First of all, I owe you an apology! In last week’s report, I miswrote when I gave the phone number for the Auglaize County Extension office. The real phone number is 419-739-6580. Commercial Fertilizer Applicators who need to sign up for the one-hour FertRecert meeting being held this Friday, Sept. 7 can call this “correct” number. The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. and costs $10. Jeff would like to know by Thursday if you’re planning to attend.
There is a Sheep Shearing School being held on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 14 and 15 at the Dave Cable Farm in Hebron, Ohio in Licking County, east of Columbus. The hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is an opportunity to learn a new skill set that will benefit the sheep industry and also give you the potential to make some money on the side.
During this two-day event, you will learn how to shear a sheep using the Australian shearing technique, taught by veteran shearers as they walk through each step and demonstrate how to properly place the sheep and shearing hand piece in the correct location. You will also learn how to keep the fleece all in one piece.
Class space is limited and registration is requested by Tuesday, Sept. 4. The cost to attend is $50 which includes a boxed lunch and drinks for each day. If you’re interested in participating in this year’s school, visit https://u.osu.edu/sheep/, go to “events/programs,” and scroll down to the Sheep Shearing School. For further information, you can call Roger A. High at 614-246-8299.
Shelby County Cattlemen will be holding a Beef Quality Assurance Training this Saturday, Sept. 8, 3:30 p.m. at the Baron Farms, 19800 Pence Rd., Maplewood. Dr. Steve Boyles will be the instructor along with Dr. Lyda Garcia and me. There is no cost for this program, but please contact the Cattlemen’s President Jason Gibbs to get your name on the list at [email protected] or visit the website at shelbycountycattlemen.com.
Following the training will be our Fall Roundup at 5:30 p.m. which will feature ribeye sandwiches and a presentation by Drs. Boyles and Garcia on their experiences in Mexico and Israel on “International Cattle Production.” Please let Jason or another member of the leadership team know if you plan to attend. All are welcome.
Farming is a complex business and many farmers use outside assistance for specific farm-related work. Often, having someone else with specialized tools perform a task is more cost effective and saves time. Farm work completed by others is often referred to as “custom farm work” or more simply, “custom work.” A “custom rate” is the amount agreed upon by both parties to be paid by the custom work customer to the custom work provider. Ohio Farm Custom Rates have been updated for 2018. Also updated is the Western Ohio Cropland Values and Cash Rents 2017-18 survey summary. Both of these documents can be found at https://farmoffice.osu.edu/ under “Farm Management Tools”
Yes, Farm Science Review is just around the corner on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Sept. 18 through Sept. 20. And, you know, it’s not all about big machinery, agronomy, huge farms. There are two really neat places to visit, especially if you’re interested in gardening, forages/pastures, ponds, woodlands and wildlife, … There are “how-to talks” at both the Gwynne Conservation Area and the Utzinger Memorial Gardens all three days, covering those topics and more. Experts are also available to answer questions. Tickets for Farm Science Review are $7 online, at participating agribusinesses and county OSU Extension offices, and $10 at the gate. Children 5 and under are free. Hours for the event are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 18 and 19 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 20. For more information, visit fsr.osu.edu, where you can see a schedule of all the talks and presentations.
