w acres 1212

By Ryan [email protected]

PHILLIPSBURG- Mike Brown animatedly talkedabout how his nursery recently lost an account with mer-

chants in the Village of Arcanum. He said he’s been sellingChristmas trees to merchants in the village to displayoutside their respective businesses for the last 15years. But last holiday season, a few bad eggs —maybe some of you reading this — dismantled thetrees branch by branch and took the lights, leaving aholiday mess for the village to pick up.

“Needless to say, they’re not buying trees thisyear,” said Brown as he drove an oversized pick-up truck from his Phillipsburg-area A. Brown &Sons Nursery, which he operates with his broth-

ers Harry, Kenny and John, to a site where hegrows acres and acres of Christmas treeseach year.The Brown family has operated this nurs-

ery for 65 years. Mike has been working on itfor 50 years, since age 6, when he first startedselling trees.“They say families can’t work together.But we tolerate each other. We had goodparents, parents that told us we’d hate eachother for a few minutes but to get over it,”Brown said.When Brown pulled the truck into the

Christmas tree farm, he was quick to pointout how beautiful the trees are. He isn’t

lying. Rows and rows of treesstuck out like sore thumbs on thiscool, mid-autumn day.“You name it, we got it. ScotchPine, White Pine, Austrian Pine,Canaan Fir, Fraser Fir, Douglas Fir,

Concord Fir, two feet to twentyfeet. We’re the largestChristmas tree lot in the state

of Ohio. Nobody puts asmany trees on one lot aswe do,” said Brown,whose mouth races amile a minute when youget him talking, and evenwhen you don’t. But that’sMike Brown, the crazyChristmas tree guy.

“I’m not crazy,but people knowme for being thatway at Christmas.They know at

Christmastime I’m on some-thing. Mostly Scotch Pinesap,” Brown said, only half-joking as he wiped a sticky

By Heather [email protected]

HOLLANSBURG – Many years ago, familieswent out, they picked a live tree, and theycut it down. Now, families can go to any bigbox or hardware store and get a pre-cut tree,but they’re not getting that family experience,said Allen and Carmen Howell, owners of TheFrosty Outpost Christmas Tree Farm in DarkeCounty.The Howells, originally from Darke

County, decided to move back in the mid-90s because Allen wanted a change fromhis high-stress job and the busy lifestyle ofthe Florida suburbs, he said.“I just kind of dreamed of a more sim-

ple life; when the opportunity came, wemoved back to Darke County and boughtthese five acres off my in-laws. Itwas originally just fields, likeeverything else around here,” he said.“It was kind of just my dream tohave an old-fashion operation. Ididn’t have enough land to plantbeans and corn. It was just a goodidea.”The Howells planted their first

500 blue spruce trees in1998, but since that wasa drought year, they onlyended up with two treesfrom that crop, they said.“Each year we kept

planting, and some finallytook hold. It takes on aver-age about eightyears to grow a treeto a six footheight,” Howellremarked.The family

was finally able tobegin selling trees in2007, he said.Compared to mostChristmas tree farms, theHowells have a small operation– just five acres compared to many

of Western OhioVolume 1 No. 7 December Issue $1.00

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When you think ofYouTube, your mind can goin many different directionsas to what you might find onthe website: music, how-tovideos, and clips from vari-ous shows. But who wouldhave ever thought of usingYouTube as a way of pro-moting the agricultural com-munity?

If you were to search fortwo different videos entitled"I'm Farming and I Grow It"and "Farm It Maybe" youwould soon discover howkids can be the best promot-ers of the farming communi-ty.

Three brothers fromKansas, better known as thePeterson Bros., their stagename, have taken the popu-lar song "I'm Sexy andI Know It" popularized byLMFAO and created a paro-dy: "I'm Farming and I GrowIt".

The video features Greg,21, Nathan, 18, and Kendal,15 promoting agriculture onPeterson Farm andLivestock, the best way theyknow how...by firsthandexperience.

Since the video was pub-lished on YouTube on June25, it has been viewed7,696,543 and counting, andin 218 countries. The broth-ers have also made their wayonto the social media scenevia Facebook. Since joiningthe site on June 26, the pagehas had 16,260 likes.

The video has created somuch success for the broth-ers that they have been fea-tured by radio stations, newsstations, and newspapers allover the United States. Theywere also invited to play atthe 2012 National FFA con-vention held in Indianapolis,Indiana.

Through the inspirationof the Peterson Bros., 9-year-old 'Lil Fred' and hisbrother Justin also madetheir own parody, to theCarly Rae Jepsen hit, "CallMe Maybe" and coined it,"Farm It Maybe.”

The video, which Justin,

18, filmed and edited withsome help from their cousinSam, showed what life islike growing up on a DairyFarm in NewYork.

“Farm it Maybe” hasbeen viewed 1,500,276times, and continues togrow, with 1,460 likes onFacebook since joining thesite July 19.

Both of these YouTubevideos are just what thefarming community needed.After the drought thatplagued much of theMidwest during the pastgrowing season, some farm-ers may need reassurance asto why they should keepdoing what they are good at.

As farmers look towardthe future, they are alwaysseeking a way to promotethe importance and impactagriculture has on every per-son in the world. What bet-ter way than to do it throughyouth and social media?

I know that it is said quiteoften, and it is true: we doneed to look to our youth forthe future. Just look at theimpact of two YouTubevideos on millions across theglobe.

Through programs suchas 4-H and FFA, youtheveryday are being taughthow (to promote agricul-ture) by volunteers and edu-cators about the basics andessentials for youth to carryon the tradition of FeedingAmerican, a popular sayingthat is used among the agri-culture world and its pro-moters.

Farming is generally afamily tradition passeddown from generation togeneration, from father toson, and now daughters.Farming is not just about theannual harvest, it is so muchmore.

Outsiders looking in maysay how cool it would be tojust sit in a combine all daytaking out fields. However,field work is only half of it,there are a lot of planningand decisions to be made,like what type of fertilizer,

seeds (traditional vs.hybrid), plant treatments,etc. to use.

Farmers are always plan-ning for what the next sea-son is going to bring, andduring those times is whenyouth are learning the how,what and where of farming.

Youths’ roles on thefarm are highly valued.

Youth can be seen upbefore the sun milking cows,herding the sheep at sunset,and performing daily jobssuch as cleaning stalls, feed-ing and watering the ani-mals, and other basic needsan animal may need.Growing up on a farm is likeon-the-job training for farmkids, helping them securethemselves a bright and suc-cessful future.

As the agricultural com-

munity looks to the nextyear, and many more yearsto come, we should all keepour eye on the youth andtheir ideas on how toimprove life on a farm.Youth may be young, butthey are very smart and arealways looking for a way tomake things easier on every-one. Listening to them isgoing to be the best way forthem to get their messageacross to generations abovethem, whether it is through asong, a viral YouTube video,or in a local classroom.

hitsof Western OhioRegional Publisher - Frank Beeson

fbeeson@ohcommedia

Editor-in-Chief of Acres - Gary [email protected]

Acres of Western OhioEditor - Christina [email protected] Designer - Ashley Fritz

[email protected]

The Register-HeraldEditor - Eddie Mowen Jr.

[email protected] Manager - Leslie Collins

[email protected]

Advertising StaffDarke County - Deb [email protected]

Preble County - Betsy [email protected]

ClassifiedsDarke County - Mary Bevinsmbevins @dailyadvocate.comPreble County - Billie [email protected]

Contact ACRES of Western Ohio428 S. Broadway (P.O. Box 220) | Greenville, Ohio

Phone: 937.548.3151 Fax 937.548.3913

ACRES of Western Ohio is a monthly publicationof The Daily Advocate, partnered with The Register-Herald, to serve Darke, Preble and Wayne counties.ACRES is available at The Daily Advocate, The

Register-Herald, advocate360, and acresmidwest.com,and registerherald.com.

to share?got newsWe are looking for people who are familiar,live and/or work in the agricultural communi-ty and would like to submit information orpress releases to share in our publication, thatcovers anything and everything agriculture.

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By Gary [email protected]

With just a few weeks togo before the end of theyear, Ohio’s farmers canbreathe a sign of relief that2012 will soon be over andtheir attention can turn to2013.In fairness to 2012, most

farmers are now saying that,while the extended droughtthis past summer was bad,and had a serious impact onmany crops at harvest time -it was not as bad as somefeared and could have beenfar worse.What now has farmers

concerned is the uncertaintyof the future. What liesahead in 2013 for Ohio’sfarmers?Right now, as of the end

of November, a lot of thingsthat affect our farmersremain cloudy.

First, there is the federalFarm Bill. It hasn’t beenpassed, and if there isn’t aresolution to the stalemate inWashington, all bets are offin 2013. That is becausewithout the legislation inplace, many regulationseither end or revert back toearlier laws.This will effect farmers

and agriculture producersthroughout the United Statesand right here in Ohio.The bill includes an array

of policies that influence theprice of agricultural com-modities, ensure the avail-ability of food, temper thecost of farming and providefor agricultural research andconservation. The 2008 farmbill expired on Sept. 30, butmany of its provisions willretain funding or continue topay out until the end of theharvesting season in 2013.But the major worry is

the safety net that manyfarmers receive either yearlyor when needed - farm sub-sidies. Will some or all ofthose subsidies expire in2013 if there is no Farm Billapproved?What will happen in

2013 with the corn industryand the ongoing need forcorn in the production of

ethanol? Just beforeThanksgiving, the U.S. EPArejected a request from acoalition of states and spe-cial interest groups to rollthe ethanol standard backbecause of the corn shortagethis year.The EPA said no dice -

the standard is the standard.What that means is that mil-

lions of tons of corn will stillbe needed in 2013 for theproduction of ethanol. Whatisn’t known is what impactthat will have on corn pricesand the prices of so manyother products that use cornas its base. Supplies of cornwill be scarce after theethanol produces take theirshare. Will livestock ownerstake a major hit in 2013 inthe cost of feed?Then, there is the possi-

bility of new U.S.Department of Agriculturerules regarding health andfood safety standards. Willthose change next year?Willthere be increased pressureon more restaurant andsupermarkets chains to tellsuppliers that the animalsused for meat they receivemust have received morehumane treatment than pres-ent standards require?On top of this is the new

biodiesel tax incentive legis-lation. Will it be renewed?And the list goes on.As we prepare to wel-

come in 2013, there areplenty of questions fromOhio farmers about whatkind of year ‘13 will be.Willit be a great year or anunlucky one as the “13”implies? Time will tell.

