Agricultural Community Review

ROSE HILL WILLOW FARM

BACK YARD CHICKENS

INSIDE...

Spring 2016

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2 Spring 2016

Spring 2016, Volume 3, Issue 2

PUBLISHER : SPECTRUM PRODUCT MANAGER:

SPECTRUM DIRECTOR: WRITER & LAYOUT DESIGNER:

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Welcome

Features

14 ROSE HILL WILLOW FARM

08 BACK YARD CHICKENS

03 LETTER FROM THE STAFF

A Division of Dix Communications ©Copyright Spectrum Publications 2016

Farm to Table

3813 GRILLMASTERS

28 UPCOMING EVENTS

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Hot Topics

10 EARLY GROWTH COULD LEAVE

17 AGRICULTURE IN THE NEWS

44 HOW TO BECOME A BEEKEEPER AND WHAT TO EXPECT

18 RESPONSIBLE USE OF PESTICIDES

34 EARLY SEASON GRAZING MANAGEMENT

24 CHALLENGES FACING FARMERS

Farm Safety/Technology

30 AN UPDATE TO UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES

38 FARMERS SHOULD USE CAUTION

22 MORE THAN 10,000 FARMERS

05 CAN YOU NAME THIS TOOL?

06 FARMERS FIND VALUE

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• Auto & Truck Hitches/Wiring

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4 Spring 2016

A Source of Inspiration

I sometimes think people imagine that all farms look the same. Kind of like the Fisher Price farm we played with as children. A nice red barn with an

assortment of animals roaming the land and little plots of vegetables with a few fruit trees thrown in for good measure – friendly farmer waving as he rides his tractor from place to place on the farm. In reality though we know that each farm is a unique entity with specific needs based on the products produced, topography of the land, or even the desires of the individual farmer.

Right here in our region we see how different farming techniques are implemented when crops are grown on the flatlands versus the rolling hills of Amish country or Southeastern Ohio. This is just part of what makes Ohio farms different than those operating throughout the Plains where large equipment rules the day. You can see how producing a farming magazine for such a varied audience can be a challenge. Our goal is to try to speak to each of you at some point throughout the year with stories that will resonate or even inspire!

We found a lot of inspiration for this issue of Harvest. One such inspiration is the Rose Hill Willow Farm. Here, a former VP at the Longaberger Basket Company found a way to “blend the agrarian and the artisanal” by creating beautiful keepsakes from the willow grown on his farm. Another came from speaking with the Guernsey-Nobel Beekeepers Association. With bees being one of the greatest pollinators, farmers of all sorts benefit from the growing interest in backyard beekeeping. Or how one individual who was passionate about agriculture passes this along to others interested in pursuing their dreams

to study farming through the Dr. Jack Judy Scholarship.That is not to say we are short on practical advice.

Between our pages hear from Rory Lewandowski, an OSU extension educator, on improving the longevity of your pastures with tips on early season grazing management and learn why an Ashland farmer is embracing no-till farming on his land. We’ve also sprinkled in, like the springtime rains, a few stories on pesticide use, how warmer than average temperatures may impact wheat growth, and why chickens may be a gateway animal to having your own backyard farm.

I encourage you to spend some time with Harvest and review all of our features. You never know what may inspire you!

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Story & Photos by | Paul LocherDIX COMMUNICATIONS

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6 Spring 2016

Farmers Find Value in No-Till Farming Practices

As planting season creeps slowly nearer day by day, farmers are beginning, yet again to plow and prepare their fields for seeds — unless

they’re not.Ashland County farmers have been adopting the

practice of no-till farming since the 1970s, when it began to become accepted throughout the country.

The procedure is exactly what it sounds like — farmers choosing not to till their fields and using drills or other tools to carefully place seeds while disrupting significantly less of their topsoil. Farmers use herbicides like paraquat to kill weeds that normally would have been destroyed by a plow.

A simple reason why someone like Ashland farmer Don Kettering would practice no-till farming is to save time and preserve soil. Kettering has been no-tilling at least some of his land since 1975.

There are three things Kettering said are benefits of no-till — microbes stay in his soil, old roots are able to take better hold under ground and earthworms are able to process the soil. It also helps prevent soil erosion, he said.

“When the pioneers came into this county, there was something between 12 and 16 inches of topsoil,” Kettering said. “Today, I want to say the average in the

Story by | Dylan SamsDIX COMMUNICATIONS

Photo by | Tom E. PuskarDIX COMMUNICATIONS

Right: Ashland County farmer Don Kettering checks his cover crops.

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county is 8 inches, and some farms are probably at 4 inches.”

In practice, then, no-tilling can save a farmer both time and money, he said.

For example, Kettering claims he pays only for a gallon and a half of fuel per acre until harvest in the fall.

“There’s a lot of these other guys who run 8 to 10 gallons an acre,” Kettering said.

Less is needed because Kettering goes through his field one time to plant and one other time to spray herbicides while others make multiple plowing passes on their land.

This year he’ll be practicing no-till on 300 acres of land, he said.

John Boyer, owner of Honey Haven Farm and Kettering’s friend, called him “Mr. No-Till.”

“Although he doesn’t like the term no-till,” Boyer said. “His word is never-till.”

Boyer has taken up the practice on his own farm for nearly as long as Kettering, normally using a no-till drill available for lease from the Ashland County Soil and Water Conservation District to plant his crops. Ninety percent of Boyer’s 250 acres will not be tilled this year.

Boyer said he prefers the method because it allows him to save on both fuel and time. It also protects his topsoil, which is especially important because Boyer’s farm has a 160-foot fall between the end of his driveway and his farm. If a heavy rain comes, it could potentially wipe out his topsoil. By practicing no-till and leaving cover crops, his soil remains in place and he’s managed to reduce a good amount of soil erosion.

“If you take a block of soil and roll it upside down, what’s it do immediately? It dries it out,” Boyer said of tilling. “It’s hard to replenish any of the water even if it absorbs the water. It’s hard to hold that water because it has been broken.”

“No-till comes along, and you just work a little trail, pop that seed in and out of 30-inch rows of corn and you’ve left 28 inches undisturbed.”

According to farming publication Modern Farmer, no-till farming began to be adopted by American farmers in the mid-to-late ’70s. An article titled “No-Till Farming: What’s The Deal?” quoted USDA agricultural economist Roger Claassen as saying as late as 1988, only 5 percent of farmers in the U.S. practiced no-till farming. Twenty years later, 25 percent of farmers did not till at least some of their fields.

The Ashland County Soil and Water Conservation District has been helping farmers since the mid-’70s. Two no-till drills, like the one Boyer uses, are available to be leased from the district, whose goal is to help landowners learn about conserving their own land.

