Calling all gardeners! The Brown County Master Gardener Volunteers are currently accepting new volunteer applications. The Master Gardener Program works with county Extension personnel to provide educational services to the community. These services include hosting seminars, providing garden activities, as well as other horticulture activities.  The Brown County Master Gardeners are looking for people who want to learn more about plants and gardening, eager to participate in the practical and intensive training programs, enjoy sharing knowledge with others, and you have the time to attend training and serve your community as a volunteer educator. To become a Master Gardener, you must:

1. Be accepted into the Master Gardener program by completing the volunteer application.
2. Complete the formal training provided by The Ohio State University Extension. Training is approximately 50 hours along with receiving a 70% or better on all quizzes and exams.
3. Complete 50 volunteer hours on projects that are pre-approved by the Master Gardener coordinator. (The volunteer time must be completed within one calendar year after their formal training.

The training does require pre-registration and a fee of $200 in addition to the cost of a background check. Pre-registration closes May 17, 2023 and can be found here.

See the flyer below for additional details about the OSU Extension Master Gardener Program along with full training details.

Warmer weather is a good indicator that it is time to start preserving food. Beginning in April, Ohio State University Extension’s Food Preservation Team is hosting 5 FREE webinars on what you need to know about food preservation! These five (5) webinars will take place from 12:00pm-12:30pm every other Tuesday beginning April 11, 2023, and ending on June 6, 2023. Topics covered include the Top 5 Considerations for Preserving Food, Canning: Water Bath, Canning: Pressure, Freezing, Drying and Freeze Drying. There is no cost for participants to attend. Registration is required in order to attend. Participants interested in attending can register here. See the flyer below for full details.

Take your farm/ranch management skills to the next level! Join Dave Pratt on Saturday April 8, 9am-4pm at the Greenacres Arts Center (8400 Blome Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45243) for insights of managing your farm or ranch. People wishing to attend will need to pay $30 and pre-register by April 1, 2023. Participants will receive information on how to transform your farm from a pile of assets and a collection of jobs into a business, financial planning for ranches, sustainable grazing practices, interactive activities and hands-on exercises, to apply what you’ve learned and networking with fellow producers. Registration can be found by scanning the QR code below. See the flyer below for full event details.

It is time to get registered for the 29th Southwest Ohio Perennial School on April 13, 2023 at OSU Extension Clermont County, 1000 Locust Street, Owensville, OH.

Featured Speakers include, in no particular order:

•         Amy Stone – Spotted Lanternfly Update & Scavenger Hunt
  • OSU Extension Lucas County
• Paul Koloszar – Northern Sea Oats and Other Mistakes I’ve Made; Managing Expectations for Natives
  • Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden 
• Tim McDermott – Urban Agriculture
  • OSU Extension Franklin County 
• Pam Bennett – Pollinator Plants and Gardens: You can Please Everyone
  • OSU Extension 
• #5 TBD
  • Stay Tuned for More Details 

Register Today!
$50 before April 1; $60 after April 1

• Participant
• Vendor

*Lunch Will be catered by Chef Michael Scudder, owner of “Taste of the Good Life”.

Do you have a Cloverbud? If you answered yes, then this event is for you! Sign your Cloverbud up for Cloverbud Super Saturday. Join us on Saturday March 25, 2023 in Rhonemus Hall on the Brown County Fairgrounds from 10:00am-12:00pm as we explore the science behind the greenhouses, sing songs and play games. Space is limited to the first 20 participants. There is no cost to participate. Registration can be found here. See the flyer below for full event details.

The Brown County Junior Fair is offering a new Commercial Swine division for 2023. Below is information from the Swine Department. Click here to download a PDF of this information. 

NEW FOR 2023
COMMERCIAL MARKET SWINE PROJECTTo take a commercial hog project you will need to sign up for project 139 Market Hog Project: Commercial Swine by the
April 1st enrollment deadline. 4-H members will select this in 4HOnline, FFA members will designate this on their paper
form. Those wishing to show in the traditional project will enroll in the standard 139 Market Hog Project.

