tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45089527836049533782024-03-13T08:04:13.799-07:00Ag News OnlineAn online news and communications resource for agribusinessThomas Heibyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02627933119809896805noreply@blogger.comBlogger243125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-40029814157585199412015-01-28T12:17:00.001-08:002015-01-28T12:17:37.070-08:00The New, Young Face of Farming<div class="MsoNormal">
When we think of the millennial generation and their jobs,
where do we imagine them? Maybe working in a start-up company with an open
workspace. Or possibly launching a business from their home. <o:p></o:p></div>
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What I’m sure very few of you imagine is a young person
waking up at 5 a.m. to till fields and feed livestock. However, young farmers
are a growing trend.<o:p></o:p></div>
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According to <a href="http://www.npr.org/2015/01/03/374629580/a-young-generation-sees-greener-pastures-in-agriculture">NPR</a>,
the average age of a farmer in the U.S. is 58.3, a number that has been slowly
rising for over 30 years. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, in the
northeastern states of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont that trend is
reversing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In Maine, farmers under the age of 35 have increased by 40
percent. The national average increase is only 1.5 percent. So what has caused
this explosion in the northeastern U.S.?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Land is relatively cheap in the northeast and according to <a href="http://national.deseretnews.com/article/3204/farming-a-hipster-career-for-the-younger-generation.html">Deseret News National</a>, this generation has a greater concern about environmental health and sustainability.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9fha8HnRKS8/VMlDHZVwBGI/AAAAAAAAAgo/WTWGf4a_YmE/s1600/FARMER.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9fha8HnRKS8/VMlDHZVwBGI/AAAAAAAAAgo/WTWGf4a_YmE/s1600/FARMER.png" height="223" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of NPR.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Jennifer Mitchell of NPR pointed out that this is, “…a generation
that has grown up in the digital age, but embraced some very old-school things:
the farmers market, craft beer, artisan cheese. The point, they say, is to find
a way to live high quality, sustainable lives, and help others do the same.”<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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In Ohio, the same trend can be monitored just on a slightly
smaller scale. In the 2007 <a href="http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_1_State_Level/Ohio/st39_1_063_063.pdf">census</a>,
farmers in the 25 to 34 age range were 2.3 percent of total farmers. However,
in the 2012 <a href="http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2012/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_1_State_Level/Ohio/st39_1_069_069.pdf">census</a>
that percentage increased to 2.8 percent, which is higher than the national
average.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On the heels of millennials in pursuing agriculture is
Generation Z, those born in the mid-1990s. In <a href="http://www.fb.org/index.php?action=newsroom.focus&id=181">2014</a>,
membership in Future Farmers of America reached 610,240 and 4-H became the
largest youth organization in the U.S. The influx of youth includes those from
urban and non-farm backgrounds.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Ohio Farm Bureau has an entire group dedicated to young
farmers in Ohio called Young Agricultural Professionals. The group hosts
various <a href="http://ofbf.org/get-involved/young-ag-professionals/">events</a>
to help young farmers and others in agriculture learn new ideas and develop
their leadership skills. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This weekend, Jan. 30-31, the Ohio Farm Bureau is hosting the
Young Ag Professionals <a href="http://ofbf.org/uploads/YAP_2015Winter_book-lowresV2.pdf">2015 Leadership
Experience</a> for young adults ages 18-35 who share a passion for farming, rural
living and/or local foods. <o:p></o:p></div>
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These trends point to a bright future ahead for the
agriculture industry, which is vital to Ohio as agriculture is the state’s #1
industry!</div>
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What do you think about the increase of young farmers in the
U.S.? How do you think this will affect agriculture in years to come? Let us
know your thoughts in the comments below. <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-55188733673828272892014-10-22T10:20:00.000-07:002014-10-22T10:20:51.416-07:00'Tis the Season for Plentiful Pumpkins Across Ohio<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Fall season has arrived in Ohio and along
with it a favorite crop for food and fun: pumpkins. From pumpkin pie to
Jack-o’-lanterns, Ohioans are beginning their fall family traditions.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Luckily, Ohio will have an abundant
selection of pumpkins this season. According to </span><a href="http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2014/10/02/crop-pumped-up.html"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">The Columbus Dispatch,</span></a><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"> Ohio’s
pumpkin fields have been plentiful thanks to just enough rain and sun in August
and September. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JgOqXbN8omw/VEfW6I7qHHI/AAAAAAAAAYw/6afFh303XUE/s1600/PUMPKIN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JgOqXbN8omw/VEfW6I7qHHI/AAAAAAAAAYw/6afFh303XUE/s1600/PUMPKIN.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">“This may be one of our best years we’ve
ever had,” </span><a href="http://www.toledoblade.com/Retail/2014/10/05/Area-producers-pleased-with-plentiful-pumpkins.html"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Jim Jasinski,</span></a><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"> a pumpkin expert and
agricultural official with Ohio State University’s extension service, said. “We
really didn’t have the high temperatures that we had last year. It was perfect
conditions.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Ohio is the </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/03/best-place-to-buy-halloween-pumpkin_n_5926590.html"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">third largest</span></a><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"> pumpkin producer
behind Illinois and California. In 2013, Ohio’s pumpkin crop was low, yielding
only eight tons per acre, compared to a usual 10 to 20 tons. The smaller pumpkin
harvest also led to higher prices last season. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, this season yields are up 10 to 15
percent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">According to the Toledo Blade, most of the
state’s crop is used for Jack-o’-lanterns or other decorative purposes and that
market is worth about $15.4 million in Ohio.</span><br />
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Jasinski shared with The Columbus Dispatch
a few recommendations for finding the right pumpkin this season.</div>
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<li><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Select a pumpkin with
a few inches of good, green stem.</span></li>
<li>Find a pumpkin with
few nicks and gashes. Those marks will harbor bacteria and cause the pumpkin to
melt down on your front porch.</li>
<li>Look for a
traditional-looking pumpkin, one that is deep orange with a smooth rind and few
projecting ribs.</li>
</ul>
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This season in Ohio, the perfect carving pumpkin should be easy to find!</div>
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<br /></div>
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What are some of your fall family
traditions? How about your favorite Jack-o’-lantern design? Share with us in
the comments below.</div>
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<i>Photos courtesy of the Toledo Blade, DIYNetwork and Sandusky Register.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment--><br />
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-87622881486514972242014-09-12T07:33:00.001-07:002014-09-12T07:33:20.287-07:00Ohio State Extension Grain C.A.R.T. Assists with Grain Bin SafetyAs we enter harvest season, grain bins throughout the state are beginning to fill up. Now, is the ideal time to revisit grain-bin safety and highlight an innovative training and education program from the Ohio State Extension.<br />
<br />
According to the <a href="https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/grainhandling/hazard_alert.html">Occupational Safety and Health Administration</a>, grain bin entrapment is when a worker enters a bin and is either suffocated by grain or the bin develops hazardous atmospheres.<br />
<br />
Entrapment can happen under several scenarios, which includes standing on moving grain causing it to act like quick sand, grain collapsing and engulfing a worker or trying to move grain while in the bin.<br />
<br />
In <a href="http://www.asse.org/newsroom/safetytips/farmsafetytips.php">2010</a>, grain bin entrapments hit an all-time high with 51 workers being engulfed and 26 dying. Younger males are the largest group of victims.<br />
<br />
According to an <a href="http://www.npr.org/series/174755100/buried-in-grain">NPR investigation</a>, about 180 people have died since 1984 from grain-related entrapments on federally regulated sites. However, most deaths occur on small family farms that are not regulated by the government.<br />
<br />
Ohio State students from the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering decided to address this hazard by designing a trailer, <a href="http://agsafety.osu.edu/grain-cart">The Grain C.A.R.T.</a>, to assist with grain bin entrapment training.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q86tlF-QCmE/VBMBaC-qNMI/AAAAAAAAATg/EDqT_C0gryQ/s1600/GRAINCART.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q86tlF-QCmE/VBMBaC-qNMI/AAAAAAAAATg/EDqT_C0gryQ/s1600/GRAINCART.jpg" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The Grain C.A.R.T. (Comprehensive Agricultural Rescue Trailer) is a 40-foot flatbed trailer equipped with a fully functional grain bin, grain leg and gravity flow grain wagon.<br />
<br />
The C.A.R.T. is part of a training program designed to assist the Ohio Fire Academy with real world scenarios for grain bin entrapments and help OSU Extension with education and outreach.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xfV2hxC6gcU/VBMB26ExkzI/AAAAAAAAATo/d7cwkBFrIeA/s1600/grain%2Btraining.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xfV2hxC6gcU/VBMB26ExkzI/AAAAAAAAATo/d7cwkBFrIeA/s1600/grain%2Btraining.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
“To have a mobile training unit is much better than what we’ve had in the past,” said Dee Jepsen, OSU Extension state agricultural and safety health specialist, in a <a href="http://www.mariettatimes.com/page/content.detail/id/564051/Agriculture-rescue-training.html?nav=5002">Marietta Times</a> article. “We can just pull it in, conduct training for a weekend or even a day, then move it out and be done. It’s quite a project and we are so excited about it.”<br />
<br />
The training program has set up at county fairs across the state where people can witness live demonstrations of people being rescued from grain bins. Communities interested in using the Grain C.A.R.T. for training purposes can work directly with the Ohio Fire Academy to receive access.<br />
<br />
To learn more about the Grain C.A.R.T. training program, <a href="http://agsafety.osu.edu/grain-cart">click here</a>.<br />
<br />
What do you think of this new training program? How will programs like this enhance farming safety? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.<br />
<br />
<i>Photos courtesy of OSU Extension and the Marietta Times.</i>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-71714894979995218212014-08-19T06:18:00.002-07:002014-09-15T13:02:46.344-07:00Record Forecast for 2014 Corn and Soybean Harvest<!--[if !mso]>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PQnPRHsSnmQ/VBdFbcAfm5I/AAAAAAAAAUA/CsUFJ8m08i4/s1600/Corn%2B1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PQnPRHsSnmQ/VBdFbcAfm5I/AAAAAAAAAUA/CsUFJ8m08i4/s1600/Corn%2B1.png" height="266" width="320" /></a></div>
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Despite <a href="http://www.agnewsonline.blogspot.com/2014/05/wet-weather-means-late-start-for.html">concerns
about crop yields</a> earlier this summer for Ohio corn and soybean farmers,
the USDA’s <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-08-12/usda-crop-production-report-for-august-text">August
Crop Production Report</a> forecast for 2014 predicted nothing but good things
for the industry. In fact, <a href="http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/91116-usda-predicts-largest-ever-corn-crop-and-third-largest-ever-soybean-crop">production
numbers</a> for corn crops are expected to be the largest ever, while soybean
crops are expected to be the third largest ever. <o:p></o:p></div>
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According to the <a href="http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome">USDA</a>, an estimated 14.03
billion bushels of corn are <a href="http://farmfutures.com/story-usda-report-shows-record-corn-soybean-crops-17-116313">predicted</a>
during harvest this year, up from 3.925 in 2013. Soybean crops are expected to
produce 3.816 billion bushels during harvest, up from 3.3 billion last year.