Gary Brock is the Editorin Chief of ACRES.


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a sign of reliefBREATHE

Father of AmmoniatedNitrogen for plant nutrients

Fritz Haber((DDeecceemmbbeerr 11886688 –– JJaannuuaarryy 11993344))

By Matt [email protected]

Haber was born in Breslau, Germany.From 1886 until 1891, he studied at theUniversity of Heidelberg under RobertBunsen (more noted for the Bunsen burnerlike what is found in many Chemistry class-rooms). Before starting his own academiccareer, he worked at his father’s chemicalbusiness and in the Swiss Federal Institute ofTechnology in Zürich with George Lunge, anoutstanding professor on the subject ofIndustrial Chemistry.During his time at University of

Karlsruhe from 1894 to 1911, Fritz Haberand Carl Bosch developed the Haberprocess, which is the catalytic formation ofammonia from hydrogen and atmosphericnitrogen under conditions of high tempera-ture and pressure. He was awarded the 1918Nobel Prize in Chemistry for this work (heactually received the award in 1919).The Haber-Bosch process was a mile-

stone in industrial chemistry, because itdivorced the production of nitrogen prod-ucts, such as fertilizer, explosives and chem-ical feedstocks, from natural deposits, espe-cially sodium nitrate (caliche), of which

Chile was a major (and almost unique) pro-ducer.Naturally extracted nitrate production in

Chile fell from 2.5 million tons (employing60,000 workers and selling at $45/ton) in1925 to just 800,000 tons, produced by14,133 workers, and selling at $19/ton in1934. The annual world production of syn-thetic nitrogen fertilizer is currently morethan 100 million tons. The food base of halfof the current world population is based onthe Haber-Bosch process.He was also active in the research of com-

bustion reactions, the separation of goldfrom sea water, adsorption effects, and elec-trochemistry. He has also been described asthe “father of chemical warfare” for his workdeveloping and deploying chlorine and otherpoisonous gases during World War I.Fritz Haber contributed to agriculture by

developing an inexpensive form of fertilizer,so farmers could produce more crops to feeda growing world.

Matt Aultman is the chairman of theAgriculture Committee or the Darke CountyChamber of Commerce, and serves on themembership committee of the Darke CountyFarm BureauCCoo

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In November, youth inPreble County 4-H joinedmillions of young peopleacross the nation to becomescientists for the day by tak-ing part in a 4-H Science Day.

4-H events such as thisseek to spark an early youthinterest in science and futurescience careers, and toreclaim the nation’s positionof leadership in scientificexploration. As part of amorning of fun science exper-iments, youth participated inthe 4-H Eco-Bot Challenge:the 2012 National ScienceExperiment.

Designed by The OhioState University Extension,this year’s experiment intro-duced youth to robotic engi-neering concepts as they pro-gram an autonomous robot toclean up a simulated environ-mental spill. The 4-H Eco-Bot Challenge demonstratedthat by utilizing engineeringprinciples, youth can have apositive impact on communi-ties and ecosystems.

In Preble County, 4-H’ersenhanced their engineeringskills by assembling theirown Eco-Bots and surfacecontrols to manage an envi-ronmental clean-up. Youththen tested the interactionbetween the Eco-Bot’s designfeatures and various surfacecontrol configurations todetermine the most effectiveclean-up solution for the sim-ulated spill.

“Our nation is falling

behind other countries in thefields of science, technology,engineering and math,” saidChristy Millhouse, ExtensionEducator, 4-H.

“However, participation inhigh-quality positive youthdevelopment programs like 4-H NYSD offers youth andadults the opportunity toengage in scientific explo-ration and work together tobuild the next generation ofour nation’s scientists, engi-neers and mathematicians.”

During Preble County’s 4-H Science Day, participantsguessed what was insidemys-tery bags without opening thebag, experimented with thedensity of water and with howwater molecules work.Participants also tried a magicmilk experiment looking athow micelles are formed.Participants discoveredwhether they were a rectangleor square by measuring thelength of their outstretchedarms and their height.

To combat a nationalshortage of young people pur-suing science college majorsand occupations, and toenhance the nation’s contribu-tion to the sciences, 4-HScience Activities demon-strates that science, engineer-ing, math and technology arefun and attainable options forcollege degrees and futurecareers. Currently, more thanfive million young peopleacross the nation participatein 4-H science, engineering,

technology and applied mathyear-long programming.

Research has shown thatparticipation in 4-H programsmakes a positive difference inthe lives of youth. Youthdevelopment scholar, Dr.Richard Lerner, works withresearchers at the Institute forApplied Research in YouthDevelopment at TuftsUniversity to conduct The 4-H Study of Positive YouthDevelopment. The longitudi-nal study has found that,when compared to otheryouth, young people involvedin 4-H are:

Two times more likely toget better grades in school;

Two times more likely toplan to go to college;

Nearly three times morelikely to participate in sci-ence, engineering, or comput-er technology programs, and,

Three times more likely tomake positive contributionsto their families and commu-nities.

Overall, the study foundthat the advantages of 4-Hparticipation include highereducational achievement andhigher motivation for future

education.As part of the Cooperative

Extension System of theUnited States Department ofAgriculture (USDA) andimplemented by the nation’s111 land-grant colleges anduniversities, 4-H has beeneducating youth in the sci-ences for more than 100years. In fact, the land-grantcolleges and universities havebeen deeply involved in envi-ronmental research for sometime.

4-H’s robust, universityresearch-based science cur-riculum, combined with newinitiatives like 4-H ScienceDay, will arm young peoplewith the necessary technicalskills to help America main-tain its competitive edge inthe global marketplace,according to Millhouse.About 4-H National Youth

Science DayFor more than 100 years,

4-H has been at the forefrontof teaching youth about sci-ence, engineering and tech-nology.

Currently, more than fivemillion young people acrossthe nation participate in 4-H

science, engineering andtechnology programming intopics as varied as robotics,rocketry, wind power, GPSmapping, agricultural sci-ence, film making, waterquality and biofuels. And,through the One Million NewScientists, One Million NewIdeas campaign, 4 H hasundertaken a bold goal ofengaging one million addi-tional young people in sci-ence, engineering and tech-nology programming by2013.

For more informationabout Preble County 4-H visitwww.preble.osu.edu.

About 4-H4-H is a community of six

million young people acrossAmerica learning leadership,citizenship, and life skills.National 4-H Council is theprivate sector, non-profit part-ner of 4-H NationalHeadquarters located at theNational Institute of Food andAgriculture (NIFA) withinUSDA. 4-H programs areimplemented by the 111 land-grant colleges and universitiesand the CooperativeExtension System through

their 3,100 local Extensionoffices across the country.Learn more about 4-H atwww.4-H.org or find them onFacebook atwww.facebook.com/4-H.

ACRES of Western Ohio | December Issue 5A

Alaska CruiseJoin other Farmers onVacation!

Plus...West Coast Train Tour & San Francisco

13 Days Depart July 19, 2013 from$2298*Seven night Alaska cruise on the NCL Jewel through the scenic Inside Passage.Visit Ketchikan, “The Salmon Capital of the World” and home to the world’slargest collection of Native American totem poles; Juneau, the capital ofAlaska; and Sawyer Glacier, that calves constantly, shedding huge chunks ofice with incredible colors. Stop in Skagway, where the Gold Rush began andonshore enjoy a stroll on the weathered boardwalks; and Victoria, BC, Canada’sGarden City on Vancouver Island.

Sightseeing tours in Seattle including Pike’s Place Market & San Francisco with opportunitiesto see the Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman’sWharf. Plus Napa where you will visit two ofthe area’s premier wineries.

Scenic Amtrak Coast Starlight train trip from Seattle to San Francisco. Relax in yourAmtrak sleeper-roomette at night (includes VIP lounge).*Per person, based on double occupancy. Price based on inside cabin,upgrades available. Airfare is extra.

Canadian Rockies TourAlso includes “RockyMountain” Rail Trip &Olympic National Park

14 Days Depart August 2, 2013 from$1958*Start in Seattle, Washington; beginning your drive to Spokane. En route, visitthe Grand Coulee Dam, and Dry Falls. Drive through the beautiful lake-sidecommunities as you head east to “The Big Sky Country”of Montana. Next visitGlacier National Park. Then cross over toWaterton LakesNational Park, Glacier’s, Canadian sister park. The followingday you will travel to the town of BanZ and BanZ NationalPark. Then travel north on the IceYelds Parkway beginningyour scenic route through the Canadian Rockies. VisitLake Louise; Jasper National Park; Jasper town and YohoNational Park before crossing the Continental Divide toRevelstoke; the Lake Okanagan region and the resort town, you will board the “Sea to Sky Climb”Rocky Mountaineertrain and travel the breathtaking PaciYc coast to Vancouver.The following day you will take a ferry trip to Victoria onVancouver Island with its classic colonial architecture. Then travel back to the U.S.and enjoy another ferry trip to Port Angeles and tour Olympic National Park beforereturning to Seattle. *Price per person based on double occupancy. Airfare is extra.

