Virtual Ohio Berry Production Series

The Ohio State University South Centers is bringing its Ohio Berry Production Series to an online virtual format to reach even more growers in Ohio and beyond! Join us on February 20 beginning at 9:30 a.m. for this FREE online event via the Zoom communications platform.

This webinar will feature information to benefit both beginner and advanced growers, and to teach you proven techniques to maximize production and quality in your plantings and vineyards.

Schedule

9:30-10:30 a.m. Growing Blueberries in Ohio

10:45–11:45 a.m. Raspberry Growing in Ohio

Break for lunch

1:15-2:30 p.m. Growing Grapes in Ohio

Simply visit the link below and fill out the registration form. We also plan on offering on-demand recordings afterward, so you can access the event on-demand, as we know this fits some people’s schedules better.

 Register here: go.osu.edu/ohioberries

For even more information, consult the attached flyer.

Looking forward to seeing you virtually this year!

OSU Extension offering virtual Farm Transition and Estate Planning Course in February

If you and your family are grappling with the critical issue of transitioning farm operations and farm assets to the next generation, OSU Extension is here to help. Producers are encouraged to attend a four-evening virtual “Planning for the Future of Your Farm” workshop on February 3, 10, 17, and 24, 2025, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. via Zoom.

This workshop challenges farm families to actively plan for the future of the farm business. Learn how to have crucial conversations about your farm’s future and better understand the strategies and tools that can help you transfer your ffarm’sownership, management, and assets to the next generation. We encourage parents, children, and grandchildren to attend together to develop a plan for the future of the family and farm. The teaching faculty for the workshop are David Marrison, an OSU Extension Farm Management Field Specialist, and Robert Moore, an attorney for the OSU Agricultural & Resource Law Program.

Pre-registration is required so that a packet of program materials can be mailed to participating families in advance. Electronic copies of the course materials will also be available to all participants. The registration fee is $99 per farm family. Register by January 24, 2025, to receive course materials in time. Register at go.osu.edu/successionregistration. If you have questions about the workshop, do not hesitate to contact David Marrison at marrison.2@osu.edu or 740-722-6073.

Working in Cold Temperatures

With snow covering much of the landscape for over a week now, we will now get arctic cold temperatures and windchills with daily high temperatures that will be the coldest in roughly ten years.  It is interesting to note that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) documents that there are more deaths in the United States due to cold weather exposure (hypothermia) than hot weather exposure (hyperthermia) each year.  The CDC has also tracked an average of 1,300 deaths per year in the US due to excessive cold or hypothermia.

Many jobs are affected little with the change in temperature outside, but others do not have that luxury.  Occupations such as agriculture (and others) work outside a great deal no matter what the conditions.  Helpful reminders are often beneficial to keep safe while accomplishing these tasks.

Everyone responds to cold weather and temperature extremes in general very differently.  It is what we are “used to” and what we can “tolerate”.  What Alaskans think of as cold in January may be quite different than what we perceive as cold in the lower 48.  Specific contributing factors may also affect a person’s susceptibility to cold temperatures such as getting wet, exhaustion, high blood pressure, hypothyroidism, diabetes, and general poor physical condition.

General good practices for working in cold weather include:

  • Planning routine maintenance on outdoor equipment for warmer seasons.
  • Let others know where you will be working and when you will return.
  • Dressing in layers so clothing may be added or taken off in specific instances.
  • Keeping dry. Keep extra dry clothes, gloves, and shoes/boots nearby.
  • Protecting ears, face, hands, feet, and head. Extremities away from the body core have less blood flow and are more difficult to keep warm.
  • Taking breaks in warm locations.
  • Staying hydrated. Not often thought of as an issue in cold weather, but just as important.

In some cases, cold-related illness and injuries will occur.  It is important to know the symptoms so you can watch yourself and others for signs.

Hypothermia:

  • Body loses heat faster than it can be produced.
  • Symptoms are shivering, fatigue, confusion, disorientation.
  • Can be mild to severe depending on symptoms.

Frostbite:

  • Actual freezing of tissue.
  • Symptoms are numbness, stinging, or pain and top layer of skin feeling hard and rubbery.
  • Wear appropriate clothing and seek medical attention if symptoms remain after 30 minutes.

Trench foot:

  • Feet lose heat due to cold or wetness too long and tissue becomes damaged.
  • Symptoms include swelling and pain in the feet. Differs from frostbite in that the skin does not actually freeze.
  • Keep feet warm and dry.

Cold weather injuries are preventable.  Take the time to make the necessary plans for yourself and your workers to stay warm and dry and safely get the job done.