Due to such a large influx in production, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/u-s-corn-production-to-jump-to-record-usda-predicts-1407860083">U.S.
soybean stockpiles</a> are expected to more than triple in the 2014-15 year,
with soybean prices expected to lower by nearly 3 percent.</div>
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<a href="http://www.bucyrustelegraphforum.com/story/news/local/2014/08/12/record-corn-bean-crops-expected-ohio/13982491/">Six
other states</a> are expected to experience high crop yields for corn and
soybeans this year due to higher-than-normal levels of rain seen throughout the
Farm Belt. These high-producers of corn and soybeans have experienced almost
perfect conditions this year, many <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/u-s-corn-production-to-jump-to-record-usda-predicts-1407860083">citing</a>
the best soil moisture in a decade. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/08/record-harvest-expected_n_5662318.html">Other
farmers</a> are attributing the predicted higher crop yields to technology,
such as genetically modified seeds, large equipment and GPS programs that have
helped them to determine optimum planting conditions. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L3hhpABCI78/VBdFruu6UWI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/gG6OmxZZR04/s1600/Corn%2B3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L3hhpABCI78/VBdFruu6UWI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/gG6OmxZZR04/s1600/Corn%2B3.png" height="218" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ohio farmers are not as happy about the report as some may
expect, with profits expected to reach an <a href="http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2014/08/15/bumper-crops.html">all-time
low</a> since the recession. At the <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/u-s-farmers-are-up-to-their-ears-in-corn-1408318910">lowest</a>
they have been in four years, corn prices are down by 13 percent this year,
with soybeans also lower than usual, meaning that farmers are not bringing in profits.
Pair this with the decrease in livestock herds, resulting in a decreased demand
in feed, and you will understand why farmers are so worried. The demand is not
where it should be for the volume of corn and soybeans that is being produced,
with the possibility that farmers <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/u-s-corn-farmers-face-a-cash-crunch-1406242031">may
not even break even</a> for the first time since 2006. <o:p></o:p></div>
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With harvest season approaching quickly, I am interested to
see how actual yield numbers will match up with those predicted by the USDA. It will
also be interesting to see how these numbers impact the U.S. economy for both
farmers and consumers. Do you think numbers will be as high as expected? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Images courtesy of <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/u-s-corn-production-to-jump-to-record-usda-predicts-1407860083">wsj.com</a>,
<a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-01-08/u-dot-s-dot-drought-persisting-seen-as-threat-to-corn-soybean-crops">businessweek.com
</a>, <a href="http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/91116-usda-predicts-largest-ever-corn-crop-and-third-largest-ever-soybean-crop">foodengineeringmag.com</a>,
<a href="http://farmfutures.com/story-usb-invites-soybean-farmers-marketing-tour-0-107026">farmfutures.com</a>
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-19742869066343652292014-07-25T08:23:00.000-07:002014-09-15T13:05:49.321-07:00CSA: The Farm to Kitchen Table Trend That is Taking Off Everywhere <!--[if !mso]>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BWIhdwPbH_E/VBdGEWQJY8I/AAAAAAAAAUg/6FTJyHP9PqI/s1600/CSA%2B1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BWIhdwPbH_E/VBdGEWQJY8I/AAAAAAAAAUg/6FTJyHP9PqI/s1600/CSA%2B1.png" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Have you ever heard of <a href="http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/csa/csa.shtml">Community Supported Agriculture</a> (also
known as CSA)? If you haven’t, it is definitely worth some Googling. This new
trend in farming has hit, and it is positioned to change the bottom line for
farms all over the country. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Here’s how it works. Producers offer a certain number of
“shares” to the public each season, meaning locals have the opportunity to buy
in on a portion of their crop based on a set price. Once crops are harvested,
these “share-holders” will typically receive a box containing a small part of
the harvest every week until the season ends (the length of season depends on
the farm and types of crops being grown.) <o:p></o:p></div>
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Though it has recently become popular, the concept of CSA is
not new, having blossomed approximately <a href="http://www.prescott.edu/community-supported-agriculture/history.html">thirty
years ago</a>. With a growing public focus on supporting local and organic
foods, farmers came up with the idea to include the locals in the yearly crop process,
not only to educate the community about the benefits of eating local, but also
to guarantee revenue for farmers to supplement harvesting season, creating a
mutually beneficial relationship. But what are the benefits?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Benefits for the
community:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Guaranteed
freshness<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Farm
visits<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Personal
relationship with food producer<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Diverse
food experience<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Educational
opportunities <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Benefits for farmers:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Early
season payment to fund crops/ease cash flow<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Easy
marketing of farm products<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Pre-season
publicity<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Established
relationships in the community<o:p></o:p><br />
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There are <a href="http://foodconnections.blogspot.com/2010/03/5-types-of-csas-and-5-things-to.html">multiple
types of CSAs</a> that you can choose from to fit your needs. Prefer a more flexible program where you can
pick and choose your produce? Want fruits or flowers instead of vegetables? Do
you prefer fresh meat over produce? Chances are you will be able to find a CSA
that fits your needs. One farm in South Carolina even partnered with a
supermarket to create a <a href="http://supermarketnews.com/produce/lowes-foods-rebrands-csa-program">CSA
program</a> where shoppers could conveniently purchase a box of fresh produce
for just $26 during their daily grocery trip. The possibilities seem endless and
are only continuing to grow as the concept becomes more popular. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The CSA industry has an estimated total of 4,000 farm
participants all over the country, making the program easily accessible to most
people. While there are many pros for CSA, there can also be some <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/05/should-you-join-a-csa-what-is-a-community-supported-agriculture-pros-and-cons.html">cons</a>,
so I suggest you do some research before investing in the process.</div>
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Interested in joining a CSA program in Ohio? There are
plenty to <a href="http://www.ec-ohio.com/csa/">choose from</a> and plenty of
people out there willing to help you <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/tips-for-getting-the-most-out-147351">navigate
the process</a>. Visiting the farm, testing the produce and talking to the
farmer are all things that are encouraged and welcomed by most CSA
participants. Why not take an afternoon and see how you can support local
agriculture?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Photos courtesy of <a href="http://heathfultipsandremedies.wordpress.com/tag/local-farming-programs/">healthfultipsandremedies.wordpress.com</a>,<span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><a href="http://greenglobaltravel.com/2010/09/15/farm-to-table-dinner-party/">greenglobaltravel.com</a><span style="font-size: 10pt;">, </span><a href="http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2014/03/05/investing-in-a-farm-is-a-csa-right-for-you">money.usnews.com</a>, <a href="http://crabtreefarms.org/shop/csa">crabtreefarms.org</a></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-38510457304839907892014-07-10T05:51:00.000-07:002014-09-15T13:15:07.801-07:00 Drones: Not Just in Star Wars Anymore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ADCh4DdpI0/VBdIpLYYOII/AAAAAAAAAVE/xIDPiYJpQxo/s1600/drones%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ADCh4DdpI0/VBdIpLYYOII/AAAAAAAAAVE/xIDPiYJpQxo/s1600/drones%2B2.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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Amazon was recently <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/taxanalysts/2013/12/09/its-a-bird-its-a-plane-its-amazon-prime-air/">put
under the microscope</a> <span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">for their new
plan to use unmanned</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">drones for a delivery
program called </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/b?node=8037720011">Prime
Air</a>. An alien concept to many, this announcement was met with a variety of
reactions, mostly because people do not know that the use of drones is actually very common. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">Drones can be used
for <span style="color: #99477e;"><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/drones-over-america/">many things</a></span><span style="color: #787878;">, </span>but what is most surprising is the rising use of
these<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">devices in the
agriculture industry. Take a look at the chart below:</span></div>
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By 2015, agriculture is <a href="http://www.suasnews.com/2013/08/24511/innovation-despite-strict-regulation-at-susbexpo/">expected</a>
to be the largest domestic market for drone purchases, generating around $2
billion in revenue. In fact, the <a href="http://www.auvsi.org/home">Association
for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International</a> predicts the commercial market
for drones will eventually <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/03/23/drones-agriculture-growth/6665561/">reach
80 percent</a> for agricultural uses. Why is this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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There are many facts that suggest that drones are the next
big thing in farming, many which have caught the attention of farmers all over
the country. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zminxbFF7ew/VBdIO-wnRMI/AAAAAAAAAU8/ypFzw4qmjno/s1600/drones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zminxbFF7ew/VBdIO-wnRMI/AAAAAAAAAU8/ypFzw4qmjno/s1600/drones.jpg" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">The main selling
point in support of using drones in agricultural production is the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">extensive amount of
data that drones can collect in a small amount of time.<span style="color: #565656;">
</span></span>Drones can provide <a href="http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/526491/agricultural-drones/">three
different views</a> for farmers who would otherwise be unable to collect data
from these angles. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Aerial
angles that can inspect crop patterns and discover irrigation issues, soil
variation, pest and fungal infestations. This view can also be used to track
cattle and other livestock herds to search for missing animals or analyze
behavior to identify illness or aggression within a herd. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Multispectral
infrared or visual views, which can indicate differences between healthy and
distressed plants; data that would be unobtainable without this kind of
technology. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Continual
checks hourly, daily or weekly based on farmers’ needs. These are important
because they can monitor changes and reveal trouble spots throughout the day at a