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4-H youth engineer robotic solutions on 4-H Science Day4-H leads the nation in generating youth interest in science education and careers

On Wednesday, Nov. 21, youth in PrebleCounty 4-H joined millions of youngpeople across the nation to become

scientists for the day by taking part in a4-H Science Day. 4-H events such as thisseek to spark an early youth interest in

science and future science careers,and to reclaim the nation’s position ofleadership in scientific exploration.As part of a morning of fun science

experiments, youth participated in the4-H Eco-Bot Challenge: the 2012

National Science Experiment.More than two dozen kids from the

county participated.(Eddie Mowen Jr. photo)

of Western Ohio

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We are looking forpeople who are familiar,live and/or work in theagricultural community

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Submit information bythe first Tuesday of every month to:

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Eddie Mowen Jr., EditorThe [email protected] x 130

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gas prices

Areamanbeating

By Linda [email protected]

GREENVILLE - Ayoung, rural Greenville manhas come up with an innova-tive way to utilize an alterna-tive fuel to power an olderFord pick-up truck he bought.John Cleveland has used a

process called WoodGasification to produce aflammable gas that, whenpiped to the engine, acts muchas natural gas or propanewould to power a vehicle.“The wood gas generator,

also known as a gasifier, is inthe bed of my truck and pro-duces this fuel in real time ondemand,” said the 35-year-old.“My fuel is chunks of woodabout the size of a baseball.So, my truck drives on wood.”Cleveland said he has

worked on this project sinceabout March of the year andfinally drove it for the firsttime about two months ago.“I now have more than 700

miles under my belt drivingthis truck using wood as myfuel source,” he said. “To myknowledge, I am one of about30 or 40 people nationwidethat have converted a vehicleto run on wood. I am the onlyin in Ohio that I know of.”He said he learned about

the gasification process abouta year ago, having foundinformation on the Internet.“I didn’t know what it was

until I did a Google search,”he said. “I’m always a tinker-er, so a year ago I bought five-gallon wood buckets and builta wood gas generator, hookedit up to a push mower to see ifit would run. On the third pull,it started. It ran for 45 min-utes, using wood chips for apellet stove. I thought that wascool, and that I’d take it to thenext level for driving around.”Cleveland said the gasifica-

tion process has been aroundsince before World War II.“In Europe, over a million

vehicles were converted to itbecause fuel consumption wasa war effort,” he said. “It’s nota new technology, but a for-gotten technology.”He said he didn’t invent or

engineer the design he has.“I took another’s man idea

and implemented it,” he said.“Wayne Keith, a cattle farmerfrom Alabama, has drivenover a quarter of a millionmiles since 2005. I just foundthe website during myresearch. I met him last springin Argos, Ind., south of SouthBend at a wood gas conven-

tion. There were eight gas-powered engines there, butmine was don’t yet.”Keith, Cleveland said, was

“quite a gentleman.”“I used his design and I

built it,” Cleveland remarked.“I learned how to weld andvisited some scrap yards. Iestimate I have $1,000, asidefrom the truck, in it. And, Idon’t know how many hoursI’ve invested in it, maybe 400hours, in building this.”Can this system work on an

automobile?“I met a gentleman from

Wisconsin who had a ChevyCavalier at the Argos show,”Cleveland responded. “Hehauls his around on a utilitytrailer pulled by a hitch on thecar. But, I’m not going to doit.”Cleveland admitted there is

a horsepower loss when woodgas is used in a vehicle.“You’re looking for a big

motor in a little vehicle,” hesaid. “I have a 1980 Ford F-150. It’s a light vehicle and agood candidate for wood gas.”He said his goal, however,

is to go with a more moderntruck and gasify that. Hisdream vehicle would be a late1990s Dodge Dakota with a318, V-8 engine.He went on, “My only goal

in this is to show people thatthere are other alternativeenergies available beyondexpensive hybrid or electricvehicles for those who are alittle bit handy and haveaccess to a supply of wood.”Cleveland and wife Sara

live in a wooded area sur-rounding the home it took himthree years to build, so woodis no problem for himInstead of figuring how

many miles he gets to the gal-lon, he uses 1 pound or 1 1/2pounds of wood per mile,measuring his efficiency withmiles per pound.He keeps the wood chunks

in a chicken feed sack.Shavings and chips don’twork well, according to him.“It takes a little time to cut

up the wood, but I enjoy it onweekends,” he said. “I love theoutdoors.”Cleveland said his truck is

not 100 percent wood gas-powered, only 90 percent. Hestill keeps gasoline in it.And, he built another pedal

for the wood gas“I kept the ability to keep

two gas pedals at will,” hesaid. “I installed another gaspedal to the left of the brakefor the wood gas. If I need

extra get-up, I use the otherpedal. I always start it ongasoline, but use the wood gas90 percent of the time.”He works for Shook

Construction out of Dayton,and holds a bachelor’s degreein construction managementfrom Bowling Green StateUniversity.Taking a look at his truck,

the wood gas generator hebuilt and mounted is therealong with other apparatus,including a condensation col-lection tank, racks from he gotfrom field gates on both sidesto also serve as a radiator, a fil-ter as well as another collec-tion tank underneath the vehi-cle.Underneath the hood of the

tuck is a lot of PVC pipe lead-ing to various items under-neath.“I’m not a mechanic, but I

did this all by myself with nohelp except for online corre-spondence to do the modifica-tions,” he said. “Wood gas isflammable. Gas extends fromthe wood when it is heated.I’m starving the fire of oxygenso there is an incomplete com-bustion. Gases are releasedfrom the wood when heated.”The three gases he said he

harnesses are hydrogen, car-bon monoxide and methane torun the truck. Two other gasesare carbon dioxide and nitro-gen.’He lights the generator

with a propane torch whenhe’s ready to go for a ride, andsometimes even to church atSt. Paul’s Evangelical andReformed Church in Piqua.“The beauty of the system

is the gas is generated on thebed of the truck,” saidCleveland, who attended TroyChristian School througheighth grade and graduatedfrom Troy High School, in1997.The Clevelands, who are

expecting their first child atthe end of January, burn woodin their house to supplementthe electrical heat they have.“This hobby has evolved

into more than that,” he said.“It’s between a hobby andeveryday life.”Those wanting to contact

him can do so at his emailaddress [email protected], and those who wantto learn more about theprocess can go to driveon-wood.com

Linda Moody is a staffwriter at The Daily Advocatein Greenville.

John Cleveland puts some wood chunks into his wood gas generator onthe bed of his pick-up truck before he goes on a trip. Then, he ignites itwith a propane torch. (Linda Moody Photo)

John Cleveland explains all of the apparatus he built for he bed of hispick-up truck in order for him to save on fuel and not have to go to thegas pumps as much. In addition to wood gas, he still keeps gasoline inthe vehicle. (Linda Moody Photo)

By Michael [email protected]

After a long season ofworking in the fields, itcould be tempting to justpark all that equipmentinside and lock the doors.But doing some preventativemaintenance now and peri-odically through the winterwill help minimize mainte-nance time in the spring,leaving more time for plant-ing.

Joel Unger, ServiceManager at Twin ValleyEquipment in Eaton, provid-ed some basic pointers forend-of-season farm equip-ment maintenance. Many ofthe tips can go toward avariety of vehicles that areput away for the coldmonths, including lawn trac-tors, motorcycles, and cars.

“Downtime in the winteris uptime in the spring,”Unger said. “In the spring,you only have a small win-dow to get it planted. Ifyou’re down for a week ortwo, you might have lost theprime time.”

In addition to cutting thespring start-up time to aminimum, proper mainte-nance will also extend thelife of equipment and keepresale value high.

First and foremost,Unger recommended givingall equipment a good clean-ing. “The basic thing is toclean everything up,” hesaid. “As you’re cleaning,you can inspect all the hard-ware and check any wearpoints.”

Clean all planters, drills,seeders, and combines,according to a release fromUtah State UniversityExtension on winter mainte-nance. Making sure theequipment is free of anygrain and plant material willreduce rusting and make theequipment and its storagearea less attractive to pests.

“Trapped grain attractsrodents, who often make ameal of electrical wiring,leading to short circuits orother electrical problems,”the USU release states.

The same goes for balersand tractors, as any plantmaterial, dust, or soil retainsmoisture, which can lead torusty equipment. Using apower washer is a good wayto clean equipment, but besure to avoid contact withseals if using a high pow-ered washer, according tothe USU release.

After using the pressurewasher, or instead of, com-pressed air can be used toreach any hard-to-reachplaces.

According to Unger, arust preventative coatingcould be beneficial aftercleaning.

“There’s a few peoplethat will lightly coat theequipment with diesel fuelmixed with a little oil,” hesaid. “They’ll spray themachinery down to put alight film down to keep itfrom rusting. That kind ofpreserves the paint and itkeeps the metal from rust-ing.”

In various Internetforums, the ratio of diesel tooil ranges from 2-to-1 to 4-to-1. For a less flammablesolution, there are severalrust inhibitor products onthe market.

Unger also recommend-ed changing engine oil aswell as fuel and oil filters inthe winter.

“A lot of guys like tochange the oil now. Somedon’t, but I like to changethe oil as I grease everythingand check hoses and beltsfor cracks,” he said. “Fuelfilter and oil filters are ayearly maintenance item,especially on newer equip-ment. On newer equipment,you want the keep the filterschanged. It’s cheap com-pared to what injectorscost.”

All hoses and beltsshould be checked beforestorage, but Unger recom-mended changing hoses andbelts every four yearsregardless of their appear-ance.

Before storage, it’s agood idea to check thefreezing point of yourcoolant with a simpleantifreeze tester available atany hardware or auto partsstore. Unger recommendedchanging coolant every twoyears. Now is also a goodtime to lubricate any greasepoints on equipment. Eachowner’s manual givesinstructions on where thespecific points are located.

As for transmission fluid,Unger recommended itshould be changed every1,000 hours or three years.Unger also recommendedchecking hydraulic systemsbefore winter storage.

“With hydraulic systems,you want to operate themand make sure they’re liftingyour equipment properly,”he said.

Hydraulic lines shouldalso be checked at this time,as a little bit of dirt or soil ina hydraulic system cancause some expensive dam-age. With engines andhydraulic systems, a train-ing bulletin onFleetguard.com recom-mends periodically warmingup both engines andhydraulic systems duringperiods of non-usage.Hydraulic cylinders shouldnot be stored fully extended,because if temperaturesincrease, the oil will expandand could cause damage tothe system.

Tires should also bechecked for proper inflationbefore storage to reducedamage to sidewalls.

Unger said that the win-ter is the best time to checkfor the fit of any new equip-ment as well.