Director Cathy Berg said the majority of farmers in Ashland County who no-till are in the southern part of the county, because of their more varied elevation.

“A lot of it is out of necessity,” Berg said of the terrain. “(In the south) you could lose all of your topsoil.”

She said the drills tend to be used in late-April and especially through May. If the weather gets warm early, more farmers may request to use the drills earlier.

The district also helps farmers to learn more about soil health and is working with surrounding counties to organize field days to help farmers

see no-till and cover crop planting in action.To contact the Soil and Water Conservation District,

call 419-281-7645.

“ By practicing no-till and leaving cover crops, his soil remains

in place and he’s managed to reduce a good amount of

soil erosion.”

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8 Spring 2016

Back Yard ChickensSupporting A Healthy Habit

Andi Williams and Joe Kennedy eat eggs in the morning and don’t worry for one minute where they came from.

They can see the hens right in their backyards. It’s all about food security, said Kennedy, who lives

south of Wooster with his wife, Jodi. With store-bought eggs, “we don’t have an idea what we’re eating, what the chickens are eating, what health they’re in,” said Kennedy. What started with a dozen pullets has grown in more than two years to a flock of 25.

The Kennedys free range their chickens in a large backyard and say they are surprisingly easy to care for, coming right back to the hen house at dusk and back into the yard early in the morning.

Williams, who lives just outside Wooster, agrees, though she never thought she’d be tending her own flock. A Connecticut native, Williams said, “I was an insurance brat. I lived in the suburbs.” Her husband, she said, is the native Wayne Countian and former 4-Her.

But when Williams took a job as a data analyst with Lehman’s in Kidron, she decided it might be fun to try some of the simple living ideas the store has long been known for. She started with four ISA Browns and got another six hens from her brother-in-law.

So, once a day, Williams goes out behind her house to a renovated shed, where the chickens have a nice, warm place to lay eggs and a feeder has been rigged up out of PVC pipe. It needs filled about twice a month. Williams also put together a rainwater capture system. In addition

to suggestions she gets at Lehman’s, Williams said, “the Internet is a wonderful thing. I blame Pinterest for a lot.”

The Kennedys have a similar system, with a hay floor that Joe Kennedy said is completely cleaned out twice a year. “Other than that, it’s feed and water,” he said. “You don’t overthink it.”

The only real surprise the family has had was finding out one of their hens was actually a rooster. Said rooster was not allowed in the hen house, Kennedy said, but did a good job protecting the flock until he was killed by an animal that had come on the property.

Williams said she has found the hens will produce

Story by | Tami MosserDIX COMMUNICATIONS

Photos by | Mike Schenk & Jon ZeltmanDIX COMMUNICATIONS

Joe Kennedy says the chickens his family keeps in the back yard are gentle animals that don’t mind being picked up.

Different breeds lay differently colored eggs, but any fresh egg tastes great.

HARVEST 9

eggs for up to three years. Since they’ve all got names and have become family pets, she said, “The end-of-life cycle is kind of hard. I don’t have the heart to put them down. ... I am willing to keep them as long as I have

room.” Her flock shares the backyard with the family dog, who Williams said showed some interest in them in the beginning, but “he’s more interested when an Amish

buggy comes by.”Kennedy said he’s found a number of double-yoke

eggs, as well as one triple yoke. And when the fresh eggs are carried into the house, they remain unwashed and unrefrigerated, as they do in most European and South American households. Kennedy explained that as long as the egg is unwashed, it retains a protective layer that makes refrigeration unnecessary.

The family eats eggs that Kennedy knows are only a few days old, as opposed to store-bought eggs that are four to eight weeks old. Eggs from the backyard chickens, Kennedy said, “have a distinct taste. It’s attributed to being fresh. You can tell the difference between a fresh egg and a store-bought egg.”

Williams agreed. And she has friends who are looking into following her example.

Now, Williams said, her husband has expressed an interest in buying a pig and Kennedy said his wife has her sights set on a miniature donkey.

So, Williams said, what her boss, Glenda Lehman Ervin, said might be true. “She says, that chickens are a gateway animal.”

Reporter Tami Mosser can be reached at 330-287-1655 or tmosser@the-daily-record.com.

Andi Williams said her family’s back yard chickens have become like family, including

Garnet, the hen Williams is holding.

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10 Spring 2016

Early Growth Could Leave Some Wheat Plants More

Vulnerable To ColdStory by | Tracy TurnerAG ANSWERS

After last month’s warmer-than-normal temperatures sped up the growth of wheat crops across Ohio, the following cold snap

could result in injury to some of those plants.Just how damaging the colder weather will be depends

on how advanced the wheat is in its growth stage, said Laura Lindsey, a soybean and small grains specialist with Ohio State University Extension.

Temperatures that reached above 70 degrees across Ohio caused much of the state’s winter wheat crops to progress quickly, Lindsey said, with some areas reporting wheat at Feekes growth stage 5 in March.

Early April, some areas in southern Ohio reported

wheat crops at Feekes growth stage 6, which is also known as jointing, and some wheat crops in northwest Ohio were already at early green-up in mid-March, she said.

UNUSUAL WEATHER PATTERN

That early wheat growth could leave some growers facing injured crops from the freezing temperatures that have swept across the state, Lindsey said.

“This is a very unusual weather pattern to have a very early spring with temperatures across the state in the low 60s to mid to low 70s throughout much of March followed by this cold snap in April,” she said.

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“The warmer temperatures caused wheat to come out of dormancy quicker,” leading to the potential for cold-weather injury.

Since April 2, temperatures have reached a low of 29 degrees across parts of Ohio, with the forecast being as low as 20 degrees in many areas statewide, according to AccuWeather.com.

“Winter wheat crops typically experience their maximum resistance to cold weather from December to February,” Lindsey said. “But as wheat greens up, the plant becomes less tolerant of freezing temperatures.

“At jointing, or Feekes 6 growth stage, wheat crops that experience 24 degrees or lower for longer than two hours can sustain injury or freeze damage.”

RESEARCH UNDERWAY

Lindsey said while there really isn’t anything growers can do to shield their wheat crops from the cold weather, growers should examine their wheat to identify its growth stage to try to judge the crop’s potential for freeze damage. And about a week after injury, growers need to examine their crops to see how much actual plant death there was.

Wheat continues on 12

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“Once conditions improve, about a week after the crops sustained the freeze injury, growers can go out and examine their wheat fields to see what plants have survived,” she said. “If the plants are at Feekes 5 growth stage, they shouldn’t experience freeze injury, but if they are at Feekes 6 growth stage, it could be a problem.”

Lindsey and Pierce Paul, an OSU Extension plant pathologist and a researcher with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, are currently conducting research to determine the freeze tolerance of winter wheat grown in Ohio at Feekes 5 growth stage.

