In early July chief negotiators from the 12-member countries of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) met in Ottawa, Ontario, to continue working through technical issues of the various chapters. While the prevailing view is that continuous progress is being made on resolving texts in a number of areas, decisions on several unresolved issues will have to be made at the ministerial levels of the member countries.

In addition, many of the unresolved issues in non-agricultural areas continue to be dependent on the outcome of the ongoing bilateral discussions between the United States and Japan on market access issues regarding agricultural products, particularly the sensitive products (rice, dairy, beef, pork, wheat, barley and sugar) and automobiles. Another round of bilateral meetings between the two countries were held in Washington, D.C. later this month. The TPP negotiations have high stakes for agriculture.

“We see other TPP countries now realizing that Japan is a real problem here, so I think there is going to be added pressure on Japan to add more market access,” said Howard Hill, National Pork Producers Council president. “It could increase our exports to Japan close to another billion dollars.”

The widespread sentiment is that the TPP negotiations need to be completed by the end of the year in order to take advantage of the momentum from multi-year discussions. During discussions with various countries’ negotiators, U.S. private-sector stakeholders once again questioned when the United States will formally consider the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). The TPA would give Congress the ability to be more actively engaged in the negotiation process and would give the administration the formal right to negotiate.

In addition to the private stakeholder discussions, the U.S. Grains Council and other U.S. commodity sectors met with the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance, a coalition of national and regional producers, processors and exporters who support a more open and fair international trading environment for agriculture and agri-food. Both groups pledged to cooperate and collaborate on achieving aggressive elimination of agricultural market access trade barriers, improve disciplines on addressing sanitary and phytosanitary non-tariff barriers, and improve transparency and cooperation on biotechnology regulations, including low-level presence policies.

Growers who want to learn more about how using precision agriculture technologies can help them make informed agronomic decisions can attend the Northwest Ohio Precision Agriculture Day Aug. 5, offered by experts with Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

The annual day-long event will offer information on combines, precision harvest technology, grain handling and data collection and will feature discussions and demonstrations from college researchers and farm equipment, seed and technology professionals, said Eric Richer, an Ohio State University Extension educator.

The event, which is geared toward producers, certified crop consultants and anyone interested in precision agriculture, will feature presentations from CFAES and OSU Extension, Richer said.

OSU Extension is the outreach arm of the college.

This year, the event will focus on combines, precision harvest technology, grain handling, harvest safety and data collection, he said.

“This field day can benefit growers by offering them insight on the latest technology used to harvest data while harvesting grain,” Richer said. “Growers can also take part in a discussion of imagery data collected with drones.

“Producers will also have a chance to interact and dialogue with manufacturers and their corresponding technology representatives.”

The workshop is from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Fulton County Fairgrounds, 8591 State Route 108, in Wauseon. The program, which includes lunch, is free but pre-registration by July 31 is required.

Topics to be discussed include:

• Using data telematics to make informed agronomic decisions.

• Grain harvest and roadway safety.

• What are all the harvest possibilities using technology.

• Imagery data collected with drones.

• Critical factors for maximum combine performance and successful deployment of precision ag technologies.

The event will also feature a discussion by John Fulton, the newly hired OSU Extension Machine and Precision Systems specialist, who will discuss using data telematics to make informed agronomic decisions. The afternoon session will include field demonstrations featuring several models of combines with a focus on how farmers and CCAs can adjust their machine and calibrate harvest technology prior to this fall’s harvest, Richer said. Archbold Equipment CaseIH, Kenn-Feld John Deere and Ohio Ag Equipment with Lexion and Gleaner representatives will be on site to discuss with farmers how to adjust their machine and calibrate harvest technology prior to harvest, Richer said.

Five hours of certified crop adviser credits are available, he said.

For more information on the field day or to register, contact Richer at 419-337-9210 or richer.5@osu.edu. More information, including an agenda and list of sponsors, can be found at fulton.osu.edu.

It is easy to see that farms are getting larger due to economics and efficiency, but it is often just as easy to miss the increasing number of small farms offering more diverse, local options for a hungry market.

“I don’t necessarily believe that you have to get big or get out,” said Bill Huhman, who along with his wife, Linda, owns Farmer Bill’s Produce and Honey in Pickaway County. “I think we can make this work.”

The Huhmans have around four acres of fruit and vegetable production on their 12-acre property near Williamsport. They have bees for honey production as well. Both had careers off the farm for many years, but they wanted to take a shot at producing food.

“We like the independence, though there are days we don’t feel very independent. The result depends on the effort we put into it and we like that,” Huhman said. “We are always looking at better ways of doing things to improve.”

The wet summer of 2013, followed by a brutal winter, severely cut back the honey production on the farm for this year.

“We had 25 hives, but 20 died this winter. We had a rainy summer last year and the hives didn’t build up. Then we got hit with the cold weather,” he said. “Honey is an important part of our revenue when we have it. Right now we are building up our bees instead of getting much honey. The cost of replacement bees has gotten pretty high so now we are doing other things. You’ve got to be flexible.”

The couple grows blackberries, apples, greens, tomatoes, garlic, onions, grapes, and peppers, among other crops, in the field and in high and low tunnels on the farm.

“Sometimes when I am out working on the farm I feel like I’m in a 17^th Century picture without the horses,” he said.

They are considering adding poultry and goats and more practices for season extension, including hydroponics. Along with produce, the Huhmans have diversified with fresh baked goods, jellies and jams. All of their products are sold either from a corner stand in Williamsport or at farmers markets in Columbus and Caesar Creek. Through the winter and early summer, the bulk of the small farm’s sales are baked goods and the jams, but produce sales pick up drastically in late summer and fall.

The schedule can be challenging with a growing season full of marketing and production.

“Yesterday I was setting late pepper plants until noon and we started gathering things for the market, then we baked bread until midnight. When we finished the bread, we made two batches of jelly,” Huhman said. “I went to bed at 2 in the morning and got up at 5:15 to prepare crops and load the truck for the market. My wife got up at 3:30 to make cinnamon rolls. On the weekend we do that three days in a row.”

