I hope this Newsletter finds you well. Darke County and surrounding areas have been very well soaked by heavy rains this past week, leaving standing water visible throughout the region (https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?OH. As such, field and garden activity has been paused as we wait for weather to cooperate. Common weeds continue to include palmer amaranth and waterhemp, as well as jimsonweed, giant ragweed, and velvetleaf.
While we could certainly use a break from the precipitation, a rainy evening is a great opportunity to stop in at the Darke County Garden Roundtable. Our next session will be held at the OSU Extension Office August 20th at 6:00 p.m., where we will discuss Common Natural Plants and our Plant of the Month will be Pumpkins.
The wet weather also gives us a great opportunity to learn about Rain Barrels. If this is a topic you would like to learn more about, I hope to see you at Worch Library on August 27th at 6:00 p.m.
There is still time to register for the Tri-County Pond Clinic this upcoming Tuesday, August 18th. OSU Specialist Eugene Braig will be joining us to discuss important topics such as pond maintenance, aquatic weed control, fish stocking, and more. See the attached flyer for more details.
The Great Darke County Fair is right around the corner, and much of the community will be keeping busy with the various fair activities. This year, OSU Extension is excited to host the first annual Cultivating Our Futures Series. This event will consist of several sessions, each with local agricultural professionals sharing some of their valuable expertise. The series will conclude with an Ag Career Panel, where representatives of various agricultural careers will speak and answer questions about their careers. Following the Ag Career Panel, free pizza will be available for those in attendance, and gifts will be available upon completion of a survey. See the attached flyer for the full schedule and more details, and I hope you take advantage of this opportunity!
Also at the Fair, the Steak and Chop Tent will again be raising money to support various agricultural causes in our community. If you’re interested in signing up for a shift to support the cause, do so using the following link: Steak and Chop Tent: 2026 Steak and Chop Sign up. Thank You!
Farm Science Review will also be here before you know it; make sure to grab some tickets ahead of time to save yourself some money. FSR this year is from September 22nd to September 24th. Tickets are $10.00 before September 21st, and $15.00 after. If you’re interested in purchasing tickets, stop in at the office or reach out to me.
The next Darke County Ag Breakfast will be Friday, August 28th at 7:30 a.m. at Jack’s Cabin in Greenville.
This week’s Newsletter topics include:
- Corn Silage Pricing and Grain Yield Determination
- Dodder Control in Clover and Alfalfa
- Feeding Pre-Weaned Calves
- Forage Production Insurance Updates
- New World Screwworm Update
- Red Crown Rot in Soybeans
I hope you enjoy this week’s Newsletter, and as always, never hesitate to reach out to me and let me know how I can best serve you and all of Darke County.
Best,
Caden Buschur
Ohio State University Extension
Darke County Extension Educator
Agriculture and Natural Resources
