Programs and Events

2024 Ohio State Organic Grains Conference

| https://agcrops.osu.edu/events/2024-ohio-state-organic-grains-conference

The 2nd annual Ohio State Organic Grains Conference will be January 4-5, 2024 at the Maumee Bay Lodge and Conference Center in Oregon, Ohio. This event is brought to you by Ohio State University Extension and the OFFER program.

Featured presenters for this year will include Klaas Martens of Lakeview Organic Grain in New York, Steve Culman from Washington State University (formerly Ohio State), Léa Vereecke from Rodale Institute, and Eugene Law from USDA-Agricultural Research Services. We’ll again feature a trade show with venders who offer relevent goods and services; a farmer roundtable lunch; and farmer panels on topics like weed control strategies, technology, and biological products. Our 2024 line-up includes Ohio State educators and researchers with an interest in organic production, including corn and emerging crop specialist Osler Ortez; associate professor in soils and agronomy Ryan Haden; farm management field specialist Eric Richer, and manure nutrient management field specialist Glen Arnold, plus research updates on kernza and crop-livestock integration.

Attend a day early and be part of the Organic Farmer Researcher Network dinner and brainstorming session. We invite farmers, researchers, and educators to gather together on the evening of January 3 for a meal and small group work to develop specific research projects. Use this opportunity to gather feedback and ideas for an individual trial you are planning for your farm, gather partners for a multi-farm project, or help lead university research proposals. A limited number of $100 travel stipends are available to defray additional travel costs for this pre-conference event.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Ohio Beef Cattle Herd Health Seminar in Caldwell, OH on January 26

| Clifton Martin

Join OSU Extension and the Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine for a day focused on beef cattle herd health and preventive care.  This event will be January 26, 2024 at the Caldwell Extension Operations research farm in Noble County at 16714 Wolf Run Rd, Caldwell, OH.  Program starts at 10:00 AM and includes lunch.  RSVP by January 19.  Cost is $10.  A registration form is available at this link.

Pesticide Applicator Exam Training Session January 18, 2024

| Clifton Martin

A pesticide applicator exam training session will be offered on January 18, 2023, 6:00 PM, at the Rural Services Building. In order to obtain a Private Pesticide Applicator License, individuals must pass the exam which is administered by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Those who wish to use Restricted Use Products (ODA List) must acquire an applicators license to purchase and apply product. This training is intended to provide an overview of the concepts presented in the exam as preparation. To register for this exam training session please email martin.2422@osu.edu or call 740-454-0144.

Learn more about the Ohio Private Applicator license at this link.

Following this training session, the Ohio Department of Agriculture will be present at the Rural Services Building to administer the exam on:

January 25, 2024, 10:00 AM (Exam registration at the ODA Website)

 

Seeking an Office Associate (Office Services Coordinator) at the Muskingum County Extension Office

| Clifton Martin

OSU Extension is hiring an Office Services Coordinator in Muskingum County.  To view the official job posting or apply you must visit the OSU job portal at this link.  This 40 hour per week position serves as primary point of contact for phone-in and walk-in clientele and provides fiscal support to the operations of the Muskingum County office in addition to other duties in the office.  This job posting closes October 27, 2023.

 

Alexus Masterson Starts as Family and Consumer Sciences Educator in Muskingum County

| Clifton Martin

The Muskingum County office of Ohio State University Extension is pleased to announce that Alexus Masterson has been hired as the Family and Consumer Science Educator. She will provide leadership to the Muskingum County Family and Consumer Science program, which consists of clientele at many stages of life, from birth to death.

Alexus is a native of Morgan County and has served as the Family and Consumer Science Program Assistant in the Washington County Extension office for the past 9 months. During that time, she coordinated Food Preservation classes, Healthy Living programs, and Real Money. Real World., while helping to deliver many other aspects of the county FCS program. She is a 4-H Alumni of 7 years from Morgan County as well.

Alexus obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Community and Public Health from Ohio University and a Master of Public Health from Ohio University.

