germinatefilmfest2019

Farm Science Review to be held next week

Brooke Beam, PhD

Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator

Ohio State University Extension, Highland County

September 10, 2019

The annual Farm Science Review will be held September 17 – 19, 2019,  at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center, near London, Ohio. The Farm Science Review features a series of agricultural exhibits and research-based presentations to help agricultural producers make informed decisions for their businesses. The Molly Caren Agricultural Center is a 2100-acre facility featuring crop production, field demonstrations, and conservation practices.

Over the course of three days, attendees will have the opportunity to attend dozens of workshops, with topics ranging from precision agriculture to woodland management. A complete list of the presentation schedule is available online or through the Highland County Extension Office. Tickets are also available at the Highland County Extension Office or at the gate.

If you were unable to attend the Germinate International Film Fest, I will be teaching a session on Tuesday, September 17, in the Small Farms Center Building (corner of Equipment Ave and Beef Street) at 11:30 a.m.  The session will cover a series of highlights from the film festival and a brief lesson on how to create your own videos through mobile devices.

Additionally, I will be assisting with a new opportunity for job seekers. New for the 2019 Farm Science Review, there will be a Career Exploration Fair (Celebration Tent near Gate I) on Wednesday, September 18, from 10 a.m. to noon. Attendees of the Career Exploration Fair will have the opportunity to visit with companies about employment, or to learn about the necessary training to become employees in agricultural businesses. A few of the companies that will be participating in the Career Exploration Fair include Ag Pro, ODOT, Cargill, Ohio CAT, and Ohio Corn and Wheat.

Golf carts may be rented at the Farm Science Review, however prior reservations are encouraged. You may also bring your own golf cart with the appropriate paperwork from your physician. For more information about the Farm Science Review or any Extension programming, contact the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.

Inaugural Germinate International Film Fest Held

The inaugural Germinate International Film Fest was held in Hillsboro, Ohio, on August 16 & 17, 2019. The two-day film festival highlighted content relevant to agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities from around the globe. Hosted by Ohio State University Extension, Highland County, the event was attended by individuals from multiple states.

In addition to screening over 60 films, the festival also offered workshops on drone flight, a tree walk, beef production and taste testing, astronomy, Milk Bar baking demonstration, and a tour of Bell’s Opera House. Two dinners were held for attendees, with the dinner on Saturday evening featuring locally-sourced foods. The awards ceremony was held on Saturday evening as well, which concluded with an outdoor screening of The Pollinators.

The winners of the 2019 Germinate International Film Fest were:

Peter Nelson accepting the award for The Pollinators.

Best Feature Length Documentary Film

The Pollinators

 

Best Short Documentary Film Under 15 Minutes

Who’s Your Farmer?

 

Riley Slivka accepting the award for Along The Edge: A Montana Family Harvest Story.

Best Short Documentary Film Between 15 to 30 minutes

Along The Edge: A Montana Family Harvest Story

 

Best Short Documentary Film Over 30 Minutes

Losing Ground

 

Best Virtual Reality Film

Virtual Reality Exploration of Earth’s Cryosphere

 

Biz Young and Olivia Nava accepting the award for To The Land.

Best Short of Any Kind

To The Land

 

Rachel Leggett accepting the award for On-Farm Research: Starter Phosphorus.

Best Scholastic Film

On-Farm Research: Starter Phosphorous

 

Best Photography: Agriculture

Shane White

 

Best Photography: Natural Resources

Theresa Raisch

 

Tammy Newsome accepting the Rural Community Photography Award on behalf of Gwynn Stewart.

Best Photography: Rural Community

Gwynn Stewart

 

Best International Short Documentary Film

THE MAN OF THE TREES

 

Best International Short Documentary Film

Dizhsa Nabani

 

Best Feature Length International Documentary Film

SOYALISM

 

Annmarie Aronoff accepting the award for SkyGrazers: A Story of the Flying Farmers. 

Best Film Featuring A Workforce Development Topic

SkyGrazers: A Story of the Flying Farmers

 

Best Student Film

One Egg

  

Best International Student Film

From the Ground Up

 

Best Historical Film

Rendville: Across the Color Line

 

Aston Bain accepting the award for My Steer, B.J.

 Best Youth Film

My Steer, B.J.

 

Drew Hamilton and Greenfield McClain High School Students accepting the award for the History of Bell’s Opera House and the Parker House.

