storytelling

Florida Strawberries signal a start of Spring

Florida strawberry Brooke Beam, PhD

Ohio State University Extension, Highland County

Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator

A row of Florida strawberries growing on a raised bed.

A row of Florida strawberries near Plant City, Florida, growing on a raised bed.

A few weeks ago, I took a quick weekend trip to Florida to visit one of the agricultural commodity group festivals I’ve been hearing about for a few years. The Florida Strawberry Festival is held annually at the beginning of March in Plant City, Florida. Plant City is located between Tampa and Orlando along I-4 and the region is one of the bright spots for Florida’s agriculture industry.

As you drive along I-4, you are surrounded by fields of strawberries and family operated farm stands filled with fresh produce. However, the Florida Strawberry Festival has more of a state fair feel rather than a small community agricultural festival. The festival includes concerts by numerous bands (this year’s lineup included Willie Nelson), carnival rides, livestock, and youth sewing and baking contests. Despite the typical festival and fair activities, there is definitely a focus on the local agricultural commodity the festival is appropriately named after and the family farms that make the event possible.

One of the strawberry shortcakes made at the St. Clement Catholic Church’s booth at the 2019 Florida Strawberry Festival.

Sprinkled throughout the many vendors were a wide variety of strawberry items, ranging from t-shirts, hats, cookbooks, and socks to edible delicacies. Local farms had provided visitors with the opportunity to try fresh strawberry lemonade, chocolate covered strawberries, strawberry preserves, strawberry bread, strawberry cookies, and strawberry pizza. One of the most popular stops on the strawberry foodie trail was the St. Clement Catholic Church’s strawberry shortcake buffet.

There are several take-home lessons from this festival. Agricultural producers capitalized by providing numerous ways for visitors to try fresh strawberries. Providing unique items sprinkled throughout the vast fairgrounds encouraged visitors to explore more of the festival and spend more money with local producers and vendors.

If Highland County had a festival focused on one agricultural product, what do you think would be the best representation of the county? Once you have made your selection, think of how many ways that product could be made into another value-added product.

While it is peak season for strawberries in Florida, it is the peak season in Ohio to consider what to plant for this year’s growing season and plan accordingly. Strawberries are grown locally in Highland County and can be an added item to your garden or farm. Depending on the variety of strawberry plants, it is estimated that one strawberry plant may produce up to one quart of fruit during the first fruiting year in Ohio.

For more information about growing strawberries in Ohio, contact the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.

Upcoming Programs:

Video Production 101 will be held on Monday, March 25, 2019, at 6 PM at the Lynchburg Public Library in Lynchburg, OH. The topic of this program will cover the basics of video productions for beginners 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!

The topic of the Highland County Monthly Extension Programming for March will be Storytelling for Video Production. The program will be held on March 27, 2019, at 10 AM. Attendees will learn about the different kinds of documentary films and how storytelling impacts the audience’s perception of videos. The program will be held at Ponderosa Steakhouse in Hillsboro and is free to attend. Attendees are encouraged to purchase lunch on their own at Ponderosa. Please RSVP to reserve your seat by calling 937-393-1918.

Global Climate Change Update with Dr. Thomas Blaine will be held on April 25, 2019, at 6 PM in the Large Meeting Room in the basement of 119 Governor Foraker Place, Hillsboro, OH. Come and learn about the history of climate change, its currents trends, and outlook. Hear how it applies to your backyard, farm, and everyday life. RSVP to reserve your seat by calling 937-393-1918.

Commodity Outlook for 2019

Brooke Beam, Ph.D.

Ohio State University Extension, Highland County

Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator

February 26, 2019

 

My mother and I have been working on our genealogy for several months. While we knew the basics of our family history, there have certainly been a few interesting discoveries along the way. We didn’t know that our ancestor was once a king of a portion of Ireland, or that another immigrated to the New World on the Mayflower, or that Sir Isaac Newton was a distant cousin.

We did know that most of our relatives came from England and Europe. One of my mother’s great-grandfathers immigrated from England to the United States in the early 1800s. He arrived in the United States with nothing more than a trunk containing all of his possessions. He decided to start his life in Ohio by settling in Madison County, where he established a successful grain milling business and farm. Despite the distance from the rest of his family in England, he kept in contact with his father, who still operated the family farm in High Bradfield, England. My family has kept their written correspondence to each other from the 1840s. The conversation between father and son in these letters focuses on each of their agricultural ventures on two different continents, the markets, grain, and cattle.