Contact Alexus at 740-454-0144 or masterson.98@osu.edu

New Master Gardener Volunteer Class Starts February 15

| Clifton Martin

Zanesville, OH–OSU Extension Muskingum County will offer a Master Gardener Volunteer Training Class in 2024. The basic premise of the Master Gardener Volunteer program is to provide training in horticulture to interested volunteers in exchange for 50 hours of horticulture service back to the community. Training will begin on February 15, 2024, from 1:00 to 4:30 pm with conventional classroom instruction.  Program cost is $125.  Applications will be available online at muskingum.osu.edu/mgv or at the Muskingum County Extension Office, 225 Underwood St, Zanesville.  Applications are due Dec 15.

You may download an application here.

 

Planning for the Future of Your Farm Workshops

| Clifton Martin

OSU Extension will be hosting a virtual four part “Planning for the Future of Your Farm” webinar series on February 5, 12, 19, and 26, 2024 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. This workshop is designed to help farm families learn strategies and tools to successfully create a succession and estate plan that helps you transfer your farm’s ownership, management, and assets to the next generation.

Topics discussed during this series include: Developing Goals for Estate and Succession; Planning for the Transition of Management; Planning for the Unexpected; Communication and Conflict Management during Farm Transfer; Legal Tools and Strategies; Developing Your Team; Getting Your Affairs in Order; and Selecting an Attorney.

The instructors for this series will be:
Robert Moore, Attorney with the OSU Agricultural & Resource Law Program. Prior to joining OSU, Robert was in private practice for 18 years where he provided legal counsel to farmers and landowners.
David Marrison, OSU Extension Field Specialist, Farm Management. David has worked for OSU Extension for 26 year and is nationally known for his teaching in farm succession. He has a unique ability to intertwine humor into speaking about the difficulties of passing the farm on to the next generation.

Because of its virtual nature, you can invite your parents, children, and/or grandchildren (regardless of where they live in Ohio or across the United States) to join you as you develop a plan for the future of your family farm. Pre registration is required so that one packet of program materials can be mailed in advance to participating families. Electronic copies of the course materials will also be available to all participants. The registration fee is $75 per farm family. The registration deadline is January 22, 2024. More information and on-line registration can be obtained at go.osu.edu/farmsuccession.

Contact information: David Marrison, 740-722-6073 or marrison.2@osu.edu

Ag Lender Seminars Offered in October

| Clifton Martin

Ohio State University Extension has scheduled four seminars in Ohio for Agricultural Lenders. The dates are Tuesday, October 17th in Ottawa, Ohio; Wednesday, October 18th in Wooster, Ohio; Thursday, October 19th in both Washington Court House, OH, and Urbana, OH.

These seminars are excellent professional development opportunities for Lenders, Farm Service Agency personnel, county Extension Educators and others to learn about OSU Extension research, outreach programs and current agricultural topics of interest across the state.

Registration and More Information at this link

OSU Extension Energy Outreach to Host Renewable Diesel Energy Panel Sept. 26

| Clifton Martin

The OSU Extension Energy Outreach team will host a “virtual” renewable diesel energy panel program on Sept. 26 at 10 a.m. It will be a virtual panel of:

  • Kirk Merritt from the Ohio Soybean Council
  • Tom Verry from Clean Fuels Alliance America (formerly the national biodiesel association)
  • Seungki Lee from OSU College of Food Agriculture and Environmental Science (Ag Economist)
  • Page Tohorson from Benchmark Biodiesel- Private sector

The goal is to introduce the Bio/Renewable diesel market to the public/farmer.  We hope to highlight the market potential of this fuel for not only the public but the soybean producer as well.

Download a Flyer

On Sept. 26, Please join via Zoom: https://go.osu.edu/biodiesel

Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day Sep 27, Wooster, OH

| Clifton Martin
What: Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day
When: September 27, 2023
Where: 1680 Madison Avenue Wooster, OH 44691
Cost: $50.00

WHAT TO EXPECT

  • In-field demonstrations of cultivation tools for vegetables and row crops
  • Demonstrations of implements on both four-wheel and two-wheel tractors
  • Expo featuring industry-leading cultivation companies and cutting edge tools
  • Conversations with international cultivation experts
  • …and more!

The field day connects farmers, machinery manufacturers, and the allied trades for a single day event that draws farmers from all over the US and Canada – because it is THE place to see weeding tools. The morning features a trade-show where companies can connect one-on-one with farmers, and educational sessions, and the afternoon features field demonstrations in vegetable and row crops.