Agriculture Newsletter

For more information about Ag/NR in Athens County, contact Rory at lewandowski.11@osu.edu

                            JULY / AUGUST 2008

In This Issue:

Dear Agricultural Producer,

            In May of this year the U.S. Climate Change Science Program issued a report entitled “The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources and Biodiversity”.  The entire report and/or the executive summary can be accessed and read on line at: http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/sap/sap4-3/final-report/default.htm.  While the report focuses on the next 25 to 50 years, the report says that climate change is already affecting the U.S.  Climate changes that we are very likely to see continue and that we are already seeing, includes temperature increases, increasing CO₂ levels and altered patterns of precipitation.  Some of the findings of the report related to the agricultural sector include:

• Increased CO₂ and temperatures are likely to cause the life cycle of grain and oilseed crops to progress more rapidly, up to a point.  At some elevated level, these crops will begin to experience more failure, especially when combined with precipitation variability.

• The marketable yield of many horticultural crops is likely to be more sensitive to climate change than grain and oilseed crops.

• Weed pressure is likely to change and/or increase.  Weed species are likely to migrate north, so producers will have to learn to deal with new species.  Also, many weeds respond more positively to increasing CO₂ levels than most current cash crops.

• Disease pressure on crops and domestic animals will likely increase with earlier springs and warmer winters due to higher survival rates and proliferation of pathogens and parasites.

• Projected increases in temperature and a lengthening of the growing season is likely to extend forage production, which may decrease the need for winter season stored feeds.  This benefit may be offset by increased regional variations in water availability.

• There will be climate change induced shifts in plant species on rangelands.

• Higher temperatures will very likely reduce summer season livestock production, but warmer winter temperatures may offset these losses.

            I don’t know to what extent climate change might or might not be involved in the recent flooding in Iowa that made headlines because of its impact on agricultural production and future corn grain prices.  I do know that with our current world population that continues to grow, agriculture will have to find ways to maintain or increase productivity in the face of both weather and economic climate changes.  I hope that as a society we will make choices that will support the people who grow our food, and insure that farm operations can be passed to the next generation.

            As usual, give me a call or drop me an email if I can be of assistance to you with an agriculturally related question.

Sincerely,

Rory Lewandowski

Extension Educator, Ag/NR

Athens County

PRODUCTION ECONOMICS: Handling the Changes

            I opened up this newsletter writing about climate changes.  Currently the economic climate in agriculture is undergoing some major changes.  For most livestock operations the economic climate forecast looks chilly.  Despite the high commodity prices, row crop farmers really aren’t doing much better than before.  Profit margins remain about the same thanks to increased fuel, fertilizer, seed, machinery and land costs.  I have talked with other Extension Educators about agriculture economics and all agree, these are tough times and there does not appear to be any good alternatives or good answers.  Certainly there are no quick fixes, or easy options.

            In recent weeks the question has become: What will $7/bushel corn do to livestock budgets?  Most of our conventional livestock production models in the past 35 to 40 years have been built upon relatively cheap grain prices combined with cheap fuel (transportation) costs.  I have heard it said that feeding some corn can cover up management mistakes or substitute for more intensive management.  That worked fine with $3/bushel corn, but now grain won’t be the quick fix or easy option.

            Ruminant livestock producers have the opportunity to focus more on forage production.  In high grain price markets, ruminants have a competitive advantage over non-ruminant livestock.  There will be a payback to those who can manage forage, particularly pastures, for increased production and quality.  Will we see more forage finished ruminant production as opposed to grain finishing?  Possibly, but getting a consistent, quality finished product on forage takes a very high level of management and the right forage system.  This is not something that is developed overnight.  It can take years to put together the right forage system, the right livestock genetics and then learn how to manage for high-energy forage production during the finishing phase.  Is there enough land base to produce the same quantity of beef and lamb on a grass-finished basis as is produced in the grain based feedlot system?

