The Ohio Beef Industry Update program will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 14, at the Newport Sportmans’ Club on Rangeline Road just off state Route 47 east of state Route 66. Dinner at 6 p.m. (beef, of course!) will be sponsored by Animal Profiling International and MultiMin USA. The program will include a presentation by Pete Hausser on “Keeping your Cowherd Profitable” as well as a Membership and Policy update from the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association. The Ohio Beef Checkoff will also be discussed. To RSVP or for more information, call 614-873-6736 or send an email to [email protected].

Well, the calls are starting to come in; it’s that time of year: We’re gearing up for West Ohio Agronomy Day! Yes, this time of “Food, Fun, Fellowship, and Lots of Information” will be held on Monday, Jan. 9, at St. Michael’s Hall in Fort Loramie! We’ll offer the two-hour Fertilizer Applicator Certification Training for those who already hold a pesticide applicator’s license as well as the Private Pesticide Applicator Recertification Training in CORE and Categories 1, 2, and 6.

Registration and a light breakfast will begin at 8 a.m. with the marketing update featuring John Leighty and Chris Hagar from Sunrise Cooperative at 8:30 a.m. The “official trainings” will then begin at 9 a.m., with a break for the great lunch at 11:30 a.m. You should be done with all the paperwork and ready to leave by 4 p.m.

Thanks to our sponsors who help to make this day as fun and exciting as it is: To date, Personal Crop Insurance from Warsaw, Indiana; Fertilizer Dealer Supply, Anna; Bambauer Fertilizer and Seed, Jackson Center; and New Ag Horizons, Minster. Because of these supporters – and, hopefully others! – we can provide a full and informative day for those in attendance!

These sponsorships also support the Evening Portion of West Ohio Agronomy Day which will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at the Days Inn in Sidney (corner of Interstate75 and state Route 47). This program begins with a light supper at 5 p.m. The Private Pesticide Applicator Recertification training will happen from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. and following a short break, the two-hour Fertilizer Applicator Certification Training will finish the evening. Once again, I plan to have you out of there by 11 p.m., paperwork done!!

For more information on these programs, you can contact me at [email protected] or 937-498-7239 or go online at http://pested.osu.edu/Recert/topofohio. Those of you with Private Pesticide Licenses to renew this year should be receiving a flyer in the mail from ODA that shows all the programs being offered in this area of the state.

For those of you who need the Three-Hour Fertilizer Applicator Certification Training I mentioned last week, you can put Monday, March 20, on your calendars!! We’ll be holding two different sessions: 2 to 5 p.m. and again at 6:15 to 9:15 p.m. This will be held at the Palazzo, south side of Botkins, with supper for both groups from 5 to 6 p.m. Yes, it’s a ways out, but just thought I’d let you know …