14 agriculture salute

8/12/2019 14 Agriculture Salute

1/16

a special supplement to

THE DELPHOS HERALD

outlook on

AgricultureMarch 2014

Honey Bees Boost Crops

Gearing up for spring

Canning & Preserving

Agriculture in Ohio

Creating growth


2/16

2 The Herald Agricultural Tab March 2014

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March 2014 The Herald Agricultural Tab 3

800-451-2709 SchraderAuction.com

For more information, call today or visit our website

SPECIALISTS IN SELLING LAND AND FARM EQUIPMENT SINCE 1944

For Some Owners, It May be Your Best Time to Sell a Farm or Equipment.

LOCAL EXPERTISE WITH A NATIONAL PRESENCE.

FARMLAND & FARM EQUIPMENT PRICESREMAIN VERY STRONG!

It was my pleasure to work with Schrader Real Estate & Auction Co. on the sale

of Anderson Circle Farm. Everyone in your organization that we worked with

impressed me with their enthusiasm, professionalism, and dedication to our

success. In my opinion, Schrader has an unbeatable combination of people,

process, and professionalism. We were extremely pleased with the outcomeand would highly recommend them to anyone.

Sincerely,

Michael E. McCaw CEO

ONLINE ONLY EQUIPMENT AUCTIONThu, Mar 27, 8:00 PM

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Kevin WendtIrwin, Ohio419-566-1599 614-789-1627

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Dale EvansNorthwest Ohio260-894-0458 800-451-2709

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LOWEST TOTAL COST

We have a concept at our company when we evaluate thingsand purchases. We call it Lowest Total Cost. And the view

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youre going to receive. And Schrader was not the cheapest

company. They were not the cheapest i n terms of marketing

budget. They were not the cheapest in terms of the actual

commission. However, there was no question in my mind that when we received

the total value from this sale, what difference did it make if we paid a percent

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4/16


Focuses on Ohios agricultural heritageincluding the ways that farming has shapedour landscape, our culture and our economy.

The LandOhios state boundaries enclose 41,222

square miles. The southeast part of the statewas not shaped by glaciers, and thus hasmore hills and generally poorer soil thanunglaciated areas of Ohio. With a growingseason of approximately 160 days and 30-40 inches of rain annually, all crops com-mon to the Temperate Zone can be grownand all types of livestock raised.

American Indian AgricultureAgriculture in what would later become

the state of Ohio began with the Adena cul-ture (1000 B.C.-A.D. 200). Archaeologicalevidence suggests that the Adena peoplegrew pumpkins, gourds, sunflowers, andmaize (corn). They used tools made ofstone, animal bones, and tortoise shells toclear and cultivate the land. Later Ameri-can Indian culturesthe Hopewell and Ft.Ancient peoplesalso grew maize, alongwith beans, squash, and tobacco. Maizewas the most important crop. American In-dian women planted kernels in small hills,then planted beans among the corn hills thatclimbed the corn stalks. Women were alsoresponsible for pounding the maize intomeal.

American Indians of the historic period,which included the Wyandots, Shawnees,Delawares, Miamis, Mingoes, and Ottawas,used the same tools and grew many of thesame crops as did the prehistoric Adena,Hopewell, and Ft. Ancient cultures. Those

included maize, beans, squash, gourds,pumpkins, muskmelons, and watermel-ons. Especially important were sunflowers,which produced oil for cooking and cos-metic use, and tobacco, which men used inceremonies and religious rites. After whitesettlers arrived in the Ohio country, theAmerican Indians acquired iron tools, suchas hoes and hatchets, and adopted some Eu-ropean farming methods. Most AmericanIndian groups were removed from Ohio by1825; the last group departed in 1842.

Nineteenth-Century AgricultureEarly European settlers who moved to

the Northwest Territory or the new state ofOhio around the turn of the nineteenth cen-tury had to clear native ash, beech, maple,oak, black walnut, chestnut, and sycamoretrees before they could plant their firstcrops. Clearing land for farming involvedpulling up the smallest trees and roots, cut-ting down and burning medium-sized trees,

girdling large trees, or cutting a groove inthe tree trunks so that they would eventuallydie and fall over. Settlers used some of the

logs to build their homes.Early Ohio farmers used tools and meth-ods common to their former homes in otherstates or countries. Typical tools includeda hoe and harrow for working the soil, anox- or horse-drawn plow, and a scythe orcradle for cutting grain. Corn was the mostimportant crop. In 1850, Ohio led the nationin agricultural production of corn, wool,horses, and sheep. Important factors in thegrowth of agriculture in the state were thecanals, roads, and railroads that allowed for

convenient transport of farm products tomarkets both east and west of Ohio. After1850, Ohio lost ground to the prairie states,although agriculture remained a vital part ofOhios economy.

Innovations in equipment broughtchanges to the practice of farming. Thehorse-drawn grain reaper invented by Cin-cinnatian Obed Hussey in the 1830s, anda similar one made by Cyrus McCormick,resulted in significant savings in time andenergy, although theye were expensive,

costing about $150 in 1840. Labor short-ages during the Civil War helped speed theintroduction of new devices, like the reaper,steam engine-powered threshing machines,sulky plows, and other types of equipment.