            Non-ruminant livestock like hogs and poultry are dependent upon grain for the bulk of their ration.  Cheap grain leads to cheap meat.  That has now changed.  What level of price increase can the consumer bear?  Yes, on a small scale, there can be some substitution of high quality forages as a portion of the diet, to help bring feed costs down.  However, is it reasonable to assume this could be done on a large scale, to replace the quantity of pork and poultry currently consumed?

            We have built a agriculture system on big production models, low unit profit margins, combined with high volume production.  Our livestock systems developed to utilize cheap grains and turn it into a higher value meat product.  Consumers are accustomed to relatively cheap food, spending a small part of total income on food.  I suppose that if consumers decided that 25 to 30% of their income would go to food purchases, some of these production issues would go away.  How likely is that to happen?  Most household budgets that I know of are very tight and there is not a lot of room to absorb large food price increases.  Still, we all have to eat and this might become a necessary adjustment in household economics.  It will not happen overnight.  Other segments of the economy will have to change and other lifestyle changes/choices will have to occur first and that all takes time.

             While there is no good answer regarding how to maintain profitability in today’s agriculture economic climate, I can say that record keeping, use of records and attention to management are more critical than ever.  Agricultural producers must be able to track their costs of production.  Records must be used to determine where to best use a high cost input.  Records should be used to analyze the agriculture operation and to find out where losses may be occurring or where the profit centers are.  If there are enterprise budgets developed for your agricultural enterprise, study them and plug in your numbers to help you make good economic decisions.  Budgets for a number of crop and livestock enterprises in Ohio can be found at the following OSU Extension web site: http://aede.osu.edu/programs/FarmManagement/Budgets/index.htm.  For those who do not have Internet access, contact me at the Athens County Extension office and I can get you a hard copy.  Some other things to consider include:

• Use of analysis tools such as soil tests and forage quality tests

• Variable rate application of fertilizer to fields and pastures

• Multiple species livestock operations

• Exploration of direct marketing opportunities

• Cooperative marketing

• Building a stronger local food system

• Diversification of farm enterprises

• Minimizing purchased inputs that depend upon petroleum resources

• Organic production methods

• Be cautious about investing in things that rust

• Look for low or no cost solutions to problems

• Get involved in, or start, a group of like-minded agricultural producers who can both encourage you and challenge you

            I’m not saying all of these suggestions are right for everyone, just some things to consider.  Some of these may fit certain kinds of agricultural production better than others.  It’s safe to say that continuing to operate agricultural enterprises under a “business as usual” approach is not going to be economically successful in this new economic climate.  There will be a shake-up in agriculture, and we may be on the threshold of seeing new models emerge as well as new societal attitudes toward agriculture.  I’m afraid this transition period is going to be painful.

            The bottom line however, is that people have to eat.  Someone has to produce the food needed to feed people.  Those who pay attention to economics, focus on management, seek out and embrace new ideas and ways of farming may be the survivors.  There will be opportunities for success and to build sustainable farms.

SMALL RUMINANT PARASITE CONTROL

            July and August are critical months to control the internal parasite, Haemonchus contortus in pasture based sheep and goat production.  Often producers may find that lambs and kids seem to “stand still” during the summer, with little or no weight gain.  There can be several reasons for this situation.  One is that the nutrient level needed for good gains is not being provided, in other words, pasture quality is low.  Another reason is that the animals have a parasite burden that prevents them from gaining weight.  Finally, for those animals born in the February/March period, a natural immune response to internal parasites may be starting to develop.  While this is important in the long run, this immune response exerts an additional nutrient demand upon the animal.  In addition, the immune response can be overwhelmed by heavy parasite infections.  In many cases, poor weight gain is a result of a combination of these factors.

            Pasture management and monitoring of animals for parasite infection must be practiced as part of an internal parasite control strategy.  The old saying, “know thy enemy” is appropriate since it is hard to make good pasture management decisions or know how to properly use monitoring tools without understanding the biology and lifecycle of Haemonchus contortus.

