Protecting Ohio’s valuable poultry industry from deadly avian flu

Ohio State veterinary students visit a turkey farm to learn about avian flu biosecurity. Outreach and education are key to protecting the poultry industry from infectious diseases.

Ohio State veterinary students visit a turkey farm to learn about avian flu biosecurity. Outreach and education are key to protecting the poultry industry from infectious diseases.

Since November 2014, an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 spread by wild waterfowl has gripped the U.S. poultry industry, killing close to 50 million birds in at least 19 states.

While the virus has not yet reached Ohio, Ohio State University Extension experts have been helping poultry producers learn about the disease, boost biosecurity measures on the farm and prepare to minimize the flu’s impact if it were to reach the state.

“Our industry needs to adopt tighter biosecurity, as this virus can spread wide and fast, and outbreaks could reoccur in spring and fall,” said Mohamed El-Gazzar, OSU Extension poultry veterinarian. “We are also helping with logistical challenges such as identifying the best way to dispose of infected birds in case of an outbreak.”

To address this challenge, biosystems engineer Fred Michel developed a plan for Ohio egg farms to compost up to hundreds of thousands of dead chickens on-site, reducing the risk of contamination to other layer houses or nearby farms.


ESSENTIALS

• The current avian flu outbreak is a serious threat to Ohio’s $2.3 billion poultry industry, which directly supports more than 14,600 jobs. Nationally, Ohio ranks second in egg production and ninth in turkey production.
• If Ohio were to experience a poultry production loss of 50 percent, OSU Extension estimates the ripple effect would reach $1 billion in overall economic losses, including $815,000 in annual wages.
• Heavy losses to Iowa’s egg farms from this virus have sent egg prices soaring across the United States. If the virus reaches Ohio, prices will increase even more dramatically, affecting both consumers and food manufacturers.

More: go.osu.edu/birdflu

Future of farming includes precision tech, smart use of ‘big data’

Modern farm machinery and unmanned aerial vehicles are opening new doors for the collection of valuable data to help growers improve production and the environment.

Modern farm machinery and unmanned aerial vehicles are opening new doors for the collection of valuable data to help growers improve production and the environment.

In the world of agriculture, having access to rich data sources about field conditions, weather patterns, pests and more can make a huge difference in the profitability and sustainability of Ohio farms.

The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center is working with farmers, industry groups and state agencies to boost access to and analysis of field data gathered from new-generation farm machinery, satellite data and remote-sensing imagery captured by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

“Data can support farmers’ management decisions, for example how much nitrogen should be applied to corn and whether or when a fungicide needs to be used,” OARDC and Ohio State University Extension precision agriculture specialist John Fulton said. “But all this enormous amount of data needs to be gathered and provided quickly for farmers to make the best use of it.”

A key goal of Fulton’s work is to create a repository that will then be made available to growers in a user-friendly manner to help them make data-driven decisions.

ESSENTIALS

The enhanced use of precision farming technology and “big data” analysis can benefit the agricultural industry and society in three key areas.

  • Economy: Providing remote-sensing imagery and other types of data to growers and their crop consultants can help growers make more efficient use of fertilizers and other expensive inputs, thus lowering costs.
  • Environment: Reducing fertilizer and agrochemical applications benefits the environment, protecting water, pollinators and other valuable natural resources.
  • Research: Developing an extensive data repository can help university scientists save time in their research projects and develop innovative recommendations to assist both farmers and the environment.

New OARDC garden will help study links between plants and health

“I’m an Ohio State grad. My grandfather and father came from Wooster. This is something I wanted to do for the university. I believe plants are very important in people’s health, and I hope this garden will be beneficial for people of all ages in the community, as well as for research.” — Bill Lemmon, president and owner, Lemmon & Lemmon Inc.

“I’m an Ohio State grad. My grandfather and father came from Wooster. This is something I wanted to do for the university. I believe plants are very important in people’s health, and I hope this garden will be beneficial for people of all ages in the community, as well as for research.”
— Bill Lemmon, president and owner, Lemmon & Lemmon Inc.

The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center’s Secrest Arboretum has many gardens, but its newest addition stands out for its therapeutic and research value.

Established in summer 2015, The Lemmon and Rice Health and Wellness Garden was designed to boost visitors’ sense of well-being and provide opportunities for research into the impact gardens and nature have on human health. The garden was constructed thanks to donations from Bill Lemmon, president and owner of Lemmon & Lemmon Inc., and Kevin Rice, vice president of Rice’s Nursery and Landscaping, both located in the Canton area.

This is one of the country’s few gardens designed around the concept of the pillars of wellness. The garden focuses on six of the nine pillars: environmental, physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual and social. OARDC has teamed up with The Ohio State University College of Nursing to conduct future research in the garden.

