Dan Armitage

Worthington

Outdoor Writer at Ohio's Country Journal and Ohio Ag Net

Features Writer at Freelance

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Articles

Birders and birds converge in northwest Ohio

2 weeks ago | ocj.com | Brianna Smith |Dan Armitage

By Brianna SmithEach May, the land along Lake Erie’s basin bursts into life with birdsong. Migratory songbirds, like warblers, travel 5,000 miles from Central and South America to their breeding grounds in Canada, making a pitstop in Ohio before continuing their journey. The variety of habitats in the area, like forests, shrublands, grasslands, and marshes, attracts various birds and their food sources.
Ohio wines honored with prestigious awards

2 weeks ago | ocj.com | Dan Armitage

As Ohioans responsibly celebrate Ohio Wine Month in June, local vineyards and wineries are celebrating a major recognition. The 2025 Director’s Choice and Ohio Wine Competition Best of Show and Best of Ohio award winners have been announced. Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) Director Brian Baldridge honored the Director’s Choice recipients for the Best Red, Best White, Best Dessert, and Best Sparkling/Rosé wines at the Ohio Wine Month Kick-Off Celebration held at the Ohio Statehouse on May 21.
Kid’s art and writing works honored

2 weeks ago | ocj.com | Dan Armitage

By Dan Armitage, Buckeye SportsmanThis sounds like an interesting program for kids. As part of the America 250-Ohio celebration, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is hosting a special competition for Ohio students who enjoy the outdoors. ODNR’s America 250 Field Trip competition offers students in grades 3 through 12 a chance to participate in an exclusive field trip of their choice with ODNR staff.
Life jacket loaner program keeps kids safe

1 month ago | ocj.com | Dan Armitage

By Dan ArmitageMarinas, waterfront restaurants, boat clubs, and other businesses wanting to impact boating safety here in Ohio and elsewhere can apply now to become a BoatUS Foundation Kid’s Life Jacket Loaner program site. Supported by BoatUS member donations, the program offers a simple way to help children and young adults get the right-sized life jackets when boating, sailing, or fishing for the day or weekend.
Boat inspections are highly recommended

1 month ago | ocj.com | Dan Armitage

By Dan ArmitageOne of the first things I do to start each boating season is to get a sanctioned safety inspection and the sticker awarded to boaters who pass. By displaying that sticker on my boat, I avoid being pulled over for random inspections for the balance of the boating season. I don’t have anything to hide; it’s just that doing so helps keep me from being interrupted while fishing, cruising, or relaxing.
Succession planning mistakes

2 months ago | ocj.com | Joe Everett |Bernadette Arehart |Dan Armitage

By Joe Everett, Ohio Ag NetAll year farmers are busy maintaining and working on their farms. One thing that sometimes slips through the cracks is planning for the future of their operations. It can sometimes be a difficult topic but is vital to the existence of America’s family farms. According to the USDA, an estimated 70% of U.S. farmland is expected to change hands within the next 20 years. Some of this farmland could unintentionally be sold out of the family if not handled correctly.
Record numbers of overnighters - Ohio Ag Net | Ohio's Country Journal

2 months ago | ocj.com | Dan Armitage

By Dan Armitage, OCJ outdoors writerLast year was a record-breaking year for overnight stays at Ohio State parks, when the agency recorded an impressive 1,112,179 overnight stays. The previous record-holding year was 2023 with 1,098,932 overnight reservations. Of the overnight stays, more than 919,600 stays were at state-operated campsites, cabins, camper cabins, and yurts, while approximately 192,500 nights were booked in one of Ohio’s 10 state park lodges and the accompanying lodge cabins.
Thrills and adventures in Columbia

Mar 10, 2025 | ocj.com | Don Sanders |Dan Armitage

By Don “Doc” SandersColombia is a great country to visit, with beautiful mountains, border ranches and countryside, clearly displaying the importance of agriculture to the nation. And that’s why I was there, on one of my international consulting trips. I and my late wife, Kristen, found the environmental conditions to be ideal when we arrived in Bogota on a Delta flight. It was the dead of winter in Colombia, with daytime temperatures peaking at 75degrees F and nighttime temperatures in the 60s.
Grants fund local YAP programming

Mar 9, 2025 | ocj.com | Dan Armitage

Country Life, Top Headlines Eight local Young Agricultural Professionals groups have been awarded $500 grants for educational programming or events they are planning or that have taken place already in 2025. The local grants are a part of Farm Credit Mid-America’s $100,000 donation to Farm Bureau young leader programs in its six-state region of Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee.
Learning to catch

Mar 5, 2025 | ocj.com | Dan Armitage

By Dan Armitage, OCJ outdoors writerAs an Ohio kid growing up in suburbia, I loved to fish. The problem was, winter meant mean weather and with my Dad being a fair-weather fisherman and my sole transportation source to and from local waters, the closest thing to wetting a line this time of year was going to the local sport show. Luckily, my Dad obliged.