            Haemonchus contortus survive and begin their life cycle each year through larvae that overwinter on pasture and/or through larvae “hibernating” in a process called hypobiosis in the abomasum of the host animal.  This hypobiosis is actually an arrested development stage of the L4 larvae.  In early spring, generally around lambing/kidding time, these L4 larvae resume the normal lifecycle, become adults and start laying eggs that are passed in the feces of the animal.  So in the spring, adults and lambs can begin to accumulate Haemonchus contortus from consuming overwintered larvae, or from larvae emerging from newly deposited eggs.

            Once an egg is deposited on pasture, if there is moisture and warmth, the egg hatches and a larva emerges, termed an L1 larva.  Larvae need to go through a couple of growth stages to reach an L3 larva, which is the infective stage.  L3 larvae migrate up and down grass blades in films of moisture.  The time to go from egg to L3 infective larvae can be as short as 4 to 5 days under ideal temperature and moisture conditions.  Once L3 larvae are ingested by grazing animals they travel to the abomasum or true stomach of the host animal.  Larvae attach to the abomasum wall and begin feed on blood.  Within 2-3 days L3 larvae develop into L4 larvae and then adults.  Once adulthood is reached, about 14 days are required before egg laying begins.  The entire life cycle from egg to egg can be completed in as little as 21 days.  Once egg laying begins, the female Haemonchus contortus can lay up to 5000 eggs per day.  As life cycles are completed, pastures can become heavily contaminated.

            It is important to realize that the L3 infective larva can survive on pasture for up to 90 days in the summer, and up to 180 days when they develop in the fall.  This obviously presents some difficulties in a rotational grazing system.  For example, let’s say a pasture was grazed by ewes or does in October.  This means that eggs being deposited at that time could result in some overwintered larvae still being around in April.  By April ewes and does will have resumed shedding eggs, and in many years, pastures managed under rotational grazing are ready to graze by early April.  New eggs are being deposited, infective larvae are being ingested, and here we go.  By time that paddock has been rotationally grazed a couple of times, watch out!  This is what would be termed a “hot” pasture.  It might look like good green, succulent grass, high in quality, but it can be teeming with infective L3 larvae.  Even a pasture paddock that started out more than 180 days removed from a previous season grazing pass can become a hot paddock after a couple of grazing passes with ewes, does, lambs and kids shedding eggs.

            What are management options?  They must revolve around trying to keep parasite levels low.  Keep a pasture log/record of when paddocks were grazed and the length of time pasture paddocks were grazed.  Start the grazing season on pastures that are likely to have very low levels of overwintered larvae.  Rotate to a new paddock within a 5-day period to insure animals are not ingesting infective L3 larvae.  A critical piece is to have some safe pastures that have very low or no parasite larvae on them to graze in July and August.  This could be a pasture that has not been grazed since the previous fall, a paddock that might have had a grazing pass but then been allowed to grow for hay harvest, or a summer annual forage.  Weaning time can also play a role in how pastures are used.  Once a lamb or kid has been weaned from the ewe or doe, and the stress of lactation removed, the ewe or doe can tolerate some parasite infection.  The immune response provides some protection.  So keep some safe pasture for weaned lambs/kids and then the ewes and does can go back and graze some of those pasture paddocks that contain infective L3 larvae.

            The other management piece is monitoring animals.  There are several tools available, including the FAMACHA eyelid color system and fecal egg counts.  Both of these tools should be used on a consistent and regular basis to be effective.  Used regularly, they provide trends that tell the livestock owner what is happening on the pastures and within the animal regarding parasite levels.  I have written about the FAMACHA system in other issues of this newsletter, but would be more than willing to provide more information about FAMACHA to any interested producer.  In regards to fecal egg counts, see the following article by Dr. William Shulaw.

