Month: January 2019

Check Heat Sources for Carbon Monoxide

Brooke Beam, PhD

Ohio State University Extension, Highland County

Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator

January 29, 2018

 

With the frigid temperatures this week, many individuals have been spending their time preparing for the negative temperatures. Farmers who have livestock outside have been particularly challenged with the fluctuation of temperatures and frozen water troughs. Diesel trucks, water lines, heat sources, and other items need to be checked to ensure that they are working properly and do not have issues due to the weather. No matter your profession, carbon monoxide is a danger everyone should be aware of this winter.

As an odorless and colorless gas, carbon monoxide can cause major issues during the winter months. Carbon monoxide is produced from burning fuel, which is more frequent during the winter months when we need our furnaces to heat our homes. Checking your home, vehicle, water heater, clothes dryer and other heat sources for carbon monoxide is an important step on your winter weather checklist to prevent illness and death.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “more than 400 Americans die from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning not linked to fires, more than 20,000 visit the emergency room, and more than 4,000 are hospitalized” annually.  According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include: headaches, weakness, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, confusion, blurred vision, and loss of consciousness.“ Carbon monoxide poisoning can be particularly dangerous for people who are sleeping or intoxicated. People may have irreversible brain damage or even die before anyone realizes there’s a problem,” according to Mayo Clinic staff.

One way to monitor carbon monoxide levels in your home is to install a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector. According to the CDC, it is recommended to change the battery when the time changes in the spring and fall, and to replace the detector every five years in order to have accurate readings. The detector will emit a high-pitched alarm if it detects carbon monoxide in your home. Having your heating system, water heater, and other fuel-burning appliances maintained and serviced annually are also good preventative measures.

The CDC provided several other preventative tactics to keep your home carbon monoxide free:

  • “Never use a gas range or oven for heating. Using a gas range or oven for heating can cause a build up of carbon monoxide in your home, cabin, or camper.
  • Never burn charcoal indoors. Burning charcoal – red, gray, black, or white – gives off carbon monoxide.
  • Never use a portable gas camp stove indoors. Using a gas camp stove indoors can cause carbon monoxide to build up inside your home, cabin, or camper.
  • Never use a generator inside your home, basement, or garage, or less than 20 feet from any window, door, or vent” (CDC, 2018, p. 1 & 2).

It is likely southern Ohio will have more days with cold, winter weather this year. Keep these safety tips outlined above in mind to keep you and your family healthy, safe, and warm this season.

 

Upcoming Events: 

The next Monthly Extension Program will be held on Wednesday, January 30, 2019, at 10 AM at Ponderosa Steakhouse in Hillsboro, OH. The topic of this program will be on Small Business Video Production and will be presented by Brooke Beam. If you have a small business and would like to incorporate more videos into your marketing plans or you are interested in learning the basics of video production, this program is for you! If you have a camera or a mobile device, bring your camera equipment with you to participate as this will be a hands-on workshop.

On Tuesday, February 5, 2019, a live webinar of the 2019 Ohio Beef Cattle School will be held in the Large Meeting Room of 119 Governor Foraker Place, Hillsboro, OH. The program will begin at 7 P.M. The 2019 Ohio Beef Cattle School is free to attend, but RSVPs are required. The topic of the webinar is on the winter management of the cow herd to ensure a productive 2019. RSVP to the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918 or via email to beam.49@osu.edu.

The Highland County Extension Office will be hosting a tour of the OSU Meat Lab in Columbus, Ohio, for those who are interested in beef and meat production on March 19, 2019. The tour will coincide with the meat class on campus, so attendees will be able to see the lab on a harvesting day. The tour will be held in the morning and space is limited. Please call the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918 for additional information and to reserve your place for the tour.

Fertilizer and Pesticide Recertifications: 

February 19, 2019

Ponderosa Banquet Center, 545 S. High Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133

5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial

6:30 pm Pesticide Recertification (Core, 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6) Private Applicators Only

March 4, 2018

Ponderosa Banquet Center, 545 S. High Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133

10:00 am to 11:00 am Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial

11:30 am Pesticide Recertification (Core, 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6) Private Applicators Only

Registration details will come in the mail from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Registration for OSU Extension Pesticide and Fertilizer and your renewal application for ODA Pesticide/Fertilizer must both be completed. Meals will be included at each recertification training at Ponderosa.

