Ohio State Extension announced plans to host a Small Farm Conference in Wooster, OH on March 8th. The theme for this year’s 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: Horticulture and Crop Production, Business Management, Livestock, Natural Resources and Diversifying Your Enterprise.

Some conference topic highlights include: Growing in a Hoophouse, Integrated Disease Management Strategies for Apple and Peaches, High Tunnel Tour, Using Cover Crops for Soil Regeneration, Creating Habitat for Beneficial Insects on the Farm, Growing Microgreens, Money to Grow: Grants 101, Growing Your Farm With Agritourism, Navigating Licenses/Certificates for your Small Farm Market, How Can Value – Added Help Your Farm, Vaccination Programs for a Small Farm, Grassfed Beef Tour.

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. – 4:30 p.m. at the Ohio State University Wooster Campus Shisler Conference Center, 1680 Madison Ave, Wooster, Ohio 44691.

For conference and registration information call OSU Extension Morrow County 419-947-1070, or OSU Extension Knox County 740-397-0401. Please follow this link to register for the conference: https://Go.osu.edu/2025smallfarmconference

Here is an exciting opportunity from CFAES Undergraduate Admissions at The Ohio State University. See the attached document for additional details about Ohio 4-H & FFA Hockey Night, happening on Thursday, February 27, from 4:30 to 6:30 PM. Registration closes on February 20.

4-H FFA Hockey Night Invite Email – 2025

This event is a wonderful chance for groups to:

• Explore CFAES: Take a guided tour of classrooms, labs, and facilities.
• Engage with Faculty and Students: Meet academic staff and student leaders, discover CFAES majors and student organizations, and participate in a fun careers game to win prizes!

Groups are welcome to bring dinner to enjoy on campus before attending the hockey game against Michigan at 8 PM.

Space is limited, so register early! Use the following link to sign up: Register Now!

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact CFAES Undergraduate Admissions at stein.575@osu.edu or 614-247-6685.

New Ohio Beef Youth Council to Launch at OCA Annual Meeting Feb. 1

Youth Council Invitation

The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet is set for Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Hilton Polaris in Columbus, Ohio. This event will serve as the setting for the new Ohio Beef Youth Council (OBYC) launch. The council is a youth education initiative created to serve the families and youth of Ohio’s beef industry and invest in the next generation of industry leaders. This initiative, funded by the Beef Checkoff and OCA, will provide youth with the tools to become more effective industry leaders and inspire them to continue their engagement in Ohio’s beef industry as adults.

Beef industry youth and their parents are invited to join the council’s youth leaders on Saturday morning for the roll-out of the new council. OBYC officers will introduce the vision and initial programs for the council. Registration will open at 9:00 a.m., and the program will begin at 10:00 a.m. The council and its programs will be open to all youth 8 to 21 years of age. There will be no cost to be involved in the council. OBYC educational contests and events will have registration fees.

Attendees will also hear from a panel of agriculture professionals about how programs similar to the Youth Council have impacted their
education and career goals. Panelists include:

• Zane Gross, Ashland County, Operations Manager & Sales Lead for E. R. Boliantz Packing Co. Ohio State University graduate and meat science expert working with and advising area cattle feeders. Recipient of the OCA Young Cattleman of the Year award. His family owns Buckeye Creek Angus, a growing seedstock operation.
• Lindsey Hall, Highland County, Employed as an agent for ICAP Crop Insurance, she and her family own and operate Maplecrest Farms. As a graduate of Ohio State & Kansas State Universities and current OCA vice president,Lindsey and her family are the next generation of Maplecrest’s elite seedstock operation and she is the Manager of Product Procurement for their newest business venture, Maplecrest Meats & More.
• Kirsten Nickles, Ashland County, Sustainability & Animal Care Scientist for Certified Angus Beef working to build brand integrity with their marketing partners and maintain consumer trust in the CAB brand. Ohio State University Ph.D. graduate and current member of the OCA board of directors. She is involved with her family’s cattle and crop farm.
• Garrett Stanfield, Adams County, Regional Business Manager for Trans Ova Genetics. Co-advisor for the Ohio Junior Simmental Association. Ohio State University graduate and former participant in the OCA Young Cattlemen’s Conference leadership program. Herdsman and manager for Stanfield Farms a Simmental seedstock producer.

Following the OYBC launch and ag professional panel, all attendees are invited to a complimentary luncheon hosted by the Ohio Beef Council. Lunch will review 2024 strategic Checkoff investments designed to build beef demand. All attendees must register to attend.

Applications are now open for Ohio 4-H Delegates to the 2025 National 4-H Conference!

