Small Farm

All About Sheep Webinar Series

Join the OSU Extension Small Ruminant team for the 2026 All About Sheep Webinar Series

  • The Management Continuum: Calendar-Based Management – Feb 3rd – During this session, Extension Specialist, Dr. Brady Campbell, will review sheep management and husbandry as it relates to the stage of animal production. Stages of maintenance, breeding, gestation, and lambing will be discussed, and management considerations provided.
  • Feed My Sheep: Nutrition 101 –  Feb 17th – This session will be led by Extension Educator, Dr. John Yost, and Specialist Jacob Copelin. They will discuss how to read forage analysis results, how to determine the nutrient requirements for sheep of all production stages, provide an overview of potential ration ingredients, and discuss formulating a ration for your flock.
  • Setting Operation Goals and Marketing Accordingly – March 3rd – OSU Extension Educators Jacci Smith and Tim Barnes will help participants identify their goals for owning and raising sheep. They will offer guidance on marketing their sheep based on those goals and include information on responsible flock culling.
  • Flock Health “Spring”ing Forward – March 17th – Dr. Nikki Jolliff, DVM, will discuss timely spring health concerns such as coccidiosis, ringworm, pneumonia, and sore mouth. She will also offer her insight on how to foster the build the best relationship with your veterinarian.
  • This is a free program offered by the Ohio State University Extension. Webinars are hosted via Zoom (7-8 p.m. EST).
  • Register at: go.osu.edu/allaboutsheep26

Backyard Flock Owners Survey for Ohio Department of Health on Avian Influenza

Are you raising a backyard flock? This survey is for you!
Since March 2024, 70 cases of avian influenza A(H5) (H5 bird flu) have occurred in humans in the United States, mostly among workers exposed to infected dairy cows and commercial poultry farms. However, cases have also occurred among people exposed to birds kept in non–commercial, backyard flocks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Ohio Department of Health (ODH) are interested in learning more about backyard flock owners and their flocks to improve H5 bird flu prevention messaging.

The anonymous survey asks about:
• Characteristics of backyard flock owners, their families, and their flocks.
• Knowledge of H5 bird flu and signs and symptoms of H5 bird flu in birds and humans.
• Perceived risk of and concern about H5 bird flu to their backyard flock and themselves/families.
• Attitudes towards reporting sick or dead birds and protective measures like vaccination of their flock.
• Practices they use to protect their flock and themselves from H5 bird flu.

CDC will use the survey results to help make sure that backyard flock owners have the information they need to protect themselves from H5 bird flu. Questions about this survey can be sent to h5flustudy@cdc.gov.
For questions about steps backyard flock owners can take to protect themselves from H5 bird flu, please visit odh.ohio.gov/hpai or contact your local health department.  For questions about protecting your flock, please visit the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA)’s HPAI Poultry webpage or contact ODA at 614–728–6220.

QR code to the survey:

 

 

 

URL link to the survey:
https://redcap.link/backyardflock 

Join OSU Extension at the Small Farms Conference in Wooster, Ohio

Ohio State Extension announced plans to host a Small Farm Conference in Wooster, OH on March 8th. The theme for this year’s Small Farm Conference is “Sowing Seeds for Success.”

Conference session topics are geared to beginning and small farm owners as well as to farms looking to diversify their operations. There will be five different conference tracks including Horticulture and Crop Production, Business Management, Livestock, Natural Resources, and Diversifying Your Enterprise. Check out the official program guide here. Continue reading Join OSU Extension at the Small Farms Conference in Wooster, Ohio →

2023 Small Farm Conference Registration Open!

Ohio State Extension announced plans to host a Small Farm Conference in Mansfield Ohio on March 11, 2023.  The theme for this year’s Mid-Ohio Small Farm Conference is “Sowing Seeds for Success.”

Conference session topics are geared toward beginning and small farm owners as well as farms looking to diversify their operations.  There will be five different conference tracks including Farm Office, Horticulture and Produce Production, Livestock, Agritourism/ Marketing, and Natural Resources.

Some conference topic highlights include: How to purchase our family farm, food animal processing, beekeeping, sweet corn, blueberry and pumpkin production, small ruminant nutrition, agritourism laws, fruit tree pruning, and cut flower diseases.

Anyone interested in developing, growing, or diversifying their small farm is invited to attend including market gardeners, farmers market vendors, and anyone interested in small farm living.

Attendees will have the opportunity to browse a trade show featuring the newest and most innovative ideas and services for their farming operations. The conference provides an opportunity to talk with the vendors and network with others.

The Conference will take place from 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the Mansfield OSU Campus in Ovalwood Hall, just minutes from I-71 and US Rt 30.

For conference and registration call OSU Extension Morrow County at 419-947-1070 or OSU Extension Knox County at 740-397-0401. Please follow this link to register for the conference: https://go.osu.edu/2023osusmallfarmconf

2023 Session Descriptions

Small Farm Conference Brochure 2023

2023-2024 Midwest Fruit Pest Management Guide

The 2023-24 Midwest Fruit Pest Management Guide is now available.  The easiest way to get a hard copy is to order from the website https://mdc.itap.purdue.edu/item.asp?Item_Number=ID-465.  You can also download the guide for free.

This guide provides conventional pest management recommendations for commercial tree fruit, small fruit, and grape producers throughout the Midwest and surrounding states. These recommendations have been formulated to provide up-to-date information on pesticides and their application.

Mid-Ohio Small Farm Conference – Sowing Seeds for Success

No need to feel alone in the field. Our new and small farm conferences provide connections that will last long after the event.

  • Do you own a few acres that you want to be productive but you’re not sure what to do?
  • Do you have a passion for farming and turning your piece of this wonderful earth into a food producing oasis?
  • Do you own land or forest that you’re not quite sure how to manage?
  • Do you raise or produce products that you would like to market and sell off your farm but you’re not sure how to make it successful?

If you’re asking yourself these questions, this conference is for you! Targeted to new and small farm owners, we cover topics like:

  • Horticulture
  • Produce Production
  • Natural Resources
  • Livestock
  • Specialty Crops
  • Farm Management
  • Marketing
  • Miscellaneous Topics

You’ll also have the opportunity to browse a trade show featuring the newest and most innovative ideas and services for your farming operation. Talk with the vendors and network with your peers. If you are a new or small farm owner, you don’t want to miss the 2022 Small Farm Conference – Sowing Seeds for Success on March 12th from 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Mansfield OSU Campus in Ovalwood Hall.  The campus is just minutes from I-71 and US Rt 30.

Please visit: https://go.osu.edu/osufarmconference2022  for class and registration details or call OSU Extension Morrow County 419-947-1070.

Seeds for Success Program

Seeds For Success Small Farm Conference will be held on Saturday, March 16, 2019 at Northwest State Community College, located at 22600 State Route 34, Archbold Ohio.  The conference provides education and topics of interest for small farm and rural landowners. Participants will walk away from the conference with knowledge and ideas of how to improve existing enterprises or marketing opportunities. For those who have some acreage but don’t yet know what to do with it, the conference is an opportunity to consider possibilities, gather information, and make contacts. Continue reading Seeds for Success Program →