I hope this Newsletter finds you well. The temperature continues to fluctuate some, but overall remains cold, with some snow and ice mixed in (https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?fips_39037). Be sure to be safe on the roads, especially in snowy and icy conditions.
The next Darke County Garden Roundtable and January 30th at 6:00 p.m., at the OSU Learning Center. The agenda is attached to this email. If you have any questions or topics you would like me to discuss ahead of time, please use the following survey link: https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_06zzY8Kwhnmd4Nw.
For those needing to renew their pesticide or fertilizer licenses, there will be two training sessions in Darke County to recertify. The first will be January 31st, with pesticide training beginning at 9:00 a.m. and fertilizer training beginning at 1:00 p.m. The second training date will be February 20th, beginning with fertilizer training at 4:30 p.m. and pesticide training at 6:00 p.m. Both sessions will take place in the meeting room at Darke DD, 5844 Jaysville-St Johns Rd, Greenville, OH 45331. Please note that on the notification letters sent out, I made an error. The letter states that the 31st is a Thursday, but it is a Friday. Please also note that these recertification trainings will be taking place in neighboring counties as well if you are unable to attend in Darke County. If you need to register for one of these sessions, or if you have any questions, please reach out to me.
If you are in need of Beef Quality Assurance Certification, I will be providing a training session in partnership with the Darke County Cattlemen’s Association. The event will take place on February 1st, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., and will be in the Ansonia High School Cafeteria. The training is free for all DCCA members and youth and is $10 otherwise. More details can be found in the attached flyer.
HPAI in Darke County remains an important topic. The number of HPAI cases can be tracked using the ODA website at the following link: https://agri.ohio.gov/divisions/animal-health/hpai/01-poultry. Continue tracking the number of cases and follow biosecurity principles to best prevent the spread of HPAI and other diseases.
This month, I will be at Worch Library in Versailles to discuss the topic of Drones in Agriculture. This is an increasingly popular topic as more and more people take an interest in it. It will be a rather simple overview of the topic and will not offer any form of certification, but will provide valuable information on the subject, including what drones can be used for in agriculture, their advantages and disadvantages, regulations to be aware of, and other factors that are worth considering when thinking of utilizing drones. This will be January 23rd at 6:00 p.m., and more information can be found in the flyer. I hope to see you there!
Let me know if you are interested in a copy of the eFields Report, or if you have any interest in working with OSU Extension on future research projects.
This week’s Newsletter topics include:
· Budgeting Considerations for 2025 Milk Prices
· Cold Stress and Beef Cows
· Corn Disease Management
· First Quarter Fertilizer Prices
· Ohio Legislative Roundup
· Preparing Livestock for Cold Weather
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.