“If you’re updating yourequipment, for instance buy-ing a new planter and youwant to put it to your oldtractor, you want to checkyour specifications of yourtractor and planter to makesure they’re compatible,” hesaid. “We’ve run into a lot ofthat recently. New planterstake so much more oil flow,and you need a tractor tooperate that.”

As for batteries, someremove them prior to stor-age. According to USU, asmall drain on current coulddischarge the batteries andcause them to freeze in coldweather. There are severalbattery maintainer on themarket to keep batteriescharged through times ofnon-usage.

The most valuable toolfor maintenance, Ungersaid, is the owner’s manual.

Each manual gives instruc-tion for regular service inter-vals, either by years or byhours.

Twin Valley Equipmentprovides service to farmequipment, including har-

vest equipment, hay and for-age equipment, plantingequipment, and tractors.Unger also has several lawnmowers in from customersfor winter servicing. TwinValley Equipment can be

contacted at (937) 456-6281or online at www.twin-valleyequip.com.

Michael Zimmerman is astaff writer at The Register-Herald in Eaton.


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TwinValley Equipment in Eaton works on everything from lawn tractors to com-bines to bulldozers. According to Service Manager Joel Unger, wintertime is thebest time to prepare for the spring planting season. (Michael Zimmerman photo)

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TRACTORSAllis-Chalmers 7580 4WD 1981 6423 hrs, 3pt,pto 15,000Case 2590 1979 5723 hrs 1979 5723 hrs, 3 remotes--- 16,000Case IH Farmall 45 A, 2011 51 hrs, 2WD----------- 14,900Case IH MX200 MFD 2001--------------------------- 95,000Case IH 215MagnumMFD2008563hrs 4 remotes--- 159,000Case IH STX450 2004 3061 hrs 4WD 4 remotes 179,000Case IH 5240 2wd Cab 1995 4849 hrs new paint 35,000Case IH 7110------------------------------------------- 42,500Case IH 7220------------------------------------------- 52,500Farmall C 1949 with Woods 6 ft belly mower-------- 2,500IH 886 -------------------------------------------------- 12,500IH 1086 1976 7050 hrs, 2 remotes, good paint----10,000IH 1486 1977 4388 hrs 2WD new TA, new cab kit 14,500IH 1486 -------------------------------------------------14,500IH 1586 1981 3920 hrs, duals, 2 remotes, pto, nice 17,500John Deere 2440 1979 4264 hrs, loader------------12,500Kubota M5640SU 2009 2030 hrs, 2 wd, loader --- 16,900Kubota M9540 w/loader 1287 hrs 4WD------------ 37,500

SKID LOADERSCase 420 2008 601 hrs 84” QA bucket, new tires--19,900Case 430 2008 4216 hrs 62” QA bucket------------ 18,500Case 450 2007 1929 hrs 73”,HD coupler, cab and A/C--29,000Case 465 2008 6041 hrs 81”, HD Coupler, cab/ AC 26,500Case 40XT 2002 5806 hrs QA new wheel motors---9,500

DISKS & PACKERS & MULCHERS & HARROWSIH 490 22’ Disk scrapers, good blades, 1 bar harrow 8,500IH 496 22’ Disk 7-1/2’ spacing, scrapers------------13,000Unverferth 220 dbl rolling basket w/harrow 30 ft----9,300

FIELD CULTIVATORS & CHISEL PLOWSAllis-Chalmers 1300 FC 24 ft w/3 bar harrow----------950Brillion V-ripper 8 shank w/gauge wheels----------- 1,500Brillion 27-1/2’ FC 7-1/2 Nok-On sweeps, 4 bar levler 12,000Hiniker 1224 24’ Field Cultivator, single bar harrow-2,900John Deere 960 FC 24 ft w/ single bar harrow-------4,900John Deere 960 FC 30 ft w/single bar harrow------- 6,900John Deere 2700 Disc Ripper, deep tillage 5 shank 19,000Kongskilde SBC FC 21 ft Danish S-tine 4” sweeps 9,500Steiger 9 shank Digger-Disk, painted red,-----as-is- 6,900M&W 1700 Earth Master 7 shank--------------------15,000

DRILLSJohn Deere FB-B 13X7 grain drill, fert, grass seeder 1,200

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COMBINESIH 1440 1981 5291 hrs 2WD no RT, beater as-is--- 7,900IH 1440 1982 4116 hrs 2WD, RT, beater----as-is--12,000Case IH 1640 1992 3611 hrs-------------------------19,000Case IH 1644 1994 3955 hrs 2wd beater, RT-------36,500Case IH 1660 1986 4582 hrs 2WD chop, RT, spec rotor 20,000Case IH 1660 1990 4545 hrs 2WD RT, Beater------30,000Case IH 2166 1996 2681 rotor hrs, 2WD, RT, chopper 65,000Case IH 2366 1999 2090 rotor hrs, 2WD, RT,chopper 69,000Case IH 2388 1999 3115 rotor hrs 2WD, chopper-69,000Case IH 2388 2003 2040 rotor hrs 2wd RT,chop---95,000Case IH 2388 2004 954 rotor hrs 4WD RT, FT,chop 159,000Case IH 2577 2008-----------------------------------179,000Case IH 2588 2007 1746 rotor hrs, 2WD, duals--169,000John Deere 9750STS 2001 1551 rotor hrs 2WD---99,000

CORN HDS/PLATFORMSIH 820 20 ft, wooden bats, manual fore and aft------1,500Case IH 1020 20’ Grain Head 1986 SCH knife--------6,500Case IH 1020 20’ 1986 SCH, Johnson Rock Guard- 6,900Case IH 1020 25’ 1989----------------------------------5,900

Case IH 1020 25’ 1988, 3” bolt on-------------------12,000Case IH 1020 30’ 1994 FT, SCH knife, oil bath-------7,500Case IH 1020 30’ 1998 FT 3” bolt on knives, poly skid 12,000Case IH 1020 30’ Grain Head 1999 rock guard FT 3” 12,500Case IH 1020 30’ Grain Head 2000, FT-------------- 13,860Case IH 1020 30’ 1997, FT, SCH, Rockguard-------14,900Case IH 1020 30’ 2004 3” bolt on knife, field tracker 17,500Case IH 1020 30’ 2004-------------------------------- 20,000Case IH 1020 30’ 1995 SCH, field tracker, poly skid 23,000Case IH 2020 35’ 2010--------------------------------19,000Case IH 2062 30’ 2007 Draper------------------------42,000Case IH 2162 40’ 2011 Draper------------------------65,000John Deere 930 30’ 2000----------------------------- 10,000John Deere 930 30’ 2001----------------------------- 14,500IH 863 6 row 30”-----------------------------------------3,900Case IH 1063 6-30” Corn Head 1986------------------8,500Case IH 2206 30” 2003 manual adjust knives, lights 29,000Case IH 2208 8-30” Corn Head 2003 field tracker--40,000John Deere 693 corn head 1998-----------------------9,500

AUGERSMayrath 62’ X 8” Swingaway---------------------------3,150Mayrath 62’ X 10” Swingaway----mech drive--------4,100Mayrath 62’ X 10” Swingaway- mech drive, corn screen 4,900Mayrath 62’ X 10” Swingaway- mech drive---------- 5,500Mayrath 62’ X 10” Swingaway- mech drive---------- 5,900Cardinal 45’ X 8” bottom drive, pto----------------------750Koyker 72’ X 8” Swingaway hyd drive-----------------1,250

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ROTARY CUTTERS & FINISH MOWERSBush Hog 105 5ft rotary mower 3 point-----------------500Bush Hog 206 6ft rotary mower 3 point-----------------200Bush Hog 306 6ft rotary mower 3 point-------------- 1,050Bush Hog 2615L 1000 pto, front and rear chains--- 9,500Land Pride FDR2584 7ft finishmower, 3 point, rear disch1,595M&W 15 ft rotary mower, hyd fold, 540 pto----------7,500Woods M5 5ft 3 point rotary mower---------------------500Woods S105 5 ft side ditch mower--------------------2,000

WAGONS & BOXES & CARTSJ&M 250 box 10 ton gear 11L-15 tires---------------1,200J&M 250 box JD gear, 15 ft hyd seed auger----------2,900J&M 350 box 13 ton gear 10.00x20 tires-------------3,650J&M 350 box 13 ton gear 10.00x20 tires-------------3,650J&M 350 box 13 ton gear 10.00x20 tires-------------3,650J&M 750-14 Cart, red, tarp---------------------------23,000Kill Bros 300 Center Dump 10.00-20 tires------------1,900Kill Bros 375 wagon 12 ton gear, 10-20 tires, lights-3,200Kill Bros 1600 Grain Cart, 800 bu, orange. Scales-10,000Home made header trailer------------------------------1,500

MISC.FFC Big Bale Spear 2 lower/ 1 upper skidloader QA ---900Case 2-12” pull type plow---------------------------------500King Kutter 7 ft Grader Blade----like new----------------375

