Standard Wilmington News Journal Permit No. 10 Wilmington, Ohio Post Office
of Southwest Ohio April 2013
$1.00
Mowers & More 932 S. South St. Wilmington, OH 45177 scaldwell27@hotmail.com Seth - Owner Ph: (937) 283-6638 Cell: (513) 282-5132
Call Today For Your Combine Needs
Spring Tune Up Special
$
4995
2377805
Any Brand Starting as low as
Agri Equipment
Visit our website at www.mfeag.com mfe@mfeag.com
2377794
Issue 14
St. Rt. 68 & I-71, Wilmington, OH 800-562-9695
OHIO FARMERS POISED TO MEET CHINA’S NEEDS World’s largest country not able to feed its people, looks to U.S. for food and feed
By GARY BROCK gbrock@civitasmedia.com
T
here isn’t one thing Ohio farmers need to know about China’s affect on Ohio agriculture. There are two. And while Ohio State University’s retired international agriculture economist Dr. Allan Lines says Ohio farmers are all too familiar with the affect China has on the price of corn and soybeans they receive - most Ohioans are not aware of two more important factors in the “Ohio China Connection” that will impact the future of Ohio farming. “Ohio farmers need to be more aware of the behemoth that constitutes Chinese agricultural production, eclipsing most other countries in the world in the production of many commodities, and doing it on a limited amount of land” Dr. Lines said. The second factor, and the one that will have a major impact on the future of American farming, is what Dr. Lines says is the “changing diets” in the world’s largest country. China’s population is approximately 1.35 billion people - almost one out of four people on Earth. That population’s eating habits are changing, brought on in part by America’s importing “fast food” restaurants by the thousands in the last two decades and a rising economy. As a result, Dr. Lines says Chinese citizens are eating less grain, fewer vegetables and more meat.
A typical open-air market in southeast Asia. This one is located in southern Taiwan in Taoyuan.
See CHINA/3A
INSIDE THIS ISSUE 5
Crops going beyond food
6
Charles Grimes: Farmer, teacher
8 10
McClish nursery Maple syrup season begins
11 12
Ohio nut farms
14 15 18
Anhydrous risks
1B
Women on the Farm
1B
Farm Bureau reps visits D.C.
4B
Ag degrees in demand
IS ALFALFA THE NEXT BIG EXPORT CROP? OSU expert says China’s alfalfa needs creates opportunity for Ohio farmers By GARY BROCK gbrock@civitasmedia.com
Falling in love with goat farming
Amish Cook Paintball to help save farm
H
ow can Ohio farmers capitalize on the ever-growing agricultural needs of China? When asked by ACRES of Southwest Ohio what one thing Ohio farmers could do to make money on China’s growing needs for American farm exports, retired Ohio State international agriculture economist Dr. Allan Lines said it in one word - alfalfa. The world’s largest nation is going to need more and more of it. Dr. Lines says China wants the best quality alfalfa that they can find. And he says the Chinese are willing to pay a premium price for it. Why alfalfa? China has limited land resources, and a growing demand for beef and dairy products. Dr. Lines says that going into the future, China has no way of feeding properly the beef and dairy cattle in their country. “With the growth of beef and dairy facilities in China, they do not have the ability to provide the forage for the animals,” Dr. Lines said. He said there is a great opportunity here for Ohio farmers, a community and/or an entrepreneur to “get into the dried alfalfa business.” See ALFALFA/4A
TNT FENCE “SURROUNDING THE THINGS YOU LOVE”
FREE ESTIMATES! 2 YEAR WARRANTY ON ALL NEW FENCES
• Kentucky Board • PVC • Barbwire • High Tinsel • Electric • Split Rail
FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED
937-402-7087 • www.tntfence.biz
• FARM FENCE
2377824
HORSE SHED RUN INS
2A
April 2013
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
Pointing fingers at farmers O
of Southwest Ohio April 2013 Publisher — Pamela Stricker Editor — Gary Brock Layout — Jayla Wallingford
Sales Adams County (937) 544-2391 Lee Huffman, Publisher lhuffman@civitasmedia.com Brown County (937) 378-6161 Steve Triplett, Publisher striplett@civitasmedia.com Clinton County (937) 382-2574 Sharon Kersey, Ad Director skersey@civitasmedia.com Fayette County (740) 335-3611 Sherri Sattler, Ad Director ssattler@civitasmedia.com Highland County (937) 393-3456 HTGinfo@civitasmedia.com Subscriptions Brenda Earley, Circulation Director (937) 393-3456, bearley@civitasmedia.com Contact ACRES of Southwest Ohio: 761 S. Nelson Ave. | Wilmington, OH 45177 | (937) 382-2574
ACRES of Southwest Ohio is published monthly by Ohio Community Media, LLC and is available through the Georgetown News-Democrat, Hillsboro Times-Gazette, Ripley Bee, Washington CH Record-Herald, West Union People’s Defender and Wilmington News Journal. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue in whole or in part is prohibited. ACRES of Southwest Ohio is available for purchase at each of the newspaper offices for $1/copy or contact us to subscribe. Subscriptions $19.95 per year.
Please Buy Locally & Recycle.
hio’s farmers are frustrated. Not only do they have to face - every day - the “normal” challenges of being farmers, they must also face wave after wave of changes, regulations, new paperwork and new expenses coming from Columbus and Washington. While I have no doubt that some of these new regulations are necessary, it seems that as we enter what some are calling a “Golden Age” in Ohio farming, our government is taking this opportunity to tighten regulations and expand their controls over what farmers do every day. In the March edition of ACRES, there were several stories about new federal food safety requirements and Ohio water quality regulations. The water quality issues involved fertilizer runoff for the most part. Part of what has made some - perhaps many farmers unhappy is the assumption made in Columbus from the Ohio EPA, the USDA and ODNR (the three agencies assigned by Gov. Kasich last year with fixing Ohio’s water quality problems) that much of the problem came from Ohio’s farmers. At a February seminar for farmers in Fayette County, an Ohio State Extension representative made it clear that like it or not, “it is what it is” regarding these runoff issues and the need for Ohio’s farmers to change. That may well be. But farmers certainly are not liking it. A couple weeks ago, I received an email from one Greene County farmer who was not happy with the blame for the state’s water quality issues being place, even in part, on Ohio’s farmers. He wanted to remain anonymous, but here is what he shared with me in his email: ”Having read your remarks in the Acres paper last month I think someone should ask these fine government folks who seem to have all the correct answers some questions. Would it not
Gary Brock is Editor-In-Chief of Acres
seem correct to have some tests showing just when and where the phosphorous is entering the streams? Just because phosphorous has been “pointed” to would it not be correct for the media to ask who is doing the pointing, where do they get their information, how do they get it, what makes them think it is correct, when did they get this information gathered, what tests have been done at the outlets into the lakes and streams from the sewage and storm water discharge pipes from the cities and towns, or is it simply cheaper to blame the farmer and not fix any of the other source points because of cost, politics, or gross vote totals? “These people are aces at avoiding direct answers and of course there is always the old saying that if your repeat a lie often enough it becomes the truth, that and no organized opposition makes it become even easier. Just because the speaker is from Ohio State does not mean he has done the proper background work and that is the reason there needs to be questions — and no slack answers. Just the place the media is supposed to fill — From my position I know we are not using nearly as much phosphorous as we used to — if for no other reason than cost, and now with
global positioning and computers many farmers are only applying where fertilizer is actually needed and of course there are many more acres of no till — how does that add up to more loss into the water??? “As we continue to allow government to regulate and force laws upon us, where does it stop? Our freedoms are being lost almost on a daily basis, I would submit to you it cannot continue down this path for long — go and read the history of the last 10 years before the Civil War, it will make you think— or at least it should. Remember, some day it will be your turn to take the heat from government - will there be anybody left who cares?” Clearly this farmer is frustrated with the finger-pointing coming from Columbus, and Washington toward our farmers. I agree that there are times when regulations are needed, and our water and quality must be protected at all costs. However, the response and regulations must be measured and appropriate. Are the regulations and new requirements an over-reaction? Are farmers seen as an “easy target” from politicians in Columbus who can force these changes on rural communities and then they “are doing something” to solve the problem? I don’t think there is much doubt about the answer to that question. (Gary Brock is editor of ACRES of Southwest Ohio. Please email him at gbrock@civitasmedia.com with your comments)
See more online! acresmidwest.com
Steel Roofing & Siding www.higginsroofing.com
2999 Old US 35 SE, Washington C.H., Ohio
740-335-0018 www.patchwork-gardens.com Hours: 5pm Mon.-Sat 9am12-4 Sun.
Annuals Perennials Vegetables
800-782-4239 Hillsboro, Ohio
Herbs Tropicals Steppables
2376205
EXTENDED HOURS IN MAY!!
Spring
pening April 8th
STOP IN AND SEE US FOR ALL YOUR EARLY GARDEN PLANTS AND SEEDS, AND WHAT’S NEW FOR 2013! Risk Management, Market Analysis, and Consulting for Farmers, Ranchers and Commercial Accounts. Helping you make sense of the volatility of today’s markets.
Garden Party Open House
Call Mark Allen Market Analyst
r 30 y ears of enhancing you
Quality Plants Friendly Atmosphere
wma@eagletradingcorp.com www.EagleTradingCorp.com
e rd a g
Volume Discounts Why Pay More?
6831 East US 22, Wilmington, OH 45177 (Melvin)
In the world today if you’re not the Expert, you hire an Expert. There is a substantial risk of loss in trading commodity futures and may not be suitable for all investors.
2377967
8am-5pm
!
le ba tin g
888-922-1060
ns
Ce
Saturday, May 4th
2376741
• Farm Loans • Operating Loans • Equipment Loans • Home Construction Loans Doug Shannon NMLS# 469929
Jessica Draganic NMLS# 469984
Call Doug Shannon or Jessica Draganic at 1-800-633-4135 Farm Credit Services 2241 Troy Road in Springfield
OF MID-AMERICA
www.e-farmcredit.com
2377819
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
April 2013
3A
What will spring 2013 hold for Ohio farmers? Predictions made for rainfall, crops for this year By CARLETA WEYRICH cweyrich@civitasmedia.com
Still reeling from one of the worst droughts on record in 2012, what can Ohio farmers look forward to in the 2013-14 crop and marketing year? There’s no drought in sight for the Ohio Valley through the end of June, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a product of the National Weather Service. However, that prediction comes with the warning to use the information cautiously for applications such as crops. The Old Farmer’s Almanac, which claims 80 percent accuracy, predicts
the remainder of the spring and summer to be “slightly warmer and rainier than normal, with the hottest periods in late July and midAugust.” The Economic Research Center of the United States Department of Agriculture put out its 10-year projections for the U.S. food and agriculture sector in February. Planted area for the eight major field crops* in 2013 is projected at more than 254 million acres, making 2013 plantings the second largest acreage since 2000. As U.S. and global supplies rebound and prices decline for most crops, U.S. planted acreage for these
crops is projected to fall over the next several years in response to lower producer returns. For the wheat marketing year of June 1, 2013 to May 31, 2014: Wheat to be harvested this summer is expected to produce 45.2 bushels per harvested acre and bring a price of $7.20 per bushel. The variable costs of producing the wheat are predicted to be at $127 per acre, leaving $199 per acre to cover fixed costs and profit. Looking farther down the road, U.S. wheat supplies are predicted to be up 29 million bushels by the
end of the marketing year, compared to beginning stocks - and the price is predicted to fall to $5.40 per bushel by the 2014-15 marketing year. For the marketing year beginning Sept. 1 for soybeans: Soybean yields are predicted to be at 44.4 bushels per acre in 2013. With a predicted price of $11.35 and variable costs of production at $147 per acre, the net return left for fixed costs and profit would be $357 per acre. Ending stocks are expected to be up $12 million bushels from beginning stocks, with the price to be
down about $1 per bushel in the 2014-15 marketing year. Marketing year beginning September 1, 2013 for corn: The 2013 corn harvest is predicted to yield 163.5 bushels per acre, compared to a 122.3 bushel yield in 2012. The price is expected to drop $2 per bushel to $5.40. The variable costs of production is expected to be $349 per acre, leaving $534 per acre to cover fixed costs and profit. Although exports are expected to be up for corn, due to the higher yields, stocks are predicted to increase 1 billion, 420 million bushels by the end of the
CHINA Continued from page 1A
When rolled together, the limited amount of land and the increasing need for “animal protein” in China will cause a huge jump in agricultural imports from the United States to China in coming years. “Ohio farmers need to better understand the limits to farm production in China - land, water and the environment,” Dr. Lines said. It may surprise many Ohioans that China, the world’s largest nation in land mass, is mostly desert. In fact, he says that China’s “tillable” land is about two-thirds of the United States’ available land for farming. “If you go west of Beijing, you move into a desert region,” he said. “And that desert region is moving east.” He said this was partly caused by climate change and partly by mismanagement of the Mongolian plains area. He said years ago, Russia tried to transform this huge region in a new “wheat belt” - with disastrous results. The region dried up, and is expanding. Dr. Lines also said China has serious air quality problems and very serious water quality problems. However, he adds that China’s government is denying it has any of these problems. So the problems aren’t going away any time soon. And then there is the change in diet of the Chinese people. It is that change, coupled with growing restrictions on China’s ability to farm its
China and Chinese agriculture by the numbers (production is annual): Total Population: 1.35 billion Farm Land: 255.4 million acres - 4th in world (U.S. farm land - 436.5 million acres 1st in world) Corn Production: 114,000 metric tons - 3rd in world (U.S. - 259,273 thousand metric tons - 2nd in world) Tractors: 841,073 - 11th in the world (U.S. - 4.8 million - 2nd in the world) Labor force in agriculture: 66% (U.S. farm labor force - 2%)
An open-air market in southeast Asia has dried beef and other produce on display. This one is located in southern Taiwan in Taoyuan.
own land, that will create great opportunities for Ohio’s farmers. “Up until the 1980s, the Chinese people were essentially vegetarians. The start of the change was switching from rice boiled in water to rice cooked with soy oil,” he said. What caused the biggest change in this Communist-run society was American Capitalism. As American companies began buying more inexpensive products from China, the incomes of Chinese workers began to rapidly increase (at least comparably). And for the first time, the average Chi-
nese citizen could afford to buy something that in the past was an unobtainable luxury - meat. And buy it they did, according to Dr. Lines. “It started with chicken, pork and eggs and has progressed to dairy and beef,” he said. He added that today, Chinese children consume as much milk and dairy products as American children - unheard of 20 years ago. But China does not have the capability of providing the cattle, hogs and chicken with the roughage - the quality feed needed to produce quality meat protein. China cannot pro-
duce enough corn to feed its livestock. And consider this: China produces 53,747 thousand metric tons of meat each year. That ranks it number one in the world, and that still is not enough to satisfy its citizens’ desires for meat protein. Dr. Lines said the Chinese government has now done something very smart - it has decided that there are some things easier to buy abroad than to try to produce itself. But also, the Chinese government picked farm produce that no one country has a monopoly in. That way, no foreign country can hold Farm Bureau Discounts
1885 Marion Rd. Bucyrus, Oh 44820
Your Hometown Country Dealer With Low Overhead & Your Lowest Price For All Your Truck Needs
CHEVROLET
BUICK
Shop Online www.haydocyautos.com
CADILLAC
GMC
(800) 783 - 8173
(419) 562 - 5806
EVERLAST
BUILDINGS
supply and prices over their heads. For example, soybeans. Ironically, soybeans come from China, but they have essentially given up growing it in favor of importing it from other countries. But America has no monopoly on soybean production. If we don’t keep costs low and quality high, China can go to Brazil, Argentina, eastern Europe or Africa. The same applies to cotton. And wheat. However, at present the United States does have a monopoly on corn production worldwide. Dr. Lines says that is why China is emphasizing corn production in its own country to fight the American monopoly. He said at present China produced about two-thirds of the U.S.’s 165 bushels of corn per acre average. Dr. Lines said the other big change taking place in Chinese agriculture is the shift from backyard livestock production (animals subsisting on farm and household waste) to intensified “western-style” animal production. These modern systems will require immense amounts grains, grain products,
marketing year. The price is predicted to drop another dollar per bushel by the following crop year. The corn and soybean predictions are estimated over the past 25 years (1988-2012), which includes both the 1988 and the 2012 droughts. * The eight major field crops covered in the 10-year projection are corn, sorghum, barley, oats, wheat, rice, upland cotton and soybeans. For more information, go to www.ers.usda.gov. (Carleta Weyrich is a staff writer for The People’s Defender in Adams County.)
soybeans and soy products – amounts beyond China’s capacity to produce. This includes beef, pork, dairy and poultry production. So, with all the growing needs from a hungry world, especially China, what advice does Dr. Lines give Ohio farmers to take advantage of this growing need? Here is what he suggests: 1. Ohio farmers need to keep producing more and more soybeans and corn; 2. They must continue to be the low cost producer of soybeans and corn; 3. Farmers must make sure they lay the plans for efficient farm management so that the crops are produced with no waste of energy, time or money; 4. Farmers need to spend more time developing systems to produce low cost and high quality meat products - with an emphasis on dairy, pork and chicken; 5. When China looks abroad for produce, it is looking for high quality. “Get the food to them in the manner they want,” said Dr. Lines; 6. Remember that people are people, and the Chinese people are like everyone else - they like meat; 7. Americans, Ohio farmers, need to “get into China with a strong marketing program” to push our agriculture products; 8. Provide a high-quality resource the Chinese cannot produce, but need. For Ohio farmers, that could be alfalfa. It is highquality alfalfa that the Chinese will need more of in the future for their livestock (See related story.) For Dr. Lines, what is the bottom line for Ohio farmers as they look to provide more exports of produce to China? “The over-arching story is - the world’s largest agricultural producer with rising incomes and increased animal protein consumption cannot now and will not be able to feed itself in the future.” (Gary Brock is editor of ACRES of Southwest Ohio.)
FARM BUILDINGS HORSE BARNS GARAGES COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS Building durable post frame buildings in Southern Ohio for over 30 years.
Exporting to China:
WE ALSO DO RENOVATIONS
What Ohio Farmers Need to Know
& ADDITIONS
Read more at www.acresmidwest.com
After
CALL US TODAY for a FREE QUOTE for your home or business. 8433 State Route 73, Hillsboro • 937-393-1713
2375243
Before
2378033
4A
April 2013
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
Gee gushes over 4-H By MARTHA FILIPIC OSU Extension
An alfalfa processing plant is shown above.
ALFALFA Continued from page 1A
He said farmers here in Ohio could provide the pellet/wafer alfalfa for China. “We would grow it, dry it, press it (process it), place it in containers and ship it to China,: Dr. Lines said. Why Ohio? Dr. Lines said it can now be done more cheaply in Ohio because of the drop in price and ease of availability of natural gas needed to fuel a processing plant to dry the alfalfa. So, for the uninitiated just what is alfalfa? Alfalfa is a flowering plant widely grown throughout the world as forage for cattle, and is most often harvested as hay, but can also be made into silage, grazed, or fed greenchop. Alfalfa usually has the highest feeding value of all common hay crops. It is used less frequently as pasture. When grown on soils where it is well-adapted, alfalfa is often the highest yielding forage plant, but its primary benefit is the combination of high yield per hectare and high nutritional quality. Its primary use is as feed for high producing dairy cows — because of its high protein content and highly digestible fiber—and secondarily for beef cattle, horses, sheep,
and goats. Alfalfa is believed by some to be a galactagogue, a substance that induces lactation. Like other legumes, its root nodules contain bacteria, with the ability to soil Its nitrogen-fixing abilities (which increases soil nitrogen) and its use as an animal feed greatly improve agricultural efficiency. Alfalfa can be sown in spring or fall, and does best on well-drained soils with a neutral pH of 6.8 – 7.5. Alfalfa requires sustained levels of potassium and phosphorus to grow well. It is moderately sensitive to salt levels in both the soil and irrigation water, although it continues to be grown in the arid southwestern United States, where salinity is an emerging issue. Soils low in fertility should be fertilized with manure or a chemical fertilizer, but correction of pH is particularly important. In most climates, alfalfa is cut three to four times a year. Total yields are typically around 4 short tons per acre in temperate environments, but yields have been recorded up to 16 short tons per acre. Yields vary with region, weather, and the crop’s stage of maturity when cut. Later cuttings improve yield, but with reduced nutritional content. “It is a premium market,” said Dr. Lines. “They (the Chinese) want the best
possible quality of alfalfa possible, and they are willing to pay for it.” But growing it is just half the job. The most important part is the actual processing of the alfalfa. The main job of a processing plant is to dehydrate, or dry, the alfalfa. Once dried, it can be turned into pellets, wafers or powder and then shipped. “A community could set up a facility - a processing plant - to dehydrate the alfalfa, process it, then ship it.” However, before Ohio farmers starts searching for an entrepreneur to bankroll at processing plant, they need to be aware of a few additional facts: in the last decade of the 20th century, more than 200 such processing plants closed their doors, according to information from several alfalfa associations across the U.S. And while times may be changing and the market might be right for investing in such a facility, there are still an estimated 200 plants in the U.S. already, many on the west coast, with more still in Canada. But Dr. Lines says Ohio is still in a unique position to start such an operation efficiently, and at less cost, than many other states. (Gary Brock is editor of ACRES of Southwest Ohio.)
