If you missed it last week, the Shelby County Forestry Field Day will be held this Sunday, Oct. 21, from 1 to 4 p.m. This event will be held at the Denny Ziegenbusch Farm on state Route 705, east of Fort Loramie. You will have the opportunity to hike woodland trails, see a portable sawmill in operation, learn about habitat improvement from a Pheasants Forever Wildlife Biologist, and more. Kids can even enjoy the day with woodland crafts and activities, a candy scramble, and a visit with Smokey Bear. Hot dogs, apples, and beverages are also a part of this fun activity! Let’s hope for good weather! For more information, you can visit shelbyswcd.org.

Soil Balancing, based on base cation saturation ratios, is an approach to soil management which is practiced widely by organic farmers, but is relatively untested by research. Through surveying growers and conducting experiments and interviews, a multidisciplinary team at Ohio State is working to develop a more complete and widely shared understanding of soil balancing. Efforts include documenting effects on crops and soils when soil balancing is used, and gathering insight on the ways soil balancing is understood and practiced among researchers, farmers, and consultants.

The first of a series of three Conference Call-in Events on Soil Balancing is scheduled for Oct. 17 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Additional events are scheduled for Nov. 14 and Dec. 12. Each call-in will bring together a panel of growers, agricultural advisors, and researchers to share their perspectives and experiences.

Anyone with an interest in this topic may call in to listen to the conversation or may contribute questions or comments of their own before, during, or after the event. For more details or to register, visit https://offer.osu.edu/SB-call-in.

Dairy Farmers and those of you who work with them: The Ohio Dairy Foods Association is holding a “Dairy Dialogue” on Tuesday, Oct. 23, in Columbus from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. This is your chance to make your voice heard in a frank discussion about industry issues.

Paul Vandermeer, EPA Division of Surface Water, will present on Environment issues and a Food Safety update will be presented by Roger Tedrick, Dairy Division Chief of ODA. Discussion will follow on “Re-Visiting Below-Cost Milk Retailing – To Regulate or Not?” This event is free, but registration is mandatory. You can find more information at ohiodairyfoodsassociation.org or by calling Kristin Mullins at 614-326-6433.

There have been some changes to Ohio’s Prohibited Noxious Weeds List. After the mandatory five-year review, ODA added 13 new species to the list and removed three. Some of the additional noxious weeds prevalent in this area include Field bindweed, Perennial sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis), Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula), Hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium), Musk thistle (Carduus nutans), and Water Hemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus). Removed from the list were Wild carrot/ Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota L.), Oxeye daisy (Chrysanthermum leucanthemum var. pinnatifidum), and Wild mustard (Brassica kaber var. pinnatifida).

Of course, still on the list are Russian thistle (Salsola Kali var. tenuifolia), Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense), Wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa), Grapevines if not pruned/sprayed/cultivated/maintained for two consecutive years, Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense), Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), Cressleaf groundsel (Senecio glabellus), Musk thistle (Carduus nutans), Mile-A-Minute Weed (Polygonum perfoliatum), Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum), Marestail (Conyza canadensis), and Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri).

OSU Extension’s Farm Office Ag Law Library has an updated law bulletin on Ohio’s Noxious Weed Laws. You can find it by going to farmoffice.osu.edu and clicking on “Ag Law Library” and “Law Bulletins and Fact Sheets.” Scroll down through the list of information (on such things as agritourism, farmland leasing, foods) to “Property.” The bulletin should be about the fifth one down …