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Annie’s Project Virtual Reunion

| Nanette Neal

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

Mid-Ohio Small Farm Conference “Sowing Seeds for Success”

| jagger.6


OSU Extension Mid-Ohio Small Farm Conference – Sowing Seeds for Success scheduled for March 14th
Do you own a few acres that you want to be productive but you’re not sure what to do with it?
Do you have a passion for farming and turning your piece of this wonderful earth into a food producing oasis?
Do you own land or forest that you’re not quite sure how to manage?
Do you want livestock but have questions about fencing and forage?
Do you raise or produce products that you would like to market and sell off your farm but you’re not sure how to make it successful?
If you’re asking yourself these questions you should think about attending the 2020 Small Farm Conference – Sowing Seeds for Success on March 14th from 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Mansfield OSU Campus in Ovalwood Hall.
The campus is just minutes from I-71 and US Rt 30.
Please visit: go.osu.edu/osufarmconference2020 for class and registration details or call OSU Extension Morrow County 419-947-1070.

Specialty Crop Conference

| Nanette Neal

Registration is now open for this annual and newly expanded event.

The ​Southern Ohio ​Specialty ​Crop ​Conference ​is ​the ​most ​diverse ​training ​opportunity ​for ​specialty ​crop ​growers ​in ​Southern ​Ohio. ​An ​a ​la ​carte ​menu ​of ​classes ​allows ​participants ​to ​pick ​and ​choose ​throughout ​the ​day, ​finding ​topics ​that ​interest ​them ​most. ​Pesticide ​credits ​are ​available ​for ​Core, ​Category ​3 ​(Fruits ​& ​Vegetables) ​and ​Category ​5 ​(Greenhouse).

​A ​continental ​breakfast, ​buffet ​lunch ​and ​USB ​memory ​stick ​with ​all ​of ​the ​available ​conference ​handouts ​are ​included ​as ​a ​part ​of ​your ​registration ​fee. ​ ​

Click here for registration and additional information.

Produce Safety Training in Southern Ohio

| Nanette Neal

The Ohio Department of Agriculture, Division of Food Safety is announcing a Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training to be held on January 28, 2020 at the Clermont County OSU Extension Office, 1000 Locust St, Owensville, OH 45160. The training will be one day, 9AM-5PM with an hour for lunch(not provided). There is no cost for in state residents, $85 for out of state. Regulation excluded and exempt growers are also welcome to register for the training.

The PSA Grower Training Course is one way to satisfy the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement outlined in § 112.22(c) which states ‘At least one supervisor or responsible party for your farm must have successfully completed food safety training at least equivalent to that received under standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration.’

The course will cover basic produce safety; worker health, hygiene, and training; soil amendments; wildlife, domesticated animals, and land use; agricultural water (both production and postharvest); postharvest handling and sanitation; and developing a farm food safety plan. As a participant you can expected to gain a basic understanding of: microorganisms relevant to produce safety and where they may be found on the farm; how to identify microbial risks, practices that reduce risks; how to begin implementing produce safety practices on the farm; parts of a farm food safety plan and how to begin writing one; and requirements in the FSMA Produce Safety Rule and how to meet them. There will be time for questions and discussion, so participants should come prepared to share their experiences and produce safety questions.

To receive a completion certificate, a participant must be present for the entire training and submit the appropriate paperwork to their trainer at the end of the course.

Registrations to be submitted by January 17, 2020 (ASAP) to:

Email: Jordyn.Brown@agri.ohio.gov

Fax: (614) 644-0720

Phone: (614) 728-6250

Mail: Ohio Department of Agriculture

Division of Food Safety – ATTN: Jordyn Brown

8995 E Main St

Reynoldsburg, OH 43068

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (614)600-4272 or mfout@agri.ohio.gov.

Regards,

Matt Fout

Produce Safety Manager, Division of Food Safety

Ohio Department of Agriculture

REMINDER- Registration will close soon…Come Join Us for the…Small Farm Conference & Trade Show

| Nanette Neal

The two day conference will be held on Friday, March 29th and Saturday, March 30th at the OSU South Centers in Piketon, Ohio.