COLUMBUS — When he was about 8 years old growing up in the small town of Vernal, Utah, E. Gordon Gee joined 4-H, the youth development program of the nation’s land-grant universities and Cooperative Extension System. Now president of The Ohio State University, overseeing six campuses, 65,000 students and 42,000 faculty and staff, Gee is among the most highly experienced, respected and recognized leaders in higher education. And he gives credit to 4-H for helping set him on his successful path. “I greatly valued my 4-H experience,” Gee said. “I believe 4-H first instilled in me the value of community, and it also provided some of my earliest opportunities to work with peers as part of a team. His years in 4-H weren’t without challenges, though. In fact, one of his favorite stories about his 4-H years involves an ant farm: “I thought I had been very diligent in building the farm and caring for the ants. But, all the ants died! Because of that experience, I like to joke that I was not a very good 4-H’er.” In 4-H, such missteps aren’t seen as failures, said Tom Archer, Ohio’s state leader for 4-H Youth Development and assistant director of Ohio State University Extension. They offer young people the opportunity to learn from mistakes in a nurturing environment and understand how to rebound from setbacks. OSU Extension is the outreach arm of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. “I am often approached by people who tell me the team-building, decisionmaking and problem-solving skills they developed in 4-H became invaluable to them in their professional and personal lives as adults,” Archer said. “In 4-H, youths learn not only how to work toward a goal, but how to communicate about what they’ve done, and the value of giving back to their community.” Ohio’s 250,000 4-H members are advised by nearly 22,000 adult volunteers, most of whom work with members through the state’s 4,547 4-H clubs. In
addition, nearly 7,200 teens volunteer in the state’s 4-H programs. Children as young as age 5 and in kindergarten can join the 4-H non-competitive Cloverbud program; those age 8 and in third grade up to age 18 can join clubs and choose from more than 200 hands-on projects to explore. The impact of 4-H is clear. The 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development, an ongoing study by the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development at Tufts University, shows that 4-H participants are: More likely to get better grades in school. More likely to plan to go to college. More likely to pursue courses or careers in science, engineering or computer technology. More likely to positively contribute to their families and communities. Less likely to engage in risky behaviors. And, despite the stereotype, 4-H isn’t just for rural kids. Gee, who also is proud to serve on the National 4-H Council Board of Trustees, sees that himself: “As president of Ohio State, I frequently travel to all corners of Ohio, and I can tell you that 4-H is everywhere — in both rural and urban communities, cities and small towns. Truly, 4-H provides a model of leadership development for young people of all walks of life.” For more about Ohio 4-H, visit http://ohio4H.org.
Proud Supporter of Agriculture
184 N. South Street, Wilmington | 937-382-1659 2378324
KERSEY
Real Estate & Auction Co. L.L.C.
www.wilmingtonsavings.com
We Specialize in Farm Sales & Leasing
• Professional auctioneering for the public sale of real estate and personal property • Computer Technology for faster and accurate service • Total Service from setup to clean up
GARY KERSEY Member of the Ohio Auctioneer’s Hall of Fame
• Experienced staff auctioneers to handle any size auction • 36 Years Experience
Kersey Real Estate and Auction Co. L.L.C. 191 N. South St., Wilmington, Ohio • 937-382-7793 www.kerseyauctions.com
937-382-8833 Jeff Honnerlaw, Broker
Brad Cochran, VP Farm Sales
www. honnerlawrealestate.com 2377825
2378308
Best B est O One ne T Tire ire & S Service ervice OF Wilmington W ilmington
603 6 03 McCoy McCoy Rd. Rd. and and Rte Rte 73 73 937-382-2300 937-382-2300
Manufacturers of Quality Metal Roofing & Siding Trims & Accessories Visit our web site at
www.BuckeyeMetalRoofing.com
O Hillsboro OF Hillsboro
970 9 70 W M Main ain St., St., ((Rte Rte 5 50 0W W)) 937-393-3520 9 937393-3520
Call or Call or stop stop by by today! today! re here here to to handle handle all all your your FFARM, ARM, SSemi emi We aare TTruck, Tr uck, LLight ight Tr uck & PPassenger assenger Ti re aand nd Truck Tire SService ervice nneeds. eeds. Tr actor Tr ailer, SSemi emi Tr uck, RRVV Tractor Trailer, Truck, and PPassenger assenger vvehicle ehicle AAlignment lignment ddone one ons ite. onsite.
or call us today at Monday-Friday 7:30-4:30 2374663
7a area rea S Service ervice Trucks Trucks & TTIA IA 3 300 00 S Safety afety certified Service Technicians serve ce rtified S ervice T echnic ians to to better better se rve you. you.
2378285
740-998-4304
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
April 2013
Crops going beyond the dinner table By GARY HUFFENBERGER ghuffenberger@civitasmedia.com
F
arm products end up not only on dining room tables, but also go toward health-care goods, energy uses and other useful things, the Ohio department of agriculture director said recently in Clinton County. And Ohio Department of Agriculture Director David T. Daniels anticipates the types of uses for the state’s agricultural products will only increase in the future, with research into plants yielding results having economic or human impact. Daniels on March 14 continued to observe Ohio Agriculture Week on two stops near Wilmington Stokes Berry Farm on Center Road and JD Equipment on U.S. 68 north of town. “My goodness, we’re making rubber from dandelions now. Maybe you’ll be driving on tires one of these days produced from dandelions,” Daniels said inside a greenhouse on the 230-acre Stokes Berry Farm. Agriculture and food already is
Ohio’s number one industry, according to the Ohio Department of Agriculture which sets the economic impact at $105 billion. “We just want people to know how important and how large agriculture is to the state,” said Daniels. Daniels was asked about the thought that research in the life sciences, which includes botany and animal science among other specialties, might have as big an effect as research in the electronics field has. “Yeah, I believe that,” he said, mentioning the research that the Stokes operation takes part in regarding the use of black raspberries to help prevent cancers. Daniels formerly represented Clinton County in the Statehouse and was already familiar with the Stokes operation prior to Thursday’s visit. “But also know there’s research going on at Ohio State all the time on a number of different things,” added Daniels. Earlier, the state director of agriculture said, “Every day there’s research that unlocks some new
use for the products that are being produced right here in Ohio.” Daniels said that ranges from the dried fruit industry to energy research. “All those kind of things are things that our agribusinesses and our producers are producing right here in Ohio,” said Daniels. Ohio already has operations involving 200 different crops, he said. Recently, he saw an operation where the farmer’s entire business on his 173 acres is herbs and vegetables. That producer markets the herbs and vegetables directly to chefs around the world, according to Daniels, shipping to all 50 states and 31 countries. Further, “He is refining the refrigeration process for overnight delivery of vegetables picked on his farm,” said Daniels. The agriculture director made 16 on-site visits in conjunction with Ohio Agriculture Week. (Gary Huffenberger is a staff writer for The Wilmington News Journal.)
Residue Tillage Specialist Series
- Nothing’s impossible!
The RTS Advantage This is what the name Catros stands for: Efficiency, ruggedness, reliability and long service life: Use the Catros compact disc harrow for agronomical success: • The specialist for fast, shallow and intensively mixing stubble cultivation • Blockade-free operation even with large amounts of surface straw • Universal use, even also for seedbed preparation, sowing catch crops, and incorporating liquid manure
Pulling Your Weight
The RTS handles speed with durable, low maintenance cast hubs. RTS ground penetration is achieved with an average machine weight of 285 lbs per blade. Not only does the RTS have better ground penetration but the boron alloy coulters have incredible strength. Blade strength combined with the unparalleled obstacle protection of individual mounts means the RTS can afford to use a thinner blade. By using over 60% less blades you can devote your horsepower to the RTS’s speed and still save fuel.
• Highly robust thanks to the standard, integrated stone safety device • Maximum operational comfort thanks to maintenance-free bearings with integrated slide seal • Reduction of operating cost with maximum work rates
AGROTRON M
Introducing the Agrotron M Series, the Superior Choice
Horsepower up to 100 Range EVOLVING AGRICULTURE.
Linndale Equipment
3593 W. US Hwy 22 & 3 on the corner of Webb Rd. Wilmington, OH 45177 www.linndaleeq.com • 937-382-4549 2377790
5A
6A
April 2013
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
Charles Grimes: Farmer, teacher, mentor Southern Ohio farmer a wealth of knowledge, experience on the farm and in the classroom By CARLY TAMBORSKI ctamborski@civitasmedia.com
It’s a cold, quiet February morning. The fields lining Grimes Road are barren, nothing but grass lightly covered in the falling snow. A quarter mile down the drive sits a house, isolated, amongst the quietness of it all. The main portion is red brick, clearly an addition onto the small, historic white home in front of it. I knock on the door, nervous to meet the local man I had heard so much about. His wife, Nancy, answers. I am at Maplecrest Farm. We exchange cheery introductions as she leads me into the toasty house, to a big, brown leather sofa in their living room where Charles Grimes, 80, sits. It’s uncertain how much time I’ll have with this man, and seeing that I am new to the area and don’t know him like the longterm residents do, I ask him to start from the beginning. Without even knowing him, I can feel he’s about to tell me a great story. “This is my home — the front part over here is where we were born, my brother and I,” Charles says, nodding toward the old,
Charles Grimes, 80, lives today on his family farm on Grimes Road in Adams County.
white structure in the front. “I’m the fourth generation to live here, and when my kids take over this they’ll be the fifth generation to have lived here.” Hard work, the pursuit of education, family values and a little bit of luck are what led Charles to be one of the most interesting and successful farmers in the area: to be the founder of what is now a nationally known Angus breeding operation while climbing the ranks of local education is certainly a feat unmatched by any other local. The couple lives in Adams County, but back when Charles was in school the area was part of Byrd Rural School District, in Decatur. “When I was in high school, there was everything here on the farm,” Charles says. “We had
hogs, we had chickens, we had the dairy cows, the beef cows. Very self-sustaining.” Nancy joins us as she sits on another sofa in the room. “It was very diversified,” Nancy says. “While I was in high school, I had the Jersey cattle and so I spent quite a bit of time in the summer showing the cattle, you know, showing the Jerseys,” Charles says. He was also in 4-H. “I showed at the Brown County Fair — that was my home fair — but I also showed in Adams County and Scioto County and Pike County,” Charles says. “And the state fair,” Nancy adds. Nancy is clearly meant to be his other half, I think.
“I graduated from Byrd Rural in 1950 and went to Ohio State,” Charles says. He was a dairy science major. “It’s what I wanted to do: I was the first one in the family to really assume the cattle,” Charles says. “I did get involved in the university 4-H as well as the Dairy Science Club. I was a member of the dairy cattle judging team — my senior year my team won the national contest.” “He scored the highest in the judging contest,” Nancy says. I smile at how proud she is. Shortly thereafter, Charles graduated from Ohio State in 1954. “Because of that [contest] I got a scholarship to do graduate work,” Charles says. “But there was an interference because in 1954, in that spring, I was set to
go to Denmark on the International Farm Youth Exchange Program — we called it ‘iffy’ for short. And that’s where I met Nancy — she’s a Kansas gal.” They smile at each other. For being 80 years old, he is as sharp as a tack, throwing out dates and telling short stories with details as if they happened yesterday — it’s amazing. I rarely can remember what I eat for breakfast hours later. Charles was in Denmark for about a year, from 1954 to 1955, and graduated in June of 1955. The following month, he enlisted in the Air Force and served two years. “I went through four years of ROTC at Ohio State,” Charles says. “So because I had four See GRIMES/7A
INTRODUCING
Customer Plus FREE for outdoor enthusiasts who purchase a new or pre-owned RV from Tom Raper RVs!
Your Home for the Top Selling Diesel and Gas Motorhomes In the Midwest!
ALLEGRO 36LA 1209800 List Price: $147,609 Sale Price: Call us, you won’t believe our sale price!
PHAETON 40QTH PHAETON 40QTH 1209760
DISCOVER DISCOVERY RY 40G 1203660
List Price: $280,136 Sale Price: Call us us, s, you u won’t find a better price! ice!
List Price: $284,836 84,836 Sale Price: Call all us for a once-in-a-lifetime etime deal!
FREE
Emergency Roadside Assistance Policy
FREE
Resort Camping
FREE
Annual Service Check-ups
FREE
Vacation Rewards Club Membership Everyday Discounts On All Labor, Installation and Parts Store Purchases BOUNDER BOUNDER 35K K 1210410 10
ACE A CE 29.2 1211450
List Price: $144,297 Sale Price: Call us for a rrock-bottom ock-bottom price!
List Price: $100,579 9 Sale Price: $79,995
Shop fr from om the Midwest’s Midwest’’s Largest LLargest Motorhome home Inventory ory at www www.tomraper.com w.tomr tomrraperr.com m RICHMOND, IN
CINCINNATI, OH
COLUMBUS, OH
2250 Williamsburg Pike Richmond, IN 47374 Mon - Sat 8 am - 8 pm EST Toll Free: (800) 727-3778
5300 Dixie Highway Fairfield, OH Mon - Sat 9 am - 6 pm EST Toll Free: (877) 782-4629
1305 US HWY 42 N.E. London, OH Mon - Sat 9 am - 6 pm EST Toll Free: (888) 892-0827
tomraper.com 2378097
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
April 2013
7A
OSU Extension merges vegetable production guides COLUMBUS — Ohio State University Extension’s Ohio Vegetable Production Guide (Bulletin 672) has been discontinued but most of its content, including cultural, varietal, and pesticide recommendations, have been merged with an existing regional publication, an OSU Extension specialist said. The Midwest Vegetable Production Guide (Bulletin 948 for Ohio) is a regional publication involving seven states, in-
cluding Ohio, published by Purdue University Extension. OSU Extension and Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) vegetable specialists are contributors to the new guide, ensuring the information within the document will reflect current recommendations applicable to Ohio farming operations, said Jim Jasinski, an OSU Extension educator and Integrated Pest Management specialist.
OSU Extension and OARDC are the outreach and research arms, respectively, of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. The states included in the regional guide are Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota and Ohio. “Ohio growers should find the new comprehensive guide filled with the same information that was previously published in the
former guide,” Jasinski said. “If there is specific content growers notice missing, please contact us and we’ll try to include that information next year.” A change for Ohio growers in the new guide is the arrangement of the chapters by crop grouping instead of individual crops, Jasinski said. “For example, tomato, pepper and eggplant are all placed in a ‘Fruiting Vegetables’ chapter,” he said.
“Also included in the guide are icons indicating reduced risk, biopesticides and organic-approved pesticides.” The Midwest Vegetable Production Guide is now available at OSU Extension county offices statewide for $10. The guide can also be purchased online at OSU Extension’s Media Distribution Store (http://estore.osu-extension.org) for $10 plus tax and shipping.
A free PDF version of the document can be found online at http://www.btny.purdue.ed u/pubs/id/id-56/. For more information, contact Jasinski at 937484-1526 or jasinski.4@osu.edu; Celeste Welty, OSU Extension Department of Entomology at 614-2922803 or welty.1@osu.edu; or Cindy McCain, OSU Extension Media Distribution at 614-292-1607 or mccain.55@osu.edu.
GRIMES
Hard work and life experiences had brought him this far, and he was preparing to grow the herd. That’s when luck came knocking. “I would say, oh, the summer of ’59, Hugh Balridge — he was the superintendent at West Union Schools before the consolidation — he came knocking on my door and wanted to know if I would be interested in teaching science,” Charles says. I’m immediately intrigued and happy for his 54-years-ago self. “I think that’s an unusual situation, how he got started in teaching,” Nancy says. “Can you imagine somebody coming to your door to offer you a job? Teachers today, you have to search first.” She’s right. “I accepted it,” Charles says. But the gesture required additional work — Charles majored in dairy science, not education. “I think it’s kind of interesting they offered him the job,” Nancy said. “If you realize that he had his Bachelor’s degree and his Master’s degree in dairy science — he didn’t have his education courses.”
Charles went to Wilmington College to get his teaching license. His first year of teaching he taught on a temporary certificate while taking education courses at Wilmington College. Whiles Charles was teaching at West Union, he started taking education classes at Ohio University — Portsmouth. Then he spent two summers at Ohio University — Athens. “I did enough course work to get a second Master’s but I had to write a thesis and so forth and I just wasn’t that much interested,” Charles says. “But he had enough courses that he could’ve had it,” Nancy adds. Initially, Charles had no problem balancing his career in education with his career in farming. “There really wasn’t any problem that first year because we had signed a twoyear visa for a young man from Denmark to come to the United States with the understanding that he would stay with us for the year and then he’d have a year to do what he wanted to do,” Charles says. “So that first year, he did the milking, and of course I just helped on the farm
when I wasn’t at school.” Then things got tricky. “So he left after the first year, and then I hired local people to do the milking but that didn’t work out because sometimes they didn’t show,” Charles says. “After the first year I decided that I either had to sell the dairy cows, or quit teaching.” Charles decided to sell the dairy cows. “We were probably milking about 20 cows at that time,” Charles says. “That wasn’t enough cows to run a full-time dairy farm.” So he sold the dairy cows and then bought one Angus, which slowly grew to a few Angus cattle, which his niece and nephew showed. “Then my own kids started showing Angus females and crossbred steers, and so we were just, you know, a small herd, limited farming. My mother always regretted that, she wished I had kept the dairy cows — my work with education came first.” Charles taught at West Union for four years, from 1959-1963, then he went to Manchester and was the principal there from 19631973. Then a second knock came. “I had wanted to move on from Adams County Schools, but the Good Lord, it’s in his time,” Charles says. “But it wasn’t much longer before Superintendent Yockey came knocking on my door and asked if I would consider being the principal at Eastern.” After Charles accepted the job at Eastern, he and Nancy moved from Manchester back to his family’s farm. Their kids also started showing locally around 1970. The couple has four children: John, Joan, David, Jennifer. Interestingly, John followed in his dad’s agricultural footsteps and Jennifer is now the principal at Eastern High School. David is now an attorney in private practice in the West Union area and Joan is also in education and is the Pre-K supervisor for the Brown County Educational Service Center in Georgetown. “It’s interesting how things work out because that summer, the summer of ’73, I was renting this farm then to somebody else,” Charles says. “I thought we were just going to move out to the farm for the summer.” But once that second knock came, Charles decided to stay on the family farm. Charles was a principal at the Eastern Local School District from 1973-1978 when the school board asked if he would like to move from principal to superintendent, a position he accepted and held from 1978-1987. In all, he spent about 13 years working in Adams County and 14 years in Brown County. And throughout his educational career, Charles still maintained the farm with his older brother, Earl. “My brother and I both worked off the farm,”
Charles says. “On a limited scale, we kept the farm going. We had a small herd of cattle, beef cattle at that time.” Charles and his brother kept the farm on this limited scale until he retired in 1987. “After that, we expanded the operation and the kids showed more,” Charles says. “My kids got into showing in a big way and so I kept active with the herd from ’87 until, oh, about 10 years ago, in 2003,” Charles said. “Then I turned the cattle operation over to John. I got out of it.” His retirement was greatly due to growing health problems, which he has been battling for the last 11 years. “And when I hit 70, I thought, well, I’ve done this long enough, and turned it over to John,” Charles says. John became involved in a big way. “It’s been interesting because John’s expanded the herd, he’s become the state beef specialist for extension, and their children have continued to show and done well at the national level, very active,” Nancy says. The Grimes feed out about 15 steers a year, but the farm is mainly a breeding operation. Every year, John sells some of the cattle off, but they do feed out a few steers every year to sell to people locally for slaughter. In fact, Maplecrest Farm is having an inaugural bull sale 7 p.m. Monday, March 11 at the Union Stock Yards in Hillsboro. A high attendance rate is predicted since the herd is nationally recognized. But to get from where the farm was to where it is now definitely took effort from the whole family. “To think what we started on was just our small family farm operation and that it has bloomed to the significant herding of state and national level,” Charles says. Although Charles and his brother started fresh with one Angus cattle back in the ‘70s, by the time Charles retired they had about 70-80 heads of cattle. The farm grew as well: Charles and Nancy first lived on the 200-acre family farm, but the Grimes later acquired a 75-acre farm down the road that belonged to Charles’ grandfather. He later bought the 125-acre farm in between his farm and his grandfather’s old farm, making their current total around 400 acres. Their daughter, Jennifer, now lives in the home on the 75-acre portion. Charles comments on what I saw on the drive in. “All the land, it’s solely grass — cows running around everywhere,” Charles says. “Everything’s in grass now either for hay or for pasture. We don’t do any crop farming.” John does not come to the family farm every day, but has hired three farm hands to conduct the work. Charles estimates that John has about 300 heads of cattle — some on his farm in Decatur, and some on John’s farm in Belfast. Even after he retired, Charles remained active in
education. About eight years after he retired as superintendent in 1987, he was on the Eastern Local Schools Board of Education. Throughout the conversation, Charles has been very modest, smiling shyly yet proudly when Nancy discusses his accomplishments. There’s a lot to be said for someone who can balance two careers — especially when they’re so different but both very time consuming. I wonder out loud what it was like to balance his two careers in teaching and farming — they’re lifestyles, really. “It all depends on the school you’re at and how much farming you want to try and do, because my brother and I took care of the cattle together,” Charles says. “For about two years we tried to raise tobacco and found out that that was just too much so we quit raising tobacco and rented it out.” Charles tells me another short story and it becomes clear to me just the type of person he is: someone who chose a happy country life of hard work instead of being a suit who climbed the ranks of the educational ladder for higher pay. “The interesting thing is, while I was at OU, one of my professors said there was an opening at Heath up in Licking County, which has a pretty wealthy district,” Charles says, almost secretively. “He said ‘they have an opening up there, would you be interested in going up there? I can speak for you?’ And I said ‘no, I’d rather come back here because I want to raise the kids on the farm.’ I took what jobs became available, which worked out better for all of us.” But after 80 years, and on this day, Maplecrest looks a lot like Charles: a quiet power, successful, and holding many good stories. Taking his health problems into consideration, I hand him the reigns and ask what he would like the moral of his own story to be. “You can start small and accomplish whatever you want if you work hard enough for it,” Charles said. “That’s in education — I just started as a teacher and retired 28 years later and I was local superintendent and it was the same way with farming: we started with one Angus heifer and kept gradually increasing the herd. The herd is recognized nationally now.” Now that his story has reached the present day, we talk about our generations and the differences between them — mainly that people today seem so much more materialistic and unwilling to work hard for what they want — and he gives me one last piece of advice. “The thing is, you just got to think of things above, of Heaven, instead of these earthly things,” Charles says. “Because it’ll be a lot better world up there than it is here.”
