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Feb. 09, 2021
The month of February seems to give us all hope that, amidst the red and pink themed merchandise in the stores, spring will be closely following. Earlier in life the excitement of Valentine boxes and cards filled the weeks prior to the day. We’d have a celebratory meal with pink and red themed desserts followed with cards to one another and while those days are long past, they still make me smile in reflection. So I ask you, what are your favorite memories? Don’t forget to share them with your family as you have a family meal sometime this week. It doesn’t have to be fancy or...
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Feb. 02, 2021
Fruit tree care and management does not simply stop when the leaves fall off the tree late in the year. Fruit tree care is a year-round job, and in order to get the best performance out of your fruit trees, its important that certain tasks are done at the right times.
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Feb. 02, 2021
My involvement in Wayne County 4-H from the time I was nine years old through high school had a huge impact on my life, and is a big part of why I went to college. As we start 2021, I’m looking forward to sharing with you through this column many of the great opportunities available to youth as members of 4-H and experiences for adults as volunteers in the 4-H program.
What Does 4-H Offer?
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Jan. 26, 2021
There are currently several options available for pesticide and fertilizer applicators to receive the training needed for recertification. Click here to view the current online and in-person courses available. A schedule of in-person training sessions is available here. Pre-registration is required for
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Jan. 26, 2021
The Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services update the Dietary Guidelines for Americans every five years, and the latest guidelines were recently released. Updated dietary guidance has been provided to Americans for over 100 years, and this information is easily accessible to us through online materials at dietaryguidelines.gov. Strong evidence links the food we eat with our health, but the Healthy Eating Index score for Americans, which assesses how well dietary recommendations are followed, is low.
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Jan. 26, 2021
Although it is not necessarily a common issue that we tend to worry about in this area, it does happen; that issue being snow accumulation occurring before crops are harvested. Obviously, this is not a new issue for those who may be dealing with snow covered crops but let this serve as a reminder of some considerations for harvesting crops this time of year.
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Jan. 19, 2021
With all of the focus on our health these days, I realized that sometime there are things that I take for granted. Generally, the following are some concepts that could improve my overall health and remind me that I need to take care of my whole body, not just one part of it, instead of being so focused on the virus. Below are some suggestions from Ohio Buckeye Wellness that might prompt some thoughts for your consideration. Talk with your family and see what you are doing well and what things might need to improve for the year ahead - working together as a family or with a friend...
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Jan. 19, 2021
Each year crop farmers have the option to enroll in either the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs through their local Farm Service Agency office. These two programs have the potential to produce payments, like an insurance program, should commodity prices dip below a set value. For the 2021 growing season, less is known than in previous years and the programs are functioning more like true insurance rather than selecting the program that will produce a guaranteed payment after yields and prices are announced.
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Jan. 12, 2021
My fingers are not easily adapting to 2021, but I’m anxiously awaiting the many possibilities that a new year will bring. I discovered this quote that summarizes 2020 for me…” Sometimes you have to let go of what’s gone, appreciate what remains, and look forward to what comes next.” (author unknown).
It was a year of change, in work, in school, in family schedules and routines, and in our communities. There have been good things to appreciate, such as:
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Jan. 12, 2021
In order to grow most crops, fertilizer must be applied to produce the most profitable yield. Often, we see manure and manufactured fertilizers used together. In 2020, Rory Lewandowski (retired Ag Educator) investigated the possibility of reducing purchased fertilizer by accounting for available nutrients in the soil. The goal was to reduce fertilizer costs without reducing yield, thus increasing profits.