OSU Extension and OARDC are the outreach and research arms, respectively, of the college.

Preliminary results have shown that wheat at that growth stage sustained very little injury at temperatures as low as 14 degrees, Lindsey said. But temperatures of 5 degrees resulted in wilted leaves with a dark, purple-green, water-soaked look 24 hours later, she said.

GROWTH CHART

The team also plans to test wheat plants in Feekes 6 growth stage for freeze damage and expects to update its findings soon.

“Our goal is to be able to update our recommendations for farmers based on our research findings,” Lindsey said. “We really haven’t seen a year like this in recent times, so our recommendation is for growers to go out and check their wheat plants to judge their growth stages.”

To determine if wheat is in Feekes growth stage 6, growers can:

* Dig up several clusters of tillers with roots and soil from multiple locations in the field.

* Identify and select three to four primary tillers from each cluster – usually the largest tillers with the thickest stem.

* Strip away and remove all the lower leaves, which are usually small and yellowish, or dead leaves, exposing the base of the stem.

* Look for the first node generally between 1 and 2 inches above the base of the stem. This node is usually seen as a slightly swollen area of a slightly different shade of green than the rest of the stem.

A video on identifying Feekes growth stage 6 can be viewed at youtube.com/watch?v=iukwznx4DPk.

Wheat continued from 11AS-104

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Grillmasters, Time To Gear Up

Grilled Tri Tip With Black Olive AioliServes 4 to 6

1 tri tip steak, 2 1⁄2 pounds1 tablespoon olive oil2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, chopped1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper1⁄4 cup finely chopped pitted oil-cured black olives1 cup aioli (see below)1 tablespoon coarse sea salt Cayenne pepper

Place the steak in a small, nonreactive baking dish. Combine the olive oil, rosemary and black pepper in a small bowl and stir well. Rub the mixture evenly over the tri tip. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

Remove the tri tip from the refrigerator 1 1⁄2 hours before cooking.

Prepare and light a charcoal grill for direct cooking.Add the olives to the aioli and season with Cayenne.When the grill is at its hottest (when the coals are red

and glowing and it’s too hot to hold your hand over the grill for more than a couple of seconds), remove the tri tip from the marinade, wipe off any excess marinade,

and season on both sides with sea salt. Place the steak on the cooking grate directly over the coals, cover the grill, and cook, turning once, for about 20 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 130° for medium rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Cut the tri tip into thin slices across the grain and arrange on a platter. Serve with aioli.

AioliMakes about 1 cup

1 small clove garlic1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt1 teaspoon Dijon mustard2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice2 egg yolks1 cup olive oil

To make by hand, chop the garlic and salt together on a cutting board until a paste forms. Transfer to a deep mixing bowl and wrap a damp towel around the base of the bowl to keep it from sliding around the counter as you work. Whisk in the mustard, lemon juice and egg yolks. While whisking continuously and vigorously, add the olive oil in a slow, thin, steady stream until all of it has been incorporated and the mixture is thick and completely emulsified.

To make the aioli in a food processor, place the garlic and salt in the work bowl and process to chop as finely as possible. Add the mustard and lemon juice and pulse to combine. Add the egg yolks and, with the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow, thin, steady stream until all of it has been incorporated and the mixture is thick and completely emulsified.

Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours until needed.

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14 Spring 2016

Rose Hill Willow Farm

Providing Strength and Beauty

Imagine a household item, the utility of which was matched only by its artistry. Envision a rural retreat with a fence, the strength of which was exceeded

only by its beauty.Visit Rose Hill Willow Farm and there’s no need to

imagine. Howard Peller has made those visions tangible. (See below for details on how to arrange a visit.)

Professor, artist, executive, farmer, entrepreneur — were one to label anyone a “renaissance man,” it would be difficult to find a more apt candidate than Peller. Over the course of his working career, he has earned each of those titles. He served for 10 years as vice president of design for Longaberger Baskets. With his wife, Maddy, he founded and operated Fioriware Pottery in Zanesville for 20 years.

For now, though, call him basket farmer. (In fact, readers can find his website at www.basketfarmer.com.)

At Rose Hill Willow Farm, as its name suggests, Peller grows willow, about 50 species of willow, in fact.

“Some of them are good for living structures. Some would be good for fencing,” he said.

Of course, many of them are good for Peller’s passion: Weaving baskets.

The various species exhibit variations in color and, thus, offer Peller the option of crafting multihued baskets.

And what an assortment he has. His weaved creations have varied from birdhouses to laundry baskets. He even makes commissioned items.

By way of demonstration, he picks up a basket with a concave curve on one side.

“This is an interesting basket that I just made for a baker,” he said. “It’s for collecting mushrooms. It has a little ledge inside for him to put cardboard on so that he can layer the mushrooms. It’s going to Dan Baker in

Story by | John LoweDIX COMMUNICATIONS

Photos by | Mike NeilsonDIX COMMUNICATIONS

Howard Peller walks his fields, filled with about 50 species of willow.

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Columbus. He makes really great bread.”Peller designed the basket with the concave side so the

basket would fit snugly against Baker’s side.He makes his baskets item by item; there is nothing

industrial scale to his work.“Unfortunately, they take a lot of time,” he said.

“There’s no way around it.”A bird feeder would take about a day to craft, but the

laundry basket took him three days to finish.What does it take to be a basket weaver?“The whole process is really about the manipulation,”

he said. “It’s like the surgeon’s hands; may dad was a surgeon. Knowledge is part of it, but a lot of it is these very simple hand techniques you learn.

“It’s feeling and understanding the tension in the material and understanding what it can and can’t do.”

Of course, the basket weaving culminates a process that begins with growing and harvesting the willow — a plant Peller regards as almost magical because of its robust growth and durability. (He attributes those qualities to the hormones in willow such as salicin which is used in preparing some pain medications.)

The hormones also make willow suitable for regrowth.

Willow continues on 16 Peller demonstrates his weaving techniques.

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He has used harvested willow rods to create “living fences,” a willow arch and a living willow dome.

He also has plans to sell the plant.“That’s part of why I grow so much,” he said, “for

people interested in this kind of living fencing and these kinds of living structures.

“I cut the large rods, store them in refrigeration and, then, ship them dormant. People can put them in the ground [to take root and grow].

“That’s how the dome was done. It was rods cut in wintertime, stored and, then, put back in the ground. And they rooted enough and leafed enough.”

Peller employs coppicing as a means of harvesting the willow. Many species of trees will regrow from the stump, or, as Peller terms it, the crown of a tree cut near the ground.

It is these new shoots that he harvests. Unlike some coppiced trees that regrow slowly, the willow will send

up shoots that grow to lengths of 4 to 8 feet in a single year.