Continued from page 6A
years of ROTC I was allowed to enlist in the Air Force for just two years — usually it was three or four.” He was stationed in the United States and was never deployed. You could say everything happens for a reason. When he got out of the Air Force in 1957, he enrolled at the University of Illinois where he earned his Master’s degree in Agriculture for being a dairy science major. “We got married in ’58,” Nancy says. “I was in grad school at the time,” Charles says. “I was in grad school for about a year and a half, two years.” We talk for a bit about how long the two had been “going steady.” When Charles finished his Master’s degree at the University of Illinois, he and Nancy returned to his family’s home and he planned on being a dairy farmer. “My dad had passed away while I was in the Air Force and our dairy herd was fairly small at that time,” Charles says.
R RO A C Serving Fayette & Surrounding Counties Since 1932 www.chford.com
LL HALLID
AY 1700 Columbus Ave. Washington C.H. 800-358-3673
Carroll Halliday www.chford.com 2367441
(Carly Tamborski is a reporter for the News Democrat and Ripley Bee, located in Brown County.)
8A
April 2013
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
A family grows in McClish greenhouse By MARK FAHEY mfahey@civitasmedia.com
B
rent and Nancy McClish founded McClish’s Plants Plus Greenhouses 29 springs ago, building their first plasticroofed greenhouse with their shared savings and selling out of a small tent. Since then, the operation has expanded to include seven growing greenhouses, a large custom-built glass showroom greenhouse, and the two McClish children. The greenhouses include about an acre of indoor growing space and thousands of young vegetables, flowers and seedlings. “We just felt like it was something we could do together and it felt like there was the potential for an opportunity,” said Brent McClish. “I said ‘I think I could build a greenhouse and I think Nancy could grow the plants’…and the Lord has blessed us from there.” The site, across from Miami Trace High School, was the home of the old Eber general store, a run-down structure that had to be demolished to make room for the first greenhouse in 1984. The family business has continued to grow since then, adding new greenhouses on a yearly basis. Both Brent and Nancy McClish grew up on farms in Fayette County: Nancy on a corn and soybean farm about a mile from the
Photo by Mark Fahey
See MCCLISH/9A
Brent and Nancy McClish started McClish’s Plants Plus Greenhouses 29 years ago.
B3000
Excellence performs. Quality pays. Kubota’s deluxe B3000 compact tractor excels with versatile, hard-working features. It’s excellence, power and value all in one. • 4-cylinder 23 PTO HP Kubota diesel engine • Hydraulic independent PTO provides non-stop implement operation • Available with all-weather cab, air conditioning and heat
Be amazed with Kubota’s B3000: Built to work hard today and hold its value tomorrow.
877-FARMPARTS
3025 Progress Way Wilmington, Ohio 45177
9762 US 68 Georgetown, Ohio 45121
937-382-0941
937-378-4880
2013 FORD F-150 XLT STK. # 48215
MSRP $44,810 - $2,000 Retail customer Cash - $1,500 “3- payments on us”Customer cash - $500 Bonus Customer Cash - $1,000 Ford Credit Customer cash - $1,750 Equipment discount - $3,250 Buckeye Ford Discount
2012 FORD F 350 SUPER DUTY LARIAT STK. # 38320
- $1,500 Retail customer Cash - $1,500 “3- payments on us”Customer cash - $750 Retail Bonus Cash - $1,000 Ford Credit Cash - $5,250 Buckeye Ford Discount
MSRP $58,235
BUCKEYE FORD PRICE
$34,810
2010 FORD F 250 SD
BUCKEYE FORD PRICE
$48,235
2010 FORD F 150
www.equipmentsuperstore.com
STK. # V10360 Only 17 K. miles BUCKEYE FORD PRICE
2377816
BUCKEYE FORD PRICE
$24,749
SALE PRICES AVAILABLE TO QUALIFIED BUYERS. SEE DEALER FOR RESTRICTIONS & DETAILS. SAVING'S SPECIAL EXPIRE 5/3/13.
110 U.S. RTE 42, LONDON OH • 852-FORD (3673)
WWW.BUCKEYEFORDLONDON.COM
2378102
www.kubota.com ©Kubota Tractor Corporation, 2012
$25,923
STK.# P8413 Under 44 K. miles
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
McCLISH Continued from page 8A
business and Brent on a diary farm on the other side of town. The family still maintains a farm during the months they’re not working in the greenhouses. “We’re just on the inside and we start a couple months sooner than everybody else,” said Brent McClish. “In the field we’re dealing with corn and soybeans, while in here we’re dealing with about 50 different crops. Some take different water, different fertilizer…not everybody has it exactly right, but you just try to find a happy medium.” The McClishes have invented innovative solutions for many of the unique problems that greenhouses face: fabricated metal racks and rollers to increase space in each green house, alert systems to keep the temperatures at the right level in each building and irrigation systems that conserve water while keeping each plant at the right level of moisture.
April 2013 The greenhouses can go through 20,000 gallons of water on a hot day, and the family’s water delivery system has evolved from hauling water in milk cans to a 65 foot wells drilled into the area’s underlying limestone aquifer. The recent cold weather hasn’t been friendly to the greenhouses business, which must keep buildings warm on cloudy days, but the McClishes said they’ve had good luck in the past. They’ve never had a pest or other problem wipe out their plants. “We’ve been very fortunate,” said Nancy McClish. “The first five years were make or break and we had perfect springs for five years in a row. These last few have been pretty rocky. It all revolves around the weather around here.” The family starts setting up in January, moving the plants into the glass showroom greenhouse for opening in March. The glass house was engineered by a group form Canada to stay within a degree of the outside temperature — a useful building on some of Fayette
County’s sunniest days. The McClishes grow about 95 percent of the plants they sell, raising them from cuttings or seeds sent from places like Nicaragua, Israel, Ethiopia or China. Very few plants, like cactuses, are shipped already partially-grown. “Whether it’s us or another independent place, I think it’s important to know that we’re growing it here and it’s not being shipped in from someplace else,” said Brent McClish. “It’s pretty hands on right here, and I think in the long run that’s a benefit for the customer.” Running the greenhouses is not a static business. Every year the McClishes test new plant varieties to see how they stand up in the Fayette County climate. Because each plant is growing in so little soil, small variations in factors like fertilizer amount or water alkalinity can have a large impact on fertility, said McClish. The family must learn the optimal growing conditions for each plant it sells. Nancy and Brent’s two children also play an im-
Rachel McClish helps in the greenhouse.
Rachel McClish, 19, a sophomore in the agriculture business program at Wilmington College, has also started her own business selling pies to a “loyal following.”
portant role in the business operation, helping in the greenhouses even as they pursue their other interests. Bryan, 22, tends the family farm with his grandpa and also assembles farm equipment for local dealers. Rachel, 19, is a sophomore in the agriculture business program at Wilmington College. Like her parents, Rachel has created her own business, selling pies to a “loyal following” in Fayette County. The
McClishes don’t know yet if either of their children will be interested in taking over the family business when they’re older. “We let them do their own thing. Right now they’re perfectly willing to help, but to say “hey, we want this,” that’s not quite the case yet,” said McClish. “Maybe someday.” Brent McClish said there’s some debate within the industry about whether gardening will be as popular with today’s generation as it was for their grandparents. In
Photo by Mark Fahey
Fayette County, though, he said people are still eager to grow their own flowerbeds and vegetable gardens. “We’re in farm country and farm folks tend to still be doing a lot of planting, even in folks in the city aren’t doing as much,” he said. “We’re just really thankful for all our customers, and a lot of them have turned out to be friends over the years.” (Mark Fahey is a staff writer for the Record-Herald in Washington Court House.)
Bryan McClish, 22, tends the family farm with his grandpa and also assembles farm equipment for local dealers.
MCGUIRE TRUCKING & AGRICULTURAL SERVICES
65+ Years Selling Real Estate & Farm Equipment
CUSTOM APPLICATORS OF LIME DRY FERTILIZER HERBICIDE AND PESTICIDE APPLICATION FULL SERVICE LIME APPLICATION EQUIPMENT OPERATING MODERN DRY APPLICATION EQUIPMENT WITH VRT AND TWIN BIN CAPABILITY CUSTOM LIQUID APPLICATION EQUIPMENT
70
FULLY INSURED WITH CERTIFIED COMMERCIAL APPLICATORS PLEASE GIVE US A CALL TODAY AND LET US HELP WITH YOUR LIME, FERTILIZER AND CHEMICAL APPLICATION NEEDS. MECHANICSBURG, OHIO 43044 OFFICE: 937-834-2354 MOBILE: 614-348-2729
2377325
1120 McARTHUR ROAD IN JEFFERSONVILLE CROSSING
740-426-6149 or LIKE us on FACEBOOK
2367440
2012 National Auction Association Auction of the Year!
2378170
9A
10A
April 2013
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
Sugaring season has arrived By DIANA SHARP
Spring means many things to many people … budding flowers, the return of migratory birds, and for a few dedicated, hard-working individuals, like Steve Shasky, it means the flow of sweet sap from Ohio’s Maple trees. The popularity of real maple syrup during early American history centered around the demand for sugar. Back then, sap was boiled down to make a sugar loaf that was easily shipped on boats to meet the demand. “It was called loaf sugar. You boiled almost all the water out. The idea was … (in the colonies) you had honey sorghum or molasses and maple sugar. Those were the three sweeteners until the slave trade kicked in and the sugar started coming from the Indies. …Well, if you were on the frontier, envision the Great Lakes … all the production for maple syrup is around the Great Lakes,” explained Shasky recently as he was preparing to boil. He added, at that time, there was always a demand for sugar, so it was a profitable venture for a frontiersman or early settlers. It’s not as easy as tapping a tree and hanging a bucket. There is a lot of care and effort that goes into producing quality maple syrup, then and now. In fact, it is a tricky crop dependent on weather and the relative short season in which one must collect the sap. The sugaring season begins in late winter or early spring, Presidents’ Day until the end of March according to Shasky. Optimal conditions occur when the temper-
ature is below freezing at night and above freezing during the day, creating internal pressure that causes the sap to flow through the tree. Sugar season is over when the buds begin to swell and the sap develops an off flavor. “Prime syrup weather is 20s and 40s. In the 20s and night and in the 40s during the days,” explained Shasky, who owns Steve’s Ski Shop, 2583 Possum Run Rd., near Snow Trails. These temperatures are ideal for the sap to run. It is a clear liquid that is two percent sugar and 98 percent water. Producers boil 60 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of syrup. A grove of sugar trees is called a “sugarbush.” Shasky taps around 700 trees and boils for himself and a friend who taps around 400 trees. He considers himself a commercial producer who sells bulk syrup and some retail. This is compared with commercial producers in New England who average around 50,000 trees. Any sizable sugaring operation occurs in a sugarhouse, a building designed to vent the enormous amount of steam that is produced by the condensing syrup. Shasky says he calls his shack a palace. “You won’t find most shacks with drywall,” laughed Shasky. He went on to describe that most sugar shacks can be very “rustic.” Sugaring is the process in which the sap is boiled down and converted to syrup, at which point it’s about 67 percent sugar and 33 percent water. “To me syrup-ing is a logistics issue. Everybody’s woods is different - nothing is steady state. This year is
different from another year … It’s farming,” explained Shasky. He went on to describe the intricacies of sugaring. It’s a race against bacteria from tree to evaporator. One doesn’t want to let the sugar water sit too long for fear the growth of bacteria will eat the sugar your trying to syrup. Likewise once the water makes it’s way to an evaporator there is the temperature and flow to maintain as the water is evaporated. After boiling, the syrup is filtered, graded, and bottled. Shasky prefers fancy grade syrup which has understated maple notes and a rich flavor unlike any dark or amber syrup. Shasky says his wife Cindy prefers the darker syrup. Regardless of the grade, taste is in the preparation, how quickly the water makes its way to the evaporator and the regulation of temperature in the sugaring process. The Shaskys sell their syrup, which is available now at the Ski Shop and at the Village of Bellville’s Farmers’ Market. Shasky hopes to grow his operation; after all, he admittedly has the sugar bug. He is a member of the Ohio Maple Producers Association (OMPA). “Everyone’s syrup is different. It’s in how each one boils their water,” said Shasky. He welcomes anyone to stop out to try his product. It’s an expensive passion and he takes pride in his syrup that he and his wife produce. For more information concerning the entire driving tour visit http://www.ohiomaple.org/m aple-madness.html.
Are you still clutching, jerking and wasting fuel with that copycat CVT? Deli Toys Gifts Crafts Books Candles Souvenirs Fresh Produce
JR’s
General Store & Farm Market
4.5 Miles south of Bainbridge off U.S. 50 on State Route 41 South. Watch for signs.
Seasonal Items Meat & Cheese
Vitamins & Herbs Discount Groceries
Maintenance Free Handcrafted Furniture & Gazebos POLY OUTDOOR FURNITURE
TTHE HE DYNA-VT DYNA-V T™ SSTEPLESS, TEPLESS, CCLUTCHLESS LUTCHLESS CCVT V T oonn oour ur 7600 760 0 aand nd 88600 60 0 SSeries eries ttractors r a c to r s w was as tthe he iindustry’s ndustr y’s fifirst. rst. CR eemissions missions ttechnology, echnolog y, iit’s t’s IIt’s t’s still still tthe he smoothest. smoothest. And And combined combined w ith oour ur DTM DTM power p ow e r m anagement and and ee33™ SSCR with management more ManUpWithMassey.com. aalso lso the the most most fuel-efficient. fuel-ef ficient. Set Set up up a demo. demo. We’ll We’ll pprove rove iit.t. SSee ee m ore aatt M anUpWithMass s ey.com.
“The CVT “The CVT isis so so smooth smooth and and gentle gentle – and and easy. easy. Just Just push pu p sh itit ahead ahead aand nd relax. relax. ItIt wwould ould ssave ave anyone anyone ttime ime iinn fifield eld ooperations. perations. IItt ddoes oes uus.”. s.”. – Cliff Cliff SSearle, earle, 6,000 6,0 0 0 acres acres potatoes, potatoes, corn corn and and dairy dair y cows, cows, Idaho I da ho
– Will not rot, warp, crack, or splinter – Will not grow mildew – Will not weather or fade – Will not need to be painted – Will not peel – Stainless steel hardware
Available in 16 colors! Available in: gliders, tables, chairs, rockers, coffee tables & swings
MASSEY FFERGUSON ERGUSON isis a rregistered egis tered ttrademark r ademar k ooff A G CO . MASSEY AGCO.
©2012 AGCO AGCO Corporation, Cor por ation, 4205 4205 River River Green Green Parkway, Par k way, Duluth, Duluth, GA GA 330096 0 096 (877) (877 ) 525-4384. 525 - 4384. M F 2N 013TCG ©2012 MF12N013TCG
MAYER FARM EQUIPMENT, LLC
Handcrafted Furniture & Gazebos Handcrafted Furniture & Gazebos
Authorized Dealer • Sales - Service - Parts 1812 St. Rt. 734 NW
Jeffersonville, Ohio
740-426-6307 800-996-2937 2376094
2376503
email: mayer@mayerfarmequipment.com
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
April 2013
11A
Ohio goes nuts! Seedlings sales allow nut farmers to see the forest for the trees By DIANA SHARP
Most people are familiar with the saying, “You can’t see the forest for the trees.” Well, it’s spring and one could declare a similar statement, “You can’t see the forest for the seedlings.” With the approach of Arbor Day, slated for the last Friday in April, tree sales are in full swing. Spring is a busy time for farmers. As Ohio nears the end of sugaring season and the production of maple syrup draws to a close, another group of Ohio’s niche farmers is busy thinking ahead. The Ohio Nut Growers Association (ONGA) spring meeting and scion swap will be held Sunday, April 14, at the Kingwood Center, 900 Park Ave. W., in Mansfield. This is a time for area growers to come
together to learn about scientific advancements in grafting, marketing and promotion of nuts, to buy seedlings for their operations and to enter their nuts in the Ohio State Fair. More importantly, this time of year is the best to consider planting trees after a cold winter. The Clear Fork Valley will be represented at this meeting by local grower Bud Luers of the village of Butler. He owns a nut farm that specializes in Black Walnuts. He currently serves as a trustee on the ONGA board and was featured farmer in the 2007 book called “Farms and Foods of Ohio from Garden Gate to Dinner Plate,” written by Marilou Suszko from Hippocrene Books. Nuts are one of nature’s supper foods. While readers may be most familiar with English Walnuts,
which are known for their mild flavor and a shell that is easier to crack, harder shell nuts like Hickory or Black Walnut have gained tremendous popularity among foodies in recent years. Luers’ nut farm, located in Richland County on Opossum Run Road, just north of Bellville has grafted trees bearing nut fruits, including delicate butternut, the Chinese Chestnut, hazelnuts, hickories, hicans, heartnuts, Japanese butternut, in addition to his main crop the Black Walnut. The Black Walnut is native to Ohio, once a staple in Native American’s diets. While it has the buttery, nutty flavors of the English Walnut, the Black is favored because of it’s richness in flavor, it’s earthiness and it’s bitter undertones.
