'Thanks' Fair Sale buyers

By John Hixson
Contributing Writer
Union County Post

DAIRY PROJECTS – A successful year of livestock results depend on the participation and support of youth and businesses. (File Photo)

The Union County Junior Fair Livestock Sales were a great success in 2008. The Junior Fair Livestock Committee would like to extend a huge "Thank You" to the 123 buyers who supported the sales in 2008. 4-H and FFA members with market and dairy projects greatly appreciate the way Union County businesses and individuals show support to youth through the purchase of their projects. Also a big "Thank You" to the Richwood Banking Company for clerking the sale, and to Harley Jackson and Jeff Reinhard for being the auctioneers.

Ohio Grazing Expo

Fine-tune your current grazing system while learning more about future production and management practices at an Ohio Grazing Expo being held Aug. 19 at Shamrock Vale Farms in Carroll County.
The event will take place from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Registration fee is $10 and includes lunch and event materials. The deadline to register is Aug. 12.
The Ohio Grazing Expo is sponsored by Ohio State University Extension, Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council, U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources' Conservation Service, and North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education. Topics to be covered include extending the grazing season, water system management, the future of grazing, new forage species and varieties, understanding animal behavior and fine-tuning your grazing system.
Featured speakers include Jim Gerrish, a managed grazing consultant from Idaho; Beth Burritt, a livestock psychology specialist from Utah State University; and Marc Sulc, an OSU Extension forage specialist. The event also includes a wagon tour of a grazing operation.
For more information or to register, contact the office of OSU Extension, Union County at 937- 644-8117 or 1-800-589-8584.

Horticultural Field Night

A Horticultural Field Night will be held at the OSU South Centers on Thursday, August 14, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Piketon Research Facility. There will be a $5 charge, which will cover a cookout dinner as well as registration. A wagon tour of the research farms, and a review of the current research projects will be held. Also contact the Extension Office for more details.

Catching up with the Wheat Market

The United States wheat stocks have been practically the "only game in town" for the past year, forcing the world wheat consumer to shop at the United States grocery store, according to Stu Ellis, Purdue Agricultural Economist. Ellis indicates that while global stocks remain tight, supplies are loosening up a bit with the northern hemisphere harvest well underway. Wheat is again returning to the international pipeline.
Higher wheat prices were the driving force for the United States' producer last fall and spring. USDA reports an additional three million acres were produced, with harvested acres at 56.6 million, and that is the largest since 1998. However, delayed maturity of the wheat is putting harvest well behind 2007 rates.
For winter wheat, acreage was about one million acres below last year. Spring wheat acreage is also 1.4 million more than last year, but the crop maturity is behind 2007 and the five year average. Total production is estimate at 2.461 billion bushels, up 394 million bushels from last year, with a national average yield at 43.5 bushels per acre, the most since 2003. USDA‚s grain stocks estimate at the end of June put ending stocks at 306 million, up 52 million bushels from last year. The average farmgate price was calculated at $6.48 per bushel, which is a record high, nearly $2 above the 1995-96 season price of $4.55.
Ending stocks for the 2008-2009 crop will be up , with consumption about even with the old crop. Projected use for the new crop will be 2.329 billion bushels, which reflects 271 million bushels more domestic use and 267 million bushels lower export demand. The export demand is weak because of high US prices and larger world production. US wheat, because of its feed value relative to corn, is expected to remain at a high market price supported by corn. The USDA is expecting the 2008-2009 wheat crop to average $6.75 to $8.25 for the marketing year, all because producers made an lot of early forward contract sales.
Globally, production will rise slightly, and about the same amount of increased US production, since production in other nations is flat. In the European Union, acreage is up, but yields are down. In Australia, acreage is up and some sheep pasture has also been planted to wheat. The world wheat consumption is projected to reach 647 million tons, compared to 664 million tons of production. The global wheat surplus, with ending stocks, is 133 million tons. Global wheat trade is estimated at more than 120 million bushels, boosted in part by less control in the European Union, where wheat exports had been curtailed last year to preserve stocks for domestic use.

John Hixson is Union County Extension Educator, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Community Development. He can be reached by email: hixson.2@osu.edu or by calling 937-644-8117 or 800-589-8584. The OSU Extension website is http://union.osu.edu.