Last Tuesday our Master Gardeners held the first of their Library Seminars. It was a really good presentation on starting seeds! They’ll be back next month with information about soils! We also held our first 2019 Master Gardener meeting last week, Wednesday. Despite the iffy weather, we had a great turn-out for that, including three of our new trainees! And, yes, Master Gardener training begins this week, Thursday!
If you still need to get your recertification training for Private Pesticide or Fertilizer Applicator certification, there is a program in Mercer County on Monday, March 4, beginning at 5 p.m. You can contact Denny Riethman at 419-586-7129 to get registered.
The Shelby County Cattlemen’s Association Annual Banquet will be held on Tuesday, March 5. Doors at the Houston Community Center open at 6:30 p.m. with the Prime Rib Dinner to start at 7 p.m. This year’s Speaker will be Ty Higgins, formerly with the Ohio Country Journal and now with Ohio Farm Bureau. He will be addressing Ag Issues. Get the date on your calendar now; more information to follow!
On Wednesday, March 13, the Western Ohio Corn College will be held at the Upper Valley Adult Applied Technology Center on Career Drive in Piqua, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Some of the topics to be addressed include Agronomic Practices that Optimize Profitablity in Corn—Perception vs Reality; Insect Pressure on Today’s Genetics and Future Control; and Fungicide Effects on Diseases and Yields. Presenters will be some of OSU’s Experts in Corn Production! CCA Credits are available!
Pre-registration and pre-payment of $20 are required by March 6th. This includes breakfast, lunch, and materials. For more details and a registration form, go to go.osu.edu/Cphq.
There is a Landscape Design Workshop being held the morning of Saturday, March 16, from 9 a.m. to noon. While this is being held in Huron County (Norwalk High School) and is a bit of a distance away, it might still be worth it if you’re looking at starting or upgrading your landscape!!
The presenter is Janet Macunovich, a well-known and highly respected professional gardener. Her horticultural background includes coursework at numerous botanical gardens and universities in the US and Canada and she has written nine books, developed seminars and workshops for garden and landscape organizations throughout North America. She also has a free newsletter available at www.gardenatoz.com.
The cost for this program is $10 per person with a deadline of March 12. For more information, contact Sue Long at 419-677-6674.
Running a farm of any size can be challenging but, for small farms, the hurdles can be particularly steep because of the scale of their operations. Two conferences, one in northwest Ohio and another in southern Ohio, will be held in March for beginning and small farm owners wanting to learn more about how to make their farms work better for them.
Seeds for Success, the Northwest Ohio Small Farm Conference and Trade Show will be held Saturday, March 16, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Northwest State Community College on state Route 34, Archbold. This event is designed for beginning and small farm owners with workshops and seminars taught by OSU Extension professionals and industry leaders. Breakout sessions will be offered on subjects related to horticulture, farm management, livestock, specialty crops, and more. A trade show will feature vendors unique to small farms. Registration, which includes lunch, is $60 by March 1, $30 for those under 18. For more information, visit go.osu.edu/Ckyq. While there, you will also see a connection to the Southern Ohio program being held at the end of March…