In 1840, commodity outlooks were a concern, just as they are today. To better prepare for the 2019 growing season, the Highland County Extension Office will be hosting Ben Brown, Director of the Ohio Farm Management Program through the Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, to provide a commodity update for local farmers. The program will be hosted on March 20, 2019, at 7 PM in the Large Meeting Room, located in the basement of 119 Governor Foraker Place, Hillsboro. The program is free to attend, however, RSVP to reserve your seat by calling 937-393-1918.

The Farm Management Program strives to address critical farm management issues affecting Ohio agriculture, including marketing and price analysis, farm financial management, risk evaluation, agricultural processing, environmental objectives, and farm entry and growth. Brown has recently published a summary of the 2018 Farm Bill and an outlook for U.S. Corn Exports for the coming years. Brown’s Commodity Outlook will provide farmers with information on making planting and marketing decisions for the 2019 crop year.

For more information about the program or to RSVP, contact the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.

 

Upcoming Events: 

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.

Video Production 101 will be held on Monday, March 25, 2019, at 6 PM at the Lynchburg Public Library in Lynchburg, OH. The topic of this program will cover the basics of video productions for beginners 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!

The topic of the Highland County Monthly Extension Programming for March will be Storytelling for Video Production. The program will be held on March 27, 2019, at 10 AM. Attendees will learn about the different kinds of documentary films and how storytelling impacts the audience’s perception of videos. The program will be held at Ponderosa Steakhouse in Hillsboro and is free to attend. Attendees are encouraged to purchase lunch on their own at Ponderosa. Please RSVP to reserve your seat by calling 937-393-1918.

 

 

 

Upcoming Fertilizer and Pesticide Recertification in Highland County

Brooke Beam, Ph.D.

Ohio State University Extension, Highland County

Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator

January 29, 2019

Attendees of the first fertilizer and pesticide recertification held in Highland County on February 19, 2019.

Attendees of the first fertilizer and pesticide recertification held in Highland County on February 19, 2019.

If you have your fertilizer or pesticide license and are in need of renewing your license this year, the Highland County Extension Office has one more training scheduled for 2019. The next recertification will be held on March 4, 2019, at the Ponderosa Steakhouse Banquet Center in Hillsboro, Ohio (545 S. High Street, Hillsboro). The fertilizer recertification will begin at 10 AM. Lunch will be served from 11 AM to 11:30 AM. The pesticide recertification will begin at 11:30 AM. Lunch is included in the registration cost. The program will conclude at 2:30 PM, unless there are individuals who need additional recertification for categories 3, 4, and/or 5.

Pre-registration is required through the Highland County Extension Office. The cost of fertilizer recertification is $10.00. The cost of pesticide recertification is $35.00. If you have both a license for fertilizer and pesticide application, the cost is $40. Pre-registration and pre-payment are required prior to the recertification. Payment cannot be processed at the door. Pre-registration is open until February 28, 2019, at noon through the Highland County Extension Office. You may contact the office at 937-393-1918 or stop in (located at 119 Governor Foraker Pace, Suite 202, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133).

The training scheduled for March 4this the second fertilizer and pesticide recertification for Highland County in 2019. The other recertification was held on February 19, 2019. Nearly 70 individuals attended the first recertification training, and space is filling quickly for the second recertification.

It should be noted that this recertification is for individuals who already have obtained their fertilizer and pesticide applicator’s licenses. Individuals who are wanting to obtain their fertilizer license need to attend a three-hour fertilizer certification course. Individuals who are wanting to obtain their pesticide license can register with the Ohio Department of Agriculture and can take an exam at the Old Y Restaurant on the second Monday of every month at noon.

For more information about the fertilizer and pesticide recertification training that will be held on March 4, 2018, contact the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.

 

Upcoming Events: 

The topic of the Highland County Monthly Extension Programming for February will be Maple Syrup Production. The program will be held on February 27, 2019, at 10 AM. The program will be held at Ponderosa Steakhouse in Hillsboro and is free to attend. Attendees are encouraged to purchase lunch on their own at Ponderosa. Please RSVP to reserve your seat by calling 937-393-1918. Attendees will learn about the process of producing maple syrup and marketing.

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.

Video Production 101 will be held on Monday, March 25, 2019, at 6 PM at the Lynchburg Public Library in Lynchburg, OH. The topic of this program will cover the basics of video productions for beginners 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!

The topic of the Highland County Monthly Extension Programming for March will be Storytelling for Video Production. The program will be held on March 27, 2019, at 10 AM. Attendees will learn about the different kinds of documentary films and how storytelling impacts the audience’s perception of videos. The program will be held at Ponderosa Steakhouse in Hillsboro and is free to attend. Attendees are encouraged to purchase lunch on their own at Ponderosa. Please RSVP to reserve your seat by calling 937-393-1918.

