Agronomy and Farm Management

Rob Leeds and Kate Hornyak join Bruce and Josh to discuss agritourism. Both Rob and Kate work for The Ohio State University Extension and are involved with their own family agritourism operations. In this podcast, they share the ins-and-out of the industry and their real-life experiences on how to be a successful agritourism business. Click the links below to check out Rob and Kate’s family operat...

We caught up with Drs. Alyssa Essman and Dan Quinn at Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference to pick their brains about planting corn and soybeans into green cover crops. They share information on how to ensure good seed furrow conditions at planting and how to manage the cover crop at different stages. We also discuss herbicide strategies and advantages when planting green.

Garth Ruff, Ohio State University Extension Beef Specialist, joins us to talk about some aspects that freezer beef producers need to take into consideration to become a profitable operation. Garth also shares a new tool developed by Stan Smith and himself through excel called the “Freezer Beef Budget 2024”. This budget accounts for costs, assets, and the retail value of the beef the producer is ch...

Dr. Aaron Wilson  joins us for our quarterly weather update. We look back on yet another warm winter and what that means for agriculture. We also discuss what spring weather patterns look like and how that may affect planting. Sign up to receive quarterly updates from the State Climate Office:  climate.osu.edu/ . Check out CoCoRaHS.org to learn more about becoming a reporter!

Clint Schroeder joins us to talk about the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) for the 2024 crop year through the USDA Farm Service Agency. These two programs provide financial protections for farmers in the event of substantial crop price drops. Clint explains how these programs can be used a safety net for Ohio farmers and the resources to connect with to elect into...

Temperature ups and downs over the winter have us wondering what impact it will have on potential wheat yield. Dr. Laura Lindsey , Soybean and Small Grains Specialist, walks us through getting wheat off to a good start, evaluating it in the spring and how much correlation that has with yield. She also shares the latest research and technology developments to look for in the future. For advice into...

Dirk Dempsey is the Agriculture and Natural Resources OSU Extension Educator for Pike County. Dirk is also the 8 th generation in his family to tend to the land on their family-owned farm in Jackson County. In this episode, Dirk talks about joys of being involved in his family operation, their experiences, and the keys to their success through direct marketing.

Our topic for this podcast is on-farm research and the 2023 eFields report. The eFields program is OSU Extension’s on-farm research network. Ohio farmers are encouraged to learn with us by partnering to conduct trials and share data through the annual report. Elizabeth give us a summary of the 2023 report and we talk with Wayne Dellinger and Nick Eckel , county Extension Educators and fellow contr...

Cody McCann and Cody Lovercamp both work for the USDA Risk Management Agency where they oversee the policy language for the livestock policies and the underwriting standards branch. McCann and Lovercamp discuss topics like, what is Livestock Risk Protection? How does it work?  When can you, as a producer, receive these options. To learn more about Livestock Insurance products follow the link...

Clint Schroeder is the manager for the Ohio Farm Business Analysis and Benchmarking program for OSU Extension.  He works one-on-one with Ohio farmers to evaluate their farm business. Participating operations will get financial ratios and benchmarking reports as well as enterprise analysis if they participate in that portion. Clint explains how to get in touch with the program and how it can benefi...

With this episode releasing right before Thanksgiving, we wanted to celebrate by diving into how the food eaten during the first thanksgiving over 400 years ago came to be. While farming was simpler in a lot of ways, it is intriguing to consider what the pilgrims were up against trying to survive in a new land and how the Native Americans had adapted to raise and protect crops without today’...

All across Ohio, farmland is leased for crop production, livestock grazing, hunting, etc.  Is your lease in writing? If not, it’s likely not enforceable.  Peggy Hall , J.D., Director of The Ohio State University Extension Ag Law Program shares elements of a farmland lease that keep it simple and functional.  How is hunting permission and hunting leasing different?  Does the landowner have protecti...

