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Seneca County Youth Agriculture Exploration Program

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-Pressley Buurma, Ohio State University Extension in Seneca County, Extension Educator

Are you a youth interested in Agriculture? The Youth Agriculture Exploration program offers students aged 14-20 the chance to learn life and career skills through immersive career experiences, facilitated through Ohio State University Extension in Seneca County. The Youth Agriculture Exploration program, based in Seneca County, but accepting all interested students, is designed to introduce youth to careers in agriculture throughout our region. Students can expect to “explore” agricultural careers via a series of monthly programs. Each meeting will include visiting an area business or representative that serves the agricultural community and allows students to learn not only about what they do, but also about the jobs needed for that business to thrive. All sessions are held from 6-8 p.m. at the locations listed below. This program is free, but registration is required at go.osu.edu/youthagexplore or by calling 419-447-9722. Parents/guardians are responsible for maintaining care, custody, and control of their minor(s) and are responsible for monitoring the activities their child is participating in.

We are kicking off the program by visiting Seneca Conservation District’s Proving Ground Farm at 5670 E. TR 138, Tiffin, OH, 44883 on November 18, 2025.

After skipping the month of December, the next session will be held on January 22, 2026, at Sunrise Cooperative- Attica Branch at 3568 OH-4, Attica, OH, 44807.

The session on February 12, 2026, will be held at AgCredit- Tiffin Branch at 2500 W Market St, Tiffin, OH, 44883.

We will then be visiting POET- Fostoria at 2111 Sandusky St, Fostoria, OH, 44830 on March 18, 2026.

The last session for this year’s program will be held on April 28, 2026, at Kalmbach Feeds at 7148 OH-199, Upper Sandusky, OH, 43351.

With any questions, please contact Pressley at 419-447-9722 or buurma.20@osu.edu

Seneca County Master Gardeners to Host “Classical Elements” Spring Conference

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MGV Conference 2026

Seneca County Master Gardeners to Host “Classical Elements” Spring Conference

TIFFIN, Ohio — January 19, 2026 — The Seneca County Master Gardener Volunteers are pleased to announce their 2026 Spring Conference, themed “Classical Elements,” to be held on Saturday, March 21, 2026. This full-day educational seminar will explore how the four natural elements—Earth, Air, Water, and Fire—impact everyday gardening practices and long-term landscape health.

The conference, hosted at the Allen Eiry Senior Center in Tiffin, will feature a distinguished lineup of expert speakers, each dedicated to one of the four elements. Attendees will gain practical insights into critical gardening topics including soil composition (Earth), weather and climate patterns (Air), irrigation and conservation (Water), and the role of prescribed fires for native plants (Fire).

Often, gardeners focus on individual plants but understanding how the fundamental forces of nature interact with our gardens and landscape is the key to true horticultural success.

Event Details:

  • Date: Saturday, March 21, 2026
  • Time: Doors and registration open at 8:15 a.m.; program runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • Location: Allen Eiry Senior Center, 28 Hopewell Ave, Tiffin, OH 44883
  • Cost: $50 for the general public; $45 for active Master Gardener Volunteers.
  • Food: Registration includes a light breakfast, boxed lunch, and snacks.

Registration is required either online, by mail or by calling 419-447-9722. Interested participants can view the full schedule and secure their spot by visiting the official registration page at go.osu.edu/scce26

Crop Outlook Meeting

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-Pressley Buurma, Ohio State University Extension in Seneca County, Extension Educator

Ohio State University Extension will host a Crop Outlook Meeting on February 9, 2026, at 6pm, held at the Seneca County Fair- Jr. Fair Building. This year’s session, themed Resilience in the 2026 Market, is designed to provide area farmers and agribusiness leaders with fundamentals for basis and futures markets, contracts, marketing plans, cost of production and risk tolerance.