 

Chocolate: Agriculture’s Valentine’s Gift

Brooke Beam, PhD

Ohio State University Extension, Highland County

Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator

Ah, chocolate, a favorite treat of millions of Americans. Decadent and rich in texture, chocolate is a versatile agricultural product that is enjoyed in numerous forms and for limitless celebrations. Did you know that in 2018 the National Retail Federation estimated that $19.6 billion was spent on Valentine’s Day celebrations? Or that chocolate represents 75 percent of the total Valentine’s candy sales annually?

Chocolate is a product of the Cacao tree, primarily grown in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. A time-consuming process of harvesting the cacao pods, fermenting, cleaning, roasting, grinding, blending, and tempering is required before raw cacao resembles a chocolate product we could purchase at a store. Chocolate can be traced back to ancient Mayans and Olmecs of southern Mexico dating to around 1500 B.C.

Despite the long history of chocolate, it has changed drastically over the centuries of consumption. The Mayans combined chocolate with chili peppers, honey, and water. Later the Spanish and other Europeans made their own varieties of hot chocolate with sugar, cinnamon, and other additives. According to the History Channel, chocolate first arrived in North America via a Spanish ship into what is now Florida in 1641.

Despite raw cacao being grown and initially processed in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America, chocolate is produced globally. The process of refining chocolate and transforming it into a desirable product can be accomplished anywhere in the world. Americans consume nearly 18 percent of the world’s chocolate, which represents over $18 billion annually. The average American consumes 9.5 pounds of chocolate annually, which is conservative to the 20 pounds the average Swiss person consumes per year.

Although we may think of chocolate as a commercial product, it is actually an agricultural product that is formed with partnerships from thousands of American farmers. According to the World Cocoa Foundation, the majority of American chocolate manufacturers use domestically produced sugar, milk, peanuts, almonds, and sweeteners. It is estimated that U.S. chocolate manufacturers use 3 billion pounds of sugar, 653 million pounds of milk, 360 million pounds of peanuts, 43 million pounds of almonds, and 1.7 billion pounds of corn syrup sweeteners annually.

Modern chocolate production methods allow consumers the luxury of enjoying thousands of variations of chocolate delicacies. Of course, it is important to understand the finer nuances of chocolate taste testing. To some, chocolate is chocolate. However, upon careful sampling, it is possible to tell the difference between brands and production methods and savor the unique flavors of chocolate.

Key Steps for Chocolate Tasting:

  1. Visual inspection: if the chocolate has a glossy surface and even color, it indicates a bar of well-tempered chocolate. Scuffs and inconsistent appearance aren’t an indicator of poor quality, but it is less visually appealing.
  2. Smell: Chocolates have their own unique smell. Some will have traces of nuts, cream, caramel, coffee, wine, or even fruit.
  3. Sound: the texture of chocolate bars can be identified by snapping a piece of chocolate into two pieces.
  4. Palatability: Perhaps one of the more crucial steps to sampling chocolate is to resist the urge to chew and devour chocolate when you consume it. To fully experience chocolate, it is recommended to put the chocolate between your tongue and the roof of your mouth and let the chocolate melt for a short period of time. Once the chocolate has melted, feel the texture of the chocolate. Textures vary from smooth to gritty or being dry.
  5. Taste and Flavoring: Concentrate on the flavors you can taste while the chocolate is melting in your mouth. Does the flavor of the chocolate change or stay the same? Does the flavor last? Try to describe the flavor to someone else using descriptive characteristics, like sweet, fruity, or smooth.

Try these five steps to further enjoy your chocolates this Valentine’s Day. It can be an enjoyable experience to ask others to taste chocolates and see how each person tastes different flavors in the same brand of chocolate.

While cacao beans are grown in warmer climates, it is possible to craft your own chocolate-based endeavors in Ohio. Thinking outside the (chocolate) box may provide an opportunity to develop a unique small business. Do you have a niche chocolate product? Contact the Highland County Extension Office for more information about the Agricultural Marketing Team, who may be able to assist you in marketing your food products.

 

Upcoming Events:

Highland County Fertilizer and Pesticide Recertifications: 

    • February 19, 2019, Ponderosa Banquet Center, 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial, and 6:30 pm Pesticide Recertification (Core, 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6) Private Applicators Only
    • March 4, 2018, Ponderosa Banquet Center, 10:00 am to 11:00 am Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial, and 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.

The topic of the Highland County Monthly Extension Programming for February will be Maple Syrup Production. The program will be held on February 27, 2019, at 10 AM. The program will be held at Ponderosa Steakhouse in Hillsboro and is free to attend. Attendees are encouraged to purchase lunch on their own at Ponderosa. Please RSVP to reserve your seat by calling 937-393-1918. Attendees will learn about the process of producing maple syrup and marketing.

