During this time of uncertainty, it can be hard to keep our families active and healthy. I know I have found this difficult at times! Thankfully, there are some resources available to help us during these times like these. The website www.choosemyplate.gov gives us a number of helpful ideas to help our families stay active and healthy. Our children watch what we do, so here are some tips for us to be healthy role models for them!
April 1, is National Census Day…no joke! Be Counted! Complete the 2020 Census for your community, for healthcare, for schools, for what matters most to you…funding depends on it! Respond at 2020census.gov
Turning on the news used to involve hearing weather reports and what was happening around our communities and the world. However, lately these news stories are more confusing than ever.
You may be asking yourself, “what can I do to help?” One thing that all of us can do is washing our hands regularly with soap and water. According to the CDC, Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, washing our hands can help protect us from illness and may reduce respiratory infections.
There are five steps suggested to us from the CDC, to correctly wash our hands. This should be followed every time.
We should be washing our hands more often, even if we don’t think they are dirty. We can’t see the germs that infect us. Washing our hands before and after we eat, after using the restroom, and before and after touching public items will assist in getting rid of these germs. Using hand-sanitizer should be used when there is absolutely no way to get a hold of soap and water. It is encouraged to use soap and water first, since hand-sanitizer kills bacteria but doesn’t wash it away. Using soap and water, washes the germs down the drain!
Another healthy habit to consider is washing items and surfaces in our homes regularly. Door handles, remotes, and light switches should be cleaned regularly as well. Together with these simple steps, we can help our families and our communities become healthier.
We would love to hear your feedback on what song you hum while washing your hands. Email your comments to lee.8379@osu.edu. While you are thinking about what song you can sing while washing your hands, please watch this brief video on hand-washing below.
By: Allison Lee
OSU Extension Clermont County
SNAP-Ed Program Assistant
Citations:
“When and How to Wash Your Hands.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3 Oct. 2019, www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html.
We know that with the closing of schools, it can be tough to make sure our kids have enough to eat every day. We have put together a small list of options to help your family during these times. Please know that this list may not include all the options available.
Below are the following meal pick ups by School District. As these details can change, always check the School District website for the most up to date information.
Batavia Local Schools
Bethel-Tate Local Schools
Clermont Northeastern Schools
Felicity-Franklin Local School District
Goshen Local Schools
Milford Exempted Village Schools
New Richmond Exempted Village Schools
The locations are:
Richmond Estates
2755 ST RT 132
New Richmond, Ohio 45157
Forest Creek
118 Shady lane
Amelia, Ohio 45102
Hi View Estates
2730 ST RT 222
Bethel, Ohio 45106
Lakeside Estates
1560 Bethel-New Richmond Rd.
New Richmond, Ohio 45157
New Richmond Christian Childcare
1126 Bethel-New Richmond Rd.
New Richmond, Ohio 45157
Moscow Community Center
30 Wells St
Moscow, Ohio 45153
New Richmond
Bandstand Canopy
116 Susanna Way
New Richmond, Ohio 45157
New Richmond Plum Street Park (George McMurchy Park)
Located between Front Street and Willow Street
New Richmond, Ohio 45157
Chestnut Lane / Sugar Tree Rd
Mobile Home Park
Central Office
212 Market Street
New Richmond, Ohio 45157
Connection Point Church
215 Columbia Street
New Richmond, Ohio 45157
Birney Lane and Jacob Light Court, both near IGA
West Clermont School District
Williamsburg Local Schools
We finished up another series of SNAP-Ed classes with the Clermont County Board of Developmental Disabilities. During the class we discussed how we can make healthy food choices on a budget and we learned how to make delicious meals and snacks! Topics of the class were MyPlate, Dairy, Fruits & Vegetables, Protein, Grains and Food Shopping.
