Ohio's Country Journal and Ohio Ag Net

12/09/2025

By Doug Tenney, Leist Mercantile

By Doug Tenney, Leist Mercantile The December WASDE Report, or the supply-and-demand report, was released on Tuesday. Typically, this report has few, if any, changes, as USDA often takes the November report, changes the date to December, and calls it done. Some call it a “ditto”, others suggest ...

12/09/2025

By Ryan Martin, Ohio Ag Net Chief Meterologist

December 9, 2025 -- A clipper system is moving through Michigan and the Great Lakes this morning. This system will drop clouds into Ohio through the day, mostly over the northern half of the state...

December 9, 2025 -- A clipper system is moving through Michigan and the Great Lakes this morning. This system will drop clouds into Ohio through the day, mostly over the northern half of the state...

12/09/2025

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas on Joe Everett’s farm in Shelby County! 🌟
We want to see how YOU celebrate the season.
Show us your decorated grain bins, barns, tractors, or any festive corner of your farm!

Drop your photos in the comments! We’ll feature a collection later this month to highlight your creativity and hard work.

12/09/2025

President Donald J. Trump, joined by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, congressional agriculture leaders and farmers from Arkansas, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Texas, announced Monday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will distribute $12 billion in one-time bridge payments to support farmers still contending with volatile markets, high input costs and prolonged trade uncertainty.

Trump said the money will come from tariff revenue the United States has collected over the past year.

“We are going to use that money to provide $12 billion in economic assistance to farmers,” Trump said during the roundtable. “This relief will provide much-needed certainty to farmers as they get this year’s harvest to market and look ahead to next year’s crops, and will help them to continue their efforts to lower food prices for American families.”

According to USDA, these payments are intended to “aid farmers until historic investments from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), including reference prices which are set to increase between 10-21% for major covered commodities such as soybeans, corn, and wheat and will reach eligible farmers on October 1, 2026.… Continue reading

President Donald J. Trump, joined by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, congressional agriculture leaders and farmers from Arkansas, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Texas, announced Monday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will dist

12/09/2025

The Ohio Sheep Improvement Association (OSIA) celebrated industry leadership, youth achievement and environmental stewardship during the 2025 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium, held Dec. 6 at the OARDC Shisler Center in Wooster. The daylong educational program featured a recognition banquet during lunch, highlighting key contributors to Ohio’s sheep community.

Copeland named 2025–26 Ohio Lamb and Wool Ambassador

Cortney Copeland was introduced as the 2025–26 Ohio Lamb and Wool Ambassador. In this role, she will represent the state’s lamb and wool sector at events throughout the coming year.

Youth scholarship recipients recognized
Four students were honored for their commitment to Ohio’s sheep industry through OSIA scholarship programs:

Emma (Peters) Brockmann, Darke County – Dr. Jack Judy Memorial Scholarship

Avery Shoffner, Shelby County – Ralph H. Grimshaw Memorial Scholarship

Madison Feehan, Wood County – High Family Memorial Scholarship

Eric Taylor, Fayette County – OSIA LEAD Council Scholarship

These awards support outstanding young people pursuing education and leadership roles within agriculture.… Continue reading

The Ohio Sheep Improvement Association (OSIA) celebrated industry leadership, youth achievement and environmental stewardship during the 2025 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium, held Dec. 6 at the OARDC Shisler Center in Wooster. The daylong educational program featured a recognition banquet during lunc...

12/09/2025

By Brianna Smith and Ty Higgins

As farmers wrap up the 2025 season and begin planning for 2026, many are facing a familiar challenge: input costs are climbing while crop prices remain stagnant. Fertilizer prices, which hit record highs in 2022, fell for a few years but are on the rise again. Phosphate prices have increased nearly 36% since January, and potash is up more than 20%. Nitrogen markets remain volatile, with prices fluctuating week to week in response to global supply and energy costs.

For many farmers, margins this year are tight. Global trade disruptions, rising natural gas prices, and ongoing conflicts in regions like Russia, Ukraine, and the Middle East continue to keep fertilizer costs elevated. The result is a financial squeeze that has producers rethinking how they manage fertility and soil health heading into 2026.

One tool gaining attention in this conversation is the use of biological products, which are natural or microbe-based inputs that aim to enhance plant health, nutrient efficiency, or soil function.… Continue reading

By Brianna Smith and Ty Higgins As farmers wrap up the 2025 season and begin planning for 2026, many are facing a familiar challenge: input costs are climbing while crop prices remain stagnant. Fertilizer prices, which hit record highs in 2022, fell for a few years but are on the rise again. Phos

12/09/2025

In this week’s Ohio Ag Net podcast, Dale Minyo is in Ross County with Farm Credit Mid-America’s Olivia Congrove, financial officer, and Rudi Pitzer Perry, Regional Vice President of Ag Lending. They spotlight FCMA’s statewide “Fight the Hunger, Stock the Trailer” initiative, which is a county fair food drive sponsored by Rural First that brought in 448,827 pounds of donations for local food banks. Ross County led the state with a record-setting 122,640 pounds. Congrove and Pitzer Perry break down the program’s purpose, its growth to 56 participating fairs, and the community impact behind the numbers.

