WOOSTER, Ohio -- If you live in Ohio and bought a poinsettia for the holidays, chances are Ohio State University agricultural scientists, educators or alumni had a hand in making them look beautiful and healthy.
The university's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) is involved in all areas that support poinsettia production -- training students on growing techniques and proper care, working with producers to address their needs and evaluate new varieties, and conducting research that tackles pest management problems unique to this popular plant.
Such support is crucial for the success of Ohio's greenhouse industry, which is a major national player in poinsettia production and boasts some of...
BUCYRUS, Ohio -- Farmers and producers interested in learning more about beef feedlot nutrition and maximizing profits can participate in a discussion of the issues by experts from Ohio State University Extension during a Beef Feedlot School Jan. 30 and Feb. 13, 20 and 27, 2013, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Crawford County Fairgrounds youth building, 610 Whetstone St. in Bucyrus.
The school will focus on beef feedlot nutrition, maximizing profits by increasing feed efficiency and using byproducts to reduce feed costs, said Jason Hartschuh, OSU Extension coordinator in agriculture and natural resources, and organizer of the event.
“With the rising costs of inputs and grain prices being at record levels it will be important for...
PIKETON, Ohio – Producers who want to assure a healthy, productive calving season may want to consider testing their forage supplies to ensure the feed is of high nutritional value, an Ohio State University Extension beef expert said.
Otherwise, feeding poor quality forages to cows in the late gestation or early lactation period can have devastating negative impacts on conception rates in the following breeding season, said John Grimes, beef coordinator for OSU Extension. OSU Extension is the outreach arm of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
If producers find they have poor quality forage, they may want to supplement the feed with higher quality corn for those cows, particularly with first-calf heifers, he said...
WOOSTER, Ohio -- That freshly cut or live Christmas tree standing in your living room provides a host of benefits and value beyond the sheer joy of the holidays -- in the form of environmental services such as cleaner air, reduced energy use and absorption of stormwater runoff.
What's even better, you can calculate the dollar value of a Christmas tree's environmental services and property-enhancement benefits, said Jim Chatfield, an Ohio State University Extension horticulture specialist based in Wooster. OSU Extension is the outreach arm of Ohio State's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
The National Tree Benefit Calculator (online at http://www.treebenefits.com) allows anyone to...
In a recent column, you said oils that are high in saturated fat aren’t heart-healthy. But I’ve read about the benefits of tropical oils, especially coconut oil. What’s up?
The standard guidance to limit intake of saturated fats, including those from tropical oils, to 10 percent of total calories hasn’t changed. That message is nearly universally recognized as sound advice.
But research on diet and health is ongoing. What you’re witnessing is the scientific method in action. That is, scientists conduct studies and publish data and analyses; other scientists review those findings and either build on them or dispute them.
Eventually, consensus builds and standard guidance develops -- which is then questioned, tested, adapted, supported or refuted, and...
WOOSTER, Ohio -- A former faculty member of The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences has established a new fund to support graduate students.
Earle W. Klosterman established the Earle and Ann Klosterman Endowed Graduate Award with a $200,000 gift to Ohio State’s Department of Animal Sciences. The annual distribution from this award will help support departmental graduate students conducting research with beef cattle at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC). OARDC is the research arm of the college.
Klosterman is native of South Dakota. He earned a bachelor’s degree from South Dakota State University in 1942 and a doctorate from Cornell University in 1946. His wife of 65 years, Ann, obtained a...
Our son is 9 months old. Recently we’ve become uncomfortable with some viewpoints expressed by his caregiver. It’s nothing major, and we don’t want to ruin what has been a good thing, but I think we need to find a way to bring up our concerns. Is there a good way to handle this?
This type of conflict is not uncommon, and it actually goes both ways: Sometimes, providers have a problem with parents and aren’t sure how best to approach the issue.
Family relations specialists with Cooperative Extension Services in several states across the country offer guidance, including:
Think about how serious the issue is. Are you concerned about what might happen if it doesn’t get resolved? Is it something that will affect your child’s development negatively?...
PIKETON, Ohio – Are you a specialty fruit or vegetable crop producer looking to gain a better understanding of how to use high tunnels to boost on-farm profits? Now you have the opportunity to attend a joint Ohio State University Extension and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) workshop on this topic, Feb. 8, 2013.
The workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the OSU South Centers at Piketon, 1864 Shyville Road. Registration is $20, with a Jan. 15, 2013, deadline.
The workshop will feature OSU Extension horticulturist Brad Bergefurd and Gary Gao, an OSU Extension specialist and associate professor of small fruit crops, both of whom are based at OSU South Centers at Piketon. Abbe Copple, district conservationist at Pike County NRCS,...
SIDNEY, Ohio – People planning to take the Certified Crop Adviser exam can gain testing insight through a two-day CCA exam preparation session taught by members of Ohio State University Extension’s Agronomic Crops Team, Jan. 16-17, 2013.
The course is designed to help participants understand the principles necessary to become a certified crop adviser and to assist in preparation for the state and international CCA exams, said Harold Watters, an OSU Extension agronomy field specialist and coordinator of the university’s Agronomic Crops Team. OSU Extension is the outreach arm of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
While the exam preparation class wasn’t created to be a “crash course” covering all information...
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Farmers, landowners, planners, local officials, land trust leadership, economic development professionals and anyone interested in preserving farmland in Ohio can get tips from the experts on the subject during a farmland summit on Jan. 17.
The 13th annual Ohio Farmland Preservation Summit is designed to help interested parties learn various techniques, tools and methods to preserve farmland, said Mike Hogan, an Ohio State University Extension educator and Small Farm Program coordinator. OSU Extension is the outreach arm of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
During past farmland summits, experts have presented tools on legal ways for people to preserve farm land, he said.
“This...
