington, OH 22he& tells 3 Maineville, TWO • By the end of 2015, Director of Energy Policy. them is… don’t. properties. Unfortunately, 866) 701-2050 Ups& Downs approximately (2,250 LOCATIONS 3) 2 39-6some 024 Ohio farmers ( 51before, 2263529 And when that call is In 2012, as never have horizontal wells will the gas and oil resources learned the hard way that of Alpacas be drilled. “These tomatoes aremade, not “That is when the ‘good guys’ come in,” he under the farm land is not all leases are fair, not all actually grown in water. said. highly valued. And today, leases take all issues into “The lease they will hand Grappling with They are watered but theyArnold are is one of the there are new technologies account, and not all leases you is very speculative,” he Grapes “good guys.” As head of the making the extraction of provide the money to the grown in Perlite for a rooting said. The best way to tell? Farm Bureau’s energy this natural energy under farmer that the minerals on media. Hydroponic simply Arnold said he asks the and policies, he issues ground easier easier at the or her property is worth. his farmer how many pages is Summer Jobs means it is not grown in soil. works to help protect least for the oil ad gas But once you sign on the the lease agreement the on the Farm It's a soil-less media." farmers from making companies. dotted line… agent is asking him to sign? wrong decisions when gas And the oil and gas under “When an oil or gas lease If it is between three and and oil lease agents come the farmer’s land has never agent approaches farmers, Niche Crops five pages long, then he knocking at their been more valuable. That is we tell them first that there said the farmer must be are two types of agents: very wary. The CornOne who works directly for “They are written very Ethanol an oil company, and can generally and have open give you all the lease Connection farm provisions. technology Outdoor Power Equipment Experts information and details you in the oil and gas drilling Turf Equipment need - and that is about 20 industry is changing I Believe percent of them - or one rapidly. You don’t know www.shafferdirect.com who work with a number what kind of drilling 1271 Wayne Rd., Wilmington, OH 128 E. 22 & 3 Maineville, OH TWO OSU Extension of companies,” Arnold method the company will (866) 701-2050 LOCATIONS ( 513) 2 39-6024 said. use - either the traditional funds county Arnold said the land vertical method or the new development owners will encounter horizontal method,” Arnold post this second type of said. lease agent about 80 And the difference for the percent of the time. land owner is very Food Marketing

It's important to keep heat in the greenhouses during the winter. The price of fuel has a big effect on his bottom line. Hall has several heat sources available. He was running propane gas the day The News Democrat was there with a temperature outside

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• Field cultivating costs increased by 11 percent, from $8.80 per acre to $9.80 per acre. • Planting costs increased by 14 percent, from $11.10 per acre up to $12.70 per acre.

Schnitkey notes there are always factors influencing machinery cost changes from year to year. The following are key factors influencing machinery costs between 2010 and 2012: • Machinery prices have increased. Prices of new machinery have increased for most machines between 2010 and 2012. For example, the list price of a 215 horsepower tractor in 2012 is $215,000. A comparably sized tractor in 2010 had a list price of $181,500. Between 2010 and 2012, the price of this tractor has increased by 18 percent. The impact of price increases is to increased machinery costs. • Interest rates have declined. When calculating 2010 costs, a 6 percent interest rate is used. A 5 percent interest rate is used in calculating 2012 costs. The impact of an interest rate decline is to reduce machinery costs.

calculating costs in 2010. A $3.50 per gallon price is used for calculating 2012 costs. The impact of a fuel price increase is to increase in machinery costs.

• Labor prices have increased. A labor charge of $16 per hour is used in 2010 and a $17 per hour charge is used in 2012. The impact of the increase in labor charge was to increase machinery costs. • Combining costs are estimated at $35.80 in 2010. The 2012 cost is $33.70 per acre. Combining costs have declined because acres covered by a combine are increased. In 2010, costs are estimated using 1,400 acres were combined. In 2012, costs are estimated given that 1,900 acres were combined. Use has a large impact on all costs. In summary, Schnitkey noted that machinery costs generally have increased between 2010 and 2012. Estimated cost increases would have been larger had not interest rates declined. He warns producers that machinery costs will increase in the future if interest costs begin to rise.

• Fuel prices have increased. A $2.80 per gallon diesel fuel price is used in

Tony Nye is the OSU Extension Educator, Clinton County Agriculture and Natural Resources.

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July 2012

Kat Fahrer McKay served as story-time presenter in June at the Snappin’ Asparagus and Strawberry Jam near Clarksville in Clinton County, Ohio.

Farm’s festivals a celebration of rural life By GARY HUFFENBERGER ghuffenberger@wnewsj.com Underlying the farm festivals that have sprung up in the countryside is probably a desire to celebrate the rural life, both on the part of farm operators and those stopping by. Jon Branstrator, the sole proprietor of Branstrator Farm near Clarksville, in Clinton County, has held two Fall Harvest Bashes and two Snappin’Asparagus and Strawberry Jams, the second one just occurring on June 9. “We’re doing this as kind of a community event. Our goal is to break even,” he chuckled as he broke away from the visitors June 9.

Due to an unusually warm spring, the asparagus season was over when the Jam was held, but farm guests could be seen combing and searching for strawberries in the distance, U-picking their way through Branstrator Farm’s eight strawberry acres. Branstrator said the family-friendly farm festivals give the visiting families and their young children something to do, “to come out and structure an afternoon and not break the bank, and with the price of fuel they don’t have to drive far.” Branstrator Farm encompasses 170 acres, he said, which is a pretty

small farm in today’s farm acreage. “I’m not really looking to become more expansive; I’m looking to becoming more intensive,” said Branstrator. Accordingly, he said he’s doing more in the “agritainment realm.” Branstrator said other growers have started out wholesaling their fruits and vegetables, and “as they get older and smarter they bring everything to their farm and set up a market and have events because there’s a huge hunger or demand from people in the city to come out and spend a day in the country.”

And when Nature decides to cooperate, a farm festival can be a wonderful thing filled with nice vistas and down-to-earth folks. Ah, yes, the weather. Always an uncontrollable element of a farm manager’s living. At the inaugural Snappin’ Asparagus and Strawberry Jam in 2011, the strawberry field at Branstrator Farm “just barely had strawberries,” said the seasoned 56-year-old Branstrator. This year, he picked his first strawberries on April 30, with the festival not until June 9. “We have had our best strawberry year ever,” he said. Branstrator supplies strawberries to the small, high-end, high- quality grocery chain Dorothy Lane near Dayton at its Springboro, Oakwood and Washington Square stores. He has help, lots of it, for his festivals. “It’s complicated. You got to get a lot of signage and a lot of stuff organized,” said Branstrator. The Wilmington Collegesponsored Grow Food, Grow Hope community garden initiative provides a lot of volunteers through its AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America) participants, and Branstrator’s friends help out, too. “So it’s really turned out to be a community thing,” he said. His farm festivals have been publicized and promoted at farmers markets in which he

participates, plus through web-based approaches. For this coming fall, he plans to do a series of farm festivals to provide opportunities for people to pick pumpkins and enjoy time out in the country. It seems that more people have expectations of farm festivals in the autumn than in the spring, and seek them out in the fall, he commented. “We’re kind of just figuring it out as we go,” he said. Pumpkins are a good business for him, he said. He also grows strawberries, peaches, three acres of asparagus, tomatoes, winter squash, as well as the more traditional corn, soybeans and wheat. “Now I’m just way too busy,” he remarked. Branstrator grew up on the North George Road farm in west-central Clinton County that’s been within the family since 1821. As a young man, “being a very adventuresome grower who wanted to grow a lot of different crops,” he and his father disagreed on what to produce. “To my dad, that (suggesting different produce) was kind of a heresy,” he said. The younger Branstrator decided to take some time off the family farm and went to Costa Rica, where he worked with a seed company and produced sorghum seed and other things. After his father had passed away, he came back to the family farm where he grew grain but wasn’t

Jon Branstrator, proprietor of Branstrator Farm near Clarksville, Ohio, has held two Fall Harvest Bashes and two Snappin’ Asparagus and Strawberry Jams at his farm. Photo from branstratorfarm.com

making much money and with the help of an area producer, ventured into high-value crops. Overall, pumpkins are easier to manage than strawberries, he said, but he does now have a strawberry nursery. At the June festival, there was food available for meals under roof inside a large out-building on the farm, and live music fanning out from a nearby open barn door spot. There were several children’s activities set up including facepainting, a game of bottle toss and story time. Farm festivals, he mused, also help enable people to appreciate the seasonableness of food and enjoy things in their season — and “to not eat January tomatoes, they’re not good.” For updates on the upcoming autumn events at Branstrator Farm, visit www.branstratorfarm.com. ——— Gary Huffenberger is a staff writer for the Wilmington News Journal.

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ACRES of Southwest Ohio

By PAT LAWRENCE patlawrence@cinci.rr.com

Farm Scapes

Designing for the Great Outdoors

Farmers tend to be practical, frugal and fond of cleared land, so for many, a hanging basket or two meets the need for property beautification. Spending hard-earned cash for flowers and trees can go against the grain. Still, nothing improves the great outdoors like some planning, some planting and a little design work. Landscaping enhances the beauty and value of any home, including a farmhouse, not just for the future, but for the people living in it now. Local landscape designers have become very familiar with farmers’ reluctance to invest in landscaping. Steve Boehme of Good Seed Farm has been helping residents from Adams and the surrounding counties with their plant and landscaping

needs for years. He says, “To farmers, trees are obstacles to be mowed around. Wooded land has no value to them. Plus, people around here were profoundly influenced by the depression. They, and their children, are reluctant to spend money on anything that isn’t essential. Landscaping isn’t part of their lifestyle.” Rob Steffen, a Clermont County landscape designer who also works in Highland, Brown and Clinton Counties, appreciates a farmer’s reticence to come home and work outdoors. He says, “Besides the time and energy for maintenance, there’s the cost of plants, the planting and the watering. Landscaping around a farm is different than in town; there’s a lot of space and a lot of sun. Still, with a plan

and the proper choices, a welcoming landscape doesn’t need to be expensive or time consuming. Even the best plan won’t allow for ‘no maintenance’ but it can be low maintenance. The thing is to make it look good enough to make the small effort pay off.” Certain design principles are critical for a farmscape plan. The first is scale which involves the relation of the size and number of plants to the size of the house. Steffen says, “The vastness of large acreage will dwarf a single row of plants but farms offer an opportunity for mass plantings of inexpensive perennials like coneflowers, coreopsis or black-eyed Susan that provide big splashes of color and require virtually no tending. Groups of iris and daylilies look

amazing, and they’re affordable. Daylillies -and there are hundreds of colors and types- look great clumped together or in rows. Plus, they’re weed-free when established and multiply quickly. With a lot of space, it’s also easy to go heavy on bulbs. They’re virtually carefree and have the most spectacular flowers. Farms are also perfect for prairie gardens filled with native plants, wildflowers and decorative grasses that attract butterflies, feed birds and fit in nicely with the farm setting. Native perennials cost less, need less water and take less work but still offer plenty of color and diversity, so when possible, go native.” Steve Boehme says, “Ornamental grasses will do well almost anywhere. Most

are adaptable, forgiving about soil, deer resistant, and once established, drought tolerant, making them ideal for growing where water is limited or difficult to transport. They also make excellent screen plants to hide propane tanks and air conditioners.” Rob Steffen likes the tall white white plumes of Eulalia grass, or Morning Light. “They bloom from summer to winter, spreading 6-12 inches each year in full sun or light shade. Zebra grass, named for its light yellow bands across each blade, is another choice. It’s bold, tough, easy to grow and the blooms are longlasting. Grasses look handsome in large containers, too. Tall grasses set in a pair of iron or terra cotta pots flanking a doorway or garden entrance can be very dramatic.” The other essential design principle in farmscaping is balance. Steffen says, “Balance doesn’t mean things are perfectly symmetrical, just that they are aesthetically pleasing. Symmetry makes a garden more formal, and asymmetry makes it less formal, but the sense of balance is what makes it beautiful.” Steve Boehme says, “The perfectly symmetrical, treelined driveway is a farm favorite. Unfortunately, it’s complicated. The trees must be the same size, from the same place and planted at the same time so they grow the same way. Fast-growing trees like Silver Maple, catalpa and poplar can be cheaper initially but the fastest growing trees often have the most problems and the shortest lives. Catalpas have wonderful blossoms in spring, but they’re messy and prone to pests. Bradford pears split easily and are extremely susceptible to weather damage. Silver maples are cheap and grow quickly, but they’re really a

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big weed and since they want to grow 60-70 feet tall, it takes professional pruning to keep them looking good. It’s better to plant the right tree the first time, like Cleveland pears which have the beauty of Bradfords without the problems or London Planetree, a diseaseresistant cousin of American Sycamore. Around the house, weeping cherry trees are a popular choice, but they’ll eventually grow to 30 feet tall and 20 feet wide if not constantly pruned back. Once they grow too large for the space, most people remove them and start over. There are some gorgeous Magnolia hybrids that work well in clay soil, making Magnolias a better choice for most of our area than Dogwoods, which prefer well-drained soils.” Rob Steffen discourages clients from the traditional matching lines of trees. “It’s so hard to maintain, and if one tree dies or there’s a blight or disease, you lose the whole thing. Better to

plant a variety of deciduous trees and evergreens along the drive. If one dies, it’s easily replaced.” For hedges, Boehme likes the new, non-invasive, sterile Rose of Sharon hybrids, Knock Out® Roses or, “If you have a welldrained, full-sun location, blueberry bushes make a good hedge when grown in and established. Even though they must be heavily mulched, they offer blooms in spring, shiny foliage, stunning fall color -and fruit.” For hedge elements, Steffen often chooses lilacs or serviceberry trees. “Serviceberries are incredibly versatile. As a small tree or larger shrub, they grow in average soil with average moisture. In spring, they’re covered with flowers and later in the season, birds love their red berries. And, there are dwarf varieties of many favorite trees; with the right choices of plant material,

maintenance becomes annual fertilization not constant cutting and hacking!” Rather than adding or expanding a vegetable or herb garden,the professionals recommend incorporating those plants as part of an edible landscaping theme. Showy herbs like basil or fruit like strawberries make a tasteful, textured border around the farmhouse. Stawberries multiply quickly, stop erosion and are mostly weed-free when densely grown in. Pear, peach and apple trees create shade and, maybe jam. Ornamental hot peppers, bell peppers and cherry tomatoes are decorative and nutritious. Additional herbs like marjoram, parsley, garlic, lemon balm, chives and dill add texture to the garden and flavor to the dinner table. The little extra watering, pruning, fertilizing, or pest management required by

most edible plants is easily justified by consumption. With annuals less than $12 a flat and a variety of flower box choices available for $25 or so, flower boxes installed on windows, stall doors, or front porch railings can be an engaging alternative to full plantings. Another option for adding color and interest is with farm-related container gardens placed on the front steps or porch. An old metal toolbox, tea kettle, watering can or colander can become a lovely, low-maintenance display of sedums or other succulents. “Simple decorative additions, like a wheelbarrow full of petunias make the landscape fun and personal,” says Steffen. “Most importantly, plant what you are willing to spend time on. And, remember, for many plants, a 69 cent, four-inch potted flower and a $5 gallon potted flower will look about the same by midseason. If it’s a perennial, next year, you won’t be able to tell any difference. Planting with

July 2012

smaller, immature plants is much cheaper. Unless you need shade immediately, plant a quart size tree rather than a gallon and be patient.” Barn landscaping is done on a bigger scale than house gardens since it is generally viewed from further away. It calls for fewer types of plants, in big clumps for emphasis. Hedging barn areas with fruit bushes can also serve as wind control. Trees and shrubs should be planted far enough from the building so they won’t rub the sides of barn, take off paint, damage roof shingles or grow into siding. It’s an old joke that farmers only recognize three

Hints from the Pro’s…

■ To control costs, buy fewer plants and space them far apart the first year. The following year, divide the plants to fill in the spaces between and continue dividing the plants each season until you have a thick border.

seasons - before harvest, harvest and after harvestbut landscaping is for all seasons. A variety of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs will create cooling shade in summer and accent the house in winter. Holly and shrubby dogwood provide colorful foliage from spring through fall, then offer red berries and crimson stems to contrast against the snow. It may be a challenge for farmers to adjust their attitude about planting for looks rather than production, but Rob Steffen says, “Landscaping is more than simply planting things around the house. Along with its functional components like wind breaks and edible gardening, landscaping is making the best use of available space for the people who see it and use it every day.”

