Fair week has finally arrived!

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Well, the Clinton County Fair is here! All the hard work and effort by many 4-H and FFA members and their families will be put to the test and be judged for honors.

No matter the outcome, I hope that many of these dedicated, hard-working young people realize that they are all winners by putting forth the effort and countless hours of hard work to get their many projects completed and taken to the fair. I wish you all the luck and success this week.

Fair week can also bring some timely showers that could be very beneficial to our crops. It has been very spotty at best with recent rain events. At the Nye ranch in Fayette County we have not had more than .25 inches of rain in one day. I know more of you have gotten that much in just one event, so you are on the plus side of me.

The weather experts are suggesting an outlook for July of above normal temperatures to persist. Maximum temperatures will generally be in the 80s and lowers 90s but a few days could top out as high as 95 especially in western and southern areas of the state.

Overnight lows will range from the 50s to 70s but more days will be in the 65-75 degree range than higher or lower. More of the above normal temperatures in July will come from higher night-time lows versus daytime highs.

Rainfall will be highly variable. There will be a ring of fire across the region which is a battle between the hot and humid weather south and cooler and drier air north. This will lead to complexes of storms from time to time. There will be a round of these storms the week of fair. The preferred area seems to be the southwest half of the state over the northeast half. Drought is forecast to expand some over northeast areas of the state.

Overall, rainfall is forecast to be 0.50 inches to 2+ inches in the first half of July. Normal is near or just below 2 inches.

In summary, July will be warmer than normal with normal to below normal rainfall overall but rainfall will be highly variably with drier areas likely northeast and wetter areas southwest. Don’t expect August to be any different. It looks like August will bring with more of the same. Keep your fingers crossed for some timely rain next week.

Finally this week, Barry Ward, Leader, Production Business Management-Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics (AEDE) recently reported on cropland values for Ohio.

In his report he noted that Ohio cropland varies significantly in its production capabilities and consequently cropland values and cash rents vary widely throughout the state.

Generally speaking, western Ohio cropland values and cash rents differ from much of southern and eastern Ohio cropland values and cash rents. This is due to a number of factors including land productivity and potential crop return, the variability of those crop returns, field size and shape, drainage, population density, ease of access, market access, local market prices, potential for wildlife damage, field perimeter characteristics and competition for rented cropland in a region.

Western Ohio cropland values and cash rental rates are projected to decrease in 2016 due in large part to continued low to negative profit margin prospects for Ohio’s three major row crops (corn, soybeans and wheat). According to the Western Ohio Cropland Values and Cash Rents Survey, bare cropland values are expected to decrease from 4.8% to 11.1% in 2016 depending on the region and land class. Cash rents are expected to decrease from 5.6% to 7.6% depending on the region and land class.

To access the complete summary go to: http://aede.osu.edu/about-us/publications/western-ohio-cropland-values-and-cash-rents-2015-16

See you all at the fair!

Tony Nye is the state coordinator for the Ohio State University Extension Small Farm Program and has been an OSU Extension Educator for agriculture and natural resources for 28 years, currently serving Clinton County and the Miami Valley EERA.

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Tony Nye

OSU Extension

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