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.

The topic of the Highland County Monthly Extension Programming for March will be Storytelling for Video Production. The program will be held on March 27, 2019, at 10 AM. Attendees will learn about the different kinds of documentary films and how storytelling impacts the audience’s perception of videos. The program will be held at Ponderosa Steakhouse in Hillsboro and is free to attend. Attendees are encouraged to purchase lunch on their own at Ponderosa. Please RSVP to reserve your seat by calling 937-393-1918.

Winter Extension Programming

Brooke Beam, PhD

Ohio State University Extension, Highland County

Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator

February 5, 2019

Winter is a busy time for farmers and Extension Educators alike. There are several upcoming programs in Highland County and in the region that may be of interest to many farmers. For more information about any of the programs outlined below, contact the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.

  • Regional eFields Meeting at the Clinton County Extension Office–February 13, 2019, 9:00AM – 12:00PM.  Clinton County Extension Office.  This meeting is open to anyone interested in on-farm research results from this area and around the state. Go to osu.edu/eFields for more information.
  • The seventh Beef Quality Assurance Training will be held at Union Stock Yards in Hillsboro, OH, on February 13, 2019, at 6 PM. A meal will be served at 5 PM. To attend, you must RSVP in advance to Union Stock Yards (937-393-1958) or to the Highland County Extension Office (937-393-1918).
  • Highland County Fertilizer and Pesticide Recertifications: 
    • February 19, 2019, Ponderosa Banquet Center, 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial, and 6:30 pm Pesticide Recertification (Core, 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6) Private Applicators Only
    • March 4, 2018, Ponderosa Banquet Center, 10:00 am to 11:00 am Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial, and 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.

  • Ohio Intensive Soybean Management Workshop–February 19, 2019, Clinton County Extension Office, 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM, Cost $35.00, contact Clinton County Extension Office at 937-382-0901 to register. Guest speakers include Dr. Mark Loux, Extension Weed Specialist, Dr. Leah McHale, Soybean Breeding and Genetics Specialist, and Dr. Anne Dorrance, Field Crop Extension Pathologist. CCA Credits will be available for Certified Crop Advisors as well as Private and Commercial Pesticide Applicator Recertification Credits.
  • The topic of the Highland County Monthly Extension Programming for February will be Maple Syrup Production. The program will be held on February 27, 2019, at 10 AM. The program will be held at Ponderosa Steakhouse in Hillsboro and is free to attend. Attendees are encouraged to purchase lunch on their own at Ponderosa. Please RSVP to reserve your seat by calling 937-393-1918. Attendees will learn about the process of producing maple syrup and marketing.
  • Southwest Ohio Corn Growers Annual Meeting, March 12, 2019, from 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM at the Fayette County Fairgrounds. Pre-register by calling the Fayette County Extension Office 740-335-1150 by March 5, 2019. The speaker will be Ben Brown, Program Manager for Farm Management at The Ohio State University, and he will discuss the Farm Bill and farm outlook.
  • 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.
  • Southwestern Ohio Beekeeper School will be held on Saturday, March 23, 2019, at the Oasis Conference Center in Loveland. The cost is $35 and includes a continental breakfast and buffet lunch. Classes will be offered for beginners to moderately experienced beekeepers. Vendors will be onsite to sell equipment. Registration is limited to 350 people. Registration is available online. The registration link and class descriptions can be found at osu.eduor the event page http://go.osu.edu/swohbeeschool.
  • The topic of the Highland County Monthly Extension Programming for March will be Storytelling for Video Production. The program will be held on March 27, 2019, at 10 AM. Attendees will learn about the different kinds of documentary films and how storytelling impacts the audience’s perception of videos. The program will be held at Ponderosa Steakhouse in Hillsboro and is free to attend. Attendees are encouraged to purchase lunch on their own at Ponderosa. Please RSVP to reserve your seat by calling 937-393-1918.
  • Small Farm Conference and Trade Show will be held on Friday, March 29thand Saturday, March 30th at the OSU South Centers in Piketon, Ohio.  The conference is designed for small farm owners wanting to learn more about how to make their farms work better for them. Many topics will be offered to help landowners expand their operations. Landowners can attend workshops and seminars taught by Extension professionals and industry leaders on a wide variety of agricultural enterprises.  Attendees will also get to meet various vendors at the trade show.  The trade show will be open part of the day on Friday, and all-day Saturday.  For full details, please go to osu.edu/OSUFARMConference2019.