With farm backgrounds, and years of extensive gardening experience, the production side has not offered as much of a learning curve for the Huhmans as the marketing side of the business.

“Some days we will sell out by noon and some days we end up taking half of everything we brought back home with us. Trying to figure that out has been a big part of what we are working to improve. People like local and they like fresh. We try to provide customers with good, locally produced food with integrity,” Huhman said. “I have always wanted to farm and I enjoy the production but we love the people too. At the markets, we meet several hundred people a week and almost all of them are really nice and interested in what we are doing. They tell us what they like and don’t like.”

They get many questions regarding how the food is produced.

“We are not organic because it doesn’t fit with what we are doing,” he said. “I tell people we are commonsense. We use a minimum of chemical inputs, but if I need them I use them. That is something that some people have very strong emotions about.”

The Huhmans are putting their best effort forward to make their small farm business succeed despite the inherent challenges.

“You only live once and we had the chance to do something on our own so we are going for it,” Huhman said. “We have been farming full time for a year and a half now, but the jury is still out on whether it will work or not.”

Fortunately for the Huhmans and other farms in Pickaway County, there is a significant community effort underway to try and build upon the strong agricultural heritage in the county and the prime location in central Ohio.

“We want to create experiences with our food here in Pickaway County. We want people to know where their food comes from, experience their food and have fun while they are here,” said Mike Estadt, Pickaway County Extension Educator. “We want people to come to our county, visit our famers and, while they are here, see what else the community has to offer. A lot of people come here in the third week of October for the Pumpkin Show. Our thought is that there are a lot of things throughout the year that we can share with people other than a Pumpkin Show. How do we get folks to come down from surrounding communities from April through September?”

The community got a USDA grant for the Ohio Fresh Foods Corridor project to support agriculture in the area. The Ohio Fresh Foods Corridor is a brand created by Pickaway County farmers who want to help people experience the connection with their food. The Corridor runs along U.S. 23 through Pickaway County and heads north toward Columbus and south toward Chillicothe and Portsmouth on the Ohio River offering countless opportunities for families to connect with their food.

The efforts to promote the new community brand are just getting started this month.

“This is about fresh food and produce. Our first event for the Ohio Fresh Food Corridor is as a lead sponsor for the WBNS Health and Fitness Expo in Columbus at the Expo Center in August. Attendees will walk through the entrance sponsored by the Corridor and they will walk through and experience a

Jams and jellies have become more important for Farmer Bill’s Produce and Honey.

farmers market type theme to highlight a variety of fresh foods and vegetables to showcase what we are doing here in Pickaway County. For two days we have floor space on the trade show and we will have our local growers in the booth. We have giveaways and literature. We also have a contest and the winner gets a year’s worth of fresh fruits and veggies and they will be automatically coming to Pickaway County to collect their prize,” Estadt said. “We hope to get some really good leads of people who are really interested in fresh fruits and vegetables. That convention draws 8,000 to 10,000 people. We think our growers would benefit from that. What better way to promote health and wellness than with Pickaway County grown fruits and vegetables?”

There are also some more local events where people can learn about the food that is being grown around them.

“Our downtown Circleville business association does an after work third-Thursday event, generally with music food and entertainment. Local restaurants do a food-sampling program. We’ll have our growers supplying some of the local restaurants for that,” Estadt said. “And the end of August or beginning of September we are having a dinner on a farm. It will be a fundraiser and any proceeds will go to the local agricultural fund in the Pickaway County Community Foundation and we will make a donation to the local food banks. The need for more food in the food banks is out there, so we decided to help there as well. We have also been doing workshops for new and beginning growers.”

Hopefully, the program will help farmers like Huhman and others to capitalize on the county’s rich agricultural tradition and proximity to Columbus and other large market urban centers.

“Our commodity producers understand that as close to Columbus as we are, in order to keep land in farmland, we need agricultural diversity in this county with specialty crops,” Estadt said. “We understand that big farms will keep getting bigger. We see more small farms, but it is getting tough in the middle. For those farms in the middle to make it, they are going to have to diversify. We have a lot of small farms in Pickaway County too. How do we support those people? We think branding a community that appreciates all forms of agriculture is important.”

In response to the water challenges recently faced in the city of Toledo, Gov. John R. Kasich and members of his Cabinet announced major new multi-agency initiatives that make available significant resources to local communities and the agriculture community to help further strengthen protections for Lake Erie water quality and local drinking water supplies.

The initiatives were unveiled by the directors of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Agriculture and Department of Natural Resources at the Kris Swartz Farm in Perrysburg.

“Lake Erie is one of Ohio’s most precious resources and each day millions turn to it for drinking as well as their livelihoods. Ohio has been increasingly aggressive in protecting it and we’re building on those efforts with new resources for those on the front lines of this battle. There’s more work to be done and we’re going to keep pushing forward,” Kasich said.

Highlights of the initiative include:

• $150 million in no-interest loans for improvements to local drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities, reconfirming a single statewide testing protocol for microcystin approved by the Ohio EPA and US EPA, $1 million for local water systems for testing equipment and training, and testing support from Ohio EPA’s lab for any system that requests it;

• Support for agriculture of $1.25 million for farmers to plant cover crops or install controlled drainage devices that protect against nutrient runoff and help support water quality, and;

• $2 million to Ohio universities for further research on algal blooms.

The nutrient reduction program for agriculture will be operated through the Ohio Clean Lakes Initiative, which has already helped protect more than 40,000 acres in northwest Ohio. The Ohio Phosphorus II Task Force report highlighted cover crops and controlled drainage structures as especially effective strategies for managing nutrients, and these practices will be targeted by the new $1.25 million effort. Cover crops improve soil health and decrease runoff, and some crops even store nutrients in the soil, thereby reducing the need for as much fertilizer in the spring. Controlled drainage structures and blind tile inlets are also especially effective as they reduce runoff and result in less nutrient loading into the watershed.

