Be a citizen scientist and contribute to our vegetable trials for Ohio. We are looking for people excited about growing vegetables in their home gardens and then letting us know what they think. Youth and adults are welcomed to participate. Each trial contains two varieties that you will grow side by side to compare throughout the season. You can select multiple trials. For each trial you will get:

• seed for two varieties
• Row markets
• A garden layout plan to prepare your rows or beds
• Growing information specific to the crop species you selected, including planting date, plant spacing, nutrient requirements, etc.

All we need in return is for you to fill out your evaluation sheet throughout the growing season. Be sure to note things like germination, disease susceptibility, yield, and flavor. You can also let people know how your trials are performing throughout the season by posting pictures on social media using #OhioVegTrial

Now we are asking you to complete the sign up and send payment. Below is a list and description of each variety that will be used this year. Most are not from organic sources, but a few are. The vegetables are not experimental, but some have been released in the last few years. Others are old favorites being compared to new varieties to see if they still stand the test of time.

Each trial is $3.  We have created a payment site. Please go through the sign-up process and select your vegetables.  On the payment page, you can choose to pay by card or check. If you choose check, the details for filling out and sending the check will be displayed. Please send that in as soon as possible. You will also see the $8 charge for home delivery added to your bill.

There is also a $4 option to pick up at your local Extension Office and free pick up at the Athens County Office.

You also have the option of registering and paying for more than one person while visiting the site. The deadline for ordering is February 15 for guaranteed participation and March 1 for remaining Seeds. Sign up at https://go.osu.edu/veggies2022

Any questions? Contact Ed Brown: brown.6000@osu.edu or 740-331-6060

Update on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
•Highly Pathogenic Eurasian H5 avian influenza was recently found in wild birds in South & North Carolina.
•The species it was discovered in are migratory waterfowl.
•Because migratory waterfowl in South and North Carolina or birds they encounter migrate through Ohio, precautions should be taken to prevent the potential exposure of both the commercial poultry industry and backyard poultry community birds to high path avian influenza.
•Biosecurity for backyard poultry includes preventing wild birds from mingling with the flock.Preventative measures include ensuring your domestic birds cannot access areas migrating birds may visit, such as ponds, puddles, other open water sources, pastures, fields, etc. Prevent interaction with other wild birds in your flock using fencing or bird netting. The aim is to keep your domestic birds from encountering migratory waterfowl.
•The Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (ADDL) will test for high path avian influenza in birds suspected of being infected. They would like necropsy specimens submitted via a vet.
•If you get a call from clients regarding sick birds, CLICK HERE for a list of vets who see poultry in Ohio.
•Source new birds from reputable sources such as an NPIP approved hatchery.
•Hunters play an important role in biosecurity. CLICK HERE for biosecurity tips for hunters.
•USDA APHIS issued the following update on this topic on 1/18/2022:
CFAES provides research and related educational programs to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis. For more information, visitcfaesdiversity.osu.edu. For an accessible format of this publication, visitcfaes.osu.edu/accessibility.
MORROW.OSU.EDU
WASHINGTON, January 18, 2022 –The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed two additional findings of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds –one in Colleton County, South Carolina and one in Hyde County, North Carolina. These finds follow confirmation on January 14, 2022 of HPAI in a wild bird in Colleton County, South Carolina. All three findings are H5N1 HPAI.
These findings are not unexpected, as wild birds can be infected with HPAI and show no signs of illness. They can carry the disease to new areas when migrating. APHIS anticipates additional wild bird findings as our robust wild bird sampling program continues into the spring.
APHIS will post these and all future wild bird findings on its website on a weekly basis. Stakeholders should check the website on a routine basis, as no future stakeholder announcements are planned for wild bird findings.
Since wild birds can be infected with these viruses without appearing sick, people should minimize direct contact with wild birds by using gloves. If contact occurs, wash your hands with soap and water, and change clothing before having any contact with healthy domestic poultry and birds. Hunters should dress game birds in the field whenever possible and practice good biosecurity to prevent any potential disease spread. Biosecurity information is available at:https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/2015/fsc_hpai_hunters.pdf.
Given these additional findings, anyone involved with poultry –commercial or backyard flocks alike –should review their biosecurity plan and enhance their biosecurity practices to assure the health of their birds. APHIS has materials about biosecurity, including videos, checklists, and a toolkit available for producers on our website.
In addition to practicing good biosecurity, all bird owners should prevent contact between their birds and wild birds and report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to State/Federal officials, either through their state veterinarian or through USDA’s toll-free number at 1-866-536-7593. Additional information on biosecurity for backyard flocks can be found at http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov.

Researchers at the National Farm Medicine Center and The Ohio State University are looking for women who are raising children 0 to 18 on farms to participate in a small group discussion and a short survey. This small group discussion with other women raising children on farms will be about the strategies that you use to take care of the children and how decisions connected to the children intersect with decisions connected to the farm business, farm safety, and quality of life. The small group discussions will take place in February through Zoom (with the option to call in by phone). The discussion will last 90 minutes and $50 is available as a thank you for your time. For more information call: 715-389-9379 or email: becot.florence@marshfieldresearch.org

January and February Virtual Organic Conferences and Events

Organic Confluences Summit: Equity and Access in AgTech

The Organic Center and Purdue University are organizing a free Organic Confluences Summit on Equity and Access in AgTech, which will take place on February 10, 2022. The program is listed below.

Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUqc-mgrjkqGNUd2knY-r74ZJD4nPbXPGdo

Read about the speakers here

• 9:00am Welcome / Opening Remarks
• 9:10am How AgTech intersects with food sovereignty and racial justice, Samir Doshi, Stanford
• 9:30am Equity in AgTech with OpenTEAM, Laura Demmel Gilmer, OpenTEAM (Moderator), Crystal Arsenault, Islands Organic Producers Association
• Pablo Munoz Ledo, LookInto, LaKisha Odom, FFAR
• 10:30am The Invisible Gender: The right for women to farm, Karen Washington, Rise & Root Farm
• 10:50am From Farms to Incubators: Women Innovators Revolutionizing How Food Is Grown, Amy Wu, From Farms to Incubators
• 11:10am Race, Power and Wealth: The Other Side of Digital Technology in Agriculture,
• Erik Nicholson, Padion Strategy
• 11:30am Simplified Technology- Skills Before Tech, KaZoua Berry, Big River Farms
• 11:45am Regenerating Definitions: Re-envisioning Ag from an Indigenous perspective,
• A-dae Briones, First Nations Development Institute
• 12:05pm The Peril and Prize of AgTech: Case Studies from the Global South, Jade Algarin, USDA NRCS
• 12:20pm Chemical Treadmills and Agricultural Inequality, Brian Williams, Mississippi State University
• 12:40pm Increasing Technological Accessibility for Small Farms, David Selassie Opoku, Growing Gold Farms Subsistence Farmers & The Pursuit Of Human Dignity
• Jacki Perkins, MOFGA Shared-Use Farm Equipment Program, Wade Miller CROPP Cooperative Cooperative structure for increasing tech access
• 1:40pm Incorporating Tech into Organic Ideals, Gwendolyn Wyard, Organic Trade Association

This conference is the second of a 2-part series; in December, the first part took place: Connecting AgTech and Organic. The recording of that conference is available, along with the agenda and speaker bios, at https://www.organic-center.org/AgTech.

Organic Seed Growers Conference: Session Details Now Available

The session details are now available for the Organic Seed Growers Conference, and it looks to be one of the best yet with over 150 speakers! The entire conference will take place virtually on the Organic Seed Commons platform from February 4-11, 2022 and, you can view the session details and register here. eOrganic has been honored to work with the Organic Seed Alliance and their partners to serve on the organizing committee for this gathering of seed growers, farmers, gardeners, researchers and enthusiasts of seed crops, organic seed, seed sovereignty, and seed saving. We’ll come together for eight days of roundtables, panels, demonstrations, farm tours, lightning talks, art and music, regional meet ups, keynote presentations, and celebration, with many opportunities to share skills and network! Registration is on a sliding scale, and we hope you can join us!

Webinar: Organic Grass Fed Dairy: Demographics, Management, and Cost of Production

In 2018, the University of Vermont received an USDA OREI Grant to Advance Grass-Fed Dairy: A Whole Systems Approach to Enhancing Productivity, Quality, and Farm Viability in the U.S (OREI 2018-51300-28515). One primary objective was to understand the economic and production metrics for grass-fed dairy systems through implementation of a national survey, production and economic benchmarking on farms in VT and NY. This session will describe the characteristics and demographics of grass-fed dairy farms from our national survey, including herd sizes, acreage, and management systems. We’ll then take a deeper look at some of the data from our smaller northeast region surveys which include the grass-fed cost of production (cost per cwt) and more detail on farm management and production. Presenters are Heather Darby and Sara Ziegler of the University of Vermont, and Sarah Flack of Sarah Flack Consulting. Register here.

This is the first of 3 webinars in early 2022 on Grass-fed dairy production, so check our schedule for the others at https://eorganic.org/node/4942!

Webinar: Advancing Equity through Food and Nutrition

The National Agricultural Library’s Agricultural Law Information Partnership is hosting a virtual two-part event on January 27th, from 11:00 am-3:00 pm ET. Laurie Beyranevand, Director of the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems at Vermont Law School, will share legal and original research to address equity in the food system. Then, Rev. Dr. Heber Brown III, founder of the Black Church Food Security Network, will talk about connecting churches and Black farmers to create alternative food systems that address systemic issues of racism and climate change.

The afternoon session consists of an optional Wikipedia editing training session and editing time to focus on food systems and food insecurity.  A full schedule and speaker bios can be found on Eventbrite. Please register. Full-day attendance is not required.

More Virtual Organic Conferences in January and February

• PASA Virtual Pre-conference January 4-28, 2022 (in-person main conference is February 10-12.)
• NOFA/Mass Winter Conference January 15-16, 2022
• NOFA-NY’s 40th Annual Winter Conference: January 18-23, 2022
• NOFA-NJ’s 31st Annual Winter Conference: January 30-31, 2022
• Real Organic Project Symposium: Jan 30 and Feb 6, 2022
• NOFA-NH’s 20th Annual Winter Conference: February 6-12, 2022
• OEFFA Conference: hybrid format: February 12 online, February 17-19 in person
• CT-NOFA’s 40th Winter Conference: February 14-26, 2022
• Organic Vegetable Production Conference February 3,4,7,8
• NOFA VT Winter Conference: February 17-March 5, 2022
• EcoFarm is now March 14-18, 2022