■ Take notice of exposures to sun and wind. Many plants like sun, but there’s a big difference between morning sun and afternoon sun. Full sun is considered 6 or more hours of sunlight. Afternoon sun is from 10am-3pm, and mostly shade is less than 3 hours of sunlight. ■ Monochromatic gardens can be as effective as multiple colors. Accent a one-story farmhouse with whites like daisies and greens like hostas.

Pat Lawrence is a contributor to Acres of Southwest Ohio.

■ Add a building or open structure, like a decorative well, gazebo or split rail fencing, to large open acreage to give a focal point or starting point for landscaping. ■ Using too many ideas or plants or colors or garden flags in a limited space leads to lack of unity. A harmonious landscape has a rhythm created by the repetition of elements, whether its the use of curves, certain colors or certain plants. ■ Rather than single rows of flowers or plants, arrange them in more natural ooking clusters of 5-7. Don’t space them very far apart. ■ When there’s the possibility of winter plowing, plant hostas. Plowing won’t damage the plants in the off season, when they are dormant, underground and invisible. Snow can be piled where the hostas grew in summer.

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Taking Farm

SECURITY Seriously

By MARIBETH URALRITH maribeth2@hotmail.com At one time in the United Sates the word “farm” brought images to the mind of wholesomeness, lawn chairs under trees, neighbors chatting over fences, barn raisings and dances and a place where most Americans viewed they could safely raise a family - and all those images remain somewhat true today; however, in this day and age there is no place that is guaranteed safe from crime and that includes rural communities and farms as well. Protection of the farm is not as easy or as straightforward as it was decades ago. Recent studies have shown that rural residents are ten times more likely to be a victim of a crime today than they were twentyfive years ago. People who make their lives on the farm now must also consider steps to

eliminate the losses that occur to the rising number of “on the farm” and “rural” theft and burglaries. With property crime on U.S. farms increasing, with serious financial and personal losses for farmers, protection can mean the difference between safety and disaster. In recent years about 60 percent of farm owners have reported that they have been victimized at least once during their farming years. Many of these farmers reported that they were victims of multiple crimes over the years. The most frequently reposted farm crimes were damage to property that involved damages to fences and gates. Other types of crime included burglaries and vandalism of farm machinery, farm equipment, woods, livestock and their crops. There are various approaches that can be taken to protect people,

property and assets on the farm and in rural areas, whether you choose a high-tech approach such as electrical security systems or just add more locks and lights to your property, whichever approach, planning is the key in preventing crime on the farm. So what can be done to ensure the people, property and assets of the safe remain safe? There are several ways to deter criminals and protect your family and property from crime. Develop a Security Plan Checklist. Examples can be found on the internet. Assess your vulnerability - Evaluate the possible risk for burglary to better understand your situation. Be Aware. Access what things are visible from the road. Watch for things out of the norm. Law enforcement officials highly recommend installing a security system. Outdoor

cameras work well for vehicle identification, but placing indoor cameras at the point of entry are more successful at identifying someone. Become Community Involved. Get to know your neighbors. Help to be their extra eyes. Observe people or vehicles that possibly could be suspicious. Communicate with your neighbors if you suspect suspicious activity. With the age of cell phones, communicaton is much easier than years ago. When you become part of the community, more people care about what happens to you and crime statistics go down. Lock doors - You should install secured dead bolts on all exterior doors to your residence, barns, and other buildings on the property. Protect your buildings and machinery from thieves by keeping them locked up when not in use. It is also a good idea to add

commercial locks for sliding glass doors and install steel doors and frames which make it more difficult to break into. Secure windows — Windows are another entry point of burglars. .Make sure all windows are locked especially at night and when leaving the property. Install lighting — Illuminate your home, driveway, barns, and other buildings at night. Consider motion alarm sensors that turn on light when there is motion. Bright lights and good illumination will detour criminals causing them to think twice about approaching. It is also a good practice to use timers on a number of indoor lights in the home giving the impression that somebody is at home and active when gone for longer periods of time. The more lights on the property, the harder it is for criminals or vandals

to remain unseen. Secure perimeter — Securing the perimeter of your property and out buildings to help discourage thieves. Trim landscaping to increase visibility. Try to eliminate hiding places for possible burglars. Check the fences and hedges around your property to locate weak locations that could provide criminals or vehicles with unobserved access. If possible limit entry and access to your property. Secure your machinery, vehicles and tools — Equipment, machinery and tools are very important to thieves. Keep your vehicles locked or immobilized when they’re not being used. Do not leave your keys and valuables in cars, tractors and other vehicles or equipment. Do not leave machinery in secluded locations or fields primarily next to roads where they can be taken without notice.

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ACRES of Southwest Ohio Frequently inspect trucks, tractors, and other farm equipment for signs of tampering. Keep records — Keep a list of your tools along with any identifying marks and serial numbers. Obtain an identification number from local law enforcement and use it on all property for traceability purposes. Livestock can be identified with a tattoo; tools, machinery, and equipment can be identified with a permanent stamp. Grain can be identified with

July 2012 “confetti” that can be augured in with the grain. Post “No Trespassing” signs along property lines. All too often, signs are posted and forgotten, follow through by maintaining them on a regular basis Install locked gates across lanes and driveways to prevent easy access to your home and buildings and to deter non-farm traffic. Practice good inventory control. Maintain an up-to-date inventory of anhydrous ammonia, ammonium nitrate, bulk urea,

pesticides, herbicides, and other hazardous materials.. Supervise employees with access to these materials. Secure chemical containers inside buildings, whether they are empty or not. Inventory critical farm assets such as trucks and tractors, and review your inventory on a regular basis. Keep all above ground fuel tanks positioned in sight from the home and out of view from the road. Secure grain, hay and seed in locked silos or bins.

Do not put your name on the mailbox. Criminals have been known to look up a number and call to see if anyone answers; and, if no one does, they burglarize or vandalize the home and farm and steal or damage farm vehicles and equipment. Use animals to help provide security - The use of a barking dog and other animals can help detour intruders and alert you of their presence. Often, dogs become aware before their owners of the presence of intruders on the farm.

Barn Security As with houses, garages and automobiles, unsecured barns can be enticing targets for criminals, a fact that Jennifer Brown knows all too well. The horse trainer and Wyandot County Ohio resident lost more than $13,000 in harnesses and related equipment in May when opportunistic thieves entered one of her open barns and helped themselves to her equipment. In addition to anger, the crime left Brown with a loss of trust, a sense of violation and a feeling of regret. "It's disappointing and frustrating because you know there's things that can be done to perhaps prevent it from happening," Brown said. Stories like Brown's are all too common among barn owners, in part

Whether they are working dogs or family pets, dogs will often deter criminals. Talk with your local or county sheriff or State police office to find out if your farm or facility is subject to any specific risks based on its locality. Arrange to have a security survey of your facility by local law enforcement or your insurance agent. Request local law enforcement to routinely conduct patrols along your facility’s perimeter. Immediately report any unusual or suspicious persons,

vehicles, or activity to local law enforcement. With the rising number of incidents and theft on farms and in rural areas today, farm security can present challenges for producers. While it may be difficult to address every aspect of potential criminal threats to the farm and farm property, taking a few simple steps can limit criminal activity and help protect the farm from harm. ■ Maribeth Uralrith is a contributor to Acres of Southwest Ohio.

By Devon Immelt dimmelt@delgazette.com

because most barns are located in rural areas, far from population centers and, many presume, criminals. The common mentality is that crime is a city problem only. It's a mindset that makes barn owners particularly susceptible to crime and one that's difficult to change, said Rob Leeds, director of the Ohio State University's Delaware County Extension Office. "We don't think much about crime when we grow up in a rural area where theft isn't a major concern. But as populations grow, you have change in the area and you need to be more cognizant of the people and things going on around you," Leeds said. "We're not used to that and sometimes that mental change is a more difficult hurdle to overcome than is

taking the time to lock the doors." Compounding the problem, Leeds said, is the fact that unlike houses, many barns are not built with security in mind. Criminals know this and look for easy targets. They appear to be doing so more frequently, too, according to Dan Rapp, senior director of business development with the Ohio Farm Bureau. The Ohio Farm Bureau operates a property protection program that has been in existence for more than 20 years. The program is endorsed by the Buckeye State Sheriff's Association and is widely considered a deterrent to crime in rural areas. The program pays out a $2,500 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of someone

who committed arson, malicious injury to property and burglary on a Bureau member's property. Rapp has seen the number of cash rewards presented each year by the program rise from eight to 12 a year on average to 12 to 15 on average for the past few years, an indication that rural property theft is increasing. "My sense is that this type of crime is on the rise and that's indicative of the current state of the economy," Rapp said of thefts from barns. Still, most thefts from barns are preventable crimes, Rapp said. To lessen the chances that your barn or tool shed will become a target for thieves, Rapp and law enforcement agencies recommend barn owners continued on page 8A

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Boosting Dairy Cattle Fertility: New technologies, outreach go hand in hand COLUMBUS — Increasing the reproductive efficiency of dairy cattle — getting the highest possible number of cows pregnant in the same period of time — has always been a challenge for this industry. Ohio State University specialists are working to reverse this trend through the development of new reproduction techniques and training that emphasizes proper management.Currently, the national pregnancy rate for dairy cows is only 16 percent, while the benchmark rate set by industry experts is 10 points higher, said Gustavo Schuenemann, Ohio State University Extension’s state dairy veterinarian. Ohio’s rate is about the national average, he pointed out, so there’s room for improvement. Lower pregnancy rates are an issue for the dairy industry because they translate into reduced herd growth and potential loss of profits, said Mike Day, an animal scientist with the university’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC). “Dairy cows work hard every day,” he said. “That makes it more difficult for farmers to increase reproduction rates.”One way dairy farms can boost their reproduction efforts is the use of artificial insemination (AI) and estrus (heat) synchronization techniques. Working with industry partners, Day and his research team have pioneered a new fixed-time AI protocol — known as “5-day CO-Synch + CIDR”

— that better synchronizes a cow’s estrus cycle so that AI can be administered when cows are more fertile. A recommended practice within the beef cattle industry nationwide, this protocol has been successfully tested on beef cows, resulting in 60 to 70 percent of animals getting pregnant within one day — a 17.5-percent increase compared to industry standards. Day and colleagues calculated that if 5-day CO-Synch + CIDR were implemented with just 10 percent of Ohio’s roughly 500,000 beef and dairy cows, the total economic benefit would easily surpass $5 million in savings and increased production.This protocol is now being studied in dairy heifers and cows by researchers at various locations across the country, Day said. The hope is that this approach will increase fertility in dairy cattle compared to current protocols, giving farmers another tool to inch closer to their reproductive goals.While technology is an important factor in boosting reproductive efficiency of dairy cattle, it’s not the solution by itself, according to OSU Extension’s Schuenemann.”There’s no magic bullet,” said Schuenemann, who develops and coordinates research-based, practical training workshops for dairy producers, personnel and veterinarians throughout Ohio. “There are many tools out there — from synchronization protocols to

BARN SECURITY continued from page 7A

identify points of venerability and eliminate them. "An open or unlocked barn door means easy entry and exit for a thief who is looking to make a quick buck," said acting Delaware County Sheriff Scott Vance. But locks are just a start, Vance said. Exterior lighting is a big deterrent to thieves and barn owners should keep their property well lit. If possible, install OSU Extension state dairy veterinarian Gustavo Schuenemann offers training workshops to the dairy industry. (Photo by Giovana a motion light and, depending on how Covarrubias) expensive the items being heat detection to measuring farm, its resources, its stored in a barn are, cow activity — but objectives and the skill of its consider a security camera, regardless of the tool a workers,” Schuenemann he said. farmer may use, proactive explained. "It's also important that management practices at the “All dairy farmers are people record the serial farm level matter when it unique, even if they are only numbers from their comes to reproduction.”One a mile apart from each property and mark their of the things Schuenemann other. So it’s very important so they can be tools emphasizes in his training to assess human resources identified if stolen." While programs is proper on the farm. Some may the advice comes too late management during the adopt techniques that are for Brown, whose transition period, which is more time-sensitive and three to four weeks prior to cost more in calving and approximately synchronization hormones, one month post-calving. but which have the potential This, he said, is “key to for higher pregnancy rates. reproductive success.” Others may do better with Some of the issues that heat detection and trying to dairy farmers need to take advantage of normal address during this crucial estrus.”You don’t want a period include avoiding farmer to fail because he overstocking of animals and picked a technique that commingling (mixing doesn’t work for his together) of mature cows conditions. Every farm is an with heifers; making sure integrated system; decisions cows get balanced food made on one area of the rations; and having a farm will have an impact on reliable and well-trained other areas of the farm.” group of workers who can Ohio State resources for properly handle calving and dairy farmers are available identify and assist cows that at dairy.osu.edu and experience difficult births as vet.osu.edu/extension/dairy well as sick cows after -resources calving.Proactive /vet.osu.edu/extension/dairy management also involves -resources. OARDC and choosing the right tool or set OSU Extension are the of tools to maximize research and outreach arms, reproductive success.”The respectively, of Ohio State’s choice of reproduction College of Food, protocol needs to match the Agricultural, and particular conditions of each Environmental Sciences.