Peller has found that he enjoys life on the farm, growing and working with the willow at nature’s pace.

“The willow is very good for the environment here,” he said. “It’s brought in insects and birds, so it’s bio-diverse. I don’t need a lot of tools and I’m making something that’s sustainable.

“I’m definitely an advocate of craftsmanship and I appreciate what grows in nature. How you balance that carefully is the key to living with it and making it healthy. You don’t abuse it. Nature is healthier if you learn to work with it properly.”

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Rose Hill Willow Farm is at 7680 Rosehill Road, Roseville, OH 43777. Peller’s website is www.basketfarmer.com and the telephone number of his studio is 1-740-697-0027. “Our shop and studio are always open by appointment and folks should feel free to call us.”)

Willow continues from 15

Various samples of Peller’s products.

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Agriculture in the News

The family of Dr. John (Jack) Judy, who died in April 2015, has established a memorial scholarship in his name to be administered through the Ohio

Farm Bureau Foundation.According to his niece Jennifer Walker, the family

has agreed to award one $1,500 scholarship annually to a second-year college student who is either a member, or whose parents are members, of the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association.

“The student doesn’t have to attend an Ohio school,” Walker said, “but he or she must be a resident of Ohio.”

Interested and qualified students can apply online

at ofbf.org/foundation through June 30. Walker said finalists will be interviewed during the Ohio State Fair by a selection committee composed of Walker and members of the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association.

“Preference is given to (agriculture) majors but it is not a necessity,” Walker said.

Judy was a member of the Ohio State University Department of Animal Sciences until his retirement in 1984. For 33 years he specialized in the study and teaching of sheep production and management. He had the title of Professor Emeritus when he left Ohio State and was inducted into the Ohio State Fair Hall of Fame in 1985.

Always passionate about his students and their course of study, Judy was a faithful supporter of the Ralph Grimshaw scholarship, awarded through the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association. Grimshaw, who was chairman of the sheep department at the Ohio State Fair, and Judy were close friends, according to Mark Judy, Jack’s brother.

For more information about the Dr. Jack Judy Memorial Scholarship, other scholarship offerings and Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation, contact 614-246-8904 or visit the website at ofbf.org/foundation.

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Responsible Use of PesticidesStory by | Rory Lewandowski

EXTENSION EDUCATOR, WAYNE COUNTY

I recognize that pesticide use is not for everyone. However, looking across agricultural and horticultural production systems, pesticides are

widely used to help control weed, insect and disease pests. Without the use of pesticides crop yields would be lower, and production costs would be higher. Pesticides have become a management tool and like any tool they can be used correctly or incorrectly. The goal is to use pesticides correctly, in a responsible manner. What does that involve?

Responsible pesticide use involves following the pesticide label, sprayer calibration, accurate mixing/measuring, and applying the pesticide to the target area

without movement to off-target sites. The first place to start is with the label. Pesticide applicators need to understand that the label is the law. The applicator is responsible for all of the label information. The label includes not only what is printed on the pesticide container but also any attached material as well. Labels for most pesticide products are available on-line. For example, http://www.greenbook.net/ is one location where free registration is provided to give access to thousands of pesticides labels, or you can simply type the name of the pesticide along with the word “label” into a browser search engine and often find the label on-line. Recently I taught a class on pesticide use for small acreages using hand-held and backpack sprayers. As part of that class we looked at some pesticide labels. The glyphosate label used as an example was 21 pages in length! The applicator is responsible for all of that information.

The type of information included on a pesticide label includes:

• Brand name, Chemical name, Common name• Type of pesticide (herbicide, insecticide, fungicide)• Formulation: for example, emulsifiable concentrate

(EC) wettable powder• (WP) granular (G) or dust (D)• Ingredients, Contents, Manufacturer, Registration/

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• Signal Word: Caution, Warning, Danger• Precautionary statements and PPE (Personal

Protective Equip.)• Statement of practical treatment• Environmental hazards• Use classification: general or restricted use• Directions for use: rates, pre-harvest interval

(PHI), spray volume in gallons per acre, (GPA), droplet size, crops the pesticide can be applied to, tank mixes, adjuvants, additives, timing, etc.

• Agriculture Use Requirements and Worker Protection Standards (WPS)

• Re-Entry interval (REI)• Restrictions (grazing, harvest, crop rotation, etc.)• Storage and Disposal• Statement of warranty and liability.

The applicator may apply rates and concentrations lower than what the label stipulates and apply less frequently than the label allows, but may NOT apply at higher rates or concentrations or more frequently than what is stipulated on the label.

Once the applicator is familiar with the pesticide label the pesticide sprayer should be calibrated to insure that the correct rate of pesticide is applied. Calibration

involves choosing the correct nozzle for the type of application that will be done and making sure that the sprayer is adjusted to apply the pesticide in a uniform and consistent pattern. Choosing the correct nozzle involves using the pesticide label to determine the recommended spray volume output in gallons/acre that is needed to get good product coverage and efficacy, determining a speed in mph that will be used to apply the pesticide in field conditions, determining a required nozzle flow rate in gallons/minute (gpm) and then selecting a nozzle from a manufacturers catalog that will provide the desired gpm flow rate under typical sprayer pump pressure while producing a droplet size recommended by the pesticide label. Dr. Erdal Ozkan, OSU Extension sprayer technology specialist has an excellent fact sheet that walks readers through the nozzle selection process step by step with good examples. It is available on-line at: http://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/aex-528 , or contact the Wayne County Extension office at 330-264-8722 to obtain a copy.

After the correct nozzle is selected the sprayer should be calibrated. The objective of sprayer calibration is to calculate how many gallons/acre the sprayer is applying under field conditions and to make sure that each nozzle

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on the boom is delivering a flow rate within 10% of the average of all nozzles on the boom with a uniform and consistent pattern. To do this the applicator needs a measuring tape, a stopwatch, and a measuring container marked in liquid ounces. An easy calibration method is the 1/128th acre procedure.

To use this method determine the distance that needs to be driven to cover 1/128th of an acre by one nozzle. The formula for this distance is 4084 divided by the nozzle spacing in inches. For example, if nozzles are spaced 20 inches apart on the boom the distance is: 4084/20 = 204 feet. Record the time it takes to drive that distance under field conditions with a sprayer tank of water at the speed that will be used to make the pesticide application. Do this twice and take the average time. Next, park the sprayer and run it at the same pressure setting that will be used to make the application. Using the ounce container, collect the amount of water coming out of a nozzle for the amount of time it took to drive the measured distance in the field. Since there are 128 ounces per gallon and the time correlates to spraying 1/128th of an acre, the amount of ounces collected is equal to a sprayer output in gallons per acre. If the sprayer is off by more than 5% from the desired rate

then adjustments need to be made by either changing application speed or selecting different nozzles.

