Published on December 14, 2021

WOOSTER, Ohio—Registration is open for the annual Greenhouse Management Workshop by The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), set to be held virtually from Jan. 26–28, 2022.

The workshop will focus on integrated management of insects and diseases, with the speakers being experts from CFAES, the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), and industry. Hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST on all three days of the program.

The $60 registration fee can be paid online at go.osu.edu/CD4p or by mail using the registration form available at go.osu.edu/CD4k. Registrants will receive Zoom links for the workshop on Jan. 23, 2022.

Here are the topics and speakers scheduled.

Jan. 26: Fundamentals

• “Controlled environment agriculture: An overview,” Chieri Kubota, professor of controlled environment agriculture, CFAES Department of Horticulture and Crop Science
• “Perennial problems of annual plants: Identification and management,” Francesca Hand, associate professor of ornamental pathology, CFAES Department of Plant Pathology
• “Important guidelines for developing a strong insect management program,” Luis Canas, associate professor, CFAES Department of Entomology
• “Best practices for effective and efficient pesticide application,” Erdal Ozkan, professor, CFAES Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering (FABE)

Jan. 27: Integrated approaches

• “Humidity management,” Peter Ling, associate professor, CFAES FABE
• “New spray technologies to benefit growers and the environment,” Heping Zhu, agricultural engineer, USDA-ARS
• “New advances for the management of mites in controlled environments,” Canas
• “Ornamental viral diseases: Overview, prevention, and management,” Judit Monis, global plant pathology director, Ball Horticultural Company

Jan. 28: Root zone diseases

• “Identification and biology of Pythium root rot and other diseases,” Anna Testen, research plant pathologist, USDA-ARS
• Research updates: Crazy root disease, Chris Taylor, associate professor of molecular genetics and nematology, and/or Cecilia Chagas, graduate research assistant, both of CFAES Plant Pathology; acidic hydroponics, Kubota; and surfactants, Josh Amrhein, research assistant, CFAES Plant Pathology
• Demonstration and hands-on training: Francesca Rotondo, research associate, CFAES Plant Pathology; Amrhein; and Testen

Continuing education credits for Ohio Pesticide Credit Recertification, Michigan Pesticide Certification, Indiana State Chemist Certification, and Pennsylvania Pesticide Recertification have been requested for the workshop.

For more information, visit fabe.osu.edu/greenhouse or contact Mary Wicks, CFAES FABE, wicks.14@osu.edu, 330-202-3533

Learning Sessions

Financial Goal Setting – Geared toward market gardeners or early stage growers, this session will introduce participants to the process for setting financial goals, help them understand how to develop a plan to reach their goal and what resources are available to assist with scaling up their business.

Selling your Products: Cultivating Market Channels – Marketing is key for every small business, including food and agriculture businesses. This session on hyper-local marketing channels will help participants understand how to enter those channels, the concerns of buyers, and the questions they’ll need to consider to develop new markets.

Collaborative Food and Ag – Collaborative approaches to marketing may be opportunities for growers to save time and resources or enter new markets. This session will introduce approaches like farmers’ markets, multi-farm CSAs, marketing cooperatives, and co-selling along with the considerations for farmers thinking about these approaches.

Saturday, December 11, 2021

9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Eastern

No cost, but registration is required.

Register Here

This training will be hosted via Zoom. Participants can join via the Zoom application on a personal computer or mobile device or by telephone.

Individuals who complete the online registration form will receive Zoom connection information via email the day prior to the event.

The training will be recorded and posted online for later viewing. Registrants will receive an email with information to access the recording.

Christie Welch is the Direct Food and Agricultural Marketing Specialist for Ohio State University Extension where she assists Ohio’s agricultural and food producers to increase their profitability and sustainability through best marketing practices, increase marketing efficiencies, and market diversification. Ms. Welch has a strong interest in the economic development of rural Ohio and is especially interested in family farms and agribusinesses.

Hannah Scott, JD, is the program manager of the CFAES Center for Cooperatives at Ohio State where she leads the creation and implementation of programs and assistance to foster cooperative and rural business in Ohio, West Virginia, and beyond. Hannah is passionate about cooperative opportunities in agriculture and rural communities, having worked with a variety of agricultural producers to establish co-op enterprises and leading the Ohio & West Virginia Food Hub Network and the Appalachia Cooperates Initiative.

CFAES provides research and related educational programs to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis. For more information, visit cfaesdiversity.osu.edu.