In September, the Ohio State University South Centers recently celebrated 25 years of extending knowledge, growing southern Ohio, and enhancing lives. There were around 250 people in attendance that day and they enjoyed seeing our facility. Below are a few images highlighting the day of celebration.

Hannah Scott, OCDC Program Manager

740-289-2071 ext 227

scott.1220@osu.edu

Sarah Strausbaugh, Program Assistant

740-289-2071 ext 112

strausbaugh.54@osu.edu

Christie Welch, Direct Marketing Specialist

740-289-2071 ext 234

welch.183@osu.edu

By Dr. Hanping Wang
Senior Scientist

Yellow perch, bluegill, and largemouth bass are the top three aquaculture species in the Midwest and North Central Region. Funded by a USDA-North Central Region Aquaculture Center (NCRAC) and NOAA-Sea Grant, the Ohio Center for Aquaculture Research and Development (OCARD) at The Ohio State University South Centers has developed fast-growing strains of these species to meet industry’s needs in the past few years.

Larger, Faster-Growing All-Female Yellow Perch: 
Yellow perch females grow significantly faster and larger than males. All-female monosex populations will significantly benefit the aquaculture industry. OCARD at Piketon has created a technology that can generate large numbers of fast-growing, all-female yellow perch populations. A growth performance test of all-females vs. a mixed-sex group showed that all-females grew 26.3% faster than the mixed group, and 66.0% faster than males. In 2018, OCARD created a large number of neomale broodstock of yellow perch with a female genotype. The large numbers of superior neomale broodstock will enable us to produce a commercial-scale of all-female monosex yellow perch. The all-female monosex strain will be available to aquaculture industry in 2019.

Faster-Growing All-Male Bluegill
Unlike yellow perch, bluegill males grow significantly faster and larger than females. All-male monosex populations are needed by the aquaculture industry. OCARD at Piketon has created a technology that can generate large numbers of fast-growing, all-male bluegill populations. All-male or near-all-male bluegill populations were successfully produced and tested. Results from testing all-male or near-all-male bluegill populations at two locations showed: 1) Weight gain and growth rate of all-male stock were 2.1 times that of regular stocks; 2) All-male groups had significantly uniformed size and lower coefficient of variation; and 3) Survival of all-male groups was significantly higher than that of mixed sex groups due to more uniformed size. 
A successful creation of genetically male bluegill strains would have a tremendous impact on the sunfish aquaculture industry by increasing the growth rate of 30-35% and saving energy expenditure by 20-30% for sex growth. In 2018, the aquaculture team at Piketon created a large number of all-male producing broodstock of bluegill, which will enable us to produce a commercial-scale of all-male monosex bluegill. The all-male monosex strain will be available to the aquaculture industry in 2019. 

Faster-Growing Largemouth Bass
OCARD at Piketon genotyped  approximately 1,250 largemouth bass in total from 28 populations across the United States. Based on the genetic data and in collaboration with Southern Illinois University Carbondale, we identified a fast-growing strain. We conducted an experiment to compare growth performance of the identified strain vs. an Ohio control group and results showed the fish from the identified group grew 89.5% faster than the control group. The results provide a valuable base for developing fast-growing largemouth bass broodstocks for industry.

For more information about those fast-growing strains, please visit cfaes.osu.edu/stories/defying-the-laws-nature.

By Dr. Hanping Wang
Senior Scientist 

The Ohio State University South Centers, in partnership with Ohio Aquaculture Association (OAA) and University of Wisconsin–SP (UWSP) and Wisconsin Aquaculture Association (WAA), have successfully completed the second year of Aquaculture Boot Camp-2 (ABC-2).

ABC-2 offers new and beginning farmers integrated training in aquaculture/aquaponic production and business management strategies with “3-I” levels: Intensive, an in-depth level involving immersion in a year-long hands-on training and mentoring program; Intermediate, a mid-level involving participation in a variety of learning activities; and Introductory, a general level where sharing of information is the goal. 
The program offers a multi-faceted approach, including classroom and hands-on training, paired with industry mentoring to enhance the sustainability of new and beginning aquaculture/aquaponics and next generation farmers in the Midwest. ABC-2 completed 2018 goals on all the “3-I” levels. 

Intensive
Twenty-four monthly informative, educational modules and materials were developed in aquaculture/aquaponics and business/marketing in Ohio and Wisconsin in 2018. 
Each module was designed to coincide with seasonal activities on a typical aquaculture/aquaponic farm so that a participatory hands-on training event can simultaneously occur each month. 
Thirty and 35 new or beginning aquaculture/aquaponic farmers in Ohio and Wisconsin, respectively, were recruited in 2018 to participate in this intensive, hands-on aquaculture production and business training. Twenty-seven new and beginning farmers in Ohio, and 29 in Wisconsin, gained aquaculture/aquaponic production knowledge, business and marketing awareness and understanding, gained new perspectives, learned and practiced skills, and aspired to be more successful after completing the ABC-2 Intensive program. 

Intermediate 
We offered ABC-2 Intermediate level in 2018. This less-intensive training allowed participants to choose among the 12 monthly modules and three workshops, one conference, and one bus tour in both Ohio and Wisconsin. Four hands-on farm-based and classroom-based workshops were conducted by ABC- OAA/WAA. More than 200 additional new/beginning farmers in Ohio, and more than 395 in Wisconsin, were trained and mentored through ABC-2 Intermediate. 
A total of 198 and 108 people attended the OAA-ABC and WAA-ABC Annual Conferences, respectively. Thirty-one people attended the OAA Annual Bus Tour in Ohio. Forty combined students in Ohio and Wisconsin registered for the ABC-2 Intermediate program to participate in the online learning resources.

Introductory
Digital recordings of the ABC-2 Intensive training classes and practices were conducted and edited. An ABC-2 website was developed and has links to aquaculture information, podcasts, and updates of ABC-2 activities. Additionally, ABC-2 Introductory provides training and information through facility tours, individual and group counseling, phone, and email. Other than new farmers trained in Intensive and Intermediate programs, 76 people were trained through field days/farm visits/trips. There were 1,050 people who gained knowledge through visiting the ABC website, 871 people gained knowledge through our emails, and 172 people received support and information through the phone system.

Internship
The ABC, OAA, and WAA have established an internship program designed to provide apprentice-type training opportunities for new and beginning aquaculture farmers, and give established farmers a chance to mentor newcomers. Eight interns in Ohio and Wisconsin received training through ABC/OAA/WAA internship program in 2018. 

Mentoring Leadership and Guidance 
With the ABC program, the OAA and WAA provided mentoring leadership and guidance for new and small rural farmers. The activities included coordinating the ABC-2 mentoring and internship programs, providing an annual conference and bus tour of aquaculture farms, facilitating cooperation among new farmers and existing farmers, compiling and distributing information on aquaculture/aquaponics for new and small rural farmers, and creating and maintaining the ABC and OAA/WAA websites. ABC specialists worked together with OAA and UWSP/WAA staff to enhance OAA and WAA’s website, newsletters, and marketing strategies and opportunities. ABC-OAA’s and WAA’s annual conferences were organized, and eight issues of aquaculture/aquaponics newsletters were published in Ohio and Wisconsin in 2018.

These achievements were from multi-team efforts by OSU, OAA, UWSP, and WAA. Jordan Maxwell, ABC-2 Program Coordinator, coordinated all the ABC-2 activities in 2018. Matthew Smith, Jordan Maxwell, Brad Bergefurd, Chris Smalley, Christie Welch, Hannah Scott, Ivory Harlow, Brad Bapst, Ryan Mapes, Paul O’Bryant, Dean Rapp, and many non-OSU instructors/mentors taught ABC-2 students in 2018. Duane Rigsby and Sarah Swanson completed video recording and editing for all the classes and workshops and uploaded to the ABC website, and captured pictures of each exciting moment. 

Year 3 Perspective
The ABC Ohio Aquaculture, Business, and Marketing team and OAA have planned to foster more additional workshops, a bus tour, internships, and newsletters available to the Intermediate and Introductory ABC-2 students in 2019. ABC students in the future will plan to visit more aquaculture facilities. The ABC Wisconsin team and WAA have planned to continue all the “3-I” level classes workshops, bus tour, internships, and newsletters available to the Intensive, Intermediate, and Introductory ABC-2 students in Wisconsin in 2019. ABC students in the future will plan to visit more aquaculture facilities.

Dr. Hanping Wang’s book “Sex Control in Aquaculture” has been published by Wiley-Blackwell after three years of planning, coordination, writing, and revising. The book consists of two volumes and has a total of 888 pages. 

The Editor-in-Chief is Dr. Hanping Wang, Principal Scientist at the Ohio State University South Centers’ aquaculture research center, in addition to co-editors Dr. Francesc Piferrer of Spain and Dr. Song-Lin Chen of China. Dr. Wang and his aquaculture team also contributes six chapters of the book. Sarah Swanson assisted in chapter coordination and Joy Bauman, Bradford Sherman, and Jordan Maxwell assisted in English editing. 

The first comprehensive book of its kind, Sex Control in Aquaculture covers basic theory for sex control and sex control practice in major aquaculture species worldwide. It consists of 41 chapters and the contributors are internationally recognized scientists from around the globe. Currently, aquaculture, the fastest growing food-producing sector, contributes about 50 percent of the world’s food fish based on the Food and Agriculture Organization’s recent report. 

Sexual dimorphism in growth performance, ultimate size, and gonad value (e.g. Caviar) in a wide spectrum of fish species make the sexes unique from each other for aquaculture production for human consumption. On the other hand, energy expenditure for reproduction related processes and activities, including gonadal development, courtship, chasing, mating, breeding, competition, parental care, etc. are undesired in terms of food production. Therefore, sex control and monosex production knowledge and technologies are extremely important for aquaculture professionals and industries to improve production, reduce energy consumption for reproduction, and eliminate a series of problems caused by mixed sex rearing, and for conservationists to control invasive species using sex control approach.  