Many areas are struggling with higher corn moisture levels than normal at harvest. While it may be tempting to leave corn standing to gain more natural drying, Elizabeth and Amanda will share why that is a high risk, low return venture. Check out the U2U GDD Tool and make use of it next year: https://mygeohub.org/groups/u2u/purdue_gdd. For more information, here’s a list of our past podcasts...

Old Crop and New Crop markets always meet at the next harvest.  Being three weeks into Ohio’s Fall harvest, what’s the market situation?  Dr. Lee updates us on supply/demand, bullish/bearish market expectations, Mississippi River water levels and barge rates, war in Ukraine, and current situation in Israel.  Four strategies for farm financial viability for lower farm income marketing year.

The weather this past summer took the old adage “Don’t like the weather in Ohio, just wait” to a whole new level. The mild temperatures were certainly enjoyable but did not help progress crop development. We reflect on how the summer weather played out and take a look at what farmers can expect over the next few months as harvest begins. Dr. Aaron Wilson joins us once again to pr...

The 2023 Farm Science Review runs September 19-21 and your hosts have broken down all the opportunities you have to engage with OSU Extension on agronomy and farm management topics. Whether it is walking through the plots, listening in on an expert talk or watching new equipment run in the demos, there is a wealth of information to be found this year. To purchase tickets, check out the program or...

If you grow or scout corn in Ohio, you have probably heard rumblings of a new disease called Tar Spot. Pictures from neighboring states to the north and west show bleak images of entire corn fields dead before their time. While researchers are still assessing the threat potential for tar spot in Ohio, it has made appearances across the state and has many farmers quite concerned. To tell us more ab...

Woodland management goes hand in hand with farm management. On this episode we talk to Dave Apsley , Natural Resources Specialist with Ohio State University Extension, to discuss the question “Why sell Timber?” Dave will discuss the importance of knowing your objectives, the type of trees you possess, and who to contact before making any timber harvesting decisions. He will also introduce you to a...

Mid to late summer attentions quickly turn to fungicide applications and talk of what needs sprayed for that particular year. This year is no exception with the varying weather conditions that seem to appeal to each and every disease. Dr. Horacio Lopez-Nicora and Jason Hartschuh talk about which diseases in corn and soybeans we should watch out for and provide more information on scouting and pull...

Join us as we talk about Farm Legacy with David Marrison , Farm Management Specialist with Ohio State University Extension. One of David’s passions is helping families plan for the future of their farming operation. Listen in to learn the basics on Farm legacy and where you can learn more! Visit go.osu.edu/farmsuccesion for more information.

Some of the corn and soybeans across Ohio are upwards of two growth stages behind due to early drought conditions followed by cool weather. What does this mean for the rest of the season and ultimately crop yield? Jonah Johnson , CCA with PCT Sunrise attempts to answers those questions based on his agronomy knowledge and past experiences in the field. Follow Jonah on Twitter @JJAgronomy .

We have an exciting announcement today! Listen in to find out what it is. Farms are subject to more risks than ever before. Liability exposure of driving equipment on roadways or the potential of property loss due to a barn roof collapse, every farm has multiple sources of risk.  Robert Moore joins Bruce and Josh to review the basics of farm insurance policies.  Robert’s insight guides listeners t...

We would rather not have this title for our summer weather outlook but, of all the advances we’ve made in agriculture, controlling the weather is not one of them. Dr. Aaron Wilson joins us to look at what happened this past spring as we moved away from a La Nina. He also provides an outlook for this summer’s growing conditions. The state climate office would love to hear from folks on...

Cover crops impact cropping systems in more ways than improving soil structure. Dr. Alyssa Essman , soon to be Assistant Professor with Horticulture and Crop Sciences specializing in weed science, continues to expand research on cover crops as they pertain to weed management. She discusses results from a recent project that looked at termination timing of cereal rye combined with different herbici...

Planting conditions were really good in early April which led to a significant amount of corn and soybeans planted early this year. With the turn to cold, wet conditions, much of that seed has sat without emerging for 2-3 weeks. What impact will that have on insect and disease pressure? How might it affect replant considerations? To answer these questions, Dr. Kelley Tilmon and Dr. Horacio Lopez-N...