Wayne Dellinger, ANR Educator Union County, can be reached at 937-644-8117 ex. 3024 or dellinger.6@osu.edu. This column is provided by the OSU Extension Agricultural Safety and Health Team. https://agsafety.osu.edu/.

2025 Farm Office Live Winter Series

The farm office team is excited to release the dates for our 2025 Farm Office Live winter series and invites you to put a placeholder on your calendars for these events. The webinars will be held on Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on:

  • January 17
  • February 21
  • March 28 and
  • April 25

You can sign up for these webinars (and find past recordings) at: https://farmoffice.osu.edu/farmofficelive

Below are details for the tentative agenda for the January 17, 2025 edition

    • Legislative Round-Up
    • Farm Business Analysis Program Update
    • Long-Term Care Update
    • Quarterly Fertilizer Update
    • Crop Input Outlook
    • Livestock Outlook
    • 1099 Reminders
    • Farm Policy & Farm Bill
    • Winter Program Update

Backyard Maple Production and Learning to Make Maple Syrup at Home

Have you ever enjoyed some good old-fashioned maple syrup and been interested in learning how to make your own? If so, this is your opportunity to learn all about making maple syrup from your backyard or your woodland.  This program is offered on January 24th at the Canter’s Cave 4-H Camp near Jackson and will include the opportunity to see and practice tapping. You will also learn everything you need to know to begin tapping your trees and making your maple syrup!

If you would like to learn more about Backyard Maple Production and Learning to Make Maple Syrup at Home, please join us on January 24th for our “A DAY in the WOODS” and Ohio Woodland Stewards program at Canter’s Cave 4-H camp.

  • Learn and understand What, When, and How to tap maple trees.
  • Learn How to handle and boil sap.
  • Understand How to finish and package syrup
  • Learn to manage your maple trees for sap production.

This program will take place at Canter’s Cave 4-H Camp near Jackson and runs from 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM. A registration fee of $25 will cover the cost of refreshments, snacks, and program materials. To download a brochure with more details about this program and future programs, visit https://go.osu.edu/upcomingwoodlandprograms.

Canter’s Cave 4-H Camp is located at 1362 Caves Road, Jackson, Ohio. 

Please use one of the following methods to register by January 20th. Register and pay online at https://go.osu.edu/woodlandstewards25; or call Ohio Woodland Stewards Program at 614-688-3421.

“A Day in the Woods” is sponsored by the Education and Demonstration Subcommittee of the Vinton Furnace State Forest with support from Ohio State University Extension, ODNR-Divisions of Forestry and Wildlife, U.S. Forest Service, Vinton Soil and Water Conservation District, Central State University Extension, National Wild Turkey Federation, Pixelle Specialty Solutions, Ohio Tree Farm Committee, Ohio Forestry Association Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hocking College,  Ruffed Grouse Society, Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative, Pheasants and Quail Forever, and Ohio’s SFI Implementation Committee.

2024 ePLUS On-Farm Research Report (specialty crops, fruit, vegetable, and more)

The first-ever ePLUS annual report is here! Browse the issue online or download a PDF copy of the 174-page, full-color publication. Physical copies will be available soon from OSU Extension.
ePLUS represents an Ohio State University program dedicated to advancing production agriculture and wise use of natural resources through on-location research. This program utilizes modern technologies and information to conduct applied, cooperative research with an educational and demonstration component used to help growers, managers, and advisors understand how new practices and techniques can improve farm, forest, and garden sustainability.

2025 Southwestern Ohio Small Farm Management College

Location: Wilmington College, Wilmington, OH

Dates: February 5, 12, 19, & 26, 2025

Time: 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM

Cost: $80 for the first family member.  Each additional family member is $40 per person.  Each family receives only one binder of resources.  Participants are expected to attend every session.


Registration: Pre-registration is required.  Registration deadline is January 31, 2025.

2025 Southwestern Ohio Small Farm Management College

Contact Information: Greg Meyer, (513)695-1853 or meyer.213@osu.edu


Syllabus highlights:

Session I:       February 5, 2025   Getting Started on Your New Farm Business

Session II:       February 12, 2025   You Can’t Measure What You Don’t Track (Farm Recordkeeping, Budgets and Taxes)

Session III:      February 19, 2025  The Legal Side of Small Farm Management

Session IV:       February 26, 2025 Money, money, money!  The Financial Side of Small Farm Management

Register Now for the 2025 Northern Ohio Vegetable Grower Winter Meeting

OSU Extension is pleased to announce the 2025 Northern Ohio Vegetable Grower Winter Meeting will take place on March 4th, 2025.This program will provide opportunities to learn from and engage with OSU Extension specialists on various topics in vegetable production. The educational sessions include topics on crop protection against vegetable pests (insects, diseases, weeds), high tunnel management, safeguarding water quality, and more. Take part in this educational opportunity to help equip you with the knowledge you need to help improve vegetable production on your farm.