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begins family tradition

A labor


VERSAILLES - Alanand Jeff Wuebker are per-forming a labor of love, Alanstated, and one that theylearned to love as boysgrowing up on their familyfarm. Now they’re trying toinstill that same love in theirown children, Alan com-mented. According to AlanWuebker, it is working withhis 6-year-old son, Andrew,who visits the farm beforegoing to kindergarten eachday.“It’s a labor of love; and

the fact that my son cancome out here, I call it‘Daddy Daycare’ or‘Wuebker Farm Daycare’,”Wuebker joked. “He gets tolearn day to day, and I hopeit inspires him. There arenew challenges every day,and that keeps it interesting.”The Wuebkers operate

two farms in Darke County,Wuebker said, and it’s a 365-day-a-year job, includingholidays and weekends.They move through over100,000 baby pigs each year,he said, with around 45,000coming through on one farm,and around 60,000 on theother. The Wuebkers breedand farrow hogs, keepingthem only 21 days afterbirth, when they are weanedand go on to a finishing barn,Wuebker said.“A farrow-to-wean opera-

tion is kind of like an OBward,”Wuebker commented.“We keep the babies warmunder heat lamps at about 90degrees, and we have to keep

the mama pigs happy, ‘causeif mama’s not happy, noone’s happy - kind of likewith humans. She just wentthrough giving birth, andthere are all these changesthat she has to acclimate to,we just try to make that tran-sition easier.”The mothers are kept in

farrowing crates so that theycannot crush the baby pigswhen they lay down to nursethem, Wuebker said. Theyalso have to keep the babypigs dry, for which they useQuick Dry, which looks likeflour, but the baby pigs rollaround in it and it helps wickthe moisture, keeping themwarmer.When the Wuebkers were

children, their father had 48sows, or mother pigs, nowWuebker Farms keeps about4,600 sows, which producearound 1,000 piglets eachweek, Wuebker said.“When we were kids, it

was much more labor inten-sive,” Wuebker stated. “Ialways thought it was neat,though, to see the baby pigsgrow.”According to Wuebker,

their goal is to educate peo-ple as much as it is to breedand farrow, which is whythey brought in bloggersfrom around the country totour their facilities, he said.“It’s not always a glam-

orous job, but in the wholeworld we produce the safest,cheapest, and most whole-some foods right here inAmerica,” Wuebker stated.“A farmer’s trying to pro-duce the best quality for con-sumers; so it’s not a glam-

orous job, but it’s one welove to do.”All together the

Wuebkers birth enough pigseach year to produce210,000 Christmas hams, or1.5 million servings of bone-less pork loin, he said. Andthe biggest challenge iskeeping the baby pigshealthy, he said.Last year an airborne dis-

ease moved through theMidwest, and it was a devas-tating blow for the pigs,Wuebker commented. It wasalso an economic hit for theWuebkers, as was thedrought that occurred overthe summer, he said.“The drought’s main

affect was economic, as thecost of feed rose dramatical-ly,” Wuebker said. “It’sgoing to affect consumers,too, as fewer farmers arebreeding, which means thereare fewer pigs for slaughter.”In a four month period

the cost of pigs rose about$50, Wuebker stated,because demand grew. Theweek of the Great DarkeCounty Fair, Wuebker saidthe cost of weaner, or babypigs was $8.08, while thecost of corn was $8.48 perbushel; and for every pigborn on the Wuebker’s farm,it takes about 10 bushes ofcorn to feed them and makea Christmas ham. Currently,the cost of weaner pigs isaround $57, while the cost ofcorn is around $7.50 perbushel, Wuebker stated.

Heather Meade is a staffwriter at The Daily Advocatein Greenville.

Andrew Wuebker is just 6 years old, but he’s already learningabout the family business every day before kindergarten, hisdad, Alan Wuebker, commented. Alan hopes to pass on thefamily tradition of farrow-to-wean pig production to his son,and so far it looks like it’s working. Each year,Wuebker Farmsmoves over 100,000 weaner, or baby pigs, like the 3-day-oldpiglet thatAndrew is holding. That’s nearly 200,000 Christmashams, or 1.5 million boneless pork loins, Alan stated.(Heather Meade photo)

oflove

Public perception ofcattle producers. Animalwelfare has become the“battle cry” for people whooppose animal agriculture.We must not only continueto produce animalshumanely but now we haveto show and insure the con-suming public that we dothat. The “anti’s” are notthe consuming public. The“anti’s” don’t eat meat and they are not likely to changebut we can’t sit back and watch them destroy animalagriculture. What they seem to believe is that all sentient(anything that can sense pain) beings are equal tohumans. How will you respond when you see yourself as“animal caregivers” but your way of life is attacked andvilified? You will need to work on this. Those attackswill probably continue.

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A paradigm shift is a change in your way ofthinking that doesn’t just happen but is driven byagents of change. Dr. Roy Burris, Beef ExtensionSpecialist, University of Kentucky, recentlyshared that young cattle producers will have todeal with these “agents of change” in ways thatwe could not have imagined a generation ago.Some of these changes are in the areas of:

Decreased use of grain.This is a “game changer”. Inthe future cattle enterpriseswill not be able to competefor grain. We will have moredependence on forages andby-product feeds. Cattle can-not compete with land-leaseprices which are being paidby grain farmers and therewill be more pressure to usegrain for the rapidly increas-ing world population. Youngproducers might want tobackground cattle on foragesand by-products so that they can spend less time in feed-lots. We will need to select and manage cattle so that theycan produce acceptable carcasses with less grain.

Dealing with science. Dr. Roy Burris knows howsome folks think that young farmers are “good ole boys”who like to be outdoors. Forget that. Good cattle pro-ducers will, in the future, have to have an understandingof science that will go well beyond what you get in highschool. You will need to have a working knowledge of,not just genetics, but genomics, nutrigenomics, etc.These things sound difficult but will help you take the

guesswork, and some risk, out of cattle production. Forexample, we can determine the genetic make-up of cat-tle and select/breed for cattle that carry genes for desiredtraits. Or, we might be able to feed and manage cattle toregulate the genes that they have. For example, we mightbe able to “turn on” genes that control immunity prior tovaccinating and shipping feeder cattle by feeding partic-ular forms of nutrients. This would have obvious healthbenefits. But … technology is only good if you knowhow to use it properly. Take every opportunity to learnnew things.

Financial management.He would caution youngcattle producers not to planon mortgaging your par-ents’ farm to get your start.Lending institutions do notwant to have to forecloseon land and homes thathave been in families forgenerations. That hap-pened in the 1980’s andwas a public relationsnightmare for them. Youshould be able to present abusiness plan and showthat you can cash flow your operation. You have to havea viable business plan.

Finally, you will need to be savvy with new andemerging technology. Opportunities exist for those whoadapt to change but doing things the same way as grand-pa may signal an early exit from the cattle business.There will continue to be good opportunities for youngcattlemen in the future. You will need to be up for thetask.

Want to start making a difference now? Ohio BeefAmbassador Applications due Dec. 14. Ohio youth, maleand female, ages 16-19 as of Sept. 1, 2012, are encouragedto participate in the first Ohio Beef Ambassador contest.Beef Ambassadors advocate for the beef industry by edu-cating consumers about beef nutrition, food safety andstewardship practices of beef farmers. Participants, or theirfamilies, do not need to be actively involved in the beefindustry or belong to the Ohio Cattlemen’s orCattlewomen’s Association to compete in the contest.Applications are due Dec. 14, with the contest being

held in conjunction with the Ohio Cattlemen’s AssociationAnnual Meeting, Jan. 26, 2013, in Columbus. During thecontest a team of Ambassadors will be selected to representOhio’s beef industry. Once they are trained through theMasters of Beef Advocacy program, the Ambassadors willattend beef promotion events such as the Ohio DieteticsConference, Ohio State Fair and related events. They willalso be involved in social media applications for the beefindustry.For more information and the application visit

www.ohiocattlewomen.com/youth.html or contact KathySautter, OBAP Coordinator at 419-492-2576 or [email protected]. For more detailed information,visit the Darke County OSU Extension web site athttp://darke.osu.edu, the OSU Extension Darke CountyFacebook page or contact Sam Custer at 937.548.5215.

ACRES of Western Ohio | December Issue 9ABy Sam CusterDarke County OSU Extension

Sam Custer is the Darke CountyAgriculture Educator for The OhioState University Extension.

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The Ohio StateUniversityScholarshipOpportunity

The Ohio StateUniversity Alumni Club ofDarke County announcesthe availability of four

scholarships.Graduating seniors of the

class of 2013 who havebeen admitted to The OhioState University for fallentrance are eligible. To beconsidered for this scholar-ship, seniors must be a resi-dent of or attending highschool in Darke County.

Those applying are prefer-ably ranked in the top 10percent of their high schoolclass and must be recom-mended by a school princi-pal, counselor, or teacherbased on scholarship abilityand character.

A record of performancein school and community

activities will be reviewedas part of the interviewprocess. This will be used toselect students with a soundinterest and positive attitudetoward college work.

Seniors are to see theirhigh school guidance coun-selor for an application.

Celebrate theholiday season withOhio Proud products

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the Ohio Proud web site atwww.ohioproud.org forpartner web sites andrecipes for holiday meals.Ohio Proud can also befound on Pinterest, sharinghome-grown gift, recipe andparty planning ideas.

Ohio Proud is a programof the Ohio Department ofAgriculture that helps con-sumers identify food andagricultural products pro-duced by local farmers andfood processors. Ohio com-panies that grow or make atleast 50 percent of theirproduct in Ohio are eligibleto join the Ohio Proud pro-gram. There are currently456 Ohio Proud partnerslocated across 78 of Ohio’s88 counties.


