Author: Nanette Neal

Health Insurance Text Message Program

Health insurance can be a complicated topic.  There are many different plans offered nationwide, each of which have a different cost and may cover different health care services. Once you pick a plan, you then need to know how to best use it to manage your health and finances.

To help you gain confidence and understanding about health insurance choice and use, the Cooperative Extension’s Health Insurance Literacy Action team has created a text message campaign to help you better understand health insurance.  The campaign focuses on four areas with 10 messages each:

  • Reasons health insurance is important
  • Health insurance and risk management
  • Health insurance and preventive services
  • Health insurance terms

We are seeking young adults born between the years 1982 and 1998 to help us test these messages. You can opt into one, some or all of the messages.  Each week, you will be sent two interactive messages over five weeks for each group.  The study will run between five and 20 weeks, depending on which areas you want information on.

Participation is free and voluntary. All your information will be confidential.  You will be asked to complete a short survey to describe who you are.  Before each group of messages, you will be asked to complete a three to five question survey about your confidence and knowledge on each topic.  This survey will be repeated at the end to see if our messages helped you become more confident about health insurance. At the end of the survey, you will be given the option to enter a drawing for one of five, $50 gift cards.

Spots are limited so enroll early.  If interested, please text START to 216-302-1673.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Virginia Brown, the study leader, at vbrown12@umd.edu or 410-386-2760.

Sincerely,

Dr. Virginia Brown, University of Maryland Extension

Dr. Mary Jo Katras, University of Minnesota Extension

Dr. Elizabeth Kiss, Kansas State University

Dr. Joan Koonce, University of Georgia

Dr. Kenneth Martin, Ohio State University

Dr. Dena Wise, University of Tennessee

Southern Ohio Specialty Crop

Registration is now open for the 2019 Southern Ohio Specialty Crop Conference. It will be held on February 5, 2019 at the Oasis Conference Center in Loveland, Ohio. The deadline to register for this conference is February 1, 2019 at 12:00 Noon. No walk-ins are permitted. Registration is limited to 75 people, so register early to avoid being shut out.

This is the conference to attend for Southern Ohio specialty crop growers. Fifteen different class options on fruit and vegetable production are available at this conference. Your registration includes a continental breakfast and a buffet lunch. All attendees will receive a USB memory stick with copies of every available presentation to take home, so even if you don’t attend the session, you’ll still get the information. Private pesticide and fertilizer re-certification credits will be available for categories 3, 5, core and fertilizer. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from industry experts and share information with other growers.

The Oasis Conference Center is conveniently located about 5 miles off of I-275 on the northeast corner of Cincinnati.
For more information about the schedule and to register for the conference, go to the conference website.

Registration brochure. 

 

Annie’s Project Retreat…Level 1 and 2

Female farmers, whether farming on their own or in a partnership, realize the importance of the business side of farming. Annie’s Project provides education and a support network to enhance business skills of women involved in all aspects of agriculture.

Annie spent her lifetime learning to be an involved farm business partner with her husband. Annie’s life experiences inspired her daughter, a university Extension agent, to create a program for women living and working in the complex, dynamic agriculture business environment. Annie’s Project fosters problem solving, record keeping, and decision-making skills in farm women.

At an upcoming weekend retreat, women will receive training in five areas of agricultural risk management: financial, marketing, production, legal, and human resources. Most importantly women are able to network and develop relationships with other women in agriculture.

Level 2 will dive deeper into these risk areas with many working sessions allowing participants to work on specific plans for their farms.

Past participants have had this to say about the program:
“I changed my mind about how to approach communication with my in-laws as business partners.”

“I have gained tools to help improve management of our farm and insight on how to communicate the resources to other members of the farm.”

“I appreciated getting to meet others with a shared interest.”
“I encourage any woman to attend one of these great programs!”

The retreat will be Jan 11-13 at Western Buckeye Christian Camp, Kirkmont Center, Croft House 6946 County Road 10, Zanesfield, OH 43360. The cost is $130 per person and includes all lodging, materials and meals. The registration deadline is December 31. For questions about this retreat, please contact Amanda Douridas at Douridas.9@osu.edu or 937-484-1526.

Registration forms can be found at http://go.osu.edu/agevents.

Brochure

Annie’s Project hosted in Wilmington

Annie’s Project is an educational program dedicated to strengthening women’s role in modern farm and ranch enterprises. The mission of Annie’s Project is to empower farm women to be better business partners through networks and by managing and organizing critical information. Annie’s Project is a six-week course that focuses on the five broad areas of agricultural risk: human, financial, marketing, production, and legal. Sessions are designed to be very interactive between the presenters and the participants. Information presented is tailored to meet the needs of participants in their own geographical areas.

Annie was a woman who grew up in a small rural community with the life-long goal of being involved in production agriculture. She spent her lifetime learning how to be an involved business partner with her husband, and together they reached their goals and achieved success. Annie’s daughter, Ruth Hambleton, a former Extension Educator for the University of Illinois, founded Annie’s Project in 2000 in honor of her mother. Annie’s Project is designed to take Annie’s life experiences and share them with other women in agriculture who are living and working in this complex, dynamic business environment.

Former participants have stated:

“As a result of Annie’s Project, I’ve had great discussions with my husband.”

“I’ve started revamping our recordkeeping system. I feel like I have some direction now!”

“I believe attending Annie’s Project is the wisest investment of money I could have made. The amount of information learned from all the speakers is unbelievable. I feel like I can be a real asset to the farm operation now that I have a better understanding of the business.”

For more information about the Clinton County Program click here.

If you would like to have an Annie’s Project in your area of the state, contact your local county extension office to start the process.

 

Women of the FSR

Join us as we recognize, Molly Caren and Francille Firebaugh for their important contributions made to the Farm Science Review and other Ohio Women in Agriculture.

Click here or use the QR code to watch the video contribution.

During the Review, visit us at 384 Friday Avenue in the Firebaugh Building.