Dale also talks with two participants in the contest. They reflect on what they learned and how the program heightened their understanding of food insecurity and service in their county.

Later in the episode, Ty Higgins reports from the Ohio No-Till Conference with The Ohio State University Professor Scott Shearer, Ph.D., from the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering.… Continue reading

In this week’s Ohio Ag Net podcast, Dale Minyo is in Ross County with Farm Credit Mid-America’s Olivia Congrove, financial officer, and Rudi Pitzer Perry, Regional Vice President of Ag Lending. They spotlight FCMA’s statewide “Fight the Hunger, Stock the Trailer” initiative, which is a cou...

12/09/2025

President Donald J. Trump, joined by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, congressional agriculture leaders and farmers from Arkansas, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Texas, announced Monday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will distribute $12 billion in one-time bridge payments to support farmers still contending with volatile markets, high input costs and prolonged trade uncertainty.

President Donald J. Trump, joined by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, congressional agriculture leaders and farmers from Arkansas, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Texas, announced Monday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will dist

12/08/2025

By Ryan Martin, Ohio Ag Net Chief Meterologist

December 8, 2025 -- Wild week in front of us, with no less than 4 waves of precipitation coming toward the Great Lakes and eastern corn belt. Today we have high pressure setting up over us, which has allowed for a bitterly cold start...

December 8, 2025 -- Wild week in front of us, with no less than 4 waves of precipitation coming toward the Great Lakes and eastern corn belt. Today we have high pressure setting up over us, which has allowed for a bitterly cold start...

12/08/2025

By Ellen Essman, Senior Research Associate

On November 20 of this year, the U.S. EPA and Army Corps of Engineers submitted a proposed rule which would once again redefine the term “Waters of the United States,” or WOTUS, under the federal Clean Water Act.

WOTUS woes

In 1972, Congress passed amendments to existing water pollution law, resulting in the federal Clean Water Act (CWA). Ever since the CWA’s passage in the 1970s, there has been debate over which waters fall under the definition of “waters of the United States” and are subject to federal regulation. The classification of WOTUS is controversial because if a body of water is defined as a water of the United States, the farmers, ranchers, businesses, and other property owners who own the land where the water is located are subject to additional regulations meant to keep the water clean. The fight over the definition of WOTUS eventually made it to the Supreme Court in the early 2000s, and the Court issued tests for determining whether certain bodies of water fell under WOTUS.… Continue reading

By Ellen Essman, Senior Research Associate On November 20 of this year, the U.S. EPA and Army Corps of Engineers submitted a proposed rule which would once again redefine the term “Waters of the United States,” or WOTUS, under the federal Clean Water Act. WOTUS woes In 1972, Congress passed

12/08/2025

After 42 remarkable years of service, mentorship and leadership, Royce Thornton retired from his full-time faculty position at Ohio State ATI on Sept. 30, 2025. His departure marks the end of an era defined by his deep commitment to students, his transformative impact on the dairy program, and his unwavering devotion to the mission of agricultural education.

Raised on a farm in southwest Idaho, Royce developed a love for dairy at an early age. By middle school, he and his brother had founded Kunadell Jerseys, and at just 12 years old, he purchased his first registered Jersey heifers, paying taxes and running a business before most kids had their first summer job. That early entrepreneurial spirit carried him through a B.S. in Dairy Science from California Polytechnic State University and an M.S. in Dairy Cattle Genetics from Penn State. He joined Ohio State ATI in 1983, bringing with him a wealth of hands-on experience as a self-employed dairy producer and industry leader.… Continue reading

After 42 remarkable years of service, mentorship and leadership, Royce Thornton retired from his full-time faculty position at Ohio State ATI on Sept. 30, 2025. His departure marks the end of an era defined by his deep commitment to students, his transformative impact on the dairy program, and his u

12/08/2025

By Karen Mancl, professor emeritus, Ohio State University

Already, one-third of the food produced worldwide goes to waste. The United States and China are the biggest contributors, wasting 40% and 27% of their food production, respectively. In China alone, 348 million tons of food are lost or wasted each year. In the United States, 14.7 million tons of food suitable for animal feed end up in landfills annually.

Japan moved early on this issue, adopting policies in 2009 to safely recycle food waste into animal feed; China has since followed suit. Both countries aim to become more self-sufficient, cut back on grain imports, and reduce the pollution caused by discarded food. With proper treatment, food waste can be transformed into safe, nutritious feed — a win for food security, landfill reduction, and the climate.

Japan is converting food waste to Ecofeed

Japan depends heavily on imports, bringing in two-thirds of its food and three-quarters of its animal feed.… Continue reading

By Karen Mancl, professor emeritus, Ohio State University Already, one-third of the food produced worldwide goes to waste. The United States and China are the biggest contributors, wasting 40% and 27% of their food production, respectively. In China alone, 348 million tons of food are lost or was