“I have good success selling at the farmers’ market in Bellville,” says Leurs. He added, “It is a hobby that has gotten out of control. I have planted over 2,000 black walnut trees over the years.” According to Ohio.org, it is common for farmers and other small-scale growers to sell black walnuts locally for anywhere between $8 and $10 a pound for black walnut meat. Luers’ 26 acre farm that surrounds his home contains more than 100 grafted Black Walnut Trees and more than 600 seedlings. It is important during harvest time to collect the nuts as they fall. If they sit too long, the shells may get too hard. This isn’t the only challenge to growing nuts. The Clear Fork Valley is often 12 degrees cooler then neighboring counties. While this is good news for
the area ski resorts, it leaves Leurs’ trees vulnerable to frost. Disease is also a threat. “There is a Black Walnut disease going around called thousand canker disease. It is coming in from the west coast and killing all the walnuts there. It has been found in southwest Ohio in some wood found there,” according to Leurs. At this time of year there are typically a number of sources for seedlings. In Richland County, the Clear Fork FFA is teaming up with the Soil and Water Conservation Department on Friday, April 12 and Saturday April 13, to sell tree seedlings at the Richland County Fairgrounds Nature Park. Available species will include evergreens, such as Colorado blue spruce, Norway spruce, white pine, Canaan
fir, Canadian hemlock and arborvitae. In addition large trees will be offered: white oak, red oak, sugar maple, persimmon, black walnut and tulip tree. Three broad-leaf shrubs will also be sold, the common paw paw and Ohio buckeye. New this year will be a wildlife packet. Birdhouses made by the FFA will also be for sale for $10. The sale begins at 9 a.m. of Friday and ends at 6 p.m. On Saturday, April 13, the sale will be held from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. Call your local County Soil and Water Conservation Department to learn of similar sales in your area. Bud, a retired General Moters worker runs his farm with his wife Marilyn; together they are very active in the OGNA. For more information concerning the upcoming meeting, visit www.onga.org/
2378155
12A
April 2013
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
‘I just fell in love with it’
Goat farmer never expected to be … a goat farmer
By CARLY TAMBORSKI ctamborski@civitasmedia.com
Every farmer takes a different path into the world of agriculture. While some go into farming because their parents did, others participated in 4-H or the local FFA programs and go on to have careers in the agriculture industry. To most, the idea of farming puts images of large scale operations and sun-up-to-sun-down hours of sweaty labor into their minds. Rarely is it thought of as a hobby or done so successfully on the side. Those who want to ease into the industry should take a lesson from Susan Loudon, a goat farmer just south of Georgetown. Loudon, now in her 50s, never expected she would one day be a goat farmer. But when you see a baby goat, it’s hard to turn away. “I fell in love with it,” Loudon said of why she brought home her first goat. She and her husband Keith have two sons, now 37 and 34, who became highly involved in 4-H during their youth. It all started in 1989. “The boys wanted to get into 4-H and they wanted sheep,” Loudon said. “So we went to Carol Saner’s and got sheep. When we were there I fell in love with a goat that she had, so I brought it home and it’s expanded from there.” Loudon grew up in Georgetown, graduated from Georgetown High School, and lived in town
until she married Keith in 1975. They met in high school, as many couples in Brown County do. “My husband and I raised the boys in town, and then we moved out here about 15 years ago,” Loudon said. Initially, the goats were all dairy, but the Loudons rarely milked them. “We didn’t make milk products,” Loudon said. “We never milked, if we did milk it was just for fun to make a pie or ice cream with it.” And they did it by hand. But for the most part, the Loudon boys used the dairy goats for their 4-H projects with a few organizations, including the Georgetown Hooves and Halters. Eventually, they moved on from sheep. “The boys just lost interest,” Loudon said. “They started raising goats and they got into cattle, too.” And eventually, the Nubian dairy goats started breeding. “We just started breeding them and we had little kids,” Loudon said. “Then we decided to go more into the meat goats because we weren’t milking our dairies, so we’ve had meat goats ever since.” Since 1995, the Loudon farm has been all meatgoat. The Loudons prefer to raise Boer goats. The Boer buck was used to breed the dairy goats, and the operation has grown from one to almost 40 goats. “Right now we have nine does, we have 20 ba-
Susan Loudon bottle feeds a newly born goat.
bies that have been born since Jan. 20, we have nine yearling does and one buck,” Loudon said. “Yearling” means they were born last year at this time. Out of the 20 babies, 13 bucks were born. The baby bucks are referred to as “market weathers,” meaning castrated males. “Those will all be sold for 4-H projects within the next couple months,” Loudon said. “And then our baby does that we have, we’ll decide which ones we want to keep for replenishing our herd.” The Loudons used Artificial Insemination for a while but got out of it
“Your Regional Advantage” Be certain with
in these uncertain times, be
®
when it became too time consuming. Luckily, the job was just as easily accomplished by letting the Boer buck mingle with the does for a few weeks. “Usually we put them out in the field together,” Loudon said. “I leave him in for at least five or six weeks and then we take him back out, but he usually does his job in about 10-12 days. And he was a young buck this year — he was only six months old when we used him.” Loudon can tell which goats are pregnant due to their size.
“They get very huge,” she said. Because of the timing of the fair projects, the Loudons try to schedule the breeding to align with fair clients. “It takes five months for them to have their babies,” Loudon said. “We usually don’t breed until Labor Day weekend — that puts us to having Feb. 1 babies — but my buck jumped the fence this year.” 4-H clients have to get their goats by early summer. “Usually by the end of
April and first of May they’ll be coming to pick out their goats and they have to have them in their possession by June 1,” Loudon said. “Then they keep them and feed them out for the fair.” “They’ll come and pick them up and take them to their farm or house, and they’ll have a pen for them,” Loudon said. “Usually with a goat, you play with it, you run it and get muscles built up on them.” The lifespan of a Boer goat is usually 10-12 years. In September, students will take the market weathers to the fair, show them, and then sell them through the fair sale. And when their 4-H customers do well at the fair, the Loudons benefit as well. “We benefit if they place first in their class or get grand champion, and that comes back reflecting on our herd, that we have good stock,” Loudon explained. And the goats have won many times. In fact, Loudon has a nephew in 4H who got first place in two of his classes. “He was very excited,” Loudon said. “We’ve had grand champion four or five times over the years.” Although the Loudons do not slaughter their goats, many are eventually used for their meat through the fair sale. “The goats that go for 4-H, the kids understand that they have a termiSee LOUDON/13A
“WE ARE YOUR SEED HANDLING SPECIALISTS!” J&M SpeedTender SpeedTender
certain
your seed corn selections can withstand the stress of drought and other severe weather, have simple refuge solutions when required, and have the potential for high end yield performance season after season. With a Genetics First approach, Doebler’s accesses, selects, and tests from diverse gene pools and commercializes only those hybrids with the potential to outperform all others under Eastern growing conditions. Doebler's supplies alfalfa, forage grass, and clover as well ® as RPM brands of hybrid seed corn and soybeans.
• 275, 375 or 500 unit capacity • Dual compar compartment • 2 or 3 axle undercarriage with brakes • Honda engine with electric star startt • Available Available with conveyor or poly cup auger • Available Available with scales • Gooseneck or bumper pull
Kill Bros SeedVeyor SeedVeyor • 260 or 360 unit capacity • Dual compar compartment • Can be mounted on factor factory y HD undercarriage or skid mounted • Honda engine with electric star startt • Available Available with 8” or 6” conveyor • Available Available with scales • Bumper pull, Gooseneck or skidded models
)&&* '("$) +#,
/HDVH DQG )LQDQFH 2SWLRQV $YDLODEOH /HDVH DQG )LQDQFH 2SWLRQV $YDLODEOH
!"#$%& !"#$%& ( "#$%&' &#&()
800-853-2676 www.doeblers.com
2378223
• HG Violet is now a dealer for KSI conveyors. • KSI conveyors, with their patented, cleated belt, handle seed gently at a very high rate of speed, with ver y little material damage. • Tr TTruckload ruckload arriving soon, just in time for spring planting. Call for details”
Give us a call or visit www.hgviolet.com www.hgviolet.com for our complete inventor inventory. y.
H.G. Violet Equipment 2103 North Main St. Delphos, OH 45833 Phone 419-695-2000 www.hgviolet.com
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
LOUDON Continued from page 12A
nated project and that they’re raising this for somebody to eat down the line,” Loudon said. “For us to sell to a meat producer, no, we don’t do that. We have a tremendous amount of calls — people wanting to get started in the goat herd, or who want does, and we’ve provided several does for people to get started.” As for the does, they try to sell them and advertise them for sale, which keeps business pretty steady. “We usually don’t have a problem getting any of them sold,” Loudon said. “We do keep some of our little does. Those will be
April 2013 used to replace anything in our herd that we don’t feel is good enough any longer.” But not everything in the process was so easy. “When I first got into this, yes, it was very hard to see them go,” Loudon said. “But you kind of get it in your head that you’ve got to let them go because you would have so many animals that you couldn’t take care of all of them.” Except for the time when they used artificial insemination, the Loudons use no technology in their goat farming. Their 44-acre farm was part of Keith Loudon’s childhood farm. When his parents passed away, it was divided between him
and his brother. Keith and Susan Loudon took one side of the road while Keith’s brother has the other side. An average day on the Loudon goat farm is much different than a cattle operation. “For me, the goats are small, they’re easier for me to handle, where cattle are larger and they sometimes scare me,” Loudon laughed. In the mornings it takes about half an hour to do all the feeding. “We have three little bottle babies so that takes a little bit more time,” Loudon said. “And then my husband works second shift so when he gets up in the morning, he goes to the barn and does all the watering and taking
out of the hay, and then I have another half hour to 45 minutes in the evening of feeding and taking care of them.” The feed is about 16 percent protein, and is corn and oat-based. The Loudons have one big barn and one smaller barn that they call their “kidding shed.” For Susan, the most stressful parts of goat farming exist shortly before mothers have their kids. “The hardest part is when they get ready to kid and the weather is so cold,” Loudon said. “We have to be at the barn a lot, and we have an intercom system so we can listen for the babies being born and get there and get them
dried off so they don’t freeze.” When the goats have their babies, the Loudons place them in the kidding shed to watch them, to make sure that they’re nursing and to make sure that their mothers are stabilized and doing well. Another stress are the changes in the industry, especially the rising cost of materials. “The feed is very expensive, the price just keeps going up,” Loudon said. “And then you have to increase the price of your goats and you hate doing that to the kids in 4H because you want to give them a chance.” But there is a big payoff.
“My favorite part’s when you go to feed them and you get to watch the babies jump around in the pen and play on their mommies,” Loudon said. “Goats have such a sweet personality and they love to be played with. The more attention they get the more they want.” Susan Loudon doesn’t know how long she’ll stay in the goat business, but recommends goat farming as a great way to farm on a smaller scale, especially if those who are interested in it already have primary careers. (Carly Tamborski is a reporter for the News Democrat and Ripley Bee, located in Brown County.)
Susan Loudon said raising goats can be very rewarding, though the cost of feed and other necessary pieces of equipment has increased in recent years.
MERCHANTS NATIONAL BANK Serving the Agricultural Community since 1879! For all your borrowing needs contact Our Experienced Ag Loan Professionals nearest you!
David Sanders Wash. C.H. 740-335-1331 Springfield 937-322-4200
Blain Bergstrom Greenfield 937-981-7771
Brian Ernst Georgetown 937-378-2603 Mt. Orab 937-444-1441
Danielle Shiveley Batavia 513-735-1000 Mt. Orab 937-444-1441
2346082
Brock Burcham Springfield 937-322-4200
JoAnn Fauth Higginsport 937-375-4242
Ryan Corzatt Hillsboro 937-393-7993
Local People, Local Decisions, Local Commitment! www.merchantsnat.com
13A
14A
April 2013
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
Beware the dangers of anhydrous ammonia By ADAM SHEPARD shepard.95@osu.edu
With another month all but in the rear-view mirror with little to no outside work being accomplished it was nice to see the floaters out this morning making the 28 percent application to local wheat fields. The application window was short with the sun coming out the ground started to get greasy shortly before lunch. At the county farm we were fortunate enough to get the nitrogen on today so hopefully the weather will warm up some and the wheat will take off. As I make my rounds throughout the county I’ve noticed numerous shops being filled with planters, ammonia applicators, and field cultivators. While all of the equipment we deal with is full of potential dangers there is one product some of us use that requires some special attention and precautions. Anhydrous Ammonia tanks and applicators will soon be rolling once the soil dries and
tures or breaks. When the ammonia is introduced into the air it vaporizes and moves through the atmosphere. Ammonia absorbs moisture so the real hazard becomes when one is exposed to ammonia it will absorb moisture from the body and cause severe burns to any part of the body in which it contacts. This is not limited to exterior exposure, the ammonia can also cause severe burns to interior organs and vital body structures such as lungs and windpipes can become severely burned and can also lead to death. Ammonia gives off a distinct odor when exposed to the air which can make breathing difficult for those exposed. The odor is often strong enough to burn your eyes and cause a loss of breath. While most of the danger associated with ammonia
warms up. Every year as we hook to the first tank we have to remind ourselves as to the danger and hazards associated with using this source of nitrogen. With ammonia being one of those products which we use one time a year then forget about it until the next spring we tend to forget the potential danger and amount of respect we should give this product. With ammonia application on everyone’s mind I felt this a necessary time to review some information about ammonia that will help applicators and the general community understand the risks associated with this product. Anhydrous Ammonia is transported in liquid form under pressure so the tanks and wagons we see on the road are manufactured to handle pressure and reduce the risk of rup-
AGENT NAME
AFTER HOURS PHONE #
KIM ABBOTT KIM BOYER RANDY A. BUTLER JENNY M. CAMERON C. DALE CAMPBELL ROBYN G. COOMER STEVEN C. COWDREY TOY G. FENDER
937-403-2425 937-205-7230 937-780-9306 937-840-9699 937-393-9715 937-763-9719 937-403-2824 937-840-0822
AGENT NAME
comes during the filling of the tank and making the application itself we also hear of accidents while the product is being transported to the field. When you see the tanks being moved on the road make sure and give them plenty of room and assure clear distance when passing the vehicles. Applicators should be serviced and made sure all hoses, connections, and valves
AFTER HOURS PHONE #
WESLEY G. FENDER 937-840-0822 GREG MAGEE 937-763-4947 MELISSA J. RIFFEE 937-403-0104 R. RUTH ROBBINS 937-763-8013 ANDREA M. TIPTON 937-763-8095 BRIGETTE WAGGONER937-393-8150 RICK A. WILLIAMS 937-393-9447 CHAROLETTE WILLS 937-661-0168
HAMMOND ROAD, HILLSBORO
6159 DUNLAP ROAD, HILLSBORO
(Adam Shepard is Ohio State University Extension Educator, Fayette County.)
1649 BROWN HILL RD., MANCHESTER
$650,000
18 HOLE PUBLIC GOLF COURSE 136.5 ACRES 3 WATER HAZARDS, 6 BUILDINGS, & EQUIPMENT AMID HUNTING PRESERVES, HIKING TRAILS, WINERIES & AMISH COMMUNITY JUST OVER 1 HOUR FROM CINCINNATI
515 J J LANE, SEAMAN
(937) 393-3416 www.ClassicSells.com
are in good working order and pressure tested before taken to the field if possible. More information about ammonia safety can be found at: http://www.extension.org/pages /63196/anhydrous-ammoniasafety.
$194,500
4 BEDROOMS, 3 BATHS 50 MOSTLY WOODED ACRES WITH A POND SEVERAL OUTBUILDINGS ABOVE-GROUND POOL; SECURITY SYSTEM NEW FURNACE & A/C IN 2011
9826 E. DEADFALL ROAD, HILLSBORO
NEW PRICE
$205,000
CROSS ROAD, WEST UNION
9439 GRIMSLEY ROAD, LEESBURG
$159,900
3 BEDROOMS PICTURESQUE 22 ACRE FARM 2 BARNS, GARAGE, 7 HORSE STALLS, & TACK ROOM PASTURE, POND WITH CREEK, & 2 WELLS PLENTY OF ROOM FOR 4H PROJECTS & OTHER HOBBIES!
9605 BRIDGES ROAD, LEESBURG
$52,000
$350,000
$34,000
$325,000
2361 SOUTH TAYLORSVILLE ROAD, HILLSBORO
$339,000
4 BEDROOMS, 2 BATHS 17.007 ACRES – A GENTLEMAN’S FARM, LOVINGLY RESTORED TURN OF THE CENTURY HOME & HAND-BUILT BANK BARN BREATH-TAKING VIEWS! ONLY 8 MILES FROM 32
STATE ROUTE 133, WILLIAMSBURG
$65,000
$129,900
3 BEDROOMS, 2 BATHS, 7.494 ACRES QUALITY BUILT HOME WITH STEEL FRAMING & BEAMS 24X60 POLE BARN WITH CONCRETE, ELECTRIC, WATER, & ATTACHED CARPORT SWIMMING POOL INCLUDED! BREATHTAKING VIEWS IN ALL DIRECTIONS!
6340 ST. RT. 28, NEW VIENNA
$159,900
3 BEDROOMS, 2 BATHS 5 ACRES PRIVATE SETTING; MATURE TREES DECK; SWIMMING POOL; WBFP 2 CAR DETACHED GARAGE
10 VERY PRIVATE ACRES VERY QUIET AREA AT END OF PRIVATE LANE, GREAT LOCATION FOR YOUR DREAM HOME! HEAVILY WOODED CLERMONT NORTHEASTERN SCHOOLS
N. GATH ROAD, CLAY TOWNSHIP NEW LISTING
NEW LISTING
836 S. HIGH ST., HILLSBORO
COMMERCIAL BUILDING 6.4 ACRES 49,680 SQ. FT. OF GREENHOUSES NECESSARY EQUIPMENT INCLUDED! 88X52 POLE BUILDING
10.7 ACRES OF RECREATIONAL LAND ROLLING TO FLAT 7 ACRES IN WOODS; 3 ACRES CLEARED IDEAL FOR THAT HUNTING SPOT OF YOUR OWN! DEER TRAILS EVERYWHERE
3406 ST. RT. 247, HILLSBORO
NEW LISTING
$340,000
$165,500
3 BEDROOMS, 2 BATHS PICTURESQUE 25.422 ACRE FARM, 3 BARNS + 2-CAR GARAGE WITH 220 ELECTRIC WELL-KEPT HOME WITH NEW PAINT & CARPET BEAUTIFUL COUNTRYSIDE; WILDLIFE ABOUNDS!
