Tim Barnes, OSU Extension Educator ANR, Marion County

Lambing and Kidding Basics

Dr. Michelle “Mitch” Michalak, Dr. Brady Campbell, and Jacci Smith are the headline speakers for a Lambing and Kidding program presented by the Marion County Sheep Improvement Association, and OSU Extension Marion County. The event will be held at the farm of Tim Swisher (Swisher Club Lambs) 9163 Irvin-Shoots, LaRue, Ohio starting at 10:00 am on Saturday, February 18. A lamb sandwich lunch will be provided by the Marion County Sheep Improvement Association. Dr. Mitch Michalak, Maria Stein Animal Clinic, will explain the “Obstetrics & Care of Newborns” plus discuss general flock/herd health. Dr. Brady Campbell, OSU State Small Ruminant Extension Specialist, will present “Nutrition: Gestation, Nursing, Early Growth, & Maintenance”. Jacci Smith, Delaware County Extension Educator, will highlight “Birthing Problem Simulator & New Technology for Your Farm” and Tim Barnes, Marion County Extension Educator, will explain a successful system to “ Artificial Rearing for Young Offspring”. This will be a great opportunity to ask questions and learn about caring for the newborns in your flock/herd. Pre-registration is requested by calling OSU Extension, Marion County at 740-914-3020 by February 15.

For more details on this event, be sure to click here to view the program flyer.

Carri Jagger, OSU Extension Educator ANR, Morrow County

OSU Extension to host Mid-Ohio Small Farm Conference – March 11th, 2023- in Mansfield, Ohio

• 2023 Small Farm Conference Brochure 
• 2023 Small Farm Conference Session Descriptions

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 to beginning and small farm owners as well as to farms looking to diversify their operation.  There will be five different conference tracks including: Farm Office, Horticulture and Produce Production, Livestock, Agritourism/ Marketing, Natural Resources.

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

Dr. Brady Campbell, Assistant Professor, OSU State Small Ruminant Extension Specialist

2022 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium Flyer 

2022 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium QR registration code. Scan this code with your phone to register.

The Ohio State University and Ohio Sheep Improvement Association is pleased welcome all to the 2022 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium in Wooster, Ohio on  Saturday, December 3 at the OARDC Shisler Conference Center. The theme of the 2022 symposium is management and marketing. Throughout the day, attendees will hear reflections and insights about changes in the sheep, lamb, and wool industry. Speakers during the days event will discuss management as it primarily relates to confinement/dry lot management scenarios, one of fastest growing management systems in the eastern US sheep production systems. Attendees will also hear from speakers on marketing insights related to sheep, lamb, and wool. Speakers and discussions will lead to the betterment of the flock and the American Sheep Industry.

Speakers attending this years event include Continue reading →

Dr. Brady Campbell, Assistant Professor, OSU State Small Ruminant Extension Specialist
Christine Gelley, OSU Extension Educator ANR, Noble County
Dr. Maria Smith, Viticulture Outreach Specialist

Registration ends soon – sign up today!

Shepherds, viticulturists, and foodies alike are welcome to join us for an evening in the vineyard to discuss how sheep and grapes can be compatible in vineyards and how lamb & wine can be compatible in the dining room. An introduction to grape production and challenges along with demonstrations of vineyard grazing, lamb preparation, wine tasting, and dinner will be included with registration for this event. The meal will consist of 4-5 cuts of lamb prepared during the live cooking demonstration, 5 Ohio grown wines, sides, and a dessert. The cost to attend this event is just $30 per person, payable to The Ohio State University, by October 15, 2022. Be sure to register quickly as registration is limited.

The event will be held at The Ohio State University South Centers: 1864 Shyville Road, Piketon, OH 45661 from 2:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Participants are encouraged to register online at https://go.osu.edu/lambandwine2022. You may also view the event flyer here and register using the QR code included. 

Questions about the structure of the course may be directed to OSU State Small Ruminant Extension Specialist – Dr. Brady Campbell at campbell.1279@osu.edu or (330) 263-5563 or Dr. Maria Smith, Viticulture Outreach Specialist at smith.12720@osu.edu or (330) 263-3825. Questions about the payment process may be directed to Noble County ANR Educator – Christine Gelley at gelley.2@osu.edu or (740) 305-3173.

We look forward to seeing each of you at this years event!

Mark Badertscher, OSU Extension Educator ANR, Hardin County

A statewide sheep production tour of Knox, Licking, and Crawford counties has been planned for Ohio Sheep Producers the weekend of Saturday, October 15 and Sunday, October 16, 2022. This year’s tour is jointly sponsored by the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association (OSIA) and Hardin County OSU Extension. Join us for a drive your own, sheep production tour focusing on dry lot/confinement sheep operations. There will be four tour stops on this year’s statewide tour, with each farm stop only being offered at the time listed.

The first farm stop will be at Cable Family Lamb Feedlot (10491 Canal Road, Hebron, Ohio 43025). This Licking County stop will be at 10:00 am Saturday, October 15. The Dave Cable family is the host of this stop which includes a large contract lamb finishing feedlot in Ohio feeding several thousand lambs from all over the United States. This farm has more recently added a dry lot/confinement ewe flock to produce additional lambs for the Cable Farms feedlot. Primary facilities include hoop buildings. Lunch will be on your own at 11:30 am.