Nearly 30 Counties Could Benefit from the New Program: Grants will be available to Allen, Ashland, Auglaize, Crawford, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Huron, Lucas, Lorain, Marion, Medina, Mercer, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, Shelby, Van Wert, Williams, Wood and Wyandot counties. Starting immediately, producers in these counties can sign up for this program and are encouraged to contact their local Soil and Water Conservation District for more details.

Ohio Farm Bureau expressed appreciation for the Governor’s response to the situation in a statement.

“As we have seen in recent weeks, the importance of protecting our water resources is of the highest priority. We know that solving the problem will require a comprehensive approach that addresses all of the factors that are contributing to our water quality challenges,” Farm Bureau said in a statement. “Ohio farmers are committed to doing their part to address our water quality challenges, and we’re glad to see the governor’s multifaceted approach includes $150 million in investments for upgrades to drinking water and wastewater treatment infrastructure and $2 million in additional research.”

Over the past four years, Ohio has taken significant steps to protect the lake, including:

• Restricting water amounts that can be pumped out of the Lake Erie watershed;

• Enacting new regulations on fertilizer application to reduce the nutrient runoff that contributes to algal blooms;

• Reducing open-water dumping of Maumee River dredge material and prohibiting open-water dumping of Cuyahoga River dredge material;

• Banning oil and gas production under Lake Erie; and

• Helping combat invasive species via mutual aid agreements with nine other Great Lakes states and Canadian provinces.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) and The Ohio State University (OSU) announced they are beginning to offer training courses for the new Agricultural Fertilizer Applicator Certification Program.

Signed into law by Governor Kasich on May 22, Ohio Senate Bill 150 creates a first of its kind certification program for applying commercial fertilizer in Ohio.

“Through this training, Ohio’s farmers will learn to more effectively apply fertilizer, helping them control costs while helping the environment by reducing runoff,” said David T. Daniels, ODA Director. “I encourage all of our farmers to become certified as soon as possible and to adhere to the principles of applying the right fertilizer at the right rate at the right time and in the right place. This will help us meet our mutual goal of ensuring that the fertilizer we apply stays on the field where it can achieve its maximum effectiveness.“

Focusing on science-based practices, the bill requires farmers with 50 or more acres to attend a course on fertilizer application. In conjunction with OSU Extension, the following training courses are being offered to begin the program:

Fulton County
September 12, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Founders Hall at Sauder Farm and Craft Village
22611 State Route 2
Archbold, OH 43502

Hancock County
September 25, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
The Lighthouse Banquet Facility
10055 W. U.S. Rt. 224
Findlay, OH 45840

Paulding County
September 26, 8:30.a.m – 11:30 a.m.
OSU Extension Office
503 Fairgrounds Drive
Paulding, OH 45879

Future training sessions will be held throughout the state on both a county and regional basis. Persons intending to apply fertilizer on 50 or more acres must be certified no later than September 30, 2017.

“Our educators look forward to working with Ohio farmers to protect the state’s water quality through the training on best management practices for phosphorous management,” said Keith Smith, director, Ohio State University Extension, and associate vice president for agricultural administration at The Ohio State University. “These training courses, held in conjunction with the ODA, address a critical need and show agriculture’s commitment to Ohio’s natural resources.”

For more information on the Agricultural Fertilizer Applicator Certification Program, please visit www.ohioagriculture.gov/CommercialFertilizerCert.

Productivity-boosting agricultural innovations in Africa could lead to an increase in global deforestation rates and carbon emissions, a Purdue University study finds.

Historically, improvements in agricultural technology have conserved land and decreased carbon emissions at the global level: Gaining better yields in one area lessens the need to clear other areas for crops, sidestepping a land conversion process that can significantly raise the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.

Agricultural advances in Africa, however, could have the reverse effect, increasing globally the amount of undeveloped land converted to cropland and raising greenhouse gas emissions, said Thomas Hertel, a distinguished professor of agricultural economics.

“Increasing productivity in Africa — a carbon-rich region with low agricultural yields — could have negative effects on the environment, especially if agricultural markets are highly integrated,” he said. “This study highlights the importance of understanding the interplay between globalization and the environmental impacts of agricultural technology. They are deeply intertwined.”

Debate surrounds the effects of agricultural innovation on the environment, Hertel noted. Some researchers suggest that increasing the profitability of farming will amplify its negative environmental effects, raising greenhouse gas emissions and accelerating tropical deforestation. Others argue that intensifying agricultural production is better for the environment overall because more land can be spared for nature if the same amount of crops can be produced using less land.

“We set out to determine who was right,” Hertel said. “We discovered that both hypotheses can be valid — it depends on the local circumstances.”

Hertel and fellow researchers Navin Ramankutty and Uris Baldos developed a novel economic framework to analyze the effects of regional improvements in agricultural technology on global rates of land use and carbon emissions. Their analysis showed that historical “green revolutions” in regions such as Latin America and Asia – in which better varieties of cereal grains produced dramatic gains in harvests – helped spare land and diminish carbon emissions compared with an alternative scenario without crop innovations.

The global effects of a green revolution in Africa, however, are less certain, Hertel said.

“If the future global economy remains as fragmented as it has been historically — a world of very distinct agricultural markets — then a green revolution in Africa will lower global carbon emissions,” he said. “But if markets become more integrated, faster agricultural innovation in Africa could raise global carbon emissions in the coming decades.”

In an integrated world markets scenario, the researchers’ analysis showed that ramping up agricultural productivity in Africa over the years 2025-2050 could increase global cropland expansion by 1.8 million hectares (4.4 million acres) and global carbon emissions by 267 million metric tons.

The sharp differences between the global impacts of a prospective African green revolution and those of previous green revolutions can be traced to several factors, Hertel said.

In an African green revolution, the relatively lower yields of African croplands would require more area to be converted to agriculture to make up for the displaced crop production in the rest of the world. The area converted would likely be carbon intensive and have a low emissions efficiency – that is, crop yields would be low relative to the carbon emissions released by converting the land to crops.

