Fayette County is known for its rich heritage in the Agricultural Industry. What better place for agricultural organizations such as Ohio State University Extension, Southwest Ohio Corn Growers Association, Fayette County Agronomy Club, Fayette County Soil and Water District, Fayette County Farm Bureau, Fayette County Airport and Fayette County Chamber of Commerce to come together on one day to showcase how important the agricultural industry is to its community.
On August 15th, 2017 Southwest Ohio Corn Growers Association, in conjunction with the Fayette County Agronomy Committee and the Fayette County Extension Office, will hold their annual field day and test plot demonstrations. The event will be held at the Fayette County Demonstration Farm, located north of Washington CH on Old Route 38, at the Fayette County Airport. The field day will be from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM. It is free to attend and will include lunch. Certified Crop Advisor credits and Private Pesticide Re-certification credits will also be available for this event.
Throughout the day, educational topics will be presented from a variety of speakers from the Ohio State University. Topics include Spray Drift and Spray Nozzle Selection, Corn Seeding Rates and Emergence, Corn Ear Rot Diagnostic Demonstration, Using On-Farm Research to Make Adaptive Nitrogen Decisions, and Cover Crops for Pollinators. The USDA Farm Service Agency and Pheasants Forever will provide a program about planting pollinator strips. Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers will give an update and host 2018 Farm Bill Listening Sessions. Sonny Perdue, US Secretary of Agriculture has been contacted to be the keynote speaker at lunch, at release time of this article he has not yet confirmed. In addition to the educational sessions, agricultural equipment, agricultural technology, seed, chemical, agricultural lending and agricultural marketing companies will be on hand throughout the event to answer questions and display their newest products.
In addition to the field day, other morning activities will be offered. Health screenings will be offered by the Fayette County Health Department and Fayette County Hospital. Skin damage screenings will also be conducted by the Ohio State University Extension. Also, throughout the day plane rides by the airport personnel will be available. For more information about plane rides please contact the Fayette County Airport at 740-335-2430.
After the field day, there are still many activities to participate into the evening. The expanded schedule includes the Chamber of Commerce “Business after Hours” event is a monthly event in Fayette County that highlights different businesses and organizations each month. The Ohio State University Extension Office and Fayette County Airport will be the highlighted businesses at this August event. The “Business after Hours” will take place from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM. The Fayette County Soil and Water District and the Fayette County Farm Bureau will be hosting their Annual Meetings and banquet that evening beginning at 6:00 PM. Voting for Soil and Water District Directors will be available at the site from 5:30 PM 6:30 PM. The costs of the tickets for the combined SWCD and Farm Bureau banquet are $10.00. To order tickets, you may contact the Farm Bureau office at 800-443-6830 or by email at fayette@ofbf.org.
For additional information please contact Ken Ford, Fayette County ANR Educator at 937-441-5762, ford.70@osu.edu or our website www.fayette.osu.edu.