Fruit culture was also important in nine-teenth-century Ohio. One of the states mostfamous pioneers, John Chapman, is bet-ter known as Johnny Appleseed. Chapmanplanted apple trees around the state to sell to

settlers. The Rome Beauty apple developedfrom a single tree planted in Rome Town-ship, Lawrence County in 1817. Cincinnati

and the Lake Erie area were well-suited togrowing grapes. Nicholas Longworth ofCincinnati is famous for developing theCatawba grape. Other important fruit cropswere peaches, pears, and cherries.

County Agricultural Societies and theState Board of Agriculture

County agricultural societies in Ohio,first established in Marietta soon after settle-ment, were slow to gain popularity, but grewin number and strength through the secondhalf of the nineteenth century. Modeled after

societies in England and the eastern UnitedStates, the purpose of the societies was toencourage better farming through informa-tion-sharing and competition. The societiesheld fairs and awarded prizes. In 1846, theGeneral Assembly passed legislation thatestablished a secure funding mechanismfor county societies, which greatly encour-aged their growth. By 1860, 84 of Ohios 88counties had an agricultural society.

Also in 1846, the state legislature createdthe state Board of Agriculture, the forerun-

ner of the present-day Department of Agri-culture. The boards chief activity was ini-tially to hold an annual convention, and laterto organize the state fair. Cincinnati was thehost city for the first state fair in 1850, mak-ing Ohio the second U.S. state to sponsor astate fair. After several years in which thelocation of the fair moved around the state,the Ohio State Fair found a permanent homein Columbus. Combining competition, edu-

cation, and entertainment, the fair played animportant role in the development of agri-culture in Ohio.

Twentieth-Century AgricultureGovernor James M. Cox, who served

two terms, 1913-1915 and 1917-1921, wasinfluential in the advancement of scientificfarming. Cox grew up on a farm and hopedto encourage young people to stay on thefarm instead of moving to the city. He in-creased state support for agricultural experi-ments and education, particularly in ruraland village schools.

During the Great Depression, Ohio farm-ers struggled to deal with severe droughtsand erratic weather, in addition to the eco-nomic troubles prevalent throughout thecountry. The Agriculture

Adjustment Act of 1933, passed duringthe administration of President Franklin D.Roosevelt, created programs that increasedthe price of farm goods by limiting theamount on the market. Farm income rosesignificantly as a result. Three years later,the act was declared unconstitutional. Other

Depression-era programs were the Soil Con-servation Act of 1936, through which Ohiofarmers replaced soil-depleting crops withsoil-enriching crops, and the Rural Electrifi-cation Act, which brought electric power tomany farmers for the first time.

Demand for farm goods skyrocketed dur-ing World War II, and production increasedcorrespondingly. The labor shortage thatresulted from farmers joining the militarywas in part eased by migrant workers fromMexico and the West Indies. Also, morethan 8,000 German and Italian prisoners of

war worked on farms and in food processingplants in Bowling Green, Celina, Defianceand other cities. Ohioans also planted Vic-tory Gardens in their yards or communitiesto grow their own food so that farm producecould be sent overseas to feed soldiers andallies.

After World War II, many Ohio farmerswere able to invest in mechanized equip-ment, such as twine binders, self-propelledcombines, corn pickers, and tractors, whichgreatly improved efficiency. The percentage

of farms that had electric power increasedthrough the 1940s, which also boosted pro-ductivity. In the late 1960s, soybeans wereintroduced in Ohio and quickly joined cornas one of the top crops grown in the state.

The second half of the twentieth centurywitnessed a decline in the number of Ohio-ans involved in agriculture. Dropping pricesand a rising cost of living pushed Ohioansinto non-agricultural jobs in cities and sub-

See AGRICULTURE, page 5

Agriculture in Ohio


5/16


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Genetically modified foods, or GMOs,have been a topic of heated conversation forthe last several months. People have strongopinions on both sides of the GMO debate.In January 2014, retail giant General Millsdecided to produce GMO-Free Cheerios, oneof its most popular and well-known cereals.

This move now makes shopping for a GMO-free cereal that much easier. However, find-ing other products that do not contain GMOsmay not be so simple, and consumers mayhave to do some research. Food companiesin the United States are not required to labelfoods to indicate use of GMOs. It is safe toassume that corn and soybeans produced inthe United States are genetically modified.Papayas are often modified as well. Producethat has been genetically modified will havea bar code that starts with the digit "8." Oneway to avoid GMOs is to buy only organic

foods, which, in many instances, are GMO-free thanks to stringent regulations. In termsof other foods, it very well may be aguessinggame. Speaking with a brand's customer ser-vice department may be the best way to learnif they offer any GMO-free products.

GMOs topic ofheated conversation

urbs. Many of those who remained on thefarm had to take second jobs to make endsmeet. While both the number of farmersand percentage of Ohio residents who werefarmers have grown smaller since the mid-20 century, the average farm size and out-put increased. Despite the encroachment of

cities and suburbs on farms, almost half ofOhios land is used for farming and agricul-ture remains a dominant force in the stateseconomy.

Agricultural EducationEarly experiments in agricultural edu-

cation failed in Ohio. Not until the estab-lishment of the Ohio Agricultural and Me-chanical College in 1873 did the state have asuccessful institution of higher learning de-voted to agriculture. Its success was quali-fied, however, as liberal arts studies, part of

the schools curriculum from the beginning,overshadowed its agricultural program.In 1878, the schools name changed to theOhio State University, reflecting its broaderfocus.

