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  This was adapted from a Randall Reeder article, Retired OSU Extension Engineer at Ohio State University. Most farmers would like to leave their farm in better shape than when they started. The question is: What does that mean? You never hear a farmer brag about making their farm worse. What does it mean to make a farm better when you retire from farming? For some farmers, that means passing on a farm that is actively operating and growing in size. For some that means keeping the buildings freshly painted and the homestead looking attractive. On older farms, sometimes that means getting rid of old barns and fences. Others might say getting higher crop yields. For farms to remain sustainable, keeping soils healthy and productive is important. Are your soils getting darker or lighter in color? Dark colored soil indicate a gain in soil organic matter (SOM) and are more productive. Are the soils getting softer and is the water infiltrating? Often, farmers complain that their soils are...

August and September have been dry with higher-than-normal day time temperatures prevailing. Crops are drying down quick so harvest may be early. All that dry tinder may create fire hazards when harvest equipment starts rolling. Dry corn and soybean leaves, crop dust, and dry grass are all highly combustible for potential harvest fires. Hot equipment, especially engines and hot exhaust, plus friction from fast moving gears and belts, hot hydraulic hoses, or hot bearings; it’s no wonder harvest fire hazards are common. Here is a list several precautions from OSU Extension that farmers can take to protect their harvest equipment from starting fires. When combines get used for many hours, they get hot; so park them away from buildings and especially fueling stations. You might not only lose a combine, but also farm buildings or a fueling station. Regular maintenance is required. Check the machine daily for any overheated bearings or damage to the exhaust system. Grease the machine regular...

  Due to a lack of rain, the soil is getting hard. When soil gets dry and lacks adequate soil organic matter (SOM), clay particles set up like cement. Most farmers do a fall tillage, which will increase water infiltration short-term, but long-term the soil just gets denser as the soil compaction gets worse. Brian Doughtery, a consultant for Understanding Ag., says soil compaction is caused by three things: 1) too much heavy equipment, 2) not enough biology, and 3) nutrients and/or a lack of nutrient balance. Soil compaction is common on most farms, but it is not a natural or inevitable problem. On heavy equipment, when a piece of machinery crosses a field, the weight pushes the air or pore space out of soil. Without pore space, the soil compacts. If a field is wet, the soil particles get cemented together when the soil dries. Clay has a negative charge and when positive ions like magnesium (Mg) and potassium (K) get pushed together, the soil gets hard. Calcium (Ca) also has a pos...

  Migrating birds are already flocking together and some bird migration from the North has already started. The cicadas have been singing for several weeks. Are we due for an early frost? The first week of September has cold front from the north moving in and it is possible a few low-lying areas may see some light frost. Here is some data for first frosts in Ohio.  Frost dates are based on 1991–2020 climate data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This site uses a 30% probability threshold, meaning there is a 3 in 10 chance frost will occur before or after the given date. Microclimates vary, so this is a flexible guide, not a guarantee. For example, towns and cities tend to be 5-10°F warmer than farm land and surrounding areas. Lake Erie and large bodies of water tend to moderate temperatures. That means they are slower to warm up in the spring and slower to cool down in the fall. Here are some frost dates for various locations in Ohio.  At th...