Any 4-H member in Ohio ages *14-18 is able to apply by completing the Qualtrics survey linked below

Sample Application: 2025 National 4-H Conference Delegate Application Questions

Basic Information:

• National 4-H Conference is specifically focused on civic engagement, civic education, and personal development. Delegates arrive ready to connect, learn, engage, lead, and impact their communities, their nation, and their world. In 2024, National 4-H Conference returns for youth delegates to attend in-person in Washington, D.C., April 10-16, 2025 (Ohio delegates arrive a day early on April 10. Conference begins April 11).
• Interested Ohio 4-H members must complete an application via Qualtrics (linked at bottom) by December 1 at 11:59 p.m. *Applicants must be 15-18 as of January 1, 2025, and currently enrolled as an Ohio 4-H member in 2025.
• After an application is received, the State 4-H Office will request a referral from county 4-H professional for the respective candidate.
• A selection board of advisors, 4-H educators, and past attendees will review applications and conduct interviews, as needed.
• Those selected will be expected to fully engage in all pre-conference and conference activities and adhere to all National 4-H guidelines, complete all required work as a result of conference participation, and share knowledge gained with Ohio 4-H upon their return.
• More information about the opportunity can be found on the website: https://go.osu.edu/N4HC

See the attached document for the example application, and then be sure to have interested members submit an application via Qualtrics: https://go.osu.edu/N4HCapp

If you have a passion for the great sport of bass fishing, but do not have a school or community sponsored team, the Ohio B.A.S.S. Nation now has a way for you to compete at the State Level, with the potential to earn scholarship funds, and a path to the National Stage!

Ohio B.A.S.S. has created a “Community Club” for all High School anglers who currently attend a High School in the State of Ohio!

Click here for the flyer: Ohio B.A.S.S. Nation High School Flyer

Ohio 4-H Global Immersion Project – Greece | March 12-23, 2025

Who:                  Ohio 4-H Teens 15-18 (Teens are nominated by Ohio 4-H Professionals)

Where:              American Farm School (https://www.afs.edu.gr/) – Thessaloniki, Greece.  It was established in 1904, is renowned for its innovative approach to agricultural education. https://www.afs.edu.gr/afs-at-a-glance/

What:                Participants will engage in a variety of educational classroom and field activities, including sensory analysis workshops with products such as feta cheese, honey, and olive oil.   They will tour the school’s state-of-the-art facilities, including its experimental farms and research centers. Teens will be part of a “Work Internship” with AFS high school students working in cohorts focused on different program units that include:  Animal and Plant Production, Food Science & Technology, and more.  Youth will also participate in a cross-cultural and agricultural career field exploration program designed to help youth learn about careers in agriculture, cross-cultural interactions, workforce preparation and leadership skills.

In addition, youth will help facilitate teambuilding and problem-solving activities through a Leadership Workshop with Greek high school and Jr. high students.  By engaging with these students, the teen leaders will expand their leadership skill development and gain insights into teaching an international audience.

Two off-site cultural experiences include hiking in the Enipea Canyon near Mount Olympus and a visit to UNESCO World Heritage site Meteora, which features monasteries built in the 11th century atop of limestone pillars.  A Greek cooking class, city history tour, and local farmers market activity are included.

Cost:                  To be determined – based on Grants received (Estimate- $2,000 – $3,000 –  includes airfare, all lodging, most meals, ground transportation, translation services, park entrance and program fees.)

Participant Selection:  Ohio 4-H Professionals can nominate youth from their county to complete the short video application.  Final selection will be based on geographic characteristics and the below criteria:

• Have an interest in pursuing a career in agriculture.
• Can embrace unique and different cultures beyond their local communities.
• Willing to share their experiences through presentations, newsletters, etc. at the local and state level.
• A good representation of the local 4-H program.

Contact Bruce Zimmer before October 1 if interested in being nominated. zimmer.2@osu.edu

Each year, Collegiate 4-H at The Ohio State University organizes a weekend workshop called Carving New Ideas (CNI). It is held at 4-H Camp Ohio November 22-24 and is open to all teen 4-H members across the state. Please consider sharing this opportunity in your newsletters and on social media. It’s a fun weekend for teens to get to interact with college students who serve as the organizers, camp counselors, and session facilitators. (Franklin County staff and volunteers provide the administrative details, risk management, nursing services, and food preparation for the weekend.)

Families can register their teens themselves with the online registration and pay by credit card. If your county would like to send youth to the camp and pay by check or fund transfer, that is an option also. Youth just need to check the box that the county is providing a scholarship for them when they register themselves. You just need to let us know which youth to look out for as registrations come in. A flyer is attached, and the registration link can be found at go.osu.edu/CNI.

Registration is due by Oct 31

The Washington County 4-H Advisory Committee budgets $150 help youth cover registration expenses.