“Many visitors already use the arboretum as a part of their wellness program,” said Joe Cochran, Secrest’s interim director. “One visitor told me he had lost 36 pounds somewhere on the paths throughout the gardens.”

ESSENTIALS

Studies have shown the benefits of gardens and other outdoor spaces on health and wellness.

• Gardening 3–5 times a week has been found to be a good strategy to combat obesity and lower stress.
• Patients with musculoskeletal pain taking part in horticultural therapy programs experience an improved ability to cope with chronic pain.
• Children with attention deficit disorder who play in grassy, outdoor spaces have less severe symptoms than those who play in windowless, indoor settings.
• Dementia patients who have access to gardens are less likely to display aggression or suffer injuries, and they display improved sleep patterns, balanced hormones and decreased agitation.

More: go.osu.edu/healthgarden

Tackling avian flu and other dangerous poultry diseases

Lee bird flu

Virologist Chang-Won Lee conducts research — including the development of new vaccines and diagnostic tests — to combat avian flu and other respiratory diseases of poultry.

Since November 2014, an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 spread by wild waterfowl has gripped the U.S. poultry industry, killing close to 50 million birds in at least 19 states.

While the virus has not yet reached Ohio, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center experts are conducting innovative research to improve detection, prevention and management of avian flu and other respiratory diseases that threaten the state’s valuable poultry industry.

For instance, virologist Chang-Won Lee leads a U.S. Department of Agriculture $7.2 million grant that partners scientists and colleagues at The Ohio State University with other universities.

The project’s goal is threefold: to better understand the ecology of poultry diseases in order to develop more effective prevention strategies; to validate diagnostic methods currently employed and create better ones as needed; and to gain a better understanding of the relationship between disease, host and environment in order to aid in the development of new control methods.

ESSENTIALS

• The current avian flu outbreak is a serious threat to Ohio’s $2.3 billion poultry industry, which directly supports more than 14,600 jobs. Nationally, Ohio ranks second in egg production and ninth in turkey production.

• If Ohio were to experience just a 50 percent poultry production loss, Ohio State University Extension estimates the effect would reach $1 billion in overall economic losses, including $815,000 in annual wages.

• Heavy losses to Iowa’s egg farms from this virus have sent egg prices soaring across the United States. If the virus reaches Ohio, prices would increase even more dramatically, affecting both consumers and food manufacturers.

More: go.osu.edu/birdflu

Project works to improve Ohio water quality, one farm at a time

Long after Toledo’s water supply was cut for days in August 2014, researchers such as Jay Martin have continued to work to improve water quality throughout Ohio. (Photo: Ken Chamberlain, CFAES.)

Long after Toledo’s water supply was cut for days in August 2014, researchers such as Jay Martin have continued to work to improve water quality throughout Ohio. (Photo: Ken Chamberlain, CFAES.)

Field to Faucet was conceived by The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. The college invested $1 million toward the effort after dangerous microcystin levels in Lake Erie shut down Toledo’s water supply for two days in August 2014.

Headed by Jay Martin, an ecological engineer in the college, Field to Faucet seeks to ensure safe drinking water while maintaining an economically productive agricultural sector. The goal is to reduce nutrient runoff and protect downstream ecosystems and water quality, helping farmers increase crop yields at the same time.

The initiative involves researchers from multiple colleges within Ohio State, as well as from other Ohio universities. Current research projects supported by Field to Faucet include a tri-state, cost-share program to help protect water quality in Ohio’s Western Lake Erie Basin, as well as the development of a weather-risk-management tool to warn farmers of impending storms to help lessen the risk of runoff from nutrient application.

“There continues to be pressure on farmers to be good stewards of our water resources,” said Scott Beck, president of Beck’s Hybrids, a partner on Field to Faucet. “Beck’s and the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences are conducting joint research to monitor water quality in different cropping scenarios over time. We are also looking at other agronomic studies such as fertilizer utilization and tile spacing.”

Essentials

Field to Faucet projects currently underway include:

  • Developing an app for farmers to record nutrient application rates and methods.
  • Developing a controlled-access, geospatial-data warehouse that allows producers and researchers to secure and share publicly available data.
  • Finding ways to best remove phosphorus and nitrogen from manure and anaerobic digester discharge before the materials are applied to fields. This effort will especially benefit the watershed around Grand Lake St. Marys in western Ohio.
  • Using unmanned aerial vehicles to provide real-time data on concentrations of microcystin created by harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie; and developing a sensor to detect real-time concentrations of microcystin in the lake.

Learn more about Field to Faucet here.

