You Are Invited to: An evening in the woods

Your woodlands can provide a wide array of benefits ranging from wildlife viewing and hunting to periodic income to supplement your farming operation. This program will focus on Invasive and Wildlife Management, and Timber Harvesting. You will learn about the programs and people who are available to help you to set and achieve realistic goals for your woodland property.

Date: August 29, 2024

Mark & Paul Mechling Forest

Address: Just west of Glenford, from 204 turn onto Township Rd 22 (Follow Yellow Day in the Woods Signs)

Time: 5:30pm – 8:30pm

Cost: Free to Attend!

Thank you to the Perry and Muskingum County Farm Bureau and SWCD for sponsoring our meal!

Please RSVP by August 23rd: https://go.osu.edu/eveninginthewoodsp29

Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist Course

OSU Extension Muskingum County and the Muskingum County Park District are pleased to announce an upcoming opportunity to become an Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist. The Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist (OCVN) program is an environmental and natural resources outreach and service program led by OSU Extension in collaboration with parks and arboretum. The mission is to promote awareness and stewardship of Ohio’s environment and natural resources through science- based education and community service. The OCVN education course helps participants gain practical knowledge of Ohio’s diverse ecology, environmental education and interpretation techniques, and the skills needed to participate in education and outreach, community science, program support, and stewardship activities.

Our program begins August 24 and the application is currently available.

Information about this course can be found at this link: Muskingum OCVN Course Webpage

More information about the program in the State of Ohio program is available here: https://ocvn.osu.edu/

Pruning Resources For Your Landscape

Basic Principles of Pruning Backyard Grapevines | Ohioline

Pruning Erect Blackberries in the Home Garden | Ohioline
 

Pruning Blueberry Bushes in the Home Garden | Ohioline
 

Raspberries for the Home Fruit Planting | Ohioline
 

Growing Apples in the Home Orchard | Ohioline
 

Growing Peaches and Nectarines in the Home Landscape | Ohioline
 

Pruning trees and shrubs | UMN Extension
 

Pruning and Care of Shade Trees | MU Extension
 

Pruning Ornamental Trees and Shrubs

Periodical Cicadas, Brood X, Low Risk in Muskingum County in 2021

17-year Periodical Cicadas are in the news in 2021 with the expected emergence of Brood X across a large portion of the mid-Atlantic states and a portion of the Midwest.  Washington DC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Cincinnati are all cities that sit in the middle of the action.  In Ohio, this brood emerges in the region between Cincinnati and Columbus with a few isolated reports in other parts of the state.  In Zanesville, OH, we do not expect any major impact from this brood.  It is conceivable that we could experience some cicadas, particularly if you believe you experienced them in 2004, but the expectation for this is limited in our area.  A map of the geographic distribution of Brood X can be found here.

The major concerns that arise with cicadas are largely nuisance issues such as noise, large divebombing fliers, messiness, superficial damage to established trees, and potential fatal damage to newly planted poorly established trees.

The last emergence in Zanesville occurred in 2016 from Brood 5, which also emerged in 1999.  This is a separate population from what is emerging in 2021.

Further Reading

Brood X | Cicadas (uconn.edu)

Periodical Update: Cicada Observations and Educational Opportunities | BYGL (osu.edu)

OSU Extension News Highlights

Alfalfa Weevil Infestations Becoming Severe in Some Fields | Agronomic Crops Network 

Are Periodical Cicadas a Threat to Field Crops? | Agronomic Crops Network 

Wheat Between Feekes 8 and 10 and Disease Concerns | Agronomic Crops Network 

Maximizing Feeder Calf Value | Ohio BEEF Cattle Letter 

When making baleage, what plastic do I use? | Ohio BEEF Cattle Letter 

Over Winter Residual Forage Height Impacts Spring Growth and Yield! | Ohio BEEF Cattle Letter 

Sheep Mineral Nutrition | OSU Sheep Team 

Feeding Small Ruminants: Developing a Grazing System for Sheep and Goats | OSU Sheep Team 

Crossbreeding for Profit | OSU Sheep Team 

Carbon as a commodity for agriculture? | Farm Office 

Crabapples are for the Birds! | BYGL 

Periodical Update: Cicada Observations and Educational Opportunities | BYGL