Preventing Harvest Fires
harvest news
August and September have been dry with higher-than-normal day time temperatures prevailing. Crops are drying down quick so harvest may be early. All that dry tinder may create fire hazards when harvest equipment starts rolling.
Four Weeks No Roots
Causes Compaction
 Four Weeks No Roots Causes Compaction
Due to a lack of rain, the soil is getting hard. When soil gets dry and lacks adequate soil organic matter (SOM), clay particles set up like cement. Most farmers do a fall tillage, which will increase water infiltration short-term, but long-term the soil just gets denser as the soil compaction gets worse.
Late Season
Weather Concerns
Late Season Weather Concerns
Migrating birds are already flocking together and some bird migration from the North has already started. The cicadas have been singing for several weeks. Are we due for an early frost? The first week of September has cold front from the north moving in and it is possible a few low-lying areas may see some light frost.
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Digging Deep into Nutrient Content & Function
James J. Hoorman
Hoorman Soil Health Services
Understanding Biologicals
James J. Hoorman
Hoorman Soil Health Services
tractor, field, soil, plant growing in fresh soil
Soil Nutrients
Fact Sheet
corn field, sun rise
Converting to No-till using Cover Crops
farmer tilling land
How No-till Improves Your Land Value
OUR STORY
Jim and Marlene Hoorman reside in Hancock County, Ohio south of Findlay at Jenera, Ohio on a 40-acre farm. They have a 19-year old son, Jonathan who is attending The Ohio State University as a Sophomore majoring in Ag Business and Economics with a minor in Agronomy.  Jim has been working in agriculture and farming since he was 13 years old, first picking strawberries then working for Kleman Brother’s Farm as a hired hand.  Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, Hay, Tomatoes, Sugar Beets, Cucumbers and Sweet corn were major commodities along with hogs and cattle.
Using Cover Crops as an IPM Tool for Managing Hard-to-Control Weeds
While herbicides provided an opportunity to expand many important soil conservation practices, overuse of glyphosate and the evolution of glyphosateresistant weeds poses one the greatest threats to conservation tillage as it has forced some farmers to revert to conventional tillage for effective weed control.
Weeds in Cover Crops: Context and Management Considerations
Cover crops are increasingly being adopted to provide multiple ecosystem services such as improving soil health, managing nutrients, and decreasing soil erosion. It is not uncommon for weeds to emerge in and become a part of a cover crop plant community.
Soil Nutrients
Fact Sheet
The availability of soil nutrients is dependent on three factors. One is the chemical form that it can be taken up by the plant. Two is the proximity to actively absorbing plant root. Three is the soil nutrient in a soluble form that can be absorbed by plant roots. Most plant roots require moist soil and water to absorb soluble nutrients.
Best of ‘22: No-Tilling in Wildly Different Regions, Encouraging Better Root Growth & More
Jim Hoorman, with Hoorman Soil Health Services discusses how micro-nutrients may be one of the best ways to improve no-till crop yields. Over the past 160 years, many farms have been tilled and due to soil erosion; lost soil, soil organic matter, and the attached micro-nutrients. Micro-nutrients are needed in small amounts to activate enzymes that increase not only soil health, but also improve plant growth and increase plant yield. Jim discusses micro-nutrient functions and importance, how to identify micro-nutrient deficiencies, and how to apply micro-nutrients to reduce nutrient deficiencies.
HUMIC, FULVIC and MICROBIAL BALANCE:
Organic Soil Conditioning
Author William Jackson
From the Amish of Ohio to the crops of California, through the documented research from universities around the world, explore nature's natural balance.