            Notice that nothing has been said in this article about regular use of a chemical dewormer.  That is a road we don’t want to travel due to limited chemical options and big problems with parasite resistance to chemical de-wormers.  Every sheep and goat farm that is serious about long-term production needs to know which of the chemical de-wormers, if any, work in their flock/herd and then save the use of that chemical for rescue treatments and selective de-worming as determined by regular monitoring.

REFERENCES:

                Managing Internal Parasitism in Sheep and Goats

                Kate Hepworth, Mike Neary, Terry Hutchens

                Parasite Control in Sheep: Biologic Approaches for the New Millennium

                William P. Shulaw and Clifton M. Monahan

FECAL EGG COUNTS: WHAT DO THEY TELL US?

                                    By: William Shulaw, DVM, OSU Extension Veterinarian

                            Taken from the September 2004 Issue of the OSU Sheep Team Newsletter

            One approach to monitor parasite infection in sheep is the use of fecal egg counting techniques.  What do we mean by fecal egg counts (FECs)? Most techniques to examine feces (manure) for parasite eggs involve mixing the sample with a concentrated sugar or salt solution that has a relatively high specific gravity.  This lets the worm eggs float to the top of the liquid where they are collected on a glass or plastic slide and then examined under a microscope.  The heavier material tends to sink more so one can look for the eggs on the top of the liquid.  However, as opposed to a simple flotation procedure that only allows one to see the different kinds of eggs present, FECs provide an estimate of the number of eggs present in a specific quantity of manure.  They are usually expressed as the number of “eggs per gram” (epg) of feces.  Therefore they are termed quantitative.  Although simple flotations can give us some information, the most valuable information comes from quantitative egg counts.

            The most common method of determining FECs for sheep and goats is the McMaster technique.  Although there are several variations of how this is done, the basic method uses a weighed fecal sample, a known dilution in the flotation solution, and a specialized counting slide to count the eggs.  (Pictures of the slides and technique are in the ASI Sheep Production Handbook)  After the slide’s chambers have been filled with the manure suspension in flotation solution, the eggs are counted under a grid that defines a known volume of the suspension.  Usually the area under two grids is counted and the results averaged and multiplied by a dilution factor.  Because the number of grams of feces and their dilution is known, the result gives you an estimate of the number of eggs in a specific amount of manure expressed as eggs per gram (epg) of feces.  McMaster counts are not harder to do than simple flotations, and the equipment is relatively inexpensive and reusable.  Many veterinarians in Ohio are trained to do them, and some currently offer this service.  Most methods require at least two grams of manure, and usually four grams are used as this amount provides a more accurate estimate.  This means you need to provide your veterinarian with about a tablespoonful of manure for a proper exam.  One pellet is not enough.

 How many samples are enough? 

            Research and observations over the last 40-50 years consistently show that egg counts, as well as worm burdens, from a group of individuals are not distributed across a typical bell shaped curve.  Usually only a few individuals have very high counts, and even when severe parasitic disease is present in a group, there frequently are animals in that group with very low FECs.  For example, in a relatively recent investigation of ivermectin resistance where lambs were actually dying from parasitism, the average FEC for a group of 46 lambs was 3800 epg of feces.  However, two animals had FECs of zero and the lowest twenty-one were each less than 1000 epg.  The top five animals had counts of 13,800; 20,050; 23,950; 25,000; and 29,250 epg.  If you wanted a reliable estimate of the average count for the group, would samples from three animals, or even five, be enough?  Not likely.  Generally speaking, you need samples from about 15 animals to get a reliable estimate of the group average.  For those of you reading this that are statistically inclined, you are thinking “Yes, but using a simple numeric average for populations like this is flawed!”  You are correct, however, for reasons I can’t really get into in this article, a simple group average is the accepted measure used by parasitologists the world over.

 What can fecal egg counts tell us? 

