By Jerry Mahan

We have all heard this saying and it applies to your drinking water as well. If the source of your drinking water is a well only you can have it tested and only you will be able to resolve any health problems posed by the quality of water you, your family and animals drink daily.

Bring a sample of water to the Test Your Well & Soil event held 4:30-6 p.m. Sept. 14 in the Buckeye Room behind the grandstand at the Greene County Fairgrounds. The results of the tests are known only to you. Free testing for nitrates and iron are available. In addition the first 70 people can get their water tested free for lead, copper and arsenic as well.

Those of you who are members of Greene County Farm Bureau also have access to a $20 gift certificate to use for any of these tests if the quantity exceeds the free tests for lead etc. or you can use it to have your water tested for bacteria- cost $20. To get a coupon voucher and flyer log on to: https://ofbf.org/counties/greene/ or call 800-443-6830.

Plan on bringing a water sample in a clean bottle containing at least 17 ounces of water with you on the Sept. 14. Also available will be free soil test kits and access to several knowledgeable people in the area of water quality and soils. Remember all testing results are confidential. For more information call Greene Soil & Water Conservation Office at 937-372-4478 x3.

Now is the time

If you have areas of your lawn or a hay or pasture field that needs reseeding now is the time. Normally September brings cooler temperatures, less weed pressure and moisture to help establish the grass or legume to be planted. Ideally a soil test to determine the fertility level of the area is needed but do not delay in your seeding as you can soil test after the seeding if needed.

Plan on buying premium seed and applying a starter fertilizer. In lawn seeding stay away from annual grasses and Kentucky 32 fescue unless seeding an area of high foot traffic or grass waterway. Good seed to soil contact is very important for success. Just broadcasting seed on top of the ground will not be to your advantage.

For pastures, hayfields and lawns plan to kill the existing weeds with tillage or the use of weed killer sprays and allow the time indicated on the label for proper weed control and before you seed.

Bedbugs for sale

While attending a lawn care conference a few weeks ago I had the opportunity to talk with a pesticide operator from the Logan Ohio area. He indicated he does a lot of treatment of apartments and homes for bedbugs and underscored the fact Ohio is one of the states with high bedbug infestations. One apartment complex he was asked to treat was condemned and the residents had to move out prior to the treatment as the bedbug infestation was so bad the insects would just move from one apartment to another as the area was treated.

What happened next was mind boggling to me. Some of the residents held sales of their furniture and other people bought these pieces bugs and all. Talk about spreading the problem. OSU Extension Entomologist and bedbug specialist Susan Jones still recommends getting a professional exterminator to treat the problem as opposed to the “band aid” treatment spray cans seen in many local stores.

Farm Forum

On behalf of Greene County Farm Forum I want to thank the many donors and businesses who made the Aug. 27 Picnic and Scholarship Fundraiser a success. Without their donations the event would not have been possible.

Our Sept. 26 program deals with growing and managing grapes and features Patricia Chalfant of Caesar Creek Vineyards. The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. and will be held at Union United Methodist Church, 393 Washington Road in Xenia. A meal will be served prior to the program at a cost of $10 per person. Please RSVP to Paul Ayres before Friday Sept. 23 if you intend to have dinner.

No reservations are necessary if you just wish to attend the meeting. For reservations contact Paul Ayres at 937-352-6379 or email him at [email protected]. The meeting is open to the public and is sponsored by Greene County Farm Forum.

Farm Science Review Sept. 20-22

Where can you find information on raising miniature beef cattle, growing hops, raising vegetables in a parking lot, water quality, dealing with trespassers, corn harvesting, chain saw safety, fish stocking, drones, container gardening and more? The place to be is the Farm Science Review to be held at the Molly Caren Agriculture Center near London.

Admission to the Review is $7 in advance, $10 at the gate, and free for children 10 and younger. Tickets can be purchased at a local Extension Office or online at: http://fsr.osu.edu.There are continuously running wagon shuttles to take you to the field demonstrations or the Gwinn Conservation area but if you need to rent a golf cart to get around check out the website at: http://fsr.osu.edu for details.

Popular series

It’s My Money, My Stuff and My Life, this popular series starts 6 p.m. Sept. 27 in the Xenia Community Center at 1265 W. Second St. in Xenia. The five-week series features information on wills, letter of instruction, trusts, probate, insurance, taxes Medicare/Medicaid and more. The instructors are some of Greene County’s most knowledgeable in terms of estate planning and their goal is to help you get stared in estate planning.

The series costs $40 per household is sponsored by the Greene County Council on Aging. For a brochure call them at 937-376-5486 or log on to http://gccoa.org/.

Submitted photo Picnic speaker Adam Garman and Farm Forum President Ron Johannes attended the Greene County Farm Forum Picnic and Scholarship Fundraiser on Aug. 27.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/49/2016/08/web1_jerrymahan.jpgSubmitted photo Picnic speaker Adam Garman and Farm Forum President Ron Johannes attended the Greene County Farm Forum Picnic and Scholarship Fundraiser on Aug. 27.
Around Home & Farm

Jerry Mahan is a retired OSU Extension Educator Agriculture and Natural Resources for Greene County. He can be reached by email at: [email protected].