The annual Hardin County Dairy Banquet will be held on Saturday, Feb. 24 at noon at the Plaza Inn Restaurant, Mt. Victory. Tickets this year are $15 for adults and $7 for children 12 and under.

COLUMBUS — Agricultural producers wanting to enhance current conservation efforts are encouraged to apply for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Through CSP, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) helps private landowners build their business while implementing conservation practices that help ensure the sustainability of their entire operation. NRCS plans to enroll up to 10 million acres in CSP in 2018.

REYNOLDSBURG – The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) is reminding farmers of revised labels and new training requirements for applicators who intend to use dicamba herbicide products this year. In October 2017, U.S. EPA approved revised labels for the three dicamba products that are labeled for use on soybeans: Engenia (BASF), XtendiMax (Monsanto) and FeXapan (DuPont).

The 2018 Conservation Tillage Club breakfast program series will continue on Tuesday, Jan. 23 at the Plaza Inn Restaurant in Mt. Victory. Each session will start at 7:30 a.m. with complimentary buffet breakfast followed by the program at 8 a.m. Other sessions will be held on Feb. 6 and 20.

A class to help farmers prepare to become private pesticide applicators has been planned for Jan. 31 at the Hardin County Extension office, 1021 West Lima Street, Suite 103, Kenton. In Ohio, pesticide applicators are required by law to have an Ohio Pesticide Applicators License in order to purchase and apply restricted-use chemicals. These pesticides include but are not limited to herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides.

The 2018 Conservation Tillage Club breakfast program series will begin on Tuesday, Jan. 9 at the Plaza Inn Restaurant in Mount Victory. Each session will start at 7:30 a.m. with complimentary buffet breakfast followed by the program at 8 a.m.

Northwestern Ohio is now seeing full implementation of Ohio’s Agricultural Fertilizer Applicator Certification regulation. The regulation was result of Senate Bill 150, which was co-sponsored by former State Senator Cliff Hite.

A new activity that the Hardin Northern FFA is doing this school year is hosting monthly elementary ag lessons. In October, the kindergarten classes visited and had the opportunity to learn about how pumpkins grow, different types, and the many uses of pumpkins.

COLUMBUS – Introducing students to potential careers in agriculture is the goal of two major projects made possible by the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation’s Fisher Fund for Lifelong Learning. The purpose is to introduce students to and prepare them for careers in agriculture, food and natural resources.

The Hardin Northern FFA hosted its annual fruit sale again this year on Dec. 4. Instead of the traditional fruit baskets, HN FFA members sorted their fruit into 2, 3.5, and 5 gallon buckets, donated by CPS.