The second stop on the tour will be Continue reading →

Dr. Brady Campbell, Assistant Professor, OSU State Small Ruminant Extension Specialist
Christine Gelley, OSU Extension Educator ANR, Noble County
Dr. Maria Smith, Viticulture Outreach Specialist

Shepherds, viticulturists, and foodies alike are welcome to join us for an evening in the vineyard to discuss how sheep and grapes can be compatible in vineyards and how lamb & wine can be compatible in the dining room. An introduction to grape production and challenges along with demonstrations of vineyard grazing, lamb preparation, wine tasting, and dinner will be included with registration for this event. The meal will consist of 4-5 cuts of lamb prepared during the live cooking demonstration, 5 Ohio grown wines, sides, and a dessert. The cost to attend this event is just $30 per person, payable to The Ohio State University, by October 15, 2022. Be sure to register quickly as registration is limited.

The event will be held at The Ohio State University South Centers: 1864 Shyville Road, Piketon, OH 45661 from 2:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Participants are encouraged to register online at https://go.osu.edu/lambandwine2022. You may also view the event flyer here and register using the QR code included. 

Questions about the structure of the course may be directed to OSU State Small Ruminant Extension Specialist – Dr. Brady Campbell at campbell.1279@osu.edu or (330) 263-5563 or Dr. Maria Smith, Viticulture Outreach Specialist at smith.12720@osu.edu or (330) 263-3825. Questions about the payment process may be directed to Noble County ANR Educator – Christine Gelley at gelley.2@osu.edu or (740) 305-3173.

We look forward to seeing each of you at this years event!

Organic Farming Conference Committee

The Seventh Organic Farming Conference will be held at The Event Center in Mt. Hope, Ohio on November 10 & 11, 2022.

It has been over 50 years that then U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz said these unsympathetic words, “Before we go back to organic agriculture in this country somebody must decide which 50 million Americans we are going to let starve or go hungry.” Butz served as Secretary of Agriculture under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford from 1971-1976. Butz obviously wasn’t an admirer of small-scale or organic farming. His mantra was “get big or get out” and plant commodity crops (corn, soybeans, cotton) from “fencerow to fencerow.” To promote his agricultural economist mindset, Butz dismantled many New Deal-era agricultural programs that attempted to control production. Butz resigned in 1976 when he was overheard telling a vulgar racial joke. In 1981 he pleaded guilty to tax evasion charges and was sentenced to five years in prison. All but 30 days of the term were suspended. Butz’s thinking on organics may have been on par with his other failings. We need to remember a lot has transpired in the 50 years since he made his unflattering remarks on organics, which was at the time when organic farming was much more on the fringe and far from mainstream. Continue reading →

Dr. Brady Campbell, Assistant Professor, OSU State Small Ruminant Extension Specialist
Garth Ruff, Beef Cattle Field Specialist, OSU Extension

Have a small herd of beef cattle, goats, or a flock of sheep? Are you a new or beginning ruminant livestock producer? If yes to either of these questions, this program is for you!

Join OSU Extension educators and state specialists for an all-day workshop covering topics every ruminant livestock producer needs to know from grazing and nutrition, livestock marketing, facilities and housing. This event is slated to be held on Saturday, October 8th from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm at the OSU ATI Beef Center located at 2736 S. Apple Creek Road, Apple Creek, Ohio 44606. After lunch, those who have an interest in sheep or goats will depart to the Small Ruminant Research Unit located on Fredericksburg Road (5651 Fredericksburg Road, Wooster, Ohio 44691), while those focused on beef cattle will remain at the ATI Beef Center.

Afternoon training sessions will be species-specific that include hands-on training in animal care and handling, basic animal health, livestock evaluation, and much more.

Cost: $30 per person lunch Included.
Limited to first 40  Registrations.
Register at https://go.osu.edu/smallfarmruminantfieldday

Agenda Continue reading →

Dr. Brady Campbell, Assistant Professor, OSU State Small Ruminant Extension Specialist

The Ohio State University departments of Animal Sciences and Extension are pleased to announce the dates of the 2022 Fall Statewide Ohio Sheep Shearing School to be held on September 9-10, 2022 from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm at the Dave Cable Farm in Hebron, Ohio.

During this two day schooling event, attendees will be given the opportunity to learn how to properly shear a sheep using the Australian shearing method. Those in attendance will be taught by veteran shearers as they walk through each step and demonstrate how to properly position the sheep and shearing hand piece in the correct location. Attendees will also learn to appreciate fleece quality by ensuring that their work station is clear of debris and how to keep the animals fleece all in one piece. This shearing session is open to any and all sheep producers, regardless of your shearing experience. Even if you are an experienced shearer, you are bound to learn something new or to improve upon from the school! Who knows, maybe it could help you shear off a couple of seconds on each sheep that you shear.

Continue reading →

Carri Jagger, OSU Extension Educator ANR, Morrow County

Using Annual Forages in your Pasture, Pasture Walk flyer

The OSU Extension-Morrow County and Morrow Soil & Water invite you to attend their upcoming pasture walk! Kevin Swope Resource Conservationist with the Carroll County NRCS will walk through using annuals forages to help renovate your pasture. He will also cover how to use annual forages in your grazing systems. Lunch will be provided for all those that attend.

Those planning to attend will be required to RSVP by Friday, July 15th. You can RSVP by calling the Morrow County Extension Office at (419) 947-1070

For additional questions contact Carri Jagger by email at jagger.6@osu.edu or by phone at (419) 947-1070

Event Details:
Date: Saturday, July 23, 2022
Time: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Location: Scott Loeffler’s Farm: 4 County Road 212, Marengo, OH 43334
Topics: Using annual forages to help renovate your pasture and to extend your grazing season

Events Sponsors:

• Ohio State University Extension, Morrow County
• Morrow County Soil and Water Conservational District
• Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council