Month: September 2025

Ohio Grape Industry Committee & OSU Weather Station Grant Program

Monitoring weather is vital for effective plant disease and insect pest management. Ohio grape growers can apply to receive support to purchase and install an on-site weather station.  Access to a weather station will allow growers to monitor weather conditions (e.g. temperature, rain, wind speed and direction, leaf wetness, and solar radiation) in their vineyard in real-time; use the integrated pest management (IPM tools) available through the network for environment and weather applications (NEWA); improve fungicide and insecticide application timing; and provide vineyard specific data to regulators in the case of herbicide drift injury.

A grant reimbursement program for the purchase and installation of a weather station compatible with NEWA is now open. This grant program was initiated by the OSU Fruit Pathology and Specialty Crop Entomology programs and funded by the Ohio Grape Industries Committee (OGIC).  The program will cover up to 60% or a maximum of $850 towards the base price of a weather station starter kit that is compatible with NEWA from KestrelMet or HOBO.  Approved growers are responsible for shipping fees, cellular or Wi-Fi charges, the cost of sensors or other add-ons that are not included in the starter kit and maintain the weather station at the end of the funding period.  To qualify for the grant program approved growers must meet the following requirements:

  • Vineyard must be located in Ohio.
  • Weather station must be connected to NEWA (newa.cornell.edu).
  • Weather station data must be publicly available through the NEWA website.
  • Proof of purchase and delivery is required.
  • A grower feedback survey must be completed.

Once all requirements have been met the approved grower will assume ownership of the weather station.Additional program guidelines can be found here: OSU-OGIC Weather station Grant Program Guidelines

For more information on the cost share program please contact Christy Eckstein at christy.eckstein@agri.ohio.gov

For more information on selecting a weather station and onboarding to NEWA please contact Melanie Lewis Ivey at ivey.14@osu.edu.

Free Growing Berries Workshop

Small Farm College 2025 – Piketon, OH

Join us for the Small Farm College at the OSU South Endeavor Center (1862 Shyville Rd, Piketon, OH) beginning Wednesday, October 15! 

What is Small Farm College?
This 10-hour small farm management college is designed to help landowners examine potential ways to increase profits from their small-acreage properties. The program is open to all new or aspiring farmers, new rural landowners, small farmers, and farm families looking for new ideas. During this course, participants will be challenged to develop realistic expectations for their new farm business. Participants will receive information about getting started, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of their property, and developing a farm business plan. This college occurs over the course of 5 weeks. Each week will focus on a different topic, and at the end, participants will get to experience a simulation with the chance to apply the content from the previous 4 weeks.

Register at:  go.osu.edu/southernohiosfc

Session Dates & Information: 

  • Session I: Getting started on Your New Farm Business
    • Date: Wednesday, October 15 @ 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
      • Developing real-life expectations for your farm.
      • Assessing your property and resources.
      • Developing your family and farm mission, goals, and objectives.
      • Managing farm and family income and expenses.
      • What is a farm business plan, and why do you need one?
  • Session II: You Can’t Measure What You Don’t Track (Farm Recordkeeping, Budgets, and Taxes) 
    • Date: Wednesday, October 22 @ 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
      • Recordkeeping for farm businesses
      • Using enterprise budgets to project farm income and cost of production
      • Introduction to farm taxes
  • Session III: The Legal Side of Small Farm Management 
    • Date: Wednesday, October 29 @ 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
      • Legal structures for farms
      • Farm Leases and Contracts
      • Licenses and permits for selling farm food products
      • Liability concerns for farms
  • Session IV: Money, money, money! The Financial Side of Small Farm Management
    • Date: Wednesday, November 5 @ 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
      • Developing farm and family balance sheets
      • Developing financial statements for your farm
      • Farm financing options
      • Developing your farm business plan
  • Session V: Small Farm Reality Simulation 
    • Date: Wednesday, November 12 @ 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
      • Experience farm management in a small farm setting with industry professionals

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.

To learn more, contact Amanda Perkins at 740-289-4837.

Ohio Fruit News – August 2026

The August issue of OFN is now posted.  https://u.osu.edu/fruitpathology/fruit-news-2/

This issue features:

  • The Spotted Lanternfly in Ohio: Spread and Crop Risks, By Ashley Leach
  • Ohio Private Pesticide Applicator License Requirements For Fruit and Vegetable Crops, By Melanie Lewis Ivey
  • Lessons from Boll Weevil Eradication: IPM Strategies for Ohio Fruit and Vegetable Growers, By Guil Signorini and Frank Becker
  • Apple (Marssonina) Leaf Blotch on Apples and Crabapples, By Francesca Rotondo and Melanie Lewis Ivey

Ag Lenders Seminars 2025

Registration is now OPEN for the 2025 Ag Lender Seminars by OSU Extension.

A great lineup of speakers, professional development, and networking.  Please check out the 2025 Featured Speakers, Agendas, and Registration pages for more details.  Time of day for Seminars is 9 am to 3 pm. Dates and location addresses are listed on each site-specific agenda and provided here:

October 14 – Ottawa, OH -Putnam County Educational Service Center, 124 Putnam Pkwy, Ottawa, OH  45875

October 16 – Urbana, OH -Champaign Co Community Center Auditorium, 1512 U.S. Hwy 68, Urbana, OH 43078

October 16 – Washington CH, OH -Fayette County Extension Office, 1415 US Hwy. 22 SW, Washington Court House, OH 43160

October 21 – Wooster, OH – OSU CFAES Fisher Auditorium, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster, OH  44691

More details at: https://u.osu.edu/aglenderseminars/

Urban Farm Education Field Day

Cohosted by The Ohio State University’s Student Farm and Urban Ag. Team, the Urban Farm Education Field Day will offer demonstrations and presentations to support small-scale and urban farming. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from Ohio State University Extension professionals about a variety of topics, including the use of low tunnels for season extension and insect exclusion, high tunnel ventilation management, artificial intelligence-enabled robotic weeders for vegetable production, USDA funding to support urban high tunnels, and more. Program details are below and in the attached file; growers, producers, farmers, students, extension educators, and community members are all welcome to join the event!

Attendance is free. Mark your calendars and register here by September 14.

Urban Farm Education Field Day Flyer