Guernsey Soil & Water Conservation District

Guernsey Soil & Water Conservation District Our Mission
Promote through education and technical assistance, the sustainable use of natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations.

09/06/2026

Reminder:
Our office will be closed Monday, 9/7/26 for Labor Day

Please RSVP or stop in and purchase your ticket by Friday, October 9th! Venue: The Grassland Event Center at The Farm at...
09/04/2026

Please RSVP or stop in and purchase your ticket by Friday, October 9th!

Venue: The Grassland Event Center at The Farm at Old World Garden
Dinner will be catered by Sage and Grace.
We hope to see you there! 🍂🪾🌻

Fair prep is underway at our office! If you try to reach us the next few days we will be in and out doing our annual fai...
09/03/2026

Fair prep is underway at our office! If you try to reach us the next few days we will be in and out doing our annual fair prep. So if we don’t answer we’ll get back with you ASAP!

09/01/2026

We’re looking for a couple small to medium sized tires for our fair display if anyone is looking to get rid of some! Give us a call (740) 489-5276 or send us a message on here.

Thanks! 🛞🛞🛞

Join us for our Annual Grazing Meeting on October 1,2026! Check out the flyer below for details 👇
09/01/2026

Join us for our Annual Grazing Meeting on October 1,2026! Check out the flyer below for details 👇

08/13/2026

‼️ We’re looking for catering suggestions for our annual meeting this October roughly 50-60 people ‼️

Open to any and all suggestions! Please feel free to put them in the comments of this post - thank you!

W**D WATCH WEDNEDAY, where we shine a spotlight on w**ds commonly found across Guernsey County.Spiny amaranth (Amaranthu...
08/12/2026

W**D WATCH WEDNEDAY, where we shine a spotlight on w**ds commonly found across Guernsey County.

Spiny amaranth (Amaranthus spinosus)- Do you have a plant that looks very similar to pigw**d, but with sharp spines near the leaves, growing in your pasture fields or around your winter-feeding areas? If so, you may have spiny amaranth, more commonly called spiny pigw**d. Spiny amaranth is a summer annual that thrives in bare, highly compacted areas where it has little competition. It can be found throughout Ohio and is widely distributed across most of the Midwest.

Spiny amaranth is a summer annual that can reach heights of five feet and is characterized by a smooth, red stem. The leaves are alternate and egg-shaped, with two sharp spines located at the base of each leaf node. Spiny amaranth also has a highly distinct seed head containing both male and female flowers on the same plant, creating two completely different textures. This plant is an incredibly abundant seed producer; studies show that a single plant can produce up to 113,960 seeds per summer growing season.

Spiny amaranth is considered potentially toxic to all livestock. Grazing this plant can cause nitrate toxicity, as it can accumulate high levels of nitrates—especially during periods of high stress, such as a drought. Fortunately, animals tend to avoid grazing spiny amaranth due to its sharp spines.

Fun Fact: While spiny amaranth is considered a noxious agricultural w**d, it serves many purposes worldwide, including culinary uses and folk medicine.

For more information on Spiny amaranth or help identifying it on your property please reach out Guernsey Soil and Water for assistance at 740-489-5276.

Stay tuned for next weeks W**d Watch Wednesday, because every plant has a story- even the pesky ones!

W**D WATCH WEDNEDAY, where we shine a spotlight on w**ds commonly found across Guernsey County.Virginia Pepperw**d (Lepi...
08/05/2026

W**D WATCH WEDNEDAY, where we shine a spotlight on w**ds commonly found across Guernsey County.

Virginia Pepperw**d (Lepidium virginicum L.) -If you have noticed slender, upright stalks topped with distinct “bottle-brush” clusters of tiny seed disks along fence lines, open pastures, and row crop fields, you are likely looking at Virginia Pepperw**d. This winter annual is a native member of the mustard family and a common sight across rural fields throughout most of the United States. Pepperw**d prefers well-drained, sandy soils and thrives in full sun.

As a winter annual, Virginia Pepperw**d establishes in early fall and remains dormant over the winter months. During autumn and early spring, it can be identified as a low-growing basal rosette with hairless, oval, and deeply toothed leaves. Once soil temperatures begin to rise in the spring, the plant grows rapidly, sending up erect stems that reach up to 20 inches in height.

