4-H really ramping up

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It’s quite obvious that things have slowed down a bit here, at least on the “Ag” side of Extension!! Of course, the 4-H Program is really ramping up, getting ready for projects, camp, and judging!! If you want to help the Ohio 4-H Program, you can go to www.4-H.org/RaiseYourHand and follow the prompts to vote for Ohio!

And, thank you to all who have participated in our Master Gardener’s 2019 Spring Gardening Series at the Amos Memorial Public Library! We’ve had great programs/speakers and great attendance! There are two more coming up: May 21 on “shady spaces,” and June 18 on “backyard critter pests.”

Friday, April 26 is Arbor Day! There will be a celebration at 10 a.m. that morning at the west entrance to Kottman Hall on the OSU Ag Campus in Columbus. This will be a celebration of trees and the people who plant and care for them, hosted by Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens. The featured speaker will be Joe Blundo, a columnist with the Columbus Dispatch. This is free and refreshments will be available. To learn more, visit go.osu.edu/CuEV.

Now, I know few of us will get down there for that celebration!! Many will be hoping to be in the fields by then!! (And, once that happens, there won’t be any “away from the farm” time until planting is done!!) However, you can take a minute or two to think about the role of trees in our environment … and maybe even take a walk through your woods or a park, just to relax and unwind! Celebrate trees!!

Also in Columbus, but on Wednesday, May 8, there will be a program on Challenges and Opportunities for Economic Development in Ohio. This will be held at the Fawcett Event Center on Olentangy River Road, Ohio State from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be presentations by speakers from the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences as well as local governments on topics such as An Update on Ohio’s Economies, Asset-Based Development Strategies, Economic Develop Efforts Across Ohio, and Food and Agriculture as Ingredients of Economic Development.

The keynote will be given by Mark Partridge, Swank Chair in Rural-Urban Policy in the Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Developmental Economics; and president of Regional Science Association International: “Does an Urbanizing World Still Need Rural America?” Admission is free and lunch is included. Registration deadline is May 2. For more information or to register, visit go.osu.edu/CuEn.

A closer activity on Wednesday, May 8 will be a Gardeners’ Swap & Share at the St. Marys Community Public Library. This will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. with a presentation on “Pollinator Plants” by Mike Doseck from the Greater Grand Lake Beekeepers Association. You can swap or share potted seedlings and plant divisions with fellow gardeners, but it’s not necessary to take any items in order to pick up these freebies! There will also be a craft for the kids led by ArtsPlace, and refreshments provided by the Friends of the Library. This annual event is brought to you by the Heritage Trails Park District and the St. Marys Community Public Library.

Looking for an opportunity for a weekend get-away that includes some learning, too?? On Saturday, May 18, Simply Nature for Families will be held at the Secrest Welcome Center at the Ohio Ag Research & Development Center (OARDC) in Wooster. From 10:30-11:30 a.m., children will have the opportunity to experience several outdoor activities and get a take-home kit to connect the park experience with backyard nature. These activities are free, but please register by May 15. The intended audience is children ages 5 to 10, accompanied by parents, grandparents, or other caregivers. You can find details at go.osu.edu/Cr8v.

This could be turned into a nice weekend get-a-way: opportunity for education for the kids, near Amish Country, lots of places to visit, great scenery … Just a thought …

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By Deborah Reinhart Brown

Ag update

The writer can be reached at the OSU Extension office (937-498-7239) or by email at [email protected].

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