            Like most measurements in biology, FECs are a snapshot in time.  They may remain rather stable over time, or they may explode to very high levels in one to two weeks; especially during summer weather conditions favorable to Haemonchus contortus.  On the farm I described in our last article, the weekly FECs performed for the group of March-born lambs maintained continuously on pasture averaged 0; 42; 89; 1,050; and 1,950 epg from May 14 through June 11.  This dramatic change was the result of the lambs’ gradual increase in consumption of infective larvae as they consumed more forage; the buildup of worm larvae on the pasture as a result of the prolific egg producer, Haemonchus, becoming the predominant worm species; and the fact that the parasite life cycle from egg-to-egg takes about 21 days for completion under ideal conditions.  It is also characteristic of what happens on many Ohio pastures in a typical summer.  Therefore, a single egg count for a group of lambs or ewes taken out of context with other information is not predictive of what is going to happen nor is it a good measure of the worm burden the animals are carrying.  Nevertheless, FECs do give us some information about what is happening at the time the samples are taken.  The two best uses for FECs are to monitor the rate of pasture contamination and to determine whether drug resistance is present in the worms on the farm.

 Monitoring pasture contamination.

            Monitoring the rate of pasture contamination can be a tool the producer can use in making decisions such as when to move animals from a pasture to avoid a buildup that may lead to a dangerous situation, or it might be used to assess how much contamination is occurring in order to make decisions about future use of the pasture during that grazing season.  For example, if pastures used for lambing out ewes in April and May have received a relatively heavy egg burden, it may be wise not to graze them with lambs later in the summer.  They may be safe for dry ewes and could be used by an unrelated species.  Monitoring contamination rate can help make that decision.

             Routine monitoring of FECs following the deworming of groups or selected individuals can also provide information as to whether deworming was successful.  In our experience, if the average FEC of a group is much above 100-150 epg 10-14 days following a deworming, either the drug was not as effective as it should be or the egg count was very high when the animals were treated.  This should be a red flag to signal that further information about dewormer effectiveness is needed.  If one were to see an average FEC of above 2000 epg on samples collected thirty days after deworming a group of lambs, it may indicate that the pasture they have been grazing is pretty heavily contaminated.  This is not an unusual observation when non-persistent dewormers such as Valbazen, Tramisol, or Ivomec Sheep Drench have been used and the lambs continue to graze a contaminated pasture.

 Determining whether drug resistance is present.

            The most readily available method to determine the effectiveness of a dewormer is by using FECs.  The most common approach used for sheep and goats is to collect about 15 samples from animals at the time they are treated, determine the group FEC, and then collect samples again from those animals 10-14 days later and again determine the FEC.  If the drug is working as we would like it to, there should be at least a 95% reduction in the average FEC for the post-treatment samples.  It is best to sample the same animals both times, but if 15-20 animals from the group are used, it may not always be necessary.

            An alternate approach uses an untreated control group of animals.  In this approach, the test group of 15 or more animals is treated with a dewormer, and then 10-14 days later, FECs are determined on samples from the animals in the test group and for a similar group of untreated animals.  As in the other method, we are looking for at least a 95% reduction in average FEC in the treated group compared with the control animals.  This method accounts for variation in the groups that might not be attributable to the dewormer; such as we described in the last newsletter.  It also has the additional advantage of requiring considerably fewer total samples if several drugs are being tested at the same time because both pre- and post-treatment egg counts are not required and several test groups can be compared to the control group.  You do have to know, or expect, that average egg counts will be above at least 250 epg in the control group for valid comparisons.  Lambs or ewes can be used with either approach but don’t mix the two in a test.

            I am often asked when to perform resistance testing.  This is a good question, and there is no single correct answer I am sure.  However, I usually suggest to our producers that if resources are limited, testing should be done in mid to late summer.  My rationale for this is:  At the present time Haemonchus contortus is the most important worm we have to deal with here in Ohio.  Although there are several common species of worms in sheep and goats, which produce similar-looking eggs that can’t be readily distinguished from Haemonchus under the microscope, it is usually safe to assume that by July, at least 90-95% of the eggs of this type will be Haemonchus.  Therefore, resistance testing here in Ohio in mid to late summer will give us a good idea of what dewormers will do against this very important worm species.  Haemonchus season begins earlier in the year in the South, and it may not be the most important worm in the more arid regions of the West, so producers in these areas have to adjust their approach to their conditions.

