Polar Vortex Affects Ohio Crops and Livestock

Image courtesy of Bill Griffin 

Months ago, the Farmer’s Almanac 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.

During the week of Jan. 26, the minimum temperature across Ohio reached 11 below zero, as reported in the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin. This is a 10-degree departure from average minimum temperatures.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, 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. 

“The viniferous or European grape varieties have probably sustained 90 to 100 percent injury to their primary buds,” said Gary Gao, an Ohio State University Extension specialist.

Dick Jensen, owner of the Flying J Wellness Farm, said his spinach and kale crops stopped growing.

“Last year, we had beautiful spinach, kale and arugula all winter,” Jensen said. “This year, everything pretty much died.”

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.

“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.”

The extreme cold affected many crops and livestock alike. How has the extreme cold affected your farm?

Warm thoughts for the frozen donkeys

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.

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.

Here are the most sensible tips I read on OCJ.com, including these specific for livestock without access to a barn:
• Provide windbreak protection to lower the effects of wind chill on energy needs
• Move animals out of muddy conditions or reduce the mud with a feeding pad
• Increase access to better quality forage
• Limit corn or high-energy, non-starch feedstuff

It was this story however by Turkish news site DHA about a herd of unattended donkeys, frozen together in a snow-encrusted huddle that made me gasp. Watch the footage filmed by the DHA news crew in the village Siverek, as the donkeys stand so close for warmth they appear frozen solid. 

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.

Warm thoughts for us all to get through this final winter stretch.

Photo obtained from: www.todayszaman.com

Ohio’s Maple Production – A Sweet Business

Ohio has a long history of maple syrup production. 

According to the Ohio Maple Producers Association, 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.

Ohio Maple Production Facts

• The maple industry contributes $5 million to Ohio’s economy each year.
• 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.
• About 900 producers across the state continue to innovate the maple production process.
• Demand for maple products is greater than the state’s production. 
• Ohio's maple syrup is a “super food” that has many health benefits naturally provided by antioxidants, minerals and vitamins.

Growing Ohio, an annual publication by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, adds that
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.

For maple producers, the Ohio State University Extension 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 http://agnr.osu.edu/2014-ohio-maple-days.

Are you an Ohio maple producer? How do you enjoy Ohio’s maple production?

Photo obtained from: www.richardsmapleproducts.com