Upcoming OSU Extension Events
By Justin Petrosino, ANR Extension Educator
OSU Extension, Darke County
June 13, 2011
There are many concerns when it comes to agriculture this year. Late
planting, poor weed control from late and less effective burndowns, the
potential for even higher feed costs for livestock, and don’t forget
about head scab. Monday I spent time in the field with Alissa Kriss, a
graduate student with OSU Plant Pathology doing a head scab assessment
of the county. Despite our best efforts Mother Nature threw us another
curveball on wheat this year. Keep an eye on the CORN Newsletter or
search out OSU Extension Darke County Agriculture on Facebook for
results from our survey of Darke County. While we await these results
let’s talk a little bit about some upcoming livestock related programs.
There are many different ways to raise livestock including indoor
production with barns, the way our hogs are raised these days, or with
outdoor grazing systems.
Hog production moved indoors many years ago for several reasons.
Indoors animals are safe from predators, free from environmental
stresses like bad weather and summer heat, and are easier to monitor.
According to the last census of agriculture Darke County possessed over
225,000 hogs and pigs. The overwhelming majority of these are raised
inside a barn. On a 90 degree day in June a climate controlled barn is
a nice place to be. Animals that are raised indoors are more efficient
at gaining weight and stay healthier. Controlling the climate inside a
barn is a little more complex than setting the thermostat of your
house. That is why OSU Extension has teamed up with members of industry
to bring you the Swine Ventilation Workshop in Darke County. Dr. Dale
Ricker, OSU Swine Specialist, and Glen Arnold, OSU Extension Putnam
County, will be bringing the swine ventilation trailer to the fair
grounds on June 29, 2011. The workshop will run from 9:30 am to 2:30
pm. Inside the Youth Building at the fairgrounds participants will
learn about ventilation principles, design, maintenance, and even get
hands on experience with setting controls on the trailer. The Ohio Pork
Producer Council will be sponsoring lunch so bring your appetite! To
register, visit http://porkinfo.osu.edu or call the Putnam County
office at (419) 523-6294 for more information. The registration fee of
$40 is due by June 24, 2011.
Several farmers in Darke County raise their livestock outdoors. Animals
graze during the spring, summer and even winter months. Efficiency of
open grazing pastures can be as low as 30%. If livestock are
intensively managed efficiency can be brought up closer to 60%.
Stockpiling pasture paddocks for winter grazing can also help reduce
the amount of hay needed during the winter. Cows will actually forage
up to their eyes in the snow to get grass! If you prefer to pasture
your animals OSU Extension has you covered. The West Ohio Grazing
School has been moved from June to July because of this year’s late
planting. The grazing school will be held on the 14th and 21st of July
from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm and on Saturday the 23rdfrom 10:00 am to 2:30
pm, at OSU Extension, Shelby County. The school will be taught by local
Extension Educators along with special guests including Jeff
McCutcheon, OSU Extension Morrow County, and Bob Hendershot, Grazing
Guru and NRCS Specialist. Call the Darke County office at (937)
548-5215 to register. The registration fee of $50 is due July 8, 2011.
There are also many field days and smaller events on the schedule for
the next few months so keep an eye out for more! Visit
http://agcrops.osu.edu/ and view the calendar for more information. If
you have questions or concerns about head scab or any other agronomic
concerns call the office at (937) 548-5215. Initial results from our
survey don’t look to be as severe as last year but we’ll keep crunching
the numbers for an official analysis to be released soon.
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