Joe Rice, a seventh-generation farmer, shares the history of the family farm, which was deeded to the Rice family by President James Monroe in 1818. The  barn, built in the early 1800s, has housed generations of livestock and continues to serve the farm today.

Located along U.S. Route 250, the barn was selected as the site for a special mural celebrating the nation’s semiquincentennial. Since its completion, the mural has drawn visitors from across the region, serving as a tribute to both American history and the enduring legacy of family farming.… Continue reading

Episode 75 of the podcast finds the Field Leader Roadshow is in Van Wert County at Heffelfinger Farms. Dusty visits with Mike and Kendra about their family operation dating back to 1852. Mike and his brother Kevin are the 5th generation, and Mike and Kendra’s sons, Logan and Luke will be the 6th generation on the family farm. Mike has served on the Ohio Soybean Association board and currently serves on the Ohio Soybean Council Board. He and Kendra are also extremely active with Ohio Farm Bureau, and in numerous school and community organizations. They share about their farm, some of the changes in agriculture in Van Wert County over the years, and also take a look to the future and things that are important for their operation.

Rising input costs and fluctuating grain prices may lead growers to reconsider fungicide use in corn this year or ask when they are most likely to yield an economic return. Recently the Corn Disease Working Group, a collaborative network of corn pathologists across the United States and Canada, published results from a study aimed at determining if, and when, corn fungicides pay (Dangal et al., 2026).

They combined 152 fungicide efficacy trials conducted across 18 states in the United States and Ontario, Canada from 2019 to 2022 to better understand the yield benefit of fungicide products compared to a nontreated control and evaluate fungicide timing. They also included economic analyses to find which products were most profitable across disease environments.  

All fungicide products tested significantly reduced disease severity (percentage of leaf area affected by disease) compared to the untreated control. Xyway ^®  LFR^® applied 2×2 was the only product tested that did not have a significant yield gain compared to the control.… Continue reading

Happy Fourth of July to everyone! It’s just around the corner. Everyone is surely aware that this year marks the 250th anniversary of our country. Family and community parties could easily be over-the-top celebrations of this historic event for our country. It will be a time to remember for years to come. How many can remember the celebrations that took place at the 200-year mark? Meanwhile, Ohio producers are hoping for timely rains and that a summer drought does not occur.

Many weather forecasters will say that the United States is now experiencing an El Niño. Typically, that weather pattern is not kind to yields for Ohio’s producers. That pattern often results in two knockout punches: declining yields and declining prices for corn and soybeans. NOAA just came out on June 11 with a 63% prediction of a U.S. summer Super El Niño. A Super El Niño has been in the news for at least three months.… Continue reading

Thanks to Ag Revolution for presenting Feeding Farmers, along with our sponsors, Paradise Energy Solutions and Timpte Trailers in Sidney.… Continue reading

Happy 250th birthday, America! This Independence Day, our nation celebrates its semiquincentennial (try saying that three times fast), and communities across Ohio are finding meaningful and creative ways to honor this historic milestone.

For families looking for a vacation or a fun day trip, the Ohio Trails & Tales offer a chance to explore the people, places, and stories that shaped our state and nation. Each trail connects historic landmarks, cultural destinations, outdoor adventures, local businesses, and hidden gems that reveal the spirit of Ohio. With routes stretching across every corner of the state, there is something for everyone.

Here in northeast Ohio, one trail, The Innovation Trail, includes stops at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Akron History Center, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame before making its way to my home county and Malabar Farm State Park, where Louis Bromfield pioneered many of the regenerative agricultural practices that remain influential today.… Continue reading

Finding enough skilled workers remains one of the biggest challenges facing equipment manufacturers, dealers, and businesses across agriculture and construction. Yet according to Julie Davis, senior vice president of people strategy with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), the industry’s response has evolved far beyond simply acknowledging the problem. Today, many manufacturers are taking deliberate action to strengthen the workforce pipeline at every stage, from introducing middle school students to technical careers to creating long-term development opportunities for experienced employees.

The effort is highlighted in a new AEM workforce development report that showcases how equipment manufacturers are tackling workforce challenges through innovative recruiting, employee retention strategies, and educational partnerships.

For many employers, success starts with rethinking how they recruit new talent.

“The strategy that is working today is not doing one thing,” Davis said. “It is doing multiple, multiple things.”