In 1882, the university established anagricultural experiment station to bolsterthe agriculture program. The Hatch Actof 1887, a federal act that provided fund-ing for such activities, was a response tothe land-grant universities abandonmentof their agricultural and mechanical roots.In 1892, the Ohio Agricultural ExperimentStation (known today as the Ohio Agricul-tural Research and Development Center)moved from the university at Columbus, to

Wooster, Ohio, in Wayne County.While the university and agricultural ex-

periment station offered formalized trainingfor farmers, other educational opportuni-ties were also available. Farmers institutes,sponsored by the state Board of Agriculturebeginning in 1880, were held around thestate. The institutes offered farmers a chance

to learn and socialize. Combining educationand fun was the goal of another farmersorganization, the Ohio State Grange. Orga-nized in 1872, it was unique in admittingwomen to full membership and focusing onall aspects of farm life.

Albert Belmont Graham started 4-Hin Clark County in 1902 to teach childrenabout agriculture, geology, and natural his-tory through practical application and tobuild character. Three years after foundingthe organization, Graham became the first

superintendent of agricultural extension inOhio. The purpose of extension, as elabo-rated in the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, wasto aid in diffusing among the people of theUnited States useful and practical informa-tion in subjects relating to agriculture andhome economics and to encourage the appli-cation of the same. Extension exemplifieda land-grant universitys duty to conductresearch, provide education, and serve thepublic. Building communities and increas-ing knowledge of scientific farming meth-ods were two important goals, achieved

chiefly through research, publications, andmeetings. Both 4-H and agricultural exten-sion are still active organizations.

Another federal act, the Smith-HughesAct of 1917, encouraged vocational train-ing in public schools in the areas of agri-culture, home economics, and the buildingtrades. This development paved the wayfor the formation of the Future Farmers ofAmerica Association in 1928. The organiza-tion aimed to prepare members for careers

in agriculture and related professions. In2000, the Ohio FFA had more than 20,000members.

BibliographyBrown, John T. Agriculture in Ohio: Its

Beginning and Development. Columbus,Ohio Department of Agriculture, 1940.

Burkett, Charles William. History ofOhio Agriculture: A Treatise on the Devel-opment of the Various Lines and Phasesof Farm Life in Ohio. Concord: RumfordPress, 1900.

Cunningham, John F. The Story ofOhio Agriculture. Unpublished typescript,[1960?].

Did You Know. Ohio Departmentof Agriculture. Web Site. April 10, 2003..

The Evolution of 4-H. Ohio 4-H YouthDevelopment. Web Site. April 10, 2003..

History of Extension. Ohio State Uni-versity Extension. Web Site. April 10, 2003..Hurt, R. Douglas. Ohio Agriculture

Since World War II. Ohio History. 1999

(97): 50-71.Jones, Robert Leslie. History of Agri-

culture in Ohio to 1880. Kent: Kent StateUniversity Press, 1983. Knepper, George W.Ohio and Its People. 2d ed. Kent: Kent StateUniversity Press, 1997. n

Ohio FFA History. Ohio FFA Associa-tion. Web Site. April 10, 2003. .

Roseboom, Eugene H. and Francis P.Weisenburger. A History of Ohio .Colum-bus: The Ohio Historical Society, 1991.

Ohio. Department of Agriculture. TheFarmers Centennial History of Ohio 1803-1903. Springfield: Springfield PublishingCo., State Printers, 1904.

Ohio Agricultural Research and Devel-opment Center. Web Site. July 17, 2001..


6/16


PITSENBARGERSUPPLY INC.

234 N. Canal St., Delphos Phone 419-692-1010AUTO PARTS

Gearing up for springMaintenance Tips

Weve established a list of six easy-to-perform planter maintenance tipsthat will make sure your planter is ready to do its job efficiently, resultingin an optimal yield at years end.

So, prior to heading into the field this spring, be sure to1. Level the Planter:This is a very important step when preparing to hit

the fields for planting. The planter should be level or running slightly up-hill. If its running downhill, it will likely throw the roll unit off, causing aloss of depth, loss of ground pressure, and a loss of closing wheel pressure.Take a level and put it against the front of the beam to make sure its levelor running slightly uphill for optimal performance.

2. Check Tire Pressure: As is the case with any vehicle, proper tireinflation levels are critical. Optimal tire pressure levels on the planter willensure proper depth control and proper operation throughout the process.Refer to the operators manual for ideal tire pressure levels and be sure toalign those levels with all tires across your planter.

3. Check Row Unit Bushings:Checking up on bushings is a cheap andeasy way to keep your planter from chattering in the fields. A lot of chatterand movement in your bushings can result in a loss of depth in seed place-ment. Simply grab a hold of the unit and see if you can move it. If theresany movement occurring at all, its likely time to replace the bushings andmake the unit nice and tight.

4. Check Condition of Disks:Disks that are in good condition ensure aneven emergence of the crop being planted. Its very common to see cropsappear in a W pattern if the disks are worn down too much, which could

result in a loss of yield. A good way to test is to take the disk and measureacross. It should be more than 14 inches wide at all points and if thenumber is less, the disk should be replaced.