ACRES of Southwest Ohio livelihood depends on her ability to work with the horses under her care, she is working to ensure that she isn't victimized again, including by adding motion detector lights to her barn security plans. Fortunately for Brown, her insurance plan covered her losses - she listed barn and stable structures on her policy. Most barn insurance policies cover things like water pumps, fixtures, furniture and equipment including motors and outdoor equipment that pertain to operations. When it comes to insurance, barn owners need to make sure their policy is up-to-date, Rapp said. But in the end, insurance should be considered a last line of defense. The old adage "prevention is better than the cure" applies to barn security, too. Devon Immelt is editor of The Delaware Gazette.

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ACRES of Southwest Ohio

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Highland COUNTY AGRICULTURE SNAPSHOP

N CLINTO

AND HIGHL S ADAM N BROW

2007 CENSUS OF

Look for ulture more Agric in ts snapsho ns future editio! of Acres

County Profile

Market Value of Products Sold ...........$67,374,000 .......$43,585,000 .........+55 Crop Sales $50,389,000 (75 percent) Livestock Sales $16,985,000 (25 percent) Average Per Farm....................................$45,006 ..............$31,560 .........+43 Government Payments..........................$5,694,000 .........$4,809,000 .........+18 Average Per Farm Receiving Payments..........$5,418.................$6,095...........-11

Quantity

Farms by value of sales: Less than $1,000 .....................................................................577 $1,000 to $2,499 .....................................................................129 $2,500 to $4,999 .....................................................................136 $5,000 to $9,999 .....................................................................119 $10,000 to $19,999 .................................................................124 $20,000 to $24,999 ...................................................................35 $25,000 to $39,999 ...................................................................85 $40,000 to $49,999 ...................................................................33 $50,000 to $99,999 .................................................................101 $100,000 to $249,999 ...............................................................89 $250,000 to $499,999 ...............................................................48 $500,000 or more......................................................................21 Total farm production expenses ($1,000) .............................59,772 Average per farm ($)............................................................39,928 Net cash farm income of operation ($1,000) ........................17,135 Average per farm ($)............................................................11,446

Operator Characteristics

Quantity

Principal operators by primary occupation: Farming................................................................................................622 Other ....................................................................................................875 Principal operators by sex: Male ..................................................................................................1,272 Female..................................................................................................225 Average age of principal operator (years)............................................56.7 All operators by race: American Indian or Alaska Native ............................................................3 Asian ........................................................................................................1 Black or African American.........................................................................Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.................................................2 White.................................................................................................2,224 More than one race ..................................................................................8 All operators of Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino Origin.................................9

Land in Farms by Type of Land

Cropland 75.32% Other uses 4.71% Posture 7.74% Woodland 12.23%

Farms by Size 600 500

Farms

400 300 200 100

1-9

10-49

50-179

180-499

500-999

Ranked items among the 88 state counties and 3,079 U.S. counties, 2007 MARKET VALUE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS SOLD ($1,000) Total value of agricultural products sold Value of crops including nursery and greenhouse Value of livestock, poultry, and their products

% 2002 change 2007 Number of Farms ...........................................1,497...................1,381 ............+8 Land in Farms...................................269,803 acres .....273,263 acres.............-1 Average Size of Farm ..............................180 acres ............198 acres.............-9

Economic Characteristics

Highland County â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ohio

Item

AGRICULTURE

1,000+

Acres/Farm

Information from www.agcensus.usda

State Quantity Rank

Universe

U.S. Rank

Universe

67,374 50,389 16,985

47 39 39

88 88 88

1,287 845 1,648

3,076 3,072 3,069

VALUE OF SALES BY COMMODITY GROUP ($1,000) 46,217 Grains, oilseeds, dry beans, and dry peas 358 Tobacco Cotton and cottonseed 534 Vegetables, melons, potatoes, and sweet potatoes 193 Fruits, tree nuts, and berries 1,647 Nursery, greenhouse, floriculture, and sod 14 Cut Christmas trees and short rotation woody crops 1,426 Other crops and hay 41 Poultry and eggs 10,659 Cattle and calves 3,290 Milk and other dairy products from cows 2,207 Hogs and pigs 383 Sheep, goats, and their products 360 Horses, ponies, mules, burros, and donkeys (D) Aquaculture (D) Other animals and other animal products

36 5 48 54 38 54 29 59 15 52 42 9 21 (D) 85

88 12 88 88 87 84 88 88 88 86 88 88 88 53 88

620 262 1,036 1,101 882 1,009 1,184 1,759 1,146 882 739 333 670 (D) (D)

2,933 437 626 2,796 2,659 2,703 1,710 3,054 3,020 3,054 2,493 2,922 2,998 3,024 1,498 2,875

93,244 44,803 22,835

17 39 17

87 88 88

214 639 928

2,039 2,634 3,060

7,168 1,712

35 33

87 86

840 723

2,481 2,263

19,454 12,415 3,537 2,303 1,734

21 37 7 2 22

88 88 88 88 88

1,450 648 301 226 717

3,060 2,958 2,891 3,023 3,066

TOP CROP ITEMS (acres) Soybeans for beans Corn for grain Wheat for grain, all Forage - land used for all hay and haylage, grass silage, and greenchop Corn for silage TOP LIVESTOCK INVENTORY ITEMS (number) Cattle and calves Hogs and pigs Sheep and lambs Quail Horses and ponies

July 2012

ACRES of Southwest Ohio

A Passion for Agriculture New ag educator excited about serving community By ADAM SHEPARD Shepard.95@osu.edu

From the day I accepted the position as Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Educator I have found myself immersed into all the history of the office. While I was looking through files and binders I have found everything from Fair programs from the 1950s to previous news articles from John and Larry. I find it interesting that although our paths to Extension have varied greatly our mission remains the same; educate and improve people’s lives through research and information focused on specific needs and issues. My start to the Extension office is a little different; I’m a home grown product of Fayette County. Having only moved to Columbus to obtain my Master’s degree from Ohio State I was never far from my family and friends here at home. Now I must say that for those of you who know me, I use the term “moved” extremely loosely. I am more of what you would call a “home body.” The extent of my “moving” was the one, two or three nights a week I would stay at our apartment all the while wishing I was home. There was little doubt in my mind as to where I would settle and raise my family after finishing school. There was also little question that I would ever do anything that was not involved with agriculture in some way shape or form. I had the opportunity to spend nearly every day of my childhood with my dad and grandparents working on the farm. Though some time has gone by a couple things have yet to change. My family is extremely important to me and my passion for agriculture in Fayette County is as strong as ever. Probably the biggest changes that have taken place within past couple years is the marriage to my wife Kelsey, who also works in agriculture at Cargill in Bloomingburg, and the upcoming addition to our family, Brantley, who is due to arrive around early July. Now I don’t need to tell you all that there is this little thing that happens during July in Fayette County that deals a great amount with my new position at the

Extension Office. I am greatly anticipating the week of fair and making sure it is a great learning experience for the kids and an enjoyable time for the entire family, but this year’s fair I’ll also be thinking about my newly expanded family. While I’m a little nervous I can’t help but be excited to welcome Brantley home, and also excited to work with the kids and try to make the fair a positive experience for everyone involved. While the fair seems to be a part of the job that most of the community associates with our office and my role in general, I’m quickly learning there is much more to it. I have the rare opportunity for an Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Educator in the state in that our county has a Research Farm located at the Fayette County Airport. We have the opportunity to conduct research in our county and use the farm to help educate growers which is something that not all counties have access to. I am also involved with commodity groups to promote agriculture in Fayette County. While I have not been in this position long, one thing that is for sure is that from the commodity groups to County Commissioners there is an immense amount of support for what Extension stands for and making our resources available to everyone in the community. Being a life-long resident of Fayette County I have had the chance to meet numerous people in the community but I look forward to meeting those of you that I have not. I plan to use this article to pass along information about current events in agriculture as well as any important dates that may apply. I also want to extend the invitation to contact me if there is something specific you would like more information about in an upcoming article. Adam Shepard is the Fayette County Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources. He can be reached at (740) 335-1150 or via e-mail at

Calendar of Events JULY The Ohio State Fair: July 25-Aug. 5, Columbus.

DROUGHT continued from page 1

growth stage of both the weed and the crop that they will be applying to. “Also take into consideration the amount of stress the crop is currently under…some of the herbicide treatments will slightly damage the crops in which they are being applied,” said Shepard. “While in situations of adequate moisture this is normally not a problem, droughtstressed plants can take longer to recover, which could negatively affect yields.” Some crops in Clinton County are stressed, but not to the level that would qualify the county as drought-stricken, said Clinton County’s Extension Educator for Agriculture Tony Nye. “But it wouldn’t take long (if dry, hot weather ensues),” Nye told Acres of Southwest Ohio the last

CROP DUSTING, continued from page 1

of apploximately 10 to 350 pounds per acre, and liquid, which includes insecticides, fungicides, fertilizer and growth dtimulants, which are applied at a rate of one to five gallons per acre. A spray boom is attached beneath the aircraft wings, which dispense either chemicals or seeds as the aircraft flies across the fields. “Ninety-five percent of the work is wireless,” Fisher said. Fisher and his staff use GPS to record where to apply (and not apply) chemicals, as well as the number of passes a plane needs to make over a field. Technology is such that they can apply chemicals or seeds within six inches. Applications are recorded and mapped through Google earth.

AUGUST Sprayer Demonstration & Technology Day: Aug. 8, Fulton County Fairgrounds, Wauseon. The Sprayer Demonstration and Technology Day is focused on providing farmers and other applicators an updated look at efficient and effective application equipment and techniques.

SEPTEMBER Ohio Livestock Coalition Annual Meeting & Industry Symposium, Sept. 8. Contact David White (614.246.8261) for more information. The Ohio Farm Science Review, London, Sept. 18-20.

week in June. In southwest Ohio, the county that’s probably been hit the most by a lack of rain is Darke County, according to Nye. The Clinton County corn and soybeans that were planted the earliest “still look good,” said Nye. Crop conditions in Clinton County are relative to the time they were planted. “Probably the younger plant doesn’t have as significant of a root system to have the ability to feed itself,” the Clinton County Extension educator said. But Clinton County crops are on the bubble, he said, and he will keep a wary eye on the upcoming temperatures and amount of rainfall. A lot of hay is “burning up,” Nye said, adding that is evidence of stress. Rainfall in the month of June has varied across the state from around 1.5 inches in the southwestern

part of the state to .5 percent in the north and eastern parts of the state. High temperatures and drought stress during pollination can play a major role in reducing the overall yield of a corn crop. Jim Patton, of the Highland County USDA Farm Service Agency, said "the jury is still out...this crop could still go either way," in reference to the thousands of acres planted across the county. Patton said that this year is "unique because of its wide planting range." A lot of farmers got a very early start on planting, as early as April 10, because the "soil conditions were so favorable and the farmers were trying to stay ahead of the game," he said. According to Patton, what we have right now is "nothing more than a decent, normal crop." While that may not sound

Farmers can go onto the Fiserh Ag Service web site (fisheragservice.com) to map which fields are to be sprayed. Following applications, the work is verified on an iPad. There is a moving map on a TV screen inside the plane which shows if the pilot misses something, Fisher said. Seeding has become very popular, Fisher said, spraying seeds for cover crops such as rye grass, fescue grass and turnips. As farmers use more and more no-till farmer to reduce erosion, Fisher says seeding operations are often done in early September through existing crops, such as winter wheat. In the spring through the fall, he often applies nutrients such as granular nitrogen fertilizer. Chemicals which aid in preserving plant health can

also be applied aerially. For example, after corn gets to the early tassling portion of growth, it’s too tall for tractors or other ground vehicles to treat it with fungicides, so aerial applicators are often best, Fisher says. Liquid applications are done at 6 to 12 feet above the field, while dry applications (seeds or granules) are applied from an altitude of 25-30 feet. The cost for aerial application varies according to the situation, who provides the chemicals, seeds and/or water and the gallon per acre rate, according to Fisher Ag Service staff. Fisher’s ground support trucks are equipped with mix tanks, fuel, transfer pumps, holding tanks for water or liquid fertilizer, hoses and connectors to transfer chemical from mix tank to airplane.

like a terrible thing the crops have been through a lot of stress since planting, especially the earlyplanted crops, like cold spells, wet weather, and dry weather. "Those things all add up," Patton said. Dave Dugan, Ag and Natural Resources Educator at Highland County OSU Extension Office, mirrored the thoughts of Patton saying that the corn crop is mostly doing good even though there are some rolled leaves which means the plants are "sucking for water." Dugan said, "The biggest thing is that we have been dry." While the majority of hay is doing alright the dry conditions in some parts of the county will make a second cutting doubtful, he said. "It is just so early yet, the next 60 days will determine the crop," Patton said. Customers must provide the chemicals and water as well as the equipment to transfer water from their tank to Fisher’s. For Fisher, the trick to flying a few feet off the ground at 150 miles an hour is being comfortable in the cockpit. “Flying is second nature to me, really,” he said. “You’ve got to be really comfortable to do this. You’ve got to enjoy this — it’s not just a job.” Fisher Ag Service is located at 4579 Township Road 126, Cardington, OH 43315; phone: (419) 947-1833. Video of Fisher applying chemicals to a farm field can be found here: fisheragservice.com/index. php?id=video-page Debra Gaskill is the managing editor of the Washington C.H. Record-Herald.

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July 2012

DIGGING THE DIRT

11A

By Dave Dugan David Dugan is Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ohio Valley Extension Education Research Area, including Adams, Clermont and Brown County.

Dealing with the Asian Longhorn Beetle Takes Time Eradication of this tree destroying insect will not happen overnight or in a single year. It will take time, and unfortunately we will see many trees taken down as part of the process. For those people in the area of Clermont County that have lived the last year dealing with this issue, they are probably hoping that they can wake up from the nightmare soon. However, it will take time to get this done.

It will take some time, but it will also take cooperation from everyone. Regardless if you have already been affected, or could be in the future, we all need to make a real effort to stop the spread of this bug. The bug by itself does not move very far. The bug moves with help from people. DON’T HELP THEM MOVE!!!! Do not move firewood. Do not move any wood products that could be an avenue for

these bugs to move. The next thing is that we need to be on the lookout for these bugs and report any and ALL findings of bugs that match the description. There are other beetles that look similar, so have someone make a positive ID if you find something. They will continue to spread to more areas if they go unreported. Call 855-2526450 to report any findings that you think might be Asian Longhorn Beetle.

