The first full week of December is here, and I believe Mother Nature is a little undecided how the weather should be. Last week was a very variable weather week with warm days, cold days, sunny days, windy days, freezing days and some all the above! Looking a head in the next 10 days the weather pattern looks to be cool and wet, with daytime highs in the low 50s and chances of rain for the majority of each day. With the constant change in the weather comes some concern for livestock health. Last week I received a few calls from livestock manager experiencing some respiratory illnesses from newly weaned feeder calves and even some recently born fall calves. This time of year is a challenge for livestock and even humans to stay healthy due to the constant change in weather due to the transitioning from fall to winter. Maintaining a healthy immune system is critical for all livestock experiencing stress of any kind, clean water, balance feed ration, dry and well-ventilated shelter are all good steps to avoid sickness and possible treatments with antibiotics.
Other than that last week was a slower week for field activities, but I was able to get out and talk to a few producers during one a fertilizer applicators certification course I assisted James Morris ANR Educator in Highland County with. There many topics covered at the training, from taking soil samples to nutrient management planning. At the end of the training one thing many producers could agree on is that fertilizer prices are high and budgets for 2023 are going to be tight. The USDA ERS estimates that farm income will likely drop in 2023 and 2024 unless major changes occur. So, you might be wondering why the title to my article is the 12 gifts if Christmas? For the next 3 weeks I am going to give 4 gifts of knowledge that will hopefully help you survive 2023!
• Gift #1. You need to dig in- I don’t mean start digging a bomb shelter or fox whole to crawl into (somedays I get close) I mean grab the soil probe and bucket and collect soil sample. Some soils could have enough nutrients to maintain a health corn and soybean crop already plant available in the soil. For corn and soybeans soil test levels for Phosphorus should be maintained between 20-40 ppm and potassium levels should be between 100-130ppm (according to the tri-state fertility guide). If your soil test levels come back within maintenance range, applications for based off crop removal rates can be done. I recommend looking at the past 5 years of yield history and removing the lowest and highest yields and averaging the yields of the remaining 3. For example, a 150bu corn crop will remove 52lbs of phosphorus/acre and 30lbs of potassium.
• Gift #2- Beef beats Christmas Goose every time- Beef production saw a historical amount of production in 2022 due to increased mature cow and heifer slaughter numbers due to extreme drought. Cow heard numbers are expected fall to its lowest level since 2014 and prices are expected to strengthen well into 2023 due to lower head numbers and increased demand globally.
• Gift #3 USDA still would like to help you stay in business- The USDA Farm Service agency will continue to offer low interest loans to producers with a focus on small, beginning, niche, and historically underserved producers. The farm service agency provides many different loan options but one of the more popular choices is the microloans. The two types of Micro loans include farm ownership and operating loans. To assist producers in purchasing a farm and keeping it operational. I recommend calling your local USDA FSA office or going to https://www.farmers.gov/loans. To learn more and apply.
• Gift #4 New Ag Lease Termination Law passed- On July 21,2022 the new lease termination law took effect preventing land lease agreement from unexpected termination after September 1 unless agreed upon landowner and tenant. Landlords must deliver the tenant a written notice of termination by September 1, terminations after the September 1 date would be considered void and the lease would continue for another growing season. This law was constructed to help protect tenants from late lease terminations after many inputs for the next season have been purchased. This law also helps show the importance of having lease agreements written and signed by both parties with the details of length of the agreement. Unfortunately, the old days of handshake or verbal agreements are coming to an end.
Make sure to read next week to unwrap the next 4 gifts!
Dates to remember:
· Dairy Margin Coverage sign up is December 9.
· 2023 Crop Year safety Net enrollment has begun, coverage for ARC/PLC coverage will be open until March 15, 2023, contact the USDA FSA office for more information.
· 2023 Pesticide/Fertilizer Applicator recertification training January 26, 2023 at The Ohio Valley Career and Technical School, 175 Lloyd Road, West Union, Ohio: 5 –9 p.m. Call to register (937) 544-2339
Ag Educator Words of encouragement – “Every day is a good day just some are better than others” – T. Downing