• YOU CAN NOT show in both the market swine project and the commercial swine project it is one or the other. The
  judges for these projects will be evaluating using different criteria.ALL swine department rules for market swine apply to this project.Pigs for this project will be supplied by the Jr. Fairboard.
• Price will be based on feeder pig market at the time of pick up.
• Exhibitor can take one or two head for this project. Youth will be contacted after the enrollment deadline to designate the
  number of hogs they would like to show.
• You will pick up and pay for your swine project TBA at the fairgrounds.
• Hogs will be tagged and weighed day of pick up. The same weight limits apply to ALL swine projects.
• All pigs will be of the same quality. Each exhibitor will draw a tag number to see which pig he/she gets.
• Commercial projects DO NOT bring their animals to tag in on June 17th.
• The Commercial Market show will be on Wednesday morning of fair week.
• Each exhibitor can do showmanship on Monday in their respective age class.
• Each exhibitor is eligible for OME.
• Commercial Market projects will sell in the sale and will also have a GRAND and RESERVE.
• Each Commercial Market project will also be eligible for grand champion RATE OF GAIN in the commercial division.

Questions on this new division can be directed to Roger McKinzie, Swine Superintendent.

Please note there will be a Rate of Gain champion for the traditional market show in 2023 also.

New for 2023 – the Brown County 4-H Committee is sponsoring project starter kits to help youth get started in a new project. Youth are provided with the basic materials and supplies needed to complete a project. Supplies may be provided directly or through gift cards.

Eligibility & Criteria

• Must be a project age 4-H member in good standing in Brown County.
• Must be the 1st time registering for the specific project.
• Must complete the application by the specified deadline. Including Member & Parent/Guardian signatures acknowledging the youth will complete the project or repay the cost of the kit (up to $50 pending the kit).
• Members may only request one (1) kit per year.
• Youth must enroll by the 4-H Deadline in the project of the kit they are applying for. If they are not selected for the kit, they may choose to complete the project on their own or drop the project.
• Youth are encouraged to sign up for additional projects in case they do not receive a kit. This will allow them to have options of projects to complete.
• Applications are due by April 3rd, 2023, at 4:30pm to the Extension Office.
• Members selected for a kit will be notified after the April 4-H Committee meeting.

For full details and the application visit our website here: https://brown.osu.edu/program-areas/4-h-youth-development/4-h-youth-opportunites/project-starter-kits 

Do you grow apples, pears, peaches, grapes, blueberries and raspberries? If you answered yes, then this event is for YOU! Join OSU’s Dr. Gary Gao and Ryan Slaughter and other experts for the 2-part Online Fruit Pruning School on March 9 and March 14, 2023. This event is FREE to attend but pre-registration is required by Monday March 6, 2023. Registration can be found at here. The first session will cover tree fruit pruning and the second session will focus on small fruits. Questions can be directed to Bridget Robertson at robertson.731@osu.edu or by calling 614-247-9757. See the flyer for full event details.

Calling all youth livestock exhibitors! It’s time to begin thinking about Quality Assurance and which training to attend. If you or someone you know is planning on or considering taking a livestock project, please pay close attention to the information below:

Quality Assurance is an annual training ALL youth livestock exhibitors are REQUIRED to complete to be eligible for exhibition at the 2023 Brown County Fair and the 2023 Ohio State Fair.

Youth livestock exhibitors can complete their required training by attending one of the following in-person trainings below:

Monday February 20, 2023, from 10:00am-12:00pm in Rhonemus Hall on the Brown County Fairgrounds 325 W. State St., Georgetown OH, 45121

Saturday April 29, 2023, from 10:00am-12:00pm in Rhonemus Hall on the Brown County Fairgrounds 325 W. State St., Georgetown OH, 45121

Tuesday May 30, 2023, from 6:30pm-8:30pm in Rhonemus Hall on the Brown County Fairgrounds 325 W. State St., Georgetown OH, 45121

Wednesday June 14, 2023, from 6:30pm-8:30pm in Rhonemus Hall on the Brown County Fairgrounds 325 W. State St., Georgetown OH, 45121

Full participation in Quality Assurance is required. Youth will be required to sign-in and out. Failure to follow directions on signing in and out, arriving late and leaving early may result in you not receiving credit. There is no pre-registration required to attend the training sessions listed above.

