Audience: Specialty Grower

Making Food at Home to Sell: Virtual Q & A Sessions

My colleagues at OSU Extension are hosting a series of virtual Q and A Sessions on the topic: Making Food at Home to sell.  This is a topic of interest to many urban farmers and is sure to provide a wealth of knowledge.  The series is free but does require registration. The registration link is below.

Here are the topics and dates/times:

Register here: go.osu.edu/virtualQA24

Each virtual Q&A session will begin with a 5–10-minute presentation.

You do not need to come prepared with questions. Feel free to drop in to listen!

*Please note that these virtual Q&As solely pertain to foods approved to be made at home (in Ohio) with the intention to sell them (e.g., cottage foods and home bakery products).

Learn more about Controlled Environment Agriculture

Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) is where we grow faster and more efficiently, using less water and nutrients by controlling the inputs such as light, temperature, pH, water, and nutrient delivery.  A lot of people know about CEA as hydroponics.  Ohio’s #1 industry is agriculture and our fastest growing segment is controlled environment agriculture.  Ohio is now the number TWO state in the nation in the indoor production of fruit, vegetables, and herbs!  There is a lot of opportunity in agriculture.  My largest program is engaging youth in agriculture in workforce development in their classrooms so they can see if agriculture is something they enjoy as a possible career.  I have a ton of information to share about CEA for you to learn more.

Growing Teachers Throughout the Seasons is a USDA NIFA grant project that created a guidebook with supplemental online modules to engage teachers and students in schools in agriculture.  It was pilot tested by 46 teachers from Columbus City Schools so it is data-driven and teacher informed. Reach out to me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu if you would like to get GTS into your schools to engage your kiddos in agriculture.

Hydroponics at Home! Did you know you can grow all year long using hydroponics in your home?  It is fun and easy.  Check out this video to learn more about Home Hydroponics.

 

Extension Today at Howlett – OSU’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences has classes on controlled environment agriculture in our Horticulture and Crop Sciences Department. Learn more about what the students are doing in this video.

 

Extension Today at the CEARC – come take a tour of OSU’s brand new research greenhouse, the CEARC!

 

Want to learn more? Email me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu

 

Growing and Using Herbs Class at the Urban Farm Church on Wednesday May 8th @ 6pm

Jenny and I will be co-teaching a class at the Urban Farm Church on Growing and Using Herbs on Wednesday May 8th @ 6pm.  The class is free and open to the public but UFC does ask for registration so they know how much snacks to make!  Bring your friends and your questions.  If the weather is OK, we can do a walking tour of their amazing farm.

Click here to view, print, or download the flyer –> May 8 flyer

Click here for directions to the Urban Farm Church.

Register using the QR code, the go link at   –>    go.osu.edu/herbsworkshop

OR Click HERE to register.

Hope to see you there!

Gardening for Conservation Webinar Series with The Nature Conservancy

I will be partnering with The Nature Conservancy for the third consecutive year for some gardening education and outreach.  We have expanded the webinar series to SIX topics of interest.  All are free and open to the public, but do require registration to get the link, so bring your friends and your questions!  I will be talking about ticks, growing your own food, and composting with both my OSU colleagues and TNC friends co-hosting! Registration links are below. 

 

 

CLICK HERE for the event page with more information plus registration or register for the individual classes below!

Registration Link for 4/24

Registration Link for 5/22

Registration Link for 6/26

Registration Link for 7/24

Registration Link for 8/28

Registration Link for 9/25

 

You can also click on the QR to register as well!

Hope to see you there!

Small Farm Conference in Guernsey Co. on April 6th, 2024

It may be a bit of a drive from Franklin Co. but there will be a ton of useful information for small farmers, or those who are looking to start a small farm.

OSU Extension will host the Eastern Ohio Small Farm Conference on April 6, 2024, at the Mid-East Career Technical Center Buffalo Campus, in Senecaville, Ohio! This is an incredible opportunity to hear from a vast selection of producers, professionals, and peers all in one place and just a short drive away.

Conference session topics are geared to beginning and small farm owners as well as to farms looking to diversify their operations. There will be five different conference tracks including: Horticulture and Produce Production, Business Management, Livestock, Natural Resources and new this year- The Farm Kitchen.

Some conference topic highlights include:

  • Raising Meat Rabbits (Kim Ray)
  • Making Goat Milk Products (Radisson Norman & Kirstin Roman)
  • Pastured Poultry (Jessie & Tyler Radcliff)
  • Livestock Handling (Mid-East CTC Students, Garth Ruff, & Brady Campbell)
  • Timber Harvesting and Marketing (Jake Peer)
  • Invasive Species (Carrie Brown)
  • Basics of Growing Paw Paws (Valerie Libbey)
  • Food Preservation Basics (Emily Marrison)
  • Herb Vinegars (Kate Shumaker)
  • Organic Pest Management (Logan Minter)
  • Growing Produce with Hydroponics (Tim McDermott)
  • Starting and Setting Up a Business (David Marrison)
  • Ohio Landowner/Hunter Access Partnership Program (John Morton)
  • Introduction to Bramble Production (Ryan Slaughter)
  • Products from the Hive (Joan Leary)
  • And SO MUCH MORE!

