I get asked a lot about my job, and exactly what I do, and after I finish explaining that I work with the agricultural industry in the region I will usually get a few questions or comments. The majority of the questions / comments are “That sounds like a great job,” or “What did you study in college?”

On occasion I will get a few critical questions about farming practices they may have heard in the news. I can lump most of them into two categories — chemicals (pesticides, fertilizer, etc.) and technology (GMOs, tractors, etc.). For chemicals, there seems to be a general consensus among non-farmers that farmers randomly apply these chemicals with no regard to the environment and public health. I can tell you that local farmers do care about the environment, public health and their pocket books.

Our county farmers drink from the same water, fish the same streams and breathe the same air as the rest of the county. They also have kids they want to keep safe and healthy. Chemicals are probably the most expensive item that a farmer will purchase each year, and no farmer that I know wants to waste that investment. Routine soil testing is common among most farmers and will tell them exactly how much fertilizer they need to add to grow a successful crop, and sometimes that means adding nothing.

Pesticide applications are sometimes necessary to prevent the loss of a crop. Herbicides are used to keep weeds out of the fields until the crop canopy is closed to ensure that those expensive fertilizers are going to the crop, and not the weed. Trust me, any farmer would rather put money into a tractor than chemicals, but they really don’t want to put themselves, their families or your families at risk.

Many farmers don’t want to handle the more toxic chemicals and will look for a less toxic option.

Technology and farming have a long history, and that is the reason the Land Grant University system was established. It’s no surprise that farmers want to grow crops as efficiently and sustainably as possible. Everyone has heard of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in one way or another. GMO crops have been around since the early 1990’s and the number of new crops coming out with GMO technology is only increasing. People have written hundreds of books about this topic, and they will continue to do so for many more years.

I think many people have a nostalgic view of farming from the early 20th century. The nostalgic view is not much different from the Old MacDonald nursery rhyme where every farmer has crops, pigs, cows, horses, dogs and chickens. The truth is, farming has changed. Old MacDonald may have been able to work solely on the farm with a menagerie of animals and make enough money to support a family in 1900, but that is not possible now. A quick look at the market reports this morning, and a 300-pound pig would bring roughly $160. If you deduct the feed, vet bills, and other inputs, it’s easy to assume that farmer probably lost money raising that pig.

A local farmer recently shared corn yield data from his farm in 1956. His father had entered a yield contest, and he had won with 103 bushels per acre. The next highest farm was 81 bushels. This was a pretty good crop in 1956 considering that 20 years earlier the average yield was 35 bushels per acre. If we fast forward to 2018, it would not be unusual for a corn farmer in Trumbull County to produce 200-plus bushels of corn. We simply can’t go back to a nostalgic sense of farming with an increasing world population.

Mark your calendars for Wednesday. The Northeast Ohio Agronomy School will be returning with a great lineup of speakers covering soybeans, barley, weeds and corn. This year, we will be at the Bristolville Community Center.

Do you apply fertilizer to more than 50 acres, or receive manure from a permitted farm? If so, you need to have your fertilizer certification from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. OSU Extension will be offering a certification class on Feb. 23.

For information, call the OSU Trumbull County Extension Office at 330-638-6783 or visit their website.

Lee Beers can be reached by email or calling 330-638-6738.

 

OFBF Mission:  Working together for Ohio farmers to advance agriculture and strengthen our communities.

Labor has always been an issue, mainly because we are a seasonal operation. So that's a challenge finding somebody who only wants to work three months out of a year, sometimes up to six months.
Mandy Way's avatar
Mandy Way

Way Farms

Farm Labor Resources
I appreciate the benefit of having a strong voice in my corner. The extras that are included in membership are wonderful, but I'm a member because of the positive impact to my local and state agricultural communities.
Ernie Welch's avatar
Ernie Welch

Van Wert County Farm Bureau

Strong communities
I see the value and need to be engaged in the community I live in, to be a part of the decision-making process and to volunteer with organizations that help make our community better.
Matt Aultman's avatar
Matt Aultman

Darke County Farm Bureau

Leadership development
Farm Bureau involvement has taught me how to grow my professional and leadership experience outside of the workforce and how to do that in a community-centric way.
Jaclyn De Candio's avatar
Jaclyn De Candio

Clark County Farm Bureau

Young Ag Professionals program
With not growing up on a farm, I’d say I was a late bloomer to agriculture. I feel so fortunate that I found the agriculture industry. There are so many opportunities for growth.
Jenna Gregorich's avatar
Jenna Gregorich

Coshocton County Farm Bureau

Growing our Generation
Knowing that horticulture is under the agriculture umbrella and having Farm Bureau supporting horticulture like it does the rest of ag is very important.
Jared Hughes's avatar
Jared Hughes

Groovy Plants Ranch

Groovy Plants Ranch
If it wasn't for Farm Bureau, I personally, along with many others, would not have had the opportunity to meet with our representatives face to face in Washington.
Austin Heil's avatar
Austin Heil

Hardin County Farm Bureau

Washington, D.C. Leadership Experience
So many of the issues that OFBF and its members are advocating for are important to all Ohioans. I look at OFBF as an agricultural watchdog advocating for farmers and rural communities across Ohio.
Mary Smallsreed's avatar
Mary Smallsreed

Trumbull County Farm Bureau

Advocacy
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