What steps do I need to take when grocery shopping in light of the coronavirus pandemic?
COVID-19 is not a foodborne disease. While there have been no reports as of this time to suggest that COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, has been transmitted by handling food or food packaging, here are ways that consumers can protect themselves when grocery shopping.
COVID-19 transmits person-to-person through droplets that are produced when an infected individual coughs or sneezes, said Qiuhong Wang, a scientist and coronavirus researcher with The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).
Common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, coughing, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties. Symptoms range from mild to severe...
COLUMBUS, Ohio—While there’s no evidence so far that pets, livestock, or their owners can infect each other with COVID-19, there’s also very little research about a potential crossover.
The novel coronavirus started with an animal, then mutated to transfer to people, but research hasn’t yet shown if the virus has jumped back to animals, said Scott Kenney, a researcher at The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).
“Viruses are constantly sampling and evolving, trying to find other hosts,” said Kenney, who studies coronaviruses, including those that cross over from one species to another.
Quickly spreading among people across the world, COVID-19 is believed to have originated in bats, but the bat...
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Rain creates mud, and mud creates angst for farmers kept from doing what they value most: getting out in the fields.
2019 ended what was the wettest decade in Ohio on record. This winter has not been as wet as the last one, but it has been warmer, so the ground has not frozen for long, leaving fields saturated. And this spring is projected to bring above-average rainfall to Ohio, which will bring on more mud.
And mud is not simply a gooey mess for the animals and people who trudge through it. Mud can keep farmers from planting and harvesting, lower crop yields, put livestock at higher risk for some diseases, and make it tougher for livestock to gain weight.
Drive on wet soil with heavy equipment such as a planter or harvester and the pore space between the...
Columbus, Ohio—Did your usual conference get canceled? Looking to fill the void of the big basketball tournament? Ohio State University Extension is here to help with a new virtual education program for the agricultural community.
“Agriculture and Natural Resources Madness: A Tournament of Education” will include 64 educational events broken into daily brackets. Each day, a virtual educational session will be held at 9 a.m., noon, and 3 p.m. The educational tournament is free of charge and will likely continue until mid-May.
“This effort is a direct response to providing a variety of useful and timely sessions for farmers and families across the state during Gov. DeWine’s stay-at-home order,” said Jacqueline Wilkins, interim director of OSU...
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Twenty-five students have been named 2020 Distinguished Seniors at The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).
The award honors top graduating seniors on the Ohio State Columbus campus who exemplify the CFAES mission in areas such as academics and scholarship, research and innovation, service and involvement, and influence and leadership.
“The Distinguished Senior Award is the most prestigious undergraduate award in CFAES,” said Steven Neal, CFAES professor and associate dean for academic programs. “Recipients are our future innovators and leaders who have already made an impact within the academic environment at this university and beyond.”
Listed below are the Distinguished Seniors,...
My kids are out of school for several weeks now, as part of my state’s efforts to lessen the spread of coronavirus. As a result, I’m stressed, the kids are stressed, and I’ve found myself reaching for rich, high-sugar foods that I typically avoid because they’re not the healthiest options. Any tips on how I can eat better during this time of high stress?
You’re not alone. People often reach for comfort foods during times of high stress. Many times, those foods tend to be high in sugar and low in fiber.
It’s best to avoid those foods because they can increase the development of chronic inflammation in our bodies, according to Patricia Brinkman, family and consumer sciences educator with Ohio State University Extension.
That’s an issue...
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Ohio State University Extension has implemented a teleworking plan effective immediately, and all OSU Extension offices statewide are closed until further notice. The plan mirrors The Ohio State University’s decision earlier this week to require all employees who can do so to work from home and to maintain only critical services on university property across all campuses.
OSU Extension is the outreach arm of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, and works to share knowledge with every county in Ohio. Its four major program areas are family and consumer sciences, 4-H youth development, community development, and agriculture and natural resources.
“While our physical offices will be closed, we are committed...
Do I need to worry about food safety in regard to coronavirus? Specifically, can food become contaminated with coronavirus and thereby infect people?
There have been no reports of this happening.
As of this time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is unaware of any instances suggesting that coronavirus, COVID-19, has been transmitted by foods. This includes meats, fruits, and vegetables. Moreover, the USDA has created a website dedicated to answering questions regarding food, food safety, and COVID-19.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that include the common cold, severe illnesses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), all of which can infect both humans and animals, according to the World Health...
COLUMBUS, Ohio—It seems intuitive: A social media post or an ad about an environmental issue written in a way that appeals to conservative values will likely persuade conservatives.
But more often than not, messages about environmental issues are framed to resonate primarily with liberal-leaning individuals, said Kristin Hurst, a postdoctoral research associate with The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).
“They’re preaching to the choir, but they’re not reaching the conservatives they’re trying to convince,” said Hurst, who researches behavior as it relates to sustainability.
In a recently published study, she and Marc Stern, a professor at Virginia Tech, wanted to see how different written...
Tip 1: Boosting sales of food and farm businesses: An upcoming set of workshops is aimed at helping food and farm businesses that sell products such as eggs, pork, or baked goods to identify strategies to increase sales. Participants of the workshops, which will be held March 23 and March 30 in Chillicothe, Ohio, will learn marketing, social media, and sales tactics, among other skills, and will generate a set of goals to improve their businesses. The workshops are being hosted by The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Center for Cooperatives, Ohio State University Extension Direct Food and Agricultural Marketing Team, and Ohio Farm Bureau. The two workshops will be 2–6 p.m. at the Ross County Service Center, 475 Western Ave.,...