Rather than relying solely on traditional recruiting methods, manufacturers are expanding their reach into a variety of talent pools and community organizations.… Continue reading

Since 2023, Kern has served as the Deputy Executive Director and Senior Policy Director for the organizations. In his current role, he provides leadership of the staff team, leads key projects, and works to ensure the organization meets its strategic goals and objectives. 

“Brandon was an obvious choice to be our next Executive Director,” said Bennett Musselman, OSA president and Pickaway County soybean farmer. “His combined agricultural and policy background will enable him to lead our organizations through the remarkable change we’re facing in the soybean industry.”

Prior to joining the Ohio Soybean staff, Kern spent nine years at the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, serving in roles ranging from leading state and national policy efforts to strategic partnership engagement.… Continue reading

Today, USDA provided two major reports. First, the U.S. Acreage Report of crops planted for 2026. Corn, soybean, and wheat acres were detailed in that report. Second is the Quarterly Grain Stocks Report as of June 1.

Grain prices after the report had corn up 3 cents, soybeans up 4 cents, and wheat up 8 cents. Just before the reports were released, corn was down 2 cents, soybeans down 9 cents, and wheat down 3 cents.

Many expected both corn and soybean acres to increase in the Prospective Plantings Report on March 31. That report estimated 2026 U.S. corn acres at 95.3 million and soybeans at 84.7 million. That potential increase is the result of favorable planting weather across much of the Corn Belt in April.

Others thought the total corn and soybean acres would be less than 180 million. It was 180.7 million acres. Last year the total reached 180.003 million acres.… Continue reading

Carbon capture allows ethanol plants and other facilities to capture carbon dioxide before it enters the atmosphere and store it safely underground. House Bill 170 gives Ohio clear rules for how those projects can move forward, while also keeping important protections in place for landowners.

The new law marks an important step forward for Ohio farmers and the state’s ethanol industry. Establishing a clear framework enables Ohio ethanol plants to compete more effectively, attract investment, and create more opportunities for corn produced on local farms. 

“House Bill 170 is a win for Ohio farmers and a win for rural Ohio,” said Eric Tipton, Fayette County farmer and president of the Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association.… Continue reading

If the recent sell-off in crude oil and wheat was driven by investment funds believing supply concerns had eased and demand rationing was no longer necessary, I will be watching closely to see whether the market reassesses that outlook as we move into July.

As discussed in previous columns, soft red winter (SRW) wheat and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil have shown a strong positive price relationship. Since late 2025, the four-week rolling correlation between the two markets has been positive every week except two, and at the time of this writing, the correlation remains around +75%.

In my view, there are fundamental reasons for this correlation. The most recent USDA WASDE report showed another reduction in U.S. wheat yield projections for 2026-27 wheat production, lowering expected ending stocks to 744 million bushels. Similarly, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported Strategic Petroleum Reserve crude oil stocks at their lowest level since 1983, at 349.2 million barrels.… Continue reading

Corn silking has reached 1%, following right along with the 1% average. Ohio corn condition was rated 62% good to excellent, with 54% good and 8% excellent.

Soybean emergence reached 98%, ahead of 94% last week, and the 95% 5-year average. Soybean blooming has reached 3%, just behind the 5% average. Ohio soybean condition was rated 57% good to excellent, with 50% good and 7% excellent.

Winter wheat was 7% harvested, which is behind the 15% five-year average. Ohio wheat condition was rated 67% good to excellent, with 59% good and 8% excellent.

Oats were 66% headed, ahead of the 51% last week, but behind the average of 79%.… Continue reading

Learn more from Beck’s online at www.beckshybrids.com.… Continue reading

Topics will include corn and soybean planting depth, soybean defoliation, soybean seed treatments, managing residual soil nitrogen, fungicide application methods, and the impact of swine manure on soil health and corn yield.

Field Day Agenda:

• Dialing in Corn & Soybean Planting Depth and Corn Defoliation Study, Alex Lindsey
• Selecting the Right Soybean Seed Treatment, Horacio Lopez-Nicora
• Quantifying & Managing Residual Soil Nitrogen, Greg LaBarge
• Drone vs. Sprayer for GER and Vomitoxin Management, Nina Nebesh
• Impact of Swine Manure on Soil Health & Corn Yield, Stephanie Karhoff

Registration will start at 8:30 a.m., with the programming beginning at 9:00 a.m., followed by a free lunch courtesy of the Ohio Soybean Council at 12:00 p.m.… Continue reading