Agriculture Weekly News Column

Pesticide Safety Training	Union County Farmer's Market
New rules for getting around at Farm Science Review
Tree Pests	Soil Temperature Updates

Pesticide Safety Training

All public or commercial employees who apply pesticides are required by Ohio law to be either licensed applicators or trained servicepersons. There are several upcoming training programs which will be offered on May 14, August 27, or September 24, 2008, at the Ohio Department of Agriculture, 8995 E. Main St. Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068. The class size will be limited to 30 people.

The morning session will be for trained servicepersons and new applicator core training. The afternoon session will be for new applicants in categories 8, 5, and 6c, which is turf, ornamental weed and industrial vegetation. The cost for the morning session is $25 and for the $25 for the afternoon session. In order to become licensed applicators, individuals must pass tests administered by the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

You may register on-line at http://pested.osu.edu or fill out an a registration form available from Ohio State University Extension, Union County by calling 644.8117 or 1.800.589.8584.

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Union County Farmer’s Market

The Union County Farmer’s Market will begin its 24th year of serving Union County with the 2008 Market Season. The Saturday Market, located on South Main Street across from the Fire Department, will begin the market season on Saturday, May 17, at 8 a.m. The Tuesday Market will be held at the YMCA, 1150 Charles Lane, from 4-7 p.m. beginning on Tuesday, June 12. The Thursday Market will be held again at Green Pastures in the WECO Credit Union Parking lot from 4-7 p.m. beginning on June 14. There will not be a market in Mill Valley in 2008.

If you are interested in participating as a seller this year and do not currently receive Union County Farmer’s Market updates, contact the O.S.U. Extension at 937.644.8117 or 1.800.589.8584 or see the Union County Farmer's Market Web site.

If you are interested in buying produce at the markets, get ready for a great year of fresh fruits and vegetables. Buy Local, support Union County growers, and eat fresh produce!

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Tree Pests

The Emerald Ash Borer continues to be in the news as more and more counties in Ohio are added to the quarantine list. With Union County on the list since last fall, it’s now assumed that the pest is here and is likely in more trees. If you have several trees in your lawn that you would like to try to save, there are several homeowner and commercial insecticide treatments that are now available. It is not economically feasible to apply insecticides to large numbers of trees or in woodlots.

Several new commercially applied insecticides have had very good results in research trials. The new materials are called Safari and Tree-age. Both should be available this spring. They will likely be very expensive. The active ingredient in Safari is dinitrofuran and in Tree-age it is emamectin.benzoate. For more details on the research results of these insecticides, contact OSU Extension.

We continue to get a lot of requests for both bagworm and Zimmerman pine moth information. If you need details on either of these pests, contact the Extension Office.

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Soil Temperature Updates

A new link has been established to view the soil temperature of 5 Ohio locations: Jackson, South Charleston, Hoytville, and Ashtabula on the Ohio filed Crop Disease website. The information will be updated weekly and will display the average daily soil temperatures since April 1 and the average of years of 2001-2007 in graph form. The link will be the first item on the home page along with the link to the CORN newsletter. To access the link, go to http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/ohiofieldcropdisease

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New rules for getting around at
Farm Science Review

Be sure to bring your walking shoes for Ohio State University’s Farm Science Review, Sept. 16-18 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London, Ohio. Beginning this year, visitors to Ohio’s premiere agricultural event may notice a decrease in the number of motorized vehicles on the Farm Science Review grounds. Show organizers have prohibited the use of all types of vehicles, except for golf carts, electric scooters and units compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The new regulations are part of the organizers’ efforts to promote safety and respond to the growing number of vehicles being used in the exhibit area, at the Gwynne Conservation area and in the demonstration fields. “For every golf cart rented, someone was bringing in an ATV or other motorized vehicle,” said Chuck Gamble, Farm Science Review manager. “Farm Science Review is intended to be a pedestrian show, and vehicles permitted on the grounds should be limited to those folks who truly need them. If you don’t need it, then don’t bring it.”

Attendees perusing the latest in agricultural research, production and equipment can do so by either taking a stroll, renting one of the show’s golf carts, or bringing their own golf cart or ADA-approved unit. Wagons are available to transport visitors to the Gwynne Conservation Area and demonstration fields. “The safety of our attendees and exhibitors is our No. 1 priority at Farm Science Review,” said Gamble. “We want to make sure everyone who attends Farm Science Review comes away with an enjoyable experience.”

To learn more about the new regulations, log on to the Farm Science Review Web site at http://fsr.osu.edu and click on "Golf Cart." Attendees are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the regulations before attending the show. For additional questions or concerns, contact Farm Science Review headquarters at (614) 292.4278.

Farm Science Review is sponsored by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. It attracts upwards of 140,000 visitors from all over the country and Canada who come for three days to peruse 4,000 product lines from 600 commercial exhibitors and learn the latest in agricultural research, conservation, family and nutrition, and gardening and landscape.

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