The recipes we made were all from Celebrate your Plate. Celebrate your Plate is a free website that provides healthy recipes and kitchen tips. We made a Gluten-Free Pasta Salad, Sunny Baked Eggs and Vegetables, Creamy Pumpkin Dip and Apples, Lettuce wrapped Apple Tuna Sandwiches and Nice Cream. All the recipes were delicious and healthy!
While in the kitchen we also talked about kitchen safety, especially when using knives and cooking on the stove. For a couple of the students, this was their first time using knives and cooking their own food! It was great to see their excitement every week!
For more more recipes and cooking tips, check out www.celebrateyourplate.org. For more information on MyPlate, check out the website www.choosemyplate.gov.
By Peggy Kirk Hall and Ellen Essman
OSU Agricultural & Resource Law Program
Ohio’s newly created hemp program is one step further toward getting off the ground. On October 9, the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) released its anxiously awaited proposal of the rules that will regulate hemp production in Ohio. ODA seeks public comments on the proposed regulations until October 30, 2019.
There are two parts to the rules package: one rule for hemp cultivation and another for hemp processing. Here’s an overview of the components of each rule:
The first rule addresses the “cultivation” of hemp, which means “to plant, water, grow, fertilize, till or harvest a plant or crop.” Cultivating also includes “possessing or storing a plant or cop on a premises where the plant was cultivated until transported to the first point of sale.” The proposal lays out the following regulatory process for those who wish to cultivate hemp in Ohio.
Cultivation licenses. Anyone who wants to grow hemp must receive a hemp cultivation license from the ODA. Licenses are valid for three years. To obtain a license, the would-be hemp cultivator must submit an application during the application window, which will be between November 1 and March 31. The application requires the applicant to provide personal information about the applicant, and if the applicant is a business, information about who is authorized to sign on behalf of the business, who will be primarily responsible for hemp operations and the identity of those having a financial interest greater than ten percent in the entity. The cultivation license application will also seek information about each location where hemp will be grown, including the GPS coordinates, physical address, number of outdoor acres or indoor square footage, and maps of each field, greenhouse, building or storage facility where hemp will grow or be stored. Cultivators must pay a license application fee of $100, and once licensed, an additional license fee of $500 for each growing location, which is defined as a contiguous land area or single building in which hemp is grown or planned to be grown. All applicants and anyone with a controlling interest ithe hemp cultivation business must also submit to a criminal records check by the bureau of criminal identification and investigation.
Land use restrictions. The proposed rules state that a licensed hemp cultivator shall not:
Hemp harvesting. Licensed growers would be required to submit a report to ODA at least 15 days before their intended harvest date and pay a pre-harvest sample fee of $150. ODA then has to sample the hemp for THC content, and only if approved can a cultivator harvest the crop, which in most cases must occur within 15 days after the sample is taken. Failing to harvest within the 15-day window might require a secondary sampling and sampling fee. A cultivator would be required to have a hemp release form from ODA before moving any harvested materials beyond the storage facility.
Random sampling. The proposed rules also allow for random sampling of hemp by ODA and provide details on how ODA will conduct the sampling and charge sampling fees. Any cultivator is subject to random sampling in each location where hemp has been cultivated. ODA will report testing results that exceed 0.3 THC to the cultivator, who may request a second sample. A cultivator must follow procedures for destroying any leaf, seed, or floral material from plants that exceed 0.3 THC and any material that was co-mingled with the 0.3 THC materials, but may harvest bare hemp stalks for fiber.
Destruction of hemp. Under the proposed regulations, a license holder must submit a destruction report before destroying hemp and ODA must be present to witness the destruction. The proposed rules also authorize ODA to destroy a crop that was ordered destroyed, abandoned, or otherwise not harvested and assess the costs against the licensee.
Reporting and recordkeeping are also important in the proposed rules. Licensed cultivators must submit a planting report on an ODA form for each growing location by July 1 or within 15 days of planting or replanting, which shall include the crop’s location, number of acres or square footage, variety name, and primary intended use. The rule would also require licensees to submit a completed production report by December 31 of each year. A licensee that fails to submit the required reports would be subject to penalties and fines. Cultivators must maintain planting, harvest, destruction and production reports for three years.