much more efficient rate than any human.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">Not only do drones
save valuable time for farmers, they are also an investment that can<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">help farmers save
money in the long run. Drones can be purchased at a cost<span style="color: #565656;"> <a href="http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/526491/agricultural-drones/">as
low as $1,000</a> </span>per drone,<span style="color: #7c7b7c;"> </span>compared
to the $1,000/hour that crop imaging with a manned aircraft </span>could cost. By
purchasing a low-cost drone, farmers could see a return on investment in as
little as a year, which could be huge for the agriculture and food</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">production industry.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Need another selling point? As the drone production market
expands, so do <a href="http://farmingdrones.com/growing-use-drones-poised-transform-agriculture/">American
jobs</a>. With <a href="http://farmingdrones.com/brandvoice-prepare-for-takeoff-where-drones-will-make-the-next-big-impact-forbes/">more
than 50 companies</a> and organizations working to develop new drone models,
the industry could create more than 100,000 jobs and nearly half a billion in
tax revenue by 2025.</div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">As the demand for
agricultural resources increases, it will become increasingly important to make
farming more efficient to produce higher crop yields in a lower </span>amount of time. It
will be interesting to see the percentage of farmers who jump on the drone bandwagon to
stay on top of this demand. Do you believe national usage rates will reach the
predicted level?</div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">Want to know what
farmers are saying? Check out this <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2014/05/10/311143655/high-ho-the-derry-o-the-farmer-and-the-drone">NPR</a>
exclusive interview with a farmer who has already integrated drones into his
production process. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman; mso-fareast-language: JA;">Photos courtesy of precisiondrone.com and farmingdrones.com<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-16733605969499864742014-06-26T09:33:00.002-07:002014-09-15T13:23:01.086-07:00New Farming Trend: Crickets for Consumption?<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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A new farming trend has hit Ohio recently with a crop that
may be a revolutionary answer to future farming sustainability: crickets.</div>
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<a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/ohio-insect-farm-turns-crickets-flour-tortillas-1590047">Big
Cricket Farms</a>, which recently opened in Youngstown, Ohio, is the <a href="http://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/edible-insect-farm-opens-in-the-us/28107/">first
farm to open in the U.S.</a> that will breed insects for the sole purpose of
human consumption. Cricket breeding is expected to increase in the coming years
because of increasing demand for cricket flour by bakeries and companies making
the switch from grain flour to the cricket-based product. </div>
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While Big Cricket Farms is breeding their crickets for a
company that produces cricket flour chips (also known as <a href="http://www.sixfoods.com/#product">“Chirps”</a>), many companies use the
cricket flour to make everyday baked goods and energy bars for those who are
looking for a healthy protein alternative.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IQpXir8q1Ck/VBdKXJc9psI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/ckhtSxhsU6g/s1600/crickets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IQpXir8q1Ck/VBdKXJc9psI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/ckhtSxhsU6g/s1600/crickets.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><i>Crickets are cleaned, dried and milled into fine
flour that can be used in any kind of baking as a substitute for regular flour.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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All of these companies share the similar message that
cricket farming is the way of the future, and they may be on to something. </div>
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Megan Miller, founder of <a href="http://bittyfoods.com/">Bitty</a>,
a San Francisco-based bakery startup that uses cricket flour in its baked goods
and energy bars, approached this concept in a recent <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwC4WRKi5QY">TEDx</a> talk called “Are insects the future of
food?” Miller presented many surprising facts about the benefits of introducing
crickets into our diet, but also approached the stigma that many of us may
share around “eating bugs.” </div>
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If you look at the <a href="http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3253e/i3253e00.htm">facts</a>, though, it
is hard to ignore the idea that cricket consumption could change the
agricultural industry in America forever. There are two surprising benefits
that cannot be ignored when considering introducing the insect into your
everyday life. </div>
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<b>Nutritional Benefits<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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The health benefits are inarguably higher than most other
protein sources that we currently consume, which can be seen in the diagram
below, with high levels of iron, protein and vitamin B12. </div>
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In fact, the protein levels in crickets are higher than they are in most
of our current food sources. Crickets are also very low in the fat and
cholesterols that we already try to avoid in our diets. </div>
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<b>Environmental Benefits<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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So how will cricket farming and consumption impact us
environmentally? The statistics are staggering. With a population that
continues to grow, agriculture will have to keep up, causing more
stress on resources. Luckily,
crickets need six times less feed than cattle, four times less than sheep and
two times less than pigs to produce the same amount of protein. They also
produce much less methane than other food sources, emitting an average of 80%
less gas than cattle.</div>
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More than 2 billion people <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-22508439">worldwide</a> already include
insects in their diets, which makes me wonder why haven’t we jumped on the
bandwagon yet. All we need to do is get past the psychological roadblock of
“eating bugs.” Do you think you could? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Image courtesy of grapevinebros.com</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-19234670180311166962014-05-22T07:18:00.001-07:002014-05-22T07:18:17.501-07:00Wet Weather Means Late Start for Planting Season<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The month of May, an exciting transition of seasons for many, can be a stressful time for our local corn and soybean farmers. According to the <a href="http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/current/planting/planting-10-29-2010.pdf">USDA</a>, soybean and corn crops are most actively planted between April 24 and May 30, meaning that now is the time that farmers should be planting the majority of these crops in the area known as the “Corn Belt.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ix5dIo3ZD5M/U335w9unXMI/AAAAAAAAANE/NeDFh66dbpY/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ix5dIo3ZD5M/U335w9unXMI/AAAAAAAAANE/NeDFh66dbpY/s1600/images.jpg" height="123" width="200" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">However, due to the frequent wet weather, cold/wet soil conditions are causing farmers to postpone their planting further into May, which could negatively affect crop yields all over the state. Later crops are often associated with lower yields, putting more pressure on farmers to get their crops in sooner rather than later.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A study by <a href="http://corn.osu.edu/newsletters/2013/2013-13-1/soybean-plant-date-recommendations-1">The Ohio State University </a>reflects these concerns, pointing out the importance of planting date in correlation with crop yields, which is reflected in the chart below. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-37m5UpmlSgI/U336nBbCIJI/AAAAAAAAANM/hWVpQsCfKYw/s1600/imgres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-37m5UpmlSgI/U336nBbCIJI/AAAAAAAAANM/hWVpQsCfKYw/s1600/imgres.jpg" height="175" width="200" /></span></a><br />
<span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Other reports about the current progress of these crops in Ohio are also a cause for concern among farmers in the area. <a href="http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2014/05/09/a-late-beginning.html">The Columbus Dispatch</a> reported that only 8 percent of corn had been planted as of Sunday, May 3, down from 17 percent from the five-year national average of 25 percent. Soybean crops were down 9 percent, with only 3 percent of soybeans planted, down from the average of 12 percent. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Luckily, farmers did not express much concern over the delay, pointing out that many of these set planting dates were based on times when the technology was not there to speed up the process. Still, according to the Agweb weekly crop report, on May 12 only 40 percent of <a href="http://www.agweb.com/corn_planting_map.aspx">Ohio’s corn crop</a> and 13 percent of <a href="http://www.agweb.com/soybean_planting_map.aspx">Ohio’s soybean crop</a> had been planted, lower than the planting average of surrounding states. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Corn:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MMmYqBhlF0E/U338m9WaPiI/AAAAAAAAANY/SNHWwQBtMWc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-05-22+at+9.32.27+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MMmYqBhlF0E/U338m9WaPiI/AAAAAAAAANY/SNHWwQBtMWc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-05-22+at+9.32.27+AM.png" height="202" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Soybean:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fmXzyhmkTb8/U339gagxIJI/AAAAAAAAANc/XykRyuuF434/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-05-22+at+9.36.43+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fmXzyhmkTb8/U339gagxIJI/AAAAAAAAANc/XykRyuuF434/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-05-22+at+9.36.43+AM.png" height="202" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It will be interesting to see crop progression in the coming months, with all eyes on crop yields after the delays in planting. What are your predictions? Will technology make up for lost time</span>?<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Images courtesy of usgs.gov, corn.osu.edu and agweb.com.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">A farm near Klingerstown,
Pa. </span>
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Imagine a world where seeds are automatically planted and
crops email you when they need water. That world is already possible and the
technologies behind it are gaining popularity.</div>
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<br /></div>
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In the past few years, the larger agribusiness companies,
such as <a href="http://www.monsanto.com/products/pages/fieldscripts.aspx" target="_blank"><u>Monsanto</u></a> and <a href="https://www.pioneer.com/home/site/us/programs-services/pioneer-field360/" target="_blank"><u>DuPont</u></a><a href="https://www.pioneer.com/home/site/us/programs-services/pioneer-field360/" target="_blank"> Pioneer</a>, started
offering data analysis and prescriptive planting solutions to farmers. Their goal is to increase
annual yield on the same amount of land by changing planting practices. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Some farmers use planters equipped with GPS that
automatically steer themselves in a straight line, while monitoring their
progress on iPads. Tools attached to tractors already collect data about their
land, which can then be analyzed and used to plan for the following planting season.
