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A Local Look

Jody Rauch, Washington County
We had 2" of rain in 1 hour last Thursday evening at one of our farms. It just happened to be the one with all the barley and resulting straw. We have not been able to get back onto those fields since and have orders for approximately 3,000 bales waiting to be filled. The other farms got no more than ¼ inch of rain and they are only 3 and 4 miles away.

Right now we are baling hay, applying urea, spraying certain fields and waiting to do the barley, wheat and straw.

Jamey is very busy since I took a full time position with OSU-Extension and it is a huge adjustment for us all to deal with.

Have a great week and be safe.

Eddie Lou Meimer, Morrow County
We’ve been busy these past two weeks. Replants of corn and soybeans are done. First cutting hay was finished this past week. The cool, cloudy weather made it hard to get hay dry, but the wind and low humidity did the job.

Now it’s time to get the other jobs done. We’ve started spraying along fence lines and around building to kill weeds. We’ll bush hog the edges of the hay fields this week. It’s also time to get equipment ready to combine wheat.

My son and grandson got their gourd and pumpkin patch planted Saturday. Hopefully my grandson will have enough to sell at the farmers’ markets. He likes to go with me and always wants to sell something of his own. He’s 8 years old and this is a good learning experience for him. Last year I started teaching him to make change as he sold his gourds. He likes talking to customers and they’ve been very patient with him as he learns.

Farmers’ markets are in full swing now. Strawberries are the big draw now and cherries should be coming soon.

With millions of acres of farm ground under water along the Mississippi River the grain markets should be interesting to watch. I hope consumers realize that many farmers may be forced out of business because they have lost their entire crop.

No matter how high prices go 0 (zero) crop means 0 (zero) income and they still have seed, fertilizer, pesticides and fuel bills to pay. Crop insurance will not begin to cover their loss. The media has hardly touched on the loss of livestock in those flood stricken areas either. When we see all those hog barns under water it means the hogs are lost as well as all the stored feeds and equipment.

Those of us who farm for a living do it because we have a love for the land and our livestock. We all know we are at the mercy of the weather, but it’s still hard to see farmers and their families suffering such total losses.

Allen Bohman, Darke County
Dear Producer Perspective readers,

I am writing this report on Friday evening in the camper. We left this morning to spend the weekend at Indian Lake and plan on returning home Monday. After the hectic spring we had, it feels good to get away for a few days.

Since the last report, we received three nice rains of 0.5, 0.7, and 0.4. There were areas around us that received greater amounts of rain. This past week a few farmers in the area replanted soybeans, some even for the second time. The crops in our area of northern Darke County look fairly good compared to some I saw on the way to Indian Lake. I saw fields that looked like they were being planted for the first time and others with considerable water damage.

Last week between showers, I side dressed all the corn with 28 per cent nitrogen. I also sprayed some of the earlier corn that had been planted. There weren't many weeds so I just spot sprayed some areas. Next week I plan to finish spraying the rest of the corn. Because the soybeans were either planted or replanted over Memorial Day weekend, the plants are small and it will be a few weeks before they will need spraying.

On Thursday, June 26, I will attend a screening of two candidates for an open seat in the House of Representatives for the 79th District which covers a part of Darke County. The screening has been arranged by the Ohio Farm Bureau, and this process provides a good idea of each candidate's view on agriculture.