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Hello,
Welcome to the June edition of the Champaign County OSU ANR Extension newsletter! In our monthly updates, my goal is to provide seasonal information on topics related to agriculture and natural resources (ANR), provide information on local events promoting ANR, and connect our community with ongoing research and opportunities to get involved in OSU studies. Have ideas, questions, or simply want to say hello? Please reach out using my listed contact information!
“Make hay while the sun shines.” We are nearing the summer solstice and it’s been an unusually cold, wet year. Stringing together two dry days together has been a rarity for spring 2025, however, Champaign county growers were able to get out last week and harvest their hay. Timely hay harvest and baling has been a challenge in not only our county, but most of Ohio. This has led to mature, lower quality forages being baled. While beef cattle do not require the same level of nutrition that dairy cows need, it will be a challenge this year to meet and maintain cow minimum requirements on hay alone. To determine the forage quality, it is vital to commit to forage testing this year so that producers can make appropriate adjustments to their herd feed. Here is more information on the importance of forage quality from the OSU Beef Newsletter and resources on getting your hay quality tested through the Wooster Animal Sciences forage testing laboratory. Reach out to me by phone or email to get your samples in before the July 31st deadline! I can provide onsite assistance for sampling upon request.
Growing potato in your fields? There are a lot of fields producing potatoes in Champaign County, and I am interested in hearing from you. Falling into the category of vegetables, melons, and potato varieties, the 2022 USDA NASS reports that we are third ranking in the state for production in terms of value (USD). For those that are not familiar with these reports, the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service mission statement is to provide timely, accurate, and useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture. New reports like this are generated every three years, and I am excited to see how our county results compare to others in 2025. Additionally, I am interested in hearing from growers in this category to see how OSU extension and other resources to better support folks in these markets. Reach out via email or phone to schedule a meeting with me.
Funding for Cover Crops grown in 2024. Funding has been released for activities under the USDA’s Advancing Markets for Producers program. Farmers for Soil Health is a 3-year incentive payment and technical assistance program available to any eligible farmer in Ohio through 2028. The deadline for enrollment is June 30th for fields that had cover crops in the 2024 season. Documents for producer re-enrollment and enrollment instructions are included in this newsletter. We have staff who can assist you with any part of the process and answer questions. Contact information can be found on the promotion flyer.
OSU eField Tar Spot Study. OSU Extension is dedicated to the mission of creating opportunities for people to explore how science-based knowledge can improve social, economic, and environmental conditions. In extension, we value teamwork and partnerships, and the integration of science and local knowledge. To further promote these values and advance production agriculture, OSU Extension started the eField Report in 2017 of field-scale research. Every year, we publish numerous studies across the state that engage our public and answer questions gathered from Ohio growers using on-field research. This year, I am participating in a Corn Tar Spot Study. If you or someone you know is growing corn and would be interested in free scouting for the year, please reach out to me for more information. Ideally, first observations are taken before or at growth stage V7, so please do not hesitate!
There are even more publications and resources to visit below. Please take some time to review the exciting events in our area! As a reminder, I will be attending the Champaign County Fair and Farm Science Review. I hope to see you all there!
Best,
Ambria Small
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