The next step in responsible pesticide use is correct mixing and measuring of the pesticide product into the sprayer tank. There are a number of pesticides that have application rates measured in ounces or sometimes a fraction of an ounce per acre. Accurate measurement is a must. Do you, as the applicator, have scales and measuring devices that can assure the correct amount of pesticide is added to the sprayer tank? Be aware that liquid ounces are not the same as dry ounces. A dry ounce is a weight measurement; a liquid ounce is a volume measurement. Always use the measuring container that is provided with the pesticide product, it is calibrated to that product. Measuring containers from other pesticide products will not provide an accurate measurement of a dry product. Purdue Extension has a very good publication entitled “Measuring Pesticides: overlooked steps to getting the correct rate” available on-line as a pdf file. Simply typing in “measuring pesticides, Purdue Extension” into a browser search box will take you to the publication, or if you contact the Wayne County Extension office at 330-264-8722, I can send you a pdf file of the publication.

Pesticide drift is defined as the movement of a

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pesticide from the target area to a non-target area. Responsible pesticide use minimizes drift or prevents drift from reaching non-target sensitive areas. Drift is most likely to happen with small droplets, high spray pressure, high boom heights, wind speeds in excess of 10-12 mph, in situations of temperature inversions, or any combination of these factors. Therefore, pesticide applicators should select nozzles that produce at least medium sized droplets and allow for lower boom height operation, use the lowest spray pressure necessary to get good coverage, ideally spray with wind speeds of 3-7 mph and always consider wind direction and what, if any, pesticide sensitive species might be in close proximity to the target spray area. In some cases, it may be the wise and responsible practice to leave a buffer area. The University of Nebraska Extension has a good web page with some links to drift prevention publications at: http://water.unl.edu/crops/drift.

For more information about any of the topics covered in this article contact the Wayne County Extension office at 330-264-8722.

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More Than 10,000 Ohio Farmers Have Received Extension Water Quality

TrainingStory by | Mauricio EspinozaiAG ANSWERS

In a little over a year, Ohio State University Extension has trained more than 10,000 Ohio farmers on best practices to apply fertilizer for optimum crop

yield, reduce the risk of nutrient runoff and improve water quality throughout the state. And more training opportunities are scheduled to reach even more farmers.

Known as Fertilizer Applicator Certification Training, this program allows farmers and commercial fertilizer applicators to meet the educational requirements of Ohio’s new agricultural fertilization law. Passed in 2014, the legislation requires individuals who apply fertilizer to more than 50 acres to become certified by Sept. 30,

2017.FACT was developed by researchers and educators with

the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University and is offered in partnership with the Ohio Department of Agriculture. The training provides research-based tactics to keep nutrients in the field and available to crops while increasing stewardship of nearby and downstream water resources.

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contributor to the harmful algal blooms plaguing Lake Erie and other bodies of water in recent years.

“Since we started offering this training in the fall of 2014, we have reached more than 10,000 farmers statewide, averaging about two training sessions per county,” said Harold Watters, an OSU Extension field specialist for agronomic systems. “I expect we will be at about 11,000 farmers when the winter training season ends this April 1.”

OSU Extension is the statewide outreach arm of the college.

According to 2015 U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics, the average Ohio farm is 188 acres. Using this figure, 11,000 farmers trained would represent a little over 2 million acres of farmland impacted so far by FACT.

“We need to reach a total of approximately 25,000 farm owners that need to be certified,” Watters said. “We are less than halfway there but are planning to offer summer field days and additional training before the fall to capture more farmers before we hit the next winter meeting season, when the bulk of the training takes place.”

Each three-hour training session focuses on teaching farmers and commercial applicators the methods and management techniques needed to achieve the appropriate rate, timing, placement and source for fertilizer applications.

“The main goal of this training is to help farmers continue to achieve high levels of productivity while reducing input usage and cost by keeping more of that fertilizer in the soil where crops can use it,” said Greg LaBarge, also a field specialist for agronomic systems with OSU Extension.

“These practices will then translate into better water quality because less nutrients will be washed off farmland and end up in water sources.”

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

The training also provides information on the link between phosphorus, harmful algal blooms and agriculture; best management practices for phosphorus and nitrogen applications; and soil testing as a valuable tool for confidence and adaptive management.

Watters said a big part of the training revolves around awareness of the link between farm fertilizer runoff and water quality issues.

“I would say about 90 percent of participants have a level of acceptance of the role of agriculture in the current water situation,” he said. “We try to explain their role in the problem and how they can help improve

water quality through the techniques and practices we are teaching them.”

LaBarge added that FACT has helped farmers and applicators understand the issue of water pollution better and to see the connections between production and environmental stewardship.

“Farmers receiving this training see that we are talking about issues of importance to them both in terms of economics and the environment,” he said. “All these issues relate to production, as we are trying to help them better match the inputs that go in the soil with the yield that comes out.

“Nutrients lost to runoff impact production and water quality at the same time, so it’s in everyone’s interest to reduce that loss.”

Watters and LaBarge agree that training and implementation of best management practices represent a long-term process and that it will take years to see quantifiable results.

“We’re early in the process and need to be patient,” Watters said. “We need to do more, but we are headed in the right direction.”

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Challenges Facing Farmers Today and Tomorrow

Though farming was once big business in the United States, by 2012 less than 1 percent of Americans were professional farmers. Many challenges face

today’s farmers, many of which are largely unknown to the general public.

Many people have an outdated view of a farm as a small, family-owned and operated parcel of land where livestock is raised in open pens and crops are hand-harvested when ripe. The reality is that modern-day farms have had to overhaul operations to meet demand and remain competitively priced while adapting to the ever-changing ways technology infiltrates all parts of life. Each of these factors present obstacles for today’s farmers.

TECHNOLOGY

Rural farming communities are expected to make an effort to integrate modern technology into an industry

that has been around for centuries. But such a transition in rural areas, where communications systems may not be as up-to-date as those in urban areas, is not always so easy.

According to the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council, a shift from a resource-based to an information-based economy, compounded by the rapid introduction and expansion of new technology in the workplace, has altered farm operation and the skills in demand. Older workers who have been schooled in one way of agriculture may have a significant impact on labor supply and the vitality of farming as a career. Younger adults who are knowledgeable in technology may no longer seek out agricultural careers.

DECREASE IN FARMING AS AN OCCUPATION

The United States Environmental Protection Agency says that only about 960,000 Americans claim farming as

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their principal occupation. As that figure has dwindled, the average age of farmers continues to rise, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that roughly 40 percent of the farmers in this country are 55 years old or older. This has led to concerns about the long-term health of family farms throughout the United States.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

Many farmers have come under scrutiny for how

farming impacts the environment. A growing emphasis on sustainability and conservation has led many people to protest certain farming practices. Protesters claim that certain practices, such as raising livestock, can pollute water, while the use of fertilizers and chemical pesticides is bad for the environment. Many farmers, however, have altered their methods to be more environmentally friendly and self-sustainable in the process.