But the potential negative effects of an African green revolution will diminish over time, Hertel said. If sustained over several decades, agricultural innovation in Africa would eventually conserve land and decrease carbon emissions, especially if yields improved quickly. The most carbon-rich land, however, should be immediately protected from conversion to cropland, he said.

“We need to prevent regions in Africa that are rich in carbon and biodiversity from being cleared for agriculture to avoid increasing emissions,” he said. “Boosting yields brings many benefits, but increasing global food supplies while minimizing the environmental footprint of agriculture remains a major challenge.”

An exhibit honoring the contributions of women in agriculture will be displayed at this year’s Farm Science Review.

“Women now make up 1 out of every 3 agricultural producers across the U.S.,” said Gigi Neal, Ohio State University Extension educator in agriculture and natural resources and co-leader of OSU Extension’s Ohio Women in Agriculture team. “We want to recognize the women who are often the backbone of agriculture across the state of Ohio.”

Neal asked Extension educators across Ohio to nominate women for the display, which will be housed in the Firebaugh Building at 384 Friday Ave. at this year’s Review.

“We have women represented who are anywhere from their mid-20s to one woman who is 100 years old — her birthday was Aug. 21,” Neal said.

In addition, some women are being honored posthumously, she said.

“Some of them are involved on the farm, in grain and livestock production,” Neal said. “Others are involved in value-added products. Some are from agri-business — lawyers, insurance, all types of agri-business women.

“It’s a nice representation of the variety of roles women play in agriculture, whether in urban or rural communities.”

The display was put together in honor of Extension’s 100th anniversary this year — not as a way to look back, but as a way to look forward, Neal said.

“Agriculture is for everyone, but many people don’t realize just how important women are to an operation’s success,” she said. “They’re the wife, the finance person, the mother, the go-fer, the shuttle-bus driver.

“They’re also often the owner-operator, and have been the largest growing segment of the food/ag business sector. They’re really the foundation for so many things that happen in agriculture, and we want to help people recognize that.”

Earlier this year, OSU Extension created the Ohio Women in Agriculture team to coordinate programs and projects aimed at that audience, including the annual Women in Agriculture conference in northeast Ohio and Annie’s Project offerings in counties throughout the state.

Later this year, Neal said, the team plans to create news-you-can-use podcasts aimed at women both on the farm and in the backyard garden. Neal will post such information on the website of the Clermont County office of OSU Extension at clermont.osu.edu.

This summer we had three fluffy little kittens running around in the barn that both of our children adored — Little Stripy, Balderdash and Kitty. One morning when my wife was out doing chores in the barn with the help of our five-year-old son, little Kitty made the very unfortunate decision to hop right beside the dog food bowl while our aging lab-mix was eating. A quick growl and a snap from the grumpy 85-pound dog was all it took to send one kitten flying in multiple directions. It was a gory, but quick, finale for poor little Kitty.

Being around livestock every day, our son was upset about the loss of one of his kittens, but he quickly moved on with life, and apparently a new story to share with friends. A few days later we were driving home from a Cloverbud meeting when my wife got a phone call from a concerned mother. At the meeting, our son had shared the graphic, unedited details about the untimely demise of one of his former favorite kittens with her young (and at that point quite distraught) daughter.

While I am not sure where my son gets his proclivity for story telling, I do know that growing up on a farm provides insights into realities of life that many young people do not get these days. And, while learning lessons about life’s harsh realities can be painful and challenging, it is also necessary.

For thousands of years, mankind has worked tirelessly to insulate our lives from the harshness of reality and we really have done a remarkable job — maybe most notably with food. Within just a couple of short centuries, U.S. agriculture has driven the change from a global society that mostly grew their own food, to a world where a few can feed the masses. This is amazing no matter how you look at it, but with such success our plentiful food supply can be easily taken for granted.

Many people do not grasp the daily challenges of agriculture and seem to forget that every time you take a bite, something had to die to provide it whether you are eating lettuce in a bag from your fridge or a steak at a fancy restaurant. Food is about life and death. There is sickness, disease, predation, disaster, mud, blood, sweat, and effort with the production of food, and farms are the front lines of this perennial battle with reality.

People who farm understand this, but today most people don’t farm. And, more than ever before, consumers feel that they should have a say in how their food is produced. This can be a very positive thing, but when you have a group of people dictating how food is produced when they do not understand the realities of food production, it can also create significant frustration and confusion.

For this reason, there have been unprecedented efforts in recent years to add transparency to agriculture and reach out with information targeted at those who may not understand how their food is grown. Efforts including CommonGround and the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance were formed for this purpose. At the same time, more outreach events began to pop up to help consumers connect with what they eat and get real, accurate answers to their food production questions from farmers.

I was honored to be a part of such an event last month held at the Toledo Zoo. The event, Farm to Plate: A Food Dialogue, was put on by the Lucas County Farm Bureau and more than 270 people (about half involved in agriculture and half not) were in attendance.

I moderated a panel featuring Kurt Bench, the owner/operator of Shared Legacy Farms, a small, 20 acre organic vegetable farm in Elmore, Ohio; Alan Sundermeier, the Ohio State University Extension educator in Wood County who also serves as co-coordinator on the Sustainable Agriculture Team and the Ohio State Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program; Rebecca A. Singer, vice president and director of the Agricultural Program for the Center for Innovative Food Technology; Tim Barney, a certified crop advisor who owns and operates Agronomy First Consulting and owns a small hog operation; and Jordan Beck who works in livestock feed sales, ingredient marketing and manages a 1,500 head cattle finishing program at Pettisville Grain Company.

The topics of questions covered at the event included: organic verses conventional food production, the use of hormones and antibiotics in meat production, technology in agriculture, U.S. agriculture feeding the world, ethanol, and agriculture’s role in water quality. The panelists provided attendees with plenty to digest as they finished dinner in the form of excellent insights and real answers to the questions posed.

Whether it is a childhood spent around animals in the barn or a pleasant evening discussing agricultural issues, it is important that somewhere along the way we are all reminded of realities in food production that loom large. Our decisions regarding agriculture should reflect reality, which makes the story of agriculture one worth sharing.

