USDA is making available up to $7.5 million for grants through its Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP). The competitive grants will support the development of urban agriculture and innovative production projects through two categories, Planning Projects and Implementation Projects.
USDA Announces Signup for 2023 Assistance for On-Farm Food Safety Expenses for Specialty Crop Growers
01/20/2023 02:00 PM EST
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2023— The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds specialty crop producers of available assistance to help cover certain costs of complying with regulatory and market-driven food safety certification requirements ….Read More
2023 Small Farm Conference Registration is Open!
Greetings the OSU Extension – Small Farm Team is excited to announce that the registration for the 2023 Small Farm Conference is open. We hope to see you all there.
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.
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 operation. 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 419-947-1070, or OSU Extension Knox County 740-397-0401.
Please follow this link for conference details and to register: https://go.osu.edu/2023osusmallfarmconf
Water Quality Wednesday Webinar
Tri-State Green Industry Conference
Thursday, February 2, 2023
Sharonville Convention Center
11355 Chester Rd
Cincinnati, OH 45246
REGISTRATION REMINDER:
Early Bird Registration – $80.00 (includes lunch and break snacks).
Must be received by midnight, Thursday, January 19th
Click this Hotlink to Register NOW: https://go.osu.edu/2023tri_state_gic
Don’t miss this premier Tri-State Green Industry Educational Event:
- Cutting-edge horticultural training sessions (See hotlinks below “Schedule At-A-Glance” and “Program Details” for more information)
- Networking opportunities
- Vendor/Trade Show
- Professional Credits and CEUs (See hotlink below “Credits At-A-Glance” for details):
- ODA Pesticide Recertification Credits: CORE = 7 hrs.; 3a = 1 hr.; 4a = 1 hr.; 5 = 1 hrs.; 6a = 6 hrs.; 6b = 1 hr.; 6c = 1 hr.; 6d = 2 hrs., 8 = 2 hrs.
- ISA CEUs: Certified Arborist = 23; Utility Specialist = 14; Municipal Specialist = 23; Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA)-Science = 8; BCMA-Practice = 6; BCMA-Management = 9; Tree Worker (TW) Climber Specialist = 12; TW Aerial Lift Specialist = 12
- ONLA (now OGIA) OCNT Credit
- Kentucky Pesticide Applicator Credits: Request submitted and pending
- Indiana Pesticide Applicator Credits: Request submitted and pending
Plan Your Day:
“Program Details” shows speakers and presentation descriptions: https://go.osu.edu/gic2023_full_program
“Schedule At-A-Glance” a condensed program overview showing program topics, speakers, and times: https://go.osu.edu/gic2023_schedule_at_a_glance
“Credits At-A-Glance” shows professional credits/CEUs available for each presentation: https://go.osu.edu/gic2023_credits_at_a_glance
REGISTER NOW – Don’t Delay: SAVE MONEY!
Registration fees increase significantly after January 19!
| Early Bird Registration (until Midnight, January 19) | $80.00 |
| Late Registration (after January 19th) | $125.00 |
| On-Site Registration (at the door, February 2; Lunch will not be included) | $150.00 |
Business Opportunity: Be a Trade Show Exhibitor
Increase sales by being a Trade Show Exhibitor!
Click this hotlink to register and select “Trade Show Exhibitor”: https://go.osu.edu/2023tri_state_gic
Complete the registration process including booth requirements, the number of individuals, etc. You will receive a confirmation by e-mail.
Business Opportunity: Be a Sponsor
Get your company’s name in front of hundreds of industry professionals and partners in the Tri-State area, all while showing your support for the opportunities for education and networking that the conference provides each year. If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities, please click below for more information.
Click this hotlink to learn more about sponsorship: https://go.osu.edu/GIC2023_sponsorship
The Tri-State Green Industry Conference is a collaborative educational effort between the following as well as Green Industry leaders:
- Ohio State University Extension
- Purdue Extension
- University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension
- Cincinnati State Technical and Community College
- University of Cincinnati
- The Boone County Arboretum
- Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
- Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum
Questions? E-mail Maria Gulley at: gulley.66@osu.edu
Help us…Help you! Ohio Cropland Values and Cash Rent Survey 2022-2023
Agricultural professionals with a knowledge of Ohio’s cropland values and rental rates are invited to complete the 2022-2023 Ohio Cropland Values and Cash Rent Survey by April 30, 2023. This may include rural appraisers, agricultural lenders, professional farm managers, ag business professionals, farmers, landowners, and Farm Service Agency personnel. Your thoughts and responses are greatly appreciated and will help build a platform for your portion of the state. The more responses, no names asked, the better the data set to provide information to clientele.
