It is human nature to gravitate toward the path of least resistance. While many of us work hard, sustained focus on significant challenges often feels daunting. These are the "big, hard things" that require stepping out of the familiar into uncharted territory.
What are your goals for raising meat chickens? Whether you are raising chickens for your own consumption or to sell, you should consider your end goals and budget. Producers living in city limits should contact their local government before purchasing chicks to understand the ordinances for owning chickens.
In livestock production, grazing is an excellent tool but is highly specific to the conditions and goal of each operation. This variability in production systems has led to a discussion on what is the best way to graze for different situations. A description of the basics of continuous grazing and rotational grazing is a starting point for this conversation.
Both gooseberries and currants belong to the genus Ribes. Jostaberries are the interspecies crosses of gooseberries and black currants. Ribes plants and fruits were extremely popular in the United States in the 1800s. In 1899, U.S. Ribes production was estimated to have reached 7,000 acres (Bratsch & Williams, 2009). In the early 1900s, white pine blister rust (WPBR) became a serious disease, threatening the lucrative timber business in the United States.
Both gooseberries and currants belong to the genus Ribes. Jostaberries are the interspecies crosses of gooseberries and black currants. Ribes plants and fruits were extremely popular in the United States in the 1800s. In 1899, U.S. Ribes production was estimated to have reached 7,000 acres (Bratsch & Williams, 2009). In the early 1900s, white pine blister rust (WPBR) became a serious disease, threatening the lucrative timber business in the United States.
Central and northern Ohio are near the limit where double-cropping is practical because of late harvesting of wheat and early autumn frosts. When double-cropping is not an option, relay intercropping is an option for harvesting two crops in a single growing season. In a relay intercropping system, soybean is planted into winter wheat between Feekes* 10.1–10.5 stages (wheat heading).
Box tree moth (BTM) [Cydalima perspectalis (Walker, 1859); Lepidoptera: Crambidae] is a new, invasive species for Ohio that threatens the plant health of boxwoods (Buxus spp.) and the economic health of the green industry in our state (APHIS, 2022). A number of effective tools are in the BTM pest management toolbox (Boggs, 2024). The following information provides tips on how and when to apply these tools.
Box tree moth (BTM) [Cydalima perspectalis (Walker, 1859); Lepidoptera: Crambidae] is a new, invasive species for Ohio. It presents a significant risk to the health of boxwoods (Buxus spp.) in Ohio’s landscapes and nurseries (APHIS, 2022).
Box tree moth (BTM) [Cydalima perspectalis (Walker, 1859); Lepidoptera: Crambidae] is a new, invasive species for Ohio. It is a non-native pest of boxwood (Buxus spp.) in Europe and North America and poses a risk to the health of boxwoods in landscapes and nurseries (APHIS, 2022).
Leading a successful farm or agribusiness today is no small task. With the challenges of weather, commodity prices, a world economy affected by regional wars and crises, and a contentious political process that has offered few real solutions, planning for the future can sound like a pipe dream. Despite these challenges, many would argue that these are still heady times for agriculture, with promising new technologies and prospective new markets, such as the sustained increases in the global demand for animal protein.
