COLUMBUS, Ohio—Amid a surge in large-scale solar energy developments across the state, Ohioans now have more influence over what, if any, land in their communities will be used for wind or solar farms.
A new state law (Senate Bill 52) that went into effect Oct. 11, allows county governments to designate restricted areas where utility-scale solar or wind facilities cannot be located. County residents now will have advance notice, a public hearing, and a right to reject any proposed solar or wind development. And county and township officials will be represented on the board, reviewing any utility-scale energy projects.
“There’s a lot of change going on in the rural landscape of Ohio because of the interest in renewable energy development. And yet many weren’t...
COLUMBUS, Ohio–V.M. “Bala” Balasubramaniam, a professor of food engineering in The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) departments of Food Science and Technology and Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, is the 2021 recipient of the Research and Development Award from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT).
Balasubramaniam was honored for his ground-breaking work in high-pressure processing, IFT President Noel Anderson, said in a written statement. IFT is an international, nonprofit scientific society of professionals engaged in food science, food technology, and related areas in academia, government, and industry.
“What makes this recognition especially distinctive is the fact that (he) was...
COLUMBUS, Ohio– Hannah Epley, an associate professor of Extension education and the interim associate state 4-H leader and Ohio State University Extension specialist for camping and older youth, has been named associate state 4-H leader, effective Sept. 1.
Ohio 4-H, the youth development program of OSU Extension, which is the outreach arm of The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), annually offers or sponsors 4-H camps to youth in all 88 of Ohio’s counties.
Epley joined CFAES as the 4-H educator in Fairfield County in 2005, becoming the camping and older youth state 4-H specialist in 2014. During her time as a 4-H educator, Epley provided overall leadership for the county 4-H program, which now has more than 1,600...
I plan to carve some pumpkins for Halloween, but I’m trying to avoid injuring myself like I did last year. Do you have any tips on how I can do that?
It’s that time of year when pumpkins are being harvested and readying to carve. And while carving a pumpkin can be a fun, festive, fall family event—as long as you know what you’re doing—it’s important to do so safely.
Even though pumpkins are a beautiful, tasty vegetable (or fruit, depending on who you ask), carving them can result in injuries if you aren’t careful.
One thing to keep in mind is choosing the right pumpkin to carve.
There are several kinds of pumpkins—some that you eat, and some that are typically used for carving, said Jenny Lobb, a family and consumer sciences...
COLUMBUS, Ohio—The Ohio State University will be the lead partner on a new five-year, multimillion-dollar pilot watershed project in northwestern Ohio designed to demonstrate that agricultural conservation practices—if used on 70% of the farmland in a watershed, and evaluated on a watershed scale—can help meet Lake Erie’s water quality goals.
The Regional Conservation Partnership Program, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service, is providing $6.8 million in funding for the project.
A further $4 million is being made available to the project by the state of Ohio through the H2Ohio water quality initiative, which the project will complement.
Key to the project are investments by other partners that...
COLUMBUS, Ohio–Pasha A. Lyvers Peffer, a professor in The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Department of Animal Sciences, has been named interim chair of that department. Her term begins Oct. 1 and will continue until a permanent chair is named.
Lyvers Peffer joined CFAES as an assistant professor in 2005, becoming an associate professor in 2011, and a professor in 2018. She previously served as undergraduate program leader and chair of Academic Affairs in the Department of Animal Sciences from 2014–17, as interim associate chair of Animal Sciences from 2016–7, and as acting assistant dean of CFAES Academic Affairs from 2017–18.
In her role as interim chair of the Department of Animal Sciences, Lyvers...
It is a shocking statistic. In the United States, nearly 40% of all food produced is never eaten. This anomaly results in lost resources, economic costs to business and households, decreased food security, and negative climate impacts.
With the United Nations moving toward an ambitious goal of halving food waste by 2030, a new $15 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) will be used to establish the first national academic research network on wasted food in the United States.
Brian Roe, a professor of agricultural economics in Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), will serve as a co-principal investigator along with four colleagues from American University, Johns Hopkins University, Morgan State University, and the...
LONDON, Ohio—A deluge of rain might have shortened this year’s Farm Science Review by a day, but the show still drew a strong crowd, which got its fill on the latest farm techniques and technology.
Farmers have to contend with sudden shifts in the weather. So do outdoor farm shows.
Predictions of constant rainfall and powerful wind gusts that toppled some show tents and signs led to the show’s closure on the second day of what’s typically a three-day event. On the other two days, Sept. 21 and Sept. 23, a crowd persevered through wind and intermittent rain for a total turnout of 70,850 people.
“There have been so many events canceled in the last 18 months that people were really happy to be outside at a large event with others,” said Nick...
LONDON, Ohio—The annual Farm Science Review trade show, now in its 59th year, has announced Jim Karcher of Apple Creek, Gerald Reid of Wooster, and Ken Ulrich of South Charleston as the 2021 inductees into its Hall of Fame.
Each year, the Review, which is hosted by The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), honors individuals who go above and beyond to ensure the best possible experience for visitors and the continued sustainability of the show site, CFAES’ Molly Caren Agricultural Center near London.
This year’s Review runs Sept. 21–23, with the inductees being honored at a private event.
Jim Karcher, Apple Creek
Jim Karcher, former manager of grounds at...
COLUMBUS, Ohio—A school garden can provide students access to a green space to relax and learn more about nature.
Research shows that school gardens can also support and encourage healthy eating as a key factor of childrens’ physical well-being, which can aid their social and academic success.
That’s just one of several reasons why Sue Hogan, an Ohio 4-H youth development educator for Ohio State University Extension, is coordinating the seventh annual Ohio School Garden Conference, whose theme is “Voices From the Field.”
The conference is hosted by OSU Extension 4-H personnel. Ohio 4-H, the youth development arm of OSU Extension, offers 4-H programs to youth in all 88 of Ohio’s counties. OSU Extension is the outreach arm of The Ohio State...