A recent survey of members of the Ohio Agribusiness Association shows that Ohio and agricultural businesses need to train employees to use Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), or drones, for precision agriculture to provide more value for customers and potentially increase profitability. Ninety percent of the survey respondents said their current employees will eventually require some form of UAS training.

The survey was sponsored by Sinclair College, that is home to the UAS Training and Certification Center. Sinclair College also recently announced the addition of new UAS courses, certificates and degree programs focused on civil applications, including precision agriculture, to meet future demands for a trained workforce within the emerging industry.

“We wanted to hear directly from industry how they envision the potential of UAS monitoring and data collection integrating into their existing and future precision agriculture programs,” said Deb Norris, vice president for Workforce Development at Sinclair College. “We found there is a great need for information and training on all aspects of UAS, including general knowledge, technician training, maintenance, regulatory compliance, and crew and pilot training.”

Respondents cited moderate awareness and understanding of the need for and potential of UAS technology in the agriculture industry. In addition, survey respondents cited a deficit of information available for calculating tangible returns on investment in their precision agriculture programs.

Sinclair plans to offer a UAS Summit for Precision Agriculture in early 2015 as agribusinesses prepare for expected changes to the Federal Aviation Administration’s commercial UAS regulations.

“Just recently the FAA said that this technology may not be used for broad commercial application, but precision ag has been named as one of the initial integration points for drone use,” said Dr. Andrew Shepherd, Sinclair’s Director of Unmanned Aerial Systems. “So in the next year we will see initial guidance from the FAA on how they can be used and I truly think the use of drones will trickle all the way down to the small farmers. It may be a service company that comes out to the farm and does the flight or it may become inexpensive enough that every farm, no matter the size, will be able to take advantage of this technology.”

Sinclair’s UAS Training and Certification Center is built on a systems approach to UAS and framework of airspace and infrastructure, credit and non-credit curriculum and training, modeling and simulation, and data analytics. All of these components are essential in applying UAS to precision agriculture. The Center, in Dayton, allows for the consolidation and integration of both academic and workforce development initiatives in aviation and UAS. The program has the capability to both educate new students in UAS and retrain the industry’s existing workforce.

Global oil prices have been in a bit of a free fall lately thanks to a supply glut fueled by American shale gas production and a difference of opinion between oil producing countries about cutting production to put an end to the downward trend.

There is both good and bad news for agriculture with plunging oil prices. The good news, after years of higher oil prices, is lower input cost.

“As oil prices pull down it does have a tendency to put downside pressure of all energy inputs,” said Bob Young, senior economist with The American Farm Bureau Federation. “Whether that be for the direct purchase of energy to run the tractor, to heat the barns or the house and even fertilizer prices will be affected if prices stay this low or lower for the next several months.”

That would leave more money in producer and consumer pockets, but Young warns that the new is not all positive.

“When we do talk about lower gasoline prices we also talk about a lower margin on ethanol sales,” Young said. “But overall I think you would have to view this as a positive thing for U.S. agriculture.”

And while lower fuel prices may be of limited help with $3.50 corn prices, Young sees livestock producers already reaping gains from lower feed cost, being helped more. But the bigger picture for oil drilling and exporting could be dimmer.

“We may choose to back off on our drilling and some folks may be asked to consider capping some wells and giving the drills a rest,” Young said. “Internationally there are some countries that depend on oil being right around that $100 a barrel range in order to support some of their domestic programs that may now start to come under some pressure.”

And sinking oil prices signals a slowing global economy, particularly in countries including Venezuela, Iran and Saudi Arabia, Young said. It also could mean less demand for some U.S. farm exports, including meats.

In the classic book, “The Yearling,” a boy befriends a deer fawn that he wants to keep as a pet on his family’s small southern farm. His father is reluctant, but eventually allows it, providing the deer does not hurt the crops. Well, as expected, the deer does significant damage to the crops that are vital for the family’s food supply and winter survival. The deer must go. The upset boy runs away and discovers the powerful pangs of hunger that drive him back home to the farm with a hard and painful lesson learned. Hunger — real hunger, not the “I’ve been working all day and I’m starving” kind of hunger we have all experienced — is crippling and all consuming. There is not much else that matters when you, or your children, are hungry.

Just like the young boy who picked a deer for a pet over the success of the crops, we are a society that takes food for granted. You do not have to search very long before you can find sentiments from well-fed folks out there that make the young boy’s choice in “The Yearling” look well-founded. All too often the politics of food trump the actual realities of this necessity for life. As people protest genetically modified crops in the street, there are people camped out around the corner who regularly have to make tough decisions driven by the real threat of hunger and poor nutrition.

Most everyone reading this will probably be enjoying numerous holiday feasts fit for a king over the coming holiday weeks while there are those in our midst that are hungry — really hungry. This is an astonishing reality for all too many people, including children.

Earlier this fall, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a report on food insecurity that shows Ohio has not made much progress in recent years. According to the report, 16% of Ohio households reported that there was limited or uncertain ability to provide nutritious meals from 2011 to 2013. This 16% rate of food insecurity is higher than the national average of 14.6%. These numbers translate into the harsh reality of 650,000 Ohio children who are uncertain about the availability of their next meal. That is a tough way to grow up.

According to a new study from Feeding America’s “Hunger in America 2014 report” released by the Ohio Association of Foodbanks in late October, the number of Ohioans seeking assistance from food pantries has increased by 40% in the past four years. More than two million residents can’t afford enough food for their families, or themselves, and are turn to food banks to get the proper nutrients they need.

“The ‘Hunger in Ohio 2014’ study reveals alarming data about the reality that many Ohioans face,” said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the association. “Despite slight improvements to the economy since the Great Recession, hundreds of thousands of Ohioans remain food insecure. What are even more troubling are the coping strategies and spending tradeoffs these Ohio households often make to survive.”

Among the key findings of the Ohio study are:

• Each year, approximately two million unduplicated individuals, or 662,000 households, receive food assistance through Ohio’s emergency food network.

• In the past year, 81% purchased inexpensive, unhealthy food as a coping strategy

• 66% had to choose between food and medicine or medical care as a spending tradeoff decision made to make ends meet.