This process of analysis can be daunting with data about hundreds of acres of
land.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Seed companies see the potential in this data and are
encouraging farmers to upload it to their servers. The companies analyze the
soil conditions, current seeding rates, past crop yields and other
measurements. A custom planning map is created, based on the data. The map is
then uploaded to a planter, which can precisely plant seed at different depths
and rates, depending on its location on the map. </div>
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<br /></div>
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According to the <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304450904579369283869192124" target="_blank"><u>Wall Street Journal</u></a>, the technology
could increase the 2014 corn harvest from an average of 160 bushels to 200.
That would equal an extra $182 in revenue per acre, up from $759. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Like all great movements and advancements in technology,
prescriptive planting is not without risks and controversy. Farm advocacy
groups are trying to figure out what big data means for agriculture. Common
fears are that private data from farms could be exploited by government
agencies, sold to commodity corporations or even get stolen by agriculture
activists. </div>
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<br /></div>
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In addition, farmers are worried that having access to “real
time yield data” around harvest time will cause speculation in the commodities
markets, before the government issues official crop-production estimates. </div>
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<br /></div>
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“We’re signing up for things without knowing what we’re
giving up,” Mark Nelson, director of commodities at the <a href="http://www.kfb.org/" target="_blank"><u>Kansas Farm Bureau</u></a>,
said.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The <a href="http://www.fb.org/" target="_blank"><u>American Farm Bureau</u></a>, which is the nation’s
largest farming organization, is leading the debate about big data. In a <a href="http://farmindustrynews.com/variable-rate/monsanto-expands-prescriptive-ag-solutions-program" target="_blank"><u>Farm Industry News</u></a> article, Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau
expressed his concerns and brought up the question of who owns farm data in the
first place. </div>
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“Proprietary data collected from individual farms is
valuable and should remain the property of the farmer,” Stallman said. “As
innovation and technology using this data expand to provide farmers new
management tools, protecting the privacy of this data is paramount.” </div>
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<br /></div>
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In addition to farmers and industry leaders, Congress is
joining the conversation about big data in the agriculture industry. </div>
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<br /></div>
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“Information and data utilization is the way of the future,”
Rep. Lynn Jenkins, a republican from Kansas, said. “And just as our federal
government struggles with privacy concerns through records at the NSA and
various health records, so too must we maintain appropriate privacy protection
of individuals from corporate entitles.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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The field of agriculture is rapidly changing and blending
with technology. There are many sides of the story to consider. </div>
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<br /></div>
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What is your opinion about agriculture and big data?</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-85835612463222003392014-04-10T07:58:00.000-07:002014-04-10T07:58:16.256-07:00Spotting the Vine that Ate the South in Ohio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GcsD0Nw3Yr8/U0ausYFx9wI/AAAAAAAAACQ/TZwE_jOI4ro/s1600/3824467053_a29fdd0561_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GcsD0Nw3Yr8/U0ausYFx9wI/AAAAAAAAACQ/TZwE_jOI4ro/s1600/3824467053_a29fdd0561_o.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Imagine a weed that grows a foot per day and has the power
to swallow a whole house, spread through fields and even reach the tips of
power lines.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">The weed is called kudzu and in recent years, it has crept into
Ohio. It has the potential to kill entire forests by depriving trees of
sunlight and weighing down their branches. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">During the Great Depression, farmers in the South were paid
$8 ($256 today) per acre to grow kudzu for soil conservation. It was called the
“miracle vine,” but soon became known as “the vine that ate the south.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W8TnA34iBxQ/U0au4aqEgJI/AAAAAAAAACY/MX37UOj2a8o/s1600/kudzu-map1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W8TnA34iBxQ/U0au4aqEgJI/AAAAAAAAACY/MX37UOj2a8o/s1600/kudzu-map1.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Map of the distribution of
kudzu in the U.S. in 2011.</span></span><style><!--
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</style></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;">According to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service, kudzu covers about
eight million acres of land in the U.S. The weed has spread to 15 counties in
Ohio, mostly in the southeast, but has been found as far north as Summit and
Cuyahoga counties, <a href="http://agfax.com/2014/03/27/ohio-kudzu-moving-north-can-kudzu-bug-far-behind/" target="_blank">AgFax</a> said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Kudzu costs the United States $500 million per year in
damage to forests, according to <a href="http://www.eattheweeds.com/kudzu-pueraria-montana-var-lobata-fried-2/" target="_blank">Eat the Weeds</a>. It also lures the kudzu
bug, a damaging species that feeds on kudzu and any crops the weed grows
around. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">A program, run by the <a href="http://extension.osu.edu/" target="_blank">Ohio State University Extension</a>,
is targeting kudzu and trying to make Ohioans aware of the problem. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">“Kudzu is in scattered spots in Ohio,” said Kathy Smith,
director of the <a href="http://woodlandstewards.osu.edu/" target="_blank">Ohio Woodland Stewards Program</a>. “We’re hoping to raise
awareness of kudzu specifically and of invasive species in general.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">The program recently released a poster and smartphone <i>app</i>
to help control the weed. Ohioans can use the poster to recognize the weed and
then report it with the program’s free Great Lakes Early Detection Network
(GLEDN) app. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">For a free copy of the poster, contact the Ohio Woodland
Stewards Program at ohiowoods@osu.edu. The app can be downloaded <a href="http://apps.bugwood.org/mobile/gledn.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Have you spotted <span style="font-size: small;">k</span>udzu on your farm?</span></div>
<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-74202612743155363962014-03-24T11:13:00.000-07:002014-04-10T08:01:22.937-07:00Spring Reveals Problems for Northeast Ohio Wine Industry<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l9XE5rMXgM8/UzBztbJpedI/AAAAAAAAAB4/FS4QekVWlaw/s1600/ice-wine-blog.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l9XE5rMXgM8/UzBztbJpedI/AAAAAAAAAB4/FS4QekVWlaw/s1600/ice-wine-blog.png" height="210" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: The Wine Merchant</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The snow has disappeared and many Ohioans are getting
excited about sunny days and outdoor pursuits, while the agriculture industry
is looking back at the effects of winter and preparing for the upcoming planting
season.</div>
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<br /></div>
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As I discussed in an earlier <a href="http://agnewsonline.blogspot.com/2014/02/polar-vortex-affects-ohio-crops-and.html" target="_blank"><u>blog</u></a>, this winter had
many negative effects on Ohio’s agriculture industry. In particular, freezing
temperatures have greatly impacted Ohio’s wine and grape production. </div>
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<br /></div>
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According to <a href="http://www.farmanddairy.com/news/grape-producers-winters-cold-takes-toll-vineyards/180523.html" target="_blank"><u>Farm and Dairy</u></a>, Northeast Ohio is in
danger of losing its grape crop. The region may even receive a disaster
declaration, which is a type of aid to help farmers recover after losses from
natural disasters, according to the <a href="http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov/" target="_blank"><u>United States Department of Agriculture</u></a>
(USDA). </div>
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January started out with the polar vortex and below zero temperatures
were recorded throughout Ohio. Quoted in the <a href="http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2014/02/10/deep-frozen-food.html" target="_blank"><u>Columbus Dispatch</u></a>, Gary
Gao, an <a href="http://extension.osu.edu/" target="_blank"><u>Ohio State University Extension</u></a> specialist, estimated that European
grape varieties have probably sustained 90 to 100 percent injury.</div>
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In Farm and Dairy, Nick Ferrante, of <a href="http://www.ferrantewinery.com/" target="_blank"><u>Ferrante Winery</u></a>, said he doesn’t expect a grape crop in 2014. </div>
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“I’m hoping we don’t have trunk damage to the vines, but we
probably will have some,” Ferrante said.</div>
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Donna Winchell, executive director of the <a href="http://www.ohiowines.org/" target="_blank"><u>Ohio Wine Producers Association</u></a>, estimates that between 40 to 100 percent of the
grape crop could be lost. </div>
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“The problem is that these are the grapes we are betting our
national reputation on,” Winchell said.</div>
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Quoted in an <a href="http://www.winemerchantcincinnati.com/wine-blog/polar-vortex/" target="_blank"><u>article</u></a> by the Wine Merchant, Winchell
remembers walking through vineyards in 1994, the last time temperatures were
this low.</div>
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“It was like walking through Rice Krispies,” she said. “You
could hear them snap, crackle and pop. That was the cell structure of the vines
exploding.”</div>
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Northeast Ohio is a huge producer of wine, with more than
1,300 acres of grape vineyards and 20 wineries, according to the <a href="http://www.lakecountyohio.gov/Portals/20/publications/economic%20impact%20of%20the%20viticultural%20industry.pdf" target="_blank"><u>Northeast Ohio Grape and Wine Economic Impact Study</u></a>. In a 2007 survey by <a href="http://www.crescent-news.com/lifestyles/2007/09/25/orbitz-worldwide-names-northern-ohio-wine-country-as-hot-destination" target="_blank"><u>Orbitz</u></a>,
Northeast Ohio was ranked the 6<sup>th</sup> best wine destination in the
United States. </div>
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Potential losses in the grape crop will have a large impact
on the Ohio economy. The grape crop and subsequent wine production are valued
at $6 million and $20 million, respectively.</div>
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One thing is certain, however. The price of Ohio wines will
not go up this year because of a good 2013 season, which resulted in a wine
surplus. However, the future of the 2014 and 2015 seasons are uncertain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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How has the weather affected your crops this winter?</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-14683521472776712542014-03-07T07:51:00.000-08:002014-03-07T08:27:23.040-08:00 Farmer Selfies are the Newest Trend on the Farm<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eHgwzAolMhQ/Uxd94nqXVwI/AAAAAAAAABc/dkCumUPSJk0/s1600/Alan-Wuebker-in-pig-barn.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eHgwzAolMhQ/Uxd94nqXVwI/AAAAAAAAABc/dkCumUPSJk0/s1600/Alan-Wuebker-in-pig-barn.jpeg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farmer Alan taking a #felfie in his barn. <br />
Photo Credit: Ohio Pork Council.</td></tr>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">“Felfies,” or farmer selfies, are becoming more popular on social media
sites such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Pigs, cows, horses and crops are
taking center stage in this movement, which helps farmers promote their
industry. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">According to a recent <a href="http://mashable.com/2014/01/13/felfies/" target="_blank">Mashable</a>
article, their movement took off in Ireland and inspired two websites, <a href="http://felfies.com/">felfies.com</a>
and <a href="http://farmingselfie.com/">farmingselfie.com</a>. Farmers can submit their pictures to these sites
in addition to posting them on social media. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">“We hope with this website we
can put a face to the farmers who work to put food on your table,” said William
Wilson, founder of farmingselfie.com.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">According to an <a href="http://www.dispatch.com/content/blogs/the-bottom-line/2014/02/ohio-farmers-joining-the-felfie-movement.html" target="_blank">article</a>
from The Columbus Dispatch, the <a href="http://www.ohiopork.org/" target="_blank">Ohio Pork Producers Council</a> is
encouraging Ohio farmers to take selfies on their farm and post them online.