This publication provides very useful scientific information for commercial use, biological sciences, and for aquaculture researchers. For more information about the book, please visit: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9781119127291 

By Dr. Hanping Wang
Senior Scientist 
and Jordan Maxwell
Program Coordinator

The OSU South Centers, in partnership with OAA and University of Wisconsin–SP, have successfully started the second year of Aquaculture Boot Camp-2.

The program offers a multi-faceted approach, including classroom and hands-on training, paired with industry mentoring to enhance the sustainability of new and beginning aquaculture/aquaponics and next generation farmers in the Midwest. In 2018, we are running parallel 3-I level (Intensive, Intermediate and Introductory) ABC Programs in Ohio and Wisconsin.

Ohio:

The ABC-2 2018 Intensive class consists of 35 highly motivated fish farmers and aquaponics producers from across Ohio and West Virginia. The individuals selected consist of educators, business owners, researchers, students, and more – offering a broad spectrum of experience and knowledge. 

The kick-off session and classes were jump-started in February after January classes’ cancellation due to a heavy snow.  The session offered the students and their business collaborators an in-depth look into aquaculture/aquaponics production planning, business plan structures, and market identification. The students toured the OSU South Centers’ newly updated aquaponics system and aquaculture research facility, where they will be actively involved throughout the year. 

In March, ABC-2 students traveled to Fresh Harvest Farm, owned by Doug and Jeni Blackburn, for a tour of their aquaponics facility and a full day of learning. Matthew Smith, aquaculture extension specialist, covered key principals of aquaculture and aquaponics in the morning while guest speaker Brad Bergefurd, horticulture specialist at the OSU South Centers, taught plant selection and considerations in aquaponics. The afternoon breakout sessions focused on harvesting, packaging, legal considerations in aquaponics, and system components and construction, as well as successful fish husbandry practices.

In April, the third session held at the OSU South Centers combined business and biology. Hannah Scott, the CFAES Center For Cooperatives manager, gave an overview of cooperatives and their structure, while Brad Bapst, the Small Business Development Center Director, dove into cash flow. The afternoon breakout sessions offered the students a hands-on opportunity to learn about yellow perch spawning, artificial fertilization, egg ribbon incubation, fry estimation and stocking, and pond fertilization instructed by South Centers aquaculture research staff members Paul O’Bryant and Dean Rapp.   Matthew Smith introduced RAS and Biofiltration to the students and walked through the South Center’s aquaponics system design. 
The OSU South Center ABC-2 team has a plan for future sessions throughout the year and looks forward to bringing the ABC students the most up-to-date industry information and practices. 

Wisconsin: 

An extensive Aquaculture/Aquaponic Boot Camp-2 agenda was developed with 12 workshops to be offered during 2018. Thirty-six applicants, all interested in starting an aquaculture or aquaponics business, were selected to participate in the ABC-2 Intensive program. Attendance at the first four workshops has been around 90% with each participant also developing a pilot project that they discuss at each workshop. Final project presentations are scheduled for January 2019.
Three of the four business and marketing workshops have been scheduled or took place in 2018. At the March 3 ABC-2 Intensive workshop, presentations were given by the WI Small Business Development Center, where assistance by the Center was discussed in addition to an introduction to marketing and how to access publically available marketing research/data. 

On August 13-15, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP), Nelson & Pade, Inc. (NPI), and the Wisconsin Aquaculture Association (WAA) will host a three-day workshop that will focus on the fundamentals of aquaculture/aquaponic business and marketing. Attendees will be introduced to small business concepts and how to navigate the myriad of rules, regulations, permits, business and loan applications, and zoning and marketing approaches. 

Following that event, on August 18, a business and investment opportunities in aquaponics workshop will be hosted and provided by NPI. This will be a one-day course for entrepreneurs, investors and individuals interested in starting an aquaponics business.  The course will focus on the start-up, planning, operation, economics, marketing, profitability, ROI, and business models for commercial aquaponic ventures. 

The WAA, NPI and UWSP Aquaculture/Aquaponic programs selected six interns and paired them with established farms. The established farms have entered into a cost-sharing agreement with UWSP and have developed a rigorous, yet well-defined educational and training program for the interns. Each internship is taking place from May 29 – August 31, 2018 and is allowing the interns to apprentice and learn important aquaculture/aquaponic information provided by the producer, who also serves as the intern’s mentor.

The UWSP aquaculture/aquaponic websites (aquaculture.uwsp.edu and www.uwsp.edu/aquaponics) and Facebook pages are being used to distribute information on aquaculture/aquaponics for new and small rural farmers. Support is being given to the WAA to update their website (www.wisconsinaquaculture.com) and NPI recently updated their website (www.aquaponics.com) to be more user friendly and contain updated information. 

Discussion and initial plans have been developed to update the WAA newsletter, The Creel. ABC-2 intensive training and workshops are being digitally recorded and uploaded to the UWSP ABC-2 website (https://www.uwsp.edu/cols-ap/nadf/Pages/Aquaculture-Boot-Camp.aspx) and will also be made available through the OSU ABC-2 website (https://southcenters.osu.edu/aquaculture/aquaculture-boot-camp). 

On March 2-3, UWSP and WAA co-hosted the Wisconsin Aquaculture Conference in Marshfield, WI with the conference theme of “Aquaculture 2018: Strength in Numbers – Building the Industry with Collaboration, Training and Education.” The focus of the presentations was to combine private and public aquaculture/Aquaponic operations in an effort to share their experiences for new and limited resource farmers. Also, six interns are being mentored at aquaculture/aquaponic facilities in 2018. A bus tour of a variety of aquaculture and aquaponic businesses is scheduled for August 2018.

For more information about ABC-2, please contact Ms. Jordan Maxwell, ABC-2 Program Coordinator, at maxwell.411@osu.edu.

By: Hanping Wang, PhD, Senior Scientist

The first book, Sex Control in Aquaculture, is being published by Wiley and Blackwell in the summer of 2018 after two years of planning, correspondence, coordination, and writing, The book has around 910 pages and 2 volumes. The Editor-in-Chief is Dr. Hanping Wang, Principal Scientist at the Ohio State University South Centers. Co-editors were Dr. Francesc Piferrer of Spain and Dr. Song-Lin Chen of China. Joy Bauman, Sarah Swanson, and Jordan Maxwell assisted in English editing and chapter coordination.

The first comprehensive book of its kind, Sex Control in Aquaculture, covers basic theory for sex control and sex control practice in major aquaculture species worldwide. It consists of forty-one chapters and the contributiors are from internationally recognized scientists from around the globe.

Currently, aquaculture, the fastest growing food-producing sector, contributes about 50 percent of the world’s food fish based on the Food and Agriculture Organization’s recent report. Sexual dimorphism in growth performance, ultimate size, and gonad value (e.g. Caviar) in a wide spectrum of fish species make the sexes unique from each other for aquaculture production for human consumption. On the other hand, energy expenditure for reproduction related processes and activities, including gonadal development, courtship, chasing, mating, breeding, competition, and parental care, etc., are undesired in terms of food production. Therefore, sex control and monosex production knowledge and technologies are extremely important for aquaculture professionals and industries to improve production, reduce energy consumption for reproduction, and eliminate a series of problems caused by mixed sex rearing, and for conservationists to control invasive species using sex control approach.

This publication will provide useful scientific information for commercial use, biological sciences, and for aquaculture researchers. For more information about the book, please visit: https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1119127262

The 2nd book is World Perch and Bass Culture: Innovation and Industrialization, which is written in both English and Chinese and is being published by China Science Press. Perch and bass, belonging to Serranidae, Percidae, Moronidae, and Latidae families of the Perciformes, have worldwide importance as food and recreational fish. Global production of perch and bass is around 1,000,000 tons.

The economic value of perch and bass is comparable to cold water species salmon and trout. Comparing to the globally mature aquaculture industry of salmon and trout production, perch and bass are generally suitable for a wide-range of rearing areas and are well-suited for commercial production because of their fast growth. Aquacultural production of perch and bass is in the early stages of development and expanding rapidly. Therefore, there is much potential for expansion of perch and bass aquaculture. This book covers recent developments and innovations in genetics and breeding, nutrition, and culture technologies in major aquaculture perch and bass species, such as Chinese perch, largemouth bass, yellow perch, European perch, pikeperch, striped bass, and walleye.

By: Matthew A. Smith, Extension Aquaculture Specialist, The Ohio State University; Nicholas Phelps, Assistant Professor and Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center Director, University of Minnesota; Alex Primus, Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota

The North Central Regional Aquaculture Center (NCRAC) is one of the five Regional Aquaculture Centers that was established by Congress in 1988. Their primary focus is linking an Industry Advisory Council to University researchers and Extension in the Midwest (12 state region). While aquaculture researchers are not in abundance in the North Central Region (NCR), Extension FTEs who are experienced in aquaculture are extremely limited. In order to disseminate information and improve technology transfer, an Extension Specialist facilitated a NCRAC Aquaculture Webinar Series that was very popular with industry and University alike. However, a lack of a hands-on component is a clear and understandable limitation of the project. The currently funded two-year project (2017-2019) complements the webinar series and enhances learning outcomes for participants by providing multiple hands-on, advanced aquaculture techniques workshops throughout the NCR. Topical areas for these fee-based workshops include culture techniques for important NCR aquaculture species, advanced aquaculture systems design and management, aquaculture business and marketing, water quality maintenance, advanced fish health diagnostics, and aquaculture regulatory issues. Additionally, workshop presentations and materials will be posted on NCRAC’s website and Ohio State University South Center’s website for archival and dissemination. The workshops are being evaluated for quality of content and delivery as well as their effectiveness in improving farmer knowledge, profitability and sustainability. This evaluation data will help refine future NCRAC endeavors optimize the leveraging of funding and learning outcomes and impacts.

