Month: February 2020
Educational Opportunities in Clinton, Fayette, and Greene Counties for Agriculture
The Legal and Business Side of Estate Planning –
Thursday, March 5, 2020
6:30 PM – 9:00 PM • Clinton County Extension Office
PRESENTED BY:
Peggy Hall – Director, OSU Agricultural & Resource Law Program, Ohio State University Extension
CLICK HERE for more information and registration requirements.
Agricultural Fertilizer 3 Hour Certification Training –
Friday, March 6th, 2020
9:00AM – 12:00PM – Fayette County Extension Office
This meeting will fulfill the three-hour requirement for private and commercial applicators who need the agricultural fertilizer applicator certification.
Pre-registration required.
Cost is $30.00 dollars with registration form. For more information click here.
Central State University – Hemp Growing and Processing Trade Show
Thursday, March 12th, 2020 – 2:00PM – 7:00PM
Central State University-Xenia
334 Progress Dr., Xenia, OH 45385
For more information and how to register for this event CLICK HERE.
Parker House Hotel Virtual Tour
If you didn’t get at chance to see inside the Parker House Hotel before its demolition this week, check out the virtual tour that was filmed during Leadership Highland’s tour of the building in September of 2018. Also worth watching is McClain High School Students’ video that also tells the history of the building, see both films below.
Leadership Highland Explores Local Government
Brooke Beam, PhD
Ohio State University Extension, Highland County
Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator
February 25, 2020
On January 29, 2020, participants in Leadership Highland met to learn more about local government in Highland County.
The day started by meeting with the Highland County Commissioners, where Commissioners Terry Britton and Jeff Duncan described their positions and the kinds of situations they deal with on a regular basis.
Judge Rocky Coss taught Leadership Highland participants about the Common Pleas Court and the history of the courtroom. Tom Horst led the group on a tour of the prosecutor’s office and the old jail. Horst also showed the circus posters that were repurposed for the roof of the old jail, which can be viewed from the attic of the building.
During lunch, the group discussed plans for their group project.
The final location that was visited during the day was the Highland County Engineer’s Office. Chris Fauber, Highland County Engineer, and Christian Dunlap, Deputy Engineer spoke about road construction projects in the county and the process of snow removal. Fauber and Dunlap provided at tour of the shop, salt storage facility, and where they make road signs in-house.
The next meeting of Leadership Highland will highlight local manufacturing. For more information about Leadership Highland, or other OSU Extension programming, contact the OSU Extension office in Hillsboro at 937-393-1918.
Soil Health and Water Quality Update
2020 Agriculture is Everyone’s Business Recap
The Ohio State University Extension Office in Highland County assisted with the 2020 Agriculture is Everyone’s Business breakfast on February 24, 2020. The keynote speaker was Governor Mike DeWine, who participated in a panel discussion with the Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Dorothy Pelanda.
Dr. Brooke Beam, Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator, served on the programming committee for the event and created the Highland County Farmland video that was shown at the beginning of the program. Over 30 individuals directly involved with production agriculture in Highland County contributed to the construction of the video. Additionally, Beam moderated the solar farm discussion and helped coordinate the meat production practices and hemp breakout sessions.
Sara Newsome and Trinity Edenfield, Highland County 4-H members and Junior Leaders, led the crowd of over 400 in the Pledge of Allegiance and the 4-H Pledge.
Highland County Cattleman Opportunities
The 2020 Highland County Cattleman’s Scholarship and Queen Applications are available. Both applications are due back by March 20, 2020. Visit https://highland.osu.edu/program-areas/4-h-youth-development/forms-applications-resources.
Animals
Youth Poultry Clinic
The 2020 Clinic will be held Saturday, April 18, at OSU ATI, Wooster. The postmark deadline for registration is Wednesday, April 1. The cost for the clinic is $25.00 for adults and $20.00 for youth. Registration material will be available at https://ohio4h.org/animalsciences/poultry/poultry-calendar-events.
Refreshments and lunch are included in the registration fee. Vendors will be present.
Poultry
Avian Bowl is Saturday, July 11, 2020
For more information, check out
https://ohio4h.org/animalsciences/poultry/poultry-calendar-events
Rabbit
Rabbit Quiz Bowl Contest is Saturday, July 18, 2020
For more information, check out
https://www.facebook.com/Ohio4HAnimalSciences/?tn-str=k*F
Ohio Beef Expo
Wednesday, March 18- Sunday, March 22, 2020. Admission to the Ohio Beef Expo is Free. Parking at the Ohio Expo Center is $5.00/day. Weekend passes are $14.00 each.