They are posting submitted felfies on their <a href="http://blog.ohiopork.org/bacon-farmer-felfie/#.Uxd8xGnLxHV" target="_blank">blog</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ohio-Pork-Producers-Council/111090515582589" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">The felfie movement helps
tell the story of farmers who work hard to feed our nation. It shows how social
media allows farmers to reach new audiences and is a great example of how to
advocate for a centuries-old industry. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">"It’s actually a pretty
great way for farmers to mesh with a pop-culture movement and make a few
connections that lead to a little advocacy," said Ryan Goodman, an
Arkansas cattleman and agriculture <a href="http://agricultureproud.com/2014/01/01/2013-year-of-the-selfie-what-about-the-farmerselfie/" target="_blank">blogger</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">We want to see your farm.
Take a felfie and share it with us on our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FrazierHeiby" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/FrazierHeiby" target="_blank">Twitter</a>!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-3980173988674841042014-02-19T12:01:00.000-08:002014-02-19T13:06:41.967-08:00Polar Vortex Affects Ohio Crops and Livestock<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gOrNsrdvsFc/UwUKlL0Lg4I/AAAAAAAAAAc/lnwA7s2WlwI/s1600/Picture+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gOrNsrdvsFc/UwUKlL0Lg4I/AAAAAAAAAAc/lnwA7s2WlwI/s1600/Picture+4.png" height="243" title=" Farmers across Ohio are losing crops and facing problems with livestock. Above average snowfall and extreme temperatures are causing problems for agriculture industry." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="p1">
Image courtesy of <a href="http://billgriffin.com/prints/" target="_blank">Bill Griffin </a></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Months ago, the <a href="http://www.almanac.com/content/almanacs-long-range-weather-forecast-us-and-canada" target="_blank">Farmer’s Almanac</a> predicted a “frigid winter with bitter cold and heavy snow,” but this season is turning out to be rougher than expected. Above average snowfall and extreme temperatures are causing problems for many farmers across Ohio.</div>
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During the week of Jan. 26, the minimum temperature across Ohio reached 11 below zero, as reported in the <a href="http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/waob/weather_weekly//2010s/2014/weather_weekly-02-04-2014.pdf" target="_blank">United States Department of Agriculture</a>’s (USDA) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin. This is a 10-degree departure from average minimum temperatures.</div>
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According to the <a href="http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2014/02/10/deep-frozen-food.html" target="_blank">Columbus Dispatch</a>, much of Ohio’s wine-grape, peach and blackberry crops have been lost. Fruit buds, bushes, vines and trees have sustained damage, although the exact magnitude of the damage is unknown. </div>
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<div class="p3">
“The viniferous or European grape varieties have probably sustained 90 to 100 percent injury to their primary buds,” said Gary Gao, an <a href="http://extension.osu.edu/" target="_blank">Ohio State University Extension</a> specialist.</div>
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Dick Jensen, owner of the Flying J Wellness Farm, said his spinach and kale crops stopped growing.</div>
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“Last year, we had beautiful spinach, kale and arugula all winter,” Jensen said. “This year, everything pretty much died.”</div>
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In addition to freezing crops, the cold streak also disrupted grain and livestock shipments across the United States. Frozen troughs have affected milk production on Stacy Atherton’s family owned Shipley Farms in Newark, Ohio.</div>
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“We were down on milk quite a bit, two pounds per cow,” Atherton said. That added up to a “1,000 pounds’ difference from what we normally ship in a day.”</div>
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The extreme cold affected many crops and livestock alike. How has the extreme cold affected your farm?</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-78159190876752496772014-02-06T06:11:00.000-08:002014-02-06T06:11:17.929-08:00Warm thoughts for the frozen donkeys<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H9E5NIYRHNM/UvOXE6651lI/AAAAAAAAAKs/0sAXY6zDMCM/s1600/Ag+blog+image+Feb.+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H9E5NIYRHNM/UvOXE6651lI/AAAAAAAAAKs/0sAXY6zDMCM/s1600/Ag+blog+image+Feb.+6.jpg" height="160" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the past month, Ohioan’s have experienced some of the coldest recorded temperatures in decades. Just this week, we were blasted with yet another winter storm heralded by news teams as our biggest this season.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It has been a particularly frosty start to the year, especially for our outdoor animals. Earlier in January, around the time of the “polar vortex,” I read a slew of online articles about keeping livestock and pets safe during periods of dangerous cold.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here are the most sensible tips I read on <a href="http://ocj.com/2014/01/cold-weather-could-mean-more-feed/">OCJ.com</a>, including these specific for livestock without access to a barn:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Provide windbreak protection to lower the effects of wind chill on energy needs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Move animals out of muddy conditions or reduce the mud with a feeding pad</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Increase access to better quality forage</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Limit corn or high-energy, non-starch feedstuff</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It was this story however by Turkish news site DHA about a <a href="http://www.dha.com.tr/iced-up-donkeys-rescued-after-dha-news_565671.html">herd of unattended donkeys, frozen together</a> in a snow-encrusted huddle that made me gasp. <a href="http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/2013/12/17/13/57/donkeys-frozen-by-cold-weather">Watch the footage</a> filmed by the DHA news crew in the village Siverek, as the donkeys stand so close for warmth they appear frozen solid. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I’m relieved to report that a team was sent to rescue the donkeys, which were taken to a nearby animal shelter for emergency care.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Warm thoughts for us all to get through this final winter stretch.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Photo obtained from: </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">www.todayszaman.com</span>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-40268051537834978432014-01-21T05:44:00.001-08:002014-01-21T05:44:26.737-08:00Ohio’s Maple Production – A Sweet Business<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RFc4GZTIoj4/Ut55HnAomeI/AAAAAAAAALE/VkXD__XD7Lc/s1600/syrup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RFc4GZTIoj4/Ut55HnAomeI/AAAAAAAAALE/VkXD__XD7Lc/s1600/syrup.jpg" height="196" width="320" /></a></div>
Ohio has a long history of maple syrup production. <br /><br />According to the <a href="http://www.ohiomaple.org/" target="_blank">Ohio Maple Producers Association</a>, there are 12 maple-producing states in the United States and each year Ohio is ranked 4th or 5th in maple production. As the location of former glaciers, Ohio’s soil has the perfect mix of minerals and soil type for maple production. Maple trees are grown in both the northern and southern regions of the state and while the growing season may differ by three to four weeks, both produce a lot of syrup. <br /><br /><u><b>Ohio Maple Production Facts</b></u><br />
<ul>
<li>The maple industry contributes $5 million to Ohio’s economy each year.</li>
<li>Ohio ranked in the top five nationally in 2013 producing 155,000 gallons, an increase of more than 50 percent from the 100,000 gallons produced in 2012.</li>
<li>About 900 producers across the state continue to innovate the maple production process.</li>
<li>Demand for maple products is greater than the state’s production. </li>
<li>Ohio's maple syrup is a “super food” that has many health benefits naturally provided by antioxidants, minerals and vitamins.</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://farmflavor.com/us-ag/ohio/" target="_blank">Growing Ohio</a>, an annual publication by the <a href="http://www.agri.ohio.gov/" target="_blank">Ohio Department of Agriculture</a>, adds that <br />agritourism also plays a role in the state’s maple success. Pancake breakfasts and maple syrup festivals throughout the state attract tourists and encourage them to purchase products and celebrate Ohio’s maple legacy.<br /><br />For maple producers, the <a href="http://extension.osu.edu/" target="_blank">Ohio State University Extension </a>will be hosting the 2014 Ohio Maple Days this week. Workshops are scheduled January 23 in Morrow County, January 24 for Wayne and Holmes counties and January 25 in Geauga County. A new international grading system for maple syrup and the Food and Drug Administration’s new food safety requirements for maple syrup producers will be two of the featured topics. For more information visit <a href="http://agnr.osu.edu/2014-ohio-maple-days">http://agnr.osu.edu/2014-ohio-maple-days</a>. <br /><br />Are you an Ohio maple producer? How do you enjoy Ohio’s maple production? <br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo obtained from: <a href="http://www.richardsmapleproducts.com/">www.richardsmapleproducts.com</a></span><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-65924178335390066632014-01-09T05:41:00.000-08:002014-01-09T05:41:59.772-08:00What's Ahead for Agriculture?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0XjYH-zQSp4/Us6lSOceHLI/AAAAAAAAAII/65fmun49w2Y/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0XjYH-zQSp4/Us6lSOceHLI/AAAAAAAAAII/65fmun49w2Y/s1600/images.jpg" height="96" width="200" /></a></div>
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Here’s a snapshot of the issues and trends that could impact U.S. agriculture during 2014.<br />
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<b><u>Policy Issues</u></b><br />
<b>Farm Bill: </b><br />
According to the <a href="http://www.fb.org/index.php?action=newsroom.agendas&year=2014&file=ag01-2014.html">American Farm Bureau</a>, after a two-year delay, a new farm bill is expected to be complete in early 2014. This will provide some much-needed clarity for the U.S. agricultural industry, particularly concerning crop insurance and subsidies.<br />
<br />
<b>Water Regulations: </b><br />
Another legislative issue on tap for next year includes possible new regulations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pertaining to water usage and management on farms and ranches.<br />
<br />
According to American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman, the EPA is attempting to expand the reach of the Clean Water Act, which could have serious and detrimental impacts on U.S. agriculture.<br />
<br />
“If the EPA proposal were put in place, you could not discharge into any covered water unless you had a federal permit,” said Stallman in <a href="http://www.thecountrytoday.com/farm/article_bb94872c-6bfb-11e3-9fb2-0019bb2963f4.html">The Country Today</a>. “In essence you as farmers and ranchers would have to have a permit relative to water and runoff for anything you wanted to do on your land.”<br />
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<b><u>Land Costs</u></b><br />
