Farm and Dairy’s week in review: 7/25

Here are this week’s top stories from Farm and Dairy:

1. Trumbull County Fair 2015

See photos from this year’s Trumbull County Fair sale. The sale featured 232 lots and totaled $283,046.70.

2. Food stamps: Create unique art with garden produce

Farm and Dairy online columnist Ivory Harlow shares an idea for using fruits and vegetables as stamps for fun arts and crafts projects. Recommended fruits and vegetables for food stamps include apples, pears, potatoes, carrots, beets, peppers and other firm varieties. With a paring knife, cookie cutters and a paint brush, you’ll be stamping in no time.

Aside from teaching kids about basic botany and healthy food, do-it-yourself food stamps are an opportunity to get creative with the produce you grow at home.

3. How to manage common garden problems

A number of factors can negatively impact your garden growing season. Pathogens, abiotic diseases and pests can all wreak havoc on tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and other fruits and vegetables. Container gardens and flowers aren’t excluded from the host of problems that can destroy plants.

Once you’ve diagnosed your plants’ problems, you’ll be able to determine a management plan to bring your garden back to health.

4. Twilight dairy tour features Saal family

The Dairy Twilight Tour, hosted by the Wayne-Ashland Dairy Service Unit, was hosted by Sterling Heights Dairy this year on July 14. The northern Wayne County farm, owned and operated by Jim and Ann Saal and their two sons, Matt and Mark, spans 800 acres today and milks 500 head of Holstein and Holstein crossbreed three times a day.

The family discusses decisions together but Jim and Ann have the final say. The farm will transition to the Matt and Mark’s generation, and in the future, the herd may be expanded and more land may be acquired.

5. Pastures keep improving at Lone Pine Ranch

This summer’s excessive rain has been difficult on many Ohio grain farmers. In Knox County, Greg and Bev Miller have been fortunate with their pastures, most of which drained well and are in good condition.

On July 21, the Millers hosted a pasture walk for producers and conservationists at their 107-acre farm, Lone Pine Ranch. Greg discussed pasture grass with the group as well as conservation practices and strategies he’s tried that have worked and others that have not worked.