News Releases

  1. Feeding Your Feathered Friends? Study Finds Complex Relationships Among Bird Feeders, Predators and Nest Survival

    Editor: A version of this press release ran in ScienceDaily on Dec. 7, 2016: go.osu.edu/BnyG. COLUMBUS, Ohio — Backyard bird lovers may want to take note: Putting out feeders full of seed may also attract predators that eat eggs and nestlings. But the feeders may also help satiate predators so they’re less likely to target nests. In a new study published in The Condor: Ornithological Applications, scientists from The Ohio State University and Cornell University investigated the consequences of supplemental bird food on predator-prey relationships. In a four-year study of songbird nests, bird feeders and predators in seven central Ohio residential neighborhoods, Jennifer Malpass and colleagues tracked the relationships between the nesting success of two bird species —...
  2. Photo: Thinkstock

    Chow Line: Slow Cooker Is a Good Option for Healthy, Hearty Meals on Cold Winter Days

    One of my resolutions this year is for my family to eat healthier while I save time and money. Preparing hearty meals in a slow cooker could be one answer, but is it really safe to use? In a word, yes. For many people, coming home after long hours of work, school or other activities to the delicious and inviting smells of a warm, hearty meal ready to eat is a perfect ending to a hectic day, especially during a cold winter spell. Not only are slow cookers convenient, they can also help families save money by making less expensive, tougher cuts of meat — like shoulder, round and chuck steak — more tender and shrink less.  However, there are some precautions you should take to ensure that the meals you cook in your slow cooker are both safe and nutritious to eat. For...
  3. tomatoes growing in a greenhouse

    Ohio State Specialist Eyes Produce Safety from Greenhouse to Table

    COLUMBUS, Ohio — Even in the dead of winter, consumers can enjoy fresh tomatoes, peppers and other produce, often thanks to the bounty from greenhouses scattered across the continent. Sanja Ilic is trying to make sure those vegetables are the safest possible. Ilic, the state food safety specialist for Ohio State University Extension, often works with growers to reduce the risk of foodborne illness associated with fresh produce. “Sometimes there is a perception that risks are lower in greenhouses since the produce isn’t grown out in an open field,” Ilic said. “But the intensive production conditions in greenhouses — pooling water, high humidity and higher temperatures — are just the conditions that are conducive to the growth of microorganisms....
  4. Photo: Thinkstock

    Chow Line: Serving Game Day Food Safely

    I am hosting a Super Bowl party for the first time and I want to make sure that my guests have a good time. But, I’m not the best cook in the world – what are some things I should do to make sure I serve good food without getting anyone sick? First things first, take a deep breath and relax. Serving up an appetizing buffet for the Big Game isn’t as hard as you may think. Hundreds of thousands of households across the country partake in that time-honored tradition annually. In fact, Super Bowl Sunday is the second largest food consumption day of the year, second only behind Thanksgiving, according to the National Chicken Council. With that in mind, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers several tips to help you ensure that your guests have a good meal...
  5. Feb. 6 in Bucyrus: Workshop on Ways to Make Money From Your Woods

    BUCYRUS, Ohio — A workshop on Feb. 6 in Bucyrus will show you how money can grow on your trees. And also under and around them. Called “Woodland Opportunities,” it’s from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in Ohio State University Extension’s Crawford County office, 112 E. Mansfield St. “‘What should I do with my woods?’ It’s a question we get a lot,” said Kathy Smith, coordinator of OSU Extension’s Ohio Woodland Stewards Program, which is sponsoring the event and providing the instructors. “We’ll cover some of the income opportunities that landowners should explore when assessing the future of their woodland acreage,” she said. Among those opportunities are timber production, leasing, and products like...
  6. Tri-State Green Industry Conference Is Feb. 2

    CINCINNATI, Ohio — Winter or not, things will be green in Cincinnati next week. The city’s Sharonville Convention Center, 11355 Chester Road, is hosting the Tri-State Green Industry Conference on Feb. 2. The event is for people whose work involves plants, including landscapers, lawn and tree care workers, greenhouse managers, and nursery growers. It goes from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Organizers are expecting about 500 participants, mainly from Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. Early bird registration for the conference is $80, includes lunch and refreshments, and is due by this Thursday (Jan. 26). Registration after Thursday, including at the door, is $90 and doesn’t guarantee lunch or refreshments. Student registration is $45. The conference is a joint effort by six organizations...
  7. Child with cafeteria tray

    Media Advisory: Columbus School Lunch to Feature Ohio Foods on Jan. 25

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – Lunchtime in Ohio’s largest school district will take on a decidedly home state feel on Jan. 25 when Columbus City Schools kicks off a monthly effort to showcase Ohio grown, raised or processed food. Branded as “Ohio Days: My Plate, My State,” school cafeterias will serve more than 52,000 Columbus schoolchildren with a meal that will include turkey from Bowman and Landes family farm in New Carlisle, gravy and dressing from Sandridge Foods in Medina, apples from Bauman Orchards in Rittman, milk from United Dairy in Martins Ferry, and a salad mix from Waterfields, a hydroponic facility in Cincinnati. Special guests will include Dan Good, superintendent/CEO of Columbus City Schools, David T. Daniels, director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture,...
  8. Photo: Thinkstock

    Chow Line: Select Healthy Snack Choices in 2017

    Help! It’s January and I’m among the folks who’ve made eating better one of my New Year’s resolutions. I’ve heard that snacking between meals is a good option, but I’m having some difficulty finding snacks other than carrot sticks and celery stalks to munch on that are healthy. What are some other options? Glad you asked! Healthy snacks are a part of a balanced, healthy eating plan by offering extra nutrients that may be missing from your meals, as well as providing an energy boost and satisfying midday hunger pangs. The key is to choose a snack that will be beneficial to your overall health and diet. And that takes some planning. The ChooseMyPlate.gov website offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture offers suggestions on healthy snacks: Prep...
  9. Event to Feature Ohio’s Forests and the One in Ohio State’s Library

    COLUMBUS, Ohio — February’s Environmental Professionals Network breakfast program will explore Ohio’s forests — and the natural role one of them played in renovating The Ohio State University’s main library. The event, which is called “Ohio’s Forests: Celebrating a Rich History; Planning for Emerging Threats,” is from 7:15 to 11 a.m. Feb. 14 in Ohio State’s Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, 2201 Fred Taylor Drive, Columbus. John Dorka, master logger coordinator/government relations with the Ohio Forestry Association, and Mark Ervin, a member of the Ohio Society of American Foresters, will present “Celebrating Ohio’s Forests” during the event. Then they’ll preview the “Building Ohio State...
  10. Hops Conference to Feature New Harvester, Prototype Trellis System

    PIKETON, Ohio — The hops industry is booming in Ohio, and organizers of The Ohio State University Hops Conference and Trade Show on Feb. 24-25 have brewed up a program that will keep the learning flowing for beginner and advanced growers alike. “There was an estimated 200 acres of hops planted in Ohio on 80 farms in 2016, up from 10 acres on four farms in 2014,” said Brad Bergefurd, horticulture specialist with Ohio State University Extension and one of the conference organizers. The event is co-sponsored by the Ohio Hop Growers Guild. Ohio’s growing number of breweries require flowers of the hop plant as the main ingredient providing bitter notes as a balance to the sweetness contributed by malt sugars. An interest in locally grown ingredients has spurred growth...

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