Hops Conference

Hops production is a growing industry here in Ohio. If you have interest in producing hops, or just want to know more about the possibilities you may want to attend the 2016 Ohio Hops and Malting Barley Conference & Trade Show. Registration is now open!

The conference will take place on February 24th and 25th, 2016 at the Fisher Auditorium and the Shisler Conference Center in Wooster, Ohio. New this year, we will be offering sessions for the beginner and advanced hop growers, and also barley growers!

For full details and to register, go to http://go.osu.edu/OhioHopsAndBarleyConference to click on the registration link. Deadline for attendees to register is Friday, February 5, 2016. Seats are limited! So don’t delay, register today.

Farmer’s Tax Guides Available

The Farmer’s Tax Guides are available at the OSU Extension Offices in Adams, Brown and Highland Counties. I have them in the Adams and Brown Co. offices and the will be in Highland County soon, so you may want to call ahead to make sure I have them there before you make a special trip. The Farmer’s Tax Guides are free.

Small Farm College

The 8 week Small Farm College will be held locally this year. The classes will be held at the Southern State Community College campus in Mt. Orab. You can see more details, including registration materials online or call your local OSU Extension Office. We have flyers that can be mailed to you or you may stop by the office and pick one up. The classes begin on Wednesday, January 20 at 6:30 p.m. and will run until 9:00 p.m.

The cost of the course is $150 per person, $100 for an additional family member. Along with the vast resources and knowledge gained, participants will receive a notebook (per each $150 registration) of all resource materials, a soil test, refreshments, and the bus tour. Registrations are now being accepted. Individuals interested in the program may contact the Brown County Extension office at (937) 378- 6716, the Athens County Extension office at (740) 593-8555, or the Miami County Extension office at (937) 440-3945. Registration brochures for the program can also be found online at the following websites http://brown.osu.edu, http://athens.osu.edu, http://miami.osu.edu, or at http://agnr.osu.edu/node/283. It is also available at http://clinton.osu.edu.

GAP for Tobacco Producers

The first Good Agricultural Practices session for 2016 tobacco producers will be held on Thursday, February 25 at the West Union Frisch’s at 1:00 p.m. Pre-registration is required by

calling the Adams Co. Extension office at 544-2339. Barbie will take your registration information. Space is limited. I will have additional dates and locations soon.

2016 Beef School

The locations will be in the Hillsboro area and in Adams Co. this year, as we were in Brown last year. The dates are January 19, February 2, and February 16. These are all Tuesdays and will begin at 7:00 p.m. sharp.

On January 19, 2016 the focus will be squarely on the markets and marketing including outlook, and risk management. During the second session on February 2, the attention will turn back to the basics in an effort to bust some myths that may be negatively affecting our bottom line. The series will conclude on February 16 with a focus squarely on the end product.

Members of the OSU Extension Beef Team will take turns addressing some of the management questions and comments we’ve received during Beef School sessions over the years. This will be a fast paced look at a variety of profit centered concepts including calving windows, genetic choices, breeding management, crossbreeding and economic traits that will be the most meaningful in coming years.

Pesticide and Fertilizer Dates

Without a pesticide license a 2-hour session WILL NOT get you the credit needed for fertilizer certification, for private or commercial. If you do not have a pesticide license you are required to have a 3-hour training session. Three hour trainings are available in Pike Co. on January 26 at 2:00 p.m. and Wilmington College on March 10. To register in Pike Co. call 740 289-4837 and Wilmington call 937 382-0901.

Pesticide testing is available on the second Monday of every month except October (3rd Monday) at the Old Y Restaurant at noon. You must pre-register through http://pested.osu.edu or call the Ohio Department of Agriculture at 800-282-1955 and extension 3 followed by a 1.

The sessions are as follows: Monday, February 8, 2016 at North Adams High School. This session will begin at 5:00 p.m. with Fertilizer training until 7:00 p.m. Then we will break for pizza followed by the pesticide re-certification from 7:30 until 10:30 p.m.

Thursday, February 18, 2016 at Southern State Community College in Hillsboro. This session begins at 10:00 a.m. with Fertilizer training until noon. Then we will break for pizza followed by pesticide re-certification from 12:30 until 3:30 p.m.

Monday, February 22, 2016 at Southern Hills Board Office on Hamer Rd in Georgetown. This session begins at 10:00 a.m. with Fertilizer training until noon. Then we will break for pizza followed by pesticide re-certification from 12:30 until 3:30 p.m. Remember to pre-register early. You can also e-mail Cindy at kratzer.11@osu.edu. Please mail payment to the Brown Co. Extension office at 325 W. State St. Bldg. B Georgetown, OH 45121.

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