Beef, It’s a trend for 2019

Over 185 individuals received their BQA certification at the training held on January 22, 2019, at Union Stock Yards in Hillsboro, OH.

 

 

Brooke Beam, PhD

Ohio State University Extension, Highland County

Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator

January 16, 2019

In the mid-1990s, the National Cattlemen’s Association launched a marketing campaign around the slogan of “Beef, it’s what’s for dinner.” This was a slogan I heard repeatedly as a child growing up on a beef farm. This winter, however, beef is on the minds of agricultural producers and opportunities to capture marketing advantages.

One opportunity beef producers should take advantage of is to become beef quality assurance certified (BQA) to make their livestock more marketable to buyers. Quality assurance practices were developed in the 1960s when Pillsbury was developing safety and quality standards to produce food for astronauts. The same basic principles were applied in beef research studies in the early 1980s. The findings included that quality assurance practices in beef production increased the quality of the meat produced and generated a more uniform herd.  As of January 1, 2019, several large companies have decided to only purchase beef from producers that are beef quality assurance certified.

Since August of 2018, the Highland County Extension Office, in conjunction with Extension educators from Adams, Brown, and Clermont County Extension Offices, have held five BQA trainings in Hillsboro to help beef producers be prepared for the marketing change in 2019. From these five trainings, 486 beef producers from southern Ohio have received their national certification in BQA. In fact, the most recent training had such a large demand, two additional trainings have been scheduled. The next BQA training will be held on January 29, 2019, at 2 PM at United Producers, Inc., and an additional training will be held at Union Stock Yards on February 13, 2019, at 6 PM.

In addition to the BQA trainings, the Highland County Extension Office will be holding additional beef-related programming in the first quarter of 2019. On Tuesday, February 5, 2019, the Highland County Extension Office will host a live webinar of the 2019 Ohio Beef School in the Large Meeting Room of 119 Governor Foraker Place in Hillsboro. The program will begin at 7 PM and the event is free, but RSVPs are encouraged to reserve a seat. The 2019 Ohio Beef Cattle School will discuss a series of topics related to the winter management of cow herds to ensure a productive year.

Those who are interested in beef and meat production have the opportunity to tour the OSU Meat Lab on March 19, 2019. The tour will coincide with the meat class on campus, so attendees will be able to see the lab on a harvesting day. The tour will be held in the morning and space is limited. Please call the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918 for additional information and to reserve your place for the tour.

For more information about any of the programs listed above, contact the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.

 

Upcoming Events: 

The next Monthly Extension Program will be held on Wednesday, January 30, 2019, at 10 AM at Ponderosa Steakhouse in Hillsboro, OH. The topic of this program will be on Small Business Video Production and will be presented by Brooke Beam. If you have a small business and would like to incorporate more videos into your marketing plans or you are interested in learning the basics of video production, this program is for you! If you have a camera or a mobile device, bring your camera equipment with you to participate as this will be a hands-on workshop.

 

Fertilizer and Pesticide Recertifications: 

February 19, 2019

Ponderosa Banquet Center, 545 S. High Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133

5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial

6:30 pm Pesticide Recertification (Core, 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6) Private Applicators Only

March 4, 2018

Ponderosa Banquet Center, 545 S. High Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133

10:00 am to 11:00 am Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial

11:30 am Pesticide Recertification (Core, 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6) Private Applicators Only

Registration details will come in the mail from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Registration for OSU Extension Pesticide and Fertilizer and your renewal application for ODA Pesticide/Fertilizer must both be completed. Meals will be included at each recertification training at Ponderosa.

Planning a Tea Garden While the Snow Flies

Submitted by Faye Mahaffey

OSUE Brown County Master Gardener Volunteer

One of my childhood friends had a very special grandmother that we lovingly called “Grandma T.” She would have a special tea party for my friend’s birthday each year and we each took home a teacup and saucer as a party favor. She provided a variety of white gloves, hats, jewelry, dresses and shoes for us to complete the tea party experience. We felt so special as we sipped hot tea and enjoyed delicious tea sandwiches!