The first workshop that this project contributed to was the annual Iowa Aquaculture Conference in 2017 and in February 2018 we contributed a session on aquaponics and recirculating aquaculture systems at the joint event with North Central Regional Aquaculture Center, the Kansas Aquaculture Association, and the Missouri Aquaculture Association. Future events are currently being planned to be held in 2018 and 2019 in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Indiana. With extreme limitations of Extension personnel with aquaculture experience in the Midwest, these types of projects allow us to be more efficient, proactive, and engaged in communities that normally do not have University aquaculture presence.

Forbes Magazine listed sustainably farm-raised fish and shrimp products as the number sixth most popular trend by chefs in 2016. Additionally, in 2017 and 2018 the National Restaurant Association listed sustainably produced seafood at number five in their annual What’s Hot: Top 10 Foods list. In Columbus, Ohio and surrounding sprawling cities in the Midwest, it is becoming more and more evident over time that the “Local Food Movement” is real, growing, and something that’s demanded by millennials and other generations alike. We hope that more hands-on workshops and training exercises will assist farmers in providing for this growing movement and allow for more seafood products used by restaurants to be sourced locally.

References:

Bender, A. 2016. Top 10 food restaurant trends. Forbes Magazine. https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewbender/2016/11/30/top-10-food-restaurant-trends-of-2016/#68f46c1b76b0. November 30.

National Restaurant Association. 2016. http://www.restaurant.org/News-Research/News/Whats-Hot-Top-10-food-trends-in-2017. December 8.

National Restaurant Association. 2017. What’s hot: top 10 foods for 2018. http://www.restaurant.org/News-Research/News/What%E2%80%99s-Hot-Top-10-foods-for-2018. December 4.

By Hanping Wang, Senior Scientist

After two years of planning, correspondence, coordination, and writing, the book Sex Control in Aquaculture is in the process of being published by Wiley and Blackwell in the summer of 2018. The  Editor-in-Chief is Dr. Hanping Wang, Senior Scientist at the Ohio State University South Centers aquaculture research facility, in addition to the co-editors Dr. Francesc Piferrer of Spain and Dr. Song-Lin Chen of China. The first comprehensive book of its kind, Sex Control in Aquaculture, covers basic theory for sex control and sex control practice in major aquaculture species worldwide.

The book contains forty-one chapters and the contributors are internationally recognized scientists from around the globe. Currently, aquaculture, the fastest growing food-producing sector, contributes about 50 percent of the world’s food fish based on the Food and Agriculture Organization’s recent report. Sexual dimorphism in growth performance, ultimate size, and gonad value (e.g. caviar) in a wide spectrum of fish species make the sexes unique from each other for aquaculture production for human consumption. On the other hand, energy expenditure for reproduction related processes and activities, including gonadal development, courtship, chasing, mating, breeding, competition, and parental care, etc., are undesired in terms of food production. Therefore, sex control and monosex production knowledge and technologies are extremely important for aquaculture professionals and industries to improve production, reduce energy consumption for reproduction, and eliminate a series of problems caused by mixed sex rearing, and for conservationists to control invasive species using sex control approach. This publication will provide very useful scientific information for commercial use, biological sciences, and for aquaculture researchers. For more information about the book, please visit: https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1119127262.

By Hanping Wang, Senior Research Scientist

OSU South Centers Aquaculture research team has completed whole genome sequencing of yellow perch and bluegill. These are the first Percidae and Centrarchidae (sunfish) that have been fully sequenced.

Yellow perch belong to the family Percidae, including about 200 species in 10 genera. The perch, darter, and their relatives are in this family and well-known species of great economic value include the three species of perch, walleye, sauger and ruffe.  

The bluegill is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae. The family has 37 species including many well-known species such as largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, rock bass and crappies. All are native to North America only.

Both yellow perch and bluegill are very important aquacultural and recreational fish species. Bluegill display high levels of both intraspecific and intersexual reproductive competition, with males growing significantly faster and bigger than females. Yellow perch display a distinct pattern of sexual size dimorphism versus bluegill, with yellow perch females growing much bigger and faster than males. Monosex culture of these two species has a great advantage for the aquaculture industry. However, their gender regulation and sexual size dimorphism mechanism is unclear. It has great scientific and economic value to identify the sex determining genes and discover sex differentiation and sex determination, and sexual size dimorphism mechanisms.

Information of the whole genome in these two species makes it possible to see how genes interact with each other, and examine the exact gene that governs economically important traits such as fast-growing and disease resistance. In domesticated animals, such as cattle, pig, chickens, and other major aquaculture species (e.g., catfish, salmon, trout, and tilapia), their genomes are being used to improve breeding programs and production. The completion of the genome of yellow perch and bluegill allows the same to be done with these two species. The perch and sunfish genome sequence data provide useful genetic resources and lay an important foundation for discovering the molecular mechanism of growth, sex determination and sex control, reproduction related to aquaculture, and conservation of wild stocks for over 100 economically and environmentally important percid sunfish species.

By: Hanping Wang, PhD, Senior Research Scientist

Summary of Achievements: In 2014, in collaborations with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center Molecular and Cellular Imaging Center (MCIC), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Lincoln University of Missouri, the Ohio Soybean Council, Battelle, and several international institutions, we accomplished ten research studies and projects including the 3-year on-farm on-station tests of improved yellow perch vs. local unimproved fish; published four journal articles and eight proceedings abstracts; received two grants; trained eight graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and scholars; completed/submitted seven new grant proposals; and made 8 presentations at international conferences.

O’GIFT (Ohio Genetic Improvement of Farmed-fish Traits) Program: The O’GIFT program is expected to increase aquaculture production of perch, bluegill and largemouth bass by 35-50% through the development of genetically improved broodstocks for producers.

On-farm and on-station tests of improved yellow perch in ponds: The 3-year project of the on-station and on-farm tests of genetically improved yellow perch was completed on three sites in two states using both separate rearing and communal rearing methods. This is an important step for commercialization of genetically improved strains. The testing results showed improved fish exhibited 27.6% - 42.1% higher production, and 25.5% - 37.5% higher growth rates, while having 12.3% - 27.8% higher survival than local strains, on the average, across the three sites.

Performance test of OSU improved perch vs. Bell perch in Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS): Two strains, 500 fish of each, were provided by Bell Aquaculture. OSU provided 500 fish from its genetically improved line. Each strain was tagged with visible implant elastomer color tags, and stocked to each of the two 6’x6’ round recirculating tanks and a 10’ x 5’ round tank with flow-through water, and communally raised in the same density/environment for an accurate comparison. After the 6-month test, OSU genetically improved lines outweighed Bell perch strains by 43.6% on average. This result shows OSU improved perch not only significantly grow faster in pond conditions, but also in recirculating tank systems. The 43.6% improvement can potentially save perch farmers as much as 43.6% of the grow-out time in both pond and recirculating tank systems.

Genomic sequence and tool development: In collaboration with OARDC MCIC, we completed restriction-site associated (RAD)/DNA sequencing of five strains of yellow perch to develop single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and identify genomic diversity of those strains for further improved perch growth. We also completed RNA sequencing of males and females in yellow perch to identify genes associated with sex dimorphism and sex determination, and developed a all-female yellow perch population using improved fish. The all-female population should be able to grow 50% faster than unimproved regular mixed populations. In addition, we completed RAD/DNA sequencing of white and black crappie to develop SNPs and identify genomic diversity of those species for a future crappie breeding program.

Improvement of egg hatching rate for industry: In 2014, we completed a project on determining efficacy of formalin, iodine, and sodium chloride in improvement of egg hatching rate and fry survival prior to the onset of exogenous feeding in yellow perch. The study revealed that formalin was a more effective disinfectant to improve the hatching rate and survival to first feeding fry of yellow perch than iodine and sodium chloride. To improve the hatching rate ,a concentration of 150 to 250 mg L-1 for 30 min is recommended to disinfect the eggs of yellow perch daily from the beginning to the eyed stage. The results have been published in Aquaculture Research and will be used by fish farmers to improve the egg hatching rate and fry production of yellow perch.

Yellow Perch Breeding: Multiple improved lines of yellow perch have been developed, and over one-million genetically improved fish have been distributed to fish farms. Three male populations with a female genotype have been created, which could produce fast-growing all-female populations for the aquaculture industry. Three projects related to sex-control and breeding were completed and three manuscripts on these projects are in preparation or in revision.

Bluegill Breeding: Three experiments related to sex-control and genotypes by environment interaction on sex ratio were completed. The findings on effects of temperature and genotype on sex determination and sexual size dimorphism of bluegill sunfish have been published in Aquaculture, a prestigious international journal. The results from these experiments provide a valuable base for developing all-male broodstock for bluegill, which could grow 35-50% faster than mixed populations.

Soy-Aqua Research Initiative:

In collaboration with the Ohio Soybean Council and Battelle, two projects have been completed in 2014. The first study, comprised of five major experimental phases, was conducted to develop indirect criteria to improve residual feed intake (RFI) of soybean diets (SBD) in yellow perch for selective breeding. With the high cost of feed for animal production, genetic selection for animals that metabolize feed more efficiently could result in substantial cost savings for fish producers. The current study showed that the weight loss during the feed deprivation period and the weight gain during a subsequent period of re-feeding are linked to variations in RFI in yellow perch. Such traits could be used as indirect criteria for improving RFI in fish through selective breeding.

