Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Open House

On August 17th the Guernsey SWCD hosted an open house at the newly renovated facilities at Moore Memorial Woods. The district has owned the property since the early 50's and is a local land lab where different forestry practices have been applied and can be viewed. The property also has a few miles of trails throughout the woods and is open to the public for use. Guernsey SWCD staff and board members welcomed well over 20 county residents to the woods to meet the staff, supervisors, learn about the woods, and see what services the district can provide to county residents. For more information about the district or Moore Woods, please contact the Guernsey SWCD at 740-489-5276.


Monday, August 22, 2016

5 steps to cover crop success

5 steps to cover crop success



Cover crop expert provides tips on how to select and plant an effective cover crop.

Published on: Aug 17, 2016

Ask a farmer what’s the hardest part of growing cover crops and the answer will be fairly consistent: establishing a cover crop. Nathan Johanning, extension educator with the University of Illinois and state representative for the Midwest Cover Crops Council, understands farmers’ hesitation - especially after trying and failing to establish a cover crop. However, with a few important tips in mind, Johanning is confident Illinois farmers can successfully plant and establish a cover crop.
Here are 5 things Johanning says farmers should keep in mind before planting cover crops:
1) Pick a winner.
Not all cover crops are created equal and there are many factors you should consider, including what you hope to achieve with the cover crop: erosion control, nitrogen production, or weed suppression. “Choose your cover crop species based on the time of year and what will work,” says Johanning. Oilseed radish and oats should be planted earlier than cereal rye, he explains.
2) Timing is everything.
Johanning recommends planting at least one month, if not earlier, ahead of.......(To read more, click the link below): 

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

2016 Pond Clinic

The rain didn't stop twenty eager to learn people from coming to our pond clinic. The Guernsey SWCD and Guernsey OSU Extension held a pond clinic on 8/16/2016 at Bill Bertram's farm. Bill showed us his unique irrigating system where he pumps water from his pond to his many fields of produce to ensure they have enough water during the dry summer months. Bill and his wife Shirley own and operate Bertram's Farm Market on St. Rt. 800 in eastern Guernsey County. Chris Skatula, NRCS Civil Engineer Tech. discussed pond design, construction, soils, and other factors to consider before building a pond on your property. Clif Little, Guernsey County OSU Extension Educator talked to us about all the different pond weeds that can be problematic in a pond and many different ways that they can be dealt with both biologically, and chemically. Levi Arnold Guernsey SWCD Wildlife/Forestry Specialist wrapped up the discussion by talking about wildlife in ponds, ways that people can create habitat for the fish they're trying to manage in ponds, how pond design can effect wildlife and some nuisance wildlife in ponds and how to deal with them. We would like to thank Guernsey SWCD Ag Resource Specialist for organizing this event. We would also like to thank our board member Bill and his wife Shirley Bertram for hosting this great event and Ruth Ford and Shirley Bertram for whipping up a wonderful supper for us all. For more information about ponds or our fall fish sale please contact the district at 740-489-5276.
















Tuesday, August 16, 2016

ODA EPA Farm Pesticide Disposal Collection

Don't forget folks! on August 23rd from 9 AM to 3 PM at the Guernsey County Fairgrounds the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, and Guernsey County OSU Extension will be hosting a farm pesticide disposal collection. This is a great opportunity to get rid of all those old partial containers of pesticides that are just sitting around your barn taking up space. Please note that only farm chemicals will be accepted; Paint, antifreeze, solvents and household products will not be accepted. To pre-register or for more information please contact the Ohio Department of Agriculture at 614-728-6987.

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Milkweed for Monarchs

Pollinator species are experiencing population declines across the United States. In particular, the monarch butterfly has drastically declined in Ohio and in the wintering grounds of Mexico.  In an effort to increase habitat for migrating monarch butterflies, Guernsey Soil & Water Conservation District and the Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative (OPHI) announce the 1st Annual Statewide Common Milkweed Pod Collection scheduled from September 1st- October 30th.   Ohio is host to seven species of milkweed and is a priority area for monarch habitat conservation.  Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is the species of focus for the 1st Annual Statewide Common Milkweed Pod Collection.
This effort has the potential to increase milkweed, the sole host plant for monarch butterflies. The monarch butterflies that hatch here in the summer migrate to Mexico for the winter and are responsible for starting the life cycle all over again in the spring. 

To make the Common Milkweed Pod Collection successful, local involvement is needed and that is where the Guernsey County community can play a major role.  In partnership with OPHI, Guernsey Soil & Water is promoting the Common Milkweed Pod Collection, providing pollinator education and designating the Soil & Water office as a drop off site for common milkweed pods during the months of September and October.  Please join Guernsey Soil & Water in this effort to replenish an essential plant in Ohio and thus benefit Monarch populations.