5. Check Shafts, Bearings, and Chain:The hex shaft and bearings onthe planter should be turning easily. First, grab the hex shaft and make sureyou can spin it by hand, if you cant, you may need to replace bearings.Also, make sure your chains arent worn out. Check to confirm theres notight spots, and keep them well lubricated. If you dont keep chains on theplanter lubricated, you will likely experience chattering in your roll unitand the possibly of losing seeds and/or uneven distribution.

6. Check Seed Metering System:The seed disk and metering system arecritical parts of seed distribution. As normal wear is normal on seed disks,

too much wear can begin to affect the planting process through frequentskips, doubles and triples. Also, be sure to take metering units apart beforeuse to check condition and remove any dirt that may be built up from lastseason.

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Growing crops that make life good

Were lucky to have nutritious food,grown close to home.

The Agricultural Councilof America will celebrate AgDay this year with the themeAgriculture: 365 Sunrises and 7Billion Mouths to Feed. Whetherwe buy prepackaged food or eat

from the local garden stand, thestuff that our farmers grow is liter-ally something we could not livewithout.

But American farmers do morethan just produce our food. Thebiggest cash crop in the USAthese days is corn, grown for fuel.Soybeans, the second-biggest crop,

are mostly grown as animal feed,and not just for our herds here.Chinese pigs are fed on affordableAmerican soybeans, allowing thatcountrys people access to betternutrition than its seen in a long

time. That means our producersare playing a more critical rolethan ever in everyday life, acrossAmerica and beyond.

Consumer values here at home areevolving, with more and more demandfor locally grown fresh foods andmore community supported agricul-ture. What is a CSA farm? According

to the US Department of Agriculture,it is an agricultural business supportedby a community of subscribers whocollectively share the risks and bene-ts of food production. By pledgingto buy regular produce baskets from

a particular farm during the growingseason, members guarantee the salaryof the farmer, who in turn shares thebounty of naturally grown fruit andvegetables. This direct sales approachensures that farmers are encouragedto continue in agriculture and keepproviding Americans with fresh food,grown close to home.

MARCH25,2014

National

Agriculture Day


8/16


Save money, eat healthier and better taste!

Canning & Preserving

From Canning and PreservingAll-in-One For Dummies

by Consumer DummiesCanning and preserving are ways to pro-

tect food from spoilage so that you can usethe food at a later time. Theres no doubtthat being able to offer fresh-tasting, home-

canned, or -preserved foods to your familyand friends throughout the year is definitelyone of lifes luxuries.

Whatever preservation method youchoose, your efforts will benefit you inmany ways:

A pantry full of fresh, homegrown foods:Having a stocked pantry offers a cushionagainst the fluctuating cost of healthy foods.

Convenience: You can build a pantry ofconvenience foods that fit into your busylifestyle and that your family will enjoy.

Protection against rising food costs: The

whole idea of canning and preserving isto take advantage of fresh food when itsabundant. And abundant food generallymeans lower cost.

A sense of relaxation and accomplish-ment: For many people, working in thekitchen and handling food provides a senseof relaxation, and watching family andfriends enjoy the products of your effortsgives you a great sense of accomplishment.

Confidence in the ingredients that go intoyour food: If you love fresh ingredients and

like to know what goes into your food, do-ing your own canning and preserving is theanswer.

A good time: Producing canned and pre-served food in your kitchen is fun and easy and who doesnt like fun?

The price of food has skyrocketed in thelast few years. Food safety has become aconcern for everyone. Canning is the an-swer to both the price dilemma and the de-sire to offer nutritious foods throughout theyear.

Basic Techniques for Canningand Preserving FoodYoull have no doubts about preparing

safe home-canned and preserved food af-ter you discover what each method does,which method is best for different foods,the rules for the technique you choose, andsafe food-handling techniques.

Canning food is the most popular pre-serving method used today and is the pro-

cess of applying heat to food thats sealed in

a jar in order to destroy any microorganismsthat can cause food spoilage. All foods con-tain these microorganisms. Proper canningtechniques stop this spoilage by heating thefood for a specific period of time and killingthese unwanted microorganisms. Also, dur-ing the canning process, air is driven fromthe jar, and a vacuum is formed as the jarcools and seals. This vacuum prevents mi-croorganisms from entering and recontami-nating the food.

Although you may hear of many can-ning methods, only two are approved by the

United States Department of Agriculture(USDA):

Water-bath canning: This method, some-times referred to as hot water canning, usesa large kettle of boiling water. Filled jarsare submerged in the water and heated toan internal temperature of 212 degrees for aspecific period of time. Use this method forprocessing high-acid foods, such as toma-

See CANNING, page 12

toes, fruit and items made from it, pickles,

and pickled food.Pressure canning: Pressure canning uses

a large kettle that produces steam in alocked compartment. The filled jars in thekettle reach an internal temperature of 240

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degrees under a specific pressure (stated inpounds) thats measured with a dial gaugeor weighted gauge on the pressure-cannercover. Use a pressure canner for processingvegetables and other low-acid foods, such asmeat, poultry, and fish.

Other methods for

preserving food includeFreezing food:Freezing food is the art ofpreparing and packaging foods at their peakof freshness and plopping them into thefreezer to preserve all that seasonal good-ness. Freezing is a great way to preservefoods that cant withstand the high tempera-tures and long cooking of conventional can-ning methods. The keys to freezing food areto make sure that the food youre freezing isabsolutely fresh, that you freeze it as quicklyas possible, and that you keep it at a properfrozen temperature (0 degrees).