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JOHN DEERE'08 9670STS . . . . . . . .$215,000'02 9650STS . . . . . . . . .$79,500'97 9600 . . . . . . . . . . . . .$55,000'05 9560STS . . . . . . . .$135,000'95 9510 . . . . . . . . . . . . .$80,000'98 9510 . . . . . . . . . . . . .$61,900

GLEANER'98 R62 . . . . . . . . . . . . .$75,000

NEW HOLLAND‘11 CR9070 . . . . . . . . .$290,000'07 CR9070 . . . . . . . . .$210,000'08 CR9060 . . . . . . . . .$225,000'10 CR9060 . . . . . . . . .$260,000'05 CR960 . . . . . . . . . .$165,000

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CASE IHTrue Tandem Turbo 330-25' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$42,500

330-34' . . . . . . .$50,000-$54,500330-42’ . . . . . . . . . . . . .$68,000

LANDOLLVert Till 7431 Disc, 31' . .$59,000

McFARLANEVert Till RD4035RB . . . .$37,500

GREAT PLAINSTurbo Chopper 24' . . . . .$39,000Turbo Till 30' . . . . . . . . .$49,500Turbo Till 24' . . . . . . . . .$39,500Ultra Till 30' . . . . . . . . . .$34,000Ultra Till 52' . . . . . . . . . .$35,000

SALFORDVert Till 570RTS . . . . . . .$32,500

THESE AVILABLE JAN. '13.... CALL'12 CIH Steiger 350, 4WD'12 cih Magnum 110, fwa'12 CIH Magnum 190, fwa'05 NH TM190, FWA'11 CIH Steiger 435 4WD . . . . . . . .$259,500'12 CIH Steiger 350, 4WD . . . . . . . $255,000'12 CIH Magnum 315, FWA . . . . . .$238,000'10 CIH MAG 210 CVT FWA . . . . . .$149,600'10 CIH MAG 225 CVT FWA . . . . . .$169,500'12 CIH MAG 235 FWA . . . . . . . . . .$182,500'08 CIH MAG 275 FWA . . . . . . . . . .$150,000'08 CIH MAG 275 FWA . . . . . . . . . .$155,000'09 CIH MX125 2WD . . . . . . . . . . . .$56,500'06 CIH MX215 FWA . . . . . . . . . . . .$118,000'06 CIH MX255 FWA . . . . . . . . . . .$127,500'03 CIH MXM140 FWA . . . . . . . . . . .$65,000'04 CIH MX175, 2WD . . . . . . . . . . .$60,000'03 CIH MXM190, FWA . . . . . . . . . .$69,500'06 CIH JX1100U FWA . . . . . . . . . . .$39,950‘11 CIH Farmall 85C . . . . . . . . . . . . .$47,500

‘93 CIH 595 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$12,900‘99 Allis 5660 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$13,900‘94 Allis 9690 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$45,000'09 CAT Challenger MT545B FWA . .$89,500'06 JD 5525 2WD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$32,500'97 JD 6300 2WD w/Ldr. . . . . . . . . . .$28,000'95 JD 6200 FWA w/Ldr. . . . . . . . . . .$31,500'04 JD 8120 FWA . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$134,000‘08 MF 5445 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25,000‘89 MF 390 FWA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$17,500'08 NH TL100A 2WD . . . . . . . . . . . .$33,500'03 NH TN65 2WD . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$13,500'04 NH TS100A 2WD . . . . . . . . . . . .$30,500'00 NH TC35S4 FWA w/Ldr. . . . . . . .$13,500'06 NH TN75DA FWA . . . . . . . . . . . .$26,000'08 NH TN75SA FWA w/Ldr. . . . . . . .$29,500'04 NH TS100A FWA w/Ldr. . . . . . . .$39,900'10 Kubota BX2660 Compact, 4WD ..$12,900'08 MF 5445, 2WD . . . . . . ... . . . . . .$25,000CIH 580D TLB, 2WD, New Tires . . .$12,500NH 655A TLB, Ext Hoe . . . . . . . . . . .$12,500

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'02 - '08 Case IH 1200 16R30" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$44,950-$85,000'04 Case IH 1200 12R30" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$48,000'10 Case IH 1250 24R30" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$140,000'06 Great Plains Yp1625 16/32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$85,000'98 John Deere 1750 6R Corn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$23,900'97 John Deere 1760 12R Corn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$34,500'98 John Deere 1770 16R Corn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$43,500'02 JD 1780 16/31R Corn/Bean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$46,500'03 JD 1790 16/32R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$79,000JD 7200 6R30 Conserv . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$13,900

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GP 1500/CPH . . . . . . . .$18,500JD 1560, 15’ . . . . . . . . .$24,000

JD 1690, AIR, 30’ . . . . . .$55,000‘10 JD 1990 CCS, 30’ . .$85,000

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09 JM 1151-22D . . . . . . .$46,000‘09 JM 875-18 . . . . . . . .$31,500JM 500 . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,500‘09 KB 1200 . . . . . . . . . . .$9,950

‘08 KZ 1050 . . . . . . . . . .$52,500‘08 KZ 800 . . . . . . . . . . .$18,000‘08 KZ 840 . . . . . . . . . . .$27,500‘07 KZ 850 . . . . . . . . . . .$42,500

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Kinze 2600 16R30, Corn/Bean, several available . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$36-$47,000‘01 Kinze 3000, 15/30R, Corn/Bean, Insect, KPMII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$29,500‘01 Kinze 3200, 12R, Econo-Fold No-Till, KPMII Mon, Corn . . . . . . . . . . .$39,500‘01 Kinze 3600, 16/32, No-Till Turbo, Air Boom, Box Ext . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$59,500‘02 Kinze 3600, 12 RN, No-Till, Liq Fert, Insect, Keetons . . . . . . . . . . . . .$52,000‘03 Kinze 3600, 16RN, Box Ext, 2 Yrs on Rebuild . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$56,500


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GETTYSBURG – The King family began theirpoultry business in 1994 as a way to “keep five boysbusy,” stated Marilyn King, the matriarch of the family.Today, only Reuben and Levi remain in the family busi-ness, raising their birds as well as running the processingside of the business, King said.“We never dreamed it would go to this capacity, and

we keep adding on,” King commented.Since they began 18 years ago, the business has added

on or remodeled five times to accommodate their growth,King said, and they’re still swamped with business.“This year, we’re busier than ever,” King stated while

taking phone calls and directing customers.The total number of birds that pass through the King’s

processing plant each year is between 120,000 and130,000, King said. In 1994, when they started, she saidthey processed about 5,000 birds a year.Nearly 4,000 chickens and turkeys were slaughtered

for Thanksgiving, King said. They were then defeath-ered; gutted; heads and feet removed; insides cleanedout; liver, heart and gizzard cleaned; chilled to 40degrees; and finally packaged to await pick up by thecustomer.According to King, the main job right now is process-

ing turkeys, chickens, pheasants, guineas and other poul-try for other people, and most of their business comesfrom outside of Darke County, she said.“We work by appointments, and our nearest competi-

tion is in Tuscarawas County,” King commented. “We’realso inspected by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, soanytime there are live birds here, each one is inspected.”Only around 800 of the 4,000 birds processed for

Thanksgiving are ones raised by the Kings, she said, therest come from all around Ohio. The King boys raisearound 25,000 chickens a year, starting them from dayone, King said.The cost has gone up since last year, King comment-

ed, from $1.99 per pound last year for turkeys to $2.59per pound this year. The cost of bringing a bird to beprocessed is about 30 cents per pound, dressed weight,King said. The reason she gave for the rise in price? Therise in feed costs.In one day the Kings can process 1,550 chickens, she

said. On Nov. 19 they processed 800 turkeys, with anoth-er 500 expected to be processed on Nov. 20, King said.And they’ve already got their regulars booked for nextyear, too, King commented.“They know we tend to fill all our spots, and don’t

have room to do our own, so they book ahead,” saidKing. “We’re pretty much wiped out right now, it’sexhausting.”Customers can buy King’s poultry from King’s

Poultry Farm Country Market, located at 8091 HoratioHarris Creek Road, outside of Gettysburg. For moreinformation on King’s Poultry, call 937-448-2448 or visittheir website at www.KingsPoultryFarm.com.

Heather Meade is a staff writter at The DailyAdvocate in Greenville.


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There is more to the OhioCorn and Wheat GrowersAssociation than meets the… ear.Nowhere is that best

illustrated than in the pas-sion, leadership and lobby-ing efforts of two of theorganizations’ district direc-tors, Chad Kemp and BillBerg.As the association’s

director for District 6, whichincludes Darke County,Kemp said one the the mostimportant duties he has islobbying on behalf of farm-ers, a function that has takenhim from the statehouse inColumbus to the nation’scapital in Washington D.C.where he has helped fight forrules and regulations thataffect corn and wheat grow-ers in his district and state.Among some of the high-

er profile issues he has lob-bied for was the state’s and

the nation’s farm bills.“We help shape our new

farm bills with legislatorsand educate them on whatfarmers need on the farm,”said Kemp, who said it canbe challenging speakingwith legislators regardingagricultural topics becausemany aren’t knowledgeableabout what farmers want andneed.Kemp, a former Franklin-

Monroe fifth-grade teacher,said that task grows more

difficult every year and thatas new generations of farm-ers come about things suchas farming methods andissues arise and change.“Much of it is relation-

ship-building,” Kemp said ofhis role with the association.“We go into politicians’offices and we are a resourcefor them. Some of the peoplewe deal with have neverstepped on a farm, but theyrun agriculture, so we arethere as a resource.”

Kemp said there are chal-lenges and that they comemostly from misinformation,saying “we have a safe andabundant food supply.”When it comes to chal-

lenging issues that arose dur-ing the 2012 harvest seasonKemp did not hesitate to saythe lack of rain that was notonly felt throughout south-western Ohio, but statewide.“I farm down the I-70

corridor and we wereblessed compared to someparts of the state,” saidKemp, a fifth-generationfarmer who grows and har-vests corn, wheat and soy-beans. “We just didn’t getany rain. It is just so dis-heartening.”Like Kemp, Berg, the

association’s director ofDistrict 3, performs many ofthe responsibilities as hiscounterparts but said one ofthe biggest decisions hemade regarding the associa-tion came last year when hehelped decide some key

roles in the organization,including a new objectivedirector.“It was one of the biggest

decisions I made in my lifeto either move someone newup or hire someone new,that’s always a difficult deci-sion,” Berg said. “That deci-sion has turned out to be areally good one and weadvanced a person we hadon staff and he really steppedup. I am really impressedand I am very happy.”While the association

works locally, a lot of whatthey do not only involvesnational-level politics, butalso statewide agricultureissues.One thing Berg said he is

especially proud of is hiswork with helping create astatewide farm bill, whichwas a challenge becausemany state legislators are farremoved from issues mostfarmers have to deal withprofessionally and personal-ly.“Some (politicians) are

too far removed from agri-culture and they don’t knowwhat is happening on thefarm today,” Berg said. “Oneof the largest problems isregulation. …We try to keepthat under control.”He said he goes to

Washington, D.C. abouttwice a year to lobby andfight for corn and wheatgrowers, which is somethinghe said he enjoys doing.