In the second study, a modified soybean meal (MSBM) containing high protein and lower levels of anti-nutritional factors (ANFs) relative to regular soybean meal was evaluated as an alternative for fishmeal in the diet of yellow perch with significant success. Higher growth performance and feed utilization was observed for 50% replacement of fish meal (FM) by MSBM fed groups compared to 100% replacement of FM by soybean meal and MSBM fed groups. Modified soybean meal with high protein and low ANFs has considerable potential as an alternative to fishmeal in aquafeed.

Aquaculture Genetics and Breeding Laboratory:

This is the first lab of its type in the Midwest and is crucial to the success of the O’GIFT program and the improvement of farmed-fish traits. In this lab, genetic relatedness charts and genetic pedigrees of selected broodfish have been constructed for breeding programs for the past years. Family identification technology using DNA for selective breeding in yellow perch and bluegill has been established. Genotyping 900 fish from the breeding center for constructing genetic relatedness charts for the breeding program was finished in 2014. The data generated from the lab in 2014 has contributed to fourteen papers in prestigious international journals and proceedings, including twelve published in 2014.

International training program:

Leading research in aquaculture genetics and breeding at OSU South Centers has attracted more than twenty scientists and international scholars to work in the aquaculture research center and genetics lab at Piketon. In 2014, the lab trained eight visiting Ph.D. students, post-doctorial researchers and international scholars from four countries. These individuals significantly contributed to the aquaculture program’s success at the OSU South Centers.

By: Laura Tiu, PhD, Director of Ohio Aquaculture Extension and Brad Bergefurd, Horticulture Specialist

Introduction

Aquaponics is a growing area of interest for Ohio citizens in both urban and rural areas driven by the demand for locally grown food. The OSU Aquaculture and Horticulture Programs have received multiple requests for information each week. Seventy-five percent of current Aquaculture Boot Camp participants, new and beginning farmers, expressed interest in aquaponics. Additionally, multiple internal requests for information have been received from the College of Agriculture Engineering, the OSU College of Medicine, Ohio Sea Grant, and the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Unfortunately, unbiased Ohio research-based data to share with the interested clients has been limited. To address this, an OSU Extension Innovation grant was received to develop and construct a research/demonstration-scale aquaponics system at the OSU South Centers. The system, in operation since October 2013, was used for training and available for touring to the over 300 visitors that visited the OSU South Centers in 2014.

Methodology

In June 2013, a demonstration-scale system was constructed in a glass greenhouse at the OSU South Centers. The system consisted of a 500-gallon tank for rearing the fish, a biofilter for solids removal and nitrification, and three shallow water rafts, 3’ x 5’ x 6", for supporting floating raft culture (Figure 1). Rafts were made from 1 inch Styrofoam board. Holes were drilled in the Styrofoam to support small net pots for germination and growth of various plant species. Water flowed from the fish tank, through the biofilter and rafts, and was collected in a sump where a small pump returned the water to the fish tank. One small air pump also provided oxygen to the fish tank. A small amount of water (approximately 10 gallons) was added daily to accommodate for evaporation, leaks and plant uptake.

Water parameters were measured throughout the trials. Dissolved oxygen, temperature and pH were measured daily, while ammonia, nitrate, hardness and alkalinity were measured weekly. The system was operational on July 13, 2013 and a three week break-in period was initiated. Twelve 4-5 inch tilapia and one bluegill were stocked into the system on July 13, 2013. Fish are fed to satiation daily, approximately 1 oz. of fish food (approximately 1% bw). Three fish jumped out of the tank before seeds were planted.

Results

Phase I – Fall 2013

Phase one was designed to compare the effect of three commonly used growing media (Figure 2), expanded clay pellets, expanded shale, and potting soil, on production of two leafy greens, mizuna and red leaf lettuce, in a six-week growing trial. Nine tilapia and one bluegill were stocked into a 500 gallon tank and fed to satiation on a daily basis.

Seeds were placed directly on the media in net pots on August 22, 2013. The majority of the seeds germinated on day two. By week three, plant growth had slowed (Figure 3). It was hypothesized that this may be due to not enough nitrates being generated by the small number of fish in the system, given the nitrate level remained at zero. Because of the lack of nutrients, the plants were small and discolored.

Water quality tests showed a system pH of around 8. While this is fine for fish, plants prefer a pH under 7 and had difficulty synthesizing what nutrients were there. Plants were harvested on October 3, 2013 after 6 weeks of growth.

Additionally, weaknesses in the system were identified. Water levels need to be constantly maintained so that gravity could move the water. There were several locations where this could break down. The system design needed to be upgraded to reduce the chance of overflow, back-up, etc. The Styrofoam rafts also needed modifying with smaller holes so that the net pots stop dropping through and the plants are at a more appropriate water level.

Phase II – Winter 2013/2014

With a system redesign complete, the same experiment was repeated for phase two. On October 12, 2013, approximately twenty-five pounds of small yellow perch (2-3 inch) were stocked into the 500-gallon tank and fed to satiation. Net pots were seeded with red leaf lettuce and mizuna on November 1, 2013. Hydrochloric Acid (Muriatic acid) was added as needed to the water to control pH. Plants germinated and were

growing slowly, when a fish kill occurred on November 22, 2013. It was determined that high ammonia levels were the cause of the fish kill. Plants continued to grow in the system and were harvested December 12, 2013.

Phase III – Spring 2014

The experiment was repeated for a third time in the spring. The system was restocked with approximately forty pounds of yellow perch (3-6 inch) on March 25, 2014. On April 3, 2014 float trays with the three media were seeded with mizuna and red leaf lettuce. Plants were harvested May 1st. In this trial, the plants failed to germinate or grow well due to the salt and mineral build-up on the media.

Production Results (combined from all phases)

Media                                          Species                                           Production (ounces/sq.ft.)

Styrofoam float tray                    Mizuna                                             19.11

Styrofoam float tray                     Red leaf lettuce                               11.44

Expanded Shale                          Mizuna                                             1.15

Expanded Shale                         Red leaf lettuce                                 8.15

Hydrocorn                                  Mizuna                                               1.21

Hydrocorn                                  Red leaf lettuce                                   7.44

Discussion

In this demonstration-scale system, the Styrofoam float trays filled with soilless potting mix performed the best in all the trials. The expanded shale and Hydrocorn both accumulated minerals and salts that inhibited the germination of seed and slowed growth. Red leaf lettuce performed most consistently in the system with mizuna performing well only in the Styrofoam float trays. The Styrofoam float trays with soilless potting mix are a good option for these small hobby-scale systems as they are inexpensive and readily available.

There were quite a few steep learning curves associated with this system, including system design, construction, operation and water quality balance. A lot was learned and shared with numerous clientele. The interest in aquaponics continues to grow and The Ohio State University should be prepared to offer research-based information to the public. Continued investment into the industry is warranted.

Future Plans

Two new varieties of mini-head lettuce, Dragoon and Rhazes, will be produced on a rotational basis with one float bed being harvested every two to three weeks. Data will continue to be collected from the system and educational tours will continue. For future trials, we will no longer utilize the rock media because of salt mineral buildup but continue to use the Styrofoam float trays with soilless potting mix. We are considering getting some backup power as a recent power outage resulted in a fish kill. Options for water treatment, such as a reverse osmosis system, are being explored.

(Editor’s Note: The following is the latest in a series of feature stories highlighting The Ohio State University South Centers Staff)
By Bradford Sherman
CFAES/OSU South Centers

Change can be one of life’s wonderful blessings, in that it keeps things fresh and exciting.

Perhaps no one at The Ohio State University South Centers has been going through more exciting life changes lately than Jordan Maxwell. Within the past year, the 24-year-old became a first-time mom, changed jobs, moved into a new home, and now is preparing to welcome a second child into the world.

We’ve all gotten to know Jordan as the Program Coordinator of Aquaculture Boot Camp II (ABC), a position she is still fulfilling through the end of the year, since joining South Centers in 2016. But now, amid all the changes going on in her personal life, she is learning the ropes of a new position as a Research Assistant in the Soil, Water, and Bioenergy Program. 

All of that is fine with Maxwell, who, in fact, credits her employment with OSU as a major catalyst for all the blessings she is experiencing right now.

“Becoming a member of The Ohio State University family here at South Centers has led to many great opportunities,” she said. “It has allowed me to settle down here in the area, start a family, and now I’m blessed to be able to continue my career here in this new position.”

Maxwell interviewed for her new position in July and accepted the job offer in August. This new role came along at just the right time for her, as her temporary appointment with ABC was set to expire in December.
Like the last, her new job is also a term position that will keep her with South Centers for at least another three years. She says she loves the work, the atmosphere, and the people at South Centers, and that she would someday love to move into a permanent role and someday retire as an OSU employee. 

“Working here has allowed me to expand and grow, and the people that you work with really make a difference in how much you love your job. Even though my drive to work is about an hour, it doesn’t seem like it at all, because I enjoy coming here and working so much.”

Before joining OSU, she worked as a fisheries technician at Apple Grove Fish Hatchery in West Virginia.
Maxwell is originally from Beavercreek, which is located near Dayton. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors and engaging in related activities such as hunting, fishing and hiking. It was these interests that led her to pursue an education in natural resources. She earned an associate’s degree from Hocking College and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rio Grande in Fish and Wildlife Management and Conservation.

It was at Rio Grande that Maxwell met her husband, Coleton, and they now reside in Cadmus at the family farm he recently inherited. They plan on raising cattle and a few crops, alongside their growing family. The couple welcomed their first child, Emersyn, in February of 2018 and are expecting a second daughter who is due to be born in February of 2019.

