I hope this Newsletter finds you well. Darke County has stayed on the cool side and continues to have sufficient moisture at this time (https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?OH). Corn and soybeans continue to progress, with some foliar diseases such as Tar Spot and Northern Corn Leaf Blight being seen in some corn. Tight tassel wrap has also been a concern for some corn producers. Field activities such as fungicide applications have been taking place, and common weeds have included waterhemp and some palmer amaranth, as well as common and giant ragweed, marestail, and foxtails.
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. Purchasing tickets ahead of time can save you some money, so let me know if you are interested in 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
I encourage backyard poultry producers to consider taking the following survey on HPAI and backyard flocks. The survey is completely confidential and helps researchers to gain further information on the public understanding of HPAI and what biosecurity practices are being used. If interested, take the survey at the following link: https://redcap.link/backyardflock. You can also use the QR code in the attached flyer.
The next Darke County Ag Breakfast will be August 29th at 7:30 a.m. at Jack’s Cabin in Greenville.
This week’s Newsletter topics include:
Battle for the Belt
Caring for Heifer Mastitis
Dairy Economic Update
Planting Alfalfa in Late Summer
Social Housing of Preweaned Calves
Soybean Response to No-Till Practices
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