All-Star Line Up to Help Farmers Minimize Spring's Wet Weather Woes

It’s no secret that Ohio’s weather patterns are changing. Higher frequency, higher intensity rain events are becoming more of the norm than the exception. But for Ashland County farmers, these changes aren’t just an inconvenience, they are threat to their very livelihood.

While those changing patterns might cause the average Ashland County resident to have to change their weekend plans, those same changes mean shorter windows of time for Ashland County farmers to get their crops in the ground in the spring and off the fields during harvest. And missing those shorter windows can make a huge impact on farm profitability.

So what’s a farmer to do? They can’t control the weather, but they can plan ahead. That’s why Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is partnering with Ashland County Farm Bureau and several surrounding SWCDs to host a Conservation Chat on December 1 focusing on Wet Weather Woes.

“Wet Weather Woes is really going to be an all-star event area farmers will not want to miss,” said Jane Houin, Ashland SWCD director. “We’re bringing three of the state’s most sought after experts together in Loudonville to talk about what these changing weather trends mean to farmers and how farmers can proactively respond to those changes whether they are a grain farmer or a livestock farmer. Weather is the common ground that all farmers have to contend with.”

First up on the agenda will be Ohio State University’s Aaron Wilson, also known as OSU’s ag weather expert.

“Aaron was at the Ohio Theater for an Extreme Weather meeting back in 2019, and everyone loved hearing his take on Ohio’s changing weather patterns,” Houin said. “Aaron is great at not only looking at the big picture trends, but he will also be able to give us a rough look into what next spring will look like when farmers are putting next year’s crop into the ground.”

One way farmers can help manage excess water from high intensity rain events is by building their soil’s structure and organic matter, which lets the soil absorb and hold more water for plants to use when they need it. And one of the best tools for building organic matter is the use of cover crops.

‘When you think about cover crop advocates in Ohio, you think about Dave Brandt,” Houin said. Brandt was one of the featured speakers at a multi-county soil health meeting at Loudonville High School back in 2016, and Houin said the SWCD is excited to have the opportunity to bring him back to Loudonville again.

“Farmers from all over are willing to travel to hear what Dave Brandt has to say about cover crops, and we’re excited to be able to bring his message here to Ashland County for our farmers to be able to pick his brain and incorporate some of his ideas into their own operations,” Houin said.

But rainy and wet conditions are not just challenging for grain farmers. Managing mud can feel like a never ending battle for livestock farmers, especially in the spring. That’s why one of Ohio’d foremost grazing management experts, Bob Hendershot, will be rounding out the speaker line up at Wet Weather Woes.

“A lot of times we focus on shrinking planting and harvest windows for grain farmers, but wet, rainy conditions can create a muddy mess for our livestock farmers, too,” Houin said. “Effectively managing mud an significantly reduce stress on livestock, improve profitability, and is good for the environment, too.”

Henderhot is a retired state grasslands specialist for Ohio’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Ohio and now operates his own consulting business dedicated to helping farmers improve their grazing operations.

Attendance at the Wet Weather Woes Conservation Chat is free, and pizza will be provided. However RSVPs are requested to help ensure enough food is on hand to feed even the hungriest farmer. To RSVP, call Lynnsey at 419-281-7645.

The Wet Weather Woes Conservation Chat will be start at 6 p.m. at the Ohio Theater at 156 North Water Street in Loudonville.