(Editor’s Note: The following is the latest in a series of feature stories highlighting The Ohio State University South Centers Staff)

By Bradford Sherman
OSU South Centers

Whether it’s the UPS man, fellow employees, familiar faces, or complete strangers, they all have one thing in common when visiting the Research and Extension Building at The Ohio State University South Centers – they are always greeted with a smile and a friendly “hello.”

That is thanks to Sarah Swanson, a Program Assistant who every day staffs the front office as its first point of contact, and greets all comers with a friendly demeanor and helpful disposition.

Swanson has been the smiling face of South Centers, having always been stationed at her familiar spot next to the sliding glass windows, since joining the staff in November 2014. She provides support services to the aquaculture and soil and water teams, assists with running the equipment for the center’s weekly telecasts, updates many parts of the South Centers website, and provides graphics support for all program areas.

Swanson says she enjoys her job at South Centers because of the variety of people she gets to work with, and because every day is a unique challenge.

“The work is different every day,” she explained. “It never gets boring. One day it may be general administrative work, and the next I might get to tap into my creative side through working on video production and graphic design.

“It is also exciting that I get the opportunity to work alongside so many different kinds of talented people. Here at South Centers, we have people representing many different age groups, ethnicities, and are versed in many different professional disciplines.”
Swanson, who is originally from Chillicothe, earned Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio University – Chillicothe in 2012 and an Associate’s Degree in Graphic Design from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 2014.

In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, especially hiking, and engaging in activities related to the arts such as listening to music and photography.

Swanson and her husband, Justin, reside in Chillicothe.

By Ryan Mapes
Endeavor Center Manager

The Endeavor Center operated at a 100% occupancy rate for most of 2018, however the new year brings some challenges and opportunities as the Endeavor Center is going through a period of slight transition. 

During 2018, we had three partners graduate, but were fortunate to have new partners ready to come on board to fill the vacated offices.  Recent partners that have joined the Endeavor Center include:  

State Street Laboratories LLC – SSL operates as an independent diagnostic testing lab and a forensic toxicology testing lab in Piketon and Athens.

Health and Wellness Bootcamp – this company helps people connect the dots between food, mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. 

Foster’s Creative Capital Inc. has changed status from a virtual partner to obtaining a physical office.  This company is focused on assisting local business owners in finding alternative sources of capital.  
Hoy insurance Group joined as virtual partner. Virtual partners do not occupy a physical office, but can utilize shared work areas and office equipment in the Endeavor Center.

InSolves, the center’s largest partner, has purchased a manufacturing facility in Piketon and is in process of moving operations to that location.  Over the next year, an office suite and the large manufacturing high bay areas will become available. Congratulations and thank you to InSolves for being a large contributor to the Endeavor Center’s success.

The Endeavor Center applied for, and received, a grant from the Economic Development Administration to hire a consultant to complete an expansion feasibility study.  One of the outcomes from the study will be to help management understand what types of incubator space are in demand.  

Co-working space and maker space are types of spaces that have become increasingly popular in the incubation industry.  Co-working space is a self-directed, collaborative, flexible, and voluntary work style that is based on mutual trust and the sharing of common core values between its participants. Co-working involves a shared workplace, often an office, and independent activity. Unlike in a typical office, those co-working are usually not employed by the same organization. 

A makerspace is a collaborative work space inside a facility for making, learning, exploring, and sharing that uses high-tech to no-tech tools.  These spaces are open to entrepreneurs and could have a variety of maker equipment ranging from 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC machines, soldering irons, or even sewing machines.

As of January 2019, there are 18 partner companies that occupy 25 office and light industrial bay spaces.  We also have four virtual partners that occupy the building on a part-time basis but do not occupy an office.  The Endeavor Center training rooms and studio are being utilized frequently by OSU programs, our partners, and outside organizations.  Fluor continues to hold many off site meetings at our facility and our SBDC continues to strengthen partnerships by jointly hosting training events with local business development partners.

By Ryan Mapes
Business Program Leader

The Ohio State University South Centers is currently serving as the Southeast Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) lead affiliate through September 30, 2019. 

Our team recently submitted a proposal to continue serving as the lead MEP affiliate for Subregion 1, plus several contingent counties for the years 2020 and 2021. Counties requested to service are as follows: Adams, Athens, Gallia, Guernsey, Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pike, Ross, Scioto, Vinton, and Washington. 

The primary goal of the program is to accelerate the growth of over 500 regional manufacturers identified as small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMMEs) within the region. In addition to providing growth advisory services, MEP at OSU South Centers will leverage Ohio State’s resources and relationships to create a robust support network.

The MEP at South Centers has identified the five largest manufacturing clusters within the Southeast region: food, wood products, polymer and chemical, primary metals, and automotive supply chain. The MEP at South Centers will develop targeted services by data gained directly from regional companies to address NIST’s Next Generation Strategy Initiatives of continuous improvement, technology acceleration, supply chain optimization, sustainability, and workforce development. 
The program will also will work closely with the other five Ohio MEP organizations to provide SMMEs with access to numerous resources and facilities throughout the region and state, as well being a conduit to such resources as The Ohio Manufacturing Institute, the Robert C. Byrd Institute, Shawnee State University, and third-party consultants. The program will create a regional network of resources for client companies that is closely integrated with economic development organizations and business service providers, as well as academic institutions, in order to exponentially increase impact in providing resources to SMMEs.

The MEP at South Centers will employ growth advisers to work with manufacturing leaders across the region to solve businesses’ issues and improve the economic competitiveness of the small and mid-sized manufacturing base. These growth advisers will provide one-on-one consultation for clients, get to know and understand the client’s business and needs, and serve as conduits to relevant and qualified resources and providers to meet those needs. 

By Bradford Sherman
CFAES/OSU South Centers

For a glimpse of what the future of our educational programming might look like – watch this.

Use of video as a medium for transmitting information has been expanding at The Ohio State University South Centers. Following its largest ever period of growth in 2018, and with ambitious plans in the works, 2019 looks poised to be the best year yet for video.

What’s more, utilizing video technology is a key part of the South Centers strategic plan for how programming will be delivered to stakeholders, partners, and residents – and thus an even greater emphasis will be placed on it moving forward.
“Our future is in multi-channel programming,” stated Dr. Thomas Worley, Director at OSU South Centers. “Whether it be through local access cable networks, YouTube, webinars, or what have you – all are viable means of broadening the reach of our programs.”

South Centers, along with the University of Rio Grande, for years now, have collaborated in the production of educational videos, but clearly the best days for video still lie ahead. New shows, formats, and use cases are all under development, and you will begin to see the medium being used more prolifically as the year progresses.

Currently, most of the video content produced by the two educational partners take the form of a talk format with a host(s) and guests, covering a variety of topics including scientific research, community, Extension, education, business, and spirituality.
“We try to provide a variety of different content for those individuals who specifically have a need for them,” said Executive Producer Patrick Dengel, who heads up the collaboration between the two entities and has his hand in pretty much every aspect of the operation – he hosts, produces, promotes, and anything else that needs done.

Some of the most popular programs include those with an agriculture and natural resources-based theme like John Grimes’ Ag News, a show focused on issues facing the beef industry, and Natural Resources Specialist Dave Apsley’s Tree Talk. Another popular show, however, is hosted by Dustin Homan and titled Culture Cast. Homan’s work with international youth development takes center stage on the show, where he interviews college students about their adventures studying abroad.

“The reason we have so many categories of shows is … not everyone is interested in agriculture, and not everyone is interested in Extension work, but they may be interested in something like our dog training program or our arts and culture shows,” Dengel explained.

Dengel’s team includes Program Managers Duane Rigsby and Mike Thompson, of South Centers and Rio Grande, respectively, and South Centers Production Director Sarah Swanson. The number of different monthly shows the team churns out has grown to around 38 over the years, and there are currently around 46 hosts who appear either on a regular or part-time basis. 

These various programs are streamed live on Wednesdays (Rio Grande) and Thursdays (South Centers), and are always available on demand on YouTube. Additionally, all shows are also carried on PTV (Perkins Telecommunications), a public educational access channel located in the Youngstown area, and select shows also air on Rio Grande Cable Access and Hillsboro public access television.

The South Centers YouTube channel, which had 147 public uploads in 2018, saw massive gains in nearly every measurable. The channel nearly doubled in the major categories of subscribers gained, total views, and minutes watched. 
The channel also grew in the sense that hosts from outside the South Centers campus are getting on board, such as CFAES Dean Dr. Cathann Kress, Melissa Vince with the Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation, and various Extension educators like Christine Gelley, who hosts one of the most popular new shows, Forage Focus.

“I think it is fantastic. Bringing in outside talent also brings South Centers recognition in the fact that we are doing something very positive that they can incorporate,” stated Dengel.

In 2018, video production at South Centers also got a new home, moving from “BOB” (a colloquialism for the building out back) to a larger space on the second floor of the Endeavor Center.

“We have a lot more space to move around, and work with our equipment,” said Production Director Sarah Swanson, whose penchant for fine details like proper lighting, audio, and content framing helps give the content a high-quality look and feel. “It is better for sound and lighting, and everyone and everything looks far more realistic because we are not right on top of the green screen now.”

Looking ahead to 2019, Dengel says he is looking at diversifying the content you will see on the channel. The approximate half hour talk formats are not going anywhere, but plans call for the inclusion of shorter videos that focus on more specific topics.
“We’re going to do more 5-10 minute shows, and also two minute shows,” explained Dengel. “The two-minute shows would touch one topic very quickly, kind of a bird’s eye view of the topic. The slightly longer 5 to 10-minute format will take a specific item and really explore it. This is about getting away, a little bit, from the talk format and into more of an instructional-type thing.”

