Yes, county fair season is winding down … and the “Field Day Season” is in full swing! (Yes, I know Mercer and Miami county fairs are going on now and Darke has yet to start! But, come on! It’s the middle of August and kids are startin’ back to school!!The “fun”s over …) So, as school starts for those younger, how about taking advantage of “Learning Opportunities” for yourself!?
There is a Tri-state Yield Monitor Workshop being held Tuesday, Aug. 25, and Wednesday, Aug. 26, in Auburn, Indiana. This two-day program features John Fulton, Ohio State University Precision Ag specialist and Bob Nielson, Purdue Agronomy corn specialist. This workshop will provide a quick overview of precision agriculture and then focus on the basics of yield monitors and what is necessary to effectively use all that data generated!
Topics to be covered include the Current State of Precision Agriculture, Making Yield Data work for you, Precision Ag Technology for On‐Farm Research, Yield Monitors—the basics of calibration and processing data and data cleaning, hands-on working with real data, and demonstrations. The cost is $50.00 per person, which includes lunch Tuesday and Wednesday and refreshment breaks. This workshop will be held at the 4-H Exhibit Hall at the DeKalb County Fairgrounds, 708 S Union St, Auburn, IN 46706.
Email Steve Miller ([email protected]) or Lyndon Kelley ([email protected]) or Call 269-467-5522 with questions. A flier for the workshop can be found here: http://corn.osu.edu/newsletters/2015/2015-25/Yield%20Monitor%20Data%20For%20Farmers%20And%20Researchers%20Flyer%208%2025-26%2015.pdf.
A “Modified Relay Intercropping” Field Day will be held on Aug. 26 from 10 to 11:45 a.m. at the OSU Extension Unger Farm, 1303 Bucyrus-Nevada Road, Bucyrus. Activities include reviewing the research that was done in Modified Relay Intercropping last year and a plot tour to look at current research projects including seeding rate and planting date trials. The field day will finish with examining the Intercropping equipment and a discussion on weed control. For more information or to register for the field day contact OSU Extension Crawford County at 419-562-8731 or [email protected].
“Soil Health and Water Quality” will be two focal points of the 2015 Ohio No-till Field Day being held on Sept. 2. This event will take place from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Dan Batdorf farm, 9291 State Route 48 (North), Covington and will feature a variety of exhibitors and speakers on a wide range of no-till topics.
Among the presentations will be “Microbes at Work,” a focus on an examination of the below-ground benefits of cover crops, including how microbes can improve soil quality. Another key presentation will be “Water Quality and Manure Application.” There will also be presentations on “No-Till, Cover Crops, and Carbon: Perfect Trio for Soil Health,” and demonstrations of planter and drill setups and soil pit observations of rooting, earthworms and soil structure. The full agenda, registration information, and other details are available online at fabe.osu.edu/notill.
Registration by August 20th is $40 payable to Ohio No-till Council at Miami SWCD, 1330 N. County Road 25A, Suite C, Troy, OH, 45373. On-site registration of $65 is also available.
A “Late Summer/Fall Gardening — What You Need To Know” program will be held on Thursday, Aug. 20, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Auglaize County Public Library, 203 Perry St., Wapakoneta. There is no cost, but registration is requested by Aug. 18: 419-739-6580. This program is designed for beginning and intermediate gardeners.
OK, Busy, Busy, Busy!! And, these “new” activities are in addition to what I’ve already shared! And, Farm Science Review is coming, too! Yes, there are “lots” of opportunities to expand your horizons, to learn new things! It’s never too late!
