by CrownRandall | Aug 3, 2025 | Agriculture
GREENVILLE – The Darke County Junior and Senior Fair would like to invite all to the Celebration of Achievement. On Thursday, August 21st we will start our Celebration of Achievement at 4:30 p.m. with light refreshments, followed by a live auction of the grand and reserve champions starting at 5:30 p.m. in the cattle arena. Jr Fair buyers/supporters, potential supporters, Junior fair livestock exhibitors and their families are encouraged to attend the Celebration of Achievement.
The Celebration of Achievement will consist of recognition of the outstanding exhibitors of livestock species, livestock department scholarship recipients, showman of showman barn representatives, dairy and general livestock judging winners, Overholser Scholarship Recipients and shop, crop and horticulture outstanding exhibitors. In addition to the recognition the following champions and reserve champions will be sold at the Celebration of Achievement which include: Grand Champion Beef Market Animal, Reserve Champion Beef Market Animal, Grand Champion Market Hog, Reserve Champion Market Hog, Grand Champion Boer Wether, Reserve Champion Boer Wether, Grand Champion Dairy Goat Wether, Reserve Champion Dairy Goat Wether, Grand Champion Market Lamb, Reserve Champion Market Lamb, Grand Champion Dairy Steer, Reserve Champion Dairy Steer, Supreme Champion Dairy Cow, Gallon of Milk. Champion Meat Poultry Entry, Reserve Champion Meat Poultry Entry, Grand Champion Commercial Egg Production entry, Grand Champion Rabbit Meat Pen, Reserve Champion Rabbit Meat Pen, Grand Champion Single Rabbit and Reserve Champion Single Rabbit. New this year at the Celebration of Achievement, up to 4 buyers can work together and equally split purchasing champion animals.
Following the Celebration of Achievement, an online auction will be available at www.bwfinaldrive.com. Bidding will begin on Thursday, August 21st, following the Celebration of Achievement and will close at midnight. on Thursday, August 28th. Jr. Fair livestock that is eligible to sell will be sold online this year. Each junior fair exhibitor is only allowed to sell 1 livestock species at the county fair. The only exception would be if you had more than one champion.
The livestock auction will continue to use the premium method for livestock bidding. This means, what you bid is what a business/organization pays; the livestock buyers are contributing towards a premium and not purchasing the actual project. Multiple buyers can contribute towards an exhibitor’s overall premium.
All individuals, businesses and organizations that plan to support the Celebration of Achievement and the online sale process need to register at bwfinaldrive.com. It will require their name, address, email, and a credit card to prevent fraudulent bids.
If you created an account last year in bwfnaldrive to support the sales, they will use the same information and you do not have to create an account this year. Your credit card will not be charged; you will be billed for your support of the livestock sales after conclusion of the online sale process.
If you have questions, please feel free to email [email protected]. We look forward to your support and attendance at the 2nd annual Celebration of Achievement, followed by the online junior fair sale process.
by CrownRandall | Aug 1, 2025 | Agriculture
I hope this Newsletter finds you well. Darke County has received more rain recently, with cool temperatures to end the week (https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?OH). Corn and soybeans are progressing, with much of both the corn and soybeans in the early reproductive stages. Corn diseases such as Tar Spot and Northern Corn Leaf Blight have been spotted in some fields. Common weeds include waterhemp, common and giant ragweed, and volunteer corn, with other weeds making appearances as well.
I’ll be at Worch Library on August 28th at 4:00 p.m. to discuss Blackberry Production. We’ll discuss management practices for producing a good blackberry crop, including water and nutrient management, pest control, pruning, harvest, and more. I hope to see you there!
Our next Darke County Garden Roundtables will be August 26th at 12:00 p.m. and August 27th at 6:00 p.m. These sessions will be at the OSU Extension office, and the agenda is attached.
Summer is flying by, and Farm Science Review is just around the corner. FSR will be held September 16th-18th, and tickets are available through the Extension Office. Let me know if you have interest in purchasing tickets.
The Great Darke County Fair is nearly here! Be sure to stop by the Steak and Chop Tent for a sandwich to support a good cause, and if you are interested in volunteering for a shift, register with the following link: https://go.osu.edu/dcf-steak-and-chop-25
The next Darke County Ag Breakfast has been rescheduled to August 29th at 7:30 a.m. at Jack’s Cabin in Greenville.
This week’s Newsletter topics include:
Battle for the Belt
Importance of Forage Growth Stages
Ohio Wheat Performance Test
Using Long-Term Leases in Farm Transition Planning
Western Bean Cutworm
Worldwide Research on Silage
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 | Aug 1, 2025 | Agriculture
I hope this Newsletter finds you well. Darke County has received some much-appreciated rain this past week, with a chance for more on the way (https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?OH) Corn and soybeans are progressing, with much of both the corn and soybeans in the early reproductive stages. Fungicide applications are taking place as well. Common weeds include waterhemp, common and giant ragweed, and volunteer corn, with other weeds making appearances as well.
I’ll be at Worch Library on August 28th at 4:00 p.m. to discuss Blackberry Production. We’ll discuss management practices for producing a good blackberry crop, including water and nutrient management, pest control, pruning, harvest, and more. I hope to see you there!
Our next Darke County Garden Roundtable will be July 30th at 6:00 p.m. This session will be at the OSU Extension office, and the agenda is attached.
