OSU Extension Winter Programs

Source: Ohio’s Country Journal

We are now into our second year for fertilizer certification for those applying fertilizer to 50 acres or more. Ohio State University Extension will be busy with meetings for Fertilizer Certification again this coming winter months, also known as meeting months. Last December the Ohio Department of Agriculture rolled out the new rules to become certified to apply fertilizer in Ohio. We have in the past two weeks been trained on how to deliver the fertilizer certification program in our counties, and then planned dates and posted those meetings. Some will even occur before the first of the year.

To find meeting plans for your area of Ohio, go to: pested.osu.edu/NutrientEducation/. Information is also there to understand who needs the certification, and where to sign up for and attend meetings. If you have a Pesticide Applicators License, then likely you will also need to be certified for fertilizer applications over the next two years. As you re-certify for your pesticide license, you can also choose to be fertilizer applicator certified at a two-hour meeting. If this is your year for pesticide license re-certification then you can find those meeting locations here: http://pested.osu.edu/privaterecert.html. For those new or younger folks who will be applying fertilizer, you will attend a three-hour long program. Check the same website just look for those comprehensive three-hour meetings.

And as we get closer to winter meeting season we will post those regional and area agronomy and update meetings. Our Agronomic Crops Team calendar is pretty thin now, but will be full before Christmas. So check our website: http://agcrops.osu.edu/calendar, for the events and their locations.

A couple of events already in the works are:

The Ohio No-Till Conference is Wednesday, Dec. 9 at the Der Dutchman Restaurant, 445 S. Jefferson, Plain City. The conference runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration is $40 (before Dec. 1) and $60 at the door.

Another very popular program is the West Ohio Agronomy Day (and evening, too). Held Jan. 11 in St Michael’s Hall in Fort Loramie to benefit growers in Shelby, Darke and Mercer counties, but attracts growers from Auglaize, Champaign and Miami, too. Speakers this year come from Purdue University, Ohio State University as well as industry. Local county Extension educators will be there too to help deliver the goods on how best to enter the New Year. For more information and to register contact Debbie Brown, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, OSU Extension, Shelby County at phone 937 498-7239 or by email: brown.1522@osu.edu.

Another couple of dates for February include two Agronomy Workshops that will be held Feb. 15 and 16, 2016 at Selby Hall on the Ohio State University OARDC Wooster campus. Field Crops Management 201 — a basic to general look at the topics and Field Crops Management 401 — builds on day one to more advanced levels.

While the days are planned to build on each other, you may attend one or both days. The program will start with registration at 8:30. Lunch, breaks, handouts and recertification credits for Pesticide Education and CCA-CEUs will be included. Registration cost and details will follow soon, but for now hold the dates. For more information contact Pierce Paul at paul.661@osu.edu or by phone 330 263-3842.