Climate change is another environmental issue farmers must deal with. Strong storms and severe droughts have made farming even more challenging.

FINANCIAL FALL-OUT

The ongoing recession of the last half-decade has also affected farmers. In November of 2012, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that the unemployment rate within the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industries was at 13.6 percent, far higher than the national unemployment rate. As a result, many farm families have found themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place, as rising costs for equipment and technology are being coupled with decreasing profits and rising unemployment.

Further complicating matters is competition from corporations and international food producers who have made it difficult for family farmers to turn a significant profit. Many family farmers rely on loans and lines of credit to survive, but thanks to changes in the financial sector that saw banks become less willing to extend lines of credit, some farmers are facing bankruptcy.

Though it can be easy for those who do not work in the agricultural industry to overlook the struggles facing today’s agricultural professionals, a greater understanding of those struggles and the challenges that lay ahead can benefit the industry and its employees down the road.

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26 Spring 2016

Agricultural Community Review

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Story & Photos by | Paul LocherDIX COMMUNICATIONS

It is a Muck Shoe

...for a horse, of course.The early farmsteads in the region were invariably

wrested from what had previously been wilderness. At the time of early settlement, woods were invariably a very wet place due to a high water table untapped by large-scale development. Permanent wells for homes were dug by hand, typically no more than 25 feet deep.

Because of these inherently wet conditions, the site where a cabin or barn was being erected invariably became a muddy mess, the soil churned into a quagmire by man and beast as they handled large foundation stones and imposing wooden beams.

To prevent horses from sinking knee-deep in the mud, settlers kept a set of muck shoes on hand to increase the surface area on which the animal stood. Made by a local blacksmith, these shoes had an ingenious iron

cam arrangement that locked the front of the horse’s hoof into the shoe. A piece of wood bolted to the board kept the back of the hoof in place. The ends of the bolts protruding through the bottom of the muck shoe also helped provide traction.

Because of the hard use they necessarily received, few of these devices have survived.

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28 Spring 2016

Upcoming Events4 miles 4 waterMay 7, 2-10 p.m.Cleveland Metroparks’ Edgewater ParkFor the third year in a row Drink Local. Drink Tap (DLDT) is raising awareness about water issues in Cleveland and around the world. Participants can register to complete a 1 mile walk or a 4 mile race through a unique course symbolizing the average distance many people walk for access to potable water. The festival day will also include a concert featuring Carlos Jones & the PLUS Band, a beer and wine garden, and food trucks featuring water-friendly vegan food choices. http://drinklocaldrinktap.org/activism/join-4m4w/

Ohio Farm Bureau & Friends Days at Bob EvansMay 16-17, 6 a.m.-10 p.m.The first annual statewide event. A primary goal of the fundraiser will be to increase awareness of the

importance of agriculture education programs locally offered through Ohio Farm Bureau, 4-H and FFA. To fulfill this goal, Bob Evans will donate 15% of sales (fundraiser flier must be printed and presented, see page 31) to the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation, Ohio 4-H and Ohio FFA programs. Carryout and catering orders (placed by May 9) will also count toward the fundraiser.

2016 Annual NCERA 180 MeetingMay 17-19590 Woody Hayes Drive, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Oh 43210Multi-state research coordinating committee and information exchange group. Multi-disciplinary group with representation from most agricultural states which works on site-specific crop management (SSCM), commonly known as precision agriculture (PA).Contact Kaylee Port, port.17@osu.edu, 614-292-2835.

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Vintage Fabric ArtsMay 26, 6-8 p.m.Historic Chrisholm Farmstead, 2070 Woodsdale Rd., Trenton, Oh 45067Learn about the history of quilting, weaving, spinning and other vintage fabric arts. Enjoy demonstrations by local artists, including members of the Butler County Lamb and Wool Association, plus make and take related crafts. $10 for members, $20 for non-members. Register by May 19, with Butler County Farm Bureau at 513-844-8371 or butler@ofbf.org.

Technology in Agriculture: Out of the EarthJune 17, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.Malabar Farm State Park, 4050 Bromfield Rd., Lucas, Oh 44843Agrarian and urban energy are the focus of the conference. Richland County Farm Bureau, Malabar Farm State Park, John Deere and other partners are hosting the second annual Technology in Agriculture conference, focusing on agrarian and urban energy featuring solar panels, wind turbines, compact tractors, oil and gas. Speakers include David Beach, Green City Blue Lake; Dale Arnold, Ohio Farm Bureau and Rick Simmers, ODNR. $5 Farm Bureau members, $10 non-

members.RSVP by June 10 to richland@ofbf.org.

Morning at the Daylily FarmJune 25, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.The Whitehouse Daylily Farm, 10433 Ramm Rd., Whitehouse, Oh 43571Owner Wade Smith will present on hydroponics in addition to a water quality speaker and a guest presenter on botanical gardens. Enjoy acres of daylilies and explore a full hydroponic tomato facility. Light snacks will be provided. The event is free. Register by June 16 with the Lucas County Farm Bureau at 419-849-2128.

YAP Outstanding Young Farmer and Excellence in Ag Contest ApplicationsJuly 12Applications for Ohio Farm Bureau’s Young Ag Professionals’ Outstanding Young Farmer and Excellence in Agriculture contests are available and due July 12. The Outstanding Young Farmer contest is designed to recognize successful young farmers, age 35 or younger, for achievements.Visit ofbf.org for applications.

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30 Spring 2016

An Update to Unmanned Aerial

Vehicles

Story By | Thomas Doohan & Dix Communications Staff Writers

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, also known as drones, open the door to a whole world of new possibilities for farmers.

John Fulton, associate professor at OSU’s Department of Food Agriculture and Biological Engineering, noted that the information on plant disease, pest damage, and draining issues can all be gathered easily with the use of drones. These details can help farmers adjust their practices to maximize their production. If images reveal that crops are suffering from insect damage, farmers can adjust their pesticide application to increase yields.

“It is really just a diagnostic and tactical tool to tell me how well I am managing my crops,” Fulton explained.

For Scott Myers of Woodlyn Acres Farm, this potential might mean utilizing the technology on his farm where he grows various types of forage. Back in 2014 he was using a company that takes satellite images of farms to

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get the same information that drones could obtain. Myers thought the real advantage to utilizing drones

in agriculture could best be applied to planting cover crops with larger drones dispersing seeds exactly where he wants.