The value of farmland has risen in recent years throughout most of the Midwest. In Ohio, cropland value rose 12 percent in 2013, with bare cropland averaging $5,600 an acre, according to Barry Ward with the Ohio State University Extension in <a href="http://www.farmanddairy.com/news/osu-economist-2014-farmland-values-flat-decline/166428.html">Farm and Dairy</a>. Ward stated in Farm and Dairy that prices will be flat or fall in 2014. The forecast is expected to be the same for farmland nationwide.<br />
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“We’re at a point where land values are going to quit rising so rapidly,” said Terry Kastens, an agricultural economist in a <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-10/u-s-farmland-prices-may-fall-in-2014-economist-says.html">Bloomberg article</a>. “Prices will probably flatten out and may even fall back 10 percent or so, but we’re not going to see a crash.”<br />
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<b><u>Low Prices</u></b><br />
The <a href="http://www.bucyrustelegraphforum.com/article/20131208/NEWS01/312080011/Farmers-hunker-down-lean-2014">Bucyrus Telegraph Forum</a> recently reported that soybean and corn prices are expected to remain low in 2014, which means farmers might have to stretch profits from 2013 into the new year.<br />
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“It’s clear that commodities markets are not going to have the kind of strength in 2014 that they’ve had the past few years,” said Joe Cornely with the Ohio Farm Bureau. “In particular, there’s a retrenchment in corn prices.”<br />
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What 2014 agricultural issues and trends are on your mind? Please share your thoughts.<br />
<br />
Photo obtained from www.americanfarminvestors.com.<br />
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-83997786936785994202013-12-18T13:39:00.000-08:002013-12-18T13:39:42.880-08:00The drink of the season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YwTTJpFH37k/UrIUg4pd6CI/AAAAAAAAAIM/L28VYeYYzrs/s1600/eggnog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YwTTJpFH37k/UrIUg4pd6CI/AAAAAAAAAIM/L28VYeYYzrs/s200/eggnog.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With 270,000 dairy cows producing more than <a href="http://www.ohiodairyfarmers.com/" target="_blank">630 million gallons of milk</a> and 28 million hens laying more than <a href="http://www.ohiopoultry.org/" target="_blank">seven billion eggs</a> at farms throughout the state, Ohioans can rest assured there will be no shortage of eggnog this holiday season.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Love it or hate it, eggnog is at its greatest abundance at this time each year. The drink’s ambiguity is enough to give anyone pause for thought. Some make it with rum or whiskey or bourbon. And some enjoy egg-free or dairy-free varieties, made with coconut milk.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To broaden my knowledge, I’ve discovered these five things about the beloved holiday beverage:</span><br />
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Eggnog is believed to have originated from posset, a hot milk-based beverage enjoyed by the wealthy in medieval Britain.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are a few theories as to how the drink got its name. The ‘nog’ in eggnog might come from the word noggin, a small wooden carved mug. So, an egg-based drink served in this cup became eggnog.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The drink didn’t arrive in America until the 1700’s, when rum became the eggnog spike of choice because of its availability and low price.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/george-and-martha-washington-eggnog-2013-12" target="_blank">George Washington</a> is said to have been a big fan of eggnog and his own recipe featuring copious amounts of brandy, rye, rum and sherry was often served at parties.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There is in fact a <a href="http://www.punchbowl.com/holidays/national-egg-nog-day" target="_blank">National Eggnog Day</a>, fittingly celebrated December 24 on Christmas Eve.</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you really aren’t an eggnog lover, peruse this list from Buzzfeed about the <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/jeremybender/17-holiday-drinks-that-are-even-better-than-eggnog" target="_blank">17 holiday drinks that are even better than eggnog</a> and toast the spirit of the season!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Image via: <a href="http://blog.thestarrconspiracy.com/truth/tis-the-season-for-eggnog-2/">http://blog.thestarrconspiracy.com/truth/tis-the-season-for-eggnog-2/</a></span>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-81152164992175914012013-12-04T06:35:00.000-08:002013-12-04T06:35:17.157-08:00Use Your Off Season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iw1ufFaR3f4/Up89NYHYisI/AAAAAAAAAKA/VOAjwTJlrZQ/s1600/Winter+farm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iw1ufFaR3f4/Up89NYHYisI/AAAAAAAAAKA/VOAjwTJlrZQ/s320/Winter+farm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Guest author Dean Heffta, published <a href="http://cornandsoybeandigest.com/issues/use-your-season-time-between-harvest-and-planting" target="_blank">Corn+Soybean Digest</a></i><br /><br />There’s no slow season anymore! Farmers tell me that often. With crop and business demands, it can feel like the year is just one long string of activity without the spikes and dips we used to experience. <br /><br />With that said, every business – whether its seasons are set by the weather or not – needs to create and utilize an “off season.” LeBron James demonstrated the power of using the off-season after the Miami Heat lost the NBA tournament in 2011. He invested his frustration that following summer into training to be the best low-post player he could be. To do that, he sought coaching from the great low-post player, Hakeem Olajuwan. The rest, as they say, is history. James went on to lead the Heat to back-to-back league championships in 2012 and 2013.<br /><br />We’re not NBA stars, but we are each ‘pros’ in our own way. I recently met a farmer who shared that he is very deliberate in how he uses his time between the peak seasons of planting and harvest. He has four areas of focus: equipment (the team goes through everything when they are done using it for the season), book work (he gets on top of the accounting and business planning to keep from getting behind), people/learning (he goes to various conferences and meetings to get new ideas, always bringing a different employee along to give them new exposure to the business), and recharge (without planning, it can be easy to go a year without taking time off or recharging the battery).<br /><br />While every farm’s off-season is going to look a little different, there will be a few common elements.<br />
<ul>
<li>Review/learning – Sit down to learn from the things that didn’t turn out so well. Look for ways to make changes in the future in those areas.</li>
<li>Skill development – Learn a new technology or skill that will be helpful in the future or seek advisors that have those skills.</li>
<li>Planning – It can be hard to do long term planning when you’re in the middle of the fire. Use the off-season to step back from day to day operations. Consider where the farm is going and explore different ways to get there.</li>
<li>Writing new plays – An important role of the leader is scripting the plays for the players in the upcoming season. Take time to plan the details so everyone knows what’s next.</li>
</ul>
<b>Assignment</b><br />
<ol>
<li>Take a moment to “schedule” your off season time so one season doesn’t just run into the next.</li>
<li>Consider which areas – if worked on – would make the biggest difference to the farm over time.</li>
<li>Identify three specific areas to focus your effort on.</li>
<li>Execute your off season plan.</li>
</ol>
<i>Reprinted with permission of <a href="http://cornandsoybeandigest.com/" target="_blank">Corn+Soybean Digest </a><br />Photo obtained from: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/">http://www.flickr.com</a></i><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-81606307182316625012013-11-21T05:06:00.002-08:002013-11-21T05:06:53.948-08:00Turkey Top Ten<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vjJ32cnkovU/Uo0yOui8voI/AAAAAAAAAGU/Sg4bNtkmiS0/s1600/images-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vjJ32cnkovU/Uo0yOui8voI/AAAAAAAAAGU/Sg4bNtkmiS0/s200/images-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Thanksgiving is only a week away and to honor this all-American holiday, my blog is devoted to talking turkey! Here are 10 turkey fun facts you can share with your friends and family when you gather around the dinner table next Thursday.<br />
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<ol>
<li>Ohio is the 10th largest turkey-producing state with 5.5 million birds produced in 2012. Minnesota is ranked first, followed by North Carolina and Arkansas.</li>
<li>According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 45 million turkeys are served during the Thanksgiving holiday.</li>
<li>Founding father Benjamin Franklin is rumored to have preferred the wild turkey to the bald eagle as the nation’s symbol. He considered the turkey to be more respectable.</li>
<li>Turkeys, which are a type of pheasant, are the only breed of poultry native to the Western hemisphere.</li>
<li>Despite their size, turkeys prefer to sleep in trees to avoid predators, such as coyotes, foxes and raccoons. </li>
<li>Only male turkeys gobble, which along with a strut, is used to attract female turkeys.</li>
<li>While domesticated turkeys can’t fly, wild turkeys can fly short distances with speed up to 55 miles per hour. </li>
<li>Turkeys can rotate their heads for a 360-degree field of vision. Turkeys also have great hearing, despite having no external ears.</li>
<li>Turkeys are prone to heart attacks.</li>
<li>In 2012, U.S. consumption of turkey was 16 pounds per person.</li>
</ol>
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Do you have any turkey fun facts or trivia that didn’t make the list? Please share them!<br />
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<i>* Fun facts courtesy of <a href="http://www.livescience.com/17057-turkey-facts-thanksgiving.html">livescience.com</a> and <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/spot/tgturkeyfacts.html">infoplease.com</a>.</i><br />