Drying food: When you dry food, youexpose the food to a temperature thats highenough to remove the moisture but lowenough that it doesnt cook. Good air circu-lation assists in evenly drying the food. Anelectric dehydrator is the best and most ef-ficient unit for drying, or dehydrating, food.

Smoking, salting, and curing food: Smok-ing foods, especially meats, adds a new di-mension of flavor to your diet. Smoking isa simple process that infuses smoky flavorsinto ordinary cuts of meat. Applying rubs

and curing in brine, in addition to smoking,increases the number of ways that your ho-hum meats can become spectacular.

Fermenting: Fermenting is the process


9/16


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Farm honey bees toboost crop yield

BY ANNE COBURN-GRIFFISSentinel [email protected]

DELPHOS Once the extended coldof Winter 2014 snaps, Putnam County resi-dents can expect to see sprouting daffodilsand other bulbed flowers. Front yard shrubswill bloom and bees will race from flower toflower, if we are lucky.

In recent years, the honeybee populationhas declined considerably and scientistscontinue to study and debate why bees seem

to be dying out. Commercial beekeepers inthe United States have reported deaths oftens of thousands of honeybee colonies.

Tim Arheit, president of the Ohio Bee-keepers Association, vice president of theNorthwest Ohio Beekeepers Associationand operator of Honey Run Apiaries, Del-phos, isnt predicting good news for the nearfuture.

Unfortunately, things havent been get-ting any better, said Arheit. We still havethe unusually high losses. Ten or 20 years

ago, a loss of five to 15 percent over winterwas the norm. Now its often 20 or 30 per-cent, which is hard to sustain.

Officials in the United States Departmentof Agriculture and the Environmental Pro-tection Agency have not been able to de-termine why the honeybee population hasundergone such a steep decline. Arheit saidthat although scientists havent pin-pointedone single cause for the decline, he does be-lieve that lack of nutrition, the use of pesti-cides and pests, such as mites, are contribut-

ing factors: The bees are just stressed outfrom everything.What Arheit is hearing this year is that

the expected loss per Ohio beekeeper is be-tween 40 to 70 percent: The worst part ofthis winter is not so much the cold because

bees can survive cold very well. Its thelength of the cold spell. We didnt get anyperiodic warmups. Bees need to be able toleave the hive to defecate. If they dont, dis-ease can spread in the hive. Its not a healthysituation for the bees.

The long cold spells came on top of a so-so honey year, according to Arheit. He ex-plained that most bees had to be fed sugarsyrup in the fall as most bees did not pro-

duce enough honey to survive the upcomingwinter: A typical hive will need 60 to 80pounds of honey to survive a typical winter.Beekeepers are going to need to be very at-

tentive to their hives, starting now, in orderto keep the bees going as they start to raiseyoung and eat through their stored honey.

Arheit still expects to see big bee lossesyet this year: I talked to one beekeeping-equipment vendor. A small-scale beekeeper

in Northeast Ohio with 150 hives calledthem. At this point, hes already lost 90 per-cent.

Once winter is over, the Farmers Alma-nac is predicting unseasonable hot, dry tem-peratures for May and June. This could begood news for the bees. Arheit explainedthat bees love the heat, as long as there isa fresh source of water nearby that they cancirculate to cool the hive.

In general, drier years tend to be moreproductive, within reason. In a wet year,you get so much moisture in the soil that thenectar gets watered down, he explained. If

they collect nectar that has a lot of water init, they have to work more to evaporate thewater. They have to make more trips to get acertain amount of sugar in their nectar. Andif its rainy, bees tend not to fly. But if it getstoo dry, there may be no nectar left in the

plants for the bees to get.Even with the uncertainties, Arheit andother beekeepers encourage people to addan apiary to their landscape. Scientists andagriculturalists do, too. Honeybees are in-strumental in transferring pollen from plantto plant, which helps to foster many agri-cultural species. Bees help pollinate morethan 90 commercially-grown field crops,citrus and other fruit crops, vegetablesand nut crops. Without these insects, cropyields would decrease dramatically andsome foods may cease to exist. Without

bees, food production would diminish andthe prices of produce would soar.

A lot of people want them for their gar-den. Some want to do it just because theywant to save bees, said Arheit. Its stillfarming. In some cases its kind of likeraising any animal combined with rais-ing crops. Youre not only at the whims ofthe health of the animal, youre also at thewhims of the weather as far as producinga crop. But if you forget to feed bees fora few days, they wont die on you. If you

inspect them every couple of weeks, thatsgenerally enough.

Arheit attributes beekeeping hobbyistswith providing research that has helped theindustry as a whole: A lot of what werelearning comes from smaller beekeepingoperations. They watch the behavior of thebees more than a commercial operator whohas 1,000-plus hives. A lot of 4-H projectsinvolve keeping bees.

And people shouldnt be afraid to livenext door to someone who keeps bees, he

said.I had a hive in my yard about five orsix feet away from my driveway. I haveUPS pickup daily to ship out supplies andhoney, he added. We had the same UPS

See BEES, page 14


11/16


Fun Farm Facts Mature turkeys have more than 3,500 feathers. There are 47 different breeds of sheep in the U.S. Pork is the most widely eaten meat in the world.