AGENDA:

9:00: Welcome/Weed Control in Sweet Corn & Pumpkins

Chris Galbraith, OSU/MSU Extension

9:35: What’s New in High Tunnel Production and Potato Varieties

Matt Kleinhenz, OSU

10:20: Break

10:30: Soilborne Disease Management in Tomatoes

Andres Sanabria Velazquez, OSU

11:00: Preserving Water Quality in the Western Lake Erie Basin

Jocelyn Ruble, OSU Extension

11:30: Cover Crops for Weed Control in Vegetables

Ram Yadav, OSU

12:00: Lunch

12:45: Pepper Insect Pest Control/IPPM in Cucurbits

Ashley Leach, OSU

1:30: Vegetable Diseases of 2024: Diagnostic Lab Recap

Francesca Rotundo, OSU

2:00: Use of Spray Drones in Vegetable Production: Challenges & Opportunities

Erdal Ozkan, OSU

2:30: Evaluations/Credits

 

The program will run from 9:00am-2:30pm, with check-in beginning at 8:30am. Registering online prior to the event is required to ensure there is room. The event will take place at The Neeley Center at Terra State Community College (2830 Napoleon Rd, Fremont, OH 43420).

This event is free and will include a catered lunch. This event is worth 3 ODA credits for Commercial category 2B (category 3 for Private) and 0.5 credit for Commercial category 1. Vegetable growers won’t want to miss this opportunity to learn from and connect with fellow growers, extension staff, and other individuals working within the vegetable industry.

Visit the link below to register for this event:

Go.osu.edu/nwveg 

Please reach out to Chris Galbraith at galbraith.108@osu.edu or 734-240-3178 with any questions.

 

 

USDA Increases Funding for New Specialty Crop Program; Reminds Producers of Upcoming Deadlines

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2025 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds specialty crop producers to apply for assistance for marketing and food safety certification expenses. Specifically, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is providing an additional $650 million in funding for the new Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program and extending the MASC application deadline to Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. Meanwhile, FSA also reminds specialty crop producers of the Jan. 31, 2025, deadline to apply for the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) program for 2024 expenses.

Spotted-Wing Drosophila Impact over the Last Decade Requested

SWD larvae in fruit

Spotted-wing Drosophila male (L) and female (R).

Ohio was first infested with spotted-wing Drosophila (SWD) in the fall of 2011. This pest turned long standing IPM programs on their head and forced growers to adopt new monitoring and management practices for this pest or face losing significant amounts of  blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, peaches and grapes to larval infestation. While OSU had an active Extension and outreach program to teach growers about this insect since discovery in Ohio, we relied on research generated by several multi-state grants to keep our growers at the forefront of IPM on susceptible crops. While we have made substantial progress on monitoring and managing this pest, there are still many research and management questions to answer. To help inform the next phase of SWD research and outreach, please consider adding your thoughts about how this pest has impacted your operation over the past decade. All responses are confidential.

**This survey is being shared with multiple mailing lists to ensure that we reach as many impacted growers as possible. We apologize if you receive it more than once!

Dear Berry Growers:

As part of a national team of entomologists studying the management of spotted-wing drosophila (SWD), we are reaching out with a request for assistance to help understand the current impacts of SWD on your farm and how these impacts may have changed in the last 10 years.

If you are willing to share insights from your farm, farms you manage, or growers you work with, please complete this short survey, which will take about 15 minutes or less: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeW6rCcyM9vf_sjLJDj0J_6G03jlVbBLZt5rlX7kmzSj0Ypog/viewform

How will this information be used?
This information will be used to develop new research goals as part of a USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative proposal under development. It will also be compared to information collected in similar surveys in 2013 and 2014 to help us understand where challenges still exist for SWD management and what improvements have been made over the last 10 years and shared in extension and scholarly publications.

Who should I contact for more information?
For more information about this survey, contact Hannah Levenson, hklevens@ncsu.edu, 919.434.7882. For more information about SWD management, contact members of our project team or your local extension expert.

Thank you,

Hannah Burrack
Professor & Chair
Department of Entomology
Michigan State University
burrackh@msu.edu