The use of video, particularly through a platform as immensely popular as YouTube, will also help South Centers and Rio Grande reach a younger demographic, according to Rigsby, who in addition to a program manager for video projects, also serves as Technology Coordinator at South Centers.

“Video really gives us the ability to expand our programming to the younger generations, your millennials, Generation Z, and younger,” he said. “It is the only way we are going to reach that demographic, video is easily the most popular way they look for content.”

So in addition to what is already being done, what is the next step in growing the footprint of video content? Dr. Worley is encouraging all programs at South Centers to embrace the medium and find ways to utilize it. “I encourage all of our program specialist and staff to engage in applying these delivery methods,” he said.

Dengel also says he would love to see one of the shows be picked up and aired on an NPR station, and to gain even more traction on more public education television stations.
Anyone interested in either hosting a show, or if you are affiliated with a television station that is interested in carrying educational shows from OSU South Centers and the University of Rio Grande, contact Dengel by calling 740-708-7810 or email him at dengel.3@osu.edu.

Endeavor Center

2018 is off to a good start for the OSU Endeavor Center business incubator. The center operated at nearly a 100% occupancy rate in the first two quarters, having only one space available for lease.  A new partner application was recently approved and a start-up health coaching business will take possession of that office next month.  

There has also been much activity and many visitors through the doors.  We have hosted many training events and business meetings while continuing to receive requests to schedule meeting space at later dates.  In summary, there are 18 (soon to be 19) partner companies that occupy 26 office and light industrial bay spaces.  We also have four virtual partners that occupy the building on a part-time basis, but do not occupy an office.

Small Business Development Center

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) continues to grow with its successes in assisting businesses achieve their goals.  The SBDC provides business counseling and assistance to individuals who are either starting or growing their business. The Piketon center is staffed with highly trained, Certified Business Advisors® (CBA) to help small businesses and entrepreneurs with development and growth to increase sales and create jobs in their local communities.

Regional partnerships are the primary source of referrals for SBDC at the OSU South Centers.  Collaborative efforts with local chambers of commerce and economic development offices serve as the primary conduit to connect entrepreneurs with the services of the SBDC. The South Centers also maintains formal agreements with local universities for regional economic development collaboration. Pike County Community Action and the Minority Business Assistance Center are also key partners with the SBDC. These relationships help the region’s entrepreneurs, business owners, and small manufacturers with technical assistance and training.
Services Include:

•    Business assessment evaluation                            
•    Cash flow analysis                                                  
•    Financial projections development                          
•    Strategic business planning                                    
•    One-on-One business counseling               
•   Identifying sources of capital
•   Workshops and training programs
•   Marketing strategy development 
•   Market feasibility and research
•   Export Assistance

To schedule an appointment to meet with one of our highly trained counselors, contact Brad Bapst, SBDC Center Director, at 740-289-2071 ext.230, or email bapst.4@osu.edu. 

Lumber Grading Training

In 2011, Ohio’s forest products industry, encompassing forestry and logging, wood products manufacturing, paper manufacturing, and wood furniture manufacturing, employed approximately 47,200 people, created $4 billion of labor income, and produced outputs of approximately $13.6 billion (Coronado et al 2015).  

The Southeast region, which encompasses many of Ohio’s Appalachian counties, contains the most intensive primary processing of forest products in the state and the highest concentration of sawmills producing greater than 5 million board feet of lumber annually (Coronado 2015). According to an analysis by Michaud and Jolley (2016), the Appalachian region of Ohio is home to over 60% of the state’s sawmill employees, which contributed approximately $711 million to the region’s economy.

The importance of the forest and wood products industry to the region prompted the OSU South Centers Business Development Network, in conjunction with the Manufacturing Extension Partnership and National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA), to host a Lumber Grading Short Course in April. 

Fourteen participants in the NHLA-taught courses learned the basics of hardwood lumber inspection and received hands-on grading training; skills that will help them as they pursue opportunities across the forest and wood products industry, or work to improve their company’s processes and valuations in order to become more profitable. 

Most of the course participants were current employees of local lumber businesses; however, a few of the attendees were local high school students and support organizations interested in the forest and wood products industry as a career opportunity or knowledge enrichment.  Participants who successfully completed the course received the NHLA lumber grading certification; a certification that is highly regarded in the lumber industry.  

The success of the course has prompted the OSU South Centers Business Development Network to make plans to continue to offer the course annually. 

Manufacturing Extension Partnership

The Ohio State University Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership affiliate in southern and southeast Ohio, partnered with OSU South Centers to host a Lean Training event in the Endeavor Center on April 17. Scioto Productivity Solutions provided the training and there were 12 attendees who participated.
During the day-long event, the trainer covered topics such as introduction to Lean, basics of TPS, history of TPS, tools, how-to implement, keys for small business, leadership, and Six Sigma, as well as incorporating several hands-on activities to bring the training to life.

Attendees will be able to return to their companies with a tremendous conceptual understanding of Lean, begin basic implementation, and also be in a great situation to receive additional training at their company site for a more in-depth, comprehensive Lean program. This additional implementation can also be provided by CDME/MEP as a service to the company.

Aquaculture Boot Camp 2018

Due to adverse weather in January, Aquaculture Boot Camp II was postponed until February, when we met our 34 recruits and went over the yearlong agenda on which they were about to embark.  Throughout the year we plan to continually work with these attendees in, not only the technical side of an aquaculture/aquaponics operation, but also the business side. 

It is our mission to help them reach their business goals by assisting with development of business and marketing plans, as well as financial projections they can take from the session and determine if this is a viable business for them.  Like with any other business in which we work, we hope to better educate and help form a plan prior to jumping in and not realizing what all may or may not be involved.  Each month we will have a business session focusing on important aspects that come with starting and successfully running a business.  We also will meet with clients on a one-to-one basis in order to dig deeper into their business ideas and answer questions that pertain to their differing situations.  

OSU South Centers and University of Rio Grande Telecasts

Mr. Joe Perkins, owner of Perkins Community TV in Youngstown, Ohio and Shane Reinhert of Anderson Community TV in Cincinnati, Ohio are now replaying OSU / URG Telecasts that are aired each week on Wednesday afternoons and Thursday mornings. These telecasts encompass 28 - 30 different half hour broadcasts each month, are live-streamed, and are saved on OSU South Centers and University of Rio Grande YouTube channels.  Many Telecasts are also aired on Rio Grande Cable Access TV.  There are 6-9 different telecasts each week.

Viewers can easily see the telecasts by visiting  go.osu.edu/osusc and go.osu.edu/riogrande.
Formats of the telecast follow a Public Access TV format, providing educational programming geared to persons in the fields of agriculture, banking and economics, arts, museum, community, tourism, sports, health, technology, business, and organizations.

By Ryan Mapes, Endeavor Center Manager and Business Development Network Program Leader

At the statewide SBDC conference, two of our team members won Peer Awards. Congratulations to Chris Smalley for winning the Innovation Award for his work with Aquaculture Boot Camp by teaching business principles to participants each month. Congratulations also to Melissa Carter for winning the Marketing Award for her work assisting Southern Ohio businesses with digital marketing and website development. Both awards are well deserved!

Aquaculture Boot Camp has been developed to assist new and emerging aquaculture farmers understand the technical aspects of establishing and raising various species of fish at their farms to diversify their enterprises. This program is a yearlong intensive course that meets at the OSU South Centers monthly for a day of training. Time has been set aside at each class for the attendees to learn the business aspects of these new operations. Chris Smalley develops and teaches business courses that provide general business information to these farmers. He has created financial projections, marketing ideas, and sample business plans with specific assumptions for the Aquaculture industry, individual fish species, and various systems that can be put in place. He also recruits key resource individuals to speak in class about financial options to explore starting aquaculture facilities, how to market the product direct to consumer or wholesale, and ways to increase profitability. This partnership with the Aquaculture Program at the OSU South Centers has led to a new client base and attendees have benefited from not only learning the aquaculture for diversification opportunities but also understanding the business related principles to start this new venture.

Melissa Carter has created a niche offering to SBDC clients in Southern Ohio by developing and enhancing online marketing potential. Many clients are recognizing the need for online presence and diversifying how and where they sell their goods and services. Melissa works with clients to develop and/or enhance informational/basic websites, Etsy stores, and social media platforms. Through Wix and Weebly template based website creation pages, Melissa has created or enhanced over 15 different websites in the past year. This includes building a template from information gathered from the client, teaching the client how to utilize the site, and managing the site’s analytics and SEO. Additionally, she works to increase visibility on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and through Google Business, Yelp, and Trip Advisor. By offering these marketing services to the SBDC clients, an increased awareness and visibility of the SBDC offerings as a whole has been established. Clients are referred to Melissa for marketing assistance and then are established as long term through the continual growth of online presence. Melissa speaks at local and regional events about online marketing which allows business to also learn the various services the SBDC offers. A recent highlight for Melissa is that she presented an online marketing class in September at the 2017 America’s Small Business Development Center National Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.

By Ryan Mapes, Business Development Network Program Leader and Endeavor Center Manager

The Endeavor Center continues to operate at near 100% capacity.  We currently have 17 partner companies that occupy 25 office and light industrial bay spaces.  We also have three virtual partners that occupy the building on a part-time basis but do not have a physical office space.  At present time, we have a 200 sq. ft. office and a 400 sq. ft. office available, however in the last 3 weeks, have had three inquiries to lease those spaces.

