Meat sales have been subject to serious supply chain issues wrought by COVID-19, raising many questions here in Ohio about who can process meat and where meat can be sold. In my opinion, explaining meat processing laws is nearly as difficult as summarizing the Internal Revenue Code. Read more here…
Author: Nanette Neal
Farm Office Live!
Thursday, May 28 from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m.
OSU Extension is pleased to be offering the a Farm Office Live session on Thursday morning, May 28 from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. The session will begin with the Farm Office Team answering questions asked over the past 2 weeks. Topics to be highlighted include: Updates on the CARES Act, Payroll Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), and Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). Participants can pre-register or join in on Thursday morning at https://go.osu.edu/farmofficelive
Additional sessions are scheduled for June 11 and June 25. Get signed up today using the link above.
USDA Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
The Farm Office team has digested the Final Rule issued on May 19 for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) Direct Support to Farmers and Ranchers program. Read our news bulletin here and learn details on producer eligibility, eligible commodities, payment limitations, the application and timeline, and payment calculations.
Virtual Annie’s Project Reunion
Private Applicators – Who can legally spray on the Farm?
Asian Giant Hornet Education
The Asian Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarinia) (AGH) is generating social media buzz bolstered by news feeds referring to it as the “murder hornet.” However, nothing has changed since it was found late last season in the extreme northwest corner of Washington State and the southwest corner of British Columbia, Canada.
Thus far, AGH has not been confirmed anywhere else in North America including Ohio. But this does not mean we should be complacent. As other non-native insect pests have taught us, we must remain watchful. Read more here…
Pasture Management Basics that Support Successful Grazing
Fitness for Farm Life
Tuesday May 5, 12 and 19, 7 – 7:30 pm
Fitness for Farm Life is an educational program aimed at improving the quality or work and life for agricultural workers of all ages and abilities.
The goal of this program is to show you that by taking some small steps to care for our bodies and physical health, then in turn you can improve and preserve your physical abilities to continue doing what all of us here love-farming.
May 5 – Fitness for Farm Life: Safe Lifting
May 12 – Fitness for Farm Life: Exercises and stretches
May 19 – Fitness for Farm Life: Health, wellness and pain management
Registration is not required, just log in and join us: https://go.osu.edu/farmfitness
If you have not logged into Zoom before you may need to download Zoom to watch the webinar. All Fitness for Farm Life webinars will be recorded and available on this website, and archived on the Ohio AgrAbility site.
Did you catch any of the webinars during OSU Extension’s Ag Madness?
Ohio AgrAbility presented 3 webinars on April 10:
- Making your events, festivals and agritourism accessible to the public
- Assistive technology to keep you farming
- Farming and gardening with arthritis and other physical limitations
Archived Ohio AgrAbility webinars https://agnr.osu.edu/events/agriculture-and-natural-resources-madness/full-bracket#apr10
Two Ohio AgrAbility gardening with physical limitations will be posted on the Ohio AgrAbility website soon. For handouts and other webinar resources please visit https://agrability.osu.edu/resources/webinars-and-handouts-2020
https://agnr.osu.edu/events/agriculture-and-natural-resources-madness/full-bracket
Attendees seeking an accommodation to participate in the webinar are encouraged to contact Laura Akgerman at akgerman.4@osu.edu as early as possible, and in advance of the event to request accommodations. The webinar will be recorded and a captioned version will be posted online at the Ohio AgrAbility website, on the resources page, under the Webinars and Handouts 2020 tab https://agrability.osu.edu/resources/webinars-and-handouts-2020
Annie’s Virtual Reunion – Registration Open
Those who have participated in an Annie’s Project understand the camaraderie and friendships that are developed during the course. They also understand the value of education to improve the farm operation. Keeping those two points in mind, the Ohio Women in Ag team is hosting a virtual Annie’s Reunion on May 6 from 9-11 a.m.
The reunion will allow past participants to catch up with each other through virtual breakout rooms and further expand their education through 3 different tracts: Farm Management, Livestock and Food. The opening session will provide resources and inspiration for the unique challenges farms are facing right now. Breakout sessions include grain and livestock market updates, backyard poultry, food prep and preservation and more. Those who have not participated in an Annie’s Project are also invited to attend to learn more!
Registration is open until noon on May 5 at http://go.osu.edu/AnniesReunion. For questions, please contact Amanda Douridas at Douridas.9@osu.edu.
Those who have not had the opportunity to participate in an Annie’s Project are welcome to join us as well. Annie’s Project is a national program focused on farm management education for farm and ranch women. The course consists of 18 hours of education 5 risk areas: financial, human resources, legal, market and production. For more information, visit https://www.anniesproject.org/. Contact Gigi Neal if interested in learning about upcoming programs at neal.331@osu.edu or 513-732-7070.
To register for the May 6 Annie’s Reunion, please visit: http://go.osu.edu/AnniesReunion
PQA for State Fair
All youth taking market swine to the 2020 Ohio State Fair will be required to have a parent/guardian PQA certified in order to meet packer requirements.
2020 OSU Extension educators Will Hamman and James Morris will be offering an ONLINE PQA session. This online training MUST be completed by the parent/guardian of the youth exhibitor. The youth exhibitor is encouraged to participate in this training but is not required.
The family will receive an email on May 11th and will have 30 days to complete the training.
Please contact us by email if you have any questions.
Will Hamman hamman.41@osu.edu
James Morris morris.1677@osu.edu
Gigi Neal neal.331@osu.edu
Cost: Free to all families
Registration Deadline May 6, 2020 Information Flyer
Registration is required register by completing this short survey.
This DOES NOT count for local Assuring Quality Care of Animals (aka QA).