DELPHOS – For one Delphos man, hanging out with friends turned into a life-long career. “Many years ago, my friends Dave Wiechart and Stan Wiechart were on the fire department,” Assistant Fire Chief Lee Ulm began.
Sarah Meisler Cassie Saum Brooke Gallmeier Trent Lindeman Kaylee Heitmeyer Jeff Joseph Jackson Reid Anita Sorrell April Mills Kayla Moore Sept. 15 Jo Briggs Tom Berelsman Bev Berelsman Stephanie Pohlman Rhonda Barnhart Julie Kramer Amy Wehri Alexa Plescher Sept.
Local farmers had excellent wheat yields this year and with higher wheat prices, wheat can be a profitable enterprise. The war with Russia and Ukraine continues to keep wheat prices higher than normal. For crop rotation purposes, adding wheat may reduce weed populations and some diseases. If wheat is planted and harvested in a timely manner, it is possible to double crop soybeans or grow a cover crop. Farmers also have the option of baling straw as another enterprise. Wheat and other small grain crops like barley, cereal rye, oats all have some possibilities for expanding the crop rotation and giving an alternative crop to harvest.
On the Farm and In the Garden Rain showers provided some much-needed moisture to parts of the county last week. However, 78 of 88 Ohio counties are experiencing some level of drought conditions from abnormally dry (drought stage D0) in Northwest Ohio to extreme and exceptional drought (drought stages D3 and D4) in Southeastern Ohio. Weekly drought conditions are updated on the US Drought Monitor at http://droughtmonitor. unl.edu.
VAN WERT— St. John’s Competition Cheer Squad once again was first in the Varsity Small Squad at the Van Wert County Fair Cheer Competition.
MIDDLE POINT — Van Wert Lodge 1197, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, recently donated $1000.00 to the Middle Point Volunteer Fire Department. The department used the monies to purchase a Pi-Lit Rechargeable sequential flare and Med Evan LZ kit. These road flares when deployed on the ground “link up” to each other flashing in pattern to direct traffic around an accident scene. The second part of these flares is the Med Evac LZ. These can be deployed to mark a site for a landing zone for Medical helicopters. These are a green led light that is IR rated. This allows the helicopter pilot to use their on-board night vision to spot the LZ from 5-6 miles out.
Solving murder mysteries is a popular game but when it affects your crops, it is serious business! Soybean yields have been stagnating for years. Some farmers get great yields (7090 bushel/acre), but many farmers average 50-65 bushel/acre. Soybean yields may be 20-30 bushel below optimum, even with good genetics. With depressed crop prices, good soybean yields are essential to making a profit and staying in business.
We are having some warm days after a week of cool weather. I am hoping this heat will be gone, so we can have cooler weather for son Joseph’s wedding next week.
The OSU Extension office in Putnam County is excited to announce a New Master Gardener Volunteer (MGV) training program beginning in March. Classes begin on September 23 and run through November 18, 2024. As a bonus this year, the Putnam County Master Gardeners are providing $25 scholarships for county residents to participate in the program at a reduced cost of $125.
Delphos FFA members’ hard work throughout the past year was rewarded as many of them were successful at the Allen County Fair. The chapter was represented very well as over 70 members exhibited shop, crop and livestock projects.