Month: April 2016

Creating sustainable agriculture in urban food deserts

Across the street from an abandoned industrial site in an older, economically challenged neighborhood, formerly vacant lots have been fitted with raised garden beds and season-extending hoop houses to allow neighborhood residents to grow fresh produce year-round. The food will be donated to schools and residents in a food desert, which is an area that lacks grocery stores within walking distance.

In partnership with the city of Dayton, Ohio State University Extension supports the Vacant to Vibrant project, which offers city dwellers the ability to grow their own foods and the opportunity to become food entrepreneurs. The project allows participants access to fresh local foods, job training, economic security and neighborhood revitalization.

Urban agriculture benefits Ohio by transforming neighborhoods through the production and distribution of food to cultivate a sense of community through food-related education and sustainable economic development.

Urban agriculture benefits Ohio by transforming neighborhoods through the production and distribution of food to cultivate a sense of community through food-related education and sustainable economic development.

OSU Extension supports urban agriculture in all Ohio counties, in an effort to increase access to local foods by helping create community gardens that promote urban agriculture — such as the Edgemont Solar Garden in Dayton — as well as opportunities for vocational agricultural training. Other efforts include classes on growing and marketing produce and basic agricultural principles.

ESSENTIALS

  • According to Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, urban agriculture, which allows cities to put vacant lots into use, creates opportunity for the future and can be a sustainable way to bring money into a community.
  • In one year in Cuyahoga County, OSU Extension provided 33 urban agriculture workshops attended by 452 community members.
  • OSU Extension also supports
    239 Cleveland-area community gardens that yield nearly $3.1 million in produce annually.
  • According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Urbanized Area and Urban Cluster designations, 81 percent of Ohio’s population is urban.
  • More than 1,200 OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteers in nine of Ohio’s most populated counties provide more than 61,000 service hours annually to address local gardening needs.

The Ohio State University’s hops research helps farmers, growing industry

Dave Volkman formerly grew produce on his 12-acre Maineville, Ohio, farm. But by attending a workshop on hops production offered by Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and Ohio State University Extension horticulturist Brad Bergefurd, Volkman learned about the crop’s potential strong profit and high demand. As a result, he traded in his produce for hops. Volkman now has more than 400 plants on 12 acres, supporting two Ohio craft breweries. He also formed the Ohio Hop Growers Guild, which currently brings together more than 50 Ohio hops growers. Hops are a key ingredient in beer manufacturing. Thanks to The Ohio State University’s ongoing hops research and trials, hops are making a resurgence in Ohio after a 100-year absence. With Ohio-grown hops in high demand from Ohio microbrewers, the economic potential for growers and the state’s economy is significant. Ohio growers are poised to capture the $30 million in hops sales and related jobs currently sourced out of state by Ohio’s growing craft brewing industry.

As Ohio brewers seek out locally grown hops, research and education from Ohio State help growers such as Dave Volkman, bottom, and wife Nina Volkman, top, increase production.

As Ohio brewers seek out locally grown hops, research and education from Ohio State help
growers such as Dave Volkman, bottom, and wife Nina Volkman, top, increase production.

ESSENTIALS

• One hundred Ohio breweries produce 1.09 million barrels of craft beer annually, requiring 4 million pounds of dried hops at 4 pounds per barrel — worth more than $30 million — all currently purchased from out-of-state farms.

• To meet this demand, an estimated 6,000 acres of hops are required by Ohio craft brewers at current-use rates. Today, 100 acres are planted with hops in the state, so the potential for growth is enormous.

• OARDC’s hops research trials are helping growers identify the following: new hops varieties for Ohio, effective pest and disease management techniques, successful fertility and irrigation management methods, and mechanical harvesting tools.