COLUMBUS—Roger Rennekamp, associate dean and director of Ohio State University Extension, will bring his 40-year career in Cooperative Extension to a close on July 31.
Rennekamp has served Ohio and its citizens since 2016 as the 12th leader of OSU Extension, which has an office in each of Ohio’s 88 counties. Specializing in agriculture and natural resources, Ohio 4-H youth development, community development, and family and consumer sciences, Extension educators bring the knowledge of The Ohio State University directly to Ohioans.
During his tenure, Rennekamp has been responsible for a number of positive organizational changes. “Dr. Rennekamp has forged a large number of new partnerships that have served to heighten awareness of Extension’s mission among both...
Soil scientist Rattan Lal, one of The Ohio State University’s most decorated faculty researchers, will address the university’s summer graduates. Approximately 1,500 degrees will be awarded at the summer commencement ceremony, which begins at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4., at the Jerome Schottenstein Center.
Lal, whose career in science spans five decades and five continents, was honored most recently with the 2019 Japan Prize in recognition of his research on sustainable soil management and its role in improving global food security and mitigating climate change.
A Distinguished University Professor of Soil Science in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), Lal was the first Ohio State scientist and the first soil scientist to ever receive the...
Tip 1: CFAES help for growers and producers: Experts at The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) know that this year has been particularly challenging for Ohio growers and producers due to the historic rainfall in Ohio this growing season. As such, CFAES has convened a task force to address concerns and offer the best science-based recommendations for and solutions to the issues growers are facing regarding weather impacts, tariffs, and low commodity prices.
Here are just a few of the resources that CFAES experts are working hard to offer farmers statewide.
FAQs about the 2019 agricultural challenges can be found at go.osu.edu/AgCrisis.
Recommendations and information for farmers of grain and feed can be found...
I saw a link on Facebook saying that male bell peppers have three bumps on the bottom and are better for cooking, while female bell peppers have four bumps and are sweeter and better for eating raw. Is that true?
No.
Although the myth that bell peppers are either male or female continues to spread, bell peppers do not have genders.
According to the myth, “male” bell peppers have three lobes and are more bitter, while “female” bell peppers have four or more lobes, have more seeds, and are sweeter to eat.
However, bell peppers grow from flowers that have both male and female parts. The peppers, which are the fruits of a pepper plant, each contain ovaries that produce the seeds inside the peppers. Each pepper is produced through self-...
Cathann A. Kress—vice president for agricultural administration and dean of The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES)—recently announced the following leadership appointments:
Tim Haab as chair of the CFAES Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics (AEDE) and as the college’s inaugural dean’s chair
Tracy Kitchel as CFAES associate dean for faculty and staff affairs
Andrew (Dewey) Mann as director of CFAES’ Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory
Scott Shearer as chair of the CFAES Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering (FABE)
James (Jamie) Strange as chair of the CFAES Department of...
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Less salad, more carbs and proteins.
That’s counter to what many say is right for our diet. But for cows and other livestock, that’s the direction in which their diets are likely to shift. Farmers are trying to keep their animals well fed amid a Midwest shortage in hay and other grasses grown for livestock to eat.
“They have to start cutting back right now,” said Bill Weiss, dairy nutritionist with The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).
Cutting back doesn’t mean the animals will have to eat less. It means they might need to eat more alternatives to the higher amounts of fiber they typically get.
So, for example, if hay, which is high in fiber, normally makes up about...
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Despite facing a surge in annual rainfall and increased risks of fields eroding and weeds and insects spreading, farmers can build resilience.
That’s one of the central messages of “Climate Smart: Farming with Weather Extremes,” a July 18 conference where farmers and others in agriculture can learn ways to adapt to the growing challenges of a wetter, warming climate. The event will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Der Dutchman, 445 S. Jefferson Ave., in Plain City.
Climate Smart includes talks from agronomic and horticultural experts from The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), which is co-hosting the conference with the State Climate Office of Ohio.
“The idea is...
Tip 1: Helping farmers prepare for weather challenges: Ohio just experienced its wettest year on record. Along with more rainfall, the state is experiencing more intense downpours, which can put fields at risk of erosion and could send phosphorus and nitrogen from fertilizer into nearby waterways. A conference aims to help farmers prepare for the challenges resulting from a wetter, warmer climate. “Climate Smart: Farming with Weather Extremes” on Thursday, July 18, at the Der Dutchman restaurant in Plain City will include a host of speakers addressing not only climate trends, but also the pros and cons of various ways to manage water on fields. The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) is cosponsoring the event with the State...
I’m ready to use my grill for the first time this summer for a July Fourth cookout. Is it OK to use a steel wire grill brush to clean the grease and grime that’s built up since the last time I used it?
Your question is similar to another that was asked in a “Chow Line” column from July 2018, so it’s best answered by reissuing that column here.
When using a wire grill brush, it’s important to take note of how old your grill brush is and what condition it’s in. If your grill brush is worn down, warped, or has some missing bristles, you might want to consider throwing it out.
This is because you’ll want to be careful that you don’t inadvertently leave behind any wire bristles from the grill-cleaning brush that could...
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Farmers prevented from planting a cash crop due to unrelenting rain can now sow a cover crop and still be eligible to receive some federal trade assistance. This aid is in addition to crop insurance payments on those acres.
The change in policy on cover crops that the U.S. Department of Agriculture made on July 1 is one of several allowances the agency has made in recent weeks to assist farmers in the Midwest, where persistent rain has delayed or prevented many growers from planting cash crops.
The funds for trade assistance on cover crop acreage will come through the Market Facilitation Program (MFP), aid for farmers that was created to help offset growers’ losses as a result of the recent, international tariffs on U.S. goods.
Many Midwestern farmers...