Best Film By High School Students

History of Bell’s Opera House and the Parker House

 

Audience’ Choice

Cornutopia 

The Germinate International Film Fest was made possible with sponsorships and community partnerships with: The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences; Southern State Community College; White Clover Farm; Karnes Orchard; Visitors Bureau of Highland County; State Farm, Amatha Farrens; City of Hillsboro; Merchants National Bank; Highland County Chamber of Commerce; Highland County Commissioners; Tissot’s Home Center; Ag-Pro Companies; and Germinate International Film Fest volunteers.

For more information about the Germinate International Film Fest or other Extension programming, contact the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.

Free Film Screenings at the Germinate International Film Fest

Two feature-length films will be shown with free admission at the Germinate International Film Fest in 2019. These films are Netflix films that highlight issues that are relevant to our environment, and our ability to persevere to reach our goals. Please join us for screenings of Mission Blue and Chef’s Table: Christina Tosi.

Mission Blue

Water quality and pollution are two topics we hear about in the news frequently. In her career as an oceanographer, Dr. Sylvia Earle has explored many parts of the ocean. She takes viewers on a journey to see and learn about the health of the ocean. Mission Blue will be shown at 11 a.am., on Friday, August 16, in the Large Meeting Room of 119 Governor Foraker Place, Hillsboro.

Chef’s Table: Christina Tosi

While you may wonder what a New York City pastry chef has in common with rural Ohio, the connections are closer to southwestern Ohio than you think. Christina Tosi has a great work ethic and a can-do attitude. She gets these traits from her family, who has lived and farmed in the Clinton County area for several generations. Tosi grew up in Wilmington, Ohio, until her parents moved to D.C. Tosi continued to visit her grandmother and relatives in Clinton County, and many of her baking inspirations are based on her family’s recipes. Join us for a screening of Chef’s Table: Christina Tosi will be shown at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 17, in the Large Meeting Room of 119 Governor Foraker Place, Hillsboro.

History of Ag in Film

Since the beginning of film, agriculture has been in front of the camera’s lens. Dr. Brooke Beam will teach a brief history of the representation of agriculture in film. This workshop will be held in the Old Hillsboro Fire Department, adjacent to the courthouse, at noon on Friday, August 16. This workshop is free and open to the public.

Astronomy Workshop

International Space Station is shown over a farm. The International Space Station (ISS) is shown as a streak in the sky in the picture above. Join Dr. Tom Blaine to learn how to identify ISS and constellations in the night sky.

The International Space Station (ISS) is shown as a streak in the sky in the picture above. Join Dr. Tom Blaine to learn how to identify ISS and constellations in the night sky.

Apollo 11 may have landed on the moon 50 years ago, but the opportunity to learn about astronomy is still relevant today. Join Dr. Tom Blaine for a workshop on astronomy and use a telescope to identify constellations at Karnes Orchard at dusk on Saturday, August 17. Karnes Orchard is located at 8200 Worley Mill Road, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133. RSVP through the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.

Germinate International Film Fest Premiering August 16 & 17


Germinate International Film Fest Premiering August 16 & 17

Brooke Beam, PhD

Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator

OSU Extension, Highland County

July 30, 2019

The Highland County office of Ohio State University Extension is pleased to announce the inaugural Germinate International Film Fest will be held on August 16 and 17, 2019 in Hillsboro, Ohio. Germinate means to grow, and the purpose of this film festival is to grow knowledge about agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities.

Over 60 films will be shown during the film festival. Films shown range from a 90 second film by Ashton Bain, a Highland County 4-H member, to international feature length films. Topics of the films range from astronomy to water quality, and provide a new perspective on agriculture for even the most seasoned agriculturalists. Below is a list of the selected films and a description of each. Several of the films scheduled to be shown have been screened in multiple film festivals around the world and large-budget, high-quality productions. Having an opportunity to showcase this kind of filmmaking in Hillsboro is a great opportunity for all kinds of film and entertainment enthusiasts, as well as an opportunity for agricultural producers to expand their knowledge on a variety of topics relevant to their production practices.

This event will provide a forum for open discussion about agricultural, environmental, and rural community development topics important to the public. While rural areas represent 97 percent of the United States’ landmass, only 19.3 percent of the population resides in a rural area and less than 2 percent of the nation’s population identifies as farmers. This film festival will showcase the agricultural industry from the perspective of agricultural producers, researchers, and rural community members.

