Extension offers Ohio farmers hope amid crisis

When last summer’s monthslong drought was interrupted by the rainy remnants of Hurricane Helene, backyard gardeners in Ohio may have been relieved. But for soybean farmers in parts of the state, the heavy downpour was both too much and too late, as evidenced by the anxious calls that came pouring into Laura Lindsey’s cellphone.

“It was the worst-case scenario, to have really dry soybeans and then heavy rain. Soybeans literally went black overnight, and some of the pods split open and began germinating,” says Lindsey ’09, ’09 MS, a professor in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science and the state soybean specialist for Ohio State Extension. “After the rain let up, my phone just blew up with calls, emails, texts. They wanted to know, ‘What happened? Why are my soybeans instantly black?’”

For more than a century, farmers have turned to Ohio State Extension for education, advice and support. Congress created the nationwide service in 1914 via the Smith-Lever Act to make research findings and technical expertise developed by land-grant universities available to anyone. A network of local and state experts would take that academic and practical knowledge into the countryside, where it could be put to use by American farmers to feed a growing nation.

Ohio State Extension isn’t solely focused on rural communities; there are offices in every Ohio county, and many provide consumer education and address social issues as well. But as the outreach arm of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, Extension is best known in Ohio’s rural communities—and last summer’s drought is a case study in how it works.

The growing season started well, with ample moisture and steady temperatures during planting, says Will Hamman ’15, ’19 MS, a fifth-generation farmer who, with his extended family, farms 3,500 acres in south-central Ohio. Then, abruptly, it stopped raining through much of the state, leading to one of the worst droughts in recent memory.

As the dry spell deepened, Hamman (a former Extension employee himself) paid close attention to communications from Extension’s experts, including Lindsey. “If there is something I can’t figure out, they’re my next call. They’re my resource,” Hamman says.

Assistant Professor Aaron Wilson ’02, ’10 MS, ’13 PhD, Ohio’s state climatologist and Extension climate field specialist, helped assemble and lead the Ohio Drought Task Force last summer. The team drew from throughout the university and coordinated its work with the Ohio Department of Agriculture and Ohio Emergency Management Agency.

The drought affected more than row crops like corn and soybeans. Farmers were also concerned about having enough water for livestock and rain for hay and forage crops to feed their animals. And as they hustled to get their crops harvested, the dry weather led to fires sparked by combines, destroying yet more crops.

“We brought in experts from agronomy, forage, forestry folks,” Wilson says. After each weekly task force meeting, a newsletter went out to thousands of Ohio farmers, advising them on extended weather forecasts, alternate sources of forage and market information. “It really highlights what Extension can do, bringing in all those voices of specialists and educators.”

Hamman and his family experienced just about all the challenges of last season: low yields from scant rain, fires and blackened soybeans, which turned out to be a fungus. He says farmers are a resilient bunch, accustomed to the vagaries of weather and capable of riding out a bad season or two. But they can’t survive too many years like last year.

“We’re kind of in uncharted territory here. If this happens again, we need to know what to do.”

There wasn’t a lot Extension experts could do to save the harvest of 2024. But the event triggered research and will lead to a greater understanding of how severe weather affects crops. In this growing season, and seasons to come, Lindsey, Wilson and the rest of the Extension team will share these new learnings throughout Ohio.

“It’s all about creating opportunities for people to thrive, and we do that by bringing scientific, research-based knowledge to our communities,” Wilson says. Next season, he adds, a different challenge may arise. “We’ll be prepared to help people respond to whatever conditions we experience.”

Why I Give: Patricia Brundige

My earliest memories include the excited energy of the 4-H meetings my parents would host in the house that was the familial heart of our Central Ohio farm. The youth development arm of Ohio State Extension, 4-H was woven into the fabric of our farming community and was central to my childhood.

Many decades later, my heart still belongs to 4-H, and I believe that a person should do as much as they can afford to do, as soon as they can do it, to pay forward.

I’ve served on the Ohio 4-H Foundation Board for nine years, made gifts to support the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center and the state 4-H research endowment fund, and funded various scholarships and awards.

Most recently, in memory of my parents—and all those joyful 4-H meetings in our home—I supported the creation of the Kunz-Brundige Franklin County Extension Building, which opened in 2019 on the campus of the Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory on Lane Avenue.

It thrills me to know that so many local youths and adults will benefit from instruction there.

Illustration by Michael Hoeweler