By Bradford Sherman
South Centers/CFAES
A new video series aimed at finding a new and creative way of storytelling in partnership with the centers’ scientists, researchers, and educators has launched its first episode. Dubbed Project Journal, the series will be comprised of approximately 5-minute videos following various projects from start to finish.
“We are always looking for new and more effective ways of communicating the goings-on at South Centers with our stakeholders in Ohio and beyond,” said Bradford Sherman, who is heading up the work on Project Journal. “We think this new video format will help us tell our stories in a way that is mindful of people’s busy schedules, filmed and presented in a way that keeps viewers engaged, and is easily shareable across multiple platforms.”
The first episode follows Dr. Logan Minter and Research Associate Thom Harker as they investigate the feasibility of growing strawberries in an aquaponics system.
“The initial idea simply came from multiple people asking Harker to see something different (growing) back there,” explained Minter. Prior to this project, lettuce was the almost exclusively grown in the system. “Given Thom’s long history and expertise in strawberries, we decided to give them a shot.”
The project involved growing Albion variety strawberries in a deep-water aquaponics float system. Two different plant medias, coconut fiber and clay pebbles, as well as bare root vs. soil plug plants were tested.
What started out as something as simple as “let’s try something different,” has revealed the need for further research-supported information in the area of pest management. Spider mites quickly established themselves as the video’s main antagonists.
“We were surprised at the lack of information from Extension in Ohio and broadly across the country,” Minter said. “This has led to collaboration across OSU and interstate to work on addressing this issue, which we hope will have local and national impacts.”
South Centers has produced 1,500 videos and amassed more than 400,000 views over the past 14 years. You can view current and past content, including the first installment of Project Journal, on the center’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/southcenters.