Grandma T’s teacups and saucers are displayed on a shelf in my home and I now drink tea from a mug, but I still remember how much fun we had at those tea parties. As the snow was flying this weekend, I came across a great article about growing your own tea garden. Herbs for tea are easy to grow, look stunning in flower or garden beds and smell amazing. According to blogger, Getty Stewart, whether you have a single pot in a sunny window, a balcony or patio planter, or a large garden, she recommends trying to grow herbs for tea.

Her nine favorite herbs for tea include:

  1. Giant Hyssop(Agastache foeniculum) Easy to grow, attractive to pollinators and a native North American prairie species. It is quite drought tolerant and will come back year after year despite long cold winters.
  2. German Chamomile(Matricaria recutita) Chamomile is a must have for any tea garden. Dainty daisy-like flowers grow on lacy, feathery leaves. The flavor is quite unique.
  3. Mint-Peppermint, Spearmint, Chocolate Mint, Apple, Orange, Strawberry or Grapefruit Mint, and Mojito Mint. Caution: Mint makes delicious tea but can be invasive if not contained in the garden! I grow my mints in large pots on the deck.
  4. Lemon Grass(Cymbopogon) Use Lemon Grass as a tall grassy centerpiece in large planters. The long grassy blades are perfect for tea.
  5. Lemon Balm(Melissa officinalis) This aggressive member of the mint family has been banished to a large container on my deck. It nearly consumed my herb bed by the porch! It has a refreshing lemony scent and flavor and is good for hot or cold tea
  6. Lemon Verbena(Aloysia citrodora) This perennial tropical shrub won’t survive anything cooler than Zone 8, so it may be a challenge to find locally. It grows quickly in hot summers, but you will need to keep it indoors over the winter.
  7. Borage(Borago officianalis) With its stunning edible flowers and ability to attract pollinators, borage is a must in any garden! The flowers and leaves taste remarkably like cucumbers.
  8. Lemon Thyme(Thymus citriodorus) Many savory herbs like Rosemary, Sage and Parsley make excellent tea. Lemon Thyme has a light lemony flavor
  9. Stevia(Stevia Rebaudiana) Stevia makes a fantastic sweetener for any tea. Stevia is super sweet and just a tiny bit will sweeten an entire tea pot.

Stewart also provides a word of caution when consuming herbal teas. All plants have properties in them that may cause allergies or undesirable side effects if taken in large doses. Be sure to do your research! There are great resources available to learn more about harvesting herbs and brewing herbal teas.

I love my coffee in the morning, but a mug of tea in the evening hits the spot! I am headed to the kitchen to brew up some ginger tea right now and browse through another seed catalog.

 

 

January Monthly Extension Programming – Small Business Video Production 101

If you have a small business and would like to incorporate more videos into your marketing plans or you are interested in learning the basics of video production,  the next monthly extension program is for you! Join us for a hands-on workshop on video production on January 30, 2019. If you have a camera or a mobile device, bring your camera equipment with you to participate. 

Leadership Highland Community Government Day

Brooke Beam, Ph.D.

Ohio State University Extension, Highland County

Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator

January 16, 2019

Participants of Leadership Highland toured the maintenance buildings at the Highland County Engineer’s Office. From left to right: Rob Holt, Mat Greene, Mike Hart, Diana Grooms, Michelle Unsworth, and Brooke Beam.

 

The participants of Leadership Highland met on January 16, 2019, for Community Government Day. The participants learned more about the infrastructure of the county government and the history of the courthouse.

Leadership Highland participants attended the Highland County Commissioners meeting. Commissioners Terry Britton and Gary Abernathy received a check from Nate Jester, manager of the Pike State Forest, for a tree removal program. Also present at the meeting were Jared Warner, from the Highland County Health Department, and Bill Fawley, Highland County Auditor.

Commissioners Gary Abernathy and Terry Britton led the Highland County Commissioners meeting on Januery 16, 2019.

The last remaining jail cell in the old jail is now used for storage of books. The other cells have been converted into modern office spaces.

