OSU Extension

Calling All Gardeners! 2025 Ohio 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 Athens County 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

Discover 4-H Open House

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The Licking County 4-H Program will be hosting two Discover 4-H Open House Events in February to help families learn more about 4-H and what it has to offer. This is a great opportunity for new families to learn more about 4-H and get connect with a club as well as families already connected to 4-H to learn more about what the program has to offer and have additional questions answered. Please be sure to share about this event to those in your communities.

Discover 4-H:

  • Friday, February 7, 2025 | 6:00-8:00pm | Licking County Extension Office (771 East Main Street, Newark, OH 43055)
  • Saturday, February 8, 2025 | 10:00am-noon | Licking County Extension Office (771 East Main Street, Newark, OH 43055)

We’re Hiring (Again)!

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We shared last week that we are hiring a SNAP-ED Program Assistant. We’re actually hiring two! While both positions are the same, they are posted under two different postings within the OSU HR Jobs portal and have different closing dates. For more information on the positions or to apply, go to hr.osu.edu and using the “Search Jobs” button to search for job numbers listed below:

Posting 1: #R119951 will close on January 22, 205

Posting 2: #R120635 will close on January 29, 2025

 

REMINDER: Food Pantry Network of Licking County: Elves in Action

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Elves in Action is the Food Pantry Network of Licking County’s annual, community-wide fundraiser held at the end of every year to help them stock the shelves for the holiday season. Elves in Action aims to bring together supporters interested in fighting food insecurity in Licking County and collect food and monetary donations to benefit the Food Pantry Network. This year, the staff at the Licking County Extension Office will be volunteering from 5:30-7:30pm on Friday, December 20, 2024 to collect food and monetary donations in downtown Newark on the square. Please come visit us and help us fight food insecurity in Licking County!

Please Note: There will be volunteers on the square every evening from 5:30-7:30pm collecting donations starting Friday, November 29th through December 24th. Stop by any of those dates to make a donation, but if you want to see Lisa and Adrienne, be sure to stop by on December 20th!

Food Pantry Network of Licking County: Elves in Action

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Elves in Action is the Food Pantry Network of Licking County’s annual, community-wide fundraiser held at the end of every year to help them stock the shelves for the holiday season. Elves in Action aims to bring together supporters interested in fighting food insecurity in Licking County and collect food and monetary donations to benefit the Food Pantry Network. This year, the staff at the Licking County Extension Office will be volunteering from 5:30-7:30pm on Friday, December 20, 2024 to collect food and monetary donations in downtown Newark on the square. Please come visit us and help us fight food insecurity in Licking County!

Please Note: There will be volunteers on the square every evening from 5:30-7:30pm collecting donations starting Friday, November 29th through December 24th. Stop by any of those dates to make a donation, but if you want to see Lisa and Adrienne, be sure to stop by on December 20th!

Adrienne and Lisa are Headed to Virginia Beach!

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Adrienne and Lisa will be out of the office from October 28th through November 1st as they are traveling to Virginia Beach, VA to attend the Epsilon Sigma Phi (ESP) Annual Conference. Adrienne and Lisa are excited to attend for the first time to join other Extension Professionals from around the nation for this professional development opportunity. Both will still be checking emails and voicemails throughout the week, but please know that they may not respond as quickly as they normally do.

 

We’re Hiring! Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator

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Come work with us!

Our office is looking to fill a part-time (30 hours) Master Gardener Volunteer Coorinator position. Licking County has a very active and enthusiastic group of Master Gardener Volunteers to work with. If you, or anyone you know is interested, you can read more about the position and apply by visiting: https://osu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/OSUCareers/job/Satellite-Campus/Extension-Educators-Coordinator-3–Horticulture—Licking-County_R115005-1

Those who are already Ohio State University employees or students can search for the job in Workday using the code R115005.

Responsible for coordinating the Licking County Master Gardener program. Must be able to organize and coordinate activities of a large volunteer organization. Responsible for maintaining, recruiting, orienting and training volunteers. Previous teaching experience and knowledge of horticulture highly desired. Must be able to work with diverse clientele. Must be able to work independently with minimal supervision as well as be a member of a team setting.

Requirements: High School diploma or GED. Certification or vocational training may be preferred. 2 years of relevant experience required. 4-6 years of relevant experience preferred.

Resume and cover letter, specific to the posting, are to be included at time of application, include months and years worked for each employment listed.

The pay range for this profile is $16.49 – $21.69/hourly. The offer for this position will fall within this range based on internal equity, unit’s available budget, and the candidate’s qualifications.

Ohio State provides access to a depth and breadth of opportunities and resources. Starting your first day, Ohio State offers you a comprehensive benefits package. Based on position type and eligibility.