OSU Extension delivers answers during, after botulism crisis

The need for food preservation classes offered by Shannon Carter, left, and other Extension professionals rose sharply in 2015 after botulism struck a church potluck.

The need for food preservation classes offered by Shannon Carter, left, and other Extension professionals rose sharply in 2015 after botulism struck a church potluck.

It was a church potluck like any other. But within days, botulism from improperly home-canned potatoes killed one woman and hospitalized 24 others.

Shannon Carter, Fairfield County family and consumer sciences educator, and other Ohio State University Extension professionals jumped into action in April 2015, providing urgently needed information to the community, media and health department officials.

Food safety is a prime focus of Extension, with specialist Sanja Ilic working with produce growers and restaurants to reduce risks in food handling and on projects helping high-risk consumers, including the blind and cancer survivors.

In Fairfield County, Carter increased fivefold the number of food preservation classes she offered in 2015.

Aubry Shaw, daughter-in-law of Kim Shaw, who died from the botulism outbreak, participated in several of the classes.

“As soon as it happened, people were relying on the Extension office to get education out about canning and botulism,” Shaw said. “Even people who have canned for a long time can still learn something new. That’s why these classes are so important.”

Deb Kilbarger, registered sanitarian and food program supervisor with the Fairfield Department of Health, agrees.

“Anyone who cans (food) should take the class,” Kilbarger said. “Even if you’ve done it forever, there might be a safer way. Extension is the only place I’m aware of that offers classes like this. Hopefully, these classes will prevent anything like this from happening again.”

ESSENTIALS

In 2014, OSU Extension offered 181 food safety classes to 2,458 participants in 50 counties. Of those who took home food preservation classes:

  • 78 percent reported they would always use current, official canning recommendations, which is up from 16 percent who, before attending the class, said they would always do so.
  • 67 percent reported they would always acidify tomatoes before water-bath canning them — a vital food safety precaution — which is up from 16 percent before the class.
  • 66 percent reported they would always use a pressure canner to process low-acid foods, which is up from 22 percent before the class

High cost of foodborne illnesses: OARDC researcher provides state-by-state breakdown

Public health policymakers view the work of Robert Scharff, right, as invaluable when determining how to direct tight resources to fight foodborne illnesses.

Public health policymakers view the work of Robert Scharff, right, as invaluable when determining how to direct tight resources to fight foodborne illnesses.

Foodborne illnesses cost Ohio up to $2.9 billion every year. In other states, such costs range from just $181 million all the way to $12 billion, according to a 2015 study by Robert Scharff, economist with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.

Costs fluctuate between states for a variety of reasons, including population, cost of medical care, climate and other factors, Scharff said. Those variations can have a significant impact on local decision making.

Scharff’s Journal of Food Protection study is a first-of-its-kind economic analysis designed to offer public health authorities detailed information to help evaluate the cost-effectiveness of food-safety education efforts and how best to prioritize resources.

“Take an illness from a pathogen like Vibrio,” Scharff said. “It’s associated with seafood, particularly raw seafood in summer. States with higher shellfish consumption — those in coastal areas — have a higher incidence, and so it makes sense for them to devote more resources to battling it.”

Scharff’s analyses have gotten the attention of public health authorities nationwide.

“Scharff’s work has been indispensable to our efforts,” said Sandra B. Eskin, director of food safety with The Pew Charitable Trusts. “His estimates of the economic impact of these illnesses — considered both on a nationwide and state-by-state basis — help make the case that the benefits from policies aimed at preventing food safety problems clearly outweigh costs.”

ESSENTIALS
Robert Scharff’s study, “State Estimates for the Annual Cost of Foodborne Illness,” provides both conservative cost estimates — following the model typically used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture — as well as higher estimates that include loss of quality of life, which is the model used by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Using those models, the costs related to foodborne illnesses in Ohio are estimated to be:
  • $1,039 to $1,666 per case
  • $156 to $250 per resident, annually
  • $1.8 billion to $2.9 billion in total annual costs

More: go.osu.edu/fdillcost

4-H water projects are making a splash in Ohio, around nation

OSU, CFAES, 4-H, AG Innovators Experience

Ohio 4-H is leading efforts to help youths gain a deeper understanding of one of the most vital 21st century concerns: assuring access to fresh, clean water.

Water is rising in prominence in Ohio 4-H youth development activities.

In the Water Windmill Challenge, teams create mock-ups of wind-operated water supply systems.

“There are many possibilities of how to meet the challenge,” said creator Bob Horton, Ohio 4-H specialist. “If their structure fails, students quickly want to reinvent it. They don’t realize it, but this activity introduces them to engineering.”

