Yearly Archives: 2026

Drawing lessons from Homer's Odyssey, Ohio State Extension's David Marrison explores the importance of intentional farm mentorship. Discover how combining traditional guidance with reverse mentoring prepares the next generation to lead family farm operations successfully.

Struggling with heavily weed-infested hay fields? Ohio State Extension educator John Yost breaks down the essential basics for successful field restoration—from soil testing and seed-to-soil contact to working backward from frost dates to build a realistic reseeding timeline.

Before electric appliances, pressing clothes was a backbreaking pioneer chore. Columnist Paul Locher explores the history of early laundry technology, from heavy cast-iron sad irons and interchangeable slug irons to specialized tabletop gophering irons used for fluting ruffles.

Before harvest begins, take time outside the machine shed to walk waterways, inspect tile outlets, pull soil tests, plan cover crops, and fix field obstacles. Jane Houin of Ashland SWCD shares five proactive pre-harvest checks to save you time and money this fall.

What is the difference between stock density and stocking rate? Ohio State University Extension Educator Josh Winters breaks down these essential grazing management concepts, explains how to calculate animal units, and shows how a grazing stick helps measure dry matter for optimal pasture output.

The West Virginia Department of Agriculture collected approximately 200 water and soil samples from agricultural and residential properties after the Peoples Cartage warehouse fire in early July. Low concentrations of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, compounds associated with combustion, smoke, ash and fire debris, were found in some soil samples evaluated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

In part one of a series on the history of the Ohio Division of Wildlife, Jim Abrams explores how 19th-century settlement, bounties, and the Great Hinckley Hunt depleted native species—leading to Ohio's very first wildlife protection laws in 1829.

When asked what she does for fun, Kymberly Foster Seabolt's answer is simple: spending time with family. From "Team Seabolt" childhood days to watching grown kids navigate the adult world, she reflects on how fast time flies and why gathering together remains life's greatest joy.

At Penn State's 50th Ag Progress Days, AI and robotics took center stage. Learn about the newly formed Keystone AgTech Alliance, how Oakleigh Farm overcame labor shortages with robotic milkers, and how officials are addressing environmental concerns about AI data centers

Tight profit margins make evaluating input costs crucial. OSU Extension educator Lee Beers explains how tissue testing, the MRTN calculator, and fungicide ROI tools can help farmers determine if their fertilizer and crop protection strategies are actually paying off.