The OSU Extension offices in Northeast Ohio are pleased to be offering the “2018 Northeast Ohio Agronomy School” on Wednesday, February 21, 2018 from 9:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Williamsfield Community Center located at 5920 State Route 322 in Williamsfield, Ohio. With profit margins decreasing it will be vital for crop producers to get the biggest bang from the dollars they invest in land rental, seed and fertilizer, technology, chemicals, and crop protection in 2018. A full day of topics with six different speakers has been planned for producers to learn more about the major issues impacting corn and soybean production in northeast Ohio.
Morning Session- Jeff Stachler, OSU Extension Educator for Auglaize County will “ZOOM” in via the internet to help farmers learn how to control troublesome weeds. Learn more about controlling marestail, lambsquarter, common ragweed, redroot pigweed, and grasses. Discussion will also be held on waterhemp, one of Ohio’s newest weeds, which is heading its way east across Ohio. Alan Sundermeier, OSU Extension Educator in Wood County will then help producers learn about Ohio’s Soil Health Initiative. Learn what makes up a healthy soil and how can farmers can measure it. This interactive session will demonstrate water holding capacity, compaction, and biological attributes of soil. Techniques for improving soil productivity will also be discussed. To cap off the morning, David Marrison, OSU Extension Educator for Ashtabula County will help provide tips for making higher profits from your crop enterprise. Learn how to analyze your farm’s financial situation, how to create effective crop budgets and how to examine your cost of production. This session will also examine the new tax legislation and how it will impact agriculture.
Lunch- As always, a hearty farmer lunch prepared by Lahti Catering means attendees will not go away hungry! This lunch is sponsored by W.I. Miller & Sons of Farmdale, Ohio and each of our program sponsors will provide a short industry update during lunch.
Afternoon Session- To kick off the afternoon session, Dr. Scott Shearer, OSU Associate Professor in Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering will help farmers examine the impacts of soil compaction. Increasing production costs and tighter profit margins are causing many to question the value of new tire or track technologies. This presentation will provide farmers with a foundation for considering the value of these technologies along with field data from studies including grain carts and planters. Dr. John Fulton, OSU Associate Professor in Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering Technology will then help producers learn how to use precision ag on their small & medium crop farms without breaking the bank. This presentation will cover the basic precision technologies available while discussing potential value. To close out the day, Lee Beers, OSU Extension Educator for Trumbull County will address some of the more volatile issues which producers are sure to face 2018. This presentation will include a discussion on Dicamba and much more.
Sponsors & Credits- This workshop is sponsored by the OSU Extension offices in Ashtabula, Trumbull & Geauga Counties with support from W.I. Miller & Sons, Centerra Coop, Doebler’s Hybrids, Pioneer Seeds & the Ohio Soybean Council. Certified Crop Advisor and Private & Commercial Pesticide Credits have been applied for.
Registration-The registration fee for this workshop is $15 per person and includes refreshments, lunch, speaker travel expenses, and program handouts. 2018 Weed Control Guides will be on sale for $16 at the workshop as well as the Ohio Agronomy Guide for $17. Pre-registration is required by February 13, 2018. Make checks payable to OSU Extension, and mail to Ashtabula County Extension office, 39 Wall Street, Jefferson, OH 44047. A registration flyer can be found at: http://go.osu.edu/ne-events (or by clicking on the picture below.) More information can be received by calling the Ashtabula County Extension office at 440-576-9008.