Of the 2,007,500 Ohioans served by the emergency food network each year, more than 83% report living in food insecure households, meaning that they were without reliable access to adequate amounts of affordable, nutritious food at some point during the past year. Additionally, 16% of study respondents reported they were responsible for the care of grandchildren in their household.

In addition:

• 71% of client households are living with annual incomes at or below the federal poverty level. Overall, the study found that the median monthly household income was only $813 ($9,760 annually). One in 10 households reported having no monthly income.

• 50% of households had a member that was employed in the past year.

• For eligible Ohioans receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamp) benefits, half of the households reported exhausting their monthly benefits within two weeks or less, and 85% reported exhausting them within three weeks or less.

With these kinds of challenges facing so many, Ohio agriculture, along with providing food for the world, is also working to help provide food for those who need it most.

Ohio pork farmers have been involved in the fight against hunger for years, donating more than 1 million meals of nutritious pork to Ohio foodbanks since 2009. In recent years, the Ohio Beef Council teamed up the Ohio Corn Marketing Program, Ohio Soybean Council, Columbus Clippers, the Mid-Ohio Foodbank and Kroger to provide cases of fresh ground beef to those in need. Ohio egg farmers have contributed millions of eggs for hungry Ohioans through the Ohio Agricultural Clearance Program and individual donations.

The American Dairy Association Mideast is working with The Great American Milk Drive to address the challenge of a lack of access to milk in some homes. Currently, through food banks, families are only getting one gallon per person, per year. The Great American Milk Drive is the first-ever nationwide program to deliver highly milk to hungry families who need it. Since April, the initiative has been making it easy to donate gallons of milk to those in your community via a simple click of a mouse (www.milklife.com/give) or text message (text “Milk” to 27722).

These are just a few of the many examples of Ohio agriculture giving to those who do not have the resources to get the food they need. So, in this season of thankfulness as we enjoy more blessings than can be counted, let us not forget to count agriculture, and the bounty that will provide our next meal, among the most precious.

In mid-December, legislation was passed allowing farmers and small businesses to immediately write off up to $500,000 in capital assets purchases instead of depreciating it over time. The measure, known as Section 179, included the purchases of farm equipment, which caused a bit of a holiday shopping rush at implement dealers across the country.

“The passage of Section 179 was a major part of our sales the last two weeks of last year,” said Cody Kirkpatrick, JD Equipment’s Washington Court House store manager. “We had decent sales throughout the year, but with commodity prices dropping, farmers weren’t sure what to do with their bottom line. We sat on some machines all year long that we could have sold if we would’ve just had a guarantee about Section 179.”

Kirkpatrick says that the rush to buy equipment at the end of the year has waned in years past, noting that farmers are becoming much better at tax planning throughout the year and not waiting until Dec. 31 to make a decision. This year was a bit different.

“With Section 179 not in place for most of 2014, the majority of my customers sat back because they weren’t sure what would happen before year’s end and had to figure out where they were on taxes and listen to what their accountants had to say,” Kirkpatrick said.

JD Equipment’s phones rang off the hook once the tax legislation went through and conversations about Section 179, which expired with the New Year, are still going on as farmers wonder what will happen in 2015.

“Congress needs to realize what an impact Section 179 has,” Kirkpatrick said. “Not just on the farmer or the ag economy, but on everybody. From the manufacturers that make our equipment, to JD hiring more people because of strong sales, which in turn feeds more mouths and strengthens our community.”

Farmers were also lining up at Evolution Ag to make major purchases as news of Section 179 spread. The company’s Delaware location principle and GM, Doug Loudenslager, said the temporary, last-minute nature of the legislation still had some farmers balking at making those important business decisions.

“We, and all small businesses, have been asking Congress for a more permanent tax code for some time,” Loudenslager said. “It’s difficult for any farmer or small business owner to make good business decisions based on a one-year-in, one-year-out formula to a tax program.”

Loudenslager said that farmers and the ag industry don’t mind paying their fair share of taxes. But, as an industry, he feels as though ag businesses are paying more than what is really necessary compared to what others have to pay.

“I think it has been proven that investments in business are good, positive economic aspects,” Loudenslager said. “We need to be encouraging investments in all areas, not just agriculture.”

For other companies, like White’s Ford in Urbana, sales of the popular F-150 to farmers were down a little. General Sales Manager Ben Charles said the impact of Section 179 was not what he expected.

“It was just too little too late,” Charles said. “The real impact would be if something like Section 179 was done permanently because I think the way Washington went about it this year really scared the heck out of a lot of people, and that uncertainty doesn’t help anyone.”

As for what may happen later this year, with a new Republican-led Congress and new members on the House and Senate Tax Committees, many promises are being made for a complete tax overhaul. How they may affect agriculture is something only time will tell.

At the National No-Till Conference in Cincinnati, The Ohio Ag Net’s Dale Minyo talked with one of the presenters, Ohio producer Dave Brandt, about No-Till advantages, critters and soil health. Listen to why Brandt says just because you may have had good yields, doesn’t mean you have healthy soil.

With margins likely slimming for corn and soybean production in 2015, most crop farmers are not looking to spend large sums of money on new, or upgraded precision equipment. In some cases, though, tough times are exactly when the most up-to-date precision technology can make the biggest difference on the fine line between profit and loss on a farm.

“The potential for precision ag is more important as profit margins tighten. Precision ag technologies afford the ability to improve input management, better manage or understand risks, and evaluate practices and decisions,” said John Fulton, Ohio State University Extension agricultural engineer. “Precision ag technology permits on-farm research and considering input costs, in particular seed. Farmers need to ensure they are making decisions for their operation that maximize profit. Savings do exist with the adoption of guidance, automatic section control and variable-rate technology. Having the ability to evaluate hybrid performance, seeding populations, fertility, and much more become more important as margins narrow.”

In terms of specific technology, Fulton said automatic guidance and section control on sprayers and planters can bring immediate tangible benefits back to the farm.