Control of volunteer plants. A licensee must scout and monitor unused fields for volunteer hemp plants and destroy the plants for a period of three years past the last date of reported planting. Failing to do so can result in enforcement action or destruction of the plants by ODA with costs assessed to the licensee.
Pesticide and fertilizer use. The laws and rules that apply to other crops will also apply to hemp, except that when using a pesticide on a site where hemp will be planted, the cultivator must comply with the longest of any planting restriction interval on the product label. ODA may perform pesticide testing randomly, and any hemp seeds, plants and materials that exceed federal pesticide residue tolerances will be subject to forfeiture or destruction without compensation.
Prohibited varieties. The proposed rule states that licensed cultivators cannot use any part of a hemp plant that ODA has listed as a prohibited variety of hemp on its website.
Clone and seed production. Special rules apply to hemp cultivators who plan to produce clones, cuttings, propagules, and seed for propagation purposes. The cultivator can only sell the seeds or plants to other licensed cultivators and must maintain records on the variety, strain and certificate of analysis for the “mother plants.” The licensee need not submit a harvest report, but must keep sales records for three years of the purchaser, date of sale, and variety and number of plants or seeds purchased.
Cultivation research. Universities may research hemp cultivation without a license but private and non-profit entities that want to conduct research must have a cultivation license. Cultivation research licensees would be exempt from many parts of the proposed rules, but must not sell or transfer any part of the plants and must destroy the plants when the research ends.
Enforcement. The proposed rule grants authority to the ODA to deny, suspend or revoke cultivation licenses for those who’ve provide false or misleading information, haven’t completed a background check, plead guilty to a felony relating to controlled substances within the past 10 years, or violated the hemp laws and rules three or more times in a five-year period.
The proposed rules package by ODA also addresses processing, which the rule defines as “converting hemp into a hemp product” but does not include on-farm drying or dehydrating of raw hemp materials by a licensed hemp cultivator for sale directly to a licensed hemp processor. Because of this definition, many farmers who want only to grow and dry hemp would need only a cultivation license. Growers who want to process their licensed hemp into CBD oil or other products, however, must also obtain a processing license. The processing rules follow a similar pattern to their cultivation counterpart, as follows.
Processing licenses. In addition to submitting the same personal, business and location information as a cultivation license requires, a hemp processing license application must list the types of hemp products that the processor plans to produce. An “extraction operational plan” including safety measures and guidelines is required for processors who want to extract CBD from hemp to produce their product, and an applicant must indicate compliance with all building, fire, safety and zoning requirements. The amount of the license fee depends on what part of the hemp plant the processor plans to process. Processing raw hemp fiber, for example, requires a $500 license fee for each processing site, whereas processing the raw floral component of hemp requires a $3000 fee for each site. Like the cultivation license, a processing license is valid for three years. Applicants and those with a controlling interest in the business must submit to a background check.
Land use restrictions. The proposed regulations would prevent a licensed processor from:
Financial responsibility. A licensed processor must meet standards of financial responsibility, which require having current assets at least $10,000 or five percent of the total purchase of raw hemp materials in the previous calendar year, whichever is greater, and possessing a surety bond.
Inspection and sampling. As with cultivation licensees, hemp processing licensees would be subject to inspection and sampling by ODA under the proposed rule.
Food safety regulations. The proposed rule requires hemp processes to comply with federal and state food safety regulations.
Sources and extraction of cannabinoids (CBD). A processor who wants to extract or sell CBD products must obtain the materials from a licensed or approved cultivator or processor in Ohio or another state with hemp cultivation licenses. The regulation outlines components of the extraction operational plan that a processor must submit with the processing application, as well as acceptable extraction methods and required training.
