The new year is off to a busy start for us at Highland County Extension. We will be offering numerous programs over the next few weeks, and we hope you can join us. Be sure to mark your calendars. You won’t want to miss these.

On Feb. 3, Highland County Extension and The Workforce Development and Community Services Division of Southern State Community College are partnering together to host the 2023 Agriculture Outlook Meeting: Planted with a Purpose. During this free educational opportunity participants will learn about carbon credit programs, grazing management plans, and hear from local USDA and Soil and Water Conservation District personnel about programs available in 2023. The program will be held at the SSCC campus in Hillsboro from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. This program is open to the public and all are welcome to attend. This short program will be packed full of important information for all areas of agriculture production. Please register prior to the program by calling Amanda Lewis at Southern State at 800-628-7722 or emailing [email protected]. More details and online registration can be found at go.osu.edu/PlantWithPurpose.

The 2023 Private Pesticide and Fertilizer Applicator Recertification Training will be held on Feb. 7 from 5-7 p.m. at Southern State (room 107) in Hillsboro. Fertilizer recertification will be offered from 5-6 p.m. and pesticide recertification will follow from 6-9 p.m. Those who have license that are set to expire in 2023 will have already received information from the Ohio Department of Agriculture regarding the class dates and licensure fee. Highland County Extension will be mailing class registration forms out to those with 2023 expiration dates. Registration is required by Jan. 26. A meal will be provided for registered participants. Registration costs vary based on credit needs. Costs are $10 for fertilizer only (category 15), $35 for pesticide only (categories Core-7), and $40 for pesticide and fertilizer recertification. If your license doesn’t expire in 2023 but would like to attend this year’s class, contact James Morris at 937-393-1918.

OSU Extension Highland County will also host a Weed University on March 1 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Southern State (Room 440) in Hillsboro. Is herbicide resistance really that big of a problem? Are you concerned about the effectiveness of your herbicide program? Want to sharpen your weed identification skills? Not sure which nozzles provide the best control options? These topics and many more will be discussed at the 2023 Ohio Weed University. Topics addressed will include local weed issues, biology and identification of weeds, waterhemp challenges, weed resistance mechanisms, evaluating your herbicide program, and sprayer clean-out tips.

Breakout sessions and hands-on activities include weed identification with live plants, proper tank mixing sequence, nozzle selection and calibration, weed management in forages, and more. Featured speakers will join us virtually and include Dr. Alyssa Essman from The Ohio State University; Dr. Aaron Hager, University of Illinois; and Dr. Fred Whitford, Purdue University. Private Pesticide and Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) credits will be available. This program is open to the public and all are welcome to attend. The registration fee per person is $40 and is due by Feb. 20. This fee includes lunch and course materials. Registration payment can be made via cash or check and sent to the Highland County Extension office, 119 Gov. Foraker Place; Suite 202, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133. Make checks payable to OSU Extension. Contact James Morris for any questions at 937-393-1918. More information and online registration options will be available soon. Check our website for updates at highland.osu.edu.

We hope to see you at some of our upcoming events. We already have several other exciting programs being planned for spring and summer. Don’t miss out, be sure to follow us on Facebook at OSU Extension Highland County and on our website at Highland.osu.edu.

James Morris is an OSU Extension educator, agriculture and natural resources and community development for OSU Extension Highland County.