            Most parasitologists today recommend conducting resistance testing at least every two years, and testing for resistance does require significant work and expense.  However, not knowing whether the dewormer you are using is effective can be more than expensive.  It can be disastrous.

LATE SUMMER FORAGE SEEDING

            Our spring season was rainy and there were very few windows of opportunity to get a forage seeding done correctly.  Fortunately late summer provides another good time to get a new forage seeding established.  The timing is late August until about the first week in September.  Remember that the new forage plant, grass or legume, needs about 6 to 8 weeks after germination to become fully established.  Our average first frost date is around October 15, so counting backwards from that point provides our target planting time.  Of course, some years we do have an extended growing season and forage seedings made after the first couple of days in September succeed.  However, with rising seed, fuel and machinery costs, it becomes a more expensive gamble than in the past to push planting times past recommended dates.

            Late summer seeding can provide more time to plan for seedbed preparation and/or chemical control to knock back existing weed and plant competition.  Seed placement and amount of seed is important, so take time to calibrate the drill and insure that seed will not be place to deeply.  Seeding depth for most cool-season forages is one-quarter to one half inch.  It is probably better to be on the shallow end of that range.  Soil pH should be at least 6.0 for grass seedings and closer to 6.5 if legumes are being included in the planting mix.  Minimum soil phosphorus and soil potassium levels should be 20 ppm for phosphorus and 100 ppm for potassium.

            Contact the Athens County Extension office for specific seeding rate information for various forage mixtures.

OHIO SHEEP DAY

            Ohio Sheep Day is scheduled for Saturday, July 12.  It will be held on the Cline family farm, located just outside of Albany at 3933 Factory Road.  Curt Cline was the 2007 Ohio Sheep Improvement Association Environmental Stewardship Award winner and at the 2008 American Sheep Industry meeting was named the national Environmental Stewardship Award winner.  Curt is currently serving as a director on the board of the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association.

            The Cline farm is a forage based sheep operation.  In the early part of 2008, the sheep flock was expanded from 120 ewes to 300 plus ewes.  The expansion is the result of some significant management changes that revolve around internal parasite control, more intensive use of traditional and alternative forages and the economic potential of the Ohio sheep industry.  Visitors to the Cline farm during Sheep Day can expect to hear about the importance of economic analysis as a base to decision making.

            The 2008 Sheep Day at the Cline farm will focus on forage demonstrations, grazing management and stored forage use.  A partial list of what visitors will see includes:

·        Fall (2007) seeded grass plots

·        Fall (2007) seed grass plots frost seeded in late winter 2008 with red and white clover

·        A Tekapo orchardgrass field established in 2004, interseeded/frost seeded in late winter of 2008 with red and white clover, using grazing sheep to insure good seed/soil contact

·        Forage chicory field

·        Several fields of Brown Mid-Rib (BMR) sudangrass and sorghum x sudangrass hybrids

·        A field of Teff grass, a warm season annual grass that produces a high-tonnage, high quality feed suited for hay production

·        Paddock and water system for cool season grass pastures

In addition to talking about the agronomic characteristics of forages used on the farm, other topics that will be addressed include:

·        Soil fertility management using grid sampling and GIS fertilizer application on pasture paddocks

·        Internal parasite management within a rotational grazing system

·        Handling and caring for foot rot

·        Economic issues and considerations in a forage based sheep operation

·        Utilizing cost-share assistance programs like EQIP to protect the environment and improve grazing management

There will also be vendors/exhibitors dealing with all aspects of sheep production.

            Ohio Sheep Day will offer visitors the opportunity to visit a farm that has been in the Cline family since the late 1800’s where today 3 generations come together to live and work.  Curt and Wendy are excited about the future of agriculture and the opportunities for profit that a sheep operation can generate.

