Sign in, visit, talk, action, talk, talk, talk, talk, action, eat, talk, action, action, talk. That pretty much sums up the Sept. 13 Ohio No-Till Field Day program. However, details of the agenda reveal some very interesting speakers and topics. David Brandt, a well known no-tiller, hosts this year’s program at his farm, about 25 miles southeast of Columbus, Ohio. The address is 6100 Basil Western Road, Carroll, Ohio, a few miles east of U.S. 33. Registration opens at 8:30 a.m., which allows participants plenty of time to visit with exhibitors and check out the no-till machinery, while enjoying coffee and donuts.  

The program begins promptly at 9:30 with North Dakota farmer Gabe Brown on hand to kick off the day’s talks. Brown is a nationally-known no-till farmer who uses a variety of cover crops and cattle manure to increase crop yields while boosting soil quality; enhancing both fertility levels and water holding capacity. 

Three split sessions complete the morning agenda. Heading out in the field, David Brandt is charged with exploring the above ground benefits of cover crops. Ohio State University Extension’s Jim Hoorman and Rafiq Islam then share a below ground analysis of the beneficial plants. The trio plan to look at various choices, expected benefits and seeding methods. Heading back inside, Extension Entomologist Ron Hammond tackles insect issues, especially hitting on slug and other no-till pests while also addressing spider mites and additional bugs feeding on Ohio crops this year. The third presentation deals with compaction, controlled traffic, and cost share, reviewed by NRCS State Agronomist Mark Scarpitti and Randall Reeder, retired Extension Ag Engineer.

Next, a couple of actions help generate an appetite for the noon meal. Cover crop seed will be covered by Butch Fisher and Van Tilburg Farms will demonstrate their 90 foot-wide high clearance cover crop seeder. Actually, the pork chop lunch (catered by Kristen Reese) is not scheduled until 12:30 p.m., so you may want to eat an extra donut when you arrive. 

Precision no-till planting techniques are the focus of crop consultant Bill Lehmkuhl, from Precision Agri-Services. Lehmkuhl speaks nationally on corn planter setup and adjustment for optimum performance. His comments lead into the afternoon field program, where two planters, with good and bad settings, will be utilized to plant corn.  

Drilling of cover crops (blended seeds) is scheduled as an afternoon demonstration. Those in attendance can inspect cover crop plots that were planted after wheat harvest. Both single and blended cover crop plots can be poked, prodded and dug.  

Finally, no one should miss what NRCS Soil Scientist George Derringer has to detail in the soil pit. His insight on soil biology and health will enlighten both beginning and experienced crop producers. Quiz Derringer about how what he shares relates to your farming operation.  

The goal of the planning committee is to help farmers eliminate problems and accelerate benefits associated with converting land from conventional tillage to no-till, especially growing no-till corn.  

The Ohio No-Till Council is assisted with this field day by OSU Extension, the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, NRCS-USDA, the Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Assoc. and the Ohio Soybean Council. Cold drinks and snacks will be provided throughout the day.  

Registration, if postmarked by Sept. 4, is $35 per person. For more information, go to http:fabe.osu.edu or call 740-756-4436.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Roger Bender may write to him in care of this publication.