by CrownRandall | Jun 1, 2025 | Agriculture
COLUMBUS – On May 1st and 2nd, Mississinawa Valley FFA was in Columbus, Ohio, along with over 10,000 other FFA members and guests. Thirty-three chapter members, along with their advisor, Gwen Bergman and chaperone, Drew Walker, departed the school at 7 am on May 1st and headed towards the Ohio State Fairgrounds.
Upon arrival, they attended the opening session of the convention and Aldon Edger accepted the Charitable Giving recognition on behalf of the chapter. Members then walked around the expo center and met up again at 2 pm to attend the beginning of the second session, which was led by MV’s own, and the 2024-2025 Ohio FFA State Reporter, Daniel Hartzell. After that, members attended a pre-vet tour at OSU and spent the evening at Scene-75.
For day 2, members attended the fourth and fifth sessions of the state convention. In the fourth session, three members received awards for gold-rated officer books. Brennan Manning received a gold-rated secretary, Matalin Meyer received a gold-rated reporter and Emma Brock received a gold-rated treasurer. In the fifth session, two individuals in the Mississinawa Valley FFA received their state degrees. These recipients were Harley Hanes and Matalin Meyer.
Congratulations to all who received an award at this convention and thank you for your hard work and dedication to this chapter! Another successful state convention in the books!
by CrownRandall | Jun 1, 2025 | Agriculture
VERSAILLES – On Tuesday, May 20th, Versailles FFA held their annual Career Development (CDE) Luncheon, recognizing all FFA members who competed in a CDE.
The Versailles FFA would like to express sincere appreciation to Mrs. Hoying and Mrs. Harman for serving as Career Development Event (CDE) proctors. Their dedication and willingness to arrive early on many mornings played a vital role in helping our members prepare for and participate successfully in these competitive events. During the recent CDE Luncheon, Versailles FFA recognized top-performing members from both the high school and middle school for their exceptional involvement and achievements.
In the high school division, first place was awarded to Rhylan Broerman and Paige Gehret. Rhylan participated in Ag Sales, Food Science, Job Interview, Public Speaking, and Milk Quality. Paige competed in Ag Sales, Floriculture, Job Interview, Public Speaking, and General Livestock. Second place honors went to Jayna Luthman, Colin Batten, Adam Rauh, and Maggie McGlinch. Jayna took part in Ag Sales, Parliamentary Procedure, Soils, and online Floriculture. Colin competed in Public Speaking, Ag Sales, Parliamentary Procedure, and Job Interview. Adam participated in the Agronomy invitational, online Floriculture, Public Speaking, Soils, and Dairy Foods. Maggie was involved in Food Science, Agronomy, online Floriculture, and Soils.
In the middle school division, three students tied for first place: Russell Winner, Blake Pitsenbarger, and Vera Pearson. Russell participated in General Livestock, Greenhand Quiz, Quiz Bowl, and Parliamentary Procedure. Blake competed in Agronomy, Parliamentary Procedure, Career Conversation, and Greenhand Quiz. Vera took part in Greenhand Quiz, Parliamentary Procedure, Quiz Bowl, and Career Conversation. Each of these outstanding members received a certificate and a monetary award in recognition of their achievements.
The Versailles FFA also celebrated several notable team and individual accomplishments.
The Ag Sales Team, consisting of Paige Gehret, Jayna Luthman, Colin Batten, and Rhylan Broerman, placed third overall. In Public Speaking, Colin Batten placed fourth overall in the Extemporaneous division. In the Job Interview event, Paige Gehret placed fourth overall in the Junior Division, while Colin Batten placed eighth overall in the Senior Division.
Congratulations to all Versailles FFA members who competed in a CDE this past year. A special thank you to Sam Albers and Jack Borchers for serving as the co-chairs of the Career Success Committee.
by CrownRandall | Jun 1, 2025 | Agriculture
I hope this Newsletter finds you well. Darke County continues to experience alternating windows of wet and dry conditions, and farmers are able to efficiently get field work done as the weather allows. Darke County currently has sufficient moisture levels
(https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?fips_39037. While there is still planting to do, much progress is being made. Considerations for late planting practices are included in this week’s Newsletter. Be sure to cooperate with any farm equipment on the roads, and stay safe in the fields and planting season progresses.
Remember to take advantage of the Darke County Garden Giveaway! Whether you want to add additional plants to the garden, succession plant, or try something new, it’s hard to resist free seeds. Stop in at the office and pick up some spinach, carrot, cucumber, green bean, and lettuce seeds.
I’ll be at Worch Library next week on June 12th at 4:00 p.m. to discuss Wildflowers, Native Plants, and Pollinators. We’ll talk about some native plants, why they’re important, and how we can manage them. I hope to see you there!
Our next Darke County Garden Roundtables will be June 25th at 12:00 p.m. and June 26th at 6:00 p.m. This session will be at the OSU Extension office, and the agenda is attached.
