Here are this week’s top stories from Farm and Dairy:
1. Prepare garden soil for spring planting
Why guess about what your garden’s soil needs when you can test your soil? With the snow melting and spring soon upon us, now is a good idea to test your soil before you begin planting. A soil test will help you make decisions to improve soil texture, pH level and fertility.
One other way to prepare your soil for spring planting is controlling weeds. Using a rototiller can damage soil, but there are alternate weed removal methods.
2. National Nutrition Month: Focus on a healthy lifestyle
March is National Nutrition Month, sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. By making informed nutrition decisions and getting appropriate amounts of physical activity, the risk of chronic diseases may be reduced and overall health can be improved.
3. Crop farmers told to question their inputs
Salesmen will try to convince farmers to sell farmers things they don’t need, but farmers need to discern what is credible information and what is not.
At the Conservation Tillage Conference held March 3-4 in Ada, Ohio, farmers were encouraged to question their inputs, think critically about each field and consider all of the consequences of all crop decisions.
4. Moisture and compaction key to well-built pond
A pond on either rural or suburban land can have numerous benefits, from providing fishing opportunities to soil erosion control. A well-built pond, though, could cost thousands of dollars, depending on the size.
Landowners shouldn’t cut corners when building a pond; instead, they should focus on using appropriate soil to prevent leaks and erosion.
5. Meimer, Holfinger, Hastings honored as Ohio Agriculture Women of the Year
The winners of the 2014 Ohio Agriculture Women of the Year award were recognized at the Ohio Governor’s Residence and Heritage Garden March 5.
The honored include Eddie Lou Meimer, of Mount Gilead; Opal Holfinger, of Troy; and Lucille Hastings, of Big Prairie. The women were chosen based on their contributions to Ohio agriculture, leadership and advocacy in the agricultural community and significant impact on the agriculture industry as a whole.