“One of the most beneficial technologies that can pay back is a quality display for your planter — one that provides row-by-row feedback on parameters such as population and singulation,” he said. “Many times these high end displays will pay for themselves that planting season by identifying an issue. They ensure peak performance from day one through the end of planting, plus it logs as-planted data that can be used for post-harvest analyses.”

The signal being used can have a significant impact on the technology being used.

“It is still hard for some people to justify the upfront cost of an RTK (Real Time Kinematic) signal. The sub-inch accuracy of RTK is legitimate and the capabilities for repeatability are much better,” said Charlie Troxell, precision ag specialist for Precision Agri Service, Inc. “But, because of the cost, a lot of guys are still running the free WAAS (the Federal Aviation Administration’s Wide Area Augmentation System) or something like John Deere offers that has a 4- to 6-inch accuracy range. With WAAS, we try to set up the system knowing there will be some boundary shifts over time. As long as the grower is aware that the system will not be as crisp and clean as it would be with the RTK system, there usually is not a problem.”

Along with less accuracy, the WAAS signal is prone to shifting over time.

“With WAAS you need to know that there is a range or drift. The GPS receiver quality has gotten better, but you can still expect some drift,” he said. “The downside to WAAS is that you don’t know how much drift you can have in a day. Sometimes it can be none and sometimes it can be a12-foot difference. You have to take that into account. You have to make sure the lines of your boundaries have not shifted. If they have shifted, you have to reset it.”

In a medium skillet on medium, heat oil. Add potato, onion and bell peppers, and sauté for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and onions are translucent. Add spinach and chile powder; sauté for 2 minutes more.

Increase heat to medium high. Add eggs and egg whites. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until eggs are cooked through. Turn off heat and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Tear off 4 16-inch rectangles of foil and lay 1 tortilla on top of each. Divide egg mixture evenly into the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. To wrap, fold edges in, then roll forward tightly. Wrap burrito tightly in foil. (NOTE: Alternatively, line with parchment paper and then wrap in foil.)

Place wrapped burritos in a large zip- top freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, preheat oven to 400°F. Place a burrito, still wrapped, on a baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes. Use tongs to transfer wrapped burrito to a paper bag and take on the go. (NOTE: Baked burritos will stay warm for 15 to 20 minutes; they can be eaten on the go or when you get to work. If reheating in the microwave, make sure to remove foil first.) Nutrition Information Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 1 burrito Per serving: Calories: 226; Total Fat: 9g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 3g; Cholesterol: 113mg; Sodium: 500mg; Carbohydrate: 32g; Dietary Fiber: 10g; Sugar: 7g; Protein: 13g Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 296mg; Iron: 14%; Vitamin A: 124%; Vitamin C: 8%; Calcium: 29%

John Linder, a farmer from Morrow County, Ohio, recently took a trip to Cuba with the U.S. Ag Coalition to take a look at the possibilities for American agriculture products in our neighbor country. Dale Minyo from the Ohio Ag Net sat down with Linder shortly after his return to discuss Linder’s takeaways from the Cuban excursion.

With an unusual break from rain and cold weather this spring, many farmers across Ohio headed to the fields to work ground, spray and in some cases even begin the 2015 planting season. Ty Higgins found The Kocher Family of MKB Farms in Galion, Ohio doing just that. Nick Kocher was Ty’s guest for the first Cab Cam of the season.

Extreme, over simplified, unscientific, and exaggerated problems for the sake of marketing, activism and bolstering the coiffeurs of non-government organizations have proven to be far too successful to go away anytime soon.

The reason these tactics work: they are sexy. PETA, Greenpeace, and the Humane Society of the United States have been successful because they know that sexy sells. The videos and pictures of abused animals, the mournful music, the attractive celebrities endorsing these groups doing crazy media stunts — all of this offers a unique flair that makes it stand out due to being extreme, memorable, unique, clever, terrifying, or otherwise instantly recognizable as something desirable or worthwhile. In short — sexy.

The details of the science behind genetically modified crops are inherently boring to most people. Short, emotional headlines about their potential ills for mankind (where the facts need not get in the way) are sexy. That is the problem.

If there is any hope of winning these industry-altering pubic relations battles, agriculture must find ways to be sexy too. That means coming up with strategies to make the sometimes complex and hard-to-understand daily realities of agriculture appeal to the mass public. This is not an easy task, to be sure, but it is important.

Last week, I had the opportunity to talk with a group of FFA members and advisors about this topic at the State Convention. As an exercise, I had them help me write headlines for three stories I was working on to make them “sexy.” They are: “Sharing the legacy: Small farm selling a connection to food” (a story about an organic CSA), “Raising sheep and teaching the flock” (a story about Extension sheep specialist Roger High), and “Generations adding new twists to family traditions on the farm” (an Ohio Century Farm story). Honorable mention goes to “Sheep specialist shares experiences both good and baaaad” for the sheep story. Stay tuned for these stories and their sexy headlines developed by FFA members in the coming weeks.

Thanks to those FFA members for the help and attention to this important issue that has undoubtedly shaped my generation of agriculture and will certainly have more impact for future generations on the farm.

Most everyone reading this already knows that ag is sexy. It is up to all of us moving forward that everyone else knows it too.

A conversation with…

Cindy Shy, Bicentennial & Century Farms Program Manager for the Ohio Department of Agriculture

OCJ: Could you provide a little background about how the Ohio Century Farm Program got started?

Cindy: The program started in 1993, a joint effort between the Ohio History Connection, Ohio’s Country Journal and the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Families competed to be named as one of eight “Outstanding Ohio Century Farms” each year.

OCJ: How has the program evolved through the years?

Cindy: The competition lasted 10 years. Having to choose one farm over another back then must have been one tough job! I inherited the program in 2003. Since that year, any farm that qualifies is recognized as either an Ohio Century or Bicentennial Farm. A certificate signed by Governor Kasich and Director Daniels is provided to the family.

OCJ: What is the current status of the program and how can eligible farm owners get their farms registered?

