Programs and Events

Reminder: Pesticide License Recertification Feb 18

| Clifton Martin

If you are a licensed private pesticide applicator and have yet to sign up for recertification classes please do so soon. Letters have been sent out with information to those due in 2025 and 2026. If for some reason these letters have not reached you please feel free to give us a call at 740-454-0144.

Please remember that pre-registration is expected. There is a $35.00 fee for the recertification class. Register and pay online or by check with the enclosed registration form 3 days prior to the session you will be attending. This fee is in addition to the $30.00 license fee that is paid separately to the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

Give us a call with any questions.

Tuesday, February 18

Extension Office – Rural Services Building

225 Underwood St, Zanesville OH 43701

6:00 PM – 10:00 PM

(light meal provided)

Ohio Berry Field Day February 20

| Clifton Martin

The Ohio State University South Centers is bringing its Ohio Berry Production Series to an online virtual format to reach even more growers in Ohio and beyond! Join us on February 20 beginning at 9:30 a.m. for this FREE online event via the Zoom communications platform.

This webinar will feature information to benefit both beginner and advanced growers, and to teach you proven techniques to maximize production and quality in your plantings and vineyards.

Schedule

9:30-10:30 a.m. Growing Blueberries in Ohio

10:45–11:45 a.m. Raspberry Growing in Ohio

Break for lunch

1:15-2:30 p.m. Growing Grapes in Ohio

Simply visit the link below and fill out the registration form. We also plan on offering on-demand recordings afterward, so you can access the event on-demand, as we know this fits some people’s schedules better.

 

Register here: go.osu.edu/ohioberries

Nutrient Management After a Drought February 21

| Clifton Martin

The next lunch and learn “Pizza, Pop, and Profit” session is upcoming on Friday, February 21 at noon.  We will host Manbir Rakkar, Assistant Professor of Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management at The Ohio State University, to speak on agronomic management considerations.  2024 was a tough year with most of Ohio experiencing drought conditions at some point during the year.  Some producers harvested less grain and forage than they fertilized for.  Will that fertility be available for the 2025 crop?  What do drought conditions do to fertilizer and nutrient availability?  With high fertilizer prices can we cut back on applications in 2025?  These are a few of the questions we will be discussing at our next episode of Pizza, Pop, and Profits on February 21st.

This is a hybrid program available in person or online through Zoom.  Our onsite location will be 225 Underwood Street, Zanesville.

This program is jointly sponsored by the Muskingum County OSU Extension Office and the Soil and Water Conservation District Office.  Find registration and more information here: https://www.muskingumswcd.org/Events/Pizza-Pop-Profits/

Additionally, the final session of this series on March 21 will host Dr. Osler Ortez, Assistant Professor in Corn and Emerging Crop Production Systems at The Ohio State University, to discuss corn research highlights from 2024.

 

 

Agricultural Fertilizer FIRST-TIME Certification Webinar

| Clifton Martin

This 3-hour training is for individuals who are obtaining their Ohio Agricultural Fertilizer Applicator Certification for the first time (not recertification). Agricultural Fertilizer Certification is required for applications to more than 50 acres of crops grown for sale in Ohio. It is not required for lawn and landscape fertilizer applications. This training will be held online as a webinar.

More information and a link to register can be found here.

Small Farm Conference and Trade Show

| Clifton Martin

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 on March 8th 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. Please follow this link to register for the conference: https://Go.osu.edu/2025smallfarmconference

Beef Quality Assurance March 25, 2025, 7:00 PM

| Clifton Martin

Are you selling beef animals to be harvested for meat and need to update your Beef Quality Assurance Certification?

The goal of the Ohio Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program is to increase the competitive base for marketing Ohio cattle. Beef Quality Assurance is a program to ensure that beef and dairy cattle are maintained in a manner which will result in a safe and wholesome beef product for the consumer.  The Ohio BQA program is set to meet or exceed the NCBA BQA Guidelines.

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Program starts at 7:00 PM

Location: Muskingum Livestock Auction

No cost, no RSVP needed.

Beef Quality Assurance | OSU Extension BEEF TEAM

Friday, January 17: Carbon market and agriculture industry trends

| Clifton Martin

Friday, January 17 at Noon we will have our first “Pizza, Pop and Profit” lunch and learn program featuring Mike Estadt who will speak on carbon market trends and impacts to Ohio agriculture.  This is a hybrid program available in person or online through Zoom.  Our onsite location will be 225 Underwood Street, Zanesville.

This program is jointly sponsored by the Muskingum County OSU Extension Office and the Soil and Water Conservation District Office.  Find registration and more information here: https://www.muskingumswcd.org/Events/Pizza-Pop-Profits/

 

Additional programs in this series:

Friday February 21, 2025

Manbir Rakkar, Assistant Professor of Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management at The Ohio State University will be speaking on Drought and its impact to fertility.

 

Friday March 21,2025

Dr. Osler Ortez, Assistant Professor in Corn and Emerging Crop Production Systems at The Ohio State University will be discussing corn research highlights from 2024.

Pesticide Applicator Exam Training Session for New Applicators, Tuesday, January 21, 2025

| Clifton Martin

A pesticide applicator exam training session will be offered on January 21, 2025, 6:00 PM, at the Rural Services Building, 225 Underwood St, Zanesville. 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 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 training session please email martin.2422@osu.edu or call 740-454-0144.

OSU Extension provides information on Private Pesticide Licensing here: https://pested.osu.edu/home/privateapplicator/licensing

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

February 26, 2025, 10:00 AM

(Exam registration at the ODA Website)