Anyone interested in developing, growing, or diversifying their small farm is invited to attend including homesteaders, gardeners, farmers market vendors, and anyone with a general interest in small farm living.

Attendees will have the opportunity to browse a trade show featuring the newest and most innovative ideas and services for their farming operation. The conference provides an opportunity to talk with the vendors and network with others.

The Conference will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 6, 2024 at the Mid-East Career Technical Center Buffalo Campus (57090 Vocational Rd. Senecaville, Ohio 43780). Registration to attend is $100 and includes light breakfast and catered lunch by Hog Hollow BBQ, due by March 28, 2024.

For conference and registration information call OSU Extension Morrow County 419-947-1070 or OSU Extension Knox County 740-397-0401.  You can also register for the conference online at: https://go.osu.edu/2024osusmallfarmconference

 

I will be speaking on hydroponics! I hope to see you there!

 

 

 

 

 

Online Fruit Pruning School on Thursday March 14th, 2024

There is an upcoming webinar on pruning that should be of interest to growers of fruit trees, grapes, and raspberries.  The event is free but requires registration to access the zoom link.

 

Click HERE to register. 

Click here to view, download, and print the flyer –> Pruning 2024

Please direct questions to sherman.1473@osu.edu

2024 Beginning Farmer Series

Are you a beginning farmer trying to nail down all the resources and information you need to be successful? This series is designed to introduce you to some of the most important topics and resources of which a farm should be aware. OSU Extension, USDA and Farm Credit staff will present critical information on each of these topics allowing attendees to build relationships with these critical partners.

 

This series of events is free and open to the public but we do ask for pre-registration for planning purposes.  You can click the QR in the flyer or THIS LINK to register.

Click here to view, print, or download the flyer –> 2024 Beginning Farmer Series

Urban Agriculture Critical Infrastructure Grant RFP Due Soon! Apply by February 1st!

I want to remind everyone that the newly established Franklin County Urban Agriculture Critical Infrastructure grant is accepting applications until February 1st!

To apply for the grant or to get more information (e.g. application questions, scoring criteria, and eligibility requirements), please visit Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District’s website. Additionally, Franklin Soil & Water Conservation District posted the Grant Info Session recording on YouTube!

This grant aims to address a significant funding gap that small growers face when looking to scale up their operations. The current City-County Community Garden Grant continues to be very successful in its purpose, however, the total request amount for this existing grant is capped at $3,000 per applicant and it is only available for nonprofits – so another source of support is needed for local growers who have outgrown the Community Garden Grant and want to scale up their operations. Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District will also provide technical assistance, education, and key third party connections to grantees while ensuring equitable support for socially disadvantaged growers, including BIPOC growers, women growers, and low income growers.

 

 

CLICK HERE to learn more about the grant. 

Urban Agriculture Critical Infrastructure Grant Information Session on Monday December 11th @ 5pm

I have been working with local partners on a great opportunity for urban producers to capacity build.  This is applicable for both profit and not-for-profit producers.  There will be an information session for potential grant awardees to learn more about the grant and get questions answered on Monday December 11th @ 5pm. It will be recorded as well.

 

CLICK HERE to learn more about the grant. 

 

Info Session for Urban Agriculture Critical Infrastructure Grant

Monday, December 11, 2023
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Please join us virtually for info-sessions related to the upcoming Urban Agriculture Critical Infrastructure Grant! (https://www.franklinswcd.org/urban-ag-grant) If you are interested in applying for the grant and have questions, this event is for you! You can access this info session via the Teams link below. This session will be recorded and posted publicly for anyone who cannot make it. If you have any questions or need accommodations, please reach out to Annabel Spranger at aspranger@franklinswcd.org .

Join on your computer, mobile app or room device

Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 229 915 886 363
Passcode: HShq3y

Backyard Poultry Certification Course

Interest in keeping backyard poultry has been increasing steadily with a huge jump in growth around the COVID pandemic and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreak due to egg price increases and egg shortages.  We have also see a big jump in the number of 4H kiddos who want to keep chickens and turkeys for 4H livestock projects.  Many cities and municipalities require a certification before they allow you to keep backyard poultry.  Lots of people just want to learn more about this for their own family and personal food security.  Maybe this is the perfect holiday gift for that hard to buy family member.  Whatever your reason, we have you covered.

 

The course costs $25 dollars. (Super cheep!)  Click on the QR code or head to go.osu.edu/chicken

This self-paced course is expected to take 2-3 hours to complete and includes the following 6 modules:

  • Getting Started
  • Brooding, Basic Husbandry & Nutrition
  • Housing
  • Egg Production
  • Maximizing Health
  • Biosecurity

After completing this course, learners will be able to:

  • Identify rules and regulations relevant to raising backyard poultry in their state, city, or municipality
  • Source healthy birds to raise in their backyard
  • Apply concepts of basic husbandry, nutrition, and housing to successfully raise backyard poultry.
  • Explain how eggs are produced
  • Practice safe handling of birds and eggs
  • Recognize health-related abnormalities of poultry through physical examination
  • Describe the roles of of veterinary care and biosecurity in maximizing poultry health

There are NO refunds issued for this course.
If you have questions about the course, contact Tim McDermott at mcdermott.15@osu.edu for assistance.