4-H in the City

Clubs Make Impact in Youngstown

Lydia Mostella used to think "animals and farming" when she heard "4-H." Then a friend of her daughter Ariana talked about a 4-H photography project, and their church youth program held a meeting about starting a new 4-H club. "They mentioned you could take sewing and writing. Ariana's very creative--this was perfect for her."

Now she has witnessed Ariana "grown to be an individual, become her own person" as a result of her membership in 4-H. "She's more outgoing now, and winning the county ribbon in sewing really built her confidence." As for Ariana, she says, "I like 4-H better than any other group. You can do anything."

Young people like Ariana are just who OSU Extension Educator Janice Hanna had in mind when she worked with community leaders to start 4-H clubs in the heart of the city. Hanna first approached Youngstown's Community Youth Director Andrea Mahone, who openly admits she was a hard sell at first.

"I knew nothing about 4-H," Mahone said. "I thought it was all horses and pigs, and how could that involve our children in the inner city?" But talking with Hanna persuaded her to take a leap. Now the city has six 4-H clubs with 100 members, and Mahone is one of its biggest fans. She tells anyone who will listen: "We're always trying to invent new programming. Don't reinvent the wheel--4-H already has it in place."

Lydia is glad to see it. She feels her relationship with Ariana grew stronger as mother helped daughter with her 4-H project, and she appreciates the caring adults involved in the 4-H program.

"It's so good to see adults and children working together to make a better community."

To see a video about the Youngstown 4-H program, see OSU Extension's YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.

--By Martha Filipic

Pesticide Education Program Provides Environmental, Economic Benefits

An Ohio State University Extension program created in the 1970s to promote public safety and a cleaner environment continues to be a source of economic stability for thousands of Ohioans.

OSU Extension's Pesticide Safety Education Program offers statewide training, workshops, conferences, regulatory updates, and courses to become a certified commercial pesticide applicator. It's a required designation set forth by state and federal regulations for anyone handling pesticides in a host of working environments, including grounds maintenance for schools, weed control in crop fields, mosquito control in cities, and bed bug control in housing.

Through collaboration with the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the program trains about 30,000 licensed commercial and private pesticide applicators in Ohio.

"Pesticides are a useful tool, and their use is critical to a lot of industries and in public health, but there is a need to use them responsibly in a way that minimizes any potential harmful effects to humans and the environment," said Joanne Kick- Raack, state director of the OSU Extension Pesticide Safety Education Program. "It teaches people how to manage pesticides effectively while utilizing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques. It's not pro-pesticide or anti-pesticide. It's a responsible-use program."

It's also a program that many see as necessary for securing stable employment during the current economic turmoil. "We haven't seen a reduction in numbers of folks signing up for training. People see the certification or recertification process as a necessity to finding employment or to stay employed," said Kick-Raack. Many companies that normally provide training are cutting back, she said. The Pesticide Safety Education Program is stepping up and filling that need.

For more: http://pested.osu.edu or call (614) 292-4070.

--By Candace Pollock

Harvesting the Sun

OSU Extension helps Wyandot County become solar energy leader

The 85-acre field just north of Upper Sandusky had been producing corn and soybeans for years. But last autumn, just as the tractors came and hauled the grain away, the roots of a new crop began to be planted there: 159,000 solar panels that will yield enough clean energy to power about 1,500 homes.

The same way it supports field-crop and other farmers with their operations across the state, OSU Extension has played a key role in the development of the 12-megawatt Wyandot Solar project--the only one of its kind in Ohio, the largest in the Midwest, and one of the biggest east of the Mississippi.

"It was January 2009 when I took the first call from Juwi Solar (a Boulder, Colorado-based company designing and building the facility) asking if Wyandot County would be interested in a solar power generation project," said Eric Romich, an OSU Extension economic development and regional planning educator who also leads the Wyandot County Office of Economic Development. "I looked outside at the winter weather. It didn't sound like something that could be done here."

But Wyandot County officials ended up warming up to the idea, proactively pursuing an agreement with Juwi to develop the project. In the process, Romich said, the county looked to OSU Extension for fact-finding, studying the viability of such a novel enterprise, and organizing public forums.

