Brooke Beam, PhD

Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator

Ohio State University Extension, Highland County

February 11, 2020

The next two weeks are full of exciting programs to attend. Mark your calendars for the programs outlined below and plan to attend.

On Monday, February 17, 2020, Dr. Gustavo Schuenemann, a professor at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, will teach a calving workshop at Union Stock Yards beginning at 6 P.M. Dr. Schuenemann will bring a mechanical cow, which will allow for participants to receive hands-on experience. Space is limited so that all participants will be able to receive hands-on training. RSVP to the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918 to reserve your seat.

On Tuesday, February 18, 2020, Peggy Kirk Hall and Eric Romich, OSU Extension Specialists in agriculture law and solar energy respectively, will help landowners who are considering leasing land for future solar projects by teaching the basics of solar leasing. The program will be held in the Large Meeting Room of the Highland County Administration Building at 9:30 A.M. Topics included in this presentation include solar development trends, converting farmland to solar production, and key considerations to weigh before signing lease agreements for solar energy production.

On Monday, February 24, 2020, several workshops will be offered at the Ag is Everyone’s Business Breakfast. Specific to the Ag is Everyone’s Business Breakfast, there will be a beef workshop, hemp workshop, and a business round table.

For the beef workshop, Dr. Lyda Garcia, Assistant Professor for the Department of Animal Sciences at The Ohio State University, will lead an in-depth program on meat science and the beef industry. Dr. Garcia is responsible for teaching undergraduate courses in meat science, including introduction to meat science, harvest and fabrication, process meats, and meat carcass evaluation. Samples of steak from several kinds of production practices will be provided  to participants in this workshop.

Jim Belt, Ohio Department of Agriculture’s hemp inspector, will teach a workshop on hemp in Ohio. This workshop is designed to guide farmers who are interested in growing hemp through the application process, what considerations they need to evaluate before entering the hemp industry, and the regulations specific to Ohio.

The third workshop available to attend at the Ag is Everyone’s Business Breakfast is a business roundtable. This roundtable will include updates on the Willowbrook Solar Farm Project by Mike Volpe, Vice President of Open Road Renewables. Other panelists will include elected officials. Other topics relevant to agriculture production in Highland County will be discussed as well.

Tickets to the Ag is Everyone’s Business Breakfast are available through the Highland County Chamber of Commerce, 937-393-1111. For more information about any of the programs outlined above, contact the Ohio State University Extension, Highland County office at 937-393-1918.