Tom Parrin, the custodian of the Highland County Administrative Building and Courthouse, provided a tour of the old jail and courthouse buildings. Parrin showed the last remaining jail cell, the law library, and the circus banners that were repurposed to build the roof of the old jail building. Tom Horst provided additional historical context for the old jail building by providing detailed informational packets. Horst said that the old jail building originally cost $22,000.00 to build and the woodwork alone cost $4,000.00.

On the third floor of the old jail, participants of Leadership Highland were able to see parts of the circus poster that was repurposed to build the roof.

Judge Rocky Coss, Common Pleas judge, provided an additional tour of the courthouse and described the inner workings of the Common Pleas Court. Judge Coss showed the history and renovation of the courthouse, as well as the historical fixtures in the building. Judge Coss introduced the participants of Leadership Highland to Ike Hodson, the Clerk of the Highland County Clerk of Courts. The Clerk of Courts maintains records from court cases and also processes passports.

Judge Coss describes the history of the Common Pleas Court to the participants of Leadership Highland.

 

In the afternoon, participants met with Dean Otworth, the Highland County Engineer, and Chris Fauber, the Deputy Engineer, at the Highland County Engineer’s Office. Otworth and Fauber described the process of maintaining a budget, providing proper maintenance for the roadways, and the process of plowing the roads during the winter. Otworth and Fauber provided a tour of the vehicle maintenance building and the storage facility for the salt.

The next meeting of Leadership Highland will be in February, focusing on business and industry. For more information about Leadership Highland, contact the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918 or email beam.49@osu.edu.

 

Upcoming Events: 

The next Beef Quality Assurance Training will be held at Union Stockyards on Tuesday, January 22, 2018, at 6:30 P.M. A meal will be served at 5:30 P.M. prior to the class. Please RSVP to the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.

Another Beef Quality Assurance Training will be held at United Producers Inc., at 2 P.M. on January 29, 2019. There will not be a meal included at this training. Please RSVP to the Highland County Extension Office at 927-393-1918.

The next Highland County Master Gardener Volunteer meeting will be held on Thursday, January 17, 2019, at 10 AM in the Large Meeting Room in the basement of 110 Governor Foraker Place, Hillsboro, OH.

On Tuesday, February 5, 2019, a live webinar of the 2019 Ohio Beef Cattle School will be held in the Large Meeting Room of 119 Governor Foraker Place, Hillsboro, OH. The program will begin at 7 P.M. The 2019 Ohio Beef Cattle School is free to attend, but RSVPs are required. The topic of the webinar is on the winter management of the cow herd to ensure a productive 2019. RSVP to the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918 or via email to beam.49@osu.edu.

Fertilizer and Pesticide Recertifications: 

February 19, 2019

Ponderosa Banquet Center, 545 S. High Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133

5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial

6:30 pm Pesticide Recertification (Core, 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6) Private Applicators Only

March 4, 2018

Ponderosa Banquet Center, 545 S. High Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133

10:00 am to 11:00 am Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial

11:30 am Pesticide Recertification (Core, 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6) Private Applicators Only

Registration details will come in the mail from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Registration for OSU Extension Pesticide and Fertilizer and your renewal application for ODA Pesticide/Fertilizer must both be completed. Meals will be included at each recertification training at Ponderosa.

Precision for Spring Planting

 

Brooke Beam, Ph.D.

Ohio State University Extension, Highland County

Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator

January 9, 2019

 

Dr. Ignacio Ciampitti, of the University of Nebraska, spoke at the Ohio State University Extension 2019 Precision University on Satellite Data and Agronomic Decisions.

As I write this column, the snow is falling outside. It is hard to believe that spring is right around the corner, but preparation for the 2019 crop season is in full swing. On Wednesday, January 9, 2019, I attended Ohio State University Extension’s Precision University: In-Season Decisions, at Beck’s Seed in London, Ohio. This program provided attendees with information about the latest technologies to incorporate into their farming operations in order to maximize efficiency and yields.