The average person consumes 584 pounds of dairy products a year. 160 degrees Fahrenheit is the correct cooking temperature to ensure safe and

savory ground beef. Elevators in the Statue of Liberty use a soybean-based hydraulic fluid. Like snowflakes, no two cows have exactly the same pattern of spots. The longest recorded flight of a chicken is 13 seconds. Twenty-nine cuts of beef meet government guidelines for lean. The average dairy cow produces seven gallons of milk a day, 2,100 pounds of

milk a month, and 46,000 glasses of milk a year. Turkeys originated in North and Central America, and evidence indicates that

they have been around for more than 10 million years. Agriculture employs more than 24 million American workers (17% of the total

U.S. work force). Todays American farmer feeds about 155 people worldwide. In 1960, that num-ber was 25.8.

Raising beef cattle is the single largest segment of American agriculture. One pound of wool can make 10 miles of yarn. There are 150 yards (450 feet) of

wool yarn in a baseball. Soybeans are an important ingredient for the production of crayons. In fact, one

acre of soybeans can produce 82,368 crayons. The heaviest turkey ever raised weighed 86 pounds, about the size of an average

third-grader. Cows are herbivores, so they only have teeth on the bottom. There are 350 squirts in a gallon of milk. Cows must give birth to a calf in order to produce milk.

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12/16


Canning (Continued from page 8)Avoiding tractor overturnsTractor overturns are the leading cause of death on farms. It takes less than a

second for a tractor to roll over.

Men aged fifty years old or more are the main victims of tractor overturns

because they sometimes use old equipment that does not meet modern safety stan-

dards. The circumstances of these accidents are commonplace and almost always

preventable. Side overturns occur when the tractor is manoeuvred too close to aditch or a bank. Rear overturns are often linked to pulling logs and can be avoided

by never attaching a towing chain above a tractors tool bar.

Older tractors were not originally equipped with a safety frame or a roll-over

protective structure (ROPS). New tractors now come equipped with safety frames,

but it is possible to install them on older tractor models.

Tractor drivers should also wear seat belts to hold them

in the safety zone of the tractor and prevent them from

being ejected into a dangerous area.

Equipping tractors with safety frames and ensur-

ing that drivers wear seat belts

are by far the most effective

safety measures that can

be taken in order to avoid

death and serious injury

when roll-overs occur.

Tractors should beequipped with a safetyframe and a seat beltin order to avoid fatal

accidents.

introducing good bacteria into foods, in asafe way. Much more than beer-making,fermenting is the technique behind the sourtang of sauerkraut, vinegar, and yogurts.Fermenting is also the perfect beginnerspreserving technique because it takes verylittle time and requires a short list of ingre-dients.

Juicing: Juicing is a wonderful way tointroduce healthy eating in a playful (anddelicious) way to anyone who eyes a sal-ad with suspicion. Juicing includes fruits,greens, and vegetables in combinations thatmay surprise you. Full-bodied and filling,

juicing is a great way to bring tasty foodsthat might otherwise be overlooked to thetable.

Preserve Food by Canning,Freezing, and Drying This at-a-glance guide shows how topreserve foods by canning, freezing, anddrying. People have been preserving foodfor eons. Newer, safer food preservationtechniques and equipment enable you tostock your pantry or freezer with delicious,healthy foods. Pick your preferred method water-bath canning, pressure canning,freezing, or drying and follow these ba-sic instructions.

Water-Bath Canning PressureCanning Drying Freezing

1. Gather supplies and equipment; keep jarshot.2. Prepare food.3. Fill your jars, leaving proper headspaceand releasing air bubbles. Put on lids andhand-tighten screw bands. .4. Place jars in water-bath canner.5. Bring water to boil and allow to boil foramount of time specified in recipe.6. At end of processing time, remove jars

and allow to cool completely.7. Test seals.8. Store!

Pressure Canning1. Gather supplies and equipment; keep jarshot.2. Prepare food.3. Fill your jars, leaving proper headspaceand releasing air bubbles. Put on lids andhand-tighten screw bands.4. Place jars in pressure canner.5. Close and lock the canner.

6. Process jars as outlined in the recipe.7. At end of processing time, allow pressureto return to 0.8. Remove jars from canner and allow tocool completely.9. Test seals.10. Store!

Drying1. Gather supplies.2. Prepare food.

3. Arrange food on dehydrator trays.4. Dry at specified temperature, occasion-ally turning food and rotating trays.5. Check for doneness, using guidelines inrecipe for what properly dried food looksand feels like.6. Place in airtight storage container andstore in cool, dry place out of direct sun-light.

Freezing1. Gather supplies.2. Prepare food.3. Place food in freezer containers, leavingspecified headspace (if using rigid contain-ers) or pressing out all excess air (if usingfreezer storage bags).4. Slightly chill food or, if it was blanched,

allow to come to room temperature.5. Loosely pack food in freezer.6. When completely frozen, repack moretightly in freezer.

This material is reproduced with per-mission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Copy-right 2014 & Trademark by John Wiley& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

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What would farmers do without their

ploughs and fertilizers? Save money, accord-

ing to some farmers in the United States!

