Just a note for those of you with a Private Pesticide Applicator’s License that was up for renewal in March 2017: Have you paid ODA the $30 for your new license? They changed the rules last year and you only have “six months” past the expiration date of March 31 to get it renewed. That means the end of this September!

No, the $35 you paid to OSU Extension for the training does not cover your license renewal! Double-check to make sure you’ve gotten your new card! If you fail to pay ODA before Sept. 30, your license will be cancelled and you’ll need to re-take the test to get a new one.

Why do I harp on this? Because over the years I’ve had farmers ask me why they never got their new Pesticide License; they took the training … I’ve then contacted ODA and found out they never paid the license fee. Yes, some of them were one or two years “past due.” That used to work, but no more! Pay by that Sept. 30 deadline to keep your license! Now, go! Check your card!

All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) continue to be in the top five most dangerous vehicles operated by workers and family members in rural areas and farm operations. While fatalities have decreased in the U.S. by 31 percent and youth fatalities have declined by 50 percent, ATV crashes are a cause for concern … and also an area to improve training. Good training programs, along with continued practice, help develop riding skills needed to encounter various types of terrain.

New safety gear will be featured at the 2017 Farm Science Review. An ATV crush bar – mounted to an ATV – will demonstrate how an after-market piece was designed to protect riders in the event of a roll-over. A new lightweight helmet is also coming onto the market. While this helmet is not recommended for high-speed operation, it’s good for situations on ATVs and side-by-side utility vehicles used off-road in occupational settings.

You can see these new products at the safety area of OSU Central during the Farm Science Review, Sept. 19-21. We have Farm Science Review tickets for sale in our OSU Extension office. The price is $7.

Healthy soil is one of those things that is often taken for granted. But the healthier the soil, the more nutrients a plant can soak up. You can learn best practices for your soil at the Soil Health Testing Demonstration Field Day on Aug. 31 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Bowling Green. The event will focus on obtaining and maintaining healthy soil and the importance of chemical, physical, and biological field tests and how they work.

Speaking will be Rafiq Islam, soil and bioenergy program leader at Ohio State’s South Centers; Jim Hoorman, soil health specialist with USDA’s NRCS; and conservationist Abby Wensink of the Wood County SWCD. This field day is important to not just farmers, but gardeners and landowners alike, to better understand the latest soil health measurements and management recommendations. This will, in turn, help you to improve your soil productivity.

Some of the topics of discussion during the field day will include chemical, physical, and biological tests; active carbon; infiltration; compaction; solvita soil testing; 360 Soilscan nitrogen testing; and cover crop plantings. The field day is free of charge, and lunch will be provided. The location is at the corner of Dunbridge and Poe Road just outside Bowling Green.

Preregistration is required by Aug. 28 and can be done by contacting Alan Sundermeier at 419-354-9050 or [email protected]. For more information, go to go.osu.edu/B2XB.