Product testing. A hemp processor must test hemp products at an accredited testing laboratory before selling the products. The proposed rule describes the testing procedures, which address microbial contaminants, cannabinoid potency, mycotoxins, heavy metals, pesticide and fertilizer residue and residual solvents. There are testing exemptions, however, for hemp used exclusively for fiber, derived exclusively from hemp seed and hemp extracts. The testing laboratory must create a certificate of analysis for each batch or lot of the tested hemp product.
Processor waste disposal. Under the proposed rule, a licensed processor must follow procedures for proper disposal of hemp byproducts and waste and must maintain disposal records.
Product labeling requirements are also proposed in the rule. A processor must label all hemp products except for those made exclusively from hemp fiber as outlined in the rule and in compliance with federal law and other existing Ohio regulations for standards of identify and food coloring.
Recordkeeping. As we’d expect, the proposal states that hemp processors must maintain records for five years that relate to the purchase of raw, unprocessed plant materials, the purchase or use of extracted cannabinoids, and the extraction process.
Prohibited products. Finally, the proposed rules include a list of hemp products that cannot be offered for sale, which includes hemp products with over 0.3 percent THC by dry weight basis, hemp products which laboratory testing determines do not meet standards of identity or that exceed the amount of mytoxins, heavy metals, or pesticides allowed, and any hemp products produced illegally.
What’s next for the hemp rules?
Keep in mind that these rules are not yet set in stone; they are a simply a proposal for hemp licensing rules in Ohio. Those interested in cultivating or processing hemp in the future should read the draft rules carefully. The proposed rule for hemp cultivation is here and the proposal for hemp processing is here. Anyone can submit comments on the proposed rules here. Your comments could affect what the final hemp rules require for hemp cultivators and processors. After ODA reviews all comments, it will issue its final hemp licensing regulations.
Federal law requires that after Ohio finalizes its rules, ODA must submit them to the USDA for approval. That approval won’t occur, however, until USDA completes its own hemp regulations, which are due out in proposal form any day now. Ohio’s rules will become effective once USDA approves them, hopefully in time for the 2020 planting season. Stay tuned to the Ag Law Blog to see what happens next with hemp production in Ohio.
You can follow the Ohio Agricultural Law Blog here for the latest Ohio Ag Law updates.
– Stan Smith, PA, Fairfield County OSU Extension
The recent packing house fire in Kansas has the potential to cause a backlog in feedyards that pressures feeder calf prices this fall. Backgrounding calves for later sale is an alternative.
Typically, when feed prices go down, we see feeder calf prices begin to climb as a corresponding move. That is, unless fed cattle prices are unstable or declining. A fire in a Kansas cattle packing plant just before a report detailing that the U.S. might have planted more acres of corn than earlier anticipated caused the perfect storm that allowed pressure on feeder calf prices at the same time as declining feed prices. With the time of year when the vast majority of U.S. feeder calves are weaned and marketed quickly approaching, there’s little time to develop a plan that might preserve or even enhance some of the value and profit in feeder calves that simply may not be in as strong of demand now as they might have been just a few weeks ago.
However, less expensive feed combined with the thought that calf prices can rebound in the coming months once we are past the seasonal tendency for lower prices and the damaged Kansas packing house comes back on-line offer incentive for developing a strategy to hold on to this fall’s feeder calves while also adding value to them.
To recap the path that’s brought us to this point, on Continue reading
– Steve Boyles, OSU Beef Extension Specialist
Consider a number of factors before retaining calves for backgrounding.
Backgrounding is the growing of steers and heifers from weaning until they enter the feedlot for finishing. Backgrounding and Stocker cattle are similar although backgrounding is sometimes associated with a drylot, and stockering cattle is thought of as pasture-based system. However any system that takes advantage of economical feed sources can be investigated.
Why might someone consider backgrounding or growing cattle?
There are many Continue reading
– Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County OSU Extension
The more tools we have that maximize the days our animals graze while minimizing the days we feed hay, the better!