These insects that are not native to the United States will feed on several species of trees. The favorites for the beetles include all of the maples, Boxelder, Elm, Willow, Horsechestnut, and Buckeye. There are more host species, but these are the most common. Birch and Sycamore are the next level of host trees. Information about ALB is available at the OSU Extension Offices.

Estimating Nutrient Removal of Wheat Straw With wheat harvest started here in Southern Ohio, I thought this article that appeared in this week’s C.O.R.N. newsletter was timely information. I often get calls in the offices about the price of hay and straw. This might be a good place to get started with the value of straw. The article was written by OSU Extension Educators Bruce Clevenger, Ed Lentz, and Glen Arnold. Wheat straw is in high demand across all of Ohio for a variety of reasons, including a steady to growing demand, fewer acres devoted to wheat production, or lack of

planting opportunity in the fall of 2011. What is the value of the nutrients being removed when straw is baled? This is an important question to ask when deciding whether to leave the straw in the field or bale it for sale at a later time. A good wheat crop will yield between 1.0 and 1.2 tons of straw per acre on a dry matter basis. Dr. Robert Mullen reported in previous newsletters that a ton of wheat straw would provide approximately 11 pounds of N, 3 pounds of P2O5 and 20 pounds of K2O. While a laboratory analysis would be most accurate and can

account for weather and other factors that occurred this year, these would be legitimate numbers to use as estimation. Most of the nutrient value is potash, some as N, and little as phosphorus. On June 18, 2012, a northwest Ohio co-op has the following inseason prices: Potash (0-060) cost $619-$645 per ton and DAP (18-46-0) was priced at $645-672 per ton. Besides providing nutrients, straw has value as organic matter to soil, but it is difficult to determine the dollar value for it. Removal of straw does lower soil potash levels, but a soil test

should be done to accurately estimate future crop availability. Ohio markets can be helpful on determining a potential price for straw. The Mount Hope Auction on June 13, 2012 reported wheat straw selling at $145$165 per ton for small square bales. The Yoder & Frey Auction in Archbold reported the June 11, 2012 results of straw bale prices of unidentified weight of $1.20 - $3.60 per bale.

Asian Longhorn Beetle Photo courtesy of USDA-APHIS

Dates to Remember Estate Planning Workshop July 26, August 9 and September 13 at Southern State Community College in Fincastle. The classes will begin at 6:00 p.m. each night and be completed around 9:00 p.m. The registration material will be available at the Adams, Brown and Highland County Extension offices this week.

SOACDF Meetings July 18, July 24 Program changes for the Southern Ohio Agricultural and Community Development Foundation (Tobacco Foundation) will be discussed for the 2012-13 year on Wednesday, July 18, at 1:30 p.m. at the South Campus of Southern State Community College in Fincastle. A second opportunity will be held on Tuesday, July 24, at 6:30 p.m. in the Cherry Fork Community Center. If these dates do not work, you may want to look at the July 12 meeting in Lucasville. This is also a 6:30 p.m. meeting held at the USDA Service Center located on SR 104.

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July 2012

ACRES of Southwest Ohio

From Reflections of Adams County info@peoplesdefender.com Matthew Trefz says he has farming in his blood, and literally speaking, he does. “For as far back as I have been able to trace, my family has been farming in Adams County,” he said. “The first of my ancestors to come to Adams County from Germany was Jacob Trefz. He arrived in the early 1800s and owned a farm just south of West Union off of state Route 247. Jacob is my greatgreat-great grandfather.” Matthew and his wife, Erin, own a farm in Winchester where they raise soybeans, corn, wheat and hay. In addition to the farm, Erin is a pharmacist, and during off times on the farm, Matthew enjoys restoration of tractors and farm equipment. Matthew has been unable to uncover much about Jacob’s farm, but his first son, John, was the one to start his family’s farming history in its current location. In the 1890s, John purchased the farm located on what is now Trefz Road. This

farm has been in Matthew’s family ever since and has been certified as a Century Farm. The next generation to take up the family farm was his great grandfather, Clifton Trefz. He also had a farm on Vaughn Ridge, which is now owned by Corbett Phipps. “Unfortunately, I was never privileged to get to know my great grandfather, but I have been blessed to hear some stories,” said Matthew. “One of those was about his threshing operation. Clifton was one of the few in his area to own a threshing machine. So, he would not only thresh his own wheat, but would hook up the tractor and thresher and travel to other parts of the county to thresh for other farmers. His threshing machine was purchased new and is still in the family.” Two of Clifton’s children also took up farming as their occupation. Those two were his great aunt, Dortha (Trefz) Paul, and his grandfather, Mansil Trefz. Dortha was married to Edwin Paul, and they lived on a farm just up the road from Clifton on Vaughn Ridge. Mansil lived on the farm on Trefz

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ACRES of Southwest Ohio

July 2012

First: Edwin Paul, husband of Dortha (Trefz) Paul, harvesting wheat with his John Deere combine. Edwin farmed with his brother-in-law, Mansil Trefz as well as his father-in-law, Clifton Trefz. Second: Clifton Trefz (seated on tractor), Howard Trefz (far left), and Norris Ellison (middle) with Clifton's McCormick Deering tractor and Huber threshing machine. Third: Matthew Trefz and wife Erin Trefz with a John Deere R tractor on their farm in Winchester. Fourth: Mansil Trefz on his John Deere 420 moving a round bale of hay. The house in the background has been in the Trefz family for over 100 years.

Road. Through the years Clifton, Mansil, and Edwin helped each other with their farms as farming families so often do. In fact, Matthew’s grandfather’s first new tractor (a 1946 John Deere A) was a joint purchase made by the three men. This tractor is also still held by his family and up until a few years ago was still in service on the farm. “Beginning with my grandfather’s generation, my farming influence really started,” Matthew explained. “I was blessed to grow up just up the road from the Trefz farm and my grandparents. I spent many summer days on the farm watching and helping. Whether it was milking cows or baling hay, I loved to be a part of it all. His grandfather was one of the biggest farming influences in his life. The other, and the next generation of the Trefz family to farm, was his father, Ed Trefz. While his dad did not have farming as his primary occupation, he spent many years raising tobacco. “I still love to think about the time spent pulling plants, setting them, topping, cutting, hanging, and finally stripping the tobacco,” he recalled. “Dad instilled in me a deep love for farming that granddad had sparked. Even when granddad retired from day to day farming and rented the land, Dad allowed me to toy around with some things on the farm.” So now comes Matthew’s generation. Farming has been a dream of his since he was a little boy. “We carry on the legacy of farming that started with the first of my family to come here,” he said. “I am the sixth generation of my family to farm in this great county of ours. Some might ask why I would want to farm, but I would have to say, ‘Why not?’ Farming is a part of who I am. For me, farming is in my blood.” Even with a farming heritage, there are challenges to the business.

"The biggest challenge that we face on our farm is one that farmers have been dealing with for as long as there has been farming - uncertainty," Matthew said. "That uncertainty often shows up in the form of weather that isn't cooperative or grain prices that change with no rhyme or reason." The Trefz farming operation experienced a rough time last year with record rainfall early in the year that postponed planting until late in the spring. That was followed by a summer where the rain simply didn't come. Both contributed in reducing grain yields on the farm. To combat this and the uncertainty in grain prices, they used marketing strategies, as well as taking advantage of crop insurance options. "Even so, the biggest help in working through uncertainty here on our farm is our faith in God," Matthew explained. "We can plant the newest seed hybrids out there, apply all the correct chemicals and fertilizers, use the newest equipment, and try every business trick there is but without God's blessing we will just have a lot of empty fields. Erin and I both have a strong faith in God, and know that He brings about the good harvests that we have, and that even when things don't work out the way we hope, He will provide for us. I love getting to do a job where I can feel so close to God. "To watch the crops grow in the fields and then to see the result of a year's worth of hard work come when harvest arrives is something that so many jobs never offer," he said. "I really enjoy all aspects of farming no matter how stressful they may be sometimes. Farming is not an easy profession, but it is a rewarding one." Reflections of Adams County"is a publication of The People's Defender, West Union, Ohio, an Ohio Community News weekly newspaper.

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July 2012 By WHITNEY SIDERS siders.29@ag.ohio-state.edu

County fairs across Ohio play key role in life of agriculture

COME TO THE

ADAMS • BROWN • CLERMONT • CLINTON • FAYETTE • GREENE • HIGHLAND • MADISON • MASON, KY • ROSS • PICKAWAY

FAIR

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We are quickly approaching the heart of fair season. From mid-June until the second week of October county fairs take place all across the state. “The state of Ohio has the best structured association for fairs in the United States. We have 95 fairs, counting the State Fair,” says Darrel Cubbison, First Vice President of the Ohio Fair Managers’ Association. As Cubbison praises the success of fairs throughout Ohio, he points out that the common thread sewn between each fair is the presence of junior fair organizations. 4-H Educator Carolyn Belczyk speaks for Adams County saying, “The Junior Fair is what gets people to our fair.” Belczyk goes on to explain, “A large percentage of the community’s young people are involved in one way or another. Junior fair provides members an opportunity to showcase projects and receive feedback and recognition for their accomplishments.” While this is certainly true of today, the county fair did not always revolve around youth involvement, but it did revolve around agriculture. Cubbison explains that “when fairs started they didn’t have 4-H and FFA. This was a change for the youth and these organizations still exist today for every fair in Ohio.” When we go out to the county fair we probably don’t put much thought into the history of the event past our own memories, but Cubbison

ACRES of Southwest Ohio explains the historical significance of agriculture’s role in fairs, “It was just before the Civil war, in the 1840s, when most fairs began. At that time the country was struggling to produce food and fiber.” “This was one of the reasons fairs were started. It was a way to come up with competition—to produce something better and to produce more— competition to raise better crops, to raise better animals, to bake better pies.” Cubbison explains that fairs were originally influenced by necessity. The desire for success that developed into competitions over a century and a half ago is still evident in junior fair activities today. But beneath the surface of these contests, lies a deeper preparation process. “Some of the life skills that 4-H and FFA teach including record keeping, planning, decision making, communications, will help kids regardless of what career they choose to pursue,” says Belczyk. While the Junior Fair most often brings agricultural projects to mind, Belczyk points out that “4-H and FFA projects provide youth with opportunities to explore related careers. For example, the Veterinary Science 4-H project.” And as visits to the fair reveal, the popularity of projects varies over time. As Cubbison and his wife travel from fair to fair throughout the state, they are able to notice these trends which Cubbison says “depend on activities throughout the rural areas.” Cubbison says that historically this has always been the explanation,

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ACRES of Southwest Ohio because “Fair was a way to connect agricultural community with the downtown.” When we walk through the livestock barns at the fair, we expect the projects we see at the fair to come straight from the farm, but David Dugan, Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ohio Valley EERA, provides a knowledgeable perspective of the agricultural connections to the county fair. Dugan explains that “there are fewer active farmers with 4-H aged children.” In fact, “The average age of farmers in the area of Adams, Brown and Highland counties is near 60.” “Some of the kids that show animals are showing

July 2012 livestock from family farms and the project is part of their agricultural enterprise, but a lot are not,” says Dugan. In recent years you might have noticed that certain projects have become more popular, while others fade. Dugan explains that “small animal projects have definitely grown and large animal projects have shrunk.” “Again this reflects removal from the farm. People who don’t live on the farm don’t have a place to keep large animals,” but at the same time Dugan points out that “there is still a social and community connection. Non-farm families get to see livestock on display, and kids are still learning

responsibility. It is still educational.” And this is what lies at the heart of the fair, even though we cannot deny that change is inevitable. Agricultural trends change, so junior fair projects change accordingly. The fairs are also changing, because the communities they serve are changing. But perhaps Cubbison says it best when he explains “we are going to continue to educate, to entertain and to share ideas,” and ultimately, “there is a need for [County Fairs] in the future.” ■ Whitney Siders is a junior at The College of Wooster and a 4-H intern at the Adams County OSU Extension Office.

Two youngsters observing a junior fair show at the Adams County fair

Rabbit exhibitors prepare to be judged.

Rose Parade, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon & Arizona Tour Sedona & Red Rocks – Phoenix & Scottsdale

11 Days

Departs December 29, 2012

from

Bats: Coming out of the cave

Travel with oth e Farmers r !

$1548*

Start in Los Angeles (four nights) with a city tour of L.A., Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and an exclusive, pre-parade, after public hours, float building and viewing at the Rosemont Pavilion with included dinner. Watch the artists put the“finishing touches” on the floats unencumbered by public crowds! On Tuesday, January 1, 2013, enjoy your reserved grandstand seats at the Rose Parade! On Wednesday, January 2, depart for Las Vegas (two nights). The following day, travel to the Grand Canyon for your overnight stay in the park with an opportunity to marvel at the ever changing colors during the sunset and sunrise, with included breakfast. Then depart to another astonishing landscape - the Red Rocks of Sedona. You will also visit Montezuma’s Castle enroute to Phoenix and Scottsdale where you will spend your final two nights with an included city tour.

Hawaiian Farm Tour 2 Weeks - 4 Islands

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Travel with other farmers on January departures in 2013 on this famous Hawaiian Farm Tour offered by YMT every year since 1974. You’ll visit all four islands with sightseeing on every island including Honolulu & Pearl Harbor, Punchbowl Crater, The Iao Valley, Lahaina; The Maui Gold Pineapple Plantation; the Wailua Riverboat Cruise & Fern Grotto; Kauai Steel Grass Farm, growing bamboo, vanilla and cacao; and on the “big island” a Hilo Orchid Nursery and Macadamia nut factory; Black Sand Beaches; a Giant Fern Tree Forest; Volcanoes National Park; Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation; and The Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii, a reseach facility of ocean thermal energy conversion that not only generates electricity but enables Aquaculture to flourish. Next visit The Big Island Abolone farm that produces its own feed: 13 tons of home grown algae per week. Includes a flower lei aloha greeting, 14 nights in quality hotels, baggage handling, inter-island flights & transfers, plus your Polynesian tour director on every island.

Visit Cuba, Its People & Culture 9 Days

Join other Farmers departing January 29, 2013

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Discover Cuba’s colonial history and vibrant culture! YMT’s fully-escorted Cuba program is operated under U.S. government people-to-people license # CT-18935 issued to YMT Vacations, and the itinerary will include a full-time series of educational exchanges and interaction with local people. You’ll never forget the scenery, history and culture of this beautiful island nation! Join YMT on this unique cultural and educational program to legendary Cuba. From Miami, you’ll fly to Havana to begin your exploration of the rich heritage of this island nation. Highlights include five nights in Havana, two nights in Santa Clara, Old Havana, Revolucion Plaza, Ernest Hemingway’s farm, and visits to the scenic towns of Remedios, including the Che Guevara Museum and Cienfuegos. Witness Cuba’s picturesque rural life and agriculture in Vinales and go to a tobacco farm to see the growing, drying and cigar rolling process of Cuba’s most famous export. Learn about authentic daily Cuban life and the island’s history and culture through meaningful interactions with the local people throughout the itinerary. Musical and artistic performances along with interactive painting and dance lessons will give you unique insight into the colorful island culture. This fully-escorted program includes eight nights hotel accommodations, roundtrip airfare from Miami to Cuba, a full-time schedule of activities per the itinerary, a professionally-trained Cuban guide and 15 meals. US law requires that all participants of this program adhere to the full time schedule of people-to-people activities. Deviation from this itinerary, even in part, is not permitted. Specific itinerary inclusions, visits, meetings with individuals and organizations, home visits are dependent on outside factors and it may sometimes be necessary to substitute with alternatives of equal relevance and interest. *Airfare to/from Miami is extra.

