Live your small-farm dream: Second Ohio conference on tap

image for small farm conferenceThere’s a second Ohio Small Farm Conference coming up. It’s on March 23 in Zanesville in northeast Ohio. Its theme: “Living Your Small Farm Dream.” It features more than 30 sessions by experts from industry and from CFAES’s outreach arm, OSU Extension. Get the event flier here (pdf). The first conference, “Opening Doors to Success,” is March 8-9 in Wilmington in southwest Ohio. A co-sponsor of both is the Small Farm Program of OSU Extension.

Where 90 percent of our cool-season veggies come from in summer

More on the Feb. 15 talk by Richard Smith from the event flier: “The Salinas Valley … has cool summer temperatures that are moderated by winds that blow in from the Pacific Ocean. As a result, it produces approximately 90 percent of the cool-season vegetables during the summer months for the U.S. It has also become an important source for organic vegetable production. Smith … will provide an overview of the organic vegetable industry in the Salinas Valley and will discuss his research on weed control and cover cropping systems for intensive vegetable production systems.”

Feb. 15: ‘Overview of Organic Vegetable Production in the Salinas Valley, CA’

Richard Smith, vegetable crop and weed science farm advisor with Cooperative Extension Monterey County, University of California, will present “Overview of Organic Vegetable Production in the Salinas Valley, Calif.” from 11:30 a.m. to 12:25 p.m. on Feb. 15. It’s part of the spring seminar series of CFAES’s Department of Horticulture and Crop Science. Free. 244 Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road, on Ohio State’s Columbus campus, and 121 Fisher Auditorium, 1680 Madison Ave., on OARDC’s Wooster campus.

Use biophilic design to promote healing at Ohio State medical center

flowers 2 for biophilia postThe Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is a rapidly growing entity. Between expanding the center (billed as “the largest ever project at The Ohio State University”) and ongoing and increasing research, the center has a lot on its plate. However, research is increasingly showing that creating healing environments using biophilic design (read previous related posts here and here) may be more effective than the environments of traditional medical centers.

The literal Greek translation of biophilia is “the love of living things.” Humans have an innate connection with the natural world, and studies have shown that if this connection is utilized and maintained, the healing process can be expedited in numerous situations, but especially in medical practice.

The OSU Medical Center is state of the art, but what would happen if it incorporated more of a natural component? Using the momentum of the Olentangy River restoration project, a natural healing center could be created on the Medical Center’s campus.

This healing center would be close to the river, and a safe distance away from the hospital itself. Techniques and structures from hospitals already using indoor and outdoor biophilia (see examples; pdf) could be incorporated into Ohio State’s own center. Plans could include everything from raised garden beds to furniture made from natural materials to musical therapy sessions.

By looking at both the patient’s healing benefits and the economic benefits, it is certain that implementing a healing center would help patients and help solidify Ohio State’s place as one of the top research facilities in the world.

How to get more fresh local foods in your school’s lunches

farm to school conferenceOSU Extension’s Julie Fox, director of Ohio’s Farm to School program, speaks on the upcoming Ohio Farm to School conference:

“This event is going to be something special, thanks to so many dynamic speakers, generous sponsors, and a strong statewide Extension network. It’s inspiring when food providers, school personnel pre-K through college, and community leaders join together to make a difference for Ohio’s youth and economy.”

The conference is for teachers, farmers, school administrators, and others interested in boosting local food use by schools. There’s still time to register if you’re interested. Click here. (Photo: USDAgov.)

Feb. 13: ‘Building an Ecosystem Approach to Sustainable Pest Management’

CFAES’s Parwinder Grewal will present “Moving Beyond IPM (Integrated Pest Management): Building an Ecosystem Approach to Sustainable Pest Management” from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Feb. 13. Free. 121 Fisher Auditorium, 1680 Madison Ave., on OARDC’s Wooster campus with a video link to 244 Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road, on Ohio State’s Columbus campus. Grewal is a professor and Distinguished Scholar in the Department of Entomology. He leads OARDC’s Urban Landscape Ecology Program and Center for Urban Environment and Economic Development.

Conference to focus on farmers markets

farmers market for GBThe 2013 Ohio Farmers’ Market Conference takes place March 11-12 on Ohio State’s Columbus campus. Some two dozen sessions will provide tips, updates, and techniques for greater success. “One of the greatest benefits is networking with others who are passionate about farmers markets and local foods,” said Christie Welch of the OSU South Centers at Piketon, one of the program’s sponsors. “The conference is packed with practical information to assist Ohio producers and market managers to better their businesses.” Learn more here and here (pdf). (Photo by Wholtone via Wikimedia Commons.)

Still ‘no end to the potential’ at Malabar Farm

Ellen Bromfield Geld, daughter of the late Louis Bromfield, wrote Feb. 3 in the Mansfield News Journal about changes ahead at her childhood home, Malabar Farm, which is now an Ohio state park. The Mansfield-born Bromfield was a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist who created Malabar as a demonstration farm for conservation practices and sustainable agriculture. He wrote about the farm in such books as Pleasant Valley. Geld, who lives in Brazil, is a writer and farmer in her own right. Her News Journal story includes mentions of CFAES’s Denny Hall and of Ohio State’s role, led by CFAES’s Clive Edwards, in establishing the Louis Bromfield Sustainable Agriculture Library.

Small-farm conference to ‘Open Doors to Success’

image for small farm conferenceThe “Opening Doors to Success” Small Farm Conference is March 8-9 at Wilmington College in southwest Ohio, and you still have time to register: the deadline is March 1. The program features seminars and a trade show, all aimed at helping small farms be successful and economically sustainable. One of the event’s co-sponsors is the Small Farm Program of OSU Extension, CFAES’s outreach arm. You can get details here, a registration form here (pdf), and seminar descriptions here (pdf).