After "a lot of effort to put this together so quickly and to be able to make informed decisions," Romich pointed out, construction began in the fall of 2009 on the county-owned field near the Wyandot County airport. Wyandot Solar has entered into a 20-year power purchase agreement with American Electric Power (AEP) for purchase of the output generated by the facility. In September 2009, Juwi sold the project to PSEG Solar Source LLC, a leader in development, ownership, and operation of utility scale solar facilities.

The project benefits Wyandot County in many ways: 80–100 jobs are being created in the construction phase, with those workers receiving training in green energy technologies; 14,030 tons of greenhouse gas emissions will be eliminated per year; and three area high schools will have small solar energy systems installed for science education and technology training.

--By Mauricio Espinoza

State Extension Soybean Specialist Retires

Jim Beuerlein, an Ohio State University Extension soybean agronomist and small grain production specialist, has retired after more than 39 years of service to Ohio crop producers.

"Jim was an extremely productive researcher and source of information for Ohio grain producers, and an essential component of the Ohio State University Agronomic Crops Team," said Mark Loux, an OSU Extension weed management specialist and Beuerlein's colleague.

Beuerlein held the position of area Extension agronomist from 1970 to 1980, and then served as the state Extension agronomist from 1980 until his retirement.

Beuerlein's major research emphasis was on reducing the cost of production and increasing yields through the use of balanced management systems. He pioneered research in narrow-row and no-till production systems, early planting, skip rows, and improved inoculants, among other practices. He was at the forefront in the evaluation of numerous new technologies, and provided research-based recommendations to assist growers in decision-making and the adoption process.

"One of his great strengths was his effectiveness at showing growers how practices affect their profitability, so they could make informed decisions," said Loux.

Beuerlein distilled his research findings into a number of Extension bulletins, reports, fact sheets, and videos that are widely used by growers and consultants. Beuerlein was also the primary editor for several editions of the Ohio Agronomy Guide, and supervised the Ohio Soybean Performance Trials, the Ohio Soybean Inoculation Trials, and the Ohio Wheat Performance Trials.

In addition to his research contributions, Beuerlein was a great collaborator with his colleagues at Ohio State and at other land grant universities. He mentored students, Extension educators, and faculty. He also served on the board of directors for Ohio soybean and wheat associations, and provided service to the Ohio Seed Improvement Association.

Beuerlein was awarded numerous awards during his career including the OARDC Director's Innovator of the Year Award for the development of food-type soybean varieties; the American Society of Agronomy Agronomic Extension Award; the National Association of Wheat Growers Excellence in Extension Award; the OSU Extension Excellence in Extension Award; and the OSU Agronomic Crops Team Service Award.

Beuerlein received his bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Tennessee and his PhD at the University of Illinois.

--By Candace Pollock

OSU Extension Tool Assists Ohioans Faced with Financial Difficulties

Identifying local, state, even national resources when faced with financial difficulties or unemployment can be a stressful, confusing, and overwhelming task. A new effort by Ohio State University Extension is saving Ohioans the energy by bringing those resources directly to them.

"5 County Solutions" is a collaboration among OSU Extension offices in Clinton, Highland, Greene, Fayette, and Montgomery counties that provides comprehensive information delivered primarily through a web site (http://5countysolutions.osu.edu) and social media, such as Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/5-County-Solutions/205783132240).

The effort materialized after DHL pulled out of Wilmington, Ohio, in 2008, leaving 10,000 in surrounding counties jobless or in financial hardship.

"Extension educators in the five counties got together and said, 'What can we do to help?' These hard-working people had no other jobs to turn to," said Susan Holladay, OSU Extension educator in Clinton County.

The answer was a web site that delivered information on services and tools that residents may not have been aware of.

"The key was to use technology to deliver resources to fit people's schedules," said Pat Brinkman, OSU Extension educator in Fayette County. "We wanted a tool that could be accessible 24 hours a day."

Topics include coping with stress and job loss; establishing financial priorities and budgeting; county resources including family services, career centers, and food pantries; state, national, business, and OSU Extension resources; support groups; information on essentials such as food, shelter, and clothing; tax information; and tips on avoiding scams. Launched in November 2008, the site had nearly 3,000 visitors by the end of 2009.

"This site is for anyone facing economic hardship and financial difficulties," said Brinkman. "It's a one-stop shop to being informed of tools, resources, and services that exist and a way of easily reaching them."

Other OSU Extension educators involved in the effort include Chris Olinsky (Montgomery County), Rose Fisher Merkowitz (Highland County), and Melanie Hart (Greene County).

--By Candace Pollock