NEW LISTING
8381 ST. RT 73, HILLSBORO 3 BEDROOMS, 3 BATHS 9.52 ACRES A HOMEMAKER’S DREAM KITCHEN FULL WALKOUT BASEMENT; ATTACHED 2-CAR GARAGE 2ND ACCESS FROM GARAGE TO BONUS ROOM/4TH BEDROOM
19.109 SECLUDED ACRES GREAT BUILDING LOT FOR YOUR DREAM HOME! IDEAL FOR A WEEKEND RETREAT PARTLY WOODED MAY LAND CONTRACT TO QUALIFIED BUYER
PONDLICK ROAD, CONCORD TOWNSHIP
NEW PRICE 3 BEDROOMS, 2.5 BATHS 13.035 ACRES WITH STOCKED POND, QUALITY HOME WITH MANY AMENITIES FULL WALK-OUT BASEMENT; WORKSHOP; GARDEN HOUSE TRAILS THRU WOODS AND BRIDGES OVER CREEKS
3 BEDROOMS, 2 BATHS 31.806 PRIVATE ACRES LARGE POLE BARN; DETACHED 2 CAR GARAGE W/200 AMP SERVICE, POOL W/LARGE PARTY DECK, 10 ACRES ARE LEASED; PLENTY OF TIMBER
$27,000
6.422 ACRES WAITING FOR YOUR NEW HOME! GOOD BALANCE OF WOODS & CLEARED LAND CREEK RUNS THROUGH PROPERTY AMPLE ROAD FRONTAGE LYNCHBURG-CLAY SCHOOLS
11409 CATHY COURT, ROCKY FORK LAKE
$40,000
5 ACRES IN A PARK-LIKE SETTING MATURE TREES PUBLIC WATER & SEWER GRAVELED DRIVEWAY & CONCRETE FRONT PORCH PAD NEAR NORTH BEACH & MARINA
2376216
$150,400
47 ROLLING ACRES 25 ACRES CLEARED 22 ACRES IN WOODS ON A DEAD-END ROAD – GREAT HUNTING! OWNER WILL DIVIDE; ADDITIONAL 5 ACRES AVAILABLE
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
April 2013
The Amish Cook ing on cutting up strips of hamburger for the grinder. We also cut the meat into small chunks which I will process later. Noon - Emma’s son Steven comes off the bus here from school. 1 p.m. - We finally take a break and eat grilled cheese for lunch. I also fixed some “rare beef” for us all. 1:45 p.m. - We are almost finished with the second quarter. It takes a lot of time to trim all the bones and cut all that meat. I am also slicing some of the steaks. 3:30 p.m. - The rest of the children are home from school. 4 p.m. - Jacob and his children come over to help. Our friend Dan also comes in and gives us a lift. It helps that he keeps our knives sharpened too. Working around the bones the knives get dull fast. 5 p.m. - Daughter Elizabeth is home from work. She is working 10 hour days which gets tiresome. Elizabeth’s friend Timothy also comes to help with the beef. Things are moving faster with so many people helping with cuts of meat. The boys go outside to do the chores. Elizabeth makes supper for everyone. 6:30 p.m. -We are almost done and the hamburger is being put through the grinder. All the cut up meat is carried out to the tool shed. It will stay cold while we work on getting bagged and processed for the freezer over the next few days. 7:30 p.m. - It is late to eat supper and we wanted to finish up first. The younger children ate while we are finishing up. Elizabeth made spaghetti and meatballs, potato soup, along with cheese and crackers for supper. While we start eating I fixed rare beef. It is best to eat right out of the skillet. It is also time-consuming
By Lovina Eicher
he Amish Cook shares a day in the life of herself and her family: 4:50 a.m. - My husband Joe didn’t have to work today, so we were able to sleep later than usual. I get up as daughter Elizabeth is awake and packing her lunch for work. 5:15 a.m. - Elizabeth leaves for work, Joe gets up to check on the coal-stove while I fix us a pot of coffee. 6 a.m. - I wake up the rest of the children. They want coffee soup for breakfast while they get dressed for school. Seems this hour always goes fast. Usually someone can’t find their shoe or someone else has forgotten to do their homework so that it is rush, rush to get ready for the bus. Joe is outside cutting a quarter off the 1,740 pounds of beef we dressed Friday night. The boys go outside to help push the pony wagon that Joe put the beef on down to the basement where we will cut up the beef. It is nice to have walk-out doors so that they can pull the wagon up to the table. The quarters of beef are heavy so just lifting them from the wagon to the table was hard enough. 7 a.m. - The bus comes and the children are off to school. Daughter Susan doesn’t have to babysit today so I will be glad for her help. We get some more tables set up in the basement and get everything ready to cut up all that beef. 8 a.m. - Sister Emma and her daughter Elizabeth arrive to help us. 8: 15 - We have breakfast which is Egg Dutch, bacon, toast, cheese, sliced tomatoes, coffee, and juice. 9 a.m. - We are ready to start on the beef. Joe cuts out the steaks while the rest of us work-
T
Six Layer Casserole 2 cups sliced raw potatoes 1 cup diced celery 1 cup diced green peppers 1 cup sliced onions 3 cups sliced tomatoes 1 pound ground beef Ground ground beef and put into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Layer vegetables twice. Bake at 350 for an hour until potatoes are soft.
When Was The Last Time You Slept Like This?
since we only make one piece at a time. It just wouldn’t be the same to not get to taste rare beef on butchering day. 8:30 p.m. - Dan, Jacob, and Emma all leave for home. We appreciated everyone’s help. It was really windy and snowy when they left. The children are hoping for a snow day and no school tomorrow. I am also hoping they will have off so I will have more help with the meat. 9 p.m. - Timothy leaves and we are all ready for bed. It has been a long, tiring day. God’s blessings for all.
ZERO INTEREST UP TO 72 MONTHS. PLUS, OUR 5-YEAR POWERTRAIN WARRANTY.
Model 4010
Factory Authorized Discouts from Famous Makers!
Venice Pillow Top Full Set $299 Queen Set $349 King Set $449
$
249
Twin Set
Prestige Classic Firm Full Set $639 Queen Set $699 King Set $989
$
579
Twin Set
Dreamtime Eurotop Full Set $349 Queen Set $399 King Set $499
SAVE BIG WITH 0% FOR UP TO 72 MONTHS ON THE LEGENDARY 4010*
$
299
Twin Set
Come in for our Red Tag Sale, and save on the world’s #1 selling tractor before this deal ends.
Relax Tempa-Gel
Hurry in to save on Model 4010
LOW LOW Prices on Adjustable Beds!
perper month month 000 324.39 Package includes loader and implement X. Package includes loader
$ $
Full Set $849 $ Queen Set $1049 King Set $1599 Twin Set
849
AMERICAN EQUIPMENT SERVICES 3353 Gallimore Road SMITH TRACTOR Sabina, Ohio 45169
Free Delivery • Free Set-Up • Interest-Free Financing
0000 Street Name • Town Name (937) 486-3101 000.000.0000 • dealersite.com
WARREN FURNITURE
www.americanequipmentservice.com * Interest/payment-free period is not in addition to contract term. With approved credit. Discounts may vary by model. Program apply. See dealer forexpires details.March 31, 2013. model. Program restrictions mayrestrictions apply. Seemay dealer for details. Offer
Your Hometown Store 937-393-6880 www.warrenfurniture.com
2376202
1583 North High Street • Hillsboro, Ohio 45133 2377982
15A
16A
April 2013
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
Clean water is everyone’s business Ohio farmers commit $1 million to phosphorus research study
Extensive Bulk Seed Selection
Bureau, Schlessman Seeds, Trupointe Cooperative and the United Soybean Board. To date, all funding partners have committed over $1 million to support the project. In 2012, the initial research funding was matched when OSU received a Conservation Innovation Grant of $999,987 from USDA. “While this research project will provide tools for farmers, it’s important to remember there are multiple sources that contribute to the water quality problem that are beyond farmers’ control, including private septic systems, urban storm runoff, industrial pollution and municipal waste from failed sewer systems,” said Mark Thomas, Ohio farmer from Stark County. “Ohio’s corn, soybean and wheat farmers are dedicated to doing their part to improve Ohio’s waterways because clean water is everyone’s business.” The Ohio Corn Marketing Program was approved by an affirmative vote of Ohio’s corn producers. The voluntary, self-help program allows for the collection of a half cent-per-bushel assessment by all first purchasers of the grain. Funds from the program can only be invested for research, market development, education and promotion purposes. Visit www.ohiocorn.org for more information. Headquartered in Worthington, the Ohio Soybean Council is governed by a volunteer farmer board, which directs the Soybean Promotion and Research Program. The program’s primary goal is to improve soybean profitability by targeting research and development, education and promotion projects through the investment of farmer-contributed funds (checkoff). www.soyohio.org The Ohio Small Grains Marketing Program Board works to improve wheat production, wheat qualities and to strengthen markets for wheat in Ohio as well as wheat export markets. OSGMP supports educational programs in the state and funds research programs to create better crops and open new markets. For more information, visit ohiosmallgrains.org
W
hile many factors and sources affect water quality, Ohio corn, soybean and wheat farmers want to be part of the solution and do their part to maintain and improve the health of Ohio’s waterways. Ohio farmers share the same environmental priorities as their fellow citizens and are committed to doing the right thing for their farms, their families and all Ohioans. As a result, farmers and other agricultural organizations are investing over $1 million to commission a study to investigate phosphorus use in farming. This three-year project, led by The Ohio State University (OSU), OSU Extension and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS), will determine how phosphorus is used in agriculture, how it leaves farm fields and how much of it is actually entering Ohio waterways. How phosphorus moves from fields to waterways has never before been explored in such detail in Ohio. “Farmers have answered the call to address water quality challenges in the past and they are committed to do so again,” said Terry McClure, Ohio farmer from Paulding County. “However, the issues we face with phosphorus today are different than those in the past. That is why research is a vital part of developing the necessary tools for every region, every farm and every watershed.” Equipment has been placed in strategic locations at the edge of farm fields throughout the state to collect continuous and extensive data. OSU scientists will examine previous water quality studies, collect new data and provide farmers the information they need to make the right decisions for the environment and their farms. Farmer and agricultural organizations that have provided funding for the research include Ohio Corn Marketing Program, the Ohio Soybean Council, Ohio Small Grains Marketing Program, The Andersons, Deerfield Farm Services, DuPont Pioneer, Luckey Farmers Cooperative, Nachurs, Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, Paulding County Farm
NOW OPEN
Don’t Miss Our Annual
SPRING OPEN HOUSE Visit our WEBSITE
Sat., April 27th!
and especially our virtual tours to discover our unique facility until we are able to greet you in person. At McClish’s we enjoy producing vigorous and beautiful plants in our own greenhouses – plants that have been grown using extra measures of care, attention and ingredients to satisfy anxious spring planters!
Fairy Gardening
SR 72
2376091
Xenia Jamestown
Located on St. Rt. 41 across from Miami Trace H.S. 7 miles south of the Jeffersonville I-71/St. Rt. 41 Exit #69 and/or 3 miles north of Washington C.H.
McClish’s Plants Plus Greenhouses LLC conveniently located on State Route 41 N Across from Miami Trace High School 740-335-9633 www.mcclishs.com
Late April/May Hours 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mon.-Sat.
April 2013
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
17A
OPENING DOORS TO SUCCESS
More than 200 people turned out for the 2013 Small Farm Conference and Trade Show held at Wilmington College March 8 and 9. Photo by Lora Abernathy
Strong turnout at Small Farm Conference and Trade Show By LORA ABERNATHY labernathy@civitasmedia.com
K
imberly Bucy said she had learned enough within the first few minutes to make her trip to Wilmington worthwhile. Bucy, from Kettering, was one of more than 200 people who turned out for the 2013 “Opening Doors to Success” Small Farm Conference and Trade Show held Friday, March 8 and Saturday, March 9 at Wilmington College. The event, sponsored by The Ohio State University Extension office, gives small farm operators the opportunity to learn from Extension professionals and industry leaders to better equip themselves in their farming business. Friday night’s session included a panel of three area producers who addressed issues such as labor, financing, land, customer relations and agritainment. Saturday’s events included a trade show followed by several work sessions. Participants learned about bee keeping; vermiculture, vegetable nutrient management; generating energy for a small farm, utilizing maps and apps technology to market their business, Christmas tree production;
cover crops; grafting of trees; cheese; lavender production; raised bed production; pasture management; selecting a livestock enterprise for a small farm; fertigation of tomatoes; greenhouse/tunnel production; food safety; agricultural law considerations; developing water systems for pastures; growing hops; marketing, financial management and disease management of fruits and vegetables. Bucy said she and her husband, Master Sgt. Clay Bucy, currently have two gardens: one in their backyard and one in a separate property. They are currently looking to consolidate and purchase one single lot on which to grow their farm. She said her husband has been deployed overseas three times and that farming “has been a real source of connection for our family as well as peacefulness for him.” The couple has two children, 17-year-old Andrea and 13-year-old Noah. Further, they anticipate being able to use the farm as part of a newly forming military ministry with their church, Dayton Vineyard. “We want a location that’s very peaceful, out away from the city, to bring other military families just to do whatever, to come out and have a fun time with their family, to learn
gardening if they want to, or to just have a meal and an afternoon picnic with their family,” Bucy said. Supplementing income and looking for a different way of life are some of the reasons there is an increase in small farm operators like Bucy, said Tony Nye, the Extension agent for Clinton County and organizer of the conference. “A lot of these folks are just getting started in their farming operations,” Nye said. “Some of the operations have been working toward things, and the different courses that we provide and the different subject matters can give them some specialization on a specific topic.” Nye said that a growing number of small farm operators are interested in producing goat’s milk soap and lavender. Kim Prell said she and her husband Mike, the owners of Peaceful Acres Lavender Farm Market in Martinsville, enjoy educating others. They, along with Extension educator Brad Bergefurd, spoke about lavender farming during a work session Saturday morning. “We really love to share what we know, and just kind of help other people, so this kind of thing is just really fun for us,” Prell said.
Though there is an increase in the number of small farm operators, the majority of production still comes from large family and commercial farms, Nye said. Small farms, however, are invaluable to their local economies, especially through their participation in farmers markets, he added. “You may have some of those producers that may hire one or two people,” he said. The local food movement has spurred growth for small farm operators and farmers markets because more people want to know who is producing their food and from where it is coming, Nye added. Nye said he is passionate about seeing these small farm operators succeed. Instead of reinventing the wheel, he said that Extension often partners with and helps promote other organizations who may provide different types of information for farmers. “We want to make sure that if we’re going to help people grow their business, that we help identify those opportunities,” he said. (Lora Abernathy is Editor of the Wilmington New Journal in Clinton County.)
Volunteer for food safety certification By TONY NYE nye.1@osu.edu
Fruit and vegetable producers of all sizes now have the option of participating in a voluntary food safety certification program in Ohio. The Ohio Produce Marketing Agreement (OPMA) offers producers food safety standards and an opportunity to attain food safety certification through third party inspections. Born from growing concerns about fruit and vegetable contamination outbreaks, the OPMA takes an aggressive yet voluntary approach to addressing food safety risk. The OPMA is the first “agricultural marketing agreement” developed under a new law in Ohio. The agricultural marketing agreement law allows agricultural commodities to create voluntary marketing programs to expand or improve the market for their commodity. Marketing programs may promote the sale and use of products, develop new uses and markets for products; improve methods of distributing products to consumers or standardize the quality of products for specific uses. To create a voluntary mar-
keting program, the commodity group must obtain the approval of both the Ohio Department of Agriculture and producers within the commodity group. A summary of the agricultural marketing agreement law can be found at: http://www.lsc.state.oh. us/analyses129/12-sb309129.pdf The voluntary advisory board that governs OPMA is preparing the program for final approval, which should occur within the next few months. Producers may begin participating in the program now, however. OPMA offers producers three levels or “tiers” of food safety certification based on types and scale of produce sales. All tiers require membership in OPMA, annual training and demonstration of the core food safety standards via an inspection. The core standards address water quality, inputs and composting, traceback and good handling practices. A farm that completes the certification process may market itself as an OPMA certified farm and use the OPMA logo for marketing purposes. While OPMA will cer-
tainly provide marketing advantages, fruit and vegetable producers should consider the program’s legal benefits. Adopting the recommended research-based food safety standards, participating in regular training and passing an OPMA inspection will reduce the risk of a food safety incident and resulting liability. Given recent outbreaks resulting in sickness and deaths from produce consumption, food safety is a serious issue for produce farmers. OPMA certification gives producers an opportunity to minimize exposure to food safety liability. Another benefit for producers is the voluntary, self-regulating nature of the program. High participation in OPMA indicates commodity willingness to address food safety practices and ensure safe food products. A sound voluntary program with high participation rates may negate the need for regulatory action or meet requirements of the still-evolving federal Food Safety Modernization Act. For more information the Ohio Produce Marketing Agreement, visit www.opma.us.
Source: This post is a reprint of a post by Peggy Hall that originally appeared at Ohio Agricultural Law Blog. (L. Tony Nye is OSU Extension Educator, Clinton County, Agriculture & Natural Resources.)
For the farmers not big enough to drive a 4020. Test drive these at The Old Home Place.
Model #142
Only $2,842.00 includes installation
Quality Playsets from Playmor Amish Bakery, Meats, Cheese & Bulk Foods Outdoor Furniture, Sheds and Playsets
Built in Millersburg, Ohio Monday thru Friday 8:30 to 5:30 Saturday 8:30 to 4:00 Closed Sunday
2225 Frankfort Clarksburg Rd., Frankfort, Ohio
(740) 998-4303
Halfway between Washington C.H. and Chillicothe on 35. 2373168 Take CR 87 exit then head north 1/10 mile.
18A
April 2013
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
SAVING THE FARM Family farm becomes paintball battleground
LIBERTY TOWNSHIP – There’s a revolution set to explode across an Ohio farmer’s field on May 11. Who will survive as the mega clash between hundreds of paintball enthusiasts simulating America’s Civil War? Survival is symbolic to Niederman Family Farm and those fighting leukemia & lymphoma cancer. This special event is the second annual Bob Niederman Memorial Scenario Event. A large scale
war will wage across more than 40 acres of Niederman’s 210 acre farm, spanning fields, woods, a creek and more. Portions of the proceeds will be donated to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Bob Niederman, farm owner, passed from lymphoma cancer. The family is committed to its fight to keep all that Bob has helped create to continue serving the public with spring farm tours, fall fes-
tivities and year-round paintball. This second annual event in his honor simulates the Civil War – America’s 3rd revolution! Sign-up to play in the Civil War - The Third American Revolution: Bob Niederman Memorial Scenario Game at https://www.facebook.com /events/453371828045925 /. The Niederman Family Farm is being saved one paintball game at a time. What began with a handful of locals asking to play paintball in an old cow pasture on a 210 acre farm has turned into nine sophisticated paintball courses attracting several hundred players for some games. The early days in 2000 required a complete family effort. The Niederman children were occasionally summoned to play a game of paintball when teams needed an extra player to have even sides. Players must be at least ten years old and everyone participating has to sign a waiver. The paintball venture snowballed.
Niederman Family Farm has everything anyone needs to play paintball: Safety goggles, guns, paintballs and anything else to suit up and join the fun. Those players are added to groups on various courses throughout the farm according to skill level. Any size group can reserve a field of play. Group events include church outings, bachelor and birthday parties, and corporate team building exercises, family reunions, youth day camps, and sports teams. This working farm is located between Cincinnati and Dayton. In its fourth generation, the Niederman’s have diversified
parts of their farm in order to survive and preserve their way of life. Ongoing activities feature bonfire pits, barn rentals, primitive cabins (with heat and air conditioning) and many seasonal events plus group tours. Group accommodations are routinely made for families, mom clubs, school groups, day care centers and home school groups. The Niederman’s also accommodate large family reunions and corporate events in a
restored 1890s barn with modern amenities. Niederman Family Farm is located at 5110 LeSourdsville-West Chester Road in Liberty Township. Call 513-7796184 or visit www.niedermanfamilyfarm.com.
WANTED: GROWERS OF NON-GMO SOYBEANS • Highest Premiums • Fall Delivery • Most high-yielding varieties accepted CALL TOLL FREE: 855-GROW 4 US (855-476-9487)
2376784
WWW.BLUEGRASSFARMSOHIO.COM
We’ve W e’ve p protected rotected ffarmers armers for for generations. generations. Local farmers Local farmers h have ave depended depended o on nu us s for for quality quality insurance insurance coverages and c overages a nd ffriendly, riendly,, local local service ser vice for for years. years. an IIff you you want want a n iinsurance nsurance company company who who will will keep promises visit k eep iits ts p romises ffor or years years tto o come, come, v isit grinnellmutual.com DQ QHDU g rinnellm mutual.com WWR R ¿QG ¿QG D Q DJHQW DJHQW Q HDU \RX \RX
AP Policy olicy o off W Working orki king T Together ogether ® 2378246
GUSWEILER GM CENTER & GUSWEILER TOYOTA Visit us @
Open 24 Hours A Day!
2376786
of Southwest Ohio April 2013
Best One Tire & Service
2377833
Serving The Community Since 1960
We are here to handle all your FARM, Semi Truck, Light Truck & Passenger Tire and Service Needs!
1182 W. Main St. Wilmington (937) 382-3858 www.billmarineford.com
2377810
FORD - LINCOLN - CHRYSLER - JEEP - DODGE
Onsite Alignment for Tractor Trailer, Semi Truck, RV & Passenger Vehicle OF Wilmington OF Hillsboro 903 McCoy Rd. and St. Rt. 73
970 W. Main St. (Rte. 50 W)
937-382-2300
937-393-3520
WOMEN ON THE FARM
Sure as Shooting Beth Ellis walks away from a career into a new life, with no regrets! By PAT LAWRENCE patlawrence@cinci.rr.com
For some people, opportunity knocks, but for Beth Ellis, it trilled, cooed and crowed. Beth manages the daily operations of Cherrybend Pheasant Farm, a 640-acre licensed hunting preserve just a few miles east of Wilmington. It’s hardly what she was anticipating when she got her bachelor’s degree in radiology and not what she expected after establishing a career in interventional
radiology and ultrasound at Clinton Memorial Hospital. She says, “It was very hard to walk away from my career. It was a life-changing decision, but if I hadn’t made the change, I’d have never met so many interesting people, never become a pilot, never been able to spend so much time with my family. It was a big change, but that kind of opportunity doesn’t come often. I had to take it.” See ELLIS/3B
Photos by Pat Lawrence
Beth Ellis and her family run the Cherrybend Pheasant Farm, a hunting preserve near Wilmington.
