Plus, selling land is much different than selling a traditional home, requiring the right marketing strategy, the right buyers, and an approach tailored to that specific property. Kevin Miller with Oak Ridge Realty and Auction Company shares what landowners should know before putting their property on the market.

Guests climb aboard open-top buses, binoculars and cameras in hand, as a skilled driver winds down dusty roads. Soon, rhinos come into view. Off in the distance stands a giraffe, with a herd of zebras grazing nearby. The sights, sounds, and close encounters with wildlife feel more like an African safari than a trip through rural America. Yet this experience is unfolding not halfway around the world, but in southeast Ohio.

The Wilds, based in Cumberland, Ohio, is a 10,000-acre reclaimed surface mine that has been transformed into a one-of-a-kind conservation center. What was once home to coal miners and massive equipment like the infamous Big Muskie is now home to hundreds of animals, including several threatened and endangered species.

“The Wilds is a conservation center,” said Joe Greathouse, Ph.D., Vice President of The Wilds. “We’re accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and we’re part of the Columbus Zoo Conservation Parks, along with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.… Continue reading

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched a highly anticipated investigation into the fertilizer industry’s pricing practices and market concentration. Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson recently announced the investigation at a gathering of farmers from across 18 states at a farm just outside of McKinney, Texas. John Settlemyre, an Ohio farmer from Clinton County was in attendance, and also shared his concerns at the event.

“Chairman Ferguson made clear what Ohio farmers have been saying for years — the fertilizer market is broken, and it is costing farm families real money,” Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association President Eric Tipton said. “When a handful of companies can drive up one of our most important input costs while farm income falls, farmers and consumers both pay the price. The FTC’s investigation is a necessary step toward restoring fairness, transparency and competition to the fertilizer market.”

The event titled “Fed Up: Fertilizer Cartel Profits off Farmers’ Backs and Your Grocery Bill”, took aim at the crushing input costs set by Mosaic, Nutrien, CF Industries and Koch.… Continue reading

A great way to introduce adult friends and family members to fishing, Ohio residents of all ages can angle without a license the weekend of June 20 and 21 as part of the state’s annual free fishing days program. During that weekend, all size and daily catch limits remain in effect, so anglers must still follow standard regulations for each species, but Ohio residents age 16 and older may wet a line without a fishing license. Note that protected species, such as lake sturgeon, shovelnose sturgeon, alligator gar, and certain trout, must be immediately returned to the water if caught.

Residents under age 16 never need a license to wet a line here in The Buckeye State. That said, an interesting offer to young resident anglers is a lifetime Ohio adult fishing license available for $430.56 if purchased before the angler’s 16^th birthday. See wildohio.com for details about the Resident Youth Lifetime License and places to go use it!… Continue reading

In this interview, Jessica Schroeder with the United States Trotting Association and HorsePlay Racing Stable discusses how fractional ownership allows individuals to purchase a small share of a Standardbred racehorse and experience the excitement of ownership without the cost of buying a horse outright.

Whether you’re a longtime follower of harness racing or simply curious about the industry, Schroeder offers insight into an accessible entry point for those interested in becoming part of the sport.… Continue reading

Private and Commercial Pesticide applicators have the responsibility of ensuring that the chemicals they apply effectively reach the target, but do not have off-target movement. Chemical drift and other forms of off-target movement have been a recent focus of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as it conducts risk assessments and reviews products for registration and reregistration under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The Endangered Species Act (ESA) was established to protect threatened and endangered species and their habitats.

Dr. Alyssa Essman is an assistant Professor and weed science extension specialist at The Ohio State University. She says that the EPA is updating herbicide labels under the requirements of the ESA as products go through the registration and reregistration process.

“The Endangered Species Act has been around for quite a while. In recent years, the EPA has come under fire for not meeting all the obligations outlined in the Endangered Species Act with respect to off-target movement of pesticides,” Essman said.… Continue reading

With tax season behind us, now is the perfect time to focus on ways to be more fiscally efficient within your agribusiness. It can be time-consuming to review and gather financial information to send to your accountant, I get it. However, it is always best to keep this information organized and current. Below is a checklist to help keep your financials on track and avoid year-end frustrations.

• Record and categorize income and expense activity during the period.
  • This could include recording prepaids such as rent, insurance, etc.
  • Break out principal and interest on loan payments.
• Reconcile bank accounts — identify and investigate discrepancies and outstanding items.
• Review and follow-up on Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable aging.
• Audit inventory and adjust as needed.
• Review specific accounts
  • Repairs and maintenance/office supplies — to see if any items listed here can be capitalized.
  • Meals and entertainment to determine if they are for business purposes.

Have you ever wondered how much water a drain tile removes? Does a larger outlet pipe drain a field faster? Are there differences in drain pipes that would affect the amount of drainage? Let’s explore some of these questions.

Does drainage water always flow downhill? Drainage theory seems simple: water flows downhill! In other words, gravity plays a major role in driving the movement of drainage water from one location to another. However, the actual flow lines of drainage water leading to lateral pipes are not straight lines. Because the actual opening on a drain pipe is much smaller than the 4-inch diameter, the flow lines converge radially around the drain pipe. So in reality, it may look like the water is moving up in the soil profile against gravity.

Today’s report was expected to be boring with few changes. Traders and producers are already looking ahead to the June 30 USDA Acres Report and Quarterly Grain Stock Report. If the corn grain stocks are below trade expectations, it will raise further hints that the January 2026 report, which detailed the US 2025 corn yield at 186.3 bushels, could indeed be too high.

