Month: December 2020

Online Pastures for Profit Course: Registration OPEN!

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This year between January and March in 2021, the Pastures for Profit curriculum will be offered as a virtual course. One live webinar will be offered per month along with “work at your own pace” videos and exercises that accompany each webinar. The Pastures for Profit program is a collaboration between Ohio State University Extension, Central State University, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Ohio Department of Agriculture, and the Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council.

Each webinar will be offered live on Zoom at 7 P.M. and feature three presentations in a 90-minute span. Attendees will be able to interact with the speakers and ask questions in real time. Once registered, attendees will be granted access to the online course including the webinars and complementary resources. Participants that attend all three webinars will have the opportunity to earn a certificate of completion. Registered participants will also receive their choice of a curriculum binder or USB drive of the traditional course by mail.

The webinar schedule and topics are as follows.

Webinar One- Core Grazing Education: Wed., January 13th at 7 p.m.

  • Evaluating Resources and Goal Setting
  • Getting Started Grazing
  • Soil Fertility

Webinar Two- The Science of Grazing: Wed., February 3rd at 7 p.m.

  • Understanding Plant Growth
  • Fencing and Water Systems
  • Meeting Animal Requirements on Pasture

Webinar Three- Meeting Grazing Goals: Wed., March 3rd at 7 p.m.

  • Pasture Weed Control
  • Economics of Grazing
  • Creating and Implementing Grazing Plans

A series of additional videos that complement each webinar will be accessible to registered participants that include topics such as:

  • Soil Health & Fertility
  • Species Specific Tips
  • Stocking Densities
  • Forage Sampling and Analysis
  • Winter Feeding Strategies
  • Conservation Practices
  • Genetic Traits of Forages
  • Pasture Layouts

 

  • Farm Economics
  • Pasture Walks/Virtual Tours

These videos will focus on more specific pasture management topics at the beginner and experienced manager levels.

The Pastures for Profit course utilizes Scarlet Canvas. For best performance, Canvas should be used on the current or first previous major release of Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari. Canvas runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, or any other device with a modern web browser.

Cost of the course is $50, which includes the Pastures for Profit manual. Current and new members of the Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council are eligible for a $10 discount on registration. Register for the course by visiting http://go.osu.edu/pforp

 

Apply to be a 4-H Volunteer

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The application to apply to be a new 4-H volunteer is now available! Applications are the first step in becoming a volunteer. Once an application is submitted, further guidance will be sent to interested applicants on training, interviews, and background checks. All materials including the background check are due by April 1st. Don’t delay.

You can apply online at http://go.osu.edu/brownvolunteerapp

If you are a returning volunteer, you do not need to fill out this application if you were active in 2020. Returning volunteers will just need to submit their enrollment through our 4-H Online site as they did last year. If you are due to be rescreened with a background check, you will receive notification in the system and will be receiving a letter in the mail after the first of the year.

If you have any questions on any aspect of the volunteer process please reach out! Call our office at 937-378-6716 and Christy or Cindy will be able to help. You can also email Christy at clary.42@osu.edu.

Brown County 4-H Family Scavenger Hunt – Happening Now!

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If you missed the emails or social media announcements last week — don’t worry! We have the information for you today. The Brown County 4-H Family Scavenger Hunt is now live and families can start participating immediately.

The scavenger hunt is a list of tasks to complete and document with either a photo or video of how you completed and interpreted the task. The current list has 101 items and may just grow over the month of December. Families have until Dec. 31st to submit entries and are encouraged to submit entries as soon as they are completed.

Ex. Complete task seven, take the photo. Go to the site, upload. Done. Rinse and Repeat for as many of the tasks as you can/want to complete!

For every entry, your family team is entered into a drawing for a family fun pack sponsored by the Brown County 4-H Committee!

All the details, the list etc. are actually housed as a sub-page on the blog and can be found here:

http://go.osu.edu/4hhunt

Happy Hunting!

Did you miss our ARC/PLC webinar?

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You can find the recording and the presentation slides here https://farmoffice.osu.edu/events/archived-videos

Remember election and enrollment period ends March 15, 2021. Contact your local FSA office to enroll. https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?state=oh…
Below is a summary of ARC/PLC Performance for Soybeans, Corn, and Wheat. More information available in the presentation.

Connecting with Seniors During the Holiday Season

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For clubs or individuals looking for a service project, here are some ideas of how you can connect with senior citizens living in nursing or assisted living homes! Please note – before you begin your project, reach out to the facility to see what their current policies are and what they are in need of; every facility is different. #handstolargerservice #brownco4h