Washington trip positive experience for Ohio farmer leaders By GARY BROCK gbrock@civitasmedia.com
They came from all parts of Ohio from all walks of life. But they all shared one thing in common - agriculture. More than 80 presidents or vice presidents of county branches of the Ohio Farm Bureau traveled in March to Washington D.C. for the annual legislative meeting with federal lawmakers, national Farm Bureau officials and agriculture experts. The three-day meeting was aimed at both giving input to the federal officials from local farm bureau representatives and hearing from Ohio’s lawmakers about what they are doing for Ohio’s farmers. And in a year when Ohio Farm Bureau representatives had a lot of questions about agriculture, those interviewed by ACRES of Southwest Ohio said they were pleased by what they heard. “I learned more about our elected representatives and how they feel about agriculture issues than anything else,” said Adams County Farm Bureau vice president Emilee Arthur. This was her first trip to Washington D.C. for the legislative meetings, and she said she was impressed by how much atten-
tion the Farm Bureau representatives were given by the Washington representatives, and how much they listened to what the local farm representatives had to say. She said she was very interested in the stalled federal Farm Bill and what officials had to tell them about it. “(House Speaker John) Boehner promised us that we would have a farm bill this year, so I was very happy to hear that,” said Nathan Brown, Highland County Farm Bureau vice president. Like Arthur, this was Brown’s first trip to Washington D.C. for the conference. “It was a very humbling experience for me. Especially humbling because these elected officials were there to listen to us, to hear and discuss the issues we wanted to talk about.” Brown said he was impressed by the fact that these elected representatives like Boehner, Paul Ryan and others “took the time out of their busy schedules to meet with us.” Brown, who farms about 900 acres in Highland County, said it was a great experience to talk farm issues in Washington. Fayette County Farm Bureau President Andy Dill said the three-day conference was
“packed” with meetings and discussions. He also expressed pleasure at how many Ohio and national elected Congressmen and Senators met with them. “We had a chance to meet with Mike Turner (new 10th District Congressman representing part of Fayette County), and he seems very agriculturefriendly. He is aware of the importance of agriculture in his district,” Dill said. Dill also was optimistic about the chances of the Farm Bill passing this year. “The people in Washington know it is needed.” This was the second time Brown County Farm Bureau President Chris Rogers has attended the annual conference in Washington. What he noticed most about the event “was that this time everyone was very upbeat. There was a very positive feeling from all of the legislators.” Rogers added that he was surprised at how positive everyone was about passage of a Farm Bill this year. “They were very positive about that,” he said. He was also impressed by new Congressman Dr. Brad Wenstrup. “It was good to see that he was very interested in our farming issues.” Butch Schappacher, Warren
“Meetings like this give us a chance to be heard and to get our message out.” — Butch Schappacher, Warren County Farm Bureau president County Farm Bureau president, said he has gone to several of the annual farm Bureau trips to Washington over the years. “It is really good to see that we (farmers) really mean something to the legislators, and that the farm Bureau plays an important role in getting our message out. Meetings like this give us a chance to be heard and to get our message out,” he said. He said he was also impressed by his local representative, Congressman Dr. Wenstrup, who talked to the group about health care costs and insurance companies. “The health care system is really screwed up,” he said. Regarding the Farm Bill, Schappacher said the farmers in attendance were pretty much in agreement that funding for farmers will be cut. But no one
knows how much. “America’s farmers just need the safety net.” The county farm bureau representatives met with the Food and Drug Administration regarding food safety issues. They then met with legislators on Capital Hill. At the annual Ohio Farm Bureau Legislative Forum. U.S. Rep. Bob Gibbs hosted with guest U.S. Rep. John Boehner, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, U.S. Rep. Wenstrup, U.S. Rep. David Joyce, and U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, as well as Rep. Turner and Rep. Steve Chabot. On the final day of the conference, the bureau representatives met with both Sen. Sherrod Brown and Sen. Rob Portman to discuss farm issues. (Gary Brock is editor of ACRES of Southwest Ohio.)
We cover your dreams . . . Check out our farm insurance programs!
Morgan Insurance Agency 641 West Main Street Blanchester, Ohio 45107 937-783-3664 • 800-408-6842 fax 937-783-4809
2377972
2B
April 2013
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
Barricklows love raising Morgan horses By BRYAN PECK bpeck@civitasmedia.com
Roger and Juanita Barricklow, of Sardinia, had humble beginnings in the world of raising horses, which eventually branched into a nationally recognized endeavor. The Barricklows purchased their first horse in the late 1960s, as Roger Barricklow said he felt that raising horses would be a great activity for his family to get into. The Barricklows’ first horse, however, left a bit to be desired. “We bought out first horse in 1969 or 1970,” Barricklow said. “At that time our children were still small and I always had a love for horses, so I thought we could get our kids involved. So, we bought a crippled pony. She couldn’t walk very well.” “She was okay, she just couldn’t maneuver very well,” Juanita Barricklow said. Roger Barricklow said he did not get into raising horses until later, after a discussion with his friend, Steven Feike. At that time, Barricklow and Feike started to look at the possibility of raising horses, and began to research which breed they wanted to focus on. Barricklow said Morgan horses stood out above the rest. That was 44 years ago, and Roger Barricklow said he has been working to improve the breed ever since. “Steven (Feike) and I started looking at horses and we decided that Morgans were intriguing.” Roger Barricklow said. “We thought they seemed like they had a lot of sense and did what we’d like to be able to do with a horse. We were also swayed just as much by the people. The owners of Morgan horses seemed like people we could relate to and talk to, and they still are.” After selecting Morgan horses, Roger Barricklow said the next step was to purchase horses with a bit more quality and breed them. The Barricklows foundation mare, Shakers Ann Lee, was purchased shortly after. Shakers Ann Lee was already in foal when the Bar-
ricklows purchased her, and soon gave birth to Wind Blu Don Lee, a stud colt. Horse names can often be complicated, though Juanita Barricklow said there is usually a method at work behind them. The Barricklow farm is named Wind Blu, in reference to the harsh wind storms that frequently sweep through the area. Every horse that is born on the Barricklow farm is prefaced with Wind Blu. “There’s a pine tree on the farm that grows almost flat to the ground, and if you look at the barn there’s a tree, that’s a marker for one of our mares who is buried there, and it’s leaning way over, looks like its blowing down because the wind comes through there all the time,” Roger Barricklow said. Each horse name is a reference to the mare that produced it. For example, the Barricklow’s mare Wind Blu Park Avenue eventually gave birth to a number of foals, including Wind Blu Roadmaster and Wind Blu Mustang Sally. Juanita Barricklow said if they deviate from this method, they have a hard time remembering the lineage of their horses. “Even the ones you think are strange probably have some reasoning behind them,” Juanita Barricklow said. Raising horses has been good to the Barricklows. Roger and Juanita Barricklow originally met at Blanchester High School. With a small class size of 35, the two knew each other, and both served as officers of their class. Roger Barricklow was the president, and Juanita Barricklow was the treasurer. After graduating, the Barricklows lived around the Blanchester area, where Roger Barricklow worked for the SB Craig company, a fertilizer and grain elevator. In 1963 the company built a grain elevator in Sardinia and the Barricklows were moved to Brown County. At that location, Roger Barricklow was the manager, and Juanita Barricklow worked as a part-time secretary
for the next 40 years. Roger Barricklow In 1992, the SB Craig rubs the nose of one grain elevator shut down and of his family’s horses. Barricklow went to work for a fertilizer company in Mowrystown until his retirement. Of course, Roger Barricklow doesn’t see it that way. “They closed in 1992, and in that time I went to Mowrystown for a fertilizer company,” Barricklow said. “I stayed with them until I quit working. I don’t say I retired, I just tell people I quit my paying job.” Raising horses takes up most of Roger Barricklow’s time now. He has 14 stalls and has between 10 to 15 horses on average, and jokes with his friends that he keeps in shape by doing “stall aerobics” by cleaning out the horses’ stalls frequently. The Barricklow’s decision to raise horses worked out well for their family. They have three children, Rick Barricklow, Lana farm Richey and Stormy Barricklow, produces a world champion horse, and each of them has become init helps to get the Wind Blu name volved in horses over the years. out more and increases business Rick Barricklow, the oldest of the to the farm. three, still raises horses occasion“We took (Reese Richey) to ally, as does Lana Richey. AddiOklahoma City for a national tionally, Richey’s son is now a show and he was undefeated in professional horse trainer. six classes,” Juanita Barricklow Stormy Barricklow took the said. “He had three world champihobby in a new direction. Juanita ons with a horse we raised, and I Barricklow said he was not as inthink that was the best advertising terested in showing horses, but we could do.” was more interested in riding “We usually have one or two them. Stormy Barricklow, along we try to keep for family use, but with his sons Cord and Strand, are the primary motive is to sell them now major players in the world of so we have some income,” Roger rodeo. Barricklow said. “The world “His oldest son was the nachampion equitation horse that tional junior rodeo president,” Reese rode we sold for a lot of Juanita Barricklow said “It’s kind money. That makes you think, can of gone from buying the little we do it again? Can we produce crooked legged pony to our grand another one?” kids that are really expanding In addition to the recognition with horses.” gained by horses raised on the Richey’s son, Reese Richey, Barricklow farm, Roger Barrickhas also taken home equitation low was named American Morawards for showing and riding gan Horse Man of the Year in horses raised on the Barricklow 2010, an award that is given to farm. Every time the Barricklow those who have made great strides
in breeding Morgan horses, and for what they have given back to the Morgan world. As he gets older, Roger Barricklow does not show horses at equitation matches as much, though he has gotten into carriage riding as the years go on. His current goal is to compete while driving four horses at the same time. The Barricklows currently farm 30 acres of hay to support the horses, and have an additional 20 for pastures. Roger Barricklow recommended getting into the horse breeding business to anyone looking to establish great work ethic into their children. “It’s kind of expensive, but extremely rewarding, especially if you have children,” Barricklow said. “It really gives the children responsibility.” (Bryan Peck is the editor of the News Democrat and Ripley Bee, in Brown County.)
PHONE (937) 393-0070 TOLL FREE 1-888-788-1895 FAX (937) 393-3490 401 US 62 South, Hillsboro, OH 45133 FULL TIME AGENTS Sue C. Boone,
Patricia a. Rand
Broker, ABR
ABR
Home: 937-393-9363 Cell: 937-763-9363 sueboonerealtyinc@yahoo.com
Home: 937-393-1082 Cell: 937-763-3511 randpasell@yahoo.com
Cheryl a. Mullins
Charles N. McDaniel
Cell: 937-402-7759
Home: 937-588-2353 Cell: 937-725-1156 mcdsell@yahoo.com
chermullins@yahoo.com
Alton Swayne Auctioneer Cell: 937-587-3401 aswayne@hotmail.com
PA R T T I M E A G E N T S
Robin C. Geier
Lynne Spaeth
ABR Home: 937-446-1782 Cell: 937-725-5613 robincg0238@yahoo.com
Home: 937-987-9762 Cell: 937-728-0843 ljctou@yahoo.com
Please call to speak to any of our agents today!
Krista Thompson Home: 937-981-3368 Cell: 740-606-6886 kick153@roadrunner.com
Our Mission Buying or selling a home is a decision that can’t be taken lightly. Choosing a real estate agent who is dependable, knowledgeable and ready to help is the first step in that very important process. the professional staff of Sue Boone Realty, Inc. stand ready to assist you.
OPEN HOUSE
NEW LISTING
NEW LISTING
LYNCHBURG $229,500 OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY APRIL 14TH, 2 PM - 4PM 4123 CERTIER ROAD, LYNCHBURG *Beautiful Log Home *Quiet Secluded Oasis *2BR/2.5BA *Windows Galore *Screened Porch *Covered Wrap Around *32x24 Pole Barn W/Stalls, Water, Electric, & Phone Service *Fenced Pasture *2.96 Acres *Backup Electric Service Installed MLS#1323111
$249,000 HILLSBORO *Unique Home *3BR/2BA *Cathedral Ceilings *Sunroom *Det. 4 Car Garage W/Heat/ Half Bath/Air Compressor/ Antique Gas Pump *26x72 Barn W/Lift *Beautiful Landscape W/Pond MLS#1345596
NEW LISTING
HILLSBORO $180,900 *3BR/2-1BA *Home Has many Amenities *New Bamboo Cherry Floors *New Counter Tops *Large Island *All New Cabinets *Finished Basement *New Powder Room *Home Is A Must See *Granite *Immediate Possession MLS#1332276
HILLSBORO $264,900 *5BR/3BA *3202 SF *Open Spacious Floor Plan *Beautiful Kitchen W/SS Appliances *Granite Counter-tops *Finished Basement *Stocked Pond MLS#1346434
HILLSBORO $219,900 *1900 Log Cabin *Stone Fireplace *Loft & Deck *Workshop *1900 Wood Peg Barn *Wood, Pasture, Stocked Pond, Creek, & Wildlife on 51+ Acres MLS#1336933
HILLSBORO $699,900 *2 Homes *89.8 Acre Farm *Stocked Pond *Pasture *Creeks *Woods *Pole Barn *24x49 Building *1st Home-4BR/3.5BA *Full Finished Basement W/Walkout *2nd Home-2BR/2BA MLS#1337109
NEW LISTING
MANCHESTER
LEESBURG
*Open Great Room *Cathedral Ceilings *Patio & Covered Deck *24x24 Finished Pole Barn MLS#1309045 HILLSBORO $228,000 *3BR/2HB/2FB *Beautiful Older Brick Home *Tons of Character *Lots of Updates *Large Family Room *Oversized 24x40 Garage *40x60 Building - Great for Small Business *Parking Space * Great Location! MLS#1343675 LEESBURG $189,900 *6.6 Mini Farm *4BR/2.5BA *New 2 Story Addition W/ Master Suite *Hardwood Floors *2 Car Det. Garage *Corn Crib *6000 Bushel Grain Bin *Barn W/Stalls MLS#1299619 BAINBRIDGE $199,900 *4BR/2BA *Kitchen with Oak Cabinets *Pantry *2+ Car Garage *24x98 Storage Shed *40x72 Heated Garage/Shop with Office and Restroom *Circle Black Driveway MLS#1338102
$219,000
*Nature Enthusiasts *Rustic Cabin *Distant View of Ohio River *146 Acres MLS#1311343 TROTWOOD
$139,900
*3BR/2BA
*3BR/1BA
$249,900
HILLSBORO $275,000 *6BR/4BA *1.5 Story Cape Cod *Full Finished Basement *Beautiful Woodwork *3 Car Detached Oversized Garage *56x30 Ft. Pole Barn W/Sep. Elec. *6+ Acres MLS#1322876
*4BR/2BA *Brick Ranch *5 Acres *40x64 Pole Barn *Covered Wood Deck/Porch MLS#1338562
$78,000 STOUT $112,000 $79,000 HILLSBORO $17,900 ROME $42,900 PEEBLES *20 Acres *Rolling, Tillable Acreage *37.56 Acres *9.6 Acres *355 Ft. of River Frontage NEW LISTING NEW LISTING *16 Adjoining Acreage Incudes *Access to the Ohio River *472 Ft. of Highway Frontage *6.43 Acres *Great Whitetail Hunting *16.8 Acres *Older Barn on Proprety Custom Built Home *6 Acres of woods on North *Great Location! *Can be subdivided *Located on Dead End Rd. *Privacy *Located on Dead End Rd. Available for Purchase Side of US RTE 52 *Older 36x96 Barn *Water Tap & Septic *Owner Financing Available *Excellent for Weekened Retreat MLS#1313589 *Possible LandContract/OwnerFinancing Approved MLS#1344427 *Whitetail Hunting*OwnerFinancingAvailable MLS#1335557 MLS#1259153 MLS#1344429 2377318 PEEBLES
HILLSBORO $299,900 *3BR/3BA *GREAT LOCATION *Brick Ranch *Full Basement/Partially Finished *Black Top Drive *2 Car Detached Garage *28.5 Acres MLS#1341235
SARDINIA $139,900 *4BR/1.5BA *Brick Cape Cod *Great Condition! *Patterned Oak Hardwood Floors *Unfinished Walkout Basement *2 Large Barns *2 Car Garage *3 Acres MLS#1345242
SPRINGBORO $204,900 *4BR/2.5BA *FR W/Fireplace *Breakfast Area *Formal Dining *Granite Counter Tops & SS Appliances *Basement *Privacy Fenced Back Yard MLS#1332438
HILLSBORO $279,000 *4BR/3BA *Full Finished Walk-out Basement *6 Panel Solid Doors *Natural Woodwork *Wrapped Deck *Sun Room *Pond *Oversized 2 Car Att. Garage *32x48 Insulated Garage *16 Acres *Additional 20 Acres Available @$3900 Per Acre MLS#1313585
LAND
NEW LISTING
$264,900 BAINBRIDGE *3BR/2BA *Seclusion & Privacy *Built by Owner *Wood Spiral Stair Case to Suite *Creek/Fencing *24x36 Barn W/Stalls *13+ Acres MLS#1342033
HILLSBORO $149,000 *43+ Acres *Mostly Wooded *2 Ponds *Creek *Lots of Road Frontage *Driveway *42AdditionalAcresAvailable ToPurchase MLS#1303167
OTWAY
$341,400 *335 Acres *Partly Wooded *Excellent Hunting *PRICED TO SELL MLS#1313698
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
April 2013
ELLIS Continued from page 1B
Beth and Matt Ellis share the ownership of Cherrybend with Matt’s brother, Scott and his wife Melissa. “It’s such a pleasure. From the beginning, we’ve all been on the same page about how things should be done.” The brothers take care of the more demanding physical labor but they also farm an additional 5000 acres and Melissa is a teacher, so Beth handles the day-today business of the pheasant farm. “The Hollisters started the preserve in 1953 on their property neighboring the Ellis family farm. Matt worked on the preserve while he was in college. He told them if they ever wanted to sell it, he would want it. In 2006, when the Hollisters were ready to retire, they sold it only with the understanding that it would remain a hunting preserve. We ran it part-time in the beginning, but we got too busy. It needed full time attention. I had to make a decision.” Pheasant farming is a full time undertaking. During hunting season, from Sept. 1 through March 31, Cherrybend is open seven days a week. “Weekends are busiest, but hunters arrive daily,” Beth says. She welcomes hunters, arranges their field assignments, coordinates the guides, dogs and the release of birds. If a guide isn’t available, she’ll take the hunters herself. “Safety is our first priority. I’m not a control freak, but when I have people out, I want to know where they are and what they’re doing!” She answers phone calls till 8PM from potential customers or people who have questions about hunting and even those thinking about raising their own birds. She also manages the website, newsletter, membership and marketing activities. “I’ve learned a lot in the last few years, but I brought some skills with me, like understanding customer service and empathizing with different types of people.” Beth says, “There hasn’t been much of a wild population of pheasants since the blizzard of 1978. It devastated the pheasant population. They aren’t native to Ohio, plus, their habitat has changed and farming has changed. There’s less open range and fewer fence rows, where the birds could hide from predatory hawks. We really hope some re-population will occur from the birds we release.” Around May, Cherrybend will receive their first pheasant chicks. Beth says, “We get them in batches of 2,500 and put them in a climate-controlled environment. At six weeks, we put ‘spectacles’ on their noses because pheasants are very territorial and will peck at each other. People used to trim their beaks, but spectacles are very effective. We snip them off before we release the birds.” Quail and chukar partridge are also released, though Beth admits a special affection for
the quail. “They’re not as beautiful as pheasants, but they’re such nice birds and I love how they sound. We get them when they’re a day old; they come through the US Mail. Nothing is as cute as a quail chick! We get in about a thousand - they look like popcorn - and immediately put them under a heat lamp. They start eating and drinking right away, and grow into hardy, social birds. We can hear them all year round.” Cherrybend hunters pay about $115 for half a day’s hunt and four birds are released for each hunter. Beth says, “Forty years ago, it cost about a dollar a bird to raise. Now its about $12 a bird. We have a lot of time, labor and feed in them. We house and feed them for six months. The quail are very neat, but pheasants scatter their corn everywhere - it takes a lot of feed to keep them alive. I don’t know how people can afford to raise birds if they don’t also raise their own corn. Each kind of bird has it’s own extensive barn, and the adjoining flying pens, 10-12 feet tall, allow them space to spread their wings. We leave grass and weeds in the flight pens so they can practice using them as cover. For winter, we herd all the birds into the barns. A big snow may collapse the nets and the birds can get frozen in the mud. When breeding season begins, we keep the barns dark; it keeps them from fighting as much. The pheasants are beautiful so many hunters want their birds mounted later but it takes a lot of effort to keep them looking beautiful.” The hunting fields are planted in food plots of sorghum and corn. “The birds like sorghum to feed on and to take cover.” Although quail are essentially earth-toned, chukar have zebra-like stripes and red beaks and the pheasants are strikingly colored. Still, Beth says, “Hunters can walk right past them. We put them out in the field while the hunters are signing in, but they hide. It’s not that easy; not everyone makes their shot!” Hunters get help from hunting dogs, usually managed by the guides, though some hunters bring their own dogs. Beth says, “Dogs are really an integral part of the hunt-they
find the bird, flush it and go get it when it’s shot. Hunters really enjoy watching the dogs work.” There are seven dogs in training on site, English Pointers and Setters, in addition to the two black labs lounging at the lodge, “Lou, who is fully trained, and Cooper, who is fully spoiled! Labs are flushing dogs. In windy conditions, people often use a flushing dog with a pointing dog.” In addition to standard morning and afternoon hunts, European hunts, and an all-women’s pheasant hunt organized by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Cherrybend offers an eight-station sporting clay course circling a grove at the center of the farm. Beth says, “It’s year-round, weather permitting, by appointment. Each station simulates a bird hunting situation and a total of 50 shots once around the course. People mostly do clay in the summer; it’s a great alternative to golf.” And, every other Friday night, “we’ve been opening the lodge for ‘open mike jam night’ for anyone who wants to come and play music. It’s a fun, family friendly gathering.” One feature unique to Cherrybend is the on-site runway. Hollister Field provides a 3300-foot grass runway for fly-ins. Beth says it presented another compelling opportunity. “Matt is a pilot, he had a Cessna, we had the runway, it was natural to take advantage of that. I got my license last May. It’s an amazing feeling the first time you fly by yourself.” If the Hollisters hadn’t begun the pheasant preserve, Beth says, “We wouldn’t have done this. But, we’re carrying on a legacy that’s been appreciated for 60 years. It would be a tremendous loss to the state if there weren’t preserves.” Still, she says, “It takes tough decisions and juggling to be farmers, conservationists, business owners and parents. This time of year most farmers are taking vacation. We gave that up.” During spring and summer’s less demanding schedule, Beth takes time “to do fun things” with Carlie, 10, and Nathan, 7, but there’s always Scouts, gymnastics, basketball and softball. “You learn the hard way when you’re in busi-
3B
Above: Pheasants are shown in 10-12 feet tall flying pens adjoined to barns. The pens allow the birds space to spread their wings. Left: At six weeks, the Ellises put ‘spectacles’ on the bird’s noses because pheasants are very territorial and will peck at each other. People used to trim their beaks, but spectacles are very effective. Photos by Pat Lawrence
ness for yourself. It’s a challenge dividing your time. You don’t want to miss a customer, but sometimes you’re in the middle of homework! I thought I’d be working in the medical field, with regular hours and benefits, not rising early to feed pheasants and greet hunters. I walked away from a career into a completely different life but I don’t regret it at all.” Walking the preserve in the quiet of evenings, Beth smiles at the coos and trills of quail scattered across the fields, hearing a promise for the future and undeniable proof that, indeed, not everyone makes their shot. (Pat Lawrence is a contributor to ACRES of Southwest Ohio.)
