Unlocking Local Grain Potential
ZoomThis webinar series is intended to teach small grain-related businesses about successful strategies for working with local grains. The three sessions will cover grain testing with Hartwick College (September 10), strategies for bakers to gradually scale their use of local grains through flour blending with King Arthur Flour (October 7), and effective strategies for storytelling and marketing local grains (November 4). Learn more and register at the link below.
Climate Health Equity Webinar Series: Climate Change, Food Access and Health Outcomes in Greater Cincinnati
ZoomThe 1-hour webinar hopes to address how climate change has impacted our food access and security and effects on health outcomes in the region, and ways to address this issue not only for the individual but also on a systems change level. This event is part of the “Climate Health Equity” webinar series, which builds on a recently completed report in partnership with Scioto Analysis, “Climate Health Equity – Analyzing the Impacts of Climate Change and Health Outcomes in Greater Cincinnati.” To highlight the findings of this report and accelerate action on key related issues, Green Umbrella will also be releasing a Public Service Announcement toolkit connected to the topics covered in the webinar series. This event is the eight webinar in Green Umbrella’s “Climate Health Equity” series. which builds upon a recently completed report in partnership with Scioto Analysis, “Climate Health Equity – Analyzing the Impacts of Climate Change and Health Outcomes in Greater Cincinnati.” Speaker : Aileen Lawson - Pantry Manager, CAIN Moderated by: Bamidele Osamika, and Maddie Chera – Green Umbrella
Ohio Organic Farmer Research Network Meeting
ZoomMary Hathaway from the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) will share information about their Farmer-Led Trials program. Now in its second year of accepting proposals, this grant program puts farmers in the driver’s seat and recognizes their wisdom, experimentation, and problem-solving skills. The program provides organic farmers with technical assistance and a small amount of funding to investigate and learn about solutions to their most pressing production challenges. Plan to join us and bring your questions! More information: Learn about the FLT program, last year’s recipients, and OFRF’s work at ofrf.org/research/farmer-led-research-trials. OFRF will have a longer online forum about the FLT program on October 29, featuring last year’s farmer researchers. Application deadline is December 1. Past OOFRN meeting session topics and YouTube links are posted at offer.osu.edu/oofrn-events.
Developing Regenerative Pastures and Community Connections: A Soil Health Field Demo Day in Champaign County
Truest Farms 7808 Ohio 161, Mechanicsburg, United StatesCelebrate the inaugural Ohio Soil Health Week with a one.two.five Benefit Corporation field day that will begin with a 90-minute field tour* with Cory Stratton, the main farmer and co-owner of Truest Farms, a 21-acre regenerative farm established three years ago, focusing on poultry, hogs, and lambs. Then, everyone will meet for a 90-minute field tour* with Tonni & Graham Oberly, co-owners of Oaks & Sprouts farm. The Oberly’s grow a variety of vegetables and have a small livestock operation that includes pigs, a cow, goats, and livestock guardian dogs. The Oberly’s practice minimal tillage, use reusable landscape fabric, and rotate livestock to improve soil health. In between the two tours, attendees will meet for lunch and conversation at In Good Taste Catering & Market in Urbana. *each farm tour will feature interactive, hands-on learning and Q&A time with the farmers The cost of registration is $35/person. Lunch is provided. Ridesharing/carpooling is recommended. Please see the registration form for scholarship and cost-reduced registration options.
Ohio Soil Health Week Farm Tour
Martin Hollow Heritage Farm 8854 Martin Hollow Road, Russellville, United StatesKick off the new Ohio Soil Health Week with a soil-focused farm tour! Martin Hollow Heritage Farm is a unique collaboration between landowner Carolyn Moore and farmer Danny Losekamp who raises cattle on the land, with support from longtime beef grazier Jim Linne. Walk through the pastures and identify the various species of grasses and legumes, take Brix readings, dig up some soil for a water infiltration demonstration, and talk about how USDA conservation programs helped fund the grazing infrastructure.
SWOEFFA Harvest Feast Potluck
OEFFA's Southwest Ohio Chapter, SWOEFFA, is hosting a Harvest Feast Potluck on Sunday, November 10 at 4 p.m. Email Cori (email address below) for more details and to RSVP.
Environmental Professionals Network: Inaugural Ohio Soil Health Week Breakfast
Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center 2201 Fred Taylor Drive, Columbus, United StatesThis Environmental Professionals Network (EPN) Program brings together myriad soil science and health professionals and experts to celebrate the first annual Ohio Soil Health Week. The event includes a morning breakfast with planned talks from soil health researchers, farm managers from across Ohio, and representatives from OEFFA. Mainly, the speakers will present on the theme of soil health in diverse landscapes in Ohio, including on production agriculture fields, gardens, livestock grazing paddocks, prairies and grasslands, and lawns and landscaped areas. The speakers will discuss how healthy soils hold more water, reduce run-off, and protect water quality. They’ll describe how healthy soil practices build soil fertility reducing the need for fertilizer and providing a positive return on investment for farmers. Additionally, the event will educate attendants both in-person and online (through a YouTube livestream) about how healthy soil practices can sequester carbon to mitigate harmful greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change and build on-farm resilience. All participants, regardless of in-person or virtual attendance, must register online. The cost of attendance for non-students is $25, $5 for students, and free for all virtual livestream participants. The price of in-person registration includes a coffee bar and a breakfast buffet.
Determining Biological Nitrogen Fixation in Maize Varieties in Ohio
Waterman Farm 2548 Carmack Road, Columbus, OhioTo celebrate the first annual Ohio Soil Health Week, participants are invited to visit a maize experiment at Waterman Farm in Columbus, Ohio (adjacent to OSU) where different maize varieties were grown during the summer of 2024 that fix nitrogen (N) from the air, promoted by beneficial bacteria in aerial roots with mucilage, offsetting the need for mineral N fertilization. The Maize plots in this experiment are a great example that Improved, Heirloom and Mexican Landrace Maize can be grown in Ohio with little nitrogen input, providing researchers and farmers a reliable solution to decrease over-reliance on fertilizers and reduce environmental hazards on soil.
Soil Health and Human Health: Intersection of Microbiomes
ZoomIn honor of the inaugural Ohio Soil Health Week, the Nature Conservancy is hosting a webinar with Danielle “Dani” Kusner, who teaches about the soil and human microbiomes at Deep Soil LLC, empowering farmers and consumers to make choices that heal the soil and their bodies. She is a Certified Crop Advisor and expanded her expertise into human health as a Certified Terrain Advocate through The Metabolic Terrain Institute of Health. Dani earned a degree in Sustainability Studies from The University of Dayton in 2008 and since then, has been on a journey of transforming soils and food production through people's connection with Mother Earth. Register for the free webinar here.
The USDA and You: Conservation Programs
ZoomExplore USDA conservation programs and the ways they can benefit farmers. This session will focus on the NRCS’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Learn about the historic funding in the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as how the programs work, their impact, and how farmers and farm advocates can influence their implementation to improve them over time. If you have used one of these programs, or are thinking about it, please join the conversation! Register at the link below.