The small, delicate white flowers feature just four petals and bloom at the ends of the stems, giving the plant its signature "bottle-brush" appearance from a distance. As Virginia Pepperw**d blooms, the distinct leaves of the basal rosette typically wither and disappear. Following pollination, the flowers mature into flattened seed pods that emit a peppery aroma and yield a sharp taste. A single Virginia Pepperw**d plant can produce between 800 and 1,200 seeds.

Fun Fact: The entire plant carries a sharp, fiery bite similar to radish or horseradish. Historically, early American settlers and Indigenous peoples harvested the green seed pods and crushed the dried brown seeds to use as a local substitute for costly black peppercorns—earning the plant its nickname, “Poor Man’s Pepper.”

For more information on Virginia Pepperw**d or help identifying it on your property please reach out Guernsey Soil and Water for assistance at 740-489-5276.

Stay tuned for next weeks W**d Watch Wednesday, because every plant has a story- even the pesky ones!

W**D WATCH WEDNEDAY, where we shine a spotlight on w**ds commonly found across Guernsey County.Common burdock (Arctium m...
07/29/2026

W**D WATCH WEDNEDAY, where we shine a spotlight on w**ds commonly found across Guernsey County.

Common burdock (Arctium minus) - If you’ve ever spent an afternoon picking stubborn, prickly burs out of your dog’s coat, livestock wool or your own shoelaces after walking along a pasture, you are already very familiar with common burdock. This biennial w**d is a familiar fixture across roadsides, barnyards and unmanaged pastures and often remembered due to its clinging seed heads and massive rhubarb- like leaves. Common burdock originated in Europe and was likely brought to the United States by early settlers. In the mid-1600’s, it was so widespread across the country it was mistakenly recorded as a native species. Today, it can be found through most of the United States. While it grows in a wide range of soil types, it thrives in nitrogen- rich soils.

As a biennial, common burdock spends its first season as a large basal rosette that stays low to the ground. These first-year leaves are easy to identify: they are massive, heart-shaped, and feature woolly undersides with hollow leaf stalks (petioles). During its second year, the plant bolts—producing a stout, erect, branched stalk that stands 3 to 6 feet tall. Lower leaves on the stem resemble the first-year rosette, but they gradually become smaller and less heart-shaped as they move toward the tip of the stem.

From July until October, second-year common burdock blooms with pinkish-purple, thistle-like flower heads. Each flower sits atop a spherical green head wrapped in hooked bracts. As the seed heads dry, they turn brown and brittle, forming clinging burs armed with sharp, hooked tips designed to hitch a ride on anything passing by. A single plant can produce an average of 15,000 seeds!

Fun Fact: Common burdock inspired the invention of Velcro! In 1941, a Swiss engineer examined the burs stuck to his dog's fur under a microscope, noticed the tiny hooks grabbing onto fabric loops, and designed the famous fastener.

For more information on Common burdock or help identifying it on your property please reach out Guernsey Soil and Water for assistance at 740-489-5276.

Stay tuned for next weeks W**d Watch Wednesday, because every plant has a story- even the pesky ones!

đź“Ł Guernsey Soil & Water is excited to announce that we will be partnering with Guernsey County OSU Extension to host a h...
07/28/2026

đź“Ł Guernsey Soil & Water is excited to announce that we will be partnering with Guernsey County OSU Extension to host a hay contest this year!

Every Guernsey County producer is eligible for one free forage test paid for by the district; additional samples may be submitted at the landowner's expense.
Rules & Details:

Submission Window: Samples will be accepted from August 3, 2026, through September 26, 2026.

Eligibility: All samples must be taken with a forage probe from Guernsey County hay fields during the 2026 season.

Categories:

Pure Legume (at least 80% Alfalfa/Clover)

Grass-Legume Mixed Hay

Pure Grass Hay

Judging & Results:

Winners will be chosen based on Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN). Crude Protein (CP) will serve as a tiebreaker.

Winners for each category will be announced at the Guernsey Soil & Water Annual Meeting on October 22, 2026. Every contestant will receive a copy of their forage analysis.

How to Participate:
Landowners may drop off samples at the Guernsey Soil & Water office anytime starting August 3, 2026. Guernsey Soil & Water is also offering technical assistance for anyone needing help taking samples.

For questions or to schedule assistance, please contact us by email at [email protected] or by phone at 740-489-5276.

Address

335 Old National Road
Old Washington, OH
43768

Telephone

+17404895276

Website

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