As the 2026 growing season approaches, farmers face unique challenges ranging from fluctuating input costs to perception of the market. This meeting serves as a central hub for agricultural stakeholders to gain a competitive edge through expert-led analysis.

This meeting is free to attend, and dinner will be provided. Registration is required and can be completed at go.osu.edu/cropoutlook

If you have any questions, contact Pressley at 419-447-9722 or buurma.20@osu.edu

Upland Game Bird Workshop

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-Pressley Buurma, Ohio State University Extension in Seneca County, Extension Educator

Ohio State University Extension in Seneca County is pleased to announce a comprehensive Upland Game Bird Workshop designed for individuals interested in raising pheasants, quail, and other game species for sport, meat production, or conservation efforts.

As interest in sustainable farming and wildlife management grows in 2026, this workshop offers participants the essential knowledge and practical skills required to start and manage a healthy flock. The workshop is tailored to meet the needs of a diverse audience, ranging from small-scale farmers and hobbyists to those planning to operate professional hunting preserves.

Raising game birds requires a specific set of skills that differ significantly from standard poultry farming. The goal of the workshop is to provide attendees with the best practices in biosecurity, habitat management, and bird health to ensure their success, no matter their interest level.

Workshop Highlights include:

  • Species-Specific Care: Best practices for raising healthy pheasants, quail, and other game birds.
  • Production Goals: Guidance for meat production, sport-bird conditioning, and conservation.
  • Infrastructure & Health: Insights into proper housing, brooding, and disease prevention.
  • Rules and Regulations: Learn your local regulations in regards to raising and use of upland game birds, along with conservations practices.

Other topics include Field Dressing Techniques, Marketing and Cost Analysis, Habitat and Food Plots, and Saving Feathers.

The event is free to the public, though registration is required. A complimentary dinner will be provided for all attendees starting at 5:30 p.m.

Event Details:

  • Date: April 9, 2026
  • Time: Dinner at 5:30 p.m. | Workshop begins at 6:00 p.m.
  • Location: Seneca County Fair, Jr. Fair Building, 100 Hopewell Ave, Tiffin, OH 44883
  • Cost: Free (Registration Required)

Interested participants can register online at go.osu.edu/uplandgame or by calling 419-447-9722.

All About Poultry! In-Person Program

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– Pressley Buurma, Ohio State University Extension in Seneca County, Extension Educator

Are you interested in raising poultry? Would you like to learn more about Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza? If so, mark your calendar for March 30, 2026, at 6pm and plan to join us at the Seneca County Extension office at 3140 South State Route 100, Tiffin, OH 44883 for this educational and informational workshop. This workshop is relevant for new or current backyard farmers, youth exhibitors and other community members. Paige Kelly with Ohio Poultry Association will be discussing highly pathogenic avian influenza and explaining proper biosecurity measures that everyone can follow. Glen Arnold with Ohio State University Extension is going to explore different manure management options for those with animal litter. Glen is going to show and discuss the different manure application options while helping those in attendance understand the best options for theirs or other operations. Pressley Buurma with Ohio State University Extension will show those in attendance how to properly care for poultry and everything needed to raise poultry. She will also be discussing the different housing, care and management types for different types of operations. Registration is required and can be completed by calling 419-447-9722 or by visiting go.osu.edu/scpoultry

Livestock Mortality Composting

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– Pressley Buurma, Seneca County Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Ohio State University Extension

Animal agriculture is faced today with discovering innovative ways to dispose of livestock mortality. This need has been brought on by the disappearance of rendering plants, concerns over burial and ground water pollution, the economic cost and other issues related to incineration. Composting of dead animals is one option that is now available, and it needs to be done correctly. To legally compost dead livestock in Ohio for normal farming practices, producers must attend a certification program. On March 2, 2026, Ohio State University Extension in Seneca County will be hosting a Livestock Mortality Composting Certification. The certification will take place at the Jr. Fair Building on the Seneca County Fairgrounds at 100 Hopewell Ave, Tiffin, OH 44883. In addition to the certification, Seneca Conservation District will provide reminders about good spreading practices for manure and fertilizer. Dinner will begin at 5:30pm with the program beginning at 6:00pm. Thanks to sponsorship by AgCredit-Tiffin, this program is free to attend but registration is required by visiting go.osu.edu/livestockmc or calling 419-447-9722.