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Photo obtained from: <a href="http://www.livescience.com/">www.livescience.com</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-23479580609903501532013-11-11T06:10:00.000-08:002013-11-11T06:10:14.294-08:00Planning for 2014 cash flow<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Guest author Paul Burgener, published <a href="http://www.farmfutures-digital.com/farmfutures/october_2013?folio=33#pg33" target="_blank">Farm Futures story</a></i></span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Short 2012 crop creates concern for new crop demand; lender relationships critical</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Let’s face it: Most farmers have been on a roll when it comes to making money. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Making money in farming for the past six years has been like falling off a log,” quips Terry Kastens, a Kansas farmer and former Kansas State University ag economist. “Nobody has had a poor relationship with their lender for the past 10 years.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This year might test those relationships, as higher prices for land, machinery and inputs are combining with lower-expected crop prices. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Renewal time this fall will be more difficult, with cash flow budgets tighter than they have been in years,” says Lewis Coulter, vice president and agriculture lender at Platte Valley Bank in Bridgeport, Neb. “We are going to need to manage costs better as margins get tighter.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The past several years have allowed farmers to strengthen balance sheets and prepare for a down year. Average farm debt is lower, putting farms in strong equity positions heading into what might be a leaner profit year. The current debt-to-asset ratio for U.S. farmers is 10.2%, according to USDA’s Economic Research Service. The same ratio was 13.5% in 2003, and 19.4% in 1983 just as the farm credit crisis began. Even so, operating loans will need to cash flow.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FDUodHBlR8k/UoDk7mogViI/AAAAAAAAAHY/B5GXHoiZcF4/s1600/11:7+photo+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FDUodHBlR8k/UoDk7mogViI/AAAAAAAAAHY/B5GXHoiZcF4/s320/11:7+photo+1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Tighter cash flows</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Lower prices for corn and wheat, along with uncertainty in the soybean market, will likely open cash flow projections with smaller gross revenue numbers than in the past few years. Farmers with a good handle on their costs are going to be better prepared to develop projections that will be acceptable to lenders.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cost control starts with cash rental rates that have been bid up to match high commodity prices in the past few years. This could be the year to adjust those rates back a little if the farm has adjusted rental rates higher as commodity prices increased.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For those farms that were late to the game in raising rents, there might be a lag going back down, putting pressure on the cash flow projection.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Those same guys that are overbidding for land today are the same ones that didn’t pay enough rent on the way up,” Kastens notes.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l6W8bDzL_6g/UoDk9UxRf4I/AAAAAAAAAHk/1uHY35cs3Q8/s1600/11%253A7+photo+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l6W8bDzL_6g/UoDk9UxRf4I/AAAAAAAAAHk/1uHY35cs3Q8/s320/11%253A7+photo+2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Take advantage of discounts</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Suppliers recognize this will be a tighter cash flow year and will be knocking on doors with attractive deals, trying to get sales made to quality operators. Take advantage of early purchase discounts and favorable financing to get seed, fertilizer and crop protection inputs priced before spring.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Lenders should be willing to support the purchase and financing of inputs with favorable terms that will help the cash flow. Disclose those purchases and credit arrangements to the lender at renewal time, but take advantage of those low to zero interest plans when they are offered.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>On farm research pays</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Farms that were doing their own research during the profitable years have an advantage: knowing where their production system can be tweaked to save a few dollars per acre in tight cash flow years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The time to experiment with a new technology or lower-cost product is when times are good and the farm can absorb a small loss. Now is the time to implement those cost-saving ideas that worked in your on-farm plots or other tests.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Lenders are more willing to support an experiment when there is adequate cash flow to cover a failure. Low interest rates and better-than-average prices for the past few years have encouraged banks to open hedging lines for customers that were not using these marketing tools.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Lender relationships critical</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Long-term relationships with good agriculture lenders will help farmers get through the next couple years as cash flows tighten.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“The stable bank that is familiar with your system and has a long-term agricultural commitment to area farmers will be a good partner as margins tighten,” says Coulter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Long term, using caution and a prudent financial strategy is the best way forward in potential lean times.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“We don’t know what will happen if there is another crash because very few of the lenders from the 1980s are still around,” concludes Kastens. <a href="http://farmfutures.com/" target="_blank">ff</a></span>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-68958653207671655312013-10-24T06:02:00.000-07:002013-10-24T06:02:43.107-07:002013 Crop Harvest Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CL29ie4D-WM/UmkZkIpKwVI/AAAAAAAAAIk/qsXIySw_yng/s1600/harvest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CL29ie4D-WM/UmkZkIpKwVI/AAAAAAAAAIk/qsXIySw_yng/s1600/harvest.jpg" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">November is just around the corner and that means Ohio’s grain farmers are close to finishing their 2013 crop harvests. So, what are farmers saying about this year’s corn and soybean harvests? <br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">According to a <a href="http://www.columbusceo.com/content/stories/apexchange/2013/10/06/soybean-harvest-runs-strong.html" target="_blank">Columbus CEO article</a>, Kirk Roetgerman, grain-marketing services manager at Trupointe Cooperative’s South Charleston elevator and Steve Bricher, Urbana branch manager for Heritage Cooperative, both said that soybean yields are running stronger than expected.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">“Farmers seem pleasantly surprised with yields averaging near 57 bushels an acre,” said Roetgerman, who estimated the South Charleston elevator has handled about 800,000 of the 1.5 million bushels it expects to receive.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">“If we would have had another rain in August, yields would have been better,” added Bricher. “But given the dry spell, farmers seem very happy with above average results of 50 to 60 bushels an acre.”<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The <a href="http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome" target="_blank">U.S. Department of Agriculture</a> (USDA) estimates a total U.S. soybean production of 3.15 billion bushels with a national yield average of 41.2 bushels per acre. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />As for corn production, government analysts believe that U.S. producers will harvest a record 13.8 billion bushels this fall. The USDA estimates the national average corn yield at 155.3 bushels per acre, an increase of more than 25 percent from last year’s drought-reduced crop.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />John Hoffman, a grain farmer in Pickaway County, states in <a href="http://ocj.com/between-the-rows-2012/" target="_blank">Ohio’s Country Journal</a> that his corn yield will fall between 160 and 180 bushels per acre. “People may forget that when we were planting corn, we had some heavy rains and emergence issues. There were some surprises in the cornfields as the soils vary and there was corn hurt by the moisture early in the season, but overall I am happy with the corn yields.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />According to an article in the <a href="http://www.toledoblade.com/" target="_blank">Toledo Blade</a>, the best crops in the U.S. are in areas that received adequate rain combined with cooler temperatures at the time corn pollinated, a welcome sight after last year's dismal harvest due to the drought withering corn and soybean fields and burning up pastures. Record harvests are likely in many states this year, including Ohio, Alabama, Georgia and Indiana.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />To learn more about what Ohio farmers are saying about the 2013 crop harvest, visit <a href="http://ocj.com/between-the-rows-2012/" target="_blank">Ohio’s Country Journal’s Between the Rows</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />If you are a farmer, how does your 2013 corn and/or soybean harvest compare to 2012?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo obtained from: <a href="http://www.wksu.org/" target="_blank">www.wksu.org </a></span></span><br />
<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-71417093006925025872013-10-10T05:21:00.001-07:002013-10-10T05:21:15.612-07:00Fewer "Great" Pumpkins for Halloween<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UjR7FaZtjxA/UlaZymWrSoI/AAAAAAAAAFM/hyaHvIvT_jc/s1600/pumpkinrows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UjR7FaZtjxA/UlaZymWrSoI/AAAAAAAAAFM/hyaHvIvT_jc/s200/pumpkinrows.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Though Ohio is one of the nation’s top pumpkin-producing states, heavy summer rains and flooding have impacted this fall’s pumpkin crop, meaning fewer and smaller pumpkins for Halloween.<br />
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“Size wise, we’re going to be off a little bit,” said Dan Gust of Gust Brothers Pumpkin Farm in a <a href="http://www.toledoblade.com/Retail/2013/10/01/Great-pumpkin-crop-it-s-not-but-local-farmers-satisfied.html">Toledo Blade</a> article. “Last year the pumpkins were huge, they were beautiful. We still have a lot of big pumpkins, but they’re not as plentiful.”<br />
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With a smaller crop, pumpkin pickers will find slightly higher prices this season, too. According to the <a href="http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2013/10/04/plenty-of-pumpkins-in-central-ohio.html">Columbus Dispatch</a>, one pumpkin patch in Plain City is raising prices by 4 cents per pound — the grower’s first price increase in three years. Another pumpkin grower in Swanton, is also increasing prices by two cents per pound.<br />
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This is a much different picture from Ohio’s bumper crop in 2012, which was worth about $23.3 million, compared to $16.6 million in 2011 and 2010. Last year, Ohio grew 14 percent of the nation’s pumpkins.<br />
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Though this year’s crop is smaller, there are still plenty of beautiful Ohio pumpkins to choose for your holiday decorating. Here are a few tips from <a href="http://www.allaboutpumpkins.com/perfect.html">www.allaboutpumpkins.com</a> to help you pick the perfect pumpkin:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Choose a pumpkin that feels firm and heavy for its size and has consistent coloring</li>
<li>Turn the pumpkin over and place pressure on the bottom with your thumbs. If it flexes or gives, your pumpkin is not fresh</li>
<li>Look for soft spots, mold, wrinkles or open cuts that would indicate damage or early spoilage</li>
<li>Choose a pumpkin with a solidly attached stem, a green stem indicates a freshly harvested pumpkin</li>
<li>Place your pumpkin on a flat surface to see if it will sit flat after being carved</li>
</ul>
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Photo obtained from: www.allaboutpumpkins.com<br />
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-85004636680010519622013-09-26T08:56:00.001-07:002013-09-26T09:00:20.562-07:00Feeding the 9 billion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i> Guest author Willie Vogt, published <a href="http://magissues.farmprogress.com/FFU/FF09Sep13/ffu20.pdf" target="_blank">Farm Futures story</a></i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Image 1: By Rajesh Kumar Singh, AP</b></td></tr>
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<b>Rising population challenges farmers to ‘step up,’ yet work may be harder than thought.</b><br />
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Any farmer who has attended a commodity group or farm group meeting in the past two or three years has heard the clarion call to feed the rising population.<br />
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The stats are stark. World population is going to increase to more than 9 billion by 2050, with the impact that global farmers will have to double food output. In fact, some statisticians figure that the amount of food to be produced in this short time period could actually equal what has been produced in the past 10,000 years.<br />