Youth livestock exhibitors may choose to complete quality assurance through other sources. It is your responsibility to provide proof of completion. Acceptable opportunities include attending another county’s quality assurance trainings, statewide 4-H events or YQCA.

YQCA is the only acceptable online version for completing quality assurance. Exhibitors choosing to complete quality assurance through YQCA will receive a certificate of completion. Each exhibitor using YQCA MUST have their OWN certificate of completion. Certificates of completion will need to be sent to Amanda Perkins at perkins.715@osu.edu.

The deadline for exhibitors to complete quality assurance is July 1, 2023, to exhibit at the 2023 Brown County Fair and June 1, 2023, to exhibit at the 2023 Ohio State Fair.

Horse exhibitors are REQUIRED to complete and pass EquiSTEP. EquiSTEP is an online training specifically for horse exhibitors. Each youth exhibitor completing EquiSTEP will receive a certificate of completion. Certificates of completion will need to be sent to Amanda Perkins at perkins.715@osu.edu. *Each youth participant is REQUIRED to have their OWN certificate. EquiSTEP can be completed by clicking here.

*PLEASE NOTE: Quality Assurance does not fulfill EquiSTEP requirements and EquiSTEP does not fulfill Quality Assurance requirements. Exhibitors taking both a general livestock project and exhibiting a horse will need to complete BOTH. 

If you are unsure if you need to attend a quality assurance training ask yourself the following question, “Am I wanting to take an animal that stays overnight at the fair?” If you answered yes, then you need to attend one a quality assurance training.

Questions regarding quality assurance can be directed to Amanda Perkins at perkins.715@osu.edu or by calling the OSU Extension Office in Brown County at 937-378-6716.

All animal owners please see the information below about new regulations regarding over-the-counter antibiotics.

By June of 2023, all medically important antibiotics currently available at most feed or farm supply stores will now require veterinary oversight (written Rx) to be used in animals, even if the animals are not intended for food production. Examples of affected antibiotics include injectable penicillin and oxytetracycline. In addition, some retail suppliers who were able to sell these drugs/products in the past may no longer sell them after June of 2023. To continue using medically important antimicrobials, you may need to establish a veterinary-client-patient relationship (VCPR). Consult your veterinarian for more information.

What is a veterinarian-client-patient-relationship?
A veterinarian-client-patient-relationship (VCPR) is defined by the American Veterinary Medical Association as the basis for interaction among veterinarians, their clients, and their patients and is critical to health of your animals(s). The practical explanation is that it is a formal relationship that you have with a veterinarian who serves as your primary contact for all veterinary services and is familiar with you, your livestock/animals, and your farm operation. This veterinarian is referred to as your Veterinarian of Record (VoR), and both the VoR and the client should sign a form to document this relationship.

What species are included?
From companion dogs and cats to backyard poultry, and from rabbits and show pigs to large livestock farms. The same restrictions will apply to all companion and farm animal species.

How do your health protocols measure up?
Health protocols are customized for individuals and farm-specific, and practicing veterinarians are often asked to develop and write protocols for individual farms, particularly health protocols. Injectable antimicrobials alone will not work as intended if animals are experiencing pain (drop feed and water intake) and/or dehydration. OSU Veterinary Extension is available to review your health protocols, but must be submitted by a practicing veterinarian to Dr. Gustavo Schuenemann at schuenemann.5@osu.edu.

Resources:
1. Over-the-Counter Antibiotics will Require Veterinary Oversight (Rx) Beginning in June of 2023
2. Veterinary Client-Patient Relationship
3. Veterinary Feed Directive
4. List of Approved New Animal Drug Applications Affected by GFI #263
5. Antibiotic Stewardship for Beef and Dairy Cattle
6. Antibiotic Stewardship for Poultry
7. Antibiotic Stewardship for Sheep and Goats