Bill proposes a Data Center Study Commission for Ohio

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Written by Peggy Kirk Hall, Attorney and Director, Agricultural & Resource Law Program
Aerial view of a data center facility under construction

We’ve been fielding many questions and concerns about the development of data centers and its potential impacts on agriculture and communities across Ohio.  Newly proposed legislation indicates that lawmakers are hearing the same.  House Bill 646, introduced on January 15 in the House of Representatives by Rep. Gary Click (R-Vickery) and Rep. Kellie Deeter (R-Norwalk), would establish a Data Center Study Commission to examine data center development in Ohio. Here are the initial details of the proposal.

Sponsor Intentions

Both sponsors state that although data centers offer economic development, constituents have raised concerns about where that development occurs and potential impacts on energy prices, water supply and farmland, and that a growing number of local communities have taken actions to ban data centers.

“We have heard the concerns of our communities and taken time to speak with those in industry. We feel that this is the best approach to ensure that every voice is heard,”  stated Rep. Click.

Rep. Deeters followed by stating that “[i]n my rural district of 33 townships, residents are raising serious concerns about greenfield development and the loss of productive farmland. This bill creates a Data Center Study Commission so Ohio can take a thoughtful approach, possibly even prioritizing redevelopment of brownfields and existing industrial sites before expanding into rural green space. The proliferation of data centers is necessary and inevitable, but the growth should be smart, balanced, and respectful of local communities.”

Emergency Declaration

Its sponsors declare the bill to be an emergency measure that would go into immediate effect upon passage in the Ohio legislature.  The bill is “necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety,” state the sponsors, who provide several reasons for the emergency declaration:

  • Data centers are proliferating rapidly in the absence of a specific regulatory structure, or historical precedent, which is generating serious concerns among the citizens of this state and creating an unstable environment for local decision making.
  • Verifiable information is crucial to such citizens when facing new development within their communities and local political subdivisions tasked with approving such development, as well as investors who wish to site data centers throughout Ohio.
  • Verifiable information benefits all concerned parties and is urgently needed due to the rapid development of this emerging technology and the lack of general knowledge concerning data centers in Ohio.

Data Center Commission Members

Under the bill, the Data Center Commission (Commission) would consist of 13 members, to be appointed within 30 days of the bill’s effective date as follows:

  • Three members appointed by the Governor.
  • Three members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
  • Two members appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
  • Three members appointed by the President of the Senate.
  • Two members appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate.

Charge to the Commission

The bill defines a “data center” as a “physical facility equipped with, or connected to, one or more computers that is used for processing or transmitting data” and requires the Commission to examine each of the following in regard to data centers:

  1. Environmental impact;
  2. Effect on the electrical grid, including on behind the meter electric supply and on consumer utility rates;
  3. Water usage and impact on local water supply;
  4. Noise pollution;
  5. Light pollution;
  6. Impact on the local economy;
  7. Impact on farmland;
  8. Value to national security and the development of artificial intelligence;
  9. Reports of foreign propaganda intended to create opposition to data centers;
  10. Any other relevant topics determined by the Commission.

Meetings of the Commission

The proposal requires the Commission to hold at least four public meetings.  Two of the meetings must be to hear public testimony on the topics above, and two of the meetings must be to hear invited expert testimony on those topics.

Commission Report

The Commission must work quickly, as the proposal orders the Commission to submit a report of its findings and any legislative recommendations to the Governor and the Ohio legislature not more than six months after the bill’s effective date. After issuing its report, the Commission would terminate.

Follow H.B. 646 on the Ohio General Assembly website.