COLUMBUS, Ohio – Government officials, planners, developers, landowners, farmers, producers and those interested in land-use implications regarding everything from agriculture as an economic force to planning for oil and gas use, can participate in discussions on those issues and more during the 2013 Ohio Land Use Conference, Jan. 11 in Columbus.
Sponsored by Ohio State University Extension, Lake Erie Commission, Ohio Water Resources Council, Ohio Balanced Growth Program and Cleveland State University, the “Linking Land Use and the Economy: Our Land, Our Water, Our Future” conference runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, 2201 Fred Taylor Drive on Ohio State’s Columbus campus.
The conference kicks off with an...
What kind of oil is the best to use for heart health? I tend to use olive oil all the time, but I’ve been looking for alternatives.
Many consumers wonder about olive oil these days, ever since a 2007 article in The New Yorker revealed that much olive oil sold worldwide as “extra virgin” doesn’t meet that designation’s premium-grade standard, having been mixed with other types of oil. The report was corroborated in 2010 when the University of California-Davis reported that 69 percent of imported olive oil it tested didn’t meet the standard.
Although questions about quality and truth-in-labeling remain (for details, see http://www.truthinoliveoil.com/), olive oil remains a heart-healthy option. Most types of oil normally used for cooking are high in...
Increased urban energy self-reliance would add between $28.7 million and $1.76 billion to Cleveland's economy annually.
WOOSTER, Ohio -- Cleveland and similar North American cities have the potential to generate up to 100 percent of their current energy needs, retaining millions of dollars in the local economy, creating new jobs and spurring additional environmental benefits.
Those are some of the findings of a study conducted by Parwinder Grewal, director of the Center for Urban Environment and Economic Development at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) -- the research arm of Ohio State University's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental...
COLUMBUS, Ohio – With the election of 2012 over, it may be a good thing that the forthcoming debate over the so-called fiscal cliff of automatic budget cuts and tax increases coincides with the ongoing debate over the farm bill, an Ohio State University farm policy expert said.
The debate over the 2012 Farm Bill involves many aspects of the broader policy discussions currently occurring in the U.S., said Carl Zulauf, who is also a professor in Ohio State’s Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics.
In a paper written the day after the election, Zulauf said that while it is risky to simplify the policy environment in any country as large and diverse as the U.S., “many issues confronting the U.S. at present can be viewed as...
COLUMBUS, Ohio – More than 250 farmers, producers, educators, school food service professionals, business leaders and Ohio State University Extension experts are expected to attend a statewide conference on the Farm to School program, with a goal to continue to get more fresh, locally grown and produced foods into more school cafeterias.
OSU Extension will host the Farm to School conference March 13, 2013, as part of an effort to continue to expand the successful program, which works to increase students’ access to healthy foods and to help them learn more about food, health, nutrition and agriculture.
Farm to School is a national program, which in Ohio is led by OSU Extension and is supported by numerous agencies, foundations and industry organizations. OSU...
I need some inspiration to help keep me from gaining weight during the holidays. Any ideas?
The temptations of the season often come not with glitter and sparkle, but with sugar, fat and calories.
Fortunately, weight gain isn’t inevitable. In fact, most studies suggest an average weight gain over the holidays of about 1 pound. This is good news, because most people assume it is five or 10 times that number.
Still, researchers warn that people tend to keep that extra pound instead of shedding it after the season is over. Those pounds can pile up over time, leading to significant weight gain.
Studies also indicate that people who are already overweight are more likely to gain five pounds or more during the holidays.
Perhaps the first thing to acknowledge is that this won’t...
HARRISON, Ohio -- A southwestern Ohio turkey processing plant has much to be thankful for this season.
Whitewater Processing Co. slaughters and processes 6,000 to 8,000 turkeys on a normal day, producing about 2.5 to 3 million pounds of turkey in an average month. The Kopp family has run the business since the 1930s, and with 110 employees, wanted to stay put.
But in the 1990s, environmental concerns about the 145,000 gallons of wastewater it produces each day nearly sunk the business.
Today, with a first-of-its-kind treatment system designed by an Ohio State University researcher, the rough waters have calmed.
And though the costs have been considerable -- about $1 million to build the wastewater treatment system plus an estimated $1.8 million to operate and maintain it over...
For the month of November 2012
Every year, I spend more money than I want to during the holidays. Can you suggest ways to help me not go overboard this year?
Sure. But all the tips and guidance in the world won’t help unless you make a firm commitment to yourself that this year will be different. Just as with any change to long-held habits (think “I’m going to lose weight” or “I’m going to quit smoking”), it will take energy, determination and focus. It won’t just happen simply because you want it to happen.
With that in mind, here’s some advice:
Estimate what you want to spend overall.
Then list categories of what you plan to purchase. Include everything holiday-related: gifts (how many and who you’re buying for);...
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State University’s Forestry Forum, a group for students interested in forestry as a career, will hold its annual public Christmas tree sale from Nov. 29 to Dec. 2 behind the university’s Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, 2201 Fred Taylor Drive, in Columbus.
Hours are noon to dark on Nov. 29, 9 a.m. to dark on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 2.
The trees are fresh cut Ohio-grown Fraser firs, Scotch pines, white pines and blue spruces in heights from 6 to 9 feet.
Proceeds from the sale will support scholarships, travel to academic conferences and other activities for students in the group.
Buyers can receive a 10 percent discount with a coupon available at http://go.osu.edu/treesale (pdf) that can be printed and brought in or...
No one in my family has ever had diabetes. Does that mean I’m not at risk for developing it?
Although there is a genetic component to diabetes, it’s not 100 percent: Many people develop type 2 diabetes without having a family history of the disease. Conversely, it’s not guaranteed that you’ll develop the disease even if you have close family members who have it, though your risk is higher.
A warning: You may think no one in your family has ever had diabetes, but many cases go undiagnosed. So you may be operating under a false sense of security.
Type 2 diabetes accounts for about 95 percent of all diabetes cases. It’s marked by high blood glucose levels primarily caused by the body’s inability to use its insulin efficiently. In contrast, type 1...
