Events

Community Garden Kickoff at the OSUMC Healthy Community Center! Spring Planting and a Block Party on Wednesday April 9th from 6-8pm

There is a free community gardening event on Wednesday April 9th that will feature food, fun, and a little garden education located at the OSUMC Healthy Community Center on the near East side.  The event starts at 6pm with a cook out, some educational sessions at the HCC community garden from 6:30 to 7:30 in two sessions, and a chance to meet and network with your neighbors. They ask for registration to know how much to grill!  The event can be registered from the link below or the QR or Go link on the flyer.  Hope to see you there!

CLICK HERE to Register

Click here to view, print, or download the flyer –> HCC 2025 Garden Kickoff (1)

Mari Sunami Community Garden on the South Side: Monthly Garden Walks and Open Spots!

Mari Sunami Community Garden on the South Side is part of Columbus history.  It is the original garden for the South Side Settlement House which served new Columbus residents for over 100 years.  Community Development for All People has done a wonderful job working to transform the space and recreate it into a vibrant community garden.  There are open spots for growers if you would like your own spot to grow, plus there will be educational outreach in the space and even a few plants and seeds for gardeners to use to get started.

I will be hosting Garden Walks at the garden on three upcoming Tuesdays, all at 6pm, to come learn, get questions answered, and see this unique piece of Columbus history.  Here are the dates:

  • Tuesday April 1st @ 6pm – Spring Planting
  • Tuesday May 13th @ 6pm – Summer Planting
  • Tuesday June 17th @ 6pm – Pest and Disease Management

There are open spots available if you are looking to garden, both in the ground and soon to be raised bed garden where the tarp is located. To ask about an open spot contact Sue Wolfe at garden@4allpeople.net or call 614-937-6543

Full sun location with new water service!

The garden can be a little tricky to find so here is a picture of the location from Google Maps

Mari Sunami Community Garden is located at 248 Stanaford Place.  CLICK for MAP

 

2025 East Ohio Women in Agriculture Conference on March 21, 2025

East Ohio Women in Agriculture Conference Celebrates 10 Years

 

WOOSTER, OHIO-For the 10th year, Ohio State University (OSU) Extension will empower women, high school-age and beyond through its East Ohio Women in Agriculture Conference. The event will take place on March 21, 2025, from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm at the Shisler Conference Center 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster, OH 44691.

 

This year’s program will feature 24 break-out sessions in 6 tracks including: Plants, Animals, Business & Marketing, Home & Family, Special Interest, and Personal Development. These informative and interactive sessions are presented by Ohio State University Extension educators, farmers, industry professionals, and partner agencies.

 

We are thrilled to have international speaker, author, and farm coach, Elaine Froese, at our conference this spring. She’s on a mission to guide farm families, across North America, to get unstuck, communicate better, find harmony through understanding, and secure a profitable farm legacy. Elaine is traveling from her home farm in Manitoba, Canada to speak with us! She will share a special keynote about Living an Intentional Life, will teach a breakout session to help tackle tough family conversations, and will have Coach on Call individual sessions available throughout the day. Every participant will also receive two of Elaine’s books in electronic format and a hard copy of Elaine’s book, “Farming’s In-Law Factor.” You can learn more about Elaine Froese at elainefroese.com.

 

“This conference connects women of all ages to not only each other but also to meaningful informational resources for their journey in agriculture.” Kelsie Mannasmith, Ohio State student said, “Through Elaine Froese and other guest presenters the 10th anniversary will help women continue, or even begin their paths in agriculture.”

Registration information can be found at: go.osu.edu/eowiareg25. Cost of the conference is $70 for adult participants and $35 for students, including participation, breakfast, lunch and conference materials. Deadline for registration is Friday, March 7.

 

Learn about sponsorship opportunities at go.osu.edu/eowiasponsor25 or contact Emily Marrison with sponsorship questions at 740-622-2265 or marrison.12@osu.edu.

Stay connected with the Ohio Women in Agriculture Leaming network on Facebook at @OHwomeninag or subscribe to the Ohio Women in Agriculture blog site at u.osu.edu/ohwomeninag.