Farmers considering utilizing unmanned aircraft should be aware that the information gathered is most useful when interpreted properly. Far more than buying your own drone and just sending it up to take a look — an expert eye is still required to extrapolate information from images. In 2014, Wayne County OSU Extension educator Rory Lewandowski said “There is no question that we can get a lot of information using drones.” But as far as being able to take that information and communicate it to farmers in a meaningful way, he said “I don’t know if we are there yet.”

Sinclair Community College, which has offered UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) programs since 2008, provides several educational programs for individuals interested in this technology. Training and certificate programs for flight operators, visual observers, drone

maintenance, and data analysts can be obtained for a variety of industries including precision agriculture. According to their website, about 80% of the UAS market will be dedicated to precision agriculture over the next decade.

Companies in the UAS industry work with farmers using detailed software that not only capture various images of the crops but also have trained data analysts to identify and isolate specific problems. Aaron Lawrence, Woolpert GIS expert and USA technology developer said, “Farm equipment is rapidly advancing as onboard computer systems and sophisticated mapping equipment are being integrated at the helm, which is essentially a cockpit, with numerous screens and monitoring devices allowing the operator to make the decision to fly.”

“In the future, I see this equipment working hand in

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hand with aerial data collections. This is where UAS comes in,” Lawrence explained.

Woolpert’s projects in aerial mapping span several industries and applications. Lawrence said, “Currently, there are many UAS applications in regards to agriculture, however FAA restrictions often don’t allow the entire farm to be collected. In Ohio, the majority of farms are bounded by public roads.” He explained that FAA controlled restrictions currently place limits on when and where UAS equipment can be used and he anticipates that changes made to these restrictions will open allow farmers to utilize UAS for better benefit.

Markets and Markets, a custom market research firm, estimated in their October 2015 report on drones that over the next five years the global drone market, already a $5.6 billion industry, will see compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32%; with precision agricultural having the highest demand of 42% over the same time frame.

It is clear that this technology will continue to remain relevant in the near future. However, traditional methods for examining crops with scouting teams taking samples and walking the field may still work for many while other farmers embrace the advanced technology offered through the use of drones for precision farming.

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Early Season Grazing

Management

Story by | Rory LewandowskiEXTENSION EDUCATOR, WAYNE COUNTY

The saying “Well begun is half done” could be applied to pasture management. How pastures are managed at the beginning of the grazing

season can have a big impact on how those pastures perform later in the year. I was recently asked by a livestock owner when the grazing season should begin and how should pastures be managed. Spring management depends upon several factors including: how pastures were managed last fall, the livestock stocking rate, and spring weather. Let’s look at each of these factors and how they influence early season grazing management.

Pastures that were provided with a fall recovery period that allowed plants to build up root reserves typically start growth sooner in the spring and have more vigorous growth. Livestock grazing can begin sooner on these pastures. On the other hand, if a pasture went into the winter after being overgrazed during the fall, those plants are stressed and it takes them longer to green up in the spring and they produce fewer tillers with less vigorous growth. These pastures need some spring recovery time and livestock should not be allowed on these pastures too soon in the spring.

In general the thumb rule for early season grazing is to do fast pasture paddock rotations that just take the top off the grass plant. Keep livestock moving. Typically in

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grazing schools we talk about a beginning grazing height of 8-10 inches for orchard grass and fescue pastures. That statement applies to late spring through fall. If we wait until grass is 8-10 inches tall to begin grazing at the start of the season, we will not be able to keep up with and use the spring flush of growth. Pastures will get mature, there will be lots of seed heads and lots of wasted pasture growth. So, in early spring plan to start grazing when grass is 4-5 inches tall, but again, only allow livestock to just take the top off the plant and keep them moving through the paddocks.

Your pasture stocking rate can also be a big factor in how early season pasture growth is managed. Stocking rate is defined as the number of grazing animals per acre. If your farm has a stocking rate that is matched to average summer pasture growth then at some point the spring flush of growth is going to get ahead of what your livestock can consume and forage will get wasted. In this scenario you may want to start livestock grazing through the pasture paddocks on the lower end of that 4-5 inch starting height. Possibly after a quick first pass through the paddocks you may want to make a decision to set aside some paddocks for hay production and

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36 Spring 2016

drop them out of the grazing rotation. However, if your stocking rate is matched to the spring flush of growth then you need to manage the grass more carefully and do all you can to prevent any stress that would slow down grass growth. In these situations every paddock must be productive and there is no forage growth to spare for hay production. In this case you might not start grazing through paddocks until grass growth is in the 5-6 inch range. The goal is still a fast rotation that only takes off the top of the grass plant, but you definitely do not want to overgraze a plant early on. I have seen situations where grass plants have been overgrazed (below 3 inches in height) early in the grazing season and under high stocking rates. The result was that those plants never fully recovered and pasture growth lagged throughout the entire growing season.

Spring weather will also dictate early season grazing management. Rainy weather and saturated soils are not a good combination for early spring grazing. Tearing

up pasture paddocks and trampling them into mud will provide an opportunity for weeds to invade that area. The options in this situation are to spread animals out over a larger area to minimize damage to the pasture sod and again, keep animals moving through the paddocks. The other option is to pull livestock off the pasture paddocks and put them on a heavy use pad or in a sacrifice area until

grazing can be done without tearing up the paddock. The consequence of this last management decision is that if temperature is favorable the grass will keep growing and you may have to do more mowing and clipping during the spring season to keep paddocks at acceptable forage quality.

The grazing season has begun. Good early season grazing management involves protecting the grass plant and moving animals quickly through the pasture paddocks. Watching the grow rate and height of the grass in the paddocks that are in line to be grazed will help to determine the speed of the rotation. When done correctly, spring grazing management sets the livestock manager up for a successful summer grazing season.

“ In general the thumb rule for early season grazing is to do fast pasture paddock

rotations...”

Grazing continued from 35

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Story by | Martha FilipicAG ANSWERS

It’s easy for farmers to get complacent when working with anhydrous ammonia, said Kent McGuire, safety and health coordinator with The Ohio

State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

But injuries from accidental exposure “could get very serious, very quickly,” McGuire said.

Anhydrous ammonia is one of the most widely used sources of nitrogen fertilizer among corn growers. The product is stored in tanks, called nurse tanks, as a liquid

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under pressure. Once it is released into the soil or the air it turns to vapor.

Anyone who handles anhydrous ammonia needs to understand the potential for injury and know how to respond in an emergency, McGuire said.

POTENTIAL DANGERS

“Once anhydrous ammonia makes contact with the skin, it can freeze tissue and cause a skin burn,” McGuire said. “As far as inhalation goes, it takes a very low dose of anhydrous ammonia to affect the lungs and breathing. In some cases, an unintended exposure can give you the

sensation that the wind has been knocked out of you.”Caustic burns to the skin and severe irritation to the

eyes, lungs and respiratory system are all possible, and exposure to high concentrations can cause permanent injury, he said.

