Summer is progressing well. As I travel around the county, there has been a lot of growth progress in corn and soybean. All of which look pretty good considering the dry weather we had until recently. A lot of second cutting hay has been completed and crop insect pressure seems low.
Speaking of hay, did you know the quality varies each year due to the stage of maturity at cutting, soil fertility, growing conditions, harvest circumstances, and storage methods? The best way to learn more about what kind of hay you are feeding your livestock or selling is to do a forage analysis. Hay can be sampled after baling much like soil testing. This is done with a core sampler that can be borrowed from the OSU Extension Brown County office or I can come out and help with this process.
Hay is most analyzed for moisture, protein, and energy as they are all needed to formulate any supplemental diets you may choose to use. Producers may also want to test for minerals or for potential issues of nitrate toxicity. Costs of hay analysis are usually less than $40 per sample. Feel free to reach out and I would be happy to help with interpreting results or taking a hay sample to send to the lab for you. Accurately testing hay takes time and money. However, accurate results are extremely valuable in a climate of high feed prices and lower stocks of hay. Consider starting with the foundation of what you feed your livestock in the winter and sample your forages.
We have several OSU Extension events coming up so be sure to take note.
Farm Science Review is on the horizon and is set to celebrate 61 years as one of the nation’s largest outdoor farm shows, this September 19 through 21 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London, Ohio. Farm Science Review is excited to announce that they will be continuing with the mobile ticketing option for the 2023 show. Mobile ticketing will allow visitors to print tickets at home/offices or save to a mobile device for entry. Presale ticket price of $10 will be available online and at the OSU Extension Brown County office until Monday, September 18. Tickets may still be purchased online during Farm Science Review for $15. Children 5 & under are free and parking is free. Visitors may still purchase paper tickets with cash or credit card at the gates. Purchase your Farm Science Review Tickets today by visiting the office or by using this link: go.osu.edu/fsrbrown2023
All of these and more educational opportunities can be found on the brown.osu.edu website or our blog page – u.osu.edu/browncounty. As always, I look forward to working with you more, feel free to reach out by stopping by the office, calling, or sending me an email at 937-378-6716 or corboy.3@osu.edu. I am happy to help in all your Agriculture, natural resources, and Community Development needs.
CFAES provides research and related educational programs to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis. For more information, visit cfaesdiversity.osu.edu. For an accessible format of this publication, visit cfaes.osu.edu/accessibility.