            Anyone interested in livestock production and forage management is invited to attend Sheep Day.  Although the emphasis is on sheep production, the principles of forage management and economic decision-making can be applied across livestock production systems.

            Registration for Sheep Day at the Cline farm begins at 8:00 am on Saturday, July 12.  The cost is $5 per person for Ohio Sheep Improvement Association Members and $10 per person for non-members.  Lunch is included in the registration fee.  The program begins at 9:00 am.  There are various morning and afternoon breakout sessions to choose from.  The final session of the day is entitled “Pulling It All Together: Making Management Decisions that Affect the Bottom Line”.  The day concludes at 4:00 pm.

            For more information, contact the Athens County Extension office at 593-8555.

GRAZING FIELD DAY

            A grazing field day organized by Gina Casto, an NRCS Grassland Grazing Specialist, and John and Mary Ellen Wozny of Spectrum Farm is scheduled for Saturday, July 26 from 10:00 am until 3:30 pm.  The day will begin at Spectrum farm located at 24025 Brister Rd (TR 120) in Troy Township.  John and Mary Ellen will lead a pasture walk and talk about the development of their rotational grazing system.  Other speakers and topics that will be covered at the field day include:

• Beef Genetics by Dr. Fernando Silveira

• Heat Watch/Estrus Detection System by Larry Simmons

• Minerals by Scott Bauerbach of Green Valley Coop

There will be a lunch provided at no charge courtesy of Green Valley Coop.  In order to plan for the lunch please RSVP no later than July 23 to 740-373-4857.

Participants are asked to bring along a lawn chair for the noon meal as well as for some of the presentations.

Directions to Spectrum Farm: From Coolville, take US 50 to the SR 7/US 50 split.  Stay on SR 7 towards Pomeroy.  This will narrow to a 2-lane road.  Turn right on to Brister Rd, which will be the first road to the right.  Go about 0.8 miles to the Spectrum Farm lane on the left, through the pine trees.  Signs will be posted.

For more details contact 740-373-4857 or 740-452-8618.

OHIO GRAZING EXPO

            The Ohio Grazing Expo will be held on Tuesday, August 19 and will feature noted grazing expert Jim Gerrish.  Jim was formerly with the Forage Systems Research Center at the University of Missouri, has since retired and now does grazing consultant work from his base in Idaho.  For those who read the “Stockman Grass Farmer”, Jim has a regular column dealing with grazing issues in that publication.

            The Ohio Grazing Expo will be held at Shamrock Vale Farms, owned and operated by Earl and Dan McKarns, located near Kensington in Carroll County.  Earl was an early adopter of managed rotational grazing and participants will benefit from seeing his operation.  The current farm operation consists of 400 acres of grass and approximately 150 registered Angus seed stock cow-calf pairs managed in a total forage system.  This is a full-time farm operation that supports two families.

            In addition to Jim Gerrish and the McKarns farm tour, Beth Burritt, a livestock psychology specialist from Utah State University will be on the program.  Beth will address the topic of how livestock learn and remember what to eat and what not to eat in a grazing system.

            Topics that will be covered at the Ohio Grazing Expo include:

• Extending the Grazing Season

• Water System Development

• The Future of Grazing

• New Forage Species and Varieties

• Understanding Animal Behavior

• Fine Tuning Your Grazing System

            The Grazing Expo at Shamrock Vale Farms near Kensington Ohio begins at 10:00 am and runs until 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 19.  Pre-registration is required by August 12.  The cost for the day is $10/person, which includes lunch and handout materials.  For more information and details about the Grazing Expo, contact the Carroll County Extension office at 330-223-4310.

            Contact the Athens County Extension office at 593-8555 for a copy of the Grazing Expo flyer and registration form or stop by the office and pick up a copy.