“Any time you’re working with the nurse tanks or the applicator and there is the potential for an unintentional release, you need to have on your personal protective equipment,” McGuire said. “Most people increase the risk of injury simply because they forgot or didn’t take the time to put on their personal protective equipment first.”

McGuire advises farmers to always be aware of their surroundings when working with anhydrous ammonia.

“Leave yourself an escape route in case there’s a release,” he said. “You want to avoid being downwind of it. The quicker you can get away from it and get to fresh air, the better.”

As farmers start preparing for the 2016 growing season, McGuire suggests reviewing the product safety data sheet themselves and with any family members or employees who will be working with anhydrous ammonia.

It explains exposure controls, first aid measures, emergency procedures and specific handling practices you should be following,” he said.

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In addition, he suggests checking with local anhydrous ammonia suppliers for training opportunities.

“Many will have customer in-services where they discuss proper handling and safety procedures,” McGuire said. “Take full advantage of that. They are well-versed in safety precautions, and you can learn a lot from your local supplier.”

AMONG MCGUIRE’S RECOMMENDATIONS:

* Always have water readily available, including a squirt bottle of water to douse the eyes with, and 5 gallons of emergency water mounted on the nurse tank.

* Follow recommended procedures for connecting and disconnecting nurse tanks and applicators. Shortcuts can lead to unintended release or unexpected exposure.

* When changing nurse tanks or making field repairs, always work upwind of the applicator and the nurse tank. Applicator knives, flow meters, hose connections, bleeder valves and nurse tank valves can be exposure openings for an unintended release.

* When changing nurse tanks, park the tractor upwind before opening bleeder valves or disconnecting hoses. This can minimize the chance of anhydrous ammonia entering the cab.

* Hand-tighten valve handles. Over-tightening with a wrench can cause damage to the valve or seals.

* Park nurse tanks, whether full or empty, downwind and away from neighboring houses, public areas and businesses.

For more of McGuire’s tips and other agricultural safety information from OSU Extension, see agsafety.osu.edu.

For additional information on anhydrous ammonia safety, see the National Ag Safety Database at nasdonline.org and search for “anhydrous ammonia.”

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has been an increased interest in beekeeping around the state in the last few years. The fastest growing number of beekeepers are in urban areas, where they have a forage area close by for food sources, available water, and are pest controlled.

“Bees are our greatest resource. One out of every three bites of food is pollinated by bees.

“We are encouraged by the number of certified beekeepers in Ohio. Figures for 2015: There are 4,838 registered beekeepers. An increase of almost a thousand beekeepers since 2010. There are 6,571 apiaries that contain an estimated 36,235 colonies of honey bees.”

Anyone wishing to become a beekeeper should learn the basics about where to get your bees, what equipment is needed, how much will it cost, and the benefits of beekeeping.

The three major and most popular races of bees are Italians, Caucasians, and Carniolans. Average cost is $120 to $140 per three-pound package. ‘Packaged’ bees typically contain about 12,000 live adult workers, one newly mated queen bee, and an inverted can of sugar water, all contained in a wooden box with screened sides Queens are also available in a separate package for $30 to $40.

And, then there is the cost of bee housing and protective clothing for you.

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Location, location, location. Just as location is the most important factor when purchasing a home, it is just as important when selecting a site for your bees.

Hives should face the east so sunshine can filter through the hive in the morning hours. Ideally, hives should have afternoon shade, a wind barrier, be close

Beekeeper continues to 46

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46 Spring 2016

to a water source, have easy access and should not be noticeable to neighbors. They should also be protected from predators such as squirrels, skunks, birds, and mice, and of course, bears.

An apiary is an area where multiple beehives are placed. An apiary can be very helpful to the crops that surround it, as it encourages bee populations to remain in the area.

An apiarist is, of course, a beekeeper.If you are in a neighborhood that does not share your

passion for beekeeping, place your hive(s) in a fenced area, face the entrance of the hive toward a tall object such as a fence or the wall of your house. This will force the bees to adjust their trajectory and fly upward and high above your neighbors’ houses.

Equally important is a space that is close to a water source. Bees are highly efficient insects, they aren’t going to fly 50 yards to your bird bath if your neighbor’s pool is closer. Be sure to place a water source with gently sloping sides within 50-100 feet of your hives so that they can access the water for cooling and/or mixing with pollen to create bee bread. Bee bread is honey or pollen

used as food by bees.Honey bees fly 15 miles per hour and usually travel

for honey three miles in every direction from their hives. They use their own language to communicate with each other by dancing and by their scents. When a honeybee finds a source of honey anywhere she will inform her fellow workers.

Their types of dancing indicates a specific message. For example, if she found a honey source her mode of dancing will express that and also show the location by curving her body at a specific angle.

Having bees buzzing around to act as pollinators brings life to the yard and makes flowers and other plants lush and abundant. You can attract bees by planting wildflowers, fruits, vegetables and sunflowers.

Worker bees gather pollen into the baskets on their back legs to carry pollen back to the hive where it is used for a developing brood.

Female honey bees (workers) do most of the jobs. One worker bee produces in average 1/12 teaspoon of honey in her entire life. It is estimated that to produce one pound of honey, all the female bees in the colony must visit two million flowers and fly more than 55,000 miles.

Male bees are called drones and don’t do work except

Beekeeper continued from 45

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to mate with the queen. After they mate, they die.The queen lays 600-1500 eggs per day and can live

three to four years. Worker bees live about six weeks in summer and four to nine months in winter. Worker bees are smaller in size than male and queen bees. Male bees are medium and queen bees are the largest.

Usually a single honey bee will visit 50 to 100 flowers on one trip. Nectar or pollen is carried back to the hive where it is stored in wax cells, the moisture is evaporated and turns into honey. Believe it or not — one ounce of honey is enough fuel for a honey bee to fly around the world.

Beekeepers can make up to 400 pounds of honey per year from a typical full size bee hive. Honey has been found in burial crypts in the pyramids in Egypt. Honey

never spoils.Order bees in early spring. The goal

is for your bees to be strong in late summer to produce honey and be able to store enough for winter. Purchasing your bees in late May will give them plenty of time for your hive to grow.

Learn how to protect our little food producers. We cannot live without them. Our tiny pollinators contribute more than $15 billion in value to the U.S. economy. And, that is nothing to sneeze at.

Although there is not a bee inspector in Guernsey County, there is a Guernsey-Noble Beekeepers

Association meeting at the Mid-East Career and Tech Center, 57090 Vocational Road, Senecaville, the first Monday of the month. Next meeting is May 2 at 6:30 p.m. Roger Seaton is president. Don Crock is the apiary

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