Rollin’ on the River

Dr. Michael Drake

Ohio State President Michael V. Drake. Photo credit: Kevin Fitzsimons.

A crisp, sunny, blue-sky morning greeted Ohio State President Michael V. Drake, along with Dr. Cathann Kress, dean of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, other OSU staff, students, and guests as they visited southeast Ohio’s Washington County. The group boarded the Valley Gem Sternwheeler, built and operated by a local family to journey the Muskingum River. The fog had lifted to reveal the calm and gently flowing river banked on each side by lush green vegetation. Just over the top of the riverbank, homes could be seen in the City of Marietta. Perhaps with the rhythmic splash of the paddle of the sternwheeler, these passengers could imagine years long ago and the early pioneers who would establish Marietta and Washington County.

The Treaty of Paris greatly opened expansion of territories west of the Appalachian Mountains.  In need of revenue and in payment to Revolutionary War veterans, the lands in the Northwest Territory were established with the passage of the Northwest Ordinance in 1787. Rufus Putnam, who was appointed Chief of Engineers by General George Washington, along with Manasseh Cutler and two other Continental Army officers, formed the Ohio Company of Associates and bought over 1,000,000 acres of land in the Northwest Territory. In 1788, with Putnam as their leader, 48 Revolutionary War veterans settled at the confluence of the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers, founding Marietta as the first organized settlement in the Northwest Territory. In accordance with the terms of the Northwest Ordinance, the settlers began the establishment based on legal basis land ownership, organized government, natural rights and prohibition of slavery. Later, Marietta and surrounding communities would become key locations in the Underground Railroad.

The Northwest Ordinance held language that carried forward the concept of land grants to support education. Arthur St. Clair (first governor of the Northwest Territory) originally chartered the American Western University to be the public university in the settlement (between Chillicothe and Marietta); however, the university never opened under that name. The next charter two years later established the first university in the territory: Ohio University. Rufus Putnam served as a trustee of the university for twenty years. Mr. Putnam also originated Muskingum Academy in 1797, a predecessor to Marietta College.

Just as the Northwest Ordinance presented opportunities for expansion, The Ohio State University offers opportunities for expansion of knowledge, careers, and development of social and economic initiatives. Visiting various areas of our great state gives our students, faculty, and staff a broader understanding of the impacts made by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

Valley Gem Sternwheeler

Valley Gem Sternwheeler. Photo Credit: Kevin Fitzsimons.

Marietta and Washington County, Ohio invite you to visit. Plan a ride on the Valley Gem Sternwheeler and enjoy the many historical sites and scenic beauty of the area. The Columbus Dispatch’s recent article “Marietta preserves its past as Ohio’s oldest city,” describes many visitor attractions. For more visitor information visit: http://mariettaohio.org.

Darlene Lukshin is an OSU Extension Program Specialist (Washington County & Buckeye Hills EERA).

Watch What You Throw Out! The Fundamentals of Recycling

Trash . . . it’s ugly, probably smelly, and something we tend not to think twice about once we set it on the curb or in the dumpster. Did you know the average American generates about 4.4 pounds of waste, per day? Americans produced an estimated 254 million tons of trash in 2013, and of this amount, 87 million tons or 34.3% was recycled or composted. If these numbers are surprising to you, read further to learn how to properly reduce and recycle your waste!

What can you recycle?

  • Aluminum & Steel Cans
  • Paper & Newspaper
  • Cardboard
  • Glass – Glass makes up 6% of items in the landfill and it takes over 1 million years to decompose
  • Plastic – did you know the average US citizen uses 200 lbs of plastic each year? Of this amount, only 3% is recycled.
  • Electronics & Batteries – for more information research your county’s recycling program or call your local electronic company (Staples, Best Buy).

Remember these tips to be a pro at recycling: lightly wash out bottles or containers, keep the caps of bottles or jars on, and always review what recyclables are collected in your county or you risk your entire bin being dumped in the landfill.

Recyclables are commonly collected in two ways – they are either sorted into their respective materials at site pickup, or all recyclables are thrown together and taken to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) for sorting. The MRF’s will sort the recyclables by hand and/or machine and then materials are sent off to manufacturers who utilize the recycled items to make new products.

It’s a challenge to understand the importance and impact recycling can have when you don’t see the end result, but it is essential to reducing your carbon footprint and total waste generated. While recycling aids in reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfills, there are two important steps you should take if you are interested in reducing your overall waste generation:

  1. Reduce – For many of us, we have ignored the common conveniences we have, such as plastic bags at the grocery store. Easy fixes like bringing a reusable bag, or even reusing plastic bags, will reduce the amount of unrecyclable material you are already consuming. Also be conscious of putting produce into separate plastic bags; you can always mix produce in one and leave it open for the cashier to weigh separately. Ain’t no shame in this reusable shopping bag game!
  1. Reuse – Repurpose recyclable items such as glass jars for pantry storage, water bottles, or even to plant some herbs!