Cherrybend offers an eight-station sporting clay course circling a grove at the center of the farm. Each station simulates a bird hunting situation and a total of 50 shots once around the course.
DRILLS FOR RENT $12.00 J.D. 750
ACRE NO TILL
• DELIVERY PROVIDED • CRAIG COOK SABINA OHIO
Exporting to China: What Ohio Farmers Need to Know
937-584-4003
2377857
Travel to Paradise with other Farmers!
Read more at www.acresmidwest.com
Hawaii Farm Tour
2378034
Oahu ✴ Kauai ✴ Maui ✴ Hawaii
If your input costs are too high because of expensive fertilizer prices --
Target fertility technology of Growers Mineral Solutions is the solution to your problem. More than a popup fertilizer A complete mineral and soil program C O N TA C T
Jack Garen 937-402-0058 Matt Gibson 740-207-6039 Paul Yelton 513-846-7108 Growers 1-800-437-4769 2377321
13 Days - 4 Islands
from
$1849*
January 2014 Departures! This famous Hawaiian Farm Tour has been offered by YMT every year since 1974. Discover the natural wonders and breathtaking scenery as you visit the four main islands. Plus you will be accompanied throughout by one of our friendly Polynesian Tour Directors, which adds a unique cultural perspective to your tour experience. Highlights: Honolulu, world-famous Waikiki Beach, Punchbowl Crater, Pearl Harbor, Wailua Riverboat Cruise, mystical Fern Grotto, Steel Grass Farm, lao Valley, Maui Gold Pineapple Plantation, Volcanoes National Park, Giant Ferns, Black Sand Beaches, Kona Coffee Plantation, Abalone Farm and much more. Includes: a flower lei aloha greeting, quality hotels, taxes, inter-island flights, baggage handling, tour director, special events & escorted sightseeing. *Price per pers./dbl. occp. Plus $159 tax, service & gov’t fees. Airfare is extra. For details and itinerary call 7 days a week:
1-800-736-7300
2378313
High fertilizer prices a problem?
4B
April 2013
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
A gr ic ul tu r e d eg r e es i n d em a n d
3978 Rte. 50 Bainbridge, Ohio Hours: Mon-Sat. 8AM-6PM
Show Feeds
Pet Food
Horse & Livestock
Southern States Purina Kibbles ‘n Bits Sportmix
Southern States Legends Triple Crown Purina Ground Feed Custom Mixes
Grass Seed Straw Bagged Fertilizer Pest Control Round Up Ground Clear & Much More!
Bolts Hydraulic Fluids Batteries Oil & Fluids Rotella & Much More!
513-875-2525
U-Haul Dealer
(937) 393-4275
Home Candle Berry Candles Pet Odor Candles Bird Houses Dog Houses & Crates Animal Treats & Toys & Much More!
LOCAL FEED DELIVERY Local Delivery
Home Center
UPS
HOURS: MONDAY - FRIDAY 7:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. SATURDAY 7:00 A.M. - 12 P.M. CLOSED SUNDAY
206 NORTH ELM ST. • HILLSBORO, OHIO 45133
Plants & Flowers
Flooring • Tile • Wallpaper • Paint • Blinds • Cabinets
Proudly Serving You Since 1960 – Toll Free 1-888-BID IT UP
Located on St. Rt. 68 & 131) FRANKLIN J. HOLDEN (OWNER)
Steel Building
(888) 440-4275
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE GREAT SELECTION, GREAT HELP AND INSTALLATION STOP IN AT TISSOT’S IN HILLSBORO.
• GRANBINS - DRYERS • AIR SYSTEMS • AUGER SYSTEMS • BUCKET ELEVATORS • PHASE CONVERTERS • ELECTRIC MOTORS • PULLEYS • AUTOMATIC DRYERS • SILOS & UNLOADERS • ALL-STEEL BUILDINGS
Boots & Hunting Supplies
Gates & Panels
Tissot’s
18508 U.S. 68, Fayetteville, OH 45118
Southern States Purina Kent Kalmbach
Farm
Phone (937) 725-7109
You Need It? We’ve Got It!
www.elliottfeed.com
Lawn Care
Ditches and Ponds Clear Fence Lines Clear Brush and Leach Lines General Excavations Gradework Driveways Demolition Reasonable Rate Quotes Building Site Preparation
Sales & Service
Animal Health
America experienced a 27 percent jump in employee numbers in the last three years, and expects to add more than 100 sales and customer support positions in 2013, Johnson said. “That level of student professionalism is extending into our internships, too,” she said. “This year, we’ll add 40 interns to our program, up from just eight or 10 interns a few years ago. “Like a lot of other companies, our intern program is an important part of our strategic hiring process and often leads to long-term careers and even leadership positions.” For Howell, the knowledge that she is graduating with a high-demand degree and the completion of two agriculture-related internships, allows her to feel confident in her shortterm and long-term career prospects. “I’m so excited,” she said. “I know I’ve made the right job decision and I can’t wait to start my new career.”
D5 Excavation Co.
HOLDEN
STANLEY & SON, INC. A •R •A UCTIONEERS
EALTORS
PPRAISERS
88 N. PAINT ST. C HILLICOTHE, OH 45601 (740) 775-3330
2368437
IT’S HAMMER TIME!!! WEBSITE: www.stanleyandson.com E-Mail: info@stanleyandson.com
2377607
UNION STOCK YARDS HILLSBORO, OHIO Bill ~ Home 937-393-2393 Cell 937-725-7388 Sonny ~ Cell 740-352-2061 Home 740-286-6932 Wayne ~ Cell 937-725-2791 Main Office 937-393-1958
Buckeye Insurance Group Protecting farms for 133 years.
AUCTION EVERY THURSDAY FOR ALL SPECIES OF LIVESTOCK SALE STARTS AT 10 AM DIRECT HOGS EVERY TUESDAY MORNING
web site: www.unionstockyards.net
With experience like that, why trust your farm to anyone else? LOCAL AGENCIES REPRESENTING BUCKEYE INSURANCE GROUP
2377956
Jay Harmount
Blackburn Fetter & Myers Insurance - Owensville Hamilton Insurance Agency - Lynchburg, Hillsboro Kramer-Myers Agency Inc. - Batavia, Blanchester Neil Coleman Insurance Services - Chillicothe, Clarksburg Neil Coleman Insurance Services - Washington Ct. House Steinbrook Insurance Agency Inc - Mount Sterling
District Sales Manager c: (937)-661-4444 e: jharmount@brodbeckseed.com
www.buckeye-ins.com 2377932
2377324
2378032
Garden Seed
(740) 634-2500
Farm Credit MidAmerica recruits on campuses at more than two dozen colleges and universities that offer four-year degrees in agriculture across our four states, including CFAES, Johnson said, noting that there is “increased competition for the best and brightest” agriculture and natural resources graduates. “There’s been a substantial increase in the number of businesses participating in campus events seeking employees from agriculture’s talent pool,” she said. “A career fair that might have had 20 companies last year may have 60 this year. “At the same time, those interested in agricultural careers are really stepping up to the plate. They’re coming in with definitive career plans and have done their research on the companies at the event.” In response to the growing demand of the agricultural financing market, Farm Credit Mid-
2377948
F
Consider the following: • Some 92 percent of CFAES graduates are employed or are attending graduate school within six months of graduation. • CFAES graduates report an average starting salary of $39,024 • Some 72.1 percent of CFAES graduates reported employment within Ohio. • More than 200 companies and organizations hired CFAES graduates last year. “We focus on providing not only the best possible technical education for our students but also help them gain leadership, communication, and teamwork skills,” McPheron said. Job postings by employers received in the CFAES career services office increased in 2012 compared to 2011, said Adam Cahill, career development manager for CFAES. And the college is on pace to see continued gains so far in 2013, he said. “We have always had high involvement from agribusiness and seed-
based companies at our career expos,” Cahill said. “Businesses see the value in our graduates which has kept them coming back every year. “When we look at the fall semester interviews held at the college, 68 percent were from companies focused directly in seed industry and agribusiness sectors.” The college is also seeing an increase in company interaction with CFAES student organizations and in the classroom as guest speakers, he said. “Companies like Cargill, Archer Daniels Midland, Pioneer, Farm Credit Services of MidAmerica, John Deere and numerous others have increased their presence and physical time on campus so that they can interact with and recruit students from multiple avenues outside of the traditional career fair,” Cahill said. Kristen Johnson agrees. She is one of four recruiters employed by Farm Credit Mid-America, a $19 billion agricultural lending cooperative providing farm and home financing to more than 100,000 agribusinesses, farmers and rural residents throughout Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.
2378230
LIOTT EL EED & SUPPLY
for many recent CFAES graduates and graduating CFAES seniors, said Bruce McPheron, vice president for agricultural administration and dean of CFAES.
BUCKEYE INSURANCE GROUP
Insuring the Heartland®
2378105
COLUMBUS – By New Year’s Day this year, graduating senior Linsey Howell already had five job offers. Although the 21-yearold double major in agribusiness and applied economics in Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) won’t receive her degree until graduation day May 5, Howell already has a start date for her new job working in grain merchandising for The Andersons: June 3. “Thanks to the degrees I’m earning from Ohio State and the internships I’ve had, I was able to take the time to really consider the job offers and decide which one would be the best fit for me and what I want to do in my professional career,” the Danville, Ohio native said. “There are a lot of companies looking to hire agriculture graduates. “The opportunities are nationwide and worldwide, if you are open to them. A lot of students in the college (CFAES) have job offers at the end of their junior year and a lot of students had jobs by the first career fair, and the
ones who aren’t looking for jobs have already been accepted into graduate school.” Howell is among a growing number of recent agriculture graduates and graduating seniors who are reporting strong job prospects with their agriculture and natural resources degrees in Ohio and nationwide thanks to the growing world-wide demand for food and an increasingly strong agriculture industry, experts say. In fact, recent agriculture and natural resources graduates with bachelor’s degrees have the third lowest rates of unemployment (7 percent), according to a 2012 study by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. The same study found that rate even lower for graduates with advanced agricultural degrees (2.4 percent). This, as net farm income is expected to reach $128.2 billion this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s a 14 percent increase over last year’s $112.8 billion and the highest figure since 1973, USDA said in a statement. Strong future employment prospects ring true
2376847
By OSU Extension Service
15 Ringel Avenue, Wabash, IN 46992 www.brodbeckseed.com (260) 563-3163 | (888) 563-3163 | Fax (260) 563-3164
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
April 2013
5B
Record year for meat, poultry exports bolsters demand for U.S. soy U.S. soy since soy meal constitutes a significant portion of animal feeds. Domestic animal agriculture uses about 98 percent of the domestic supply of U.S. soy meal, making it the U.S. soy industry’s No. 1 customer. “Exporting meat and poultry is a big issue for U.S. soybean farmers,” says John Butler, a farmer-leader from Dyersburg, Tenn. “If we can feed animals soybeans here and sell them abroad, we’re creating a valueadded product. Adding that value here has a tremendous positive impact on not only the U.S. soy industry but the national economy as well.” Poultry and hogs remain the biggest users of U.S. soy
meal. According to the most recent statistics, poultry consume roughly 12.9 million metric tons annually. That’s the meal from 601 million bushels of soybeans. And hogs account for 6.8 million metric tons of U.S. soy meal, or the meal from 318 million bushels of soybeans. To support U.S. soy meal’s largest customer, the soy checkoff partners with organizations like the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) and USA Poultry and Egg Export Council to market U.S. meat and poultry abroad. A recent checkoff and USMEF effort helped increase consumption of pork back ribs in Japan from zero to 4.5 million pounds over the
2377728
View ‘Pork from Fork to Farm’ video and 1 pound of pork will be given to foodbanks watch the fun “Pork from Fork to Farm” video, OPPC and its partners will donate one pound of ground pork to Ohio’s foodbanks. “We can’t say enough about what this support means to the hungry people our foodbanks serve,” said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks. “By taking a few moments to view this video, you will be helping us to provide Ohio-raised, Ohio-produced pork to
funds to increase the value of U.S. soy meal and oil, to ensure U.S. soybean farmers and their customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate, and to meet the needs of U.S. soy’s customers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.
Adams Co. Fairgrounds
Preferred Sale 2013
people in need, some of the most protein-packed food we are able to provide all year. Plus, you will be supporting our state’s outstanding agriculture industry—the people who work hard to feed all of us, every day.” Thanks to the donations from Farm Credit Services of Mid-America, the Ohio Corn Marketing Program, and many other farmers and businesses, OPPC can provide up to 35,000 pounds of ground pork to foodbanks in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Toledo. OPPC is proud to continue its commitment to fighting hunger in Ohio and encourages other agricultural leaders and everyday Ohioans to join them. Take action against hunger with just one click by viewing the video today.
• Commerical • Industrial • Farms • Grain Systems • Residential NOW SCHEDULING FOR 2013 • Churches
FREE ESTIMATES
lion. Chicken paw exports reached 363,974 metric tons, valued at $450.1 million. Egg exports, table eggs and processed egg products in shell equivalents reached 274.1 million dozen, valued at $263.7 million. The 69 farmer-directors of USB oversee the investments of the soy checkoff to maximize profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff
SALE 4-6-13
Hog farmers, partners to put pork on the table for hungry Ohioans Ohio hog farmers have been actively involved in the fight against hunger for years, donating more than 750,000 meals of nutritious pork to Ohio foodbanks since 2009. This Easter, the Ohio Pork Producers Council (OPPC) is making it easy for everyone to do their part to make sure that no child, adult or senior in Ohio goes without the basic necessity of food. OPPC would like to celebrate “The Year of the Farmer,” along with generous supporters like the Ohio Corn Marketing Program, Farm Credit Services of Mid-America and many Ohio hog farmers and businesses. OPPC has committed to honoring “The Year of the Farmer” in the state of Ohio. Each time someone visits Ohio’s hog farmers on YouTube to
last three years. The U.S. meat and poultry export figures for 2012 include: Pork exports nearly reached 2.3 million metric tons, valued at over $6.3 billion. Broiler meat exports, excluding chicken paws, reached 3.3 million metric tons, valued at nearly $4.2 billion. Beef exports reached 1.1 million metric tons, valued at $5.5 billion. Turkey exports reached 361,597 metric tons, valued at $678 mil-
• 50 head of pigs • 50 head of lambs • 50 head of kids
Pigs sell @12 noon Lambs sell @ 1pm Kids sell @ 2pm From some of the premier breeders in the area.
All males will be castrated.
All animals will be available for viewing 2 hours prior to the sale. Lunch will be available
All lambs and kids will have scrapie tags. Vet will be available to write health papers.
For more information call: Nathan Vogel 513-256-8370 Logan Edenfield 937-725-1796 Donnie Everetts 937-403-1880
2378641
St. Louis, Mo. – These little piggies went to market – international markets, that is, and in record numbers. Despite challenging issues, such as the struggling global economy and trade barriers, U.S. poultry and livestock farmers enjoyed a record year in 2012 for meat exports, which helps keep domestic demand for U.S. soy strong, according to the United Soybean Board. U.S. poultry, egg and pork shipments exceeded previous highs for value and volume set in 2011. International beef sales dipped slightly in volume but broke the previous value record. Growing U.S. meat and poultry exports reinforce demand for
United Producers is a market-leading provider of livestock marketing, financial services and risk management
Phone:800-937-5105
Fax: 937-393-4800
E-mail: ledenfield@uproducers.com
FULLY INSURED
For all your personal property & real estate needs privately or at auction, use the company with the experience and know-how to get things done.
Bainbridge Produce Auction
2377319
Call Today!
Highland County Water Company, Inc.