Join other ! Farmers

Caribbean Cruise Plus...New Orleans Tour

11 Days

15A

Departs February 15, 2013

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Start in New Orleans for two days and nights and tour ‘The Big Easy,’ including the French Quarter, St. Louis Cathedral, Bourbon Street, the Ninth Ward devastated by Hurricane Katrina, Lake Pontchartrain, the new flood gates and rebuilt levees, plus travel on St. Charles Avenue, following the Mardi Gras route. Then before boarding the NCL Star, visit the museum “Living with Hurricanes: Katrina and Beyond.” Aboard ship enjoy the renowned Norwegian Freestyle cruise experience with 10 different dining rooms with no assigned seating. In the Western Caribbean visit the exciting ports of: Costa Maya, Mexico, with Mayan Ruins and unspoiled coastal paradise; Belize City, Belize (in Central America), an English colony as late as 1963; Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras, a peaceful, eco-tourist’s dream, teaming with marine life and prestine reefs; and Cozumel, Mexico, an isolated island with a laid-back charm. After seven nights at sea, spend a final night in New Orleans to tour two, pre-civil war mansions and plantations. *Air supplement from some airports.

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LONDON - Bats are not just for caves anymore. The Ohio Woodland Stewards Program is holding a three-hour evening workshop on Friday, July 13 to explore the unique lives of bats, what’s true and what’s not about Ohio’s bat populations, their economic roles, their positive impacts, how to manage them and the threat of white-nose syndrome. It will be held 6: to 9:30 p.m. at the Gwynne Conservation Area of the

Molly Caren Agricultural Center, 640 Arbuckle Rd, West, in Madison County. Registration is $20 per person and includes your own copy of The Bat House Builder’s Handbook. For more information, call 614-688-3421 or ohiowoods@osu.edu The instructor is Marne A. Titchenell, Wildlife Program Specialist for the Ohio State University Extension School of Environment and Natural Resources.

Home food preservation classes get results for preserving food were to preserve excess garden A renewed interest in harvest (21%), to save family gardens, local foods and home food preservation money (20%), and to control ingredients (17%). has been observed by a In this retrospective significant increase in survey, at the end of the requests for training and program participants showed consumer questions in recent anticipated change of years. No longer just a behaviors: hobby, home food • 94.4% Wash hands with preservation is now a soap and warm running financial help or necessity to water for at least 20 families. Preserving their seconds before working own food increases family with foods. (5.8% change self-sufficiency and of behavior) decreases reliability on • 93.2% Prepare bands, lids, purchased/prepared foods. and jars according to Other factors driving a fresh guidelines. (27.5% change interest in food preservation of behavior) include the food preservers • 91.7% Use the correct wish to limit salt and headspace after filling the additives found in jars. (28.9% change of commercially preserved behavior) foods and increase fruit and • 84.6% Use current OSU vegetable consumption. Extension and USDA In 2009, 43 Family and canning and freezing Consumer Sciences recommendations. (39.8% Extension Educators and change of behavior) Program Assistants were • 80.6% Acidify tomatoes trained through a statewide with lemon juice or citric training to provide Home acid. (46.9% change of Food Preservation classes to behavior) Ohio residents. Five lessons • 78.4% Blanch vegetables were developed along with before freezing. (20.8% supporting materials change of behavior) including resource pages, • 76.5% Use a boiling water end of class evaluation and bath canner to process high marketing materials. acid foods. (24.6% change In 2010 and 2011, 19 of behavior) counties used the Home • 69.6% Use a pressure Food Preservation canner to process low acid information to conduct local foods. (38.3% change of classes reaching over 1000 behavior) consumers. Class results showed that of those For More Information: attending classes, 27% freeze fcs.osu.edu/foodvegetables, 22% freeze safety/home-foodfruits, 22% use a water bath preservation canner and <10% use a pressure canner when (Linnette Goard is an OSU processing their food. The Field Specialist, Food Safety, top reasons participants gave Selection and Management)

By Linnette Goard

16A

July 2012

producer and farmer by

Breakfast on the

FARM By FRAN ODYNIEC editor@madisonpress.com About 500 or so people could say after breakfast on Saturday, "I met a farmer today." That's how many folks attended the first ever "Breakfast on the Farm," hosted by the farm bureaus of Madison and Franklin County, and held on the Yutzy Farm at the Kramer Homestead on ConverseHuff Road in Plain City. "We wanted to create an atmosphere where the consumer could rub elbows with the producer," said Dwight Beougher, president of the Franklin County Farm Bureau. "Less than two percent of the state's population lives on the farm. So we better tell our story." The goal of the breakfast was to address the disconnect between

letting people view firsthand what takes place on a farm, and in this case the Yutzy's dairy farm. The Yutzy Farm is a fivegeneration farm with four of those generations currently working the herd. Breakfast was prepared and served under a huge tent set up across from the dairy barn. Members of the farm bureaus and culinary students from Tolles Career and Technical Center made omelets to order from ingredients found on a farm such as eggs, milk, ham, sausage, and vegetables. "This is an effort to educate people on ag," said Dennis Wilt, president of the Madison County Farm Bureau. "It's just not livestock and animals but grains as well."

Wilt flashed a satisfied smile when he saw one consumer make a discovery in the barn where information on the various aspects of farming in Ohio was available along with live displays that included calves, twoday old piglets, roosters, hens, and rabbits. Of course, the Yutzy dairy cows were out in the field next to the main barn giving curious looks to passers-by. "There was a guy who had never seen a soybean before," Wilt said. "He put his hand into the bucket of soybeans (on display). He thought that soybeans grew underground." Chalk one up for the breakfast. "This is good," Wilt smiled. He said that when people come up to him and ask, "Can we see big cows?" he just points to the Yutzy's herd which has its fair share of "big cows." "The impact is more than what you think," Wilt said of that simple yet effective encounter of the bovine kind. During a presentation the Madison County Farm Bureau made in London,

Wilt asked the young audience, "Where do you get beef?" The answer, "At McDonald's." Any wonder then why Wilt says, "Our number one goal is to promote all of agriculture." "The average person is three times removed from the family farm," said Jody Carney, organization director for the Ohio Farm Bureaus in Madison, Franklin Delaware, and Union counties. "That's why we have events like this. When consumers are shopping for food, the connection is there between Kroger and the farmer. Milk comes from Kroger, but they have to know how that milk gets into the bucket." Just outside one of the barns, kids were busy taking turns milking "Bessie, the Buckeye Cow." Bessie, festooned with OSU regalia, is a lifelike replica of a cow and

contains a system that dispenses milk through an udder. The kids work the teats, milk squirts out into a bucket-like container that "recycles" the milk back into the system for another squirt. Through conversation with farmers at the breakfast, Carney said that consumers can learn how and why farmers do what they do. Farmers could easily be spotted at the breakfast. They wore bright stickers that offered, "Ask me. I'm a farmer." "Ag is a 24-7 lifestyle," she said, "especially on a dairy farm. They're milking day and night." Saturday's breakfast was only a start. "Ag has done great," Beougher said of the industry in Ohio that he considers is the greatest thing going for the state and the nation. "But we have been terrible at communicating. We have our work cut out for us."

ACRES of Southwest Ohio He indicated that presentations by farm bureaus to schools, service, fraternal, and church organizations around Ohio are key to creating increased awareness and improved understanding of what farmers provide the state and the world. Carney pointed out that the mission of the Farm Bureau is to go out and have open dialog with consumers. "With an event like this," she said of the breakfast, "we can get them out on the farm and meet the families (that produce food), see the animals, and how we care for them. They can explain why such and such meets certain specifications and can learn how much responsibility and dedication there is on the farm."

Field Day focuses on corn, fun By GARY BROCK gbrock@acresmidwest.com The corn should be nearly as high as an elephant's eye by Aug. 14, when the Southern Ohio Corn Growers Association holds its annual Field Day at the Fayette County Airport. The event is free and open to the public, running from 9 a.m. to "at least" 2 p.m., according to Fayette County Extension Educator Adam Shepard. Included in the many activities at the Field Day will be a free lunch

consisting of grilled pork chops and of course, lots of corn. The noon speaker at the event will be Chip Bowling, who will discuss water quality and fertilizer use in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Other speakers will be Dr. Peter Thomison at Ohio State Extension, who will discuss corn yield; Dr. Mark Loux of OSU Extension, who is a weed specialist; and David Rosenthal from the University of Illinois, who is a research plant pathologist.

Shepard said that the Field Day will also be one of the state's "drop off points" for the collection of farmers' unused chemicals. This is part of the Ohio Department of Agriculture's "Clean Sweep" program. Farmers can drop off their old and unused chemicals between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. More events during the annual Field Day are in the works. For information, call the Fayette Extension Office at 740-335-1150.

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RGANICS O PART1: HAT W IS ORGANIC of Southwest Ohio

Issue 5

July 2012

DID AND HOW WE GET HERE?

BYMATT

AULTMAN

A common question I am asked while selling feed to growers is: “What is organics?” Starting with this article and several to follow, I will answer some of the most commonly asked questions about organic food and farming.

What is organic food?

Organic is primarily a labeling term that is used on a wide variety of foods that have been produced through methods and practices approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its National Organics Program. Organic regulations focus on farming practices and food production steps that can be monitored and controlled, but for the most part, organic regulations simply do not try to address the more complicated issues involving the earth and sustainability. What is the history of organic foods?

Before the federal government got involved in the regulation of organic foods, dozens of states had passed organic laws of their own. Today, 45 out of the 50 states have their own organic laws, and even before state laws were established, farmers set up voluntary organic certification systems. The first organization in the country to certify organic farms was CCOF, California Certified Organic Farmers, over 20 years ago. Organic production had been practiced in the United States since the late 1940s. From that time, the industry had grown from experimental garden plots

to large farms with surplus products sold under a special organic label. Food manufacturers developed organic processed products and many retail marketing chains specialized in the sale of “organic” products. This growth stimulated a need for verification that products are indeed produced according to certain standards. Private organizations and state agencies currently certify organic food, but their standards for growing and labeling organic food may differ. In addition, the language contained in seals, labels, and logos approved by organic certifiers may differ. By the late 1980s, after an attempt to develop a consensus of production and certification standards, the organic industry petitioned Congress to draft the Organic Foods Production Act defining “organic.” This leads me to the next point of the need for regulation. Why did we need regulation of organic foods?

Over two decades ago, when the U.S. Congress passed its 1990 Farm Bill, a congressional mandate was included in the bill (Title 21) instructing the U.S. Department of Agriculture to create a

national legal definition of “organic” that would provide reliable, uniform, and enforceable standards for any food bearing the term “organic.” The development of organic standards was designed to provide consumers with a food labeling process that they could trust to reflect those standards in food production. These standards are regulated under federal legislation as stated in the next section. How are organic foods regulated?

Federal regulations are the laws authorized by major legislation enacted by the U.S. Congress. As part of the 1990 Farm Bill, the U.S. Congress included a title called Title XXI: The Organic Foods Production Act. In this section of the Farm Bill, Congress instructed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish the National Organic Program. Once the 1990 Farm Bill was approved and signed into law, the USDA became responsible for developing organic standards. What is USDA certification?

Certification is the process by which the consumer is assured that a product marketed as “organic” is in compliance with production and handling requirements set forth in USDA regulations. All producers of organic food, livestock, and fiber crops as well as handlers or organic products must be certified (except growers who gross less than $5,000 and retailers). Growers and handlers submit an Organic Farm Plan or an Organic Handling Plan to a USDA accredited certifying agent detailing their growing and handling methods. On-site inspections are conducted by certifying agents to verify submitted plans. Methods and materials used in production must meet standards set in the new regulations. Clear documentation of methods and materials must be kept. There must be a paper trail tracing a product back to its production site, enabling verification of production methods and materials. Certification is the process by which the consumer is assured that a product marketed as “organic” is in compliance with production and handling requirements set forth in USDA regulations. What does it take to get certified?

Certification standards establish the requirements that organic production and handling operations must meet to become accredited by USDA-

AGRICULTURE FARMING

43%

accredited certifying agents. The information that an applicant must submit to the certifying agent includes the applicant’s organic system plan. This plan describes (among other things) practices and substances used in production, record keeping procedures, and practices to prevent commingling of organic and non-organic products. The certification standards also address onsite inspections. Producers and handling (processing) operations that sell less than $5,000 a year in organic agricultural products are exempt from certification. They may label their products organic if they abide by the standards, but they cannot display the USDA Organic seal. Retail operations, such as grocery stores and restaurants, do not have to be certified. Accreditation standards establish the requirements an applicant must meet in order to become a USDAaccredited certifying agent. The standards are designed to ensure that all organic certifying agents act consistently and impartially. Successful applicants will employ experienced personnel, demonstrate their expertise in certifying organic producers and handlers, and prevent conflicts of interest and maintain strict confidentiality. Imported agricultural products may be sold in the United States if they are certified

by USDA-accredited certifying agents. Imported products must meet the NOP standards. USDA has accredited certifying agents in several foreign countries. In lieu of USDA accreditation, a foreign entity also may be accredited when USDA “recognizes” that its government is able to assess and accredit certifying agents as meeting the requirements of the NOP called a recognition agreement. What is the National Organic Standards Board?

As part of its ongoing process for development of organic standards, the National Organic Program relies heavily on the work of its 15-member National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). The NOSB is appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture and is comprised of representatives from the following categories: farmer/grower; handler/processor; retailer; consumer/public interest; environmentalist; scientist; and certifying agent. Several standing committees exist on the NOSB, including a Livestock Committee, Materials Committee, Crops Committee, Policy Development Committee, Handling Committee, and Certification/Accreditation/ Compliance Committee. NOSB committees typically meet on a quarterly basis to review petitions and consider proposed changes in organic regulations.