One such issue he used asan example was genetically-modified crops.“We defended that big

time,” he said. “There isnothing wrong with geneticcrops. It’s just anotherquicker way of doing some-thing.”This year’s farming sea-

son wasn’t as good as Berghad hoped as dry weatherwelcomed the crops and thena barrage of rainfall inAugust have resulted inexpected yields being belowaverage this year.“It’s tough, I have insur-

ance and that made me sleepbetter,” he said. “But youstill lose. We all would havebeen better off with thecrops. … I love to see crops.It doesn’t get any better thanthat.”Berg has been a farmer

for his entire life. He and hisbrother farm 1,300 acres ofcorn, wheat, soybeansthroughout his district.“It’s unbelievable what

we do today,” Berg said.“Some city people don’tknow what we do, but wecare for the land. We don’twant to eat bad food.”For more information on

the Ohio Corn and WheatGrowers Association, visittheir website at: ohiocor-nandwheat.org.

Will Sanders is a staffwriter for The Daily Call inPiqua.

Representative from the Ohio Corn andWheat Growers Association work tire-lessly for the state’s farmers and farming community. Above, a local farmerharvests a field after this past summer’s drought. Yields for corn and soybeansare low across the state for this 2012 growing season.

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Bill Berg Chad Kemp

There’s more than meets the ‘ear’

substance from his glovesonto his work pants.

Brown’s eccentricitycould be a way to liven up aslow period, too.Winter isn’tthe busiest or most profitabletime for a nursery, butBrown’s jester-like personal-ity has kept customers com-ing back in November andDecember to pick out, cutand load the nursery’s home-grown Christmas trees, evenif that pesky artificial treehas put a noticeable dent inlocal businesses such as this.

“I don’t know why peo-ple prefer artificial trees.They’re not any fun. Peopleare just lazy now. They gotlazy. They’d rather have apre-lit tree that’s already gota stand on it. People justdon’t want to do any work.We’re a lazy society. Butwe’re holding our own,”Brown said, changing thesubject as quickly as hestarted it.

“I won’t lie. We still sellas many Christmas trees aswe did 10 years ago. Wehaven’t went down (insales), but we also haven’twent up. We’ve leveled out.And it’s amazing we’ve lev-eled out, because we alwayslose some people. But wealways gain new people thatstill value the appeal of a realtree.”

A. Brown & Sons hasover 1,500 acres of nursery,200 of which are dedicatedto Christmas trees, althoughBrown admits they reallyonly need about 60.

“We went from plantingseven-thousand trees a yearto about fifteen-hundred,

two-thousand. We’ve got thebiggest and best trees in thestate of Ohio. But peopledon’t want them,” saidBrown, who’s always readyto talk tangentially.

“They may go buy a realtree, but it might not belocal. A lot of places selltrees from Michigan thatwere cut several weeksbefore they buy it. We don’t.We just started cutting (it’smid-November), and we cutas the season goes on, all theway up to the 21st ofDecember. My trees are sofresh you’ll have to slapthem.”

They are fresh, no doubtabout it. Brown cut off theend of a Douglas Fir and thesmell from the wood wassweet and citrus-like (andthat smell has stayed, nearlythree weeks later). He doesthis for all his customers —cuts the end off — and sug-gests they drill a hole in thetree’s circular end and use itas an ornament to commem-orate the year. A memento ofsorts.

“If you had a baby, puttheir name and birthday onit, Christmas 2012. If yougot married, put youranniversary date on it,Christmas 2012,” Brownsaid. “I cut these for peopleall the time, and they love it.I tell them if they save it forfifty years, it’s a free treewhen they bring it back andshow it. I have one womanwho’s had one for forty-fouryears. She’s almost there.”

Those are the type ofpeople Brown likes andwants as customers — peo-

ple that buy once and comeback each season.

“A lot of our customersare people who have beenbuying from us for years. Itmay be a generational thing.People come fromCincinnati, from Louisville.They won’t by any tree otherthan the types we grow.There’s not much loyaltylike that anymore. Peopledon’t support small busi-nesses,” Brown said.

“When we plantedChristmas trees twenty yearsago things were great. But inthe last five years we had tocut down. I love these peoplewho think they’re going toget rich selling Christmastrees. We’re busy for twoweekends and people seethat and say they can plantthem and sell them, too.Then they lose their butts.We’re an established busi-ness, an established nursery.We don’t rip people off.We’ll give you the best dealin town on a good tree.”

The prices are reasonable(the cheapest tree is $15), soif, as Brown said, you’relooking for an authentic, tra-ditional way to celebrateChristmas, A. Brown &Sons’ Christmas tree lot at7701 Salem Ave. in Claytonand on Rock Ridge Road inPreble County is open now.You can get real wreaths androping there, too, handmadefresh daily.

“Try a live one. Get thatexperience. It’ll be great.

They smell nice. And it’s aliving thing. Give it somewater. It’ll live,” Brown said.“I don’t understand whyanyone would want an artifi-cial tree from China in theirhouse. It’s painted. There’slead in it. You’re breathingthat in. That’s not good foryou. That’s not good for any-one.”

That’s Mike Brown, thecrazy Christmas tree guy.

Ryan Peverly is a staffwriter for The Register-Herald in Eaton.

DARKE COUNTY -Since it’s inception, FarmSafety 4 Just Kids (FS4JK)has been working to keepchildren working, living on,or visiting the farm safe.

Now, 25 years old,FS4JK has become estab-lished as a leader in thechildhood farm safety move-ment. More than 150 com-munities across the UnitedStates and Canada have ini-tiated grassroots chapters toaddress farm safety issuesfor local children, youth andfarm families. Millions ofchildren have attendedFS4JK events and learnedabout safety on the farm.

Education and awarenessare the keys to keeping kidssafe. Please make the futureof agriculture in our com-munity a priority.

The Darke CountyChapter is proud of thosewho have so graciously sup-ported us since the chapterwas formed in 2004. Eachyear, more and more peoplehave stepped forward withtheir donations of time andmoney to further the causeof “promoting a safe farmenvironment to preventhealth hazards, injuries, andfatalities to children andyouth.”

We would like to thankthe following 2012 donorsand volunteers:

Progressive Ag SafetyDay 2012 FS4JK sponsors:$500 or more: Lydia

Schaurer Memorial Fund,Greenville Rotary andAndersons, Inc.; $100 ormore: Darke County TractorPuller’s, GEAPS, GrainElevator & ProcessingSociety, Buckeye StateMutual Insurance Company,Keith Troutwine InsuranceAgency, Kelly and NancyBrehm, Littman-ThomasInsurance Agency, Chris and

Carmen Shoemaker andFamily, Jon JordanInsurance Agency, MonroeAg, Inc., Gary and JaneBrown, Monsanto,Harvestland, Pitsburg,R.J.Cox Company; $50 ormore: Barga Farms, Brianand Machelle Rhoades,Charles and Marsha PrasuhnFarm, C.F. Poepelman, Inc.,Crop Star Consulting, Inc.,

Carroll and HelenThompson, D&RConstruction, Inc.,DeanThompson, Stewart Seeds,Dave Worch Farms, Inc.,Ebbert’s Seeds, Farmer’sState Bank, GreenvilleNational Bank, GreenvilleTechnology, Inc.,Harvestland, HollingerExcavating, Inc., Jim GableInsurance Agency, Inc.,

Johnston ChiropracticClinic, Inc., Lee and CarolJackson, Leis Realty, LymeSeed Service, Midwest AgTransport, R.J. WarnerInsurance Company, Steveand Barb Marker, and Tomand Barbara Jackson.

Other monetary dona-tions: Bill and MyraColeman, Donna Stickley,Crop Production Service,

Ansonia, David and MargeWarner, Don and JaneRoberts, Don and JanetRhoades, Dale and KarenDirckson, Dwight and DebWarner, Gene and SandyThompson, Joel and RhondaKress, John and AmandaFischer, Krimper’s Korner,Lance and Janey Moore,Linda Feitshans, Melvin andMary Filburn, Melvin andMary Ann Stucke, Randyand Rhonda Brown, RodSease Farms, Ron and DorisBarga, Scott and KimMorrison and SueannPuckett.

Material donations:Diane Evans, State FarmInsurance, Army Corp ofEngineers, Farm Safety 4Just Kids, National Office,National Rifle Association(Greenville PoliceDepartment), ArcanumHardware, Anderson’sEthanol, Darke CountyFarm Bureau, Reiter Dairy,McDonald’s South andDarke County Solid WasteManagement.

The chapter will resumetheir monthly meetings inMarch 2013 and will besponsoring their 9th annualProgressive Ag Safety Dayon June 11, 2013 at theDarke County Fairgroundsin Greenville. For informa-tion of how you can becomeinvolved, please contactJanet Rhoades, 937-448-2740, or email [email protected].


Farm Safety 4 Just Kidsthanks sponsors

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BROWN from pg. 1

Mike Brown, the crazy Christmas tree guy, cuts off the end of a Douglas Fir atone of his farms. Brown owns and operates A. Brown & Sons Nursery outsidePhillipsburg with his three brothers and, not surprisingly, is a staunch oppo-nent of artificial Christmas trees. (Ryan Peverly photo)


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525 Computer/Electric/Office

COMPUTER: Windows2000 Compaq completew/everything, HP print-er/copier/scanner, unusedink cartridges, cover.Great for kids to playgames on. $30.(937)564-0787

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535 Farm Supplies/Equipment

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TRACTOR: 1953 FordJubilee Tractor w/scraperblade. Great condition.$4,200obo (937)684-3261

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BLOWER: Craftsman'sBlower with suction tubeand bag. Like new. $75(937)548-2861

HEDGE TRIMMER weedeater, gas powered, 18"bar, like new condition.$100 (937)548-2738

MOWER: 0 turn Sgag turftiger. Hours 1726. 27-HP,Kawasaki ki FD750D, en-gine water cooled. 61"deck advantage. $3,000(937)417-3222

MOWER ACCESSORY:Craftsman 2 Bin BaggingSystem. 42" deck. $125(937)423-7865

MOWER: Troy-Bilt PushMower, Self-propelled. 2months old. $200(937)547-9128

577 Miscellaneous

AB LOUNGER w/CD. Ingreat shape. $50 Formore info: (937)968-7899

577 Miscellaneous

AFGHAN: Large afghan,handmade. Brown & white$50 (937)338-5806

ARCADE video games:classic, collectible. Val-ued @$1,000. Sell: $250(937)548-3873