Years like 2019 can test farmers and ranchers to the brink of insanity. People in this profession have to be resilient to the unpredictability of the weather, the markets, and the general chaos of life. All year thus far, we have discussed many ways to adapt our animal feeding programs, pasture systems, and hay production to the far from ideal conditions we are facing.
By now, I hope you have read articles, listened to podcasts, watched videos, talked with your neighbors and your local ag educators about what to do next. Crop selection, site management, and soil health have been a huge topics addressed regarding cover crops for prevent plant acres, damaged pastures, weeds, poor quality hay, and feed shortages.
But, I’m going to take this article a different direction . . .
If you have Continue reading
– Jason Jones, Grassland & Grazing Coordinator, Quail Forever
Warm season grasses such as indiangrass and big bluestem can provide forage at a time when cool season grasses might be in a July/August summer slump.
The “Fescue Belt” is land dominated by non-native cool season grasses, primarily tall fescue. Cool season grasses, such as fescue and orchardgrass, thrive in April to early June and October to November. However, they have obvious drawbacks; and operations that rely exclusively on cool-season forages may find it increasingly difficult to stay above the bottom line.
When the summer is at its peak, cool season grasses can be very unproductive. In contrast, native warm season grasses peak during summer months (85 – 95 F). Warm season grasses are Continue reading
– Michelle Arnold, DVM-Ruminant Extension Veterinarian (UKVDL)
Water is the most essential nutrient in the diet of cattle and during hot and dry weather, it is especially important to monitor water quality if using farm ponds for livestock. What is a “harmful algae bloom” or “HAB”?
During periods of hot and dry weather, rapid growth of algae to extreme numbers may result in a “bloom”, which is a build-up of algae that creates a green, blue-green, white, or brown coloring on the surface of the water, like a floating layer of paint (see Figure 1). Blooms are designated “harmful” because some algal species produce toxins (poisons) when stressed or when they die. The majority of HABs are caused by blue-green algae, a type of bacteria called “cyanobacteria” that exist naturally in water and wet environments. These microorganisms 
prefer warm, stagnant, nutrient-rich water and are found most often in ponds, lakes, and slow moving creeks. Farm ponds contaminated with fertilizer run-off, septic tank overflow or direct manure and urine contamination are prime places for algae to thrive. Although blooms can occur at any time of year, they happen most often in the warmer months between June and September when temperatures reach 75 degrees or higher and ponds begin to stagnate. HABs can reduce water quality and intake, but more importantly, they can be deadly when ingested by livestock. Windy conditions can push algal blooms along water edges, increasing the risk for Continue reading
– Dr. Andrew Griffith, Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee
FED CATTLE: Fed cattle traded $3 to $4 higher compared to last week on a live basis. Live prices were mainly $106 to $109 while dressed prices were mainly $175 to $176.
The 5-area weighted average prices thru Thursday were $108.81 live, up $3.41 from last week and $175.02 dressed, up $4.56 from a week ago. A year ago prices were $109.08 live and $172.82 dressed.
The finished cattle market experienced a soft rebound this week following last week’s precipitous decline. A few dollars were gained back by cattle feeders, but they are still below where they were prior to the news of the Tyson fire. The story in all of this is what is happening in futures. The August live cattle contract has regained half of its losses but all the deferred con-tracts continue to be bottom feeders. The deferred contracts have failed to Continue reading
2019 Lamb Carcasses Final
For those directly involved in the livestock business, exhibiting your animals at the county, state, or national level is always an exciting venture. In Ohio, the Ohio State Fair is a great opportunity to allow our youth to showcase their summers hard work by exhibiting their market lamb projects. While winning a purple banners is the goal for most, we must not loose sight of what the ultimate end product will be from our livestock projects. This year, our team was able to capture the carcass results from the Breed Champion Lambs at the Ohio State Fair in real time using this unique video. Remember, regardless of the species, your livestock project goes beyond ring appeal. For those of you with questions regarding carcass quality and evaluation, feel free to contact us. Enjoy!