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July 2012

ACRES of Southwest Ohio

FALL CLASSIC TRACTOR PULL LONDON - After a successful inaugural year in 2011, The Ohio State University Quarter Scale Tractor Team will be hosting the annual Fall Classic Garden Tractor Pull at the Farm Science Review in London, OH on Tuesday, Sept. 18, at 5 p.m. The Ohio State University Quarter Scale Tractor Team (QST) is a group of engineering students that build a ¼ scale tractor and compete against other university teams at a national competition. The Fall Classic is a garden tractor

pull that was started by QST as a fundraising opportunity. The first year was a great success attracting nearly 30 different teams. QST is expecting this to be another fantastic event in 2012 coinciding with the Farm Science Review’s 50th Anniversary. The weight classes for this year’s event are as follows: 850 lbs. Youth Stock 850 lbs. Stock 950 lbs. Hot Stock Single 950 lbs. Stock 950 lbs. Youth Stock

1050 lbs. Hot Stock Single 1050 lbs. Hot Stock Twins 1050 lbs. Stock Altered 1000 lbs. Altered Twins 1100 lbs. Hot Stock Twins 1100 lbs. Stock Altered 1100 lbs. Altered Twins 1000 lbs. Pro Stock 1150 lbs. Pro Stock Diesel 1100 lbs. Pro Stock 1250 lbs. Pro Stock Diesel All Pulling Classes are to follow National Quarter Scale Rules. For further information on the pulls or sponsorship visit the Buckeye Pullers website buckeyepullers.org.ohio-

state.edu. Pre-registration for the pulls opened July 1 and run through Sept. 10. If you are interested in competing or helping to sponsor the event please contact Andrew Klopfenstein by email at Klopfenstein.34@osu.edu or Ira Kuenzli by email at Kuenzli.12@osu.edu. If you have any questions about the tractor pull, please email ogtpa@windstream.net or buckeyepullers@gmail.co m or call Doug Arnett (OGTPA) 330–569-8945, Brian Retych (OGTPA)

440–537-0304, Andrew Klopfenstein (QST) 419– 786-9840. This year’s Farm Science Review will be held Sept. 18–20 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London, Ohio. Tickets are available for sale at local agribusinesses and any OSU Extension office for $5 in advance, or $8 at the gate. Children 5 and under are free. For more information, go to fsr.osu.edu. Farm Science Review is sponsored by the College of Food, Agricultural, and

Environmental Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. It attracts more than 140,000 visitors from all over the country and Canada, who come for three days to peruse 4,000 product lines from 600 commercial exhibitors, and learn the latest in agricultural research, conservation, family and nutrition, and gardening and landscape.

These tips will keep farming equipment ready-to-go MELISSA MACKEY mmackey@delgazette.com Proper farming equipment maintenance ensures better performance during the peak season and helps extend the equipment's useful life. Jeff Garrabrant, the shop foreman and ag technician at Delaware-based JR Equipment, offers several suggestions for farming equipment maintenance to avoid downtime in the fields. “Any equipment downtime is huge because of the changing weather,” Garrabrant said. “It can be bad if you can't get into the field on a good weather day because your

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Garrabrant said. The planting meter, which controls how much seed to spread, should be taken apart and checked to ensure the pieces are working properly. The battery should also be checked periodically for water levels and clean cables. "The life of a battery is six years at most," Garrabrant said. As for the winter, it's a good practice to remove the battery at the end of the season if storing the tractor for an extended time period, Garrabrant said. Removing the battery before the first freeze will prevent it from bursting. Storing the tractor under a shed or cover will help protect the seat, paint,

equipment is down.” Most farming equipment should be fully inspected once a season, including tractors, planters, tillers and seeders, Garrabrant said. Just like a vehicle, tractors require engine oil changes. The oil should be changed based on the number of hours the tractor is used, every 200 hours. The hydraulic system oil also needs changing every 1,500 hours. A daily check on engine oil, hydraulic oil and filter and antifreeze is also important, Garrabrant said. The average tractor holds about six gallons of oil. Newer tractors have more sophisticated systems and require software upgrades,

wires and hoses from the effects of cold weather. Many farm equipment companies with service departments offer winter specials for those who want their equipment inspected at the end of the season. Typically, the service department will inspect the equipment and provide an estimate on what it will take to get the piece back up to par for the next planting season. Garrabrant said costs can vary in maintaining equipment, but many can have about $15,000 to $20,000 wrapped up in a bill. The general rule is that if a farmer spends about $5,000 or less on their equipment maintenance,

there wasn't much that needed done. Maintenance throughout the season can keep the winter overhaul bill less expensive, he said. He recommends following this eight-point checklist for the tractor, a versatile piece of farming equipment that gets the job done with many different attachments: • Check the engine oil and coolant, diesel fuel, hydraulic and front-axle fluids. • Check the filters and replace them as needed. • Check hoses, fittings and seals to make sure they are in good condition to prevent leaks or ruptures. • Make sure the wheels, tires and wheel bearings are

ready for road travel and properly inflated. The tractor's operator manual will list the correct pressure. • Check the battery for corrosion and clean it. Replace the battery or components as needed. • Check all electrical functions, such as lights, turn signals and hazard flashers. • Check all hardware for loose or missing pieces. Tighten or replace as needed. • Consult the owner's manual for any additional recommended services. Melissa Mackey is a staff writer at the Delaware Gazette.

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July 2012

Hints for Your Garden

How are things looking in your garden? We enjoyed a few brief showers, but not much showed up in the rain gauge. The showers were certainly spotty and some neighbors 3 miles away were the happy recipients of at least an inch of rain! I have mulched around most of my vegetables to conserve moisture. It looks like it might be time to pull out the old soaker hose. My June list of gardening tasks included: • Water newly planted plants and transplants • Do the watering early in the morning • Weed planting beds as necessary and sprinkle a “Pre-emergent” • Throw healthy garden clippings onto the compost pile • Spray roses early and regularly to prevent fungal diseases • Dig or pull out excess perennials and share with a friend • Pinch back chrysanthemums when 4 to 6 inches high • Continue direct-seeding vegetable crops • Keep an eye on your tomato plants and spray a protectant fungicide when necessary. For effective fungicides and spray schedules consult the Ohio Vegetable Production Guide (OSU Extension Bulletin 672). Here are a few facts about watering your plants. A deep watering is more beneficial than a light one; moisture that penetrates the soil thoroughly helps the growth of roots buried deep in the ground.

Watering lightly encourages the growth of roots at the top of the soil, where they experience acute stress during a drought. Watering early in the day allows the sun to dry the leaves of your plants, to help ward off the growth of fungal disease like black spot or powdery mildew on foliage. Avoid watering at midday when the sun is most intense, since a good portion of the water will evaporate before it can help the plant. This year might be the time to consider more drought resistant plants for your gardens. Two informative Fact Sheets available at http://ohioline.osu.edu are Drought Resistance in the Home Landscape (HYG-1643-94) and General Maintenance of Herbaceous Ornamentals (HYG-1236-98). As you mulch your landscape this year, remember that mulch should never be placed against tree trunks. This practice promotes rot and disease. If you mulch around the base of a tree, make sure the mulch is no more than ½ inch thick near the base of the trunk. If your tree looks like it is coming out of a “volcano” of mulch, be sure to bring that mulch away from the trunk!!! Mulching depth, depending on the material selected, is 2 to 2.5 inches. Mulching depths less than two inches may not satisfy the principal objectives. However, mulch applied 3 to 6 inches or more, still recommended by some, can lead to serious problems for landscape plants. A

mulch that is too thick may severely reduce or eliminate drying and lead to waterlogged soil, particularly during wet seasons or in heavy clay loam soils. Extended periods of wet soils in spring are most damaging to a number of perennials, azalea, rhododendron, conifers in general, and taxus or yew in particular. You might want to refer to Fact sheet HYG-1083-96, Mulching Landscape Plants, for more tips on mulching (available on ohioline). When I visit friends we usually take a “walk-about” and look at their flowers and vegetable garden. It is always fun to see what plants other gardeners choose for their landscapes. A recent visit to a friend’s vegetable garden introduced me to a new type of onion, the EGYPTIAN or WALKING ONIONS (Allium cepa var. proliferum). This distinct onion is difficult to miss in the garden, leading one to stop and figure it out! This unusual onion can be eaten like chives or early spring onions when it first emerges. However, when it’s ready to bloom, it sends up a green stalk 2 - 3’ tall that gets as thick as one’s thumb. At the end of the stalk appear clusters of small onions that are called bulbils. These can be harvested and eaten like shallots or pearl onions; they have a much stronger flavor than shallots. The “walking” moniker comes from the fact that after the plant sets its bulbils on top of the stalk, it sends out a shorter stalk

by Faye Mahaffey

where the flower emerges and sets another set of bulbils. This second set of bulbils is heavy enough to weigh down the initial stalk, thus allowing the bulbils to make soil contact and voila - “walk.” These bulbils develop roots away from the mother plant, thus propagation is ensured. One can keep a walking onion patch under control by separating and planting the individual bulbils about 8” apart in rows. They can be planted in spring or fall, in full sun with good drainage. These onions are perennial, coming back each year. Walking onions won’t produce bulbs at the base like normal onions do; rather, they develop several large bunching onions in the ground. These can be eaten as well. Use in the garden or in the edible landscape. They are quite interesting! Provide good drainage and full sun or a very light shade and they’ll be around for many years. Don’t forget to e-mail your gardening questions to Mike Hannah at mhannah2@msn.com. Be sure to include your phone number when you send your e-mail. Master Gardeners will then contact you with suggestions and important information. Here’s hoping June brings us a great gardening month! Faye Mahaffey is an OSUE Brown County Master Gardener volunteer.

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ACRES of Southwest Ohio

Rich Historyof Tobacco onDisplay Museum features highlights of tobacco farming in Ohio region By BRYAN PECK bpeck@newsdemocrat.com While it may have become a touchy subject politically, many farmers in Brown County will never forget the presence that growing tobacco gave them. While many farmers moved away from the crop during the 2004 tobacco buyout program, and despite a statewide smoking ban put into place in 2007, some farmers continue to grow and produce tobacco. Growing tobacco is a lot

both of our families. My daughter’s now doing it too, she has 12 acres.” “Most of the ground we raise tobacco on is rented,” Lang said “This year we’ll have 30 acres.” Lang said typically the tobacco growing season begins in late February or around the first of March. The Langs typically begin the process with a float bed system, where seeds are placed in trays and put on

of work. Long time Brown County residents Roberta Sue Lang and her husband, Ronnie Lang, are long time tobacco growers. Sue Lang said she has always been around tobacco, starting when she was a kid working on her parent’s farm. Together, the Langs have been growing tobacco for the past 37 years. “We’ve done it all our lives,” Lang said. “My family did it, so it wasn’t anything new to me when my husband and I got together, and its been in

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water. The plants are officially put in the ground around the end of May or the beginning of June. “It’s a lot of hard work,” Lang said. “It’s sometimes very frustrating just with any other industry in farming as far as fighting the weather and fighting the pests. You put a lot more time into it than with tobacco farming.” Harvesting tobacco is where most of the difficulty lies. Lang said once the tobacco matures and blooms, around July 15, the plant will have to be topped. Usually four weeks after that point, the plant is cut down and housed in a barn. The tobacco will cure in the barn until around Nov. 1, when it is taken out, stripped and graded. “Then we take it to market and sell,” Lang said. The Langs typically sell their tobacco to Japan Tobacco International, though they have sold at local markets in Maysville.

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“After the buyout things changed drastically,” Lang said. “After the buyout it was pretty much open market, and with that comes companies that wanted you to contract to sell your tobacco.” Still, for the work that goes in to the crop each year, Lang said she is glad that they decided to stick with the crop. Farming tobacco has become a rarity in the United States. “It’s created a lot of memories, and it is rewarding,” Lang said. “Once we sell it, its worth the hard work. We are one of the remaining few tobacco farmers in the county and in the industry, and it kind of makes it unique now that we stuck with it.” Still, Lang offered a warning to farmers considering taking on tobacco as a crop. A lot of

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Lang said Ronnie Lang had also sold tobacco for many years in Ripley, up until the point when the tobacco warehouses closed their doors for the final time. “He has sold at Ripley,” Lang said. “In fact, he sold at Ripley for years until those warehouses shut down. From there he took the crop over to Maysville and then they made us get contracts.” The industry has changed a lot over the past 10 years. In 2004, Lang said many farmers opted to grow other products after the government instituted a tobacco buyout program, which essentially rewarded farmers monetarily for switching production on their farms away from tobacco. Following the buyout, those remaining in tobacco production found that the market had changed dramatically.

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July 2012

ACRES of Southwest Ohio

Daniels Accepts Head Ag Post in Ohio Ohio Community Media News Service

Individuals competing in the tobacco stripping and grading competitions during past Ohio Tobacco Festivals. physical effort is required each year to get the tobacco to and from the barns, not to mention the difficulty in baling the product and taking it to market. “Don’t do it unless you really know what you’re getting into,” Lang said. “It’s a lot of hard work and it requires you to handle it a lot. You have to cut it, you have to put it in the barn, you have to take it down out of the barn, and then of course you strip it and bale it, and take it to market. You’re handling it a lot.” Finding individuals willing to help is difficult as well. “It’s hard to find tobacco help,” Lang said. “It’s hard to find people who want to work in tobacco anymore. That’s kind of frustrating.” “It’s not an easy crop by any means, but it has sentimental crop to us because we’ve done it for a long time and will probably keep continuing to do it,” Lang said. “Each year my husband says next year we’re going to cut back, and next year never comes.” While Ripley may no longer be a hub for the tobacco market, the town itself remembers the legacy that the market provided the town through the annual Tobacco Festival

celebration, held in late August, and through a museum located on Second Street in Ripley dedicated entirely to tobacco. The Ohio Tobacco Museum is housed in one of Ripley’s original homes, built in the 1850s. It is currently the only tobacco museum in the state of Ohio. The contents of the museum have been provided through private and public donations and

represents the story of Ripley’s unique southern Ohio agricultural history. Displayed at the museum are two boxes of General U.S. Grant cigars from 1865 and the Civil War, as well as pre-World War II Lucky Strike green packages and carton of cigarettes. Examples of tobacco “carrots” carried by Lewis and Clark are also on display. The museum is supported

through donations and memberships, and is managed and staffed by volunteers. Visit the museum from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, April through December, or any time by appointment by calling (937) 392-9410 or (937) 392-1352. Bryan Peck is the editor of the News Democrat and the Ripley Bee.

