Ohio's Country Journal and Ohio Ag Net

Ohio’s Christmas tree growers send some holiday cheer to troops overseas The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) and Ohio Christmas Tree Association (OCTA) are sending holiday cheer to American troops stationed overseas through Operation Evergreen. One hundred Ohio-grown Christmas trees and homemade decorations were shipped to military men and women serving overseas in Jordan. “Operation Evergreen offers us an opportunity to express our appreciation to our military members who serve our country, and especially recognize our servicemen and women who won’t be with their families for the holidays,” said Brian Baldridge, ODA Director. “Sending a piece of home overseas lets them know they are in our thoughts, not just during the holidays, but every day.” Ohio Christmas tree growers from all over the state donate the trees to Operation Evergreen, now in its 29th year. The annual event is held on ODA’s Reynoldsburg campus, where trees are inspected for pests, wrapped, and packaged with the help of local volunteers and students.… Continue reading https://lnkd.in/gHN3ZSsX

Ohio Ag Net Podcast | Ep. 374 | Christmas from Seed to Tree On this week’s podcast, Matt Reese sits down with Dave Keener, farm manager at Timbuk Farms in Licking County, home of the Canaan Fir Tree Company. Keener shares insights into one of Ohio’s unique farms that takes Christmas trees from seed all the way to retail. Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Brian Baldridge discusses the Operation Evergreen Program, plus Mike Estadt with Pickaway County Extension provides a harvest recap from one of the areas hardest hit by the 2024 drought.… Continue reading https://lnkd.in/gGT3XDEz

Ohio Farm Bureau names participants for AgriPOWER Class XV Ohio Farm Bureau’s 2024-2025 AgriPOWER Institute kicked off in October with 14 farmers and agribusiness professionals participating in Class XV. AgriPOWER is a leadership program focused on issues that are relevant to the farm and food industry such as consumer relations, regulations, energy, and trade policies. In AgriPOWER, individuals develop the skills necessary to become effective leaders and advocates for agriculture by learning from experts in these fields.  Participants this year are Amanda Barndt of Bowling Green, Grace Baxter of Wooster, Kelsey Brown of Leroy, Johnathon Cottingim of Delaware, Hannah DiVencenzo of Grafton, Zachary Jones of Huron, Olivia Lang of Wooster, Taylor Mensing of Westerville, Rudi Pitzer Perry of New Vienna, Lucy Pullins Green of Bowling Green, William Ray of Zanesville, Emily Stevens of Tiffin, Alec Truckor of Swanton and Kelly Warner of Harrod. “These individuals have already made their mark on Ohio agriculture, and I am excited that they want to take their leadership skills to the next level,” said Marlene... https://lnkd.in/gbziwfEF

Artificial Intelligence’s potential from Bayer’s perspective Join Ohio Ag Net’s Dale Minyo as he talks with Andy Folta of Bayer about the growing role of artificial intelligence in farming. From analyzing major data trends to driving smarter decisions in the field, learn how AI is shaping the future of agriculture.… Continue reading https://lnkd.in/gbs6ZpXA

By Ryan Martin, Ohio Ag Net Chief Meterologist December 3, 2024 -- More cold temps in for the state today, as north and northwest winds remain in play. Lake effect clouds and some light snow will be seen today...the clouds statewide, and the light snow more localized near the Lake Erie shoreline... https://lnkd.in/dsvjFAfe

Conservation efforts with Todd Hesterman By Dusty Sonnenberg, CCA, Field Leader, a project of the Ohio Soybean Council and Soybean Check-off In Episode 51, the final OFL Roadshow of 2024 visits the Century Farm of Todd Hesterman in Henry County. Todd has been extremely active in conservation efforts for over two decades and has served on the Henry County SWCD Board as well as the Conservation Action Project (C.A.P.) and on both the Ohio Soybean Association Board and Ohio Soybean Council Board. Todd’s love for farming and stewardship of the land while working alongside his family is very evident. Todd’s understanding of keeping the legacy of a family farm alive by improving it and passing it on to the next generation is at the heart of what he does.… Continue reading https://lnkd.in/g5cN2Hyy

Chinese purchases favoring Brazil By Doug Tenney, Leist Mercantile Jacob the cat has learned a new trick. My sleep is often interrupted, and when returning to bed I find Jacob has moved to the center, taking advantage of the warm spot I left behind. In the coming months it will take supply or demand surprises to warm producer’s psyche with current corn and soybean prices. Traders were surprised with the Nov. 8 WASDE report which detailed a decline in the 2024 U.S. soybean yield of 1.4 bushels per acre, now estimated at 51.7 bushels per acre. In addition, soybean ending stocks were reduced by 80 million bushels to 470 million bushels. Within minutes, those two bullish factors were responsible for January 2025 CBOT soybeans quickly spiking double digits higher, reaching $10.44, up 18 cents from the previous day’s close. However, they failed to close above strong resistance at the then 100-day moving average of $10.41, instead closing at $10.30, up just 4 cents on the day.… Continue reading https://lnkd.in/gWj_7W9h

Precision livestock technology for disease detection in dairy calves By Jason Hartschuh, assistant professor, Ohio State University Extension Field Specialist Dairy Management and Precision Livestock Precision livestock farming is the use of real time monitoring technologies to manage animals by measuring individual data and detecting temporal variability. When it comes to calf care, precision livestock monitoring technologies offer huge potential benefits moving forward. I was at a nutrition conference recently where discussion around the table turned to: can cow people be trained or are those skills that some people are born with? The ability to look at a slight ear droop or head tilt and know that an animal doesn’t feel well has been critical to farms for years. Combining multiple sensors along with machine learning will allow a virtual cow person to watch every calf all day. These technologies have the potential to detect BRD, which clinically or sub clinically affects almost a third of dairy calves and diarrhea, which clinically affects about 21% of pre-weaned dairy calves.… Continue reading https://lnkd.in/g65zc5uy

Preventative pest control solutions Ohio Ag Net’s Dale Minyo speaks with Dennis Meyer of Central Life Sciences as he shares innovative pest control strategies, including insect growth regulators (IGR) that protect grain storage and livestock facilities. Learn how these proactive solutions help reduce losses, improve grain management flexibility, and boost farm efficiency. Tune in for the full conversation.… Continue reading https://lnkd.in/gvDgexqW

By Ryan Martin, Ohio Ag Net Chief Meterologist December 2, 2024 -- A cool week this week, but generally we have no major trouble spots, outside of NE OH and lake effect areas... https://lnkd.in/gNQqKNpJ