Farmers have relied on fertilizer to improve crop yields, harvesting crops and losing nutrients from the soil year after year, then tilling the soil. This cycle often leads to severe soil degradation, topsoil loss, and nutrient depletion. While modern synthetic fertilizers offer a quick, short-term boost to plant growth, they fail to sustain long-term soil vitality.

Incorporating animal manure into agricultural fields is widely recognized as one of the most effective and sustainable ways to restore and maintain overall soil health. Soil health is defined as the soil’s capacity to function as a vital living ecosystem. Animal manure bolsters nutrients, enhances the microbes and organisms in the soil and the biology, and improves the physical soil aspects like soil structure, drainage, and water-holding capacity.

From a chemical perspective, animal manure is an outstanding, multi-nutrient fertilizer. Synthetic alternatives typically focus strictly on the primary macronutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N-P-K).… Continue reading

The Ohio Soybean Association (OSA) announced its strong support for House Bill 1036, newly introduced legislation designed to restore biomass-based diesel production to the Buckeye State through a targeted production tax credit.

Introduced by state Rep. Bob Peterson, R-Sabina, and state Rep. Roy Klopfenstein, R-Haviland, the measure seeks to authorize a nonrefundable tax credit for producing biodiesel and renewable diesel within Ohio. OSA worked with both representatives to ensure this bill will have the maximum benefit to soy-based biofuel production, providing markets for Ohio soybeans that have not existed since biodiesel production left the state in 2022.

“I want to thank Reps. Peterson and Klopfenstein for their work to introduce this bill,” said OSA President Bennett Musselman, a soybean farmer from Pickaway County. “Not only will this bill help farmers build new markets for their soybeans, but introducing more biofuels production in our state will enhance the U.S.… Continue reading

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A U.S. corn yield below 180 bushels was a bullish feature in the Nov. 10 USDA report. While the soybean yield increased slightly, it remained well below the 55 bushels some analysts had anticipated.

Today’s report was expected to show several changes, with analysts expecting U.S. corn yield dropping slightly while U.S. soybean yield expected to jump higher. U.S. corn exports were expected to decline slightly.

After the report was released, corn was up 12 cents, soybeans up 36 cents, and wheat up 6 cents. Before the noon report, corn was up 1 cent, soybeans were unchanged, and wheat was up 2 cents.

U.S. ending stocks for the 2026-27 marketing year: U.S. corn ending stocks were 1.758 billion bushels. In October, corn ending stocks were 1.849 billion bushels. U.S. soybean ending stocks were 300 million bushels. In October, soybean ending stocks were 315 million bushels. Wheat ending stocks were 743 million bushels.… Continue reading

Corn harvested for the state is sitting at 69%, ahead of last week’s 53%, but below the 75% average.

Soybeans that have been harvested are at 92%, ahead of last week’s average of 83%, and ahead of the 90% average.

Winter wheat planted is at 94%, ahead of last week’s 88%, and ahead of the five-year average of 93%. Winter wheat emerged is at 78%, right on track with the average of 78%. Winter wheat condition is at 75% good to excellent, with 56% good and 19% excellent.

Soil moisture has increased as heavy rainfall has covered most of the state, making topsoil moisture rated at 78% adequate and 6% surplus, while subsoil moisture was also 89% adequate and 4% surplus.… Continue reading

Harvest is wrapped up here. We’ve got maybe a little ground tillage left to do for tomato ground for next year, but all the corn and soybeans are finished. It’s another growing season in the books.

Our soybean yields exceeded expectations this year. Looking back, I probably shouldn’t be surprised because we caught some decent rains in August, and I’m sure that definitely helped the crop. Corn was a little different. I figured it would be really good with the rainfall we had, but it ended up being about average overall. It wasn’t bad by any means. We had some good fields, and then we had some fields that maybe weren’t quite as good as I thought they would be, but overall they still performed respectably.

We did try a couple different corn hybrids this season, but it’s still too early to know whether they’ll make the lineup again next year.… Continue reading

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Are diesel prices keeping you awake at night? Are fertilizer costs eating into your bank account? Is soil erosion giving you nightmares? Well, have we got good news for you!

