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Jun. 25, 2015
The annual dairy twilight tour is scheduled for Tuesday evening July 14 beginning at 6:00 pm. This year's host farm is Sterling Heights Dairy Farm, LLC (James, Matt, and Mark Saal and families). The farm is located at 7852 Easton Rd (SR 604) Sterling. The tour is planned and organized by the Wayne-Ashland Dairy Service Unit and its purpose is to highlight dairy farming and the dairy industry. A free chicken BBQ and pork dinner that includes milk, ice-cream and pie is offered throughout the evening.
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Jun. 25, 2015
Once we reach mid to late June, alfalfa growers should be scouting their fields regularly for potato leaf hoppers (PLH). The PLH does not overwinter in Ohio. It arrives each year when it is carried northward from the Gulf Coast region on storm fronts. After they arrive, PLH will reproduce and approximately three weeks are required to go from egg to adult. We can see high numbers of PLH as we get into July and symptoms of damage from this sucking insect include yellowing of leaf tips.
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Jun. 19, 2015
The show will now be held on Sunday June 28th starting at 1 pm.
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Jun. 15, 2015
An article in a recent University of Kentucky forage newsletter shed some light on why orchardgrass hay fields no longer seem to be persisting as they did in the past. According to a survey of forage specialists across the U.S., the number one reason for shorter stand life was low cutting heights. Low cutting heights were mainly attributable to disc mowers primarily because these mowers allow cutting heights of 1 to 2 inches. Low cutting heights are harmful to orchardgrass because all the leaves needed for photosynthesis and the base of tillers (stems) where carbohydrates are stored...
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Jun. 15, 2015
Most of our common pasture and hayfield grasses such as orchardgrass, bluegrass, fescue, ryegrass, festulolium, brome and timothy, to name a few, are cool season forage species. When summer temperatures of 80 degrees and higher arrive, these species do not thrive and their growth rates and productivity declines significantly. In pasture management we term this the summer slump. For this reason, if livestock producers need extra forage to either harvest as stored forage or to provide additional grazing, they may want to consider planting a warm season summer annual. Warm season annuals...
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Jun. 15, 2015
I hope that many of you have special memories of spending time with your father or grandfather. The older I get, the more I recognize that many of the things I do and say reflect my father’s influence. The memories I have of my grandfather are ones I cherish every time I take a horseback ride.
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Jun. 05, 2015
Dear 4-H Members, Parents, and Advisors:
A couple of important 4-H reminders are listed below - click the headlines below for more details!
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Jun. 05, 2015
If you were not aware of the seriousness of the recent outbreaks of the avian influenza and the huge and devastating losses it is causing to some poultry producers and the U.S. poultry industry, perhaps the announcement by the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) last week to cancel all live bird exhibitions at county and independent county fairs in 2015 grabbed your attention. You may be asking; what is this avian influenza and how widespread is it? Does it pose a risk to poultry in Ohio and Wayne County? What is the human risk?
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Jun. 05, 2015
Sun, rain, better temperatures and gardens are off to a great start! If you are growing your own garden in a container or the backyard there are additional benefits beyond the actual produce. Being able to “dig in the dirt” is a great way to let go of stress in your life. Whether you are weeding, or turning the soil it has a way of releasing the tension while providing exercise at the same time.
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Jun. 05, 2015
Our local Ohio Heartland Sheep Improvement Association (OHSIA) invites anyone with in interest in sheep production to consider attending either or both of two upcoming events. The first event is a pasture walk at the Phil Maasz farm located at 8001 Blough Road, Sterling Ohio beginning at 6:30 pm. In addition to discussing pasture management, there will be discussion on Phil’s program of feeding barley fodder to his sheep.