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COLUMBUS - Having worked on his family’s Greenfield farm and been involved with agriculture all his life, former state Sen. David Daniels said he is excited to be part of Gov. John Kasich’s cabinet as head of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Daniels, who represented Highland County in the state legislature 2002 until his appointment as ag director in February, said he accepted the post because he wants to continue his involvement with farming and agriculture issues in Ohio. Earlier this year, “I got a call from the governor’s staff. They asked me if I would consider leading the department of agriculture. After a tremendous amount of thought, and discussions with my family, I decided to take the position so that I can help move agriculture to the forefront of job creation in Ohio,” Daniels said. “It was certainly not a position that I sought. Growing up on the family farm, you never think that one day you might be asked to head up the department of agriculture. It certainly was an honor to be asked. I want to thank the Kasich administration for giving me this wonderful opportunity to serve agriculture in Ohio.” Daniels has served as mayor of Greenfield and on the Highland County Board of Commissioners. He was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 2002 and served four terms in the House before his election to the state senate in 2010. “This was not an easy decision for me to come to,” he said at the time. “I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to serve the citizens of the 86th district and the 17th district. I’ve made some of the best

friends and had some of the biggest fights doing this job. It’s been a great honor, I love what I’m doing, and that was a big part of my decisionmaking process. It’s difficult to leave the Senate, but this gives me an opportunity to go back to my roots and serve the agriculture industry in Ohio.” The position gives Daniels a key role in coordinating with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources on possible new exotic animal regulations. He’ll also be among the agency directors advising Kasich on developing Ohio’s oil and gas industry. John C. “Jack” Fisher, the executive vice president of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, applauded the appointment of Daniels to the department. “Ohio Farm Bureau is extremely pleased with Gov. Kasich’s selection of Dave Daniels as director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. As a farmer, small businessman and elected official, Sen. Daniels has proven his leadership ability and has demonstrated a deep understanding of agriculture and the food industry’s economic and social importance to our state,” Fisher said. “We believe Ohio’s consumers and farmers will be well served by Mr. Daniels’ leadership of this vital agency.”

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XENIA — Registration is now open for the Fourth Annual Midwest Native Plant Conference, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife. While the common thread of the conference is native plants, the event is multifaceted with speakers and field trips, both covering a range of topics. The conference will be held July 27–29 at the Bergamo Center on the grounds of Mount St. John in Dayton. Bergamo boasts an impressive 150-acre nature preserve. The conference offers plenty of native flora for sale, field trips, and more. All activities are conveniently located steps away from the Bergamo Center’s lodging quarters. Experienced and engaging speakers are a conference staple. This year the conference will feature three keynoters: Marielle Anzelone, Urban Plant Ecologist in New York City; Ian Adams, a legend in the world of natural history photography; and Dr. David Wagner, also known as “Mr. Caterpillar,” of the University of Connecticut. Breakout sessions will also be offered. Presenters for the breakout sessions include Michelle Banker, David Brandenburg, Wes Duran, Don Geiger, Cheryl Harner, Jan Hunter, Jim McCormac, Carol Mundy, Tara Poling

and Stan Stine. This year’s featured conference plant is the royal catchfly, Silene regia. These stunning prairie plants can tower to six feet or more, and are capped by dense spikes of brilliant scarlet flowers, a favorite of the ruby-throated hummingbird. Vendors will have royal catchfly for sale, along with many other outstanding native species. The Bergamo Center’s open courtyard is a prime area for vendors with all manner of plants — often described as the greatest selection of native flora you could find for sale in one spot in this region. All vendors will be open to the general public from 9–4 p.m. on Saturday, July 28. The conference is highlighted by the opportunity for attendees to get out in the field and see lots of plants in their natural haunts. Field trip sites include such iconic natural areas as Cedar Bog, Beavercreek Wildlife Area’s Siebenthaler Fen, and Caesar Creek Gorge Nature Preserve. Late July is the time to see the fabulous prairies and fens that occur in the Dayton area and all of the trips are guided by expert botanists and naturalists. Space is limited. Registration material and complete conference details can be found at midwestnativeplants.org or by calling (937) 477 1131.

July 2012

ACRES of Southwest Ohio

Eggs! Ohio foodbanks receive $1.5 million egg commitment

Ohio egg farmers give back, partner with foodbanks in fight against hunger during National Egg Month

COLUMBUS - For the fifth year, the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks (OASHF) and the Ohio Poultry Association (OPA) have joined forces in the fight against hunger as the two organizations partner with Ohio’s egg farmers to provide wholesome, nutritious food to Ohioans in need. Representatives from OASHF and OPA, Ohio Department of Agriculture Director David T. Daniels, as well as egg farmers from across the state, gathered at an event held today at the Mid-Ohio Foodbank in Grove City to celebrate the milestone 1.5 million egg donation by Ohio farmers. Eight Ohio egg farmers have committed the 1.5 million eggs to be provided to local hunger charities through OASHF’s network of 12 regional Feeding America foodbanks. The contribution has an estimated retail value of $168,750. “Our partnership with the Ohio Poultry Association and Ohio’s egg farmers is integral in helping us meet our critical mission to provide food to hungry Ohio families,” said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, OASHF executive director. “This donation from the state’s egg farmers will generously fill an ever-increasing food gap and will provide our clients with wholesome and nutritious meals. We are extremely thankful for our agriculture partners and their continuous support.” According to new research from Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, more than 2 million Ohioans, or 18.1 percent of the state’s population, are considered food insecure, meaning they don’t always have access to food. Organizations like OASHF help bridge the food gap by providing

Sons, Inc. of Coldwater; Hertzfeld Poultry Farms of Grand Rapids; Stoller Farms of Van Wert; Weaver Brothers, Inc. of Versailles; Rindler Poultry of St. Henry; and Ross-Medford Farms of New Weston. Ohio Department of Agriculture Director David T. Daniels said the generous donation by Ohio’s egg farmers to help those in need confirms their commitment to be good stewards and food ambassadors. “Ohio’s agricultural community always rises to the occasion to help their neighbors in need,” said Daniels. “Today’s donation confirms what many of us already know - Ohio’s farmers are compassionate for and passionate about providing to those who need assistance.” In addition to the statewide egg donation, OASHF has partnered with Ohio’s farmers for 15 years through the Ohio Agricultural Clearance Program (OACP). OACP is a statewide effort to direct Ohio’s surplus of agricultural products through the network of foodbanks in the state to ensure that Ohio families have a source of nutritious, Ohio-grown and raised, and produced food products. The program works with Ohio farmers and commodity groups to provide foodbanks with surplus and unmarketable agricultural products at production cost. OASHF’s 12 member foodbanks provide hunger relief in all 88 Ohio counties. In 2011, OASHF distributed more than 150 million pounds of food and grocery items to 3,300 member charities, food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and other food assistance organizations. For more information regarding the OASHF, visit www.oashf.org. For more information about OPA, visit www.ohioeggs.com.

nourishment to those in need. The OASHF and its network of providers served more than 2.3 million Ohioans in the last three months. Approximately 35 percent of those served were children (under the age of 18) and about 14 percent were seniors (age 60 and older). Additionally, more than 4.4 million meals were served to Ohioans visiting shelters and soup kitchens. Because of its long-standing partnership with OPA and Ohio’s egg farmers, OASHF can provide fresh, Ohioproduced eggs that mean hungry Ohio families can have nutritious, wholesome meals. Jim Chakeres, OPA executive

“Ohio’s egg farmers always have been champions in the fight against hunger,” vice president, said the egg donation is just one example of how Ohio’s egg farmers give back to their communities. “Ohio’s egg farmers always have been champions in the fight against hunger,” said Chakeres. “We are proud of our 11-year partnership with the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks that provides our neighbors in need with safe, highly nutritious eggs.” Ohio farms participating in this year’s donation include: Trillium Farms of Croton; Ft. Recovery Equity of Fort Recovery; Hemmelgarn &

Greene County man wins farming award

Mark Thordsen of Cedarville has been selected as a winner in America’s Farmers Grow Communities, which gives farmers the opportunity to win $2,500 for their favorite local nonprofit organizations. The donations are available through the Monsanto Fund. Thordsen has designated the Greene County FFA Alumni Association, located in Xenia, to receive the award in Greene County. The award was presented to him in ceremonies held in Greene County in June. The Greene County FFA Alumni Association, Mark Thordsen and a Monsanto representative will participate in a check presentation ceremony. Media are invited to attend the check presentation. Interview and photo

opportunities available. In 1,245 eligible counties in 39 states, farmers could win $2,500 for their favorite community nonprofit. The Monsanto Fund expects to invest more than $3.1 million in local communities. America’s Farmers Grow Communities is part of a broad commitment by the Monsanto Fund to highlight the important contributions farmers make every day to our society by helping them grow their local communities. Nearly 60,000 farmers participated in the second annual Grow Communities program, which is designed to benefit nonprofit groups such as ag youth, schools and other civic organizations. For more information and to see a full list of winners, visit growcommunities.com.

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COLUMBUS — The State Executive Director for Ohio’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), Steve Maurer, reminds producers of the acreage reporting requirements that must be met prior to receiving program benefits. If producers miss the acreage reporting deadline dates, a late filing fee will be charged. Maurer added, “Producers are required to file an FSA578, Report of Acreage, certification for the farm by July 2 for small grains and by July 16 for all other crops except small grains.” To be considered timely, acreage reports on crops are due in the county office by July 2 for small grains and July 16 for all other crops, or 15 calendar days before the onset of harvest or grazing of the specific crop acreage being reported.

It is also very important that producers report crop losses, including those insured under Federal Crop Insurance (FCIC) and Noninsured Assistance Program (NAP) within 15 days of the date damage occurred or 15 days from the date damage is apparent. Losses and or damages to crops must be reported after each disaster occurrence and in a timely manner to insure continued eligibility for benefits. Producers are encouraged to visit their local FSA county office to file the required FSA-578 certification report before the deadline dates expire. Filing an accurate acreage report for all crops and land uses, including failed acreage and prevented planting acreage, can prevent the loss of benefits for a variety of programs.

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Gymkhana Association’s State Finals

year at his farm and has had tremendous success and tremendous growth,” The top two riders Psiakis said. “I put on in each of the eight a couple of fun shows classes at the end of the series will advance in the winter and some of his riders came to the National from Dayton and Gymkhana other areas to ride in Association’s state the fun shows. He finals at Champion heard it was great so Center in Springfield he contacted me this Nov. 17 on behalf of past winter and asked DiaMond D. if I wanted to join him Dora Psiakis, in starting up a group. DiaMond D owner, I met with him and the said she is a member rest is history.”Psiakis of the National said she and her friend Gymkhana Roni Schweiger, are Association and that co-partners for the creation of the local Highland Gymkhana series stemmed after Series. The pair had connecting with rode trails together for horseman Ray many years and Faustman of Dayton. Schweiger bred one of “Ray started a her mare’s with gymkhana series last

By MEREDITH CREEK is a contributor to Acres

Ohio third graders win statewide essay contest COLUMBUS - The Ohio Livestock Coalition recently announced the winners of a statewide essay contest for third graders in

response to the question, “How do Ohio farmers make sure we have good, safe food to eat?” Naomi Miranda from Buckeye Primary in Medina, and Emma Crusey from North Union Elementary in Richwood won the contest. They were selected from nearly 70 essays submitted

in the contest’s third year. The winners’ entire third-grade classes were each awarded a free, allexpenses-paid field trip to an Ohio livestock farm, courtesy of the Ohio Livestock Coalition. Buckeye Primary Elementary recently toured Richman Farms, a dairy farm located in Lodi, and North Union Elementary toured New Day Farms, an egg farm located in Raymond. On the farm, students learned how farmers ensure

excellent animal care; protect the land, air and water; and provide safe, wholesome food. The essay contest is part of the Ohio Livestock Coalition’s ongoing For Your InFARMation program. The program includes free educational materials for teachers designed to teach Ohio third-graders about the origins of the food they eat every day and about the important role agriculture plays in Ohio’s economy. “As more and more

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Ohio families become generations removed from the farm, it is increasingly important to educate students at a younger age on where their food comes from and the critical role Ohio livestock farmers play in feeding Ohio and the world,” said David White, OLC executive director. “That’s precisely the goal of the For Your InFARMation program and students from the two classes were able to experience this concept first-hand during their trip

Psiakis jack, General Bob. Age divisions for the event are 13 and younger, 14-18, 1939, and 40 and older. Psiakis said all riders under the age of 18 are required to wear helmets during each class event in which they are participating. Series events are scheduled for June 24, July 29, Aug. 26 and Sept. 30. Oct. 28 is reserved as a rain date. Riding patterns that will be used in the series are available, along with additional information, at diamonddmules.com. Interested parties can also call Psiakis at 513-616-5135.

to the farm.” The For Your InFARMation materials support key Ohio academic content standards for social studies, language arts, science and math, and can be downloaded free of charge at www.ForYourInFARMatio n.com. Through these materials, students learn about farmers and the economy, livestock farming, keys to safe and healthy food, careers in agriculture and more.

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WYANDOT COUNTY - You’ve all heard of miniature livestock. There are miniature horses, miniature donkeys, and miniature goats. Now, there are miniature cattle, and they are roaming the pastures in Wyandot County. Miniature Herefords to be exact. And Tom and Ethan Smalley, Carey, are hooked. Tom discovered miniature cattle as he was leafing through “Hobby Farms” and “Country Living” magazines. First, he noticed their size. Then he began to imagine all of the possibilities of owning these little cows. After

considerable research, he and his son, Ethan, decided to go in with a neighbor and they brought seven bred miniature Herefords back from Loveland, Col. Four of them went to the Smalley’s farm. “We got lucky,” Tom grinned. “The fellow in Colorado mainly bred lowline Angus, but he just happened to have seven bred Hereford cows. I called him just to ask some questions and where I might find some Hereford’s and he told me, ‘It was my lucky day.’ “He happened to have them when usually he didn’t. And it’s not easy to find cows and heifers, but the bulls are plentiful. We really wanted Herefords,

because we used to raise the regular size and liked the breed.” Size was the main reason Tom and Ethan were attracted to the miniature cattle. “In many cases they are half the size of regular cattle,” Tom said. “One of the nice things about them is that a person is able to have two animals compared to one. That way I’m able to keep two cows in the pasture, therefore getting two calves. When I raised regular cattle, I was only able to have one cow and one calf compared to the miniatures.” “To put it into perspective,” Ethan said, “a standard Hereford bull can weigh up to 1,600

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pounds. A miniature Hereford weighs up to about 1,000 pounds, and that’s a pretty big bull. An average standard cow is around 1300-1400 pounds, where the mini is 800-900 pounds.” “Each miniature needs half the amount of pasture, hay, and feed as a regular,” Tom continues. “Often when raising out two miniature cattle in the feed lot, you actually gain more meat than raising one regular steer.” The ability to have two animals compared to one is a benefit for the small farmer who is limited in pasture and barn space. “The only shelter they

really need is something like a lean-to that lets them get out of the sun and wind,” Tom said. “They are very hardy animals. Their lifespan is about 15 years on the average, and are considered full grown when they are five years old.” Miniature cattle owners seem to agree that the majority of them are more docile than their standard counterparts, and make great pets. Tom and Ethan hope that the miniatures catch on so there will be enough of them in Wyandot County to start a class at the fair. Due to their small size they are easier to handle

and train than the standards, especially for children, so they would be great candidates for a 4-H project. Tom said that the mini-cattle would make a nice beginners project, because they are not as large or intimidating as regular-size cattle. “They are also easier on gates and other equipment,” Tom added. “This is because they are not as heavy and are not putting as much weight on the gates.” There are approximately26 breeds of miniature cattle recognized by the International Miniature Cattle Breeders Society and Registry, a private

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Ethan has suggestions for those considering buying miniature cattle. “First, pick your breed and do your research. Check the online cattle auction sites. Know your price range because miniatures are not cheap. Do not buy on a whim. Know in advance what you want to do with them, and that will determine your price range. Do you want them for breeding/raising, showing, or beef? Then do your homework on prices for what you want. Prices vary, so look around.” company that keeps the records for the miniature cattle. Some miniature breeds, such as Dexter and certain strains of Zebu, are direct descendants of cattle that existed before they were domesticated. Some miniature breeds were created by “breeding down” or selecting the smallest stock from established breeds. Herefords and Angus fall into this category. Many miniature breeds were created in the last two decades by crossing Dexters with other breeds, to create different colors and breed types. “Miniatures are judged by frame size, more than by height or weight,” Ethan explained.