Make sure to check out your county’s local recycling program for specifics on what can be recycled! And to learn more about plastic pollution and how long it takes for items to decompose, check out fix.com/blog/reduce-plastic-use/.

Sources:

2013 Solid Waste Data – archive.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/web/html/

Recycling Facts and Material Statistics – cuyahogarecycles.org/environment_recycling_facts

“Recycle the possibilities are endless” – threerivers.gov.uk/egcl-page/rubbish-waste-and-recycling

Materials Recovery Center (MRC) –  www3.epa.gov/recyclecity/recovery.htm

Lauren Vargo is a Program Coordinator, CD/ANR (Cuyahoga County & Western Reserve EERA).

How I live with the 7 Habits

Have you ever had a to-do list longer than your grocery list? I know I have. It’s especially hard on those days when you walk into the office and immediately have to pick up the phone that’s been ringing, and fix the error message on the copier as you walk by, and maybe five other things before you even get the chance to get your coat off. Days like these have a tendency of pushing you to your limit, and it’s days like these that leave us emotionally exhausted. So what do we do to live with this?

Success/Stress SignWhat my team did was adopt Franklin Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. We spent two days in a training learning about ourselves, our teams, and how to work more effectively with ourselves and each other. We learned in this training the 7 habits we can practice that will lead our lives down a less stressful path while maximizing our productivity. A couple of the habits I use every day are Be Proactive, Begin with the End in Mind, and my team often uses Synergize.

I’m practicing being proactive by keeping my goals in my foresight while focusing on the tasks that will get me there. In my position as a project coordinator, this helps me plot out what my day-to-day tasks will be while still looking ahead to the end goal. This helps me better be able to begin with the end in mind because when I start a task I make sure I know why I’m doing this in the first place. By keeping in mind where I want to be in the future, I’m able to work together with my team day to day and let our vision of the future guide our daily decisions.

My team synergizes by working together on multifaceted projects, each of us bringing something unique to the table. Some of us have more relationship building skills and others are more analytical. We pride ourselves in cultivating these strengths and delegating tasks to the person whom we know will excel in that area. We are better teammates and more effective employees when we are able to do the things we enjoy.

The 7 Habits has, so far, impacted the way I work. I pay more attention to what is necessary compared to what is just a distraction. With the help from my team, we have been able to create processes that eliminate distractions which increase our productivity. With a director who cultivates a culture of efficiency and effectiveness, we are marching into the future with our new habits.

Reference:

Covey, S. R. (2004). The 7 habits of highly effective people: Restoring the character ethic ([Rev. Ed.].). New York: Free Press.

Kori Montgomery is an Office Associate at the Alber Enterprise Center located at The Ohio State University at Marion.

13 Tips to be a Motivational Leader

Feeling valued and that your work contributions make a difference are two key factors in job satisfaction. What can we do to help colleagues feel motivated about their work? With workforce an issue around the globe and employers struggling to engage star employees, here are 13 tips to be a motivational leader:

  1. Create a fair and supportive environment.
    • Do you provide the tools and resources employees need to succeed?
    • If people are failing or if there is turnover, the first place to look is at the supervisor in charge. Good supervisors cultivate good, highly efficient employees, but the reverse is true as well. People don’t leave jobs, they leave bosses! Watch turnover and connect the dots!
  2. Invest in your human resources!
    • Provide development opportunities.
      • Career training – internal and external
      • Support their attendance at conferences and other learning/networking opportunities
    • Work on health and wellness as a corporate initiative, invest in activities for healthy living (healthy employees are more productive and lower insurance premiums!), some examples:
      • Gym memberships
      • Gift cards for steps using Fitbit® or other measurement tools
      • You pick one!
  3. Reward them.
    • SAY “THANK YOU” or “GOOD JOB” FOR A JOB WELL DONE
    • After a vigorous project or particularly stressful time, offer some time off.
    • Gift cards — $5.00 to Starbucks goes a long way.
    • Present them with a certificate of thanks.
  4. Coach them for improvement.
    • When performance improvement is required, be sure to communicate that PROMPTLY. DO NOT wait for the annual performance review and use it as a area of improvement. A performance review should be considered a recap of information already communicated and a review of the results. A good leader does not blindside an employee with a never-before-communicated laundry list of complaints at their annual review.
    • Seek to counsel and to guide. Do not seek a “gotcha” moment! Value your team members. They are your most important investment.
  5. Make every effort to avoid shaming or embarrassing an employee when a difficult conversation is necessary.
    • Speak to them privately about performance related issues. They are people with feelings. Remember, most people want to do a good job and be considered a good performer.
  6. Strive for equal treatment of all employees.
    • Be careful to follow the same process in conversations and reviews with all employees.
      • Singling out an employee for special treatment, good or bad, sends a signal to other employees.
    • Be fair.
      • If you have a personality conflict with someone, dig deep into why that is occurring and work on yourself before you blame the other person. As Steven Covey says, “Seek first to understand and then to be understood.”
  7. Avoid the perception of favoritism by being observant and perceptive of how your words and actions are being interpreted.
  8. Establish a culture of respect.
    • Treat people with dignity and respect.
    • Listen and work as a team to resolve issues. Do not jump to a conclusion after hearing one side of an argument.
  9. Communicate clearly and frequently expectations and how you measure success.
    • Do your employees clearly understand your expectations?
      • Are expectations written down?
        • Take responsibility when there is miscommunication particularly regarding job duties and expectations. Start with:
          • Is there a job description and if so, is it up to date?
          • Do employees understand the organizational Mission and Values?
  10. Provide annual reviews and regular feedback in-between reviews so employees know where they stand.
  11. Show up and be present.
    • Don’t be invisible. Let people see you.
    • Smile and be positive.
    • Ask about them, their weekend, whatever you know interests them.
  12. Make it personal.
    • What do you know about the people who report to you?
    • How do you recognize milestones and accomplishments?
    • Do you know anything that is important to that employee aside from work?
    • Is the employee in need of support due to a difficult life experience?
  13. Strive to create meaningful work.
    • Is the assigned work fulfilling – in any way? If not, what can you do to improve the situation?
      • Ask the employees – Communicate!
        • What improvements could make their job more rewarding?
        • What about their job do they like and do not like?
      • Work with employees to provide opportunities to do what they like and to improve their job if it is reasonable.