BAGS: 3 "thirty-one gifts"Thermal Totes. $18 each.Call/text for pic & info.(937)467-9347

BEARS: Raikes Bears(boy and girl) $25 forboth. (937)548-1934

BIKER COAT: BikersLong Rider Leather Coat,full-length. $100(937)968-4846


577 Miscellaneous

BIKES: Several boysbikes ranging from16"-20". Prices rangingfrom $10-$40.(937)548-0911

BLANKET SLEEPERS:Infant and little kids blan-ket sleepers. Up to size 6.Must see. $3 ea. 50 centsto $5. (937)968-7899

CAMERA: Digital SonyCyber-shot, silver, 16.1mega pixels, 5x opticalzoom, 25mm wide-anglelens, 2.7 LCD screen, bat-tery, charger. New! $160(937)830-9427


577 Miscellaneous

CD PLAYER: Technicsnatural sound CD PlayerCDX, 900U. Good condi-tion. Can send pictures.Call for details. $45(937)621-3379

CEDAR TREES: Two 20'trees ready to be saweddown for tops (tops aregood). Easy to access.You saw, you haul.(937)548-6468

CELL Phone: Blackberry.Like new! $50(937)459-0058

CELL Phone: Samsung -new. $40 (937)459-0058


577 Miscellaneous

CHINA SET: Blue wheatchina set w/several serv-ing pieces, water glasses,& silverware. $150(937)692-6551

CHRISTMAS TREE: GE7.5 Just Cut Douglas FirPre-lit multi-colored lightChristmas Tree. Retail$300. Used once. $50(937)447-8918

CIRRUS Digital propor-tional FM computer radiocontrol system for remoteControl for RC cars,trucks. Controls 10 vehicles$50obo (937)547-3179


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larger tree farms who have 30or more acres, he stated.Larger operations are closerto big cities, however, whichmakes them more sustain-able, Howell commented.The Howells currently havebetween 2,000 and 2,500trees, they said.Drought wasn’t just a

problem in 1998, however.Beginning in 2011 theHowells experienced thewoes of drought, they said,losing couple dozen trees in2011, and lost nearly all thesaplings planted in 2012.“Rabbits like to chew

them off, too, so I had to fightthe drought and the rabbits,”Howell stated. “Weather isstill my biggest enemy,though.”These types of challenges

are the big ones for the treefarmers, but June is a toughmonth for Allen as well, hesaid, because he has to goaround to each tree andmachete it into a conicalshape.“The first few years it was

easy because they were smalland there weren’t a lot ofthem, but as the years pro-gressed and they started get-ting bigger and getting more

of them, it’s just a lot of hardwork,” Howell commented.“My arm feels like it’s aboutready to fall off by the end ofJune. Every season there’salways something for me todo: in the spring I have toplant and spray for weedsaround the trees, and mowingduring the summer. I fertilizein the fall; every tree will getfertilized.”All of that work and the

family only sells between 50and 100 trees each year, theysaid.“It’s a lot of work, it’s a

labor of love – we’re notdoing it for the money, wedon’t make much money.The biggest reward is seeingthe young families come inwith the little kids; comingout and experiencing gettingthe Christmas tree just likethey did in the old days. Youcan go to any big box store,any hardware store, and get atree, but we’re selling theexperience,” Howell stated.Most people purchase

their tree the second or thirdweekend after Thanksgiving,Howell said. The FrostyOutpost Christmas Tree,located at 695 Godfrey Roadoutside of Hollansburg, is

open between Thanksgivingand Christmas, Saturdaysfrom 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. andSundays from noon to 5 p.m.“The best time to come

out is early, because you’llhave the best pick,” Howellstated. “The sooner the bet-ter…as the season goes on,the pickings start to get pret-ty thin.”The Howells said that

when a customer pulls up,they try to make sure to goout and greet them, give thema flyer filled with valuablesafety and tree-cutting tips,and explain the process tothem. Customers are thengiven a bow saw, a sled, kneepads and a measuring pole,and can then go select theirtree, and cut it down on theirown, Howell said.There is a shaker machine

on site, so that last year’sdead needles can be easilyremoved before families putthe tree in their homes,Howell commented, and theyalso have a drill that cansquare up a hole to fit the treestand, he said. A nettingmachine takes the hassle outof getting the tree in thehome, for an additional cost,Howell commented.

“The kids can come in forfree hot dogs, hot chocolate,and cookies – it’s kind of areward for all the hard workthat they’ve done, gettingtheir tree,” Howell added.The Howells charge $4.50

per foot, regardless of thetype of tree a family picks,they said, and they do haveseveral varieties to choosefrom including scotch pine,Douglas firs, canaan firs,spruce, and some whitepines. Most of the whitepines were affected by thedrought, though, Howellsaid.Along with fresh cut

trees, the Howells offer fresh-ly made wreaths at theOutpost, they said. And trunktie-downs and tree disposalbags for post-season clean-upare included with the tree,they stated.The Howells also offer

many tips for choosing a tree,cutting a tree, and handlingthe tree once it’s home withthe family on their website atwww.outpostenterprises.com.

Heather Meade is a staffwriter for The DailyAdvocate in Greenville.

DARKE from pg. 1

The Frosty Outpost Christmas Tree Farm outside ofHollansburg, Ohio offers a festive feel, even whenthere isn’t snow on the ground yet. This family-owned tree farm hosts between 2,000 and 2,500trees, which Allen Howell wanted to feel like a morenatural forest setting, so he mixed it up, interspers-ing “regular” trees with the Christmas variety, hesaid. (Heather Meade photo)

By David T. DanielsDirector of the OhioDepartment of Agriculture

As part of a 5th genera-tion century farm family, Ican tell you with certaintythat most agricultural pro-ducers understand thatchange is inevitable. As withall successful businesses, astimes change, so must pro-duction practices in agricul-ture.At the Ohio Department

of Agriculture, we work withfarmers every day. We knowthat Ohio’s farmers are con-cerned with keeping up withthe times and responsiblyproviding us with an abun-dance of food, fiber, fuel,bioproducts - the things weneed every day and theengine of Ohio’s economyand job creation. We also

know that it is time to rethinkthe way we have been usedto doing things to preservethe quality of our lakes andstreams, and safeguard pub-lic health.Balancing the ideals of a

thriving economy and feed-ing a growing population,while preserving publichealth and environmentalintegrity, has long been agoal of agriculturalists andenvironmentalists alike.Although there are skeptics,we have proven these princi-ples can effectively co-exist.In the 1970s, when Lake Erieproblems were brought intofocus, the state met a goal ofreducing 11,000 metric tonsof phosphorus from allsources. Agriculture did itspart by reducing sedimentloss and the loss of the phos-phorus attached to it so that,

by 1985, the state achievedits goal.That historic hurdle has

now evolved into a newproblem that needs to besolved. New research showsthat nutrients are leaving ourfields in ways we did notknow were possible beforein the form of dissolvedphosphorous. Reducing theamount of dissolved phos-phorous that makes it out ofour fields and into our water-ways is our newest chal-lenge.There are a variety of fac-

tors, here in Ohio as well asin other states and Canada,contributing to algal bloomsin our lakes, and dissolvedphosphorous is one of theprimary culprits. Becausethere are several non-agricul-tural sources of dissolvedphosphorous entering LakeErie, it is important to notethat Ohio’s agriculturalindustry should not be sin-gled out as the only source.Nonetheless, land applica-tion of commercial fertilizerand livestock manure is acontributing factor.This is a complex prob-

lem and there are still many

unanswered questions. Whatwe do know is that how weare currently farming is con-tributing to the problem. Thegood news is that Ohio farm-ers understand the problemand want to be part of thesolution. They are stewardsof the land. They care aboutthe environment. It is thefoundation of their businessand their survival.At Governor Kasich’s

direction earlier this year, I,along with Ohio Departmentof Natural ResourcesDirector Jim Zehringer andOhio EnvironmentalProtection Agency DirectorScott Nally, announced theOhio Clean Lakes Initiative.The Ohio Clean LakesInitiative is dedicated toimproving Ohio’s waterquality, specifically in theWestern Lake Erie Basinregion, while maintainingthe integrity of the region’sagricultural industry. It wasestablished earlier this yearbased on recommendationsfrom agricultural, environ-mental and academic repre-sentatives.Under the Ohio Clean

Lakes Initiative, the state

will educate and encouragefarmers across the state toadopt the 4R NutrientStewardship model, whichpromotes using the right fer-tilizer source, at the rightrate, at the right time, in theright places. Good nutrientstewardship not only benefitsthe environment, it benefitsthe farmer by saving themoney and time that couldotherwise be invested inapplying unnecessary orexcessive fertilizer to thesoil.The state will also work

with farmers through thelocal Soil and WaterConservation Districts toexpand the use of on-the-ground practices to help con-trol the displacement of agri-cultural nutrients. A total of33,500 acres of farmlandwill incorporate the newnutrient management pro-grams over the next 12 to 18months. Target areas includethe Maumee RiverWatershed, along with coun-ties of Defiance, Henry,Putnam, Hancock andWood.We will partner with the

agri-business industry toexpand the frequency and

type of soil testing beingused and work with the leg-islature to develop nutrientmanagement plans that canbe developed and approvedby the local Soil and WaterConservation Districts.The initiative will also

provide a means to collabo-rate with Ohio’s colleges anduniversities, research institu-tions and private businessesto create a monitoring net-work to implement andassess the effectiveness ofmanagement practices.Change may be

inevitable, but agriculture iswell-versed in adapting tochange. With around 74,000farming operations and someof the best soils in the nation,it is imperative that the agri-cultural productivity of Ohiois maintained. Food and agri-culture adds $105 billion tothe state’s economy andemploys one in seven peoplewith jobs. As harvest seasonwraps up this year and plansfor the new growing seasoncommence, the state is work-ing with farmers to imple-ment as many of thesechanges as possible into thenew growing season.

Changing Trendsin LandStewardship

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