Well, March is winding down! We held our last Dairy Luncheon for the year last Wednesday and Jamie Dellifield from Hardin County did a great job! The topic was “stress on the farm,” but stress happens everywhere! How do we deal with it? One of the big take-aways that I got was that we need that (daily) interaction with others … and with all the big equipment and technology, we tend to get more isolated … Back in the day, the neighbors got together to help each other with harvest and other activities. Now, we can “do it all ourselves.”
We all need to just hang-out and visit more!! That’s one of the positives of the Dairy Luncheon! Maybe we also need to have a bit more “family time” … or get together with friends for supper … ditch “texting” and actually talk with other, whatever … Sounds good to me!!!
If you haven’t yet done your Recertification Training to renew your Fertilizer or Private Pesticide Applicator’s License, you’ve got a last-chance this week: On Friday, March 29, Jeff Stachler will be holding a program at the Auglaize County Extension office in Wapak to get you re-trained!! The program will be from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., depending on which categories you need. The cost is $30 for the Pesticide training, $10 for the fertilizer; $40 for both. Please contact Jeff at 419-739-6580 to register by March 28. You can also find out exactly when the program you need will be offered.
The application deadline for the Shelby County Cattlemen’s Association Scholarship is April 1! This $500 scholarship will be given to a local student attending college in the fall of 2019. You can get a copy of the application at http://www.shelbycountycattlemen.com/. Please contact Jason Gibbs if you have any questions about this opportunity: [email protected].
As we move into April, I’m looking forward to “Catch Up Season” Yes, my desk is a disaster … and it’s time to get some things put away!! But, we’re not done with all those meetings, yet!
On Thursday, April 11, a Farm Bill Summit will be held at Versailles High School on Marker Road in Darke County. This program will run 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. and will address changes in the new farm bill and the implications for Ohio’s farmers. Featured will be an in-depth examination of policy and practical applications with Agricultural Economists from Mississippi State University, University of Missouri, and the University of Illinois.
This program is free and open to the public. To register or to learn more about this Farm Bill Summit, visit go.osu.edu/farmbillsummit.
Yes, it’s been a busy month!! Our Master Gardener Training is going well. There is a lot of interaction and some great presenters: Amy Stone from Lucas County talked about Invasive Species last week and Joe Boggs from Cincinnati was here the week before to present on insects and Integrated Pest Management. Curtis Young from Van Wert County walked us through Plant Pathology the week before that and Pam Bennett introduced us to Botany and Plant Propagation the first week. And, there’s a lot more to come!! This is a great program to learn more about the great outdoors … and how to improve your garden, landscape, and lawn. Keep us in mind for another year!