For more information about this conference contact Kate Shumaker, Extension Educator, at 330-674-3015 or shumaker.68@osu.edu.

Check out the session descriptions below.

Click here to view, download, or print the flyer –> 2025 EOWIA Conference Flyer

Click HERE to register

Farm Resource Class Series from OSU Extension – How to Lose Less on the Farm

My OSU Extension colleagues will be hosting both an online and in-person series of classes titled How to Lose Less on the Farm. The five part class series stretches from December to February and includes topics such as budgets, record keeping, alternative crops, taxes, and more. There is no charge for the class but they do ask for registration for planning and require registration if you wish to attend online.

 

CLICK this LINK to register.  The online link will be sent shortly before the class.

For questions please contact the Madison County Extension Office at 740-852-0744

Home Hydroponics Class at Mt. Carmel Healthy Living Center on Tuesday August 20th @ 3pm

I will be teaching a class on Home Hydroponics in partnership with the Mt. Carmel Healthy Living Center on Tuesday August 20th @ 3pm.  The class is free and open to the public but they do ask for registration to ensure there is enough space.  Bring your friends and your questions and hope to see you there!

Check out the registration link below to register for this class as well as view a ton of other free learning opportunities.

I have a Growing Garlic Class coming up on October 16th as well!

CLICK this LINK to Register

CLICK HERE for directions to the center

Build a Better Recipe at the Urban Farm Church on Wednesday August 14th @ 6pm

Join my colleague Jenny Lobb, Registered Dietitian and OSU Extension Educator, to learn how you can build a “better” (healthier) recipe for your summer gatherings and celebrations. You will learn about the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and how to make simple shifts to better meet the recommendations in your year-round cooking, eating, and celebrating. Recipes and tips will be shared for safely preparing healthy, easy, and tasty seasonal recipes. A cooking demonstration and tasting will be included. The class is free and open to the public but they require registration to know how many will come so they can prepare food.

Click HERE to Register
Wednesday, August 14, 2024 – 6:00pm to 7:30pm

Location: Urban Farm Church, 3901 Maize Rd., Columbus, OH 43224

If you have questions, contact Jenny Lobb at lobb.3@osu.edu

or by phone at 614-292-7775

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).

A Garden Walk @ Mari Sunami Community Garden on Thursday June 27th @ 6pm.

I have been collaborating with Community Development for All People on the South Side for the past several years to increase urban agricultural production by bringing the former South Side Settlement House garden, now named Mari Sunami Community Garden back in to production.  It is an exciting project for me due to the location and the history.  A wonderful, large space with full sun and amazing possibilities.

You are invited to attend a garden walk on Thursday June 27th @ 6pm at Mari Sunami.  We will talk tomato pruning, integrated pest management, and summer veggies. Plus any of your questions.  Hopefully this heat goes away by then! The event is free and open to the public so bring your friends and your questions!

The above picture shows the garden looking north getting ready for spring planting.  Plans include soil amendments and a water line in 2024.

Mari Sunami Community Garden can be a little tricky to find.  The above picture shows its location between Innis and Woodrow on the South Side.  CLICK HERE for the Google map link as well.  The address is 248 Stanaford Pl. Columbus, OH 43207

Tomatoes 101 Class at the Mt. Carmel Healthy Living Center @ 3pm on Tuesday June 18th.

I will be teaching an in-person class on Tomatoes 101 in collaboration with my friends at the Mt. Carmel Healthy Living Center at 3pm on Tuesday June 18th.  The class is free and open to the public, but does require registration,  see the link below.  We will talk fertilization, pruning, and trellising so bring your friends and your questions!

The class is free but does require registration.  CLICK HERE for the link to the registration page for the Tomatoes 101 and other classes.

The Mt. Carmel Healthy Living Center is located at 777 W. State St. Columbus, OH 43222.  Free parking is available on site.  Hope to see you there!

If you cannot make the class,  I have a recorded webinar that you can watch whenever you want to learn more about growing healthy tomatoes.