The Hardin County Commissioners are being asked to place a five-year renewal levy on the November ballot to support Ohio State University Extension programming locally. OSU Extension County Director Mark Light and Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator Mark Badertscher met with the commissioners on Thursday morning to ask them to consider putting the renewal on the ballot to generate the $185,000 the current five-year .35 mill levy generates.

“Knee high by the Fourth of July” is no longer an accurate measure of growing corn in Hardin County, according to Mark Badertscher, agriculture and natural resources educator at the Ohio State University Extension Office. Badertscher addressed area farmers and agricultural officials about county crop-related news and issues at the monthly Ag Council breakfast at Henry’s Restaurant in Kenton this morning.

Small grain harvest will soon be underway. For profitable double crop soybean production, there must be adequate time for the production of the soybean crop and soil moisture. Double crop soybean management differs from traditional, full-season soybean management.

The 2018 Ohio State University Manure Science Review is scheduled for Wednesday, July 25 at the Watkins farm located at 18361 TR 90, Forest in Hardin County. The program will begin at 8:45 a.m., while registration, coffee and donuts will be offered in the morning starting at 8:15 a.m. before the field day kicks off with the afternoon activities ending by 3:30 p.m.

Supervisors on the Hardin Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) Board are public officials responsible to the people of the district and state. They employ and guide staff of the district on workload priorities, manage district funds and are a source of feedback from the public on its needs for soil and water assistance.

At one of the early Master Gardener meetings this spring, we were discussing what topic and speaker we might offer for our annual Evening Garden Affair. The Evening Garden Affair is a free program we provide together along with the Men’s Garden Club every year.

COLUMBUS — An Ohio farmer could lose more than half of his or her annual net income if the threatened 25 percent tariff is imposed on U.S. soybeans and corn in China, a study from The Ohio State University has found. Researchers with the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) have projected a 59 percent loss in annual net farm income based on historical trends in yields on corn and soybeans and projections for price drops in both commodities.

There are many types of laws and regulations that farmers need to know about to make sure they are not putting their livelihood at risk. There are laws regarding animals, protecting the environment, farm leasing, farmland protection, food safety, line fences, nuisance, oil and gas, premises liability, property, roadway and equipment, taxes, water, and zoning that govern how farmers operate their businesses.

For the time period of May 1-May 31, 2018 Extension rainfall reporters recorded an average of 3.40 inches of rain in Hardin County. Last year, the average rainfall for the same time period was 7.21 inches. Rainfall for May was 0.99 inches less than the ten-year average rainfall for the month.

Farmers have been busy planting the past three weeks with a few moderate rains to break things up. This year planting was delayed by a couple weeks due to cool and wet conditions.