Merry Christmas! On behalf of my family to yours, as you celebrate the miracle of this special season, may your heart be filled with peace, love and joy. May these holiday blessings linger in your home and stay with you throughout the year.

This has been a very trying year for area farmers with a very slow start to get the crop planted and then a very long harvest that should be finished, or if not, very close with just a few acres left.

Despite the gush of rain in the early part of the season, corn made a comeback and led to surprisingly high yields in Ohio this year. Here locally, the “silver lining” was the yields in many fields for both corn and soybeans.

Don’t get me wrong, there have been some disappointments along the way that we can generally blame Mother Nature and disease.

Though the U.S. Department of Agriculture had estimated Ohio’s average corn yield would be 173 bushels per acre, many farmers harvested 200 plus bushels per acre, some reporting above 250 bushels for acre and there have been some reports of 70 plus bushel per for soybeans.

Producers need to stay on top of their production and marketing skills. One program I have planned for Jan. 22 will be the SW Ohio Corn College. This high impact program is designed for producers wanting to be on the “Cutting Edge” of corn production for their operations.

Topics to be covered during this program will include:

• Agronomic Practices that Optimize Profitability in Corn Production-Perception vs. Reality

• Population and Hybrid Characteristics

• Ear and Kernel Disorders

• Fertility Management – A look at Nitrogen, Timing and Needs During Corn Development

• Decision making with High Resolution Crop Imagery

• Corn Disease and Fungicide Use – What new threats are there and what are the best

• Real Field Experiences with Variable Rate Nitrogen Applications

Speakers for the event will be:

• Dr. Peter Thomison, Ohio State University

• Dr. John Fulton, Ohio State University

• Dr. Josh McGrath, University of Kentucky

• Dr. Pierce Paul, Ohio State University

• Dr. Elizabeth Hawkins, Ohio State University

Cost is $40 per person for the Corn College. Cost will include handouts, bulletins, refreshments, and lunch. CCA Credits will be available that day.

RSVP at http://go.osu.edu/2018SWCORN or contact Tony Nye at 937-382-0901 or [email protected].

You may also send in your registration for the 2018 SW Ohio Corn College to the Clinton County Extension office, 111 S. Nelson Ave., Suite 2, Wilmington, OH 45177.

Don’t miss the opportunity to attend this in depth program concentrating on corn production. There will be much that can be taken home and utilized in your operation.

As I close this week’s column remember the real reason for the season and have a blessed holiday!

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 29 years, currently serving Clinton County and the Miami Valley EERA.