 In Ways of Knowing Water, a project idea starter for individual 4-H members, activities help youths sharpen awareness about their local watershed and where their household water originates.
Meera Nadathur, 15, of Hamilton County, took the Ways of Knowing Water project and plans to study environmental sciences in college
“With 4-H, you get to actually experience what you’re learning
about,” she said. “You don’t just learn by reading about it. It really enhances the whole experience.”

In a new idea starter, Field to Faucet: Nutrients, Sediment and Water Quality, activities focus on preventing harmful algal blooms. Co-author and 4-H educator Jackie Krieger said, “For many around the world who have little access to fresh, clean water, we owe our best science and dedicated action to understanding this basic human need. Who knows what spark might be ignited in the minds of 4-H members by these activities?”

ESSENTIALS

OSU Extension’s 4-H STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education program is making a mark regionally and nationally by developing projects including:

  • The Water Windmill Challenge. In 2015, nearly 10,000 youths in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Wisconsin participated in this challenge as part of the 4-H Ag Innovators Experience, sponsored by the National 4-H Council and Monsanto.
  • The Fish Farm Challenge, which was named as the 2014 4-H Ag Innovators Experience. More than 8,000 youths engineered a system to evenly dispense soy-based fish food pellets in an aquaculture tank.
  • The 4-H National Youth Science Experiment, the world’s largest youth-led science experiment. Ohio 4-H created the activities used in this program in 2008 and 2012.

More: go.osu.edu/oh4hsci

‘I want to be a scientist,’ thanks to 4-H Agri-science in the City

Not a teacher. Not a fireman.

When he grows up, 8-year-old Jamir Green wants to be a scientist.

“It seems fun,” he said. “You can make chemicals and medicines.”

As a second-grader at George Washington Carver STEM Elementary School on Cleveland’s East Side, Green was inspired by Rob Isner, who has led the school’s 4-H Agri-science in the City program since it began in 2014.

In Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, Tony Staubach offers the same program at Rothenberg Preparatory Academy.

As 4-H staff members, Isner and Staubach integrate food- and farm-related science activities during school, in after-school programs, in 4-H clubs and at summer day camps.

Thanks to a new 4-H program, many students at George Washington Carver STEM Elementary School in Cleveland now say science is their favorite subject.

Thanks to a new 4-H program, many students at George Washington Carver STEM Elementary School in Cleveland now say science is their favorite subject.

“When I started the program, most students said science was their least favorite subject,” Isner said. “Now, more than half say it is their favorite. They only have the agri-science program once a week, but we’re having an impact.”

Annette DiGirolamo, a recently retired second-grade teacher at Rothenberg Preparatory Academy, said the program is “invaluable.”
“The students have watched chicks hatch, explored the properties of air, and conducted experiments with force and motion, sound and vibration,” she said. “The scientific process is continually reinforced, fostering skills of observation, critical thinking, accurate data collection and cooperation.”
ESSENTIALS
Agri-science in the City programs provided by Ohio 4-H focus on students in kindergarten through sixth grade.
  • In Cincinnati, nearly 500 students participated from March 2014 through May 2015, when students who say they believe it is possible to farm in the city increased from 54 percent to 74 percent, and students indicating they want to work in food or farming increased from 15 percent to 31 percent.
  • In Cleveland, nearly 600 students participated during the 2014–15 school year. At the end of the year, 83 percent gave the program an “A;” 67 percent said they wanted to learn more about agriculture the next year; and 42 percent said it was “very likely” they would attend a career tech program in agri-science in high school.

Heart-Healthy Garden Program: ‘The Gift that Keeps on Giving’

Don Tedrow in Ross Heart Garden

Don Tedrow assists another Ross Heart Hospital Community Garden participant harvest radishes after a summer 2015 healthy living class.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Don Tedrow’s heart is full of gratitude.

In January 2015, Tedrow was shopping at a home improvement store when he began feeling “strange, feeling some pressure,” he said.

He went home, and he and his wife headed to the Emergency Department at the The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

“They kept me overnight, did some tests, and found out I had an 80 percent blockage in my main artery,” Tedrow said.

After a stent was inserted to open the blockage, Tedrow participated in the medical center’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program.

“That was excellent,” he said. “A life-changer.”

While there, Tedrow learned about the new Ross Heart Hospital Community Garden program, a collaboration between the medical center and Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), which he participated in during the summer.

“It was the perfect follow-up,” Tedrow said, “because I had learned how to exercise in rehab, but I didn’t know what to do with my diet.”

The program, which combines gardening with healthy-living classes, started in 2015. It was the brainchild of Jim Warner, food and nutrition program director with the medical center’s food service administration. Warner also is involved with a similar program with The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.

To read more: http://go.osu.edu/heartgarden