More and more of them are switching to

the no-till farming method as well as reduc-

ing their use of fertilizers. The result is

revitalized soil that is all natural. This quietrevolution may seem like a miracle, but in

actual fact it is simply a new technique called

conservation agriculture, one that opens the

way to intensive farming methods that are

less costly and more respectful of the envi-

ronment.

No-till farming is based on three insepa-

rable principles: organic soil cover, no-till

seeding, and crop rotation. According to

latest figures from the US Department of

Agriculture, one third of American crops are

not ploughed, and 50 percent of those aresoy crops.

Conservation agriculture allows for the

rebuilding of nutrient levels in soils that have

become dependent on fertilizers. To prepare

a field, a ground cover such as clover, alfalfa,

or ryegrass is seeded. These plants produce

a sort of carpet which protects the soil from

erosion and develops roots several metresdeep. During the winter, these grasses capture

and store nitrogen from the air in the form of

nitrates (nitrogen transforms into nitrates)

within the root nodules. When these plants

die, the nodules become nitrogen reservoirs

that decompose much more slowly than

fertilizers. These white nodules, packed with

natural, free fertilizers, can be found just by

turning the soil over with a spade.

Corn, for example, can feed from the richly

decaying organic matter of the preceding sea-son as well as the cover crops.

The no-till agricultural revolution

Its common knowledge that before

planting the soil needs to be prepared,

either in the form of tillage or the use

of chemicals to kill the weeds. Tillage

methods can be divided into three main

categories, depending on the amount of

crop residue they leave on the surface.

Conventional tillage A bit of a history

lesson, up until about 20 years ago the

standard tillage practice for corn was the

use of the moldboard plow followed by

several secondary tillage and mechanical

cultivation. Todays farmers have turned

away from that method because mold-

board plows tend to leave minimal crop

residue on the soil surface, in turn decreas-

ing valuable organic matter.

Reduced tillage is usually done with achisel plow and leaves 15% to 30% resi-

due coverage on the soil.

Conservation tillage leaves at least

30% residue coverage on the soil. An

example of conservation tillage is no-till,

where no tillage is done at all. Other exam-

ples are strip-till, ridge till, and mulch till.

The use of herbicide may be used in

addition to all these tillage methods to

kill weeds. In no-till fields, the herbicide

is applied directly on last seasons crop

residue. In other methods, some soil prep-

aration takes place before the herbicide

is applied. A common myth is that moreherbicide is used with conservation tillage

methods, but in fact farmers rely on her-

bicides for weed control under all tillage

practices. The amount used is more or less

independent of tillage methods.

Along will tillage comes the risk of soil

erosion. The best tillage method to reduce

tillage is conservation tillage. This method

leaves at least 30% residue cover on the

ground. The simple, low-cost practice

can have a huge impact on the amountof soil eroded. Due to energy saving and

improvements in soil quality, conservation

tillage has been widely adopted across the

Midwest.

Soil preparation is a crucial step for a

healthy crop and longevity of the land.

Its important to determine whats the best

method for your farm ground.

Soil preparation for spring season

With planting season right around the corner, everyone is itching to get out into thefield. Before the time comes, its important to think about proper soil preparation.

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driver for about two years who parked histruck every day right next to the hive. Aftertwo years he asked, What are you shippingout all the time? When I told him, he asked,

Where are your hives? I said, Yourestanding right next to one. There are a fewshampoos that might attract them but as longas you follow best-management practices,the impact to your neighbors should be neg-ligible. And you can share honey.

The Ohio Beekeepers Association offers aguide to best-management practices at www.

BEES(Continued from page 8) ohiostatebeekeepers.org that can help to ele-

viate tension between bee enthusiasts andtheir neighbors. Local association contactand beekeeping supply information can alsobe found on the website.

For more face-to-face information about

beekeeping, the Northwest Ohio BeekeepersAssociation meets 7:30-9:30 p.m. the fourthTuesday of every month, January-May andSeptember-November at Pandora-GilboaHigh School. For those interested in start-ing a hive or two in 2014, Arheit encouragesthem to order now as packages of bees areselling out quickly this year.

by Matt ReeseThe complexities of nutrient management do not

simply require occasional attention on the farm. Prop-

erly managing nutrients requires year-round effort,attention to details and careful record keeping. Withthese things in mind, the Shelby County Soil and WaterConservation District, Cargill in Sidney, and the Shel-by County Farm Bureau teamed up to help farmers inthe increasingly important management of the nutrientsthat are necessary components of crop and livestockproduction.

I am not sure you can go to any farm meeting in thestate right now and not have this topic come up, saidAndrea Guckes with Cargill. We were very fortunateto work with a lot of people who really know their stuffand we were really excited to be a part of this.

The effort that began last August has resulted in aneducational toolkit for producers Water Quality &Nutrient Management from Planning to Placement

to Profit.The toolkit contains a glossy wall calendar featuringpictures of local agriculture and a monthly tip for nutri-ent management during that time of year.

Each page has a tip of the month that makes themthink about nutrient management to get folks thinkingabout what they need to be doing at that time of year,said Jason Bruns, with the Shelby County Soil andWater Conservation District. Anything we can do tokeep nutrient management in the forefront of produc-ers minds is an added benefit.