Now, I don’t mean to sound like a cheesy TV commercial for a miracle drug. But on December 2, if you spend the day at the famous Der Dutchman Restaurant, you’ll gather a host of practical ideas to reduce your crop production costs and loss of tons of topsoil through erosion.

The location is 445 Jefferson Ave, Plain City (US Route 42). The program will run from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, with coffee, pastries, and a delicious lunch included.

Barry Fisher, a former Soil Health Specialist for NRCS, has spoken at this conference and other Ohio events several times. For farmers who still plow, he will describe a 2-year plan to switch to no-till economically.… Continue reading

Then, two Executive Orders that will have an impact on livestock markets and processing were signed by President Trump. What does implementation of the orders look like, how will they support small processor and state programs, and how will food safety standards hold up while market access expands? We get the answers from USDA’s Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Mindy Brashears.

A big component of keeping a farm sustainable is ensuring that it is also profitable. Brent Porteus and his family are putting that idea into practice at their beef finishing operation near Coshocton.

“To be sustainable, we have to be able to compete with everybody else that’s doing this,” Porteus said.

That approach recently earned LB Porteus Farms recognition as the Region I winner of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s 2026 Environmental Stewardship Award Program. The farm is one of seven regional recipients being considered for the national award, which will be announced at CattleCon 2027 in Nashville in February.

The family’s roots in the Muskingum River Valley date to the 1880s. Today, the fifth and sixth generations operate a diversified farm producing corn, soybeans, beef cattle and finishing hogs. The operation also includes a 900-head-capacity cattle finishing facility, where the family is expanding its focus on F1 Wagyu cattle for higher-marbling markets.… Continue reading

This hybrid program will take place at seven sites across the state: Miami, Morrow, Muskingum, Paulding, Pike, Preble, and Putnam counties. The program is designed to keep applicators and producers on the cutting edge of weed control.

Topics will include pre-harvest weed survey results, sprayer setup, cover crops, harvest weed seed control, Italian ryegrass, new herbicides, and labeling updates. Hands-on exercises such as weed identification with live plants will also be part of the program. This is an in-person event with a portion of the presentations broadcast virtually at each location.

Featured presentations and speakers include:

• Nozzle Selection — Tommy Butts, assistant professor and site-specific weed management Extension specialist, Purdue University. Butts leads a research and Extension program evaluating weed control and herbicide use in agronomic crops, with an emphasis on precision agriculture and application technologies in a targeted, site-specific approach.

President Trump’s new tariffs on imported drones and drone components are designed to strengthen the U.S. drone industry and reduce reliance on foreign-made technology, but the changes are creating uncertainty for agricultural producers and the young entrepreneurs who have built businesses around the rapidly growing technology.

Trump signed the proclamation Aug. 13, citing national security concerns and the growing role of unmanned aircraft systems in modern warfare, agriculture, infrastructure and other industries.

The new tariffs took effect Sept. 3 for most covered drones. Under the proclamation, drones weighing more than 25 kilograms, drones equipped with thermal imaging capabilities, docking stations and certain critical components face a 100% tariff. Drones weighing 25 kilograms or less generally face a 25% tariff.

For agricultural drone operators, however, there are important exemptions and delayed provisions that make the policy more complicated than the headline 100% tariff suggests.

One objective of Ohio soybean checkoff-funded research is to develop and evaluate new technologies and on-farm agronomic practices that support Ohio soybean farmers’ efficient soybean production and their commitment to conservation. On this episode of the Field Leader Podcast, Dusty is joined by Dr. Taylor Dill, Director of Research for the Ohio Soybean Council; Dr. Lindsay, the OSU Extension State Soybean and Small Grains Specialist; Dr. Alex Lindsay, Professor of Crop Ecophysiology & Agronomy at The Ohio State University; and Dr. Horacio Lopez-Nicora, OSU Extension Soybean Pathologist and Nematologist, to discuss the 2026 growing season and ongoing research projects around Ohio.