I surmise that the market is somewhat negative for corn and soybeans solely because the numbers did not present a bullish case.

After the report was released, corn was down 3 cents, soybeans were down 6 cents, and wheat was unchanged. Prior to the noon report, corn was down 1 cent, soybeans down 4 cents, and wheat up 1 cent.

U.S. ending stocks for the 2025-26 marketing year are 2.145 billion bushels. In May, corn ending stocks were 2.142 billion bushels. U.S. soybean and wheat ending stocks were unchanged from May, at 340 million bushels and 935 million bushels, respectively.… Continue reading

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” “Measure twice, cut once.” “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” The English language is full of well-worn clichés that drive home the importance of preparation. The fact that we have so many of these sayings underscores a simple truth: humans are naturally reactive, and we wait for problems to arise before we act. Unfortunately, this mindset often carries over into how we manage animal health, usually focusing on treatment rather than prevention. That can be a costly mistake. Many of the most common and challenging health issues in agriculture occur early in an animal’s life or during times of significant stress, such as calving, pen moves, or long-distance transport. These are not times to improvise; rather, they’re moments that demand planning.

Vaccination is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to decrease diseases in your animals.… Continue reading

In this video, Dusty is joined by beekeeper Brad Hibbard, who explains why bees swarm, how he got started in beekeeping and the unique equipment he uses to safely collect and relocate swarms. Brad shares how a simple interest in improving pollination on his produce farm grew into managing dozens of hives and responding to swarm calls across the region.… Continue reading

BASF and Nutrien have announced a strategic collaboration designed to help farmers gain more value from sustainable farming practices already in use. Under the collaboration, Nutrien agronomists will work directly with growers to optimize yield potential using practical, on-farm sustainability practices. Together, the organizations will make it easier for farmers to participate in low-carbon-intensity biofuel programs, including those supported under the Clean Fuel Production Credit, also known as Section 45Z, and prepare for future low-carbon biofuel markets.

“What’s before North American agriculture right now, presented through 45Z in the Clean Fuel Production Credit, is the opportunity for farmers to be recognized for the good things they are doing to help lower the carbon intensity of biofuels,” said Chad Asmus, BASF sustainability market development manager.

Through the collaboration, Nutrien agronomists will work closely with growers to tailor sustainability practices to the unique conditions of each farm.… Continue reading

“We know that many Ohio farmers are committed to practices that are not only good for the planet, but also good for their bottom line, and we wanted to recognize that,” said OSA President and Pickaway County soybean farmer Bennett Musselman. “We hope the future winners of this award help demonstrate Ohio’s unique farming operations and our farmers’ desire for continuous improvement.”

Applications for the award are available at www.soyohio.org/OSAConservation and are due on August 14, 2026. Applications are only open to OSA members. The recipient of the 2026 award will be submitted to compete for the American Soybean Association Conservation Legacy Award for recognition at the national level.… Continue reading

The Ohio Ag Net’s Ty Higgins is a member of “Team Partners for Ohio Agriculture”, along with Ohio Farm Bureau Treasurer Adele Flynn, 4-H’er Kimber Cook, and her steer, Jimmy. Jimmy is a 1331-pound Chianina steer who enjoys marshmallows and vanilla creme sandwich cookies. Jimmy runs the show, and if he doesn’t feel like doing something, there’s no changing his mind.

For Flynn, who comes from a farm family in Lorain County, there is more on the line than a banner.

“I think I am definitely going to be critiqued for my showing abilities by my family way more than the judge,” Flynn said.… Continue reading

Water and herbicides can have a love/hate relationship. We use water as a carrier to deliver herbicides to the target weed, or to soil during application. After that, depending on the type of herbicide, we may need water in the form of rain to incorporate the herbicide into the soil to impact the seed emergence process. Beyond that, rain can be a negative factor when it comes to weed control. Rain can delay timely herbicide applications, or it may increase the biological breakdown of herbicides.

Dr. Alyssa Esman is an assistant professor and weed science extension specialist at The Ohio State University. She said the rain this spring has had an impact on weed control.

“Rain does a couple things when it comes to weed control. The first is that it prevents timeliness for some applications.… Continue reading

What really sets A.G. Boogher and Sons apart is the legacy behind it. Like many small, independent ag businesses, it reflects generations of knowledge, relationships, and a hands-on approach that’s becoming less common as the industry shifts. As agriculture continues to evolve, with tighter margins, changing markets, and more advanced technology, operations like this are balancing that progress with tradition, continuing to offer the kind of personalized service and trust that local farmers have relied on for years. 

A new Ohio state record category for hybrid crappie (White Crappie X Black Crappie) has been approved by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio (OWO) with consultation from the Ohio Division of Wildlife.  Biologists with the wildlife agency noted that hybrid crappies are not unusual in waters having populations of both species.  Fisheries biologists Kipp Brown and Mike Porto from Wildlife District 5 confirmed the identification of a hybrid crappie submitted to OWO as a potential state record.

The new state record hybrid crappie, weighing 4.27 pounds, and measuring 18.3 inches long with a girth of 16 inches, was caught by Jesse Miller of Middletown. Miller caught his hybrid crappie April 1, 2026, while fishing near the Middletown Dam on the Great Miami River, using a spinning rod spooled with six-pound-test monofilament line and offering a minnow below a bobber.  What’s more, the big crappie marks the first entry into Ohio’s new state record fish category for hybrids. … Continue reading