One of the unique assets of the Endeavor Center is the composition of training, classroom and computer lab space.  These rooms are set up to accommodate meetings of up to 72 participants.  During the last quarter, our meeting rooms were rented 165 times.  You can view individual room set-up and capacity at the following link:  southcenters.osu.edu/endeavor-center

The Small Business Development Center also had a very active first quarter.  Our counselors have been working with many clients and have assisted with more than twenty new business starts since October.  We celebrated the first ever National SBDC Day along with SBDCs from around the country by promoting the OSU South Centers SBDC via use of social media.  Jim Laipply, the State SBDC Director shared, “This was a great opportunity for us to come together as a statewide network and as a national program to share the impact and reach of SBDC.  Additionally, Ohio was represented incredibly well across social media platforms with nearly a dozen Ohio SBDCs or SBDC host organizations posting on #SBDCDay. This was a great opportunity to see the power that social media can have in providing exposure to our program.”

The SBDC partnered with Community Action of Pike County Business Development to host a “Starting Your Business from Dream to Reality” course at the Endeavor Center.  This class met twice a week for five weeks.  Counselors for the SBDC taught segments in the areas of cash flow, financing, marketing, and social media.  There were 13 individuals who completed the class.

A Gap Lending Roundtable was held in February to link lenders with potential gap lending resources.  The audience consisted of area lenders and the program featured speakers from a dozen gap lending or alternative lending resources available in our region.  The intent of this workshop was to make introductions, network, and develop relationships between the lenders and lending resources in the area.

OSU South Centers SBDC counselors partnered with Ohio University and participated in a series of entrepreneurial promotion events in Scioto, Ross, Jackson and Pike counties.  The PORTSFUTURE Entrepreneurship Roundtable series events were held at the Shawnee State University, Ohio University Chillicothe, the Ohio State University Extension office in Jackson and at the Endeavor Center.

The Ohio Export Assistance Network program was recently recognized nationally for utilization of the IMAGE Grant.  Kelly O’Bryant, the Export Assistance Network counselor at the OSU South Centers was recognized for this award along with other export counselors from around the state at the NASBITE conference in Spokane, Washington.  The following paragraphs from the Ohio SBDC Newsletter describe the IMAGE Grant, it’s successes and export metrics obtained as a result.

“The Ohio Development Services Agency’s International Marketing Access Grant for Exporters (IMAGE) program was recently honored with the 2017 Advancing International Trade State Award by the National Association of Small Business International Trade Educators (NASBITE) at its annual conference in Spokane, Washington.

The Ohio Export Assistance Network program was recently recognized nationally for utilization of the IMAGE Grant.  Kelly O’Bryant, the Export Assistance Network counselor at the OSU South Centers was recognized for this award along with other export counselors from around the state at the NASBITE conference in Spokane, Washington.  The following paragraphs from the Ohio SBDC Newsletter describe the IMAGE Grant, it’s successes and export metrics obtained as a result.

“The Ohio Development Services Agency’s International Marketing Access Grant for Exporters (IMAGE) program was recently honored with the 2017 Advancing International Trade State Award by the National Association of Small Business International Trade Educators (NASBITE) at its annual conference in Spokane, Washington. 

In 2016, Ohio exported nearly $50 billion worth of goods and services worldwide. The IMAGE program, a state and federal grant, helps marketing internationally more affordable to Ohio small businesses.

“Ohio consistently ranks as one of the top ten exporting states in the U.S.,” said David Goodman, director of the Ohio Development Services Agency. “By helping small businesses market internationally, Ohio remains competitive in a global marketplace.” 

For the last four years of the program, IMAGE has provided a total of 441 grants to Ohio small businesses to assist with international marketing activities. Participating companies reported a total of $188.4 million in expected global sales generated from the activities supported by the IMAGE program.

Also, to increase the rate of success for Ohio small businesses in the global economy, the State of Ohio also offers programs to help small businesses hire an export intern, conduct market research and improve export processes. For more information, visit: www.exportassistance.development.ohio.gov 

The IMAGE program supported by the Ohio Development Services Agency (DSA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) through the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) offers financial assistance to small businesses to promote their products and services into international markets. 

For information about the IMAGE program, visit: www.image.development.ohio.gov” 

By Hannah Scott
Center for Cooperatives Program Manager

What do a small group of fish and shrimp farmers purchasing feed together have in common with a classroom full of high school students who share the work of a successful 200+ acre livestock and grain farm? What do a group of small-scale vegetable growers collectively marketing produce have in common with a barista-owned coffee shop?

They’re all cooperators.

At the CFAES Center for Cooperatives, we like to say, “If you’ve seen one co-op, you’ve seen one co-op,” a mantra that certainly seems to describe our work in 2018.  Over the last year, the Center’s team supported cooperative development efforts across Ohio and West Virginia in a variety of areas. Team members helped aquaculture producers develop a business plan for cooperative purchasing, an effort to make their farms more efficient and sustainable. They helped growers in Mansfield and Moorefield – Ohio and West Virginia, respectively – learn about the cooperative business model and develop market assessment tools to evaluate how they could use a co-op to access new market channels. They led the completion of a multi-organizational feasibility study for a cooperative in the forest and wood products industry. And they helped link veterans developing a farmer-veteran training program to resources in OSU Extension and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

These efforts were made possible by funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Cooperative Development Grant program, which will continue in 2019, supporting the Center’s efforts to strengthen rural economies through cooperative development. The Center will focus on cooperative development in food and agriculture, forestry, rural connectivity, and worker-ownership in 2019. 
The Center will also continue efforts to educate various audiences about the cooperative business model, building on successes launched in 2018. 

In June 2018, the Center launched Co-op Mastery: Beyond Cooperatives 101, an innovative online training course and companion workbook designed to educate cooperative members, boards, management, employees, and students. Co-op Mastery’s curriculum focuses on mid-level knowledge about the cooperative business model, providing an in-depth look at governance, finance, taxation, and other areas. Ivory Harlow, a program specialist with the Center, received the OSU CFAES Staff Advisory Council’s 2018 Key Values Award in the area of Innovation for her work developing Co-op Mastery. 

The Center also brought cooperative education to a variety of stakeholders through workshops and seminars in 2018, sponsoring the seminar, “Agricultural Data Coalition: Putting Farmers in the Driver’s Seat,” and co-sponsoring, “Co-op Law & Practice CLE,” in partnership with the University of Dayton School of Law and Advocates for Basic Legal Equity, Inc. (ABLE). 

Center team members taught cooperative workshops at conferences around the region and nationally, including the 2018 Association of Cooperative Educators Annual Institute and Building Wealth through Worker-Ownership in partnership with the Ohio Employee Ownership Center at Kent State University and the Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACENet). 

Center team members are looking forward to leading sessions at the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives 2019 Annual Meeting, the 15th Annual West Virginia Small Farm Conference, and the Ohio Small Farm Conference in 2019, among many others. 

Connect with the Center for Cooperatives on Facebook (@OhioStateCooperatives), Twitter (@OSUCooperatives), and the Collaboration Nation blog (u.osu.edu/osucooperatives).  

Visit the Center’s website at go.osu.edu/cooperatives and contact the Center at osucooperatives@osu.edu or 740-289-2071 ext. 111.

By Joy Bauman
Center for Cooperatives Program Coordinator

The CFAES Center for Cooperatives team has been working with the Agriculture Business Management students at the Ohio Valley Career and Technical Center in Adams County, Ohio to form a student-operated cooperative to manage the school’s 300-acre farm. The farm is a learning laboratory, providing valuable opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience managing and operating a farm. 

The students and Mr. Luke Rhonemus, the Farm Business Management program instructor and FFA advisor, have developed a relationship with the OSU South Centers staff over the past few years, starting with Joy Bauman who is currently a program coordinator with the Center for Cooperatives. Joy assisted the program in developing a working business plan for the school farm when Mr. Rhonemus first became the OVCTC Agriculture Business Management instructor in August 2016. Joy conducted farm business planning workshops and provided guidance to the students as they developed their farm business plan, which enabled the school farm to receive a $25,000 agriculture development grant from the Southern Ohio Agricultural and Community Development Foundation for infrastructure improvements and equipment purchases. At that time, the school farm comprised just over 100 acres. 

Recently, the district purchased an additional 200 acres to allow the students to expand the farm operation. Presently, the students raise beef cattle, meat goats, market hogs, corn, soybeans, and hay. For many years, tobacco was raised on the school farm, but presently, the students only raise tobacco seedlings in the program’s greenhouse to be sold as transplants. In addition, the students manage 300 taps for maple syrup production. The students sell the syrup, as well as freezer pork and hay.
Mr. Rhonemus, who is in his 17th year of teaching high school agriculture and is a lifelong farmer himself, wanted the students to get as much practical experience as possible, including making management decisions, hands-on production, and marketing. 

The CFAES Center for Cooperatives staff members have been working with the students to develop a student-operated farm cooperative using the worker-owner cooperative model. The students learned about agricultural cooperatives and cooperative principles through lessons taught by Hannah Scott, Joy Bauman, and Ivory Harlow. Staff members used Co-op Mastery, the Center’s online cooperative educational platform, along with its companion workbook to help the students develop their cooperative’s bylaws and to begin the business planning for the cooperative.

Students can become members of the farm cooperative by paying a membership fee or by working six hours on the farm. The cooperative members can choose to be affiliated with one or more of the farm production and management committee areas, including livestock, crops, specialty products, and ag mechanics. Each committee recently elected two representatives to the cooperative board of directors to make business and management decisions for the farm. 
“This will give the students hands-on experience with running a business, particularly a cooperative, and serving on a board of directors,” said Bauman. Meanwhile, all of the student co-op members have the potential to earn money and/or receive farm products based on their personal share of the work contributed to the co-op.