“There is a frame score that measures the size of the miniature cattle, which ranges from 0000 being the smallest, all the way through 1 which is the biggest. So 1 is the largest, 0 next largest, and so forth, until you get down to ‘0000’, which is the smallest. We have a mixture in our herd, with our bull, Rudy, being our smallest at 000. A good way to think about it is that they weigh about half as much as regular cattle.“ Tom told a story about a neighbor that laughed at them when they first got the miniature cattle, poking fun whenever he had a chance. But when he had trouble with the meat in his regular herd Tom offered him some “mini

meat.” “Well,” Tom smiled. “He wasn’t laughing when he came back and told me that it was the best beef he ever ate!” “Our cattle aren’t registered,” Tom said. “Ethan may have a different opinion, but to me it’s just a piece of paper that makes them cost more. At least at this time, breeding to sell isn’t our purpose. “We use our bull calves to raise for beef. The benefit to this is that you are able to get half the amount of meat but still get all of your favorite cuts of meat. “When you buy a quarter of a regular beef you don’t get all the cuts

you want, however, you can get the same amount of meat from a miniature and get all of your cuts,” he pointed out. “Basically, in a miniature you get half a beef and all of your cuts, rather than a quarter of a regular and not get all your cuts. Another advantage for us is that their steaks are smaller and portion controlled. The steaks are just the right size. Not too small, but not too big.” Smalleys usually keep what they breed, but they have a handful of customers that they sell meat to. They currently have four cows, one bull, three steers, and four heifers. The heifers will be kept to breed once they are old enough.

Eventually, they will sell more minis as beef. “We are getting involved in all natural grass-fed cattle,” Tom explained. “It’s better for the consumer and the animal.” Smalleys’ costs for raising miniature cattle are minimal. “We also raise our own hay so that helps a lot,” Ethan commented. “Besides typical upkeep on fence and other various supplies, these cattle are easy to maintain. They pretty much take care of themselves other than needing to be fed and watered. They are very healthy and we’ve had no problems with sickness. And since we don’t vaccinate, use antibiotics, or hormones. We’ve been

lucky.” The cost to purchase a miniature Hereford is not minimal, however. But the Smalleys feel they are well worth the investment. “The approximate price of a registered, miniature Hereford bull calf is around $5,000 compared to a regular at about $1,200,” Ethan explains. “A mini bred cow might be $6,000 and a regular about $1,500. And a mini heifer might be picked up for about $5,000 compared to a regular heifer which depending on age you’re probably looking at about $800.” Ethan has suggestions for those considering buying miniature cattle. “First, pick your breed and do your research. Check the online cattle auction sites. Know your price range because miniatures are not cheap. Do not buy on a whim. Know in advance what you want to do with them, and that will determine your price range. Do you want them for breeding/raising, showing, or beef? Then do your homework on prices for what you want. Prices vary, so look around.” Tom and Ethan definitely see miniature Herefords in their future. “We will continue to increase our herd,” Tom said. “And then just take it from there.”

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are back in their rooms. After we get finished with that, our next project will be to paint our walls and ceilings. Busy time of the year trying to keep both gardens weeded and watered. It has been really dry and not much rain in the past week. Yesterday, though, we had a welcome rain. Our rain gauge showed only two tenths of an inch but every little bit helps. It sure gave the garden a good boost. We are still enjoying radishes, lettuce, and green onions and our peas are almost ready. We are looking forward to tomatoes, sweet corn, and all the other garden goodies in the months ahead. The first batch of corn to be put out is looking very nice but the second batch came up very spotty. A lot of the women in our church have been saying that they have had things not come up as well as usual. I am wondering if it could be from the heat and not enough rain. My lettuce is doing good but some have said that theirs is wilted from the heat.

This past week we did a lot of painting as we continue to get things in order after the house fire last month. All four bedrooms upstairs are painted and one needs another coat. Things are beginning to look a lot better. We would like to go get some flooring to put in the bedrooms that don’t have any yet. My husband Joe and the boys can work on that while he is off work. He will be having some days off due to waiting on some lumber to come in at the factory. We are excited to put the rest of the floors in so that all the furniture can be put back in place. Then we will move everyone back to their bedrooms. We can always wait to work on the trim and closets until they

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had her

18th birthday on Thursday, June 14. It is hard to believe she is that old, the years sure went fast! Her friend Timothy invited her friends over and surprised her for her birthday. He had pizza here for everyone and gave her a big ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. Meanwhile, Joe and the three boys spent the day on Saturday on the lake fishing. Kevin, 6, caught quite a few which excited him. They left early in the morning The boys sure were out of bed pretty fast when Joe asked them if they wanted to go fishing Saturday morning. This is the first time they have gone fishing this year. There was

something not working right with Joe’s boat motor, so last week Joe and Timothy went out on the lake to try it out. Timothy figured out what was wrong with it so Joe is glad to be able to use his boat again. The rest of us stayed busy at home. Elizabeth did the laundry, Susan, her friend Mose and I painted her bedroom and Verena and Loretta did the weekly house-cleaning. Lovina seems to be doing well since her appendix surgery. I took her to the doctor for a

check-up and he said she is doing fine. She asked if she could ride her bike and Minnie, the miniature pony again. The doctor said it would be okay and she asked if she could run again and take a shower. She was all excited that she could do that again. When one of the girls asked if she could wipe off the dishes she asked “well, do you think they weigh more than five pounds?” The doctor had told her not to lift more than five pounds so she was trying to get out of doing dishes.

It is funny how the other things were a lot more exciting to be able to do again. Last week we also made strawberry freezer jam out of 16 quarts of strawberries. I want to make rhubarb jam this week. I don’t like to use my rhubarb after June, this makes the plants stay nice and hardy for the next year. This week I will share a recipe for some homemade “energy bars.” Friends of the Eichers have started a fund help with their Muscular Dystrophy medical expenses: Eicher Children Benefit Fund c/o Farmers 2294788 State Bank PO BOX 1010 Shipshewana, Indiana 46565

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• Dump Truck • Leach Fields • Backhoe • Septic Systems • Water Lines • Foundations • Driveways • General Excavating

5738 Greenfield-Sabina Rd. Washington C.H., OH 43160 Office 800-255-2622 Mkt. Line 740-333-5321 vistagrainllc@yahoo.com

This is a ONE DAY ONLY event, so mark your calendar.

www.vistagrainllc.com

937-382-5181 www.delille.com

3131 Progress Way, Wilmington, OH

(740) 335-1439 • (740) 572-0088

2257421

Metal Roofing and Siding • Post Building Packages Lumber • Trusses • Insulation • Doors • Windows

• COLLISION & REPAIR •

• HVAC SERVICE/INSTALLATION •

From minor dents to major body repairs, we’ll get your car back in shape.

HVAC Service & Installation

Murphin Ridge

Insulation & Draft Proofing

Building Supplies, LLC

416 Wildwood Rd. Washington C.H., OH 43160 740-335-3852-Office

67 Murphin Ridge Road West Union, OH 45693

• Auto & RV Repair • Uni-Body Repair Specialit • A.S.E. Certified • Custom Color Matching • Experts in Foreign & Domestic Cars

Fast ~ Friendly Service

Email: ComfortCompany@aol.com

937-544-8010

2285150

2285335

CARROLL HALLIDAY, INC.

FREE estimates

1700 Columbus Ave., Wash. C.H. 740-335-1670

2285716

• DRIVE-THRU RECYCLING •

Ken Morgan's Tractors and Saddles

CNMP Services LLC

950 Delaware Street Washington C.H., Ohio 43160

All Types Of Farm Machinery 9 Tractors to choose from All Types of Saddles Finish mowers, horse trailers, plows, bush hogs.

Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans

Drive-Thru Rec. Facility For all your Recycling needs

9 Tractors to choose from All Types of Saddles

EQIP or Non-EQIP CNMP Nutrient Management Plans (NMP)

Bennett Recycling

1000+ square bales Alfalfa/OrchardGrass/RedClover First cutting $3.50/bale. (740)335-0635.

937-833-3214

740-636-1942

560 Home Furnishings

Don’t wait any longer! Start saving money on your heating bill when you heat your entire home, water and more with the safe, comfortable heat of a Central Boiler outdoor furnace.

One Call Does It All

FREE ES ESTIMAT

CLASSIC, E-CLASSIC & MAXIM FURNACES IN STOCK & READY FOR DELIVERY!

Pole Barns • Roofing • Siding • Electrical Plumbing • Gutters • Windows Painting • Garages • Drywall 25 Years Experience Licensed & Bonded

937-584-4286 937-302-9549

Eagle Outdoor Furnaces 2290173

583 Pets and Supplies

1-513-638-5717

Visit us at: EagleOutdoorFurnaces.com

2294705

583 Pets and Supplies

Email: agroserve@frontier.com Independent soil fertility recommendations by

Agro-Serve Consulting Roger L. Butts, CCA, Agronomist

Lebanon, Ohio

• PROPERTY MANAGEMENT • 583 Pets and Supplies

Office: 937-442-3202 Cell: 937-750-3202

Eliminate High Heating Bills!

BOLEN CONSTRUCTION

583 Pets and Supplies

Certified CNMP Specialist

• OUTDOOR FURNACES •

• CONSTRUCTION •

2011 Cub Cadet Sl10X, model 1050, 67 hours, 24HP $1500. 937-725-8556

Boston Terrier Pups Born 5-21-2012. POP 2 females $350/each 3 males $300/each CKC Registered/ 1st shots & wormed 740-606-5685/ 7 4 0 - 3 3 5 - 4 8 2 0 / 740-463-8889 If no answer leave message

Roger L. Butts, TSP 2291021

2288374

570 Lawn and Garden

Attention Rabbit Hunters: AKC Beagle Puppies. Also 8X10 Dog Kennel. 937-365-1962 or 937-403-6988

937-382-2574 We Accept

DeLILLE OXYGEN

2285719

540 Feed/Grain

Oak Dining Table w/6 chairs, 2 leafs. Excellent condition. 740-222-3049 or 740-335-7916

Wilmington News Journal

2295123

500 - Merchandise

peoplesdefender.com

recordherald.com newsdemocrat.com

2284049

wnewsj.com timesgazette.com

Liner deadline 3rd Thurdsay of each month: Display Deadlines: Aug. Edition: July 31 Mar. Edition: March 6 Sept. Edition: Sept.5 Apr. Edition: April 3 Oct. Edition: Oct 2 May Edition: May 1 Nov. Edition: Oct. 23 Jun. Edition: June 5 Dec. Edition: Dec. 4 Jul. Edition: July 3

585 Produce

9771 Stivers Rd. Hillsboro, OH 45133-6718 2293936

592 Wanted to Buy

Growing Opportunities Peke-A-Poo Puppies 7-Weeks Old. Will Be Small. Vet-Checked. Ready for a home. $185Firm. 937-393-4670 937-689-2790

Pomeranian Puppies Cute, CKC, 2 Males, 1 Female 4 Weeks Old (937)403-4963 (740)606-6673

Buy, Sell, Trade ... in the Classifieds! Reach Over 10,000 Landowners In 11 Counties! Also...

Posted each month on these highly visited websites: newsdemocrat.com, peoplesdefender.com, timesgazette.com, recordherald.com and wnewsj.com To place an ad Call: 937-544-2391, 937-368-6161 937-382-2574, 740-335-3611 or 937-393-3456

Reaching Eleven Counties!

Pug Puppies, 5 weeks old, Three Females Left. $200.00 Call John 937-205-8761

Sweet corn, green beans, red potatoes & cabbage. McCord's 10223 Rt. 22, Sabina. 9 3 7 - 4 8 1 - 4 6 5 8 / 937-584-4497

Hayslip's Recycling 937-4033735 or 740-357-6413171 Mulberry St. Wilmington, OH 45177 Aluminum can $0.65/lb. #1 Copper $2.85/lb #2 Copper $2.70/lb. Batteries $0.15/lb.

595 Hay WANTED - Straw To Bail Out Of Fields in any area. 740-495-5771 or 888-920-7791

12B

July 2012

ACRES of Southwest Ohio

qcY_ qUR_ qUV_K, nXcVP k__` {UVQOXPcVPQ, Don’t miss our early order incentives and our biggest cash discounts of the year! PLACE YOUR SCI CORN AN D SOYBEAN SEED ORDER TO DAY!

dae]pf dpaoeahtfrp The only Eastern Corn Belt based seed company with 4 National and 18 State Winners in the NCGA Yield Contest since 2008. apnlefti npfp_lr` Genetics developed, tested and bred exclusively for the Eastern Corn Belt’s unique growing conditions and soil types. apnlefti _p`_lfn 45,000+ Yield Plots tested exclusively in the Eastern Corn Belt at 75+ testing locations. apt`eftsip dalrlfn A fair, honest and reasonable price the first time. `eZsptf `ppq ^fl_ dtrjtnlfn The only Eastern Corn Belt based seed company selling soybean seed in 150,000 seeds/unit.

Drewes Farms • Deshler, Ohio Øk__` {UVQOXPcVPQ ][N_Q OQ c M[`_ Q_X_aP[UV U^ ]_V_P[a a\U[a_Q ^UR UOR ^cRW, j\_K \cN_ NcR[_P[_Q P\cP MURY M_XX UV UOR vUKPN[XX_ {XcK QU[X PKT_Q, j\_KCR_ c N_RK _cQK aUWTcVK PU `U bOQ[V_QQ M[P\,

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