The Miami Valley Hosta Society is holding their Annual Hosta Auction on Saturday, May 4, beginning at 10 am. This will be held at the West Carrollton Nazarene Church on S. Elm St. in West Carrollton.
Attention Sheep/Goat Markets and Dealers: Scrapie ID and Movement Regulations have changed! ODA and USDA invites you to a meeting at the ODA campus on Thursday, May 9, from 10 a.m. to noon to discuss how these changes will affect you. For more information, contact ODA’s Animal Health Division at 614-728-6220. Sorry, that’s all the information I have on this topic, but wanted to get the word out there!!
OSU will be holding two Pawpaw Grafting Workshops in May hosted by Brad Bergefurd, OSU Horticulture Specialist, and Ron Powell, Ohio Pawpaw Growers Association. The first one will be held on Thursday, May 23, at The OSU South Centers in Piketon,. This workshop will be held from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
The second one will be held on Saturday, May 25th in Columbus, at The Ohio State University Waterman Farms. This workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. These workshops will focus on learning techniques for pawpaw propagation using rootstock and grafts.
Registration is required. The cost is $15 per person.
Due to space being very limited for each location, we suggest you register as soon as possible. Final deadline to register is May 21, if you can still get in. Contact Charissa Gardner at [email protected] or call her at 740-289-2071 to register.
The Emerald Ash Borer has really done a number on all our gorgeous ash trees in this area of the state. I’m sure there are still a few out there that are alive, but most are dead … or failing quickly!
Now we’re into “phase two” of that situation: Once dead, ash trees rot because they have little resistance to decay. Almost as soon as an ash tree dies, fungi begin feeding, but decay is a slow process, which is why many long-dead ash trees have only recently begun falling.
Those of you with ash trees on your property might want to have an arborist inspect the trees to ensure none of them pose any risk of falling. If there is a risk, you should have those trees taken down. For tips on choosing an arborist to inspect or remove an ash or another type of tree, visit go.osu.edu/hiringanarborist.
And even though it can be fun to walk through a woods, getting lost in thought on a hiking trail, it’s wise to stay aware of any standing dead ash trees. They can snap at any time without warning. There’s really nothing holding them up!
Now, as we’re preparing for that (eventual!) planting season, there is always the risk of an overexertion injury because of work practices that the body is not used to!! Overexertion is an injury risk faced by many in the ag industry because of labor-intensive tasks and specific work practices over a long period of time. Overexertion is a major cause of sprain/strain injuries and inflammation of joints and ligaments that result from excessive physical effort.
There are several causes of overexertion including fatigue from burning the candle at both ends; force-related hazards when lifting, pushing, pulling, carrying, gripping, using tools; posture-related hazards from bending, twisting, reaching, and kneeling; repetition-related hazards from doing the same thing over and over again; and slipping, rushing, or reacting to the sudden movement of a load which can activate muscles quickly and result in strains and sprains because of lack of those supporting muscle groups. Other overexertion injury hazards can include contact stress, hand-arm vibration, whole-body vibration, impacts with hands/knees, and working in extremely hot or cold environments.
Some guidelines to reduce the risks of overexertion injuries include using proper lifting techniques, asking for help, or using material handling devices when handling heavy objects. Know and respect your body’s limits!! This is key to avoiding overexertion injuries while working. You can find more information about Safety in the Workplace at http://www.agsafety.osu.edu.
