OHIO STATE BEEF CATTLE SCHOOL OFFERED IN OCTOBER – Beef cattle producers who want to reduce costs while maximizing their profit potential can learn how during a Beef School Oct. 6, 13 and 20, taught by experts from Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.

The three-day program focuses on forage weed control, spring development, working livestock, carcass beef breeds and open cows, said Clif Little, OSU Extension educator in agriculture and natural resources.

“We’re hoping to show producers low-stress, economical and practical practices they can implement on their cattle farms,” he said. “For example, participants can see the effects of pasture clipping versus chemical weed control methods that we’ve implemented on land at the research station to see which method would offer them the best use of their time and resources to implement.”

The Beef School is sponsored by OSU Extension, OARDC and Farm Credit Mid-America of Cambridge. The school will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. each day at the Eastern Agricultural Research Station, 16870 Township Road 126, in Belle Valley, just off Interstate 77 in Noble County. Registration is $10 and includes all materials and dinner daily. The deadline to register is Sept. 28.

For more information or to register, contact Little at 740-489-5300 or [email protected].

OSU EXPERT: SUSTAINABLE AG GRANTS CAN HELP FUND FARM OBJECTIVES – Producers who want to add sustainable agriculture practices to their farm operations may be able to use grant funds to do so — if they know where to look and how to write a winning grant proposal, according to an educator with the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University.

Mike Hogan is an Ohio State University Extension educator who is also the coordinator of the university’s Sustainable Agriculture Team. He said that while the grants may not offer a huge amount of money, “there are several sustainable agriculture grants out there that can offer a big benefit for farmers and producers.”

Hogan will discuss “Utilizing Grants to Achieve Your Farm Objectives” Sept. 22 at 10 a.m. in the Small Farms Center tent during the 2015 Farm Science Review at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center near London, Ohio.

The workshop will focus on how to find grants to fund small business operations and what makes a grant proposal successful, he said. The presentation will also offer details on grants awarded from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, which is managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture in partnership with regional and state coordinators nationwide.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 22-23 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 24.

More information can be found at fsr.osu.edu.

OSU EXTENSION PROVIDES CRITICAL HOME FOOD PRESERVATION KNOW-HOW – It was a church potluck like any other. But within days, botulism killed one Fairfield County woman and hospitalized 24 others. It was from potato salad, made with improperly home-canned potatoes.

Foodborne botulism is rare, but the April 2015 incident was a somber reminder of the importance of strictly following home food preservation guidelines, said Shannon Carter, family and consumer sciences educator in Fairfield County for Ohio State University Extension. OSU Extension is the outreach arm of The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

Last year, Carter offered two home-food preservation classes to county residents. This year, she offered 10. And those were just a few of the classes offered by OSU Extension across the state. Listings are available at fcs.osu.edu/food-safety/home-food-preservation, along with links to how-to videos and other resources.

Beef cattle producers who want to reduce costs while maximizing their profit potential can learn how during a Beef School Oct. 6, 13 and 20, taught by experts from Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2015/09/web1_beef-cattle.jpgBeef cattle producers who want to reduce costs while maximizing their profit potential can learn how during a Beef School Oct. 6, 13 and 20, taught by experts from Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.

Staff report