Ohio Beef Expo Judging Contest
March 20th is an opportunity for youth teams to have fun with livestock judging. Early registration is March 9 and late registration March 10-20.
More information and registration is available at: https://www.ohiobeefexpo.com/
Swine News:
- Any youth showing hogs at the Ohio State Fair or national show will have to have a parent or guardian certified in adult Pork Quality Assurance. You will need that number in order to enter. The training is offered at https://www.pork.org/certifications/pork-quality-assurance-plus/ However Kathy will be attending training later this spring to be able to offer the training in person.
- The 2020 Ohio State Fair will be going ractopamine free for Market Hog. Stay tuned: We will update you as we receive more information.
4-H Volunteer Trainings
New Volunteer Applications
Now is the time to recruit new volunteers for 2020! Any adult who is going to be alone with 4-H members must go through the volunteer selection process. If volunteers want to be active in 2020, they need to complete the selection process. Applications for new advisors will be due the last Thursday in February, the 27th 2020. The forms are available at highland.osu.edu.
*March 25, 2020 6:00 – 9:30 p.m.
*New Advisor Training
Garden Planning – Dream Big!
OSUE Brown County Master Gardener Volunteer
Rain, Snow, Frigid Temperatures and then a spike to 50 degrees – welcome to Ohio. Are you thinking about involving some young gardeners this year? You still have a chance to design your home garden to match your family’s personalities and needs. Give your children a voice in your garden’s design and plantings to help generate interest and a lifelong passion for nature. It will also create memories and teach cooperation, patience, and responsibility. Brainstorm together and don’t be afraid to use your imagination!
Get out your old magazines, seed catalogs and art materials. Start by creating poster board size version of the garden. Label structures and identify desired flowers and plants. This is your family’s time to “Dream Big” as you share visions of a perfect garden. Young children might request castles, waterfalls or other water features. Be sure to listen to all ideas and take notes. There might be a possibility of creating a smaller or alternative version of those ideas!
When it comes to implementing ideas and making an official plan, you may need to scale it down. Have you chosen your site? Be sure to place the garden/play area where you can see it from your kitchen window or other rooms you spend a lot of time in. Look up and down. Before you dig, be aware of any power lines, pipes, septic systems, or other existing limitations. Consider where there is the most sunlight and the most shade; you will need to choose plants accordingly.
Now you need draw a model of your garden space. Sketch the shape onto graph paper, trying to keep it to a scale using one square equal to one foot. Add paths or any permanent structures that exit in your space. Next draw any structures you’d like to include. The last step will be choosing plants that best accommodate your design, space and budget.
No space for a castle, moat, or climbing rock? Here are a few ideas that could generate excitement and joy in your garden! 1) Plan a sunflower house by planting sunflowers in a square to form a “room”, 2) Using five or more poles or large branches bound at the top and grow gourds, beans, cucumbers or miniature pumpkins, 3) Create a tunnel: insert 8-foot poles every 3 feet along both sides of a path; lash horizontal poles at 2-, 4-, and 6-foot heights; and then plant and train vines along this corridor, 4) Use a simple platform to create a stage or gathering place for kids’ outdoor lunches, 5) instead of a water feature, create a shallow bird bath, 6) arrange 4-5 tree stumps at varying heights (not too tall) for children to step across or move throughout the yard, or 7) use a shallow children’s pool as a circular raised garden bed and then try planting in unique shapes and patterns!
Remember to consider your plants needs: Sunlight, Access, Spacing and Water. Do your research!
One of my favorite garden bloggers, “Gardenista” summed up how I feel about involving children in the garden. She says, “If you’ve ever watched a child pull a fresh carrot from the ground and eat it, you will know what sheer surprise and delight look like. There are countless benefits to children when they help plant and grow fruits and vegetables. Some favorites: gaining an interest in eating vegetables, appreciating where their food comes from, increasing focus and attention, teaching delayed gratification, disconnecting from technology, and creating future stewards of the land. Let’s give thanks this year to children everywhere who get dirty, try a spicy radish for the first time, and watch a ladybug meander up their arm.
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for our garden seminar on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 at the Mt. Orab Campus of Southern State Community College. Christine Tailer will be talking about Starting Seeds with Float Beds. All seminars are free and open to the public and start at 7:00 p.m. in Room 208. Remember, if the Mt. Orab campus is closed due to bad weather, the seminar is cancelled.
It’s time to start planning your garden! Spring is around the corner!