I cannot believe that February is already half over. I know local farmers are working hard to finish up their farm taxes and are attending many of the great OSU Extension workshops being held across the region. Today, I would like to provide information on a bovine calving management workshop and about the financial and [...]

What a winter we have had so far. I think many of us would like for winter set in and the ground to freeze until spring. Dealing with all the rain and mud has made things difficult.

After eight years of sitting through hours of lectures and experimentation on animal welfare issues I thought that it was time to share some of my thinking in this column.

Time is like a snowflake — it melts away while we try to decide what to do with it. – Anonymous As we reflect on a new year, some may make resolutions, reflect on occurrences during the past year and make plans for the upcoming year. Most all of us struggle with “having enough time [...]

No revelation! Cropland values in Ohio have increased in 2011. An OSU Extension survey conducted in December 2010 estimated the increase in value of Ohio cropland in 2011 would be 5.3-6.0 percent. This was prior to sharp run ups in commodity prices.

Herds that are using herd management software should be able to print out inventories of at least the cow herd, and hopefully the replacement herd as well. The system may, or may not be able to give you a historic inventory.

USDA December forecast for the incoming year has been so bad over the last 10 years that it is very tempting to advise people to take a position opposite to the forecast.

Years ago, a little girl by the name of Virginia, posed a rather simplistic question that has lived on far beyond anyone’s expectations. Perhaps you could read it one more time and find the same meaning that I will now speak of. It was not so much that her inquiry of whether Santa existed was [...]

As the howling winds of winter approach, it is a good time for farmers to grab a cup of coffee and start to gather their income and expenses records to determine their cost of production and profitability from 2011.

The interest in leasing land for oil and gas production throughout eastern and southeast Ohio has been high, with expansion to northern parts of Ohio starting to occur. This expansion will change the lives of many farm families and communities for years to come, as large sums of new money make their way into the hands of families.