According to the June 13, 2017 Gallup Chairman’s Blog, 15% of employees worldwide are engaged in their jobs. A separate Gallup Poll reveals that 70% of employee motivation originates with the employee’s manager. Imagine if employees were motivated and engaged because of their manager? According to Gallup, motivated employees are 31% more productive which results in an increase in sales of 37 percent. Additionally, motivated employees are 87% less likely to quit than their demotivated counterparts. Turnover is one organizational expense that can be limited via support and training by skilled motivational leaders.

In short, your leadership style has an impact on your organizational culture and environment. Take the time to better understand yourself so you can better support your teammates. Learning about yourself can be eye opening and life changing; and the risk is worth the reward.  After all, it does take heat and pressure to create a diamond!

Kyle White is an Extension Educator, Medina County & Western Reserve EERA.

Collaborating to Educate on Agriculture in the Community

How do you learn about agriculture and your community? With “two faces” in Clermont County – urban and rural – it is important to address how agriculture and the community work together to provide the necessary resources for everyday life. A diverse audience attends the Clermont County fair: rural, urban and suburban. This is due, in part, to the location of Clermont County in southwest Ohio (it is situated adjacent to the urban city of Cincinnati) and it being a county with rich roots in agricultural history.

As the need was identified to inform the diverse audience, the Clermont County Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator and Community Development Program Coordinator collaborated to educate the public on agriculture and community development. The specific audience targeted involved the public and exhibitors who attended the Clermont County Fair in 2016 and 2017.

To educate this audience, posters (Ag in the Community) were created with facts from United States Department of Agriculture statistics, county statistics and various commodity organizations. Each poster has a QR code or barcode, which may be scanned with a smart device, linked to an online blog page for data collection. Posters were color printed on 11”x 17” paper and laminated before being displayed around the fairgrounds at designated locations.

Our specific AG IN THE COMMUNITY GOALS were to:

  1. Address the need for educational programming for the “two faces” of Clermont County (urban/rural interface)
  2. Educate the public about agriculture and the community
  3. Inform Clermont County, Ohio residents of the services offered through Ohio State University Extension
  4. Gain contact information from individuals interested in learning more about Extension programming
  5. Utilize blog and QR code technologies to measure reach and impact of the Ag in the Community posters

There were approximately 65,000 people who attended the 2016 Clermont County Fair who could have viewed the educational materials. We know that 376 fair-goers viewed the posters via the QR code. Results from the 2017 Ag in the Community posters are pending.

Our Ag in the Community posters have enabled us to better educate the public on types of agriculture and community development issues and opportunities in Clermont County and gather contact data for our newsletter and blog page as well as to determine if a participant knows about Extension or has ever used Extension services.

Results indicate that audiences in Clermont County were interested in learning more about agriculture and the community. Most have attended educational programs and want to learn more about the work we do. This effort has aided in bringing the OSU Extension Clermont County blog site to nearly 1200 subscribers.

Through the Agriculture in the Community poster program, we were able to collaborate in educating the public on agriculture and their community. Reach out to other Extension program staff in your office today to collaborate in this one simple way.

Trevor Corboy is a Program Coordinator in Clermont County & Miami Valley EERA.