ORGANIC CROPS FIELD DAY

            The Organic Food and Farming Education and Research (OFFER) program of the Ohio Agriculture and Research Development Center (OARDC) in Wooster is sponsoring an Organic crops field day on Thursday, August 28.  The afternoon field day runs from 1:30 to 4:00 pm at the OARDC West Badger Farm located on Apple Creek Road outside of Wooster.  The focus will be on organic field crops and will feature the latest organic research.  This will include an organic corn variety trial, specialty small grains, organic disease bio-controls for seeds and plants, organic no-till and more.  Visitors will have a chance to taste products made with organic crops, including various vegetables and grains.  Contact 330-202-3534 for more information.

            The evening session of the organic crops field day will run from 4:30 pm until 7:30 pm.  This session will be held at OARDC’s Fry Farm located on Oil City Road outside of Wooster.  The focus will be on organic horticultural crops.  It will include transition strategies for weed control, high tunnel season extension, grafting, ecological modular design polyculture systems and more.  Visitors will have a chance to taste products made with organic crops, including various vegetables and grains.  Contact 330-202-3534 for more information.

TRANSITION GUIDE TO ORGANIC CROP MANAGEMENT

            The Organic Food and Farming Education and Research (OFFER) program at OARDC has a new publication entitled “Transition Guide to Certified Organic Crop Management” available through the Ohio State University Extension e-store on line at: http://estore.osu-extension.org/searchproducts.cfm, or contact the Athens County Extension office to get the publication ordered.  The cost for the 74-page publication is $15.

            The publication explains the rules and realities of switching to organic production.  Grains, fruits and vegetables are covered in the publication.  According to OFFER program coordinator Deb Stinner, it is the only manual of its kind in Ohio and one of the few like it anywhere in the U.S.  The publication helps make the federal guidelines for organic crop production understandable. It is filled with both practical and scientific information about things farmers can do to meet organic standard guidelines.

NEW RODENTICIDE REGULATIONS

            In late May the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new measures to reduce risk associated with ten rodenticide chemicals.  According to the web site: (http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/rodenticides/finalriskdecision.htm) the new safety measures “will protect children from accidental exposure to rodent-control products. These measures will also reduce the risk of accidental poisonings of pets and wildlife. With the Agency’s risk mitigation measures in place, rodenticide products will be safe, effective, and affordable for all consumers.”

            The measures require that all rodenticides sold for general consumer home use be sold only in bait stations.  Second generation rodenticides with the active ingredients brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum and difethialone, which are toxic in a single feeding will only be available for agricultural use, around farm buildings.  These rodenticides will only be sold in agricultural, farm, and tractor stores.  They will also be sold in packages that contain 8 or more pounds of bait product.

            From the EPA web site here is a summary of the new regulations:

“Consumer Size” Products (Products containing ≤ 1 pound of bait)

• May not contain brodifacoum, difethialone, bromadiolone, or difenacoum (the second-generation anticoagulants)

• Loose bait forms such as pellets are prohibited

• Each retail unit must include a pre-loaded bait station

• Bait refills may be sold with pre-loaded bait stations in a single retail unit

Second-Generation Anticoagulant Products for Use Around Agricultural Buildings

• Products must contain at least eight pounds of bait.

• Bait stations are required for all outdoor, aboveground placements of second-generation anticoagulant products.

• Bait stations are required indoors if exposure to children, pets, or non-target animals is possible.

• Product labels must indicate that the product is for use only in and around agricultural buildings and that use in residential use sites is prohibited.

• Distribution to and sales in “consumer” stores including grocery stores, drug stores, hardware stores, club stores will be prohibited.

Second-Generation Anticoagulant Products for Professional Applicators

• Products must contain at least 16 pounds of bait.

• Bait stations are required for all outdoor, aboveground placements of second-generation anticoagulants.

• Bait stations are required indoors if exposure to children, pets, or non-target animals is possible.

• Distribution to and sales in “consumer” stores including grocery stores, drug stores, hardware stores, club stores will be prohibited.