Cindy: There are now 1,200 farms registered, with at least one farm in each county. We take registrations on an on-going basis — there is no deadline, and no fee to apply. The registration process takes some research — possibly for the family history, but definitely for the deed copies to document the transfers within the family. The registration form is available online (www.agri.ohio.gov/divs/cent_farms/) or by contacting me at cindy.shy@agri.ohio.gov or 614-752-9817.

OCJ: What is your favorite part of being involved with the program?

Cindy: The best part is working with the farm families. I get to meet some wonderful people, and hear their great stories. These families are like family to me.

OCJ: Why is it important to preserve Ohio’s agricultural heritage through this program?                 Cindy: Ohio wouldn’t be a leading agriculture state now without the hard work of our ancestors. We need to make sure that future generations will know what their family went through and the sacrifices they made. Our ancestors might not have left written histories, but the current generation can ensure that their family’s stories are not forgotten.

OCJ: What sort of response do you get from the applicants that have successfully gone through the process?

Cindy: The families are typically excited about the recognition, and it can be emotional as well. I will never forget about the man whose Century Farm certificate arrived following the recent death of his father. He said he shed a few tears, and told his family that all he wanted for Christmas was to have the certificate framed.

OCJ: What are some of the common themes that you see showing up among Ohio’s Century Farms?

Cindy: I can feel the pride in their accomplishments and endurance and a strong love for their family and land. And I see both concern and hopefulness that their farm will continue in the family for generations to come.

OCJ: There are also some recognized bi-centennial farms. Do they get separate recognition for that? If so, what?

Cindy: It’s amazing to think that more than 80 registered Ohio farms have been in the same family for at least 200 years! We wanted to give these families some special attention, so the program was expanded in 2013 to include the Ohio Bicentennial Farm designation. Each year we arrange a visit to local fairs to present new Bicentennial Farm families with a certificate.

OCJ: What is the most important thing you want Ohio agriculture to know about the Century farm Program?

Cindy: This program is about you — your farm and your family. Registration is a journey of discovery, well-worth your time and effort. If you haven’t registered, do it!

My eight-year old Doberman cross would be shocked to learn that I am praising his approach to life. Luke loves to eat, especially bread. He isn’t picky — any type bread or crackers or bakery product will do. As a result, we have Luke-proofed the kitchen, or attempted to. We purchased a bread box, but Luke figured out that was not in his best interest, so he knocked it off the cupboard and sent it packing. We used the microwave for storage of bread items, until Luke figured out how to open the door. (I could probably teach Luke to line dance, if I dangled bread in front of him.) Our current bread storage is the oven, but I have observed Luke studying that, so I know it is only a matter of time until he masters that handle.

Several years ago, while he was left alone inside the house and unable to reach his desired carbohydrates, Luke attempted to bake his own bread. At least that is what it looked like happened. I returned from calf feeding to find a 120-pound black dog and the kitchen floor covered in flour. Luke just looked up at me with big innocent eyes, as if to say the flour just fell from the cupboard, and he was far more surprised than I was.

Remember this approach if an environmental incident happens on your farm. I have practiced law long enough that I remember the good old days when ag lawyers prided themselves in not dealing with criminal prosecutions. Ag law was all about estate planning, business agreements and land acquisitions and the like. Court cases were civil, or maybe administrative, but agricultural concerns were rarely criminal.

All of that changed with environmental laws and the zealous enforcement thereof. And the criminalization of agriculture continues. The folks prosecuting these cases do not acknowledge that even with the best of intentions, proper safeguards and state of the art methodology, that accidents can happen. To them, an environmental accident is a potential criminal prosecution.

The instant that you discover an environmental concern on your property, call your lawyer. Request their presence on your property as you start building your defense in the event charges are pressed. Keep in mind that the state may have years to file charges, based on applicable law. The best time to create an effective defense against this possibility is immediately upon discovering a possible situation.

Take many pictures. Document everything that you recall leading up to the discovery of the issue. Pull samples of your own. Write down everyone that appears on your farm to investigate the matter. And, of course, take immediate steps to correct the situation.

Chances are, numerous governmental agencies with various alphabet acronyms will soon appear on the scene. They will also document everything they see, but their goals are not necessarily identical to yours. Of course, all parties involved want to rectify the situation as quickly as possible. But everyone present will have an agenda, and a farmer needs legal counsel to protect his rights and start building a defense based on precisely what happened and what steps the farmer did to remedy the problem.

Do not assume that everyone that shows up in an official capacity will understand what has happened. Be aware that if the powers that be determine criminal charges should be brought it is very likely the farmer may end up paying for whatever agency is involved to create and document a criminal case against him.

Obviously, it is important to cooperate with all agencies involved. Just do so in a manner that protects your interests. I can assure you all those responding to the emergency will be doing the same.

Wisely dealing with an environmental spill is much like handling a vehicle accident. Remember the often-quoted advice to provide insurance information and remain quiet? Obviously, listen to advice of your attorney handling the situation. And keep in mind it is likely that anything you say during discovery and correction of the environmental issue will be ruled admissible in court as an exception to the hearsay rule, because it may be considered an admission.

This is contrary to the way farmers and other honorable folks behave. No one understands this better than Kristian Bush. He is half of the country duo Sugarland. Remember the horrific accident that occurred on August 13, 2011 when a wind gust from an approaching severe thunderstorm hit the Indiana State Fair’s temporary roof structure causing it to collapse and kill 7 and injure 58? Bush told Rollingstone Magazine that he was ordered to be quiet even though he wanted to reach out to his injured fans and express his sorrow and sympathy over the accident. He said maintaining this silence was one of the most difficult things he has ever done. Unfortunately, what may feel right could just lead to legal liability. Specific details of the settlement with the families was not disclosed, but Sugarland and the other 17 defendants reportedly settled by paying damages in excess of $39 million. When Bush had to remain silent, he poured his energy into his music and recently released a new solo album, Southern Gravity.

Here’s hoping that you never need any of this information. If an environmental issue arises, however, call your lawyer, document and correct that matter as quickly as possible. And when in doubt, look innocent and remain silent. It worked for Luke.