4053 State Route 41 South Bainbridge, OH 45612 2013 SALE DATES
Main Office U.S. Rt. 50 West, Hillsboro, OH 937-393-4281 • 1-800-533-6839
Treatment Plant 14080 U.S. Rt. 50, Hillsboro, OH 1-800-536-6839 • 937-365-1141 Serving Highland, Adams, Ross, Brown & Clinton Counties! 2375865
SPECIAL SALE DATE
Special Pumpkin Sale, September 20 Pike County Consignment Auction, October 19 at 9:00 am
Water Service to the Area
2376209
6B
April 2013
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
Producers attend 2013 Beef School By DAVE DUGAN dugan.46@osu.edu
Recently we concluded the 2013 Beef School held throughout Ohio. We had a good attendance at the local location, North Adams High School, with an average of over 30 producers for the three sessions. The program included several things of interest, with good discussion following each night. One topic that was discussed was the management of replacement heifers. With cattle and feed prices being as high as they currently are, giving these females that were selected to be replacements their best chance is very important. The discussion about keeping your own heifers or buying replacement heifers can be another discussion, but regardless of which route you take, management is a key. With the average herd size for beef cows in Ohio being close to 20, the management of heifers can often be a low priority. If you select 10 or 15 percent for replacements, that would be either two or three heifers in a herd of 20. For larger producers it is less of an issue because if you are looking at 100 cow herd, keeping 10 to 15 heifers makes it more logical to have these heifers in a separate pasture vs. the two or three heifers. Regardless of the numbers, for the good of the heifers, they need to be managed separately. They need more nutrients than the cows ranging from four years old to the more mature cows in the herd. Older cows may need to be treated different than the bulk of the herd, too. That depends on how old “old” is. You will know the older cows that need just a little extra feed. Both the heifers and the old cows tend to not be able to complete with the majority of the cows, so extra management, or TLC, may
Ryan Corzatt
Corzatt joins Merchants agriculture loan team Merchants National Bank has announced the addition of Ryan Corzatt to its commercial and agriculture loan team. Ryan’s office is located at the main office, 100 N. High Street, Hillsboro. With more than 20 years of lending experience in both commercial and agricultural lending, Ryan brings with him a great deal of knowledge and experience. Ryan is married to wife, Christie and they have four children. Ryan has also served as a Green Township Trustee in Fayette County since 2001. Merchants National Bank invites you to stop in to meet with Ryan for your commercial and agriculture borrowing needs, 937-393-7993.
be needed. For heifers, the nutrients are needed to continue the growth of the female herself, produce milk for the first calf, and maintain the young female’s body condition so she will breed back in a timely manner. You are asking her to do quite a bit if feeding her like a mature cow in an environment that she may struggle to compete in, if running with the rest of the herd. If you feed the entire herd to meet the heifer’s nutrient needs with $7 to $8 corn that will get costly in a hurry. The bulk of the herd will not need those additional nutrients if your forages are of decent quality. Again, a forage test will answer how good your forages are, but the mature cow’s nutritional needs are less than the heifer’s. By keeping these young females, the two year olds and maybe even the three year olds in a separate pasture may pay dividends in the long run. These young replacements can be managed to do just that, replace the cows that have been removed from the herd. The cost of replacements, either home raised or bought, is too much to not
manage them into production for your herd. Yes, it is extra work. Another place to feed and even another bull, but this bull could be the next bull for your cow herd. In smaller herds, if this just seems to be too much for just a few heifers, there are other options. There are people who develop heifers. For small herds this option may be worth looking into. This option is available here in Southern Ohio. Recently I announced this upcoming program with some of the soybean specialists from Ohio State. The program will be held at the Ponderosa Steakhouse on Tuesday, April 2, beginning at 10 a.m. With the recent weather, and the extended forecast, I doubt anyone will be doing much field work by next Tuesday. What a difference a year makes. Last year, field work had started and some planting had been done. The program will discuss a few things with soybean production including some research that will be done on some local farms in 2013. Dr. Laura Lindsey, Soybean and Small Grain Produc-
tion Specialist will be discussing the project that will be done with the Ohio Soybean Council to determine yield-limiting factors for Ohio soybean production. Dr. Terry Niblack, the Department Chair for Plant Pathology at Ohio State University will be discussing the issues with Soybean Cyst Nematode. Terry will cover some of the basics to managing SCN. Dr. Anne Dorrance, Soybean Specialist for OSU/OARDC in Wooster will be covering issues with Charcoal Rot in Soybeans and discussing some planned, local trials with population counts and how it affects yields. The program will be lunch on your own at Ponderosa. We will meet in the new restaurant. The program begins at 10 a.m. and will conclude after lunch around 2:30 p.m. Please RSVP by calling Pam at the Adams Co. Extension Office at 544-2339, Cindy at the Brown Co. Ext. Office at 378-6716, or Tami at the Highland Co. Extension Office at 393-1918. If leaving a message please leave your name, phone number and how many people will be attending. You may also register by sending me an e-mail at dugan.46@osu.edu with the same information. Dates to Remember Pesticide License Testing Private and commercial testing for applicator license will be offered on April 8 and May 13 at the Old Y Restaurant. You are required to pre-register by calling the Ohio Department of Agriculture at 800-282-1955 or online at http://pested.osu.edu. Space is limited so register soon. Study materials are also available at the same address or phone number. Highland Co. Cattlemen Annual Banquet is April 3. (David Dugan is an OSU Extension Educator, ANR, Ohio Valley EERA.)
Upcoming Events
April 10: Landscaping for Wildlife, 6-9 p.m., Wolf Creek Environmental
Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Sharon Center. Workshop by Ohio State University Extension’s Ohio Woodland Stewards Program. Registration $15; includes information packet. Registration deadline April 5. Register online at http://woodlandstewards.osu.edu/. Information: ohiowoods@osu.edu or 614-688-3421. A pril 1 3: Guided Bird Walk, 9-11 a.m., Secrest Arboretum, Seaman Orientation Plaza, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster. Led by mem-
WITH SO MANY CHOICES, WHY WOULD YOU CHOOSE
TO PAY TAXES? Tax-Free Municipal Bonds
!4=*> gl /4!=>
*
* YMRHS RQQRT<M9R C*W=CW(*, >;ULRT< <D V9VMHVUMHM<6u YMRHS VES GV?JR< 9VH;R GV6 QH;T<;V<R MQ >DHS B?MD? <D GV<;?M<6 VES <OR VGD;E< 6D; ?RTRM9R Q?DG <OR >VHR DQ <OR>R >RT;?M<MR> GV6 UR HR>> <OVE, R@;VH <D, D? GD?R <OVE <OR VGD;E< D?MPMEVHH6 ME9R><RSu rDES ME9R><GRE<> V?R >;ULRT< <D ME<R?R>< ?V<R ?M>J >;TO <OV< 8ORE ME<R?R>< ?V<R> ?M>R, <OR B?MTR> DQ UDES> TVE SRT?RV>R VES <OR ME9R><D? TVE HD>R B?METMBVH 9VH;Ru sE6 UDES TVHHRS B?MD? <D GV<;?M<6 ?R>;H<> ME ?RME9R><GRE< ?M>J QD? <OR D8ER? DQ <OR UDESu gV6 UR >;ULRT< <D VH<R?EV<M9R GMEMG;G <V7u g;EMTMBVH UDES> GV6 OV9R D?MPMEVH M>>;R SM>TD;E<u
bers of Greater Mohican Audubon Society. Free. Information: cochran.7@osu.edu or 330-464-2148. Ap ril 24 : Guided Spring Walk, 2-3:30 p.m., Secrest Arboretum, Seaman Orientation Plaza, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster. Free. Information: cochran.7@osu.edu or 330-464-2148.
PETERSON LAW OFFICE An Attorney for your agricultural legal needs: Probate Estates Real Estate Contracts Business Associations
Ap ril 30 : Master Gardener Pollinator Training, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Secrest Arboretum, Jack
FOR THE BEST WHEAT PRICES IN CENTRAL & SOUTHERN OHIO For your marketing convenience, we now have a grain elevator in Jeffersonville, Ohio offering a complete marketing program for you wheat.
_DGR DQ <OR V9VMHVUHR M>>;R> DQ UDES> V?R TVHHVUHRu qDE<VT< 6D;? HDTVH oS8V?S jDER> QMEVETMVH VS9M>D? QD? GD?R MEQD?GV<MDE VUD;< GV<;?M<6 SV<R> VES VBBHMTVUHR TVHH B?D9M>MDE>u
To invest in tax-free bonds, call or visit your local financial advisor today.
Estate Planning Civil Litigation Bankruptcy
SHAUN PETERSON, Attorney 116 N. Walnut Street Wilmington, Ohio 45177 petersonlaw@cinci.rr.com
(937) 382-0045
dougmarinemotors.net See our complete inventory Open 24/7
hW_FP o e_SZPIVPZw {{nh9 nMEVETMVH sS9M>D? u
=%# o qD;?< _<?RR< [V>OMEP<DE q< l>, dl %*(&C #%C4**"4x#*%
Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences are the college’s academic programs, Ohio State University Extension, the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Stone Lab, Ohio Sea Grant Extension, and Ohio State University’s
and Deb Miller Pavilion, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster. Information: ellsworth.2@osu.edu or 330-263-3723. Included in Ohio State’s College of Food,
2378236
Ap ril 9: Produce Safety Training, 6-9 p.m., Ohio State University Extension’s Cuyahoga County office training room, 5320 Stanard Ave., Cleveland. Workshop on preventing microbial
contamination on fruit and vegetable farms, including the use of Good Agricultural Practices. $10. Pre-registration required; space limited; no registration at the door. Send name, contact information and registration payment (make checks payable to “OSU Extension”) to OSU Extension, Cuyahoga County, Attn: Jacqueline Kowalski, 9127 Miles Ave., Cleveland, OH 44105. Information: 216429-8200, ext. 217.
2370806
April 5 : Registration deadline for Landscaping for Wildlife April 10 in Sharon Center. Workshop by Ohio State University Extension’s Ohio Woodland Stewards Program. Registration $15. Register online at http://woodlandstewards.osu.edu/. Information: ohiowoods@osu.edu or 614-688-3421.
2377609
www.edwardjones.com
Member SIPC
Seip’s Auto Parts & Service, LLC
2377290
WALKER I NSURANCE Agent/Broker Writing Medicare Health Plan for 30 Years Confused About Medicare ABC and D?
Maybe I can help,
Call Joe Walker 937-302-9668 Sabina
Medicare began in 1965, signed into law by President Lyndon Baines Johnson, creating Medicare A & B. The first Medicar card was issued to Harry S. Truman. Congress passed the Medicare moderization act on 2003. Resulting in Medicare D, prescription drog coverage, and Medicare C (the Medicare Advantage Plans) Source: www.medicare.gov 2378154
501 W. State St., Georgetown, Ohio
937-378-4748 Johnny Seip, owner
Open Monday Through Saturday 2370346
ROCKY FORK FARRIER SERVICE
for all your horse needs SHOEING – TRIMMING RACE, TRAIL, BARREL, PLEASURE
call larry 937-393-4333 7723 OVERMAN ROAD HILLSBORO, OHIO
2377320
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
April 2013
7B
that work .com JobSourceOhio.com DEADLINES/CORRECTIONS:
PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD ONLINE-24/7 wnewsj.com timesgazette.com
577 Miscellaneous
peoplesdefender.com
Liner deadline 3rd Thurdsay of each month: Display Deadlines: Mar. Edition: March 6 Aug. Edition: July 31 Sept. Edition: Sept.5 Apr. Edition: April 3 May Edition: May 1 Oct. Edition: Oct 2 Nov. Edition: Oct. 23 Jun. Edition: June 5 Dec. Edition: Dec. 4 Jul. Edition: July 3
recordherald.com newsdemocrat.com
GENERAL INFORMATION Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8-5
Wilmington News Journal 937-382-2574
POLICY: Please Check Your Ad The 1st Day. It Is The Advertiser’s Responsibility To Report Errors Immediately. Publisher Will Not Be Responsible for More Than One Incorrect Insertion. We Reserve The Right To Correctly Classify, Edit, Cancel Or Decline Any Advertisement Without Notice.
We Accept
577 Miscellaneous
535 Farm Supplies/Equipment
13 ft. John Deere 8300 drill, 16 hole 10 inch spacing, working hydraulics. OBO $1500 argunner@hotmail.com. (937)981-5159.
Freezer Beef for Sale! T Adv tise in th S
Selling due to the passing of my son & late husband who operated an auto repair shop for 30 plus years. Many nice quality shop & service tools. JOHN DEERE GATOR-COMPACT LOADER/TRACTOR-ZERO TURN MOWER-IMPLEMENTS: JD 4x4 Gator, elect. dump bed, cab, heat, 6’ snowplow, 376 hrs., v.g.c; JD 650 dsl. compact, newer woods LS84 quick tach loader w/54” bkt., turf tires, 1151 hrs., v.g.c.; 3 pt. JD I-Match ballast weight box. JD 757 Z-Trak w/60” deck, 963 hrs., v.g.c.; Roto Mec 5’ 3 pt. pto rototiller; 6’ 3 pt. blade; Frontier GM1060R 3 pt. 60” finish mower; 46” yard roller; Solar 25 gal., 3 pt. sprayer; 200 gal. pull type fuel tank; 2 wheel yard trailer. LARGE SNAP ON & MAC TOOL CHEST: 8’ wide x 6’ high Black 30 drw. roll around tool chest w/side locker & Special Ed. decals “Intimidator 11” Dale Earnhardt; Mac Tools roll around 1 drw. mech. chest/cart. CAR LIFT: ‘01 Bend Pak BP-12 (12,000 lb.) 4 post drive on high auto lift w/rolling bridge, 235” overall length. MANY MECHANIC & SPECIALTY SERVICE TOOLS-LOTS OF QUALITY WRENCHESSOCKETS-RATCHETS-HANDTOOLS-FORKLIFT-SHOP EQUIP-OLD SERVICE SHOP COLLECTIBLES & CABINETSAUTO SUPPLIES-PARTS-OFFICE-SHOP MANUALS-FOOT BALL MEMORABILIA - WOOD SHOP TOOLS - GUN SAFE-MISCANVIL-MISC. POLE BARN ITEMS-LUMBER: several hundred board feet of asst. new shop lumber. Please see www.higginsauctions.com for details
OWNER: Mrs. Mildred L. Parthemore
BEN HIGGINS REALTY & AUCTION CO., LLC. 2377251
Ben A. Higgins, Broker & Auctioneer Ben F. Higgins, Auctioneer/Brad Higgins, Auctioneer
740-387-5111 / 740-389-6202
• QUALITY STOREFRONT SPACE •
GREAT LOCATION!
RETAIL/OFFICE SPACE For Lease Variety of Sizes
EQIP or Non-EQIP CNMPs Roger L. Butts, TSP Certified CNMP Specialist 937-750-3202
8936 N. St. RT 123, Blanchester
937-783-8330 Multi Fuel Pellet Stoves Corn and Pellet Fuel Available
Located on I-71, Exit 69 to right of Jeffersonville, OH 2373622
Call 614-565-4688 or 740-426-6991
www.jcohio.com
and
Service • Repair • Parts
Knowles Welding FAB R I C AT I O N
HOURS: Wednesday - Friday 9 am - 6 pm Saturday 9 am - 3 pm
GARY BENSON 3558 Bush Road Wash. C.H., OH 43160 2378089
Portable Welding Services
Closed Sunday, Monday & Tuesday Call for Winter Hours
Phone Fax
Hillsboro, Ohio
937-780-4818
(740) 335-3648 (740) 335-3670
2377994
Parrish
FARMLAND WANTED HIGHLY MOTIVATED PURCHASER Contact Tina Ortiz Mark Fornes Realty, Inc. (937) 434-2000 tina@fornes.com
(No Product Sales)
Roger L. Butts, CCA, Agronomist 9771 Stivers Rd., Hillsboro, OH 45133-6718
Cell: 937-750-3202 Office: 937-442-3202 Email: agroserve@frontier.com 2377322
710 Roofing/Gutters/Siding
710 Roofing/Gutters/Siding
• ROOFING & SIDING •
Ratliff Roofing & Vinyl Siding Also Continuous Gutter & Painting Washington C.H., OH ~ Sabina, OH Licensed & Bonded
COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL
2377849
• Roofing: Asphalt, Fiberglass, Rubber, Metal Roofs • Power Washing Cell: 740-572-0879 740-505-8700
Office: 937-584-2369 740-636-0223
SENIOR CITIZENS & CHURCH DISCOUNTS
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT 700 Painting
700 Painting
• PAINTING & POWER WASHING •
R&R Painting and Power Washing We paint grain bins, fences and houses. Also demolition of old buildings. Also power washing of equipment.
Free Estimates Licensed and Bonded
2377848
74 0-6 36-0 22 3 74 0-5 72-0 87 9 74 0-5 05-8 70 0
Billy & Patsy Parrish, Owners
Firewood-For Sale $140. All Hardwood. Ash, Red Oak, Locust, Cherry, White Oak, Hickory. Seasoned 1 Year. No Dirt, Very Clean and Dry. No Checks. 937-509-3308
SEASONED RED-OAK & MULBERRY FIREWOOD: $60/Half Cord Large Pieces,Can Deliver! Sell Any Amount,All Year Long!(740)463-8025 Top Quality Split Seasoned Hardwood. Free Local Delivery. Over 25mi 3 Cord Minimum. $125.00 Full Cord. Cash Sales Only. 937-763-8086
570 Lawn and Garden
billy@parrishtrucks.com
• TOWING & TRANSPORT •
2008 John
Southern Ohio’s Finest
AGRO-SERVE CONSULTING Independent Soil Fertility Recommendations
545 Firewood/Fuel
Harley Davidson® Sales & Services
www.redscc.com
Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans
Call Jeff Huddleson at 1-513-638-5717 Visit us at: EagleOutdoorFurnaces.com 2372766
2373376
635 Farm Services
CNMP SERVICES LLC
Eagle Outdoor Furnaces - Lebanon, Ohio
740-636-1942
# BEN HIGGINS AUCTION # BEN HIGGINS AUCTION #
635 Farm Services
CLASSIC, E-CLASSIC & MAXIM FURNACES IN STOCK & READY FOR DELIVERY!
Drive-Thru Rec. Facility For all your Recycling needs
2375811
Located: Hardin Co @ 328 E. Taylor St. Mt. Victory, Ohio 43340, 9 mi. S. of Kenton.
BEN HIGGINS AUCTION # BEN HIGGINS AUCTION # BEN HIGGINS AUCTION
Saturday, April 20, 2013 • 10:00 A.M.
• OUTDOOR FURNACES •
Instant Rebates up to $1,000 for a limited time.
515 Auctions
LARGE PARTHEMORE AUCTION
The Washington Township Trustees of Warren County are seeking bids for two items. One is a Shaver Hydraulic Post Driver, Model HD-12-H; minimum bid is $3600. The second is a 2001 John Deere Tractor, Model 6410 with only 1080 hours and new front tires; minimum bid is $30,000. Bids should be sent to 9277 Arrowcreek Drive, Oregonia, Ohio 45054 and will be opened at the Trusteesʼ meeting on Monday, April 8 at the township hall at 1271 Ward-Koebel Road, Oregonia. Bids will be opened at 8pm and anyone who submitted a bid will have the opportunity to raise bid until each item is sold to highest bidder. For more information or to set up an appointment to view, call 937-481-1294.
1-866-212-7355
Don’t wait any longer! Start saving money on your heating bill when you heat your entire home, water and more with the safe, comfortable heat of a Central Boiler outdoor furnace.
950 Delaware Street Washington C.H., Ohio 43160
# BEN HIGGINS AUCTION # BEN HIGGINS AUCTION #
ll 937-372-9609
Eliminate High Heating Bills!
Bennett Recycling
2377809
BEN HIGGINS AUCTION # BEN HIGGINS AUCTION # BEN HIGGINS AUCTION
le
• DRIVE-THRU RECYCLING •
Call Jay Fannin 740-505-0375 515 Auctions
ice & Busine Dir ct
2 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU
1229 Robinson Rd. SE Washington C.H., OH 43160 Ph. 740-335-9966 Fax 740-335-0388
4087 Old 35 SE Frankfort, OH 45628 Ph. 740-998-6900
Deere 5425 loader, cab, heat, air, Price $8200, call or text 614-547-9433 / hastety5@juno.com.
Growing Opportunities
2377837
2378144
Buy, Sell, Trade ...in the Classifieds! Reach Over 10,000 Landowners In 11 Counties! Also...
Posted each month on these highly visited websites: newsdemocrat.com, peoplesdefender.com, timesgazette.com, recordherald.com and wnewsj.com To place an ad Call: 937-544-2391, 937-368-6161 937-382-2574, 740-335-3611 or 937-393-3456
Reaching Eleven Counties!
of Southwest Ohio
8B
April 2013
ACRES of Southwest Ohio
|[] e[_X`Q {UW_ uV |[] ncaYc]_Q ~:.E... Q__`QHOV[P kOTR_W_ yf bRcV` QUKb_cVQ TUM_R_` bK }aa_X_RcP_` e[_X` j_a\VUXU]K D}ejjq' QKQP_W ^RUW zOnUVP n[UV__R
jORbU jR_cPjq UTP[UV PU [WTRUN_ QPcV`QE _cRXK N[]UR cV` WcL[W[J_ K[_X`Q
nRUN_V n_R^URWcVa_ cV` WOXP[TX_ QPcP_ M[VV_RQ [V "R` TcRPK PR[cXQ caRUQQ P\_ ycQP_RV {URV |_XP
rUacXXK P_QP_` cP 1:8 P_QP[V] XUacP[UVQ caRUQQ P\_ ycQP_RV {URV |_XP
k[WTXKE P\_ |_QP hcXO_ [V P\_ k__` uV`OQPRK¥
kyyz {opkirj}pjkE up{,
{cXX jU`cK@ 800-708-2676 www.seedconsultants.com ®, TM trademarks of Seed Consultants, Inc. © 2012 Seed Consultants, Inc. Supreme EX® and AYT™ are trademarks of Pioneer. Supreme EX® brand seed is distributed by Seed Consultants, Inc
2373166