By VICKI JOHNSON
Ohio Correspondent

VAN WERT, Ohio — This year’s Farm Focus at Marsh Foundation School Farms has been canceled due to budget cuts within Ohio State University Extension.

“The Farm Focus coordinator position was eliminated,” said Andy Kleinschmidt, Extension educator in Van Wert County.
He said Gary Prill, who had filled that job, was quickly hired into another job by a Mercer County cooperative.

Kleinschmidt said he doesn’t know yet what will happen next year.
“Right now, the Farm Focus executive council has not made any decision as to what they’re going to do next year,” he said. “Once the planting and spraying and fieldwork is done, we’ll be meeting and making those decisions.”

Although the field day is canceled, this year’s research work is continuing. Results are expected to be available in December or January.

Producers can find the 2008 research results by visiting http://farmfocus.osu.edu and clicking on the “2008” button on the left under “Our Research.”

Farm Focus is a nonprofit field research and clinical trial program sponsored by Van Wert County’s OSU Extension office and the Marsh Foundation School Farms. The 300 acres of ongoing research in clinical trials and test plots of soybeans, corn, pesticides and irrigation methods have been conducted since 1994.

Each year, data and technical information is collected and analyzed for educational purposes. Field days usually highlight test plots, clinical trials and new technology.

For more information, visit farmfocus .osu.edu