The toolkit is an educational binder containingdata recording sheets for farmers to track applicationsof nutrients, seed varieties, planting dates, marketinginformation, and other pertinent data. The binder alsocontains a variety of Extension fact sheets to help pro-

ducers make informed nutrient management decisions.Topics include the 4Rs, phosphorus fertility recom-

mendations and soil test interpretationSoil tests are not easy things to read and they can

say many things. This helps producers because they

can put it on their shelf and refer to it when they needto. We want to see folks have a basic understandingof nutrient management on their farms. The bulk ofthe publication is the Tri-State Fertility Guide. Lots offolks have heard about it, but many people dont ac-tually have one, Bruns said. We also thought about,What are we lacking when we talk about managingnutrients in Ohio? A big chunk of that is record keep-ing. Hopefully, when a producer is done with this fieldrecord sheet, they will have all the information righthere when they come into the Farm Service office orfor crop insurance. Weve been missing the records ofwhat they have been doing historically. This is a toolto move us in the right direction with record keeping.

Ohio Farm Bureau senior director of environmen-tal policy Larry Antosch said that this tool kit fills an

important need in agriculture in Shelby County, andaround Ohio.

This tool can be invaluable in helping Ohio agricul-ture. As this water quality issue has been surfacing overthe last several years, we have been searching for sometype of record keeping system that works. There reallyisnt one out there, Antosch said. This can help trackand document what you need.

Farmers need to be prepared for coming legislationon this issue and this tool can help.

This is something that is not going to go away. Thisis a national and international concern that is getting alot of attention. The public has different expectationsthat everything is going to be blue skies and rainbowstomorrow, Antosch said. We need to be able to say,

Here is what we are doing and here is what we canexpect.

Water quality and nutrient managementtoolkit developed to address growing need

15


15/16


I FarmThe greatest fine

art of the future

will be the makingof a comfortable

living from a small

piece of land.

Abraham Lincoln

Four of us sat in a doctors office wait-ing area. The Price is Right was on TV, butwasnt entertaining any of us. A pile of Pre-vention magazines sat on the end table un-

touched. Small talk about Ohios crazy win-ter weather turned into a conversation aboutwhat each of us does for a living.

A 40-ish smartly dressed man is an attor-ney, specifically one who prosecutes crimi-nals. A woman with silver gray highlightssaid she had recently retired from 20 yearsteaching special education, and is beginninga second career as a small business owner.The third individual is a self-proclaimedtech nerd web developer.

Ivory Harlowat Dickie Bird Farm

I farmI farm, I said rather sheepishly. I didnt

think farming warranted bragging rights liketheir fancy and interesting jobs. I assumedthese professionals didnt want to hearabout my livestock or vegetables. Boy wasI wrong.

What kind of farming? The lawyerasked with enthusiasm.

You do important work! The retired-

teacher-turned-entrepreneur exclaimed, afterI gave a detailed description of Dickie BirdFarms small sustainable farm structure.

Did you always want to be a farmer?The nerd inquired.

Later it occurred to me that their interest inmy occupation and farm operation was two-fold: First, Im not a stereotypical farmer.Most city and suburban people imagine afarmer as an aged, bib-wearing male with alip packed with chaw. They suppose a farmerinherits his great-grandfathers farmland. Ion the other hand, am young, college-edu-cated, and female. I dont wear overalls orchew tobacco.

My parents did not farm.The second reason for my new friends in-

terest in my profession is that none of them

had ever meta farmer. Thedays of milkdeliveries from

your friendlydairy farmer arebygone, as arethe days whengrocery shelveswere stockedwith fruits andvegetables fromthe farm downthe road.

Most moderneaters go their

entire lifetimes without knowing the menand women who raise their food.The good news is that the future of farm-

ing favors a return to the small farm model.I built Dickie Bird Farm with the intentionof shaking my customers hands. Many ofmy fellow young farmers are creating simi-lar sustainable systems on their own smallpieces of land.

Did you always want to be a farmer?After completing a military enlistment

and college, I worked in numerous occupa-tions including: short order cook, retail sales,

logistics, and Government contracting. Iwaitressed and managed a massage clinic.Although I gained experience and friends ateach job, no job satisfied my craving for realand meaningful work. I dreamed of doingsomething that nurtured my spirit, the earthand my community. I wanted work that in-spired confidence and creativity. Farmingoffers all this and more.

Dickie Bird Farm

My favorite thing about being a farmer isthat I wake up every day knowing exactlywhat needs to be done and Im empoweredto do it.

At Dickie Bird Farm my husband and Icultivate over 100 varieties of mostly heir-

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loom vegetables. We raise free range chick-ens and turkey for eggs and meat. I milk asmall herd of dairy goat and make cheese.

I recently added a Red Wriggler Wormranch to the farm to enhance our compost-ing system. In farming, Ive found that evenundesirable chores like cleaning the barn innegative temperatures and hauling manurein the rain is real and meaningful work thatis satisfying, honest and true.

I invite you to join in my weekly farmadventures at farmanddairy.com. Ill shareinsight Ive gained building a sustainable

farm system at Dickie Bird Farm. Ill talkabout how you can grow-your-own and do-it-yourself. I hope youll join in the conver-sation with what has worked on your farm orin your backyard.

About the AuthorIvory Harlow lives and farms in South-

ern Ohio with her husband, pet turkey BigMama, and other livestock. Be her farm friendat www.facebook.com/dickiebirdfarm or [email protected].

16 Th H ld A i lt l T b M h 2014


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14 agriculture salute

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