One tool to consider for the upcoming growing season is satellite imagery. Dr. Ignacio Ciampitti, from Kansas State University, spoke on the benefits of using satellite imagery for evaluating fields. Dr. Ciampitti said that satellites are not a replacement for drones (UAVs), but they do offer a wide variety of benefits. Due to the number of satellites, there are a variety of resolutions of images farmers can obtain of their fields to evaluate their farm management decisions. Some examples of satellites that generate these images include Modis, Landsat, Sentinel, and Rapid Eye. The Sentinel satellite currently provides the highest resolution for agricultural purposes.

Satellites offer the ability to “go back in time” with databases of images compiled over the course of years, stated Dr. Ciampitti.  Drones provide an image of the current situation, which for some field scouting situations is appropriate; however, in some cases, it may be better to study the field over time. Uses of satellite imagery for the agricultural industry include seasonal and temporal (across seasons) monitoring of crops, crop scouting, forecasting yields, site-specific management, and environmental factors, such as insects, said Dr. Ciampitti.

While we wait on spring, farmers can evaluate previous satellite images of their fields to identify areas of their fields that may need a special prescription. During the growing season, comparing satellite imagery from the mid-flowering stages to your yield monitor images will also provide analysis for future yield predictions.

Several satellite images are available for free, depending on what information you need to obtain from the image. For more information about technologies and information from the 2019 Precision University, contact the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.

 

Upcoming Events:

The next Beef Quality Assurance Training will be held at Union Stockyards on Tuesday, January 22, 2018, at 6:30 P.M. A meal will be served at 5:30 P.M. prior to the class. Please RSVP to the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.

Another Beef Quality Assurance Training will be held at United Producers Inc., at 2 P.M. on January 29, 2019. There will not be a meal included at this training. Please RSVP to the Highland County Extension Office at 927-393-1918.

The next Highland County Master Gardener Volunteer meeting will be held on Thursday, January 17, 2019, at 10 AM in the Large Meeting Room in the basement of 110 Governor Foraker Place, Hillsboro, OH.

On Tuesday, February 5, 2019, a live webinar of the 2019 Ohio Beef Cattle School will be held in the Large Meeting Room of 119 Governor Foraker Place, Hillsboro, OH. The program will begin at 7 P.M. The 2019 Ohio Beef Cattle School is free to attend, but RSVPs are required. The topic of the webinar is on the winter management of the cow herd to ensure a productive 2019. RSVP to the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918 or via email to beam.49@osu.edu.

Fertilizer and Pesticide Recertifications:

February 19, 2019

Ponderosa Banquet Center, 545 S. High Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133

5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial

6:30 pm Pesticide Recertification (Core, 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6) Private Applicators Only

March 4, 2018

Ponderosa Banquet Center, 545 S. High Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133

10:00 am to 11:00 am Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial

11:30 am Pesticide Recertification (Core, 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6) Private Applicators Only

Registration details will come in the mail from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Registration for OSU Extension Pesticide and Fertilizer and your renewal application for ODA Pesticide/Fertilizer must both be completed. Meals will be included at each recertification training at Ponderosa.

 

 

Why Should You Love Squirrels?

Submitted by Faye Mahaffey

OSUE Master Gardener Volunteer – Brown County

 

According to the Spring 2018 WOODLAND magazine there are 6 reasons why you should love squirrels! I am sure that you are thinking of all the reasons that you don’t feel love when it comes to those sometimes-pesky critters. My list might include: Pulls small transplants out of containers, digs and buries things in the containers, bullies the birds at the feeding station, and literally lounges on the railing of the deck and drinks out of my water garden!

Squirrels often get a bad rap. They raid bird feeders. They can chew through just about anything. They dart out in front of cars.

But, while sometimes inconvenient for humans, this oft-labeled “nuisance” animal has a lot to offer, according to a University of Florida researcher who studies squirrel ecology.

“Squirrels are some of the most visible wildlife in our modern urban and suburban settings, and they are a vital part of the ecosystems they inhabit”, said Robert McCleery, an associate professor in the department of wildlife ecology and conservation in the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

So, take a moment to learn what’s fun, interesting and mysterious about these fluffy-tailed creatures, says the author.