The next Darke County Ag Breakfast will be June 20th at 7:30 a.m. at Jack’s Cabin in Greenville.
This week’s Newsletter topics include:
Battle for the Belt
Black Cutworm and True Armyworm
Considerations for Delayed Planting
Considerations for Prevent Planting
Tick and Tick-Borne Disease Update
Water- The Forgotten Nutrient
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 | May 25, 2025 | Agriculture
I hope this Newsletter finds you well. After a brief window of warm, dry weather, wet weather has returned to Darke County
(https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?fips_39037. Fortunately, farmers took advantage of that window to get plenty of work done. There is still planting to do, but progress is being made when the opportunity arises. Be sure to cooperate with any farm equipment on the roads, and stay safe in the fields and planting season progresses.
Remember to take advantage of the Darke County Garden Giveaway! Whether you want to add additional plants to the garden, succession plant, or try something new, it’s hard to turn free seeds. Stop in at the office and pick up some spinach, carrot, cucumber, green bean, and lettuce seeds.
I’ll be at Worch Library next week on June 12th at 4:00 p.m. to discuss Wildflowers, Native Plants, and Pollinators. We’ll talk about some native plants, why they’re important, and how we can manage them. I hope to see you there!
Our next Darke County Garden Roundtables will be June 25th at 12:00 p.m. and June 26th at 6:00 p.m. This session will be at the OSU Extension office, and the agenda is attached.
If you are interested in cut flower gardening, you may be interested in the Cut Flower Program in Shelby County. Here, Master Gardener Volunteers will lead a hands-on lesson to teach attendees about cut flower gardening and allow them to make and take home their own floral arrangements. More details can be found in the attached flyer.
I’ll be joining fellow OSU Extension Educators Jacob Winters and Rylee Kay Puthoff this upcoming Wednesday, May 28th, to provide Beef Quality Assurance training. We’ll meet from 6:00-7:30 p.m., and more details can be found in the attached flyer.
Tomorrow, May 24th, is National Fruit and Vegetable Day. Whether you grow these crops or purchase from another local producer, take a moment to appreciate the access we have to fresh, local, high-quality fruits and vegetables.
The next Darke County Ag Breakfast will be June 20th at 7:30 a.m. at Jack’s Cabin in Greenville.
This week’s Newsletter topics include:
Battle for the Belt
Crop Progress Update
Genetic Defects in Dairy Cattle
Ohio’s New Proposed Pesticide Rules
Scouting for Soybean Seedling Diseases in Ohio
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 | May 17, 2025 | Agriculture
I hope this Newsletter finds you well. On-and-off rains continue to slow down field work, but farmers are still getting seeds in the ground as opportunity allows. The rains have at least continued to provide sufficient moisture to Darke County
(https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?fips_39037. In the fields that were able to get planted earlier, emergence has occurred. A few triticale and wheat fields have been cut for forage, while most alfalfa is ready for first cutting when weather allows. Some alfalfa weevil damage has occurred, prompting pesticide applications in some cases. I’ve seen plenty of poison hemlock, common and giant ragweed, and other weeds throughout the fields. More on poison hemlock control in pastures will be shared in the Newsletter. Be sure to cooperate with any farm equipment on the roads, and stay safe in the fields and planting season progresses.
Remember to take advantage of the Darke County Garden Giveaway! Whether you’ve obtained seeds already or not, there is always room to plant some more. There is plenty of seed to go around, so if you would like any spinach, cucumber, green bean, carrot, and lettuce seed, reach out to me or stop in at the office. Planting information will be included in the seed packet, and I’m always happy to answer any questions.
The NRCS is offering the opportunity for poultry operations to increase biosecurity on their farm through free Biosecurity Assessments. These assessments will assist producers in increasing their farm’s biosecurity and provide cost-share opportunities. More details and contact information can be found in the attached flyer.
I’ll be at Worch Library next week on June 12th at 4:00 p.m. to discuss Wildflowers, Native Plants, and Pollinators. We’ll talk about some native plants, why they’re important, and how we can manage them. I hope to see you there!
Our next Darke County Garden Roundtable will be May 21st at 6:00 p.m. This session will be at the OSU Extension office, and the agenda is attached.
2025 Farm Science Review might seem like a ways off, but it will be here before we know it. The Review will be held on September 16th-18th, and is always a great opportunity to see the latest technologies, learn from professionals, and network with other agriculturalists throughout Ohio. Presale Tickets are $10 each; please let me know if you would like to order tickets for Farm Science Review ahead of time so we can get tickets ordered.
The next Darke County Ag Breakfast will be June 20th at 7:30 a.m. at Jack’s Cabin in Greenville.
This week’s Newsletter topics include:
Conservation Reserve Program Opportunities
Dealing with Wildlife Encounters
Farm Commodity Program Payment Estimates
Managing Weeds in the Pasture
Maximum Return to Nitrogen Calculator Update
Wheat Foliar Disease and Head Scab Risk
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
