Horticulture

OSU Extension Small Farm Conference

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Ohio State Extension announced plans to host a Small Farm Conference in Wooster, OH on March 8th. The theme for this year’s Small Farm Conference is “Sowing Seeds for Success.”

Conference session topics are geared to beginning and small farm owners as well as to farms looking to diversify their operation. There will be five different conference tracks including: Horticulture and Crop Production, Business Management, Livestock, Natural Resources and Diversifying Your Enterprise.

Some conference topic highlights include: Growing in a Hoophouse, Integrated Disease Management Strategies for Apple and Peaches, High Tunnel Tour, Using Cover Crops for Soil Regeneration, Creating Habitat for Beneficial Insects on the Farm, Growing Microgreens, Money to Grow: Grants 101, Growing Your Farm With Agritourism, Navigating Licenses/Certificates for your Small Farm Market, How Can Value – Added Help Your Farm, Vaccination Programs for a Small Farm, Grassfed Beef Tour.

Anyone interested in developing, growing or diversifying their small farm is invited to attend including market gardeners, farmers market vendors, and anyone interested 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. – 4:30 p.m. at the Ohio State University Wooster Campus Shisler Conference Center, 1680 Madison Ave, Wooster, Ohio 44691.

For conference and registration information call OSU Extension Morrow County 419-947-1070, or OSU Extension Knox County 740-397-0401.

2025 Northern Ohio Vegetable Grower Winter Meeting

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OSU Extension is holding a 2025 Northern Ohio Vegetable Grower Winter Meeting which will take place on March 4th, 2025 at Terra State Community College in Fremont, OH.

This event’s educational sessions include topics on crop protection against vegetable pests (insects, diseases, weeds), high tunnel management, safeguarding water quality, and more. Vegetable farms of all types (small or large, conventional or organic, etc.) can find value with this year’s program.

ePLUS Report Now Available

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ePLUS represents an Ohio State University program dedicated to advancing production agriculture and wise use of natural resources through on-location research. This program utilizes modern technologies and information to conduct applied, cooperative research with an educational and demonstration component used to help growers, managers, and advisors understand how new practices and techniques can improve farm, forest, and garden sustainability. The program is dedicated to delivering timely and relevant, data-driven, actionable information. Projects to enhance decision making in a wide range of systems involving pests, management, conservation, technology, mechanization, and community engagement are being developed. The 2024 report has been published and can be viewed by clicking the button below.

2025 Ohio Home Garden Trials

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The 2025 Home Garden Trials are now available. It’s hard to believe that it’s already time to start ordering seeds. The trials are open to any home gardener in the state of Ohio. This means you and all of your friends. This is the seventh year of the trials and we have some exciting news. We have brought back a cut flower trial, a herb trial, and a youth trial (to get the kids excited about gardening). We’ve been listening to feedback and this year we’ve added lots of varieties that can be grown in containers.

The purpose of the trials is to have gardeners grow 2 varieties of a vegetable or flower side-by-side and then give us their feedback through our online reporting site. To learn more details about the trials, you can visit the Trials Home Page.

There are a total of 13 trials this year. You can select to do from one to five vegetable trials plus the flower, herb, and youth trials. Community Gardens can choose to do all 13, if they would like. The cost of each trial is $3 plus shipping. If you pick up your order at the local Extension Office, there are reduced shipping charges. To see a description of this year’s trials AND to place your order for this year, visit the 2025 Trials Home. The deadline to order is Feb. 16 for guaranteed seeds or March 2 for remaining seeds.

The seeds for this year’s trials have been donated by Rupp Seed.

This year we have:

Cool Season veggies:

Carrots

Lettuce

Peas

Spinach

Beets

Warm Season Vegetables:

Cucumbers

Green Beans

Summer Squash

Peppers (Sweet)

Tomatoes (Cherry)

Flowers:

Zinnias

Herbs:

Parsley

Youth:

Crazy Beans