  1. They chew for a reason. They are chewing on things because they have incisors -front teeth-that are always growing. If they don’t chew on something, their teeth are going to grow into their lower jaw and skull. To avoid that, squirrels will chew on anything that helps wear down their teeth.
  2. They are nature’s gardeners. Squirrels have an important ecological role, especially in forest ecosystems. Their biggest contribution to the forest is in shaping plant composition. They have a peculiar habit of taking seeds, which are their main source of nutrients and burying them. Often when they go back to look for them, they forget where they are. When that happens, they are effectively planting seeds. Over time, this behavior, called caching, changes the composition of a forest.
  3. They have some zany behaviors that are entertaining to watch. If you see a squirrel rubbing its face on an acorn, that’s the squirrel marking the seed with its scent, increasing the chances it will find it later.
  4. They will tell you off. If you’re in your backyard or walking through a park, you might hear squirrels. “They make a rolling chirping noise,” McCleery says. As they make that noise, they may also rapidly flick their tails over their heads. All this is the squirrel’s way of saying, Back off! They might be scolding you because you are near a tree they’ve utilized or are near some food resource, or you’re perceived as a predator.
  5. There are many species of squirrel, and they come in lots of shapes, colors, and sizes. Ohio has four different species of squirrels. While most people are familiar with the Eastern Gray and Fox squirrels, Ohio is also home to Red and Flying squirrels. The Southern Flying Squirrel is Ohio’s most populous squirrel species, but since it is strictly nocturnal it is seldom seen. Flying squirrels get their name from the flaps of skin between their front and back legs. These flaps allow them to glide from one tree to the next.
  6. They are full of mystery. There is still so much that’s not known about squirrels, McCleery says. He never gets tired of studying them. One of the things they are trying to understand right now is why squirrels sometimes decide to eat a seed right away and other times decide to bury it.

My favorite squirrel incident happened while visiting a friend in Florida. Every morning we walked around the neighborhood and enjoyed seeing the bird feeding stations that had been “squirrel proofed.” As we came around the corner, we saw a large, plastic bird feeder with a large squirrel inside! When he saw us, he became as still as a statue, as if to say, “I am not a squirrel inside this bird feeder. Just look away! Mind your own business!”

Grower, Gardener, Educator, and Researcher – All can Gain from Vegetable Grafting

Grafting is an ancient technology currently coming of age, helping vegetable growers and gardeners and educators and researchers in Ohio and the U.S. address some of today’s most significant challenges. Find out more at two upcoming programs.

The Muck Crops School on January 10 in Willard, OH will include a presentation by grafting expert Dr. Richard Hassell of Clemson University. He will outline progress made in developing rootstock (RS) varieties resistant to Phytopthora capsici, a devastating disease of pepper, tomato, melon, and other major vegetable crops. In grafting, root systems of RS varieties are spliced to the shoots of scion varieties, creating physical hybrids that often out-perform ungrafted versions of the scion variety, especially under stressful conditions. Indeed, creating physical hybrids opens key opportunities in production, research, and education. Contact OSUE-Huron County (https://huron.osu.edu/home) about attending the Muck Crops School on Jan 10, 2019.

The Ohio Produce Network program on January 16-17 in Dublin, OH will include two sessions on grafting, both occurring on January 16. Session 1 will feature presentations and discussion led by six additional experts: Dr. Chris Gunter (NCSU), Dr. Matt Kleinhenz (The OSU), Dr. Sally Miller (The OSU), Cameron Way (Way Farms), Chuck Mohler (Sweet Corn Charlie Farms), and Ed Kerlikowske (http://lifegivingfruit.com/). A representative of TriHishtil (http://www.trihishtil.com/), a major supplier of grafted plants, may also participate. Together, the six presenters and discussion leaders will provide a comprehensive, up-to-date, and stakeholder-focused summary of grafted plants as sources of income and production tools. Session 2, later on Jan 16, will deliver individualized training in making grafted plants, a straightforward process that can be completed in many settings. See http://www.opgma.org/ohio-produce-network/ about attending the OPN on Jan 16-17, 2019.

Contact Matt Kleinhenz (330.263.3810, kleinhenz.1@osu.edu) for additional information about these programs and seehttp://www.vegetablegrafting.org/ for more information about vegetable grafting.