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The challenge ahead could be bigger. “I serve on the advisory committee for the Federal Reserve in Kansas City, and an economist there pointed out that the rise to 9 billion includes 2 billion more in the middle class,” says Bill Horan, Rockwell City, Iowa, and chairman of the Truth About Trade and Technology, a nonprofit advocacy group.<br />
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The global population’s growing middle class is significant because historically, Horan points out, “The first thing they want is protein — and more and better protein.” Farmers will not be feeding that larger population just with more grain.<br />
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Will Sawyer, vice president of grains, oilseeds and animal protein at Rabobank, notes that this is a key concern as experts look at population rise. “It’s a question of whether the U.S. can satisfy growing food demand in the form of meat or grain,” he notes.<br />
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Either way, global food production must rise, and Sawyer notes that countries that have historically fought use of biotech crops will be forced to “step up” to a more Western system of food production. “Food systems will have to transition away from traditional backyard production.”<b> </b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xzhnzyoi3o0/UkRX0Er20bI/AAAAAAAAAHk/teaSesVL8j8/s1600/9_26+image+2_By+Rajesh+Kumar+Singh%252C+AP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xzhnzyoi3o0/UkRX0Er20bI/AAAAAAAAAHk/teaSesVL8j8/s320/9_26+image+2_By+Rajesh+Kumar+Singh%252C+AP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Image 2: By Tim Wimbourne, Reuters</b></td></tr>
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<b>BIG CHALLENGE</b><br />
Horan has a big worry about this challenge because he notes that he’s talked to a number of economists who question global agriculture’s ability to meet that middle-class need. The grain used for livestock production would outstrip capacity, according to Horan. “That makes the 2 billion rise in global population [beyond the 7 billion today] look completely different,” he notes.<br />
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He adds that seed companies pushing to double production are aiming in the right direction, but “it’s meat that’ll be the problem.” He warns that the global population could end up with some countries that can afford meat and some that can’t, which could be a moral dilemma ahead.<br />
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The other side of the coin is that global food producers are stepping up, and whether it’ll be enough will remain to be seen. But Rabobank’s Sawyer notes that he’s seeing evidence that Brazil is working out its logistics issues, which will lower its cost of production.<br />
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China is moving into Africa with major development projects to leverage agriculture production to meet growing demand for grain and protein as well.<br />
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Yet Sawyer sees that global development as good, even as the competitive position of the United States changes. “The U.S. will remain a significant player in the global market.” <br />
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<b>LOOKING AHEAD</b><br />
Horan, long an advocate for using more technology in agriculture, says, “Maybe technology is the answer.” However, he notes that better trade agreements will matter, too. “We need to be aware of the problem, so we can develop a strategy, and then we need to develop a strategic vision of how to solve the problem,” he says. “We don’t have that much time. We could be stressing the system within the next 10 years.” <a href="http://farmfutures.com/" target="_blank">Farm Futures</a><br />
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Note: It is also important to consider that the U.S. is a leading example of technology applied in agriculture to grow higher yielding crops on less land. And, it is this technology that may help satisfy the global population’s ever increasing food demands.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photos obtained from: <br />Image 1: <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-04/eastley-australia-food-bowl/4547422">http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-04/eastley-australia-food-bowl/4547422</a><br />Image 2: <a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2011-10-30/world-population-hits-seven-billion/51007670/1">http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2011-10-30/world-population-hits-seven-billion/51007670/1</a></span><br />
<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-51939349345499624442013-09-12T05:48:00.000-07:002013-09-12T06:19:51.819-07:00Farm Science Review Breaks New Ground<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SxaPqXzq978/UjG2wpDqzgI/AAAAAAAAAGY/AJuQS3ej8YY/s1600/FSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SxaPqXzq978/UjG2wpDqzgI/AAAAAAAAAGY/AJuQS3ej8YY/s320/FSR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Ohio’s premier agricultural event, <a href="http://fsr.osu.edu/" target="_blank">Farm Science Review</a> (FSR), will take place September 17-19 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London, Ohio. <br />
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FSR attracts more than 130,000 farmers, growers and producers from the U.S. and Canada who come to learn about the latest in agricultural research, products and services and to experience educational exhibits, presentations and demonstrations relating to natural-resource management and the crop and livestock industries. <br />
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Marking its 51st year, this year’s theme “Break New Ground” will showcase the latest technology, equipment and innovations in the agriculture industry today. <br />
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Experts from The Ohio State University will discuss topics ranging from farming techniques to improving water and soil quality and combating invasive species. <br />
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According to the FSR <a href="http://fsr.osu.edu/" target="_blank">website</a>, this year’s three-day event will also feature: <br />
<ul>
<li>Daily harvesting, strip-tilling, global positioning, manure and tillage demonstrations</li>
<li>Information about farm health and safety, farm management programs, financial and economical information, the environment and human and community development</li>
<li>Antique farm equipment</li>
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Three individuals will also be inducted to the FSR Hall of Fame, including Don Breece, past assistant director of the Agriculture and Natural Resources program at The Ohio State University Extension, the late Dan Kush, an advocate and friend of the Gwynne Conservation Area and Marti Smith, co-owner of American Small Farm. These three individuals have been selected for induction in recognition of their contributions to the success of the Farm Science Review. <br />
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For a full schedule of events, <a href="http://fsr.osu.edu/resources/documents/pdf/2013-documents/2013-show-schedule" target="_blank">click here</a>.<br />
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Are you planning to attend Farm Science Review? If so, what are you looking forward to the most? <br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />Photo obtained from: <a href="http://www.fsr.osu.edu/" target="_blank">fsr.osu.edu </a></span>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4508952783604953378.post-85178281189484756892013-08-29T05:26:00.002-07:002013-08-29T05:26:52.829-07:00Handing Down the Family Farm<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Es9G0WZ8iPU/Uh875LTDLyI/AAAAAAAAAEI/26irXDY7O30/s1600/Keeping-Families-On-Farm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Es9G0WZ8iPU/Uh875LTDLyI/AAAAAAAAAEI/26irXDY7O30/s200/Keeping-Families-On-Farm.jpg" width="185" /></a></div>
Planning how to pass along a farm from one generation to the next can be a difficult and emotional issue for many farming families. But as tough as it might be, succession planning is critical to the survival and future of every family farm.<br />
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According to the Department of Agriculture, family farms account for 98 percent of all the farms in the U.S. and for about 85 percent of the agricultural output. It’s estimated that 70 percent of the nation’s farmland will change hands in the next two decades. Yet, many farmers have an insufficient or no plan concerning succession. Without a succession plan, these family farms risk going out of business.<br />
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“Less than half of farms actually have a plan and, for the most part, this plan is some sort of estate plan or will,” said Bryce Knorr, senior editor for Farm Futures magazine in a <a href="http://www.hpj.com/archives/2013/apr13/apr22/Farm_Succession_MACO_KSsr.cfm">High Plains Journal</a> article. “But it’s not really something for making sure that the farm continues as an entity. You have to take the next step to really develop a plan for transitioning the business.”<br />
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Lee Watson, a corn, soybean and wheat farmer in Bellevue, Ohio, plans for his son, Dusten, to take over the family farm in the future and is working with an estate attorney and an accountant on a plan to do so.<br />
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“I’m in the process of transferring shares of the farm to him,” said Watson in <a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/story/2012-06-28/keeping-farms-in-the-family/56117782/1">USA Today</a>. “It’s important to do for inheritance tax purposes. It can be a large amount of debt for a person to start out with on their own. I’ve always worked for this. I’d like to see that land and the operation stay within the family.”<br />
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Are you developing a succession plan for your family farm? Here are recommendations from <a href="http://www.agweb.com/article/4_succession_planning__pitfalls/">AgWeb.com</a> about how to navigate common succession pitfalls.<br />
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<li><b>Take action:</b> The biggest mistake farmers make is not taking the first step. Begin the planning process by holding a family meeting with a clear agenda and goals that are defined before the meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to create a preliminary plan.</li>
</ul>
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<li><b>Consider your options: </b>There is no one-size-fits-all option when it comes to handing down a farm and farmers need to weigh all their options. Determining the best business model for the operation is a crucial first step. For example, an LLC or limited partnership allows the elder generation to maintain management in the farming operation while gradually transferring ownership and responsibilities. </li>
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<li><b>Don’t worry about offending family members:</b> Succession planning is an incredibly emotional issue and it’s not uncommon for families to avoid confrontation to keep the peace. This could lead to unqualified or disengaged children running the farm. Honest and open communication is vital to determining the best succession plan and the roles family members will play.</li>
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<li><b>Don’t let your plan gather dust:</b> Reality check your plan to make sure it works off the paper by playing out hypothetical scenarios. Also, review your plan annually to make sure it’s up to date and relevant. Share it with a succession-planning professional or lawyer for a second opinion.</li>
</ul>
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Photo obtained from: www.familyfarmsgroup.com<br />
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