COLUMBUS, Ohio – Cropland values in Ohio increased in 2012 and are expected to continue on an upward trend in 2013, despite the drought that devastated growers this year, an Ohio State University Extension expert said.
Ohio cropland value rose 13.6 percent this year, with bare cropland averaging $5,000 an acre, said Barry Ward, production business management leader for OSU Extension. Ward, citing statistics from the Ohio Agriculture Statistics Service, expects the trend to continue next year, with “projected budgets for Ohio’s primary crops for 2013 showing the potential for strong profits.”
This is true, he said, in spite of the drought of 2012, which devastated growers and producers across the country, particularly in the Midwest...
WOOSTER, Ohio – While colder temperatures now experienced throughout the region mean livestock producers need to be aware of increased livestock energy requirements, those animals that may be thinner because of the drought could need extra energy supplements sooner, an Ohio State University Extension educator said.
Cold temperatures, cold rains and muddy conditions can significantly increase the energy required by livestock metabolism to provide enough heat for the animal to maintain its body temperature, said Rory Lewandowski, an agricultural and natural resources educator for OSU Extension.
But those animals that have less body condition and less body fat as a result of grazing on drought-impacted pastures may need to have that additional supplement sooner to be able to...
WILMINGTON, Ohio – With the U.S. Agriculture Department’s forecast that corn production this year will drop to its lowest point since 2006 as a result of the historic drought nationwide, growers can expect to see tight supplies next year and lower grain prices, Ohio State University Extension economist Matt Roberts said.
Prices, supplies and demand are only some of the concerns growers have going into 2013, he said. With that in mind, Roberts will provide a market update for growers Dec. 13 during the 2012 Ohio Grain Farmers Symposium at the Roberts Centre and Holiday Inn, 123 Gano Road in Wilmington.
The symposium will allow growers the opportunity to hear the latest agricultural issues impacting their operations, said Harold Watters, an OSU...
MCCONNELSVILLE, Ohio – A disease that could cause death in cattle but hasn’t gotten much attention in Ohio is being reported to veterinarians, indicating a need to get more producers to understand what the disease is and how to combat it, a pair of Ohio State University Extension experts said.
Bovine anaplasmosis is a bloodborne disease that could cause severe anemia shortly after a cow is infected, which in some cases results in death or abortions, said William Shulaw, an OSU Extension beef/sheep veterinarian. And cows that recover from the disease become a lifetime carrier of the bacteria that causes it unless it is successfully treated, he said.
The disease is typically transmitted through biting flies and blood-contaminated inanimate objects such as hypodermic needles,...
Last year we received a gift in the mail and didn’t open it until Christmas Eve. The box contained cheese spreads that said “Keep refrigerated” on the label. They had been at room temperature for more than a week, so we threw them out. But since then, I’ve seen some types of cheese spreads sold at the grocery store on the shelf. Were we being overly cautious?
If the label said “Keep refrigerated,” you absolutely did the right thing. But it’s no wonder you’re confused. There are many different types of cheese and processed cheese products, and some don’t need to be refrigerated until they’re opened. It depends on several factors, including the product’s moisture content, its level of acidity, its packaging, and how it was...
WOOSTER, Ohio -- Perhaps it has happened to you: You present a friend with a beautiful poinsettia for the holidays, and she shrinks in horror. How could you possibly give her something that could be deadly to Fifi or Fluff or little Freddy?
The good news is that it’s not, though you may have a hard time convincing her.
“Every year, people ask me if poinsettias are poisonous to people and pets,” said Robert McMahon, associate professor and coordinator of the greenhouse program at Ohio State University's Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster. Students in the program grow and sell approximately 1,200 poinsettias each year. “I try my best each year to spread the word that they are not.”
Disproven years ago by Ohio State research, the myth persists....
WOOSTER, Ohio -- The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) now has four environmentally friendly bi-fuel vehicles on the road as part of a new demonstration project.
Using $46,000 in grant funding from the nonprofit group Clean Fuels Ohio, the center recently had four of its fleet vehicles -- three Ford Fusion sedans and a GMC Sierra pickup truck -- converted to run on either gasoline or compressed natural gas (CNG), which is a less-polluting fuel that’s also cheaper.
Furthermore, OARDC officials expect most of the CNG burned in the vehicles to come from renewable biogas produced locally by one of the center’s industry partners, Cleveland-based quasar energy group.
The company operates a biogas-producing waste digester and CNG...
WOOSTER, Ohio -- John Finer, a professor in Ohio State University's Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, has been elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) -- a recognition bestowed upon leading researchers for their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to promote science or its applications.
Based on the Wooster campus of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC), Finer is one of 18 Ohio State faculty elected among this year's AAAS class. OARDC is the research arm of the university’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
Finer was recognized for "distinguished contributions in...
LANCASTER, Ohio – Ohio growers this year have planted more oats after wheat and into early harvested corn silage fields. And thanks to late-season rains, the crop is expected to produce “excellent yields,” which is a boost to producers suffering through low forage supplies after drought, an Ohio State University Extension beef cattle expert said.
Although late rains haven’t been abundant, they’ve provided enough moisture to produce excellent oat yields and quality for many growers throughout the state, said Stan Smith, an OSU Extension program assistant in agriculture and natural resources.
That’s significant considering that the drought of 2012 has been one of the worst on record in Ohio, leaving many livestock producers hard-hit in their...
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Government officials, planners, developers, landowners, farmers, producers and those interested in land-use implications regarding everything from agriculture as an economic force to planning for oil and gas use, can participate in discussions on those issues and more during the 2013 Ohio Land Use Conference, Jan. 11 in Columbus.
Sponsored by Ohio State University Extension, Lake Erie Commission, Ohio Water Resources Council, Ohio Balanced Growth Program and Cleveland State University, the “Linking Land Use and the Economy: Our Land, Our Water, Our Future” conference runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, 2201 Fred Taylor Drive on Ohio State’s Columbus campus.
The conference kicks off with an...