Complete the survey in one of these formats.
- Online at https://go.osu.edu/ohiocroplandvaluesandrentssurvey2223
- You can also access the online survey through this QR code:
- Paper format – Long version Ohio Cropland Values and Cash Rents Long Survey 2023
- Paper format – Short version Ohio Cropland Values and Cash Rents Short Survey 2023
OSU Extension to Hold “Planning for the Future of Your Farm” Webinar Series in 2023
OSU Extension will be hosting a four part “Planning for the Future of Your Farm” webinar series on January 23 and 30 and February 6 and 13, 2023 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. This workshop is designed to help farm families learn strategies and tools to successfully create a succession and estate plan that helps you transfer your farm’s ownership, management, and assets to the next generation.
Topics discussed during this series include: Developing Goals for Estate and Succession; Planning for the Transition of Management; Planning for the Unexpected; Communication and Conflict Management during Farm Transfer; Legal Tools and Strategies; Developing Your Team; Getting Your Affairs in Order; and Selecting an Attorney.
The instructors for this series will be:
Robert Moore, Attorney with the OSU Agricultural & Resource Law Program. Prior to joining OSU, Robert was in private practice for 18 years where he provided legal counsel to farmers and landowners.
David Marrison, OSU Extension Field Specialist, Farm Management. David has worked for OSU Extension for 25 year and is nationally known for his teaching in farm succession. He has a unique ability to intertwine humor into speaking about the difficulties of passing the farm on to the next generation.
Because of its virtual nature, you can invite your parents, children, and/or grandchildren (regardless of where they live in Ohio or across the United States) to join you as you develop a plan for the future of your family farm. Pre-registration is required so that a packet of program materials can be mailed in advance to participating families. The registration fee is $75 per farm family. Electronic copies of the course materials will also be available to all participants. The registration deadline is January 16, 2023.
OSU Extension appreciates the support of the Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association in sponsoring the mailing of these materials.
More information and on-line registration can be obtained at go.osu.edu/farmsuccession
Informational brochure
More information about this program can be obtained by contacting David Marrison at marrison.2@osu.edu or 740-722-6073.
Choosing and Evaluating Seed Varieties to Meet your Market Needs: A Grower Panel and Discussion
Growers of organic produce or those interested in organic varieties and production are welcome to join the Ohio Organic Farmer Researcher Network for their monthly online meeting on Thursday, January 5 at noon. We have selected a small but varied panel of Ohio produce professionals to discuss their variety selection process and priorities, some of their best and worst experiences, and how their choices relate to marketing, labor, and other concerns. Panelist Q&A will be followed by farmer-led discussion about what motivates us to choose certain seeds varieties and how we decide where/how to source them. The primary focus will be on organic vegetable varieties that perform well in Ohio.
Connection details are available at https://offer.osu.edu/events/organic-farmer-researcher-network-january-meeting. Sign up for reminders and future meeting notices by emailing Cassy Brown.
The Ohio Organic Farmer Researcher Network is a growing group of organic and transitioning farmers, agricultural professionals, and researchers who meet regularly to discuss emerging issues, possible projects, and recent or ongoing research. Our group’s organization is a cooperative effort of OEFFA, Ohio State, and Central State universities.
Farmers, educators, researchers, and other interested individuals are welcome to join us on the first Thursday of each month to discuss a variety of topics related to organic production research.
Help us bring high speed internet to All Ohioians
The Federal Communications Commission recently released new broadband maps that will be used to determine the amount of funding Ohio will receive to expand broadband access throughout the state via BEAD (the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program).
To improve the maps and ensure Ohio receives as much support as possible, we need your help!
By Jan. 13, 2023, we need as many Ohioans as possible to check the federal maps, and if there is an inconsistency about their local internet availability, submit supporting information online.
To participate:
- Search for your address at broadbandmap.fcc.gov
- Click on settings wheel and make sure ‘All wired and licensed fixed wireless’ is selected under Technology
- Is the location status correct? if not, click on ‘Location Change”
- Can the listed service providers deliver at the internet speed displayed? If not, click ‘Availability Change’
If there are any questions about this effort, please contact David Civittolo, Ohio State University Extension interim assistant director for community development, at civittolo.1@osu.edu. Thank you for helping us bring high-speed internet to all Ohioans.
Insect Management & Vegetable IPM Survey – Last Call
Researchers at Purdue University and the College of Wooster are requesting responses from vegetable growers in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions to learn more about their insect pest management practices to help direct pest management research and extension programs in specialty crop production!
QR code to participate in survey