Rural communities face many challenges. Germinate International Film Fest has curated films that highlight the resiliency of rural communities and the individuals who are making these communities thrive. The festival fills a void and differs from thousands of other film festivals, because the films have been selected based on their ability to tell a compelling and logical story, as well as provide factual information about the topic discussed. A number of local filmmakers works will be shown, allowing attendees to connect with producers and filmmakers from the area surrounding Highland County, Ohio. Filmmakers of all skill and expertise levels have submitted films. There is also a still photography and virtual reality division.

Southern State Community College will host the screenings of the festival at its central campus in Hillsboro, Ohio. In addition to live screenings of films, attendees can participate in a series of hands-on workshops on video production, photography, agriculture, natural resources, and community development topics. The workshops will be held at various locations in Highland County, including uptown Hillsboro, Southern State Community College, and Karnes Orchard.

For more information about the festival or to purchase tickets, visit u.osu.edu/germinateinternationalfilmfest or contact the Highland County office of OSU Extension at 937-393-1918. Programs with a full schedule and list of films is available at the Extension Office.

 

Upcoming Programs:

Cover Crop Field Day Planned: The Highland SWCD and the Highland County Farm Bureau have partnered together to host a field day to uncover the importance of planting cover crops. The event is scheduled for August 21, 2019 from 9:30am-4pm at Brown Farms in Highland County. Information will be provided on fertilizer recommendations, the importance of improving soil health and a tour of a cover crop plot. Various events will be held throughout the day, such as in-field and an aerial seeding demonstrations. This field day will offer a unique on-site opportunity for landowners to carefully consider all cover crop options that can be implemented to advance their farming operation while capturing nutrients for a long-term investment. This field day will offer CCA Credits for Certified Crop Advisors and has a great line-up of cover crop door prize donations. Lunch will be provided with pre-registration by August 14. Please visit www.highlandswcd.com/events.html or call the Highland SWCD office at 937-393-1922 Ext 3 to register.

 

Germinate International Film Fest Set to Educate Viewers About Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Rural Communities On-Screen

Hillsboro, Ohio

July 24, 2019

The Highland County office of Ohio State University Extension is pleased to announce the inaugural Germinate International Film Fest will be held on August 16 and 17, 2019 in Hillsboro, Ohio. Germinate means to grow, and the purpose of this film festival is to grow knowledge about agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities.

Historically, rural communities and the agricultural industry have been depicted in entertainment media as outdated and uneducated; and they have been used as fodder for comedic material in film and television programming. However, online streaming platforms (e.g. Netflix, Hulu, Apple iTunes) have recently curated films related to food production and culinary expertise. These films represent consumers’ desire to learn more about how their food is prepared and where it is grown. The Germinate International Film Fest aggregates films that represent rural communities and their associated industries accurately, including current technologies, practices, and programs.

This event will provide a forum for open discussion about agricultural, environmental, and rural community development topics important to the public. While rural areas represent 97 percent of the United States’ landmass, only 19.3 percent of the population resides in a rural area and less than 2 percent of the nation’s population identifies as farmers. This film festival will showcase the agricultural industry from the perspective of agricultural producers, researchers, and rural community members.

Rural communities face many challenges. Germinate International Film Fest has curated films that highlight the resiliency of rural communities and the individuals who are making these communities thrive. The festival fills a void and differs from thousands of other film festivals, because the films have been selected based on their ability to tell a compelling and logical story, as well as provide factual information about the topic discussed. A number of local filmmakers works will be shown, allowing attendees to connect with producers and filmmakers from the area surrounding Highland County, Ohio. Filmmakers of all skill and expertise levels have submitted films. There is also a still photography and virtual reality division.

Southern State Community College will host the screenings of the festival at its central campus in Hillsboro, Ohio. Hillsboro is located about an hour from Dayton, Cincinnati, and Columbus. In addition to live screenings of films, attendees can participate in a series of hands-on workshops on video production, photography, agriculture, natural resources, and community development topics. The workshops will be held at various locations in Highland County.

For more information about the festival or to purchase tickets, visit u.osu.edu/germinateinternationalfilmfest or contact the Highland County office of OSU Extension at 937-393-1918.

OSU Extension believes Ohioans have the knowledge and resources they need to actively engage in creating conditions in which they thrive. OSU Extension’s mission is to create opportunities for people to explore how science-based knowledge can improve social, economic, and environmental conditions.