This 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.

In 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.

Join Licking County Soil & Water Conservation District for bacon, eggs, and soil health! Attendees will receive a free breakfast while learning how to use Web Soil Survey to create a personalized soil map. The hosts will share information about cover crops, soil health, and drought assistance programs, and attendees will have the opportunity to take their own soil test. The meeting will provide fertilizer re-certification credit. No registration required.

Let's celebrate Ohio Soil Health Week with a special focus on the Miami Valley. Local organizations such as The Foodbank, Inc., The Ohio State University Extension Montgomery County Office, Central State University Extension Southwest Office, and Five Rivers MetroParks are collaborating to provide their programs at The Foodbank's Urban Garden. Exploring the innovative approach to tackling hunger through soil health, the tour of The Foodbank, Inc.'s Urban Garden shines a light on sustainable solutions in the Dayton area. The OSU Extension's demonstration of the Soil Moisture "Robot" and insights on interpreting soil test results lay the groundwork for understanding soil's vital role. Further discussions with Five Rivers MetroParks delve into the potential of soils as carbon sinks, offering a dual benefit of climate change mitigation and enhanced soil fertility, while the compost kitchen initiative demonstrates practical steps for waste reduction and soil enrichment. CSU Extension complements this knowledge with a deep dive into the benefits of cover crops and soil biology alongside practical soil infiltration tests, offering a holistic view of soil health. Register for free here.

To celebrate Ohio Soil Health Week, the Living Art and Ecology Lab at The Ohio State University’s Department of Art invites you to a short, juried exhibition seeking to appreciate those who feed us through building and maintaining our soils. Artists are invited to submit work that explores soil as community: from microbes and mycelium, to plants and people, and beyond. Artists working in all mediums are welcome to apply. Submissions are due by October 20th at 11:59 p.m. Registration not required.

Join the Agraria Center for Regenerative Practice in celebrating the first annual Ohio Soil Health Week with a full day of BIPOC farm tours. This is a unique opportunity to recognize and celebrate the contributions of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in the regenerative farming community, as well as the practices they use to regenerate the soil. Tour Highlights: Farm Visits: Explore diverse regenerative farming practices and learn from new and experienced BIPOC farmers. Lunch: Enjoy a farm-to-table lunch featuring fresh ingredients sourced directly from from of the farms we will visit, creating a delicious and sustainable dining experience. Networking: Engage with fellow farmers, community members, and advocates for regenerative agriculture. Register by Monday, November 11, 2024 here. Limited spots available.

Celebrate Ohio Soil Health Week by joining Rural Action and partners to learn about soil health in Ohio and hear from local and state speakers. Get fired up for soil health by learning about its role in food production, watershed health, and climate mitigation. Visit Rural Action at tables around the Athens Courthouse steps before and after the speakers to enjoy demos and learn more in-depth. Attendees at this event will learn about the past, present, and future of soil health conservation in Ohio and what they can do in their backyard to take part. Registration not required.

In honor of Ohio Soil Health Week, the public is invited to join artist and Ohio State professor of Art & Technology Amy Youngs for tea in the Hopkins Hall lobby as she discusses her artistic practice for listening to and learning from soils. Participants will consider the many critters at work in making soil, and will participate in this circle of life by offering their tea bags to one of the artists’ homemade worm bins at the end of the talk. Tea and mugs will be provided, although participants are encouraged to bring their own mugs as well. Registration not required. Additional details will be posted here.

You don’t have to be a soil scientist to know if your soil is healthy. To celebrate Ohio Soil Health week, you're invited to join Muskingum Soil and Water Conservation District as they look at soil health at one of their Urban Greens Community Gardens, Marshall Greens. This short, virtual program might give you the tools to check your soil health at home. You’ll see how to utilize a penetrometer and shovel to measure compaction, infiltration rings to measure water infiltration, and a slate test to measure aggregate stability. Expect a few more tricks and tips! The event will be virtual on Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/MuskingumSWCD

Join the Hamilton County Conservation District for a morning of fun and learning as we celebrate healthy soil—and the first annual Ohio Soil Health Week!! Healthy soil supports growing healthy food, both in our backyard gardens and in our crop fields. Healthy soil also supports communities that are good places to live: nourishing shade trees and landscaping, absorbing rainwater, and supporting diverse wildlife. At the Healthy Soil Festival, you can learn ways to help improve and protect soil in your own yard or neighborhood. The Open House style Festival will include interactive learning stations and exhibitor and vendor booths. The last hour of the Festival will be a program on soil testing with a speaker describing how to conduct a soil test, how to interpret results, and introducing methods to improve soil fertility to achieve your growing goals. Attendees are welcome to bring their soil test results (if they have tested in advance), or they can pick up soil test kits that day to bring home. Registration is recommended but not required.

In honor of Ohio Soil Health Week, join Green Umbrella at Camp Washington Perennial Farm for their “Bring Your Own Bucket” fall compost sale! This 2-hour event offers high-quality compost perfect for putting your gardens to bed for the winter, along with essential education on the composting process. Event Goals: Provide high-quality compost for fall garden winterization Educate attendees about the composting process and its benefits for soil health Promote sustainable gardening practices for the fall and winter seasons Showcase our farm’s commitment to soil stewardship Attendees are encouraged to bring their own buckets to purchase compost by volume ($8), with bagged compost also available for sale ($10). Learn how to properly prepare your garden for winter using our nutrient-rich compost. Our knowledgeable staff will be on hand to explain the composting process and answer your fall gardening questions. Open to the public (gardeners) If you’re looking for compost now, order online any time, and learn more at the Common Orchard Project’s website.

Looking for something new, made by food and agricultural producers, to add to your menu, grocery store, or specialty retail space? If so, the Ohio Department of Agriculture invites you to attend the Ohio Proud Food Summit event on Thursday November 21, 2024, from 11am-1pm.  The Ohio Proud Food Summit features Ohio Proud partners and their locally made products and is FREE to attend! Join us in meeting local businesses and sampling Ohio made products that include snack foods, baked goods, condiments, specialty sauces, bath and body care-- and more! Please complete the attached form and submit your RSVP to Ashley.McDonald@agri.ohio.gov by Thursday, November 14, 2024. REGISTRATION FORM

Running a family farm is hard enough. Add in climate change, a worldwide pandemic, and the increasing economic uncertainty brought on by megafarms, and it's easy to see that being an independent farmer in America is a profession of survival. Following four Midwest family farms over several years, the documentary Greener Pastures is a story of perseverance within the farming industry in the heartland. Join FairShare CSA Coalition live to watch the 90-minute documentary, hosted by the Midwest Vegetable Growers Network, and then stick around for conversation with two of the farmers featured in the documentary: Chris Petersen, from Iowa, and Jeff Ditzenberger, from Wisconsin. We'll have lightly facilitated discussion with an opportunity for open Q&A. View educational resources related to the film here. This event is brought to you by FairShare CSA Coalition and the MVEG Network's working group on Farmer Resiliency & Mental Health. Find our support resources here. Register for free here.