I hope this Newsletter finds you well. The temperature has been quite cold overall, and we’ve had some snow in Darke County (https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?fips_39037). Continue to travel safely in these winter 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 Western Ohio and Indiana remains an important matter. 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. Biosecurity practices are important for both commercial and backyard poultry raisers to do what we can to minimize the spread of HPAI. The recording for the recent HPAI webinar can be found at the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/FSbbJWROqvLE845lyQYCVa-2bpIVbfpxi8xWn_g77oceOn2k5-7DGZtdoFUNCmrm.PNKcUUWIpdmvA9Ua. The passcode to join is V!8BYZ=H
I will be at Worch Library on February 13th at 6:00 p.m. to discuss Making Pesticide and Fertilizer Decisions. Here, we will discuss the considerations that go into applying pesticides and fertilizers to your fields and gardens. I hope to see you there!
The next Darke County Ag Breakfast will be February 21st at 7:30 a.m., held at Jack’s Cabin in Greenville.
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:
· Cattle in a Cold Snap
· Conducting a Feed Supply Checkup
· Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak in Germany
· Long-Term Care Planning on the Farm
· Using Antibiotics on the Dairy Farm
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.