by CrownRandall | Nov 22, 2025 | Agriculture
DARKE COUNTY – On November 11, 2025 the Darke County 4-H Beef Club held it’s organizational meeting. The 4-H club had an election of officers.
Those elected were…
President: Carson Bergman
Vice President: Ethan Post
Secretaries: Rylee Judy, Charlee Hartle, and Elania Schlechty
Treasurer: J.J. Vocke
Reporter: Allison Horst
Historian: Kenzie Bergman
Health and Safety: Sarah Bergman
Meeting Organizer: Ruth Bergman
The club discussed adopting a family for Christmas. 2026 Market beef weigh-in and community service project.
The Darke County 4-H Beef Club will hold its next meeting on December 2nd, 2025 at 7 P.M. at the Brethren Home. This will be the Christmas party with gift exchange and cookies and punch.is an event, making it a success!
by CrownRandall | Nov 22, 2025 | Agriculture
I hope this Newsletter finds you well. Darke County has received some precipitation recently but remains in drought conditions as we cross the midway point of November (https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?OH). Harvest is largely complete, although some fields remain standing.
I’ll be at Worch Library on December 11th at 6:00 p.m. to discuss Poison Hemlock. This is a weed that has been a challenge for many people in the area; we’ll discuss how to identify this weed, its lookalikes, and methods for control. I hope to see you there!
The next Darke County Garden Roundtable will be November 24th at 6:00 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office. We’ll focus on designing your garden layout, and the plant of the month is garlic. The agenda is attached.
Dairy producers interested in learning more about fly control and disease prevention will want to check out the next Western Ohio Dairy Luncheon. This session will feature OSU Extension Specialist Jason Hartschuh on December 18th, as he discusses different heat detection systems for dairy operations. Free pizza will be served at 11:30 a.m. before the speaker begins at 12:00 p.m. See attached flyer for more details.
The next Darke County Ag Breakfast has been rescheduled to December 5th at 7:30 a.m. at Jack’s Cabin in Greenville.
This week’s Newsletter topics include:
- Adding Weight to Market Cows
- Caring for Cows in a Strong Market
- Cover Crops for Weed Suppression
- Soil Health Testing
- Weather Update
I hope you enjoy this week’s Newsletter, and as always, never hesitate to reach out to me and let me know how I can best serve you and all of Darke County.
by Caden Buschur, Darke County Extension Educator
by CrownRandall | Nov 1, 2025 | Agriculture
I hope this Newsletter finds you well. The weather has remained cool, and we’ve received some rains throughout the county despite the drought conditions (https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?OH). Field activities have slowed down as we go through fall, but there is still equipment to watch out for on the roads.
I’ll be at Worch Library on November 13th at 6:00 p.m. to discuss Pasture Management. If you are interested in creating or restoring a pasture, be sure to stop in and see what you can learn. I hope to see you there!
The next Darke County Garden Roundtables will be November 20th at 12:00 p.m. and November 24th at 6:00 p.m., both at the OSU Extension Office. We’ll focus on designing your garden layout, and the plant of the month is garlic. The agenda is attached.
Dairy producers interested in learning more about fly control and disease prevention will want to check out the next Western Ohio Dairy Luncheon. This session will feature Dr. Lucianna DaCosta on November 13th. Free pizza will be served at 11:30 a.m. before the speaker begins at 12:00 p.m. See attached flyer for more details.
The next Darke County Ag Breakfast will be November 21st at 7:30 a.m. at Jack’s Cabin in Greenville.
This week’s Newsletter topics include:
·Cattle Market Update
Grazing Exit Strategy
New Ohio Ag Bills
Preconditioning Cattle
Understanding Your Milk Quality Report
Weather Update
I hope you enjoy this week’s Newsletter, and as always, never hesitate to reach out to me and let me know how I can best serve you and all of Darke County.
by Caden Buschur, Darke County Extension Educator
by CrownRandall | Oct 18, 2025 | Agriculture
VERSAILLES – On Saturday, September 27th, Versailles FFA members, family and community members were able to visit local FFA members and their SAE projects to learn more about them.
One of the stops was Paige Gehret’s pumpkin patch, where she explained how she got started with her SAE and what it consists of now. The next stop was Hank Smith’s Honey, where he did a honey extraction demonstration.
Next was Rhylan Broerman, who explained the process of canning salsa and pasta sauce. Next was Buschur Dairy with an explanation of the history of the herd and a tour of the milking parlor, free stall barn, special needs barn and calf barns.
Next was Eden and Liam Bargas goat milk ice cream and soap and explanation of their goat types and their day-by-day jobs, along with a milking demonstration. And the final stop was Patrick and Gabe McGlinch, where they explained the process of raising the chicken to butchering and the other business they do on their farm. Each stop included a free sample and the opportunity to purchase an item.
Each member who attended was entered into the opportunity to win a door prize winners include: Brain Bergman-E&R’s Gift Card, Jacki Stonebraker- Butcher Block Gift Card, Alayna Dirksen- Mum Arrangement, Lisa Bergman- Mum Arrangement, Dorothy Garity- Flower Arrangement, Sam Rahm- Gift Pack, and Dylan Meyer- Gift Pack. A special thank you to E & R’s, Versailles FFA, Jeff and Dena Wuebker and Butcher Block for donating door prizes.
Thank you to all the FFA members and Buschur Dairy Farms for serving as host. We had around 50 members attend this event, making it a success!
by CrownRandall | Oct 18, 2025 | Agriculture
I hope this Newsletter finds you well. Dry weather continues to be the story in Darke County as harvest keeps moving forward (https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?OH). Other field activities, such as wheat planting, tilling, and manure applications are also taking place. Remember to stay safe in the fields as the harvest season continues, and cooperate with the farm equipment on the roads.
If you are interested in raising backyard poultry, or want to learn more about the flock you already have, stop in at Worch Library on October 30th at 6:00 p.m. to discuss Backyard Poultry Production. We’ll discuss details of managing a small flock of birds for either meat or eggs. Topics will include nutrition, housing, breeds, and other important considerations. I hope to see you there!
Our next Darke County Garden Roundtables will be October 21st at 12:00 p.m., and October 22nd at 6:00 p.m. This session will be at the OSU Extension office, and the agenda is attached. We will be focusing on hobby maple syrup production, and our plant of the month is peas.
If you are interested in sampling your fields for Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN), reach out to me. Thanks to the Ohio Soybean Council, producers have the opportunity to have two soil samples tested for free.
Dairy producers interested in learning more about fly control and disease prevention will want to check out the next Western Ohio Dairy Luncheon. This session will feature Dr. Lucianna DaCosta on November 13th. Free pizza will be served at 11:30 a.m. before the speaker begins at 12:00 p.m. See attached flyer for more details.
The next Darke County Ag Breakfast will be November 21st at 7:30 a.m. at Jack’s Cabin in Greenville.
This week’s Newsletter topics include:
Battle for the Belt
Fall Weed Control
Forage Testing for Winter Feed Planning
New World Screwworm in the U.S.
Poultry Litter Application
Weather Update
I hope you enjoy this week’s Newsletter, and as always, never hesitate to reach out to me and let me know how I can best serve you and all of Darke County.
by Caden Buschur, Darke County Extension Educator