Summer is flying by, and Farm Science Review is just around the corner. FSR will be held September 16th-18th, and tickets are available through the Extension Office. Let me know if you have interest in purchasing tickets.
The next Darke County Ag Breakfast has been rescheduled to August 29th at 7:30 a.m. at Jack’s Cabin in Greenville.
This week’s Newsletter topics include:
Cull Cow Market Update
·Gibberella Ear Rot/Vomitoxin Risk Tool
Impact of No-Till and Diversified Crop Rotations in Corn
Tight Tassel Wrap in Corn
Weather Update
Western Ohio Cropland Values and Cash Rent Report
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 | Jul 21, 2025 | Agriculture
COLUMBUS – On Monday, July 14th, members of the Versailles FFA Chapter had the opportunity to attend the Cultivate Conference hosted by AmericanHort in Columbus, Ohio. Attending members included Ruthie Smith, Greta Broering, Rhylan Broerman, Lucy Schmitmeyer, Alayna Dirksen, and Paige Gehret.
The Cultivate Conference offered valuable insight into the horticulture industry, featuring keynote presentations from Ken Fisher, Matt Mika, and Charlie Hall. These speakers shared their perspectives on the current state of the industry and their vision for its future.
In addition to the keynote sessions, Versailles FFA members connected with greenhouse professionals from across the country through a large trade show that featured over 500 exhibitors.
In the trade show, members had the chance to learn firsthand about the day-to-day operations, innovations, career opportunities, new plant genetics and strategies within the Horticulture/Greenhouse industry. The plant displays throughout the convention were amazing.
In addition, AmericanHort provided Versailles FFA members with a free visit to the Columbus Conservatory with an opportunity to learn more about plants and art.
A special thank you to AmericanHort for providing the chapter with free tickets to attend and to Jordan Holtkamp of EHR for the free plants that we got to take home.
by CrownRandall | Jul 21, 2025 | Agriculture
I hope this Newsletter finds you well. Darke County has mostly been dry, with some spotty rains throughout parts of the region, and hopefully more on the way (https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?OH). Corn is progressing, with the dry weather giving some of the later planted corn a chance to catch up to the earlier crop. Many soybean fields are in their reproductive stages as well. Field activities such as tiling and manure application are taking place in the recently harvested wheat fields. Many garden crops, such as green beans, zucchini, cucumber, tomato, and others, are being harvested as well. Common weeds include waterhemp, common and giant ragweed, and volunteer corn, with other weeds making appearances as well.
I’ll be at Worch Library on August 28th at 4:00 p.m. to discuss Blackberry Production. We’ll discuss management practices for producing a good blackberry crop, including water and nutrient management, pest control, pruning, harvest, and more. I hope to see you there!
Our next Darke County Garden Roundtable will be July 30th at 6:00 p.m. This session will be at the OSU Extension office, and the agenda is attached.
It’s not too late to sign up for the Tri-County Pond Clinic in Miami County if you are someone you know is interested. The clinic will be on July 28th at 6:30 p.m. There, we’ll discuss basic pond management, information for new pond owners, liability of pond ownership, and stocking ponds with fish. See the attached flyer for more details.
Summer is flying by, and Farm Science Review is just around the corner. FSR will be held September 16th-18th, and tickets are available through the Extension Office. Let me know if you have interest in purchasing tickets.
The next Darke County Ag Breakfast will be August 15th at 7:30 a.m. at Jack’s Cabin in Greenville.
This week’s Newsletter topics include:
Battle for the Belt
Corn Vomitoxin Management Considerations at Tassel
Evaluating Total Mixed Ration
How to Use the Crop Risk Tool
The Importance of Quality Forage
Stopping the Spread of Weed Seeds
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 | Jul 12, 2025 | Agriculture
I hope this Newsletter finds you well. There has been some variation in rainfall throughout Darke County; while certain areas of the county have had some excess rain at times, many areas throughout the county could benefit from some rain in the coming days (https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?fips_39037Corn is progressing nicely, with much of it starting to tassel, and many soybean fields have begun flowering. The second cutting of alfalfa and wheat harvest is largely complete. Many garden crops are ready to harvest as well. Common weeds include waterhemp, common and giant ragweed, and volunteer corn, with other weeds making appearances as well.
I’ll be at Worch Library on August 28th at 4:00 p.m. to discuss Blackberry Production. We’ll discuss management practices for producing a good blackberry crop, including water and nutrient management, pest control, pruning, harvest, and more. I hope to see you there!
Our next Darke County Garden Roundtables will be July 17th at 12:00 p.m. and July 30th at 6:00 p.m. These sessions will be at the OSU Extension office, and the agenda is attached.
If you have a pond or are planning on having a pond in the near future, the Tri-County Pond Clinic in Miami County will be a great event to attend. The clinic will be on July 28th at 6:30 p.m. There, we’ll discuss basic pond management, information for new pond owners, liability of pond ownership, and stocking ponds with fish. See the attached flyer for more details.
The next Darke County Ag Breakfast will be July 18th at 7:30 a.m. at Jack’s Cabin in Greenville.
This week’s Newsletter topics include:
Battle for the Belt
Bovine Emergency Response Training
Choosing a Soil Analytical Laboratory
Planting Warm-Season Annual Forage Grasses
Scouting for Soybean Diseases
Selling Home-Produced Foods that Use Fresh Fruit
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