Michaela King, Hay and Forage Grower summer editorial intern
(Previously published in Hay & Forage Grower: August 20, 2019)
They say 
that repetition is the key to learning. Over the past several months, Extension educators and researchers have discussed and provided many options for producers to increase the amount of high quality forage that can use to feed their livestock with for the upcoming year. Be sure to take a quick look at this short piece as it quickly outlines some of the important basics of some common forages options and soil health considerations.
When Southern warm-season grasses go dormant and become unproductive, there are a wide variety of cool-season annual grasses that can be used to extend grazing periods into the winter and spring months. Continue reading
Sandy Smith, OSU Extension Educator ANR, Carroll County
(Previously published in Farm & Dairy, August 22, 2019)
(Image Source: Farm & Dairy)
We have all been really concerned with the effects that the unpredictable weather has had on forage production this year.
First, we had so much rain and even flooding that delayed forage growth and quality haymaking. Now we are experiencing areas of semi-drought conditions in some areas.
We all have had places in our counties that it rained 3 inches in one area and three miles down the road, or less as the crow flies, they may only have received a half an inch. Continue reading
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Our next A DAY in the WOODS program “Timber Harvesting-Things to Consider” will be offered at the ODNR Complex at Zaleski State Forest on Friday, September 13. Click on the following link to learn more about this program. If you plan to attend please RSVP by September 9 so we can be sure to have a lunch for you. For our 2019 A DAY in the WOODS brochure and maps at this link: http://u.osu.edu/apsley.1/2019/08/15/timber-harvesting-things-to-consider-program-held-at-zaleski-state-forest-on-friday-september-13/
Photo from previous “Family Day in the Woods” event at Vinton Furnace State Forest as part of the Ohio Woodland Stewards program offered through OSU Extension.
Once again we will be having a “Family Day in the Woods” at the Vinton Furnace State Forest. This program is designed for kids of all ages and will take place on September 14 from 9 am to 3 pm. For more information:http://u.osu.edu/apsley.1/2019/07/22/family-day-in-the-woods-offered-to-kids-of-all-ages-at-the-vinton-furnace-state-forest-on-saturday-september-14th/
EASTERN EQUINE ENCEPHALITIS CONFIRMED IN NORTHEAST OHIO HORSE
Disease spread by mosquitoes is preventable in horses with proper vaccination
REYNOLDSBURG, OH (Aug. 29, 2019) – Ohio Department of Agriculture State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Forshey today confirmed one case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in a horse in Ashtabula County and is urging horse owners to contact their veterinarian to ensure the animal’s EEE vaccine and boosters are up to date.
“This is a serious disease and the most effective way to prevent your horses from getting EEE is to have the animals vaccinated by a licensed veterinarian,” said Dr. Forshey. “It is spread through mosquitoes and can also affect people, so taking steps to manage the mosquito population, such as eliminating standing water, will also help prevent EEE and other vector-borne viruses, like West Nile virus.”
The virus responsible for EEE is transmitted to horses by mosquitoes and attacks the animal’s central nervous system. In horses, onset is abrupt and usually fatal. Symptoms include unsteadiness, erratic behavior, a marked loss of coordination and seizures. Horses are particularly susceptible but the virus can also cause serious illness in people as well as other animals such as poultry and deer.
Because EEE can also be transmitted to humans by the bite of infected mosquitoes, animals sick from EEE are a sign that people should also take steps to guard themselves against mosquitoes by applying repellent and wearing protective clothing. The disease is very rare in humans, and only a few cases are reported in the United States each year. There are no confirmed human cases associated with this outbreak in Ohio.
The Ohio Department of Agriculture is working with the Ohio Department of Health and local health officials to monitor the outbreak. Suspect horse cases should be reported to a veterinarian as soon as possible. Citizens who are concerned about an illness should contact their physician.
For more information on EEE, visit: http://www.cdc.gov/EasternEquineEncephalitis/gen/qa.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Shelby Croft, (614) 752-9817, shelby.croft@agri.ohio.gov