The conference is designed for small farm owners wanting to learn more about how to make their farms work better for them. Many topics will be offered to help landowners expand their operations. Land owners can attend workshops and seminars taught by Extension professionals and industry leaders on a wide variety of agricultural enterprises.  Attendees will also get to meet various vendors at the trade show.  The trade show will be open part of the day on Friday, and all day Saturday.

Attached is the brochure that includes a mail-in registration, the agenda with session descriptions, and the registration letter for vendors.

Please see the flyer below for additional information.

For full details, please go to go.osu.edu/OSUFARMConference2019.

2019 Small Farm Conferences

| jagger.6

There will be two small farm conferences in Ohio this year. Seeds for Success will be held on March 16th at Northwest State Community College 22600 SR. 34 Archbold, Ohio 43502 and Opening Doors to Success will be held on March 29th and 30th at The Ohio State University South Centers 1864 Shyville Road Piketon, Ohio 45661.

Follow the link provided for more information.

https://agnr.osu.edu/small-farm-programs/new-and-small-farm-conferences

 

Southern Ohio Specialty Crop Conference

| Nanette Neal

Registration is now open for the 2019 Southern Ohio Specialty Crop Conference. It will be held on February 5, 2019 at the Oasis Conference Center in Loveland, Ohio. The deadline to register for this conference is February 1, 2019 at 12:00 Noon. No walk-ins are permitted. Registration is limited to 75 people, so register early to avoid being shut out.

This is the conference to attend for Southern Ohio specialty crop growers. Fifteen different class options on fruit and vegetable production are available at this conference. Your registration includes a continental breakfast and a buffet lunch. All attendees will receive a USB memory stick with copies of every available presentation to take home, so even if you don’t attend the session, you’ll still get the information. Private pesticide and fertilizer re-certification credits will be available for categories 3, 5, core and fertilizer. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from industry experts and share information with other growers.

The Oasis Conference Center is conveniently located about 5 miles off of I-275 on the northeast corner of Cincinnati.
For more information about the schedule and to register for the conference, go to the conference website.

Registration brochure. 

 

New and Small Farm College Registration Open

| Nanette Neal

The 2019 New and Small Farm College program will be offered in three Ohio locations. Each location will host an entire eight-week program focusing on topics to get the most out of your few acres. The program begins at 6 p.m. with a light dinner followed by the program at 6:30 p.m. The program concludes at 9 p.m. Click on a location below for more details and registration information:

Montgomery County – Englewood, Ohio
Classes will be Jan. 8 – Feb. 26, 2019
Enrollment deadline is Jan. 2

Vinton County – McArthur, Ohio
Classes will be Jan. 15 – March 5, 2019
Enrollment deadline is Jan. 8

Adams County – Seaman, Ohio
Classes will be Jan. 16 – March 6, 2019
Enrollment deadline is Jan. 8

The New and Small Farm College is an eight-week program that introduces new and seasoned farmers to a wide variety of topics. Typically beginning in January, the program teaches participants how to set goals, plan, budget, and where to find resources if they choose to start a small farming operation. The course will lay out how to manage financial and farm records.

Extension Educators will illustrate many different enterprises that can be profitable on land as small as one acre. The educators will show the benefits and pitfalls of each enterprise so that the participant will be able to pick and choose what may work best for them and what suits their interest. To round out the experience, a tour will be held around area farms so that participants can see first-hand how small farm life works, and also make contacts of practicing farmers in the area.

Topics covered in the program include:

  • Getting started in the planning process
  • Sources of assistance
  • Agricultural legal issues
  • Insurance considerations for the farm
  • Inventory of natural resources
  • Financial and production record keeping
  • Crops and horticulture production
  • Animal production
  • Marketing

Sample Course Outline

Class Dates: Thursdays (day varies by location)
• January – March

Class Times:
• Light dinner at 6:00 pm
• Classes are from 6:30 – 9:00 pm

Cost:
• Price includes one 3-inch binder of resource materials, meals and dessert each night, and 1 soil sample evaluation
• Additional family member discount available (does not include a notebook).

Sign up for the Small Farms Email list and Subscribe to the “Go Farm Ohio” Blog, Facebook and Twitter to receive notices about the Small Farm Team’s opportunities. This list is only used by the OSU Extension Small Farms Team to send relevant information to its stakeholders.