Bauman explained that being a farm co-op member and working on the school farm can be part of a student’s FFA Supervised Agricultural Experience project and help them meet the qualifications to earn their State and American FFA Degrees. The student members of the cooperative keep track of their hours spent working for the farm cooperative in the FFA’s online record-keeping system. At the end of the fiscal year, if the farm makes any profit and the board decides to return a portion of the profit to the members, patronage (surplus profit) can be returned to cooperative members to share in the profits or products from the farm, based proportionally on the time invested by individual members. But first, the student-managers must make sure that adequate resources remain to keep the operation going.

“Much like real-life farming, there is no guaranteed profit,” Mr. Rhonemus told his students. There is a chance that no patronage will be returned if the board determines that there are insufficient resources to do so at the end of the cooperative’s fiscal year. As with any farm or business operation, there is risk involved. “For our students, that primary risk is their time investment,” Mr. Rhonemus explained.

The students in the Agriculture Business Management and Ag Mechanics programs at the OVCTC have always worked on the school farm, caring for livestock and crops as well as working on equipment and performing routine maintenance. By forming a student cooperative to operate the farm, the students get to be involved on a new level. “We really do care about the management decisions we make and how that relates to the farm’s profitability, because that will determine how much each of our members financially benefit,” said junior, Kamden Crum, one of the co-op members. “It’s helping us to really see how important it is to operate our farm efficiently,” said senior, Jaycee Baldwin, another student member.
Bauman has enjoyed working with the OVCTC students and instructors. “Having students learn about the cooperative business structure, along with hands-on management of an agricultural cooperative just adds to the vast amount of practical experience the students receive in the OVCTC ag programs,” she concluded.

By Ivory Harlow
Program Specialist, CFAES Center for Cooperatives

On June 1st, 2018, the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences Center for Cooperatives, based at the OSU South Centers, launched Co-op Mastery: Beyond Cooperatives 101.

Co-op Mastery is an engaging, online cooperative course for a variety of co-op stakeholders, including steering committee members of new and emerging co-ops, students of co-ops, and new co-op board members or employees. 

“Co-op Mastery curriculum focuses on mid-level knowledge about the cooperative business model,” said Center for Cooperatives Program Manager, Hannah Scott.  “Training modules build on existing fundamental materials by providing an in-depth look at governance, finance, taxation and other areas not typically covered by courses in fundamentals, yet challenging topics for stakeholders.”

The training features eight modules which include video interviews with numerous leaders in the cooperative movement: 
•    Logan County Electric Cooperative General Manager Rick Petty discusses cooperative principles and various functions of cooperatives. 
•    Dennis Bolling, retired President and CEO of United Producers, Inc., shares the benefits that cooperatives provide to members. 
•    Mid-America Cooperative Counsel Executive Director Rod Kelsay discusses effective education and training for a co-op’s Board of Directors.
•    Ohio State University Extension Educator Dr. Chris Bruynis gives insight to key factors that contribute to a cooperative’s success.
•    Nationwide’s VP of Sponsor Relations Devin Fuhrman shares the story of Nationwide’s history as a mutual cooperative company.
•    Agricultural attorney Carolyn Eselgroth of Barrett, Easterday, Cunningham and Eselgroth, LLP addresses legal considerations when forming a cooperative business.
•    Co-Bank Senior Relationship Manager Gary Weidenborner leads users through an interactive financial document exercise. 
•    Dr. David Hahn, Professor Emeritus at the Ohio State University, explains cooperative taxation.

During the first 30 days the program was live and available to the public, Co-op Mastery directly impacted 268 individuals, through website visitors and cooperative education workshops taught by Center staff in Ohio and West Virginia. Workshop participants also received Co-op Mastery workbooks, a 48-page compilation of activities and examples, to supplement their online learning.
Co-op Mastery is a valuable digital tool for cooperative education. Microfarmers in northwest Ohio have used Co-op Mastery to learn about co-op governance. Co-op Mastery workbook business and financial worksheets help simplify the business planning process for farmers exploring the formation of a co-op. 

In July 2018, Program Manager Hannah Scott and Specialist Ivory Harlow presented Co-op Mastery as a tool for cooperative developers and educators at the 2018 Association of Cooperative Educators Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Attendees from across North America learned how to utilize Co-op Mastery as a digital tool for cooperative education and development.

Co-op Mastery: Beyond Cooperatives 101 was made possible by a Cooperative Education Grant from the CHS Foundation. The training is free and can be accessed online at 
go.osu.edu/coopmastery.

To request a workshop or more information, visit go.osu.edu/cooperatives or contact the Center for Cooperatives at osucooperatives@osu.edu or 740-289-2071 ext. 111.

By: Ivory Harlow Cooperative Development Specialist, CFAES Center for Cooperatives

Among draft horses, Belgians are reputed to be the strongest and most capable. A single Belgian draft horse can tow 8,000 pounds. More impressive is what two can do together; a team of two draft horses doesn’t just double- but triples pulling power to 24,000 lbs!

Like a team of draft horses, The CFAES Center for Cooperatives combined forces with industry, government and association partners to achieve great things in 2017. Collaboration created greater impact through cooperative education, technical and development assistance for stakeholders and students of cooperatives.

The Center teamed up with the Mid-Ohio Foodbank to share best practices with the Ohio and West Virginia Food Hub Network. Director of Food Resource Development, Mike Frank, led network participants on a tour, describing how the Foodbank has overcome challenges associated with the aggregation, storage and distribution of fresh food. The Network left with practical actions to improve their food hubs’ operational efficiency.

Collaboration between the Center for Cooperatives and the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development provided valuable information to local ag producers looking to diversify or enhance their operations.   A Value-Added Producer Grant informational session with key speakers from the USDA was hosted at the OSU South Centers, offering local producers an opportunity to ask questions and get answers from USDA grant experts.

The Center for Cooperatives worked closely with the Central Appalachia Cooperative Development Group to start Unity Coffee and Teahouse, the first worker-owned cooperative business in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Five Baristas and a coffee roaster created the co-op with a shared vision to foster a commUnity that supports workers, customers and local residents. Unity Coffee and Teahouse opened for business in January 2018.

The Mid-America Cooperative Council (MACC) brought together cooperative developers from across the Midwest to facilitate communication and coordination of co-op educational resources. The Center met with counterparts from Kentucky, Indiana and northeast Ohio at United Producers, Inc. headquarters in Columbus for a two-day roundtable. Developers discussed programming, goals and alignment. The Center identified opportunities to boost educational programming and technical assistance in the region by sharing knowledge and pooling resources.

The Center facilitated cooperative education for visiting scholars in the Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics over their stay in the United States, including an educational tour of agricultural cooperatives at the Farm Science Review. Scholars visited with representatives from Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives, Farm Credit, Heritage Cooperative, Dairy Farmers of America and COBA/Select Sires. The scholars returned to Ukraine motivated to share their newfound knowledge of agricultural cooperatives with students at their respective universities.

The Center connected with local vocational schools and FFA to build students’ awareness of careers in agricultural cooperatives. The Center hosted students at OSU South Centers, visited Ohio Valley Career & Technical Center FFA and served on an Ag Career panel in Ross County.

The Center worked with the Ohio State University CFAES Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics instructors to facilitate an undergraduate class project. Students interviewed cooperative leaders and created multimedia presentations sharing what they learned about the cooperative model.

Collaboration with partners created a great impact in 2017. The CFAES Center for Cooperatives intends to increase our horse power in 2018. We look forward to partnering with the Ohio Farm Bureau to provide cooperative education to the next generation of leaders at the AgriPOWER Institute and the Young Agricultural Professionals Winter Leadership Experience. The Center will forge new relationships with growers, producers and marketers at the annual Ohio Produce Network conference, the Ohio Association of Meat Processors conference, and the 14^th Annual West Virginia Small Farm Conference. Together, the Center and partners are resolved to drive forward the cooperative movement in the region and beyond.

By Ivory Harlow, Ohio Cooperative Development Center Program Specialist

Pumpkins are the third largest fresh market vegetable produced in Ohio. More than 7,000 acres across the state are dedicated to pumpkin production. According to the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, consumer demand for specialty pumpkins has grown steadily in recent years, and future growth is forecasted. The thriving market for pumpkins provides Ohio growers an opportunity to sell locally grown pumpkins at a premium price. 

Brad Bergefurd, horticulture specialist at the Ohio State University (OSU) South Centers, has conducted pumpkin research since 1998. His research identifies top-performing pumpkin cultivars with highly marketable traits and tolerance to plant diseases and pests. His reputation for helping farmers grow superior vegetables means Bergefurd often fields questions – from growers and buyers alike – about pumpkins, produce and fresh vegetable marketing.

In 2015, Brad received calls from regional buyers seeking pumpkins. “I was being contacted by larger buyers. I talked to local growers who I have consulted with for years and who had shared their interest in expanding to wholesale markets; but they did not have large enough acreage to do it on their own. I pitched the idea of a marketing co-op, and invited them to OSU South Centers to meet with Ohio Cooperative Development Center (OCDC) Program Manager Hannah Scott.”

A group of eight growers attended the meeting to explore how cooperatives benefit members. OCDC provided co-op education, assisted with business and financial planning, and guided the group through federal and state business filing procedures to legally form the Southern Ohio Growers Cooperative.

OSU South Centers provides comprehensive resources

The development and success of the Southern Ohio Growers Cooperative was a team effort. Several departments: horticulture, cooperatives, business and marketing, contributed to the project during start-up and continue to provide ongoing assistance.

Brad Bergefurd, whose horticulture research and connections initially brought the group together, continues to serve members with relevant pumpkin research. This year his research focuses on powdery mildew, a persistent problem for pumpkin growers in Ohio. Brad lends a helping hand to co-op members with cultivar selection, pest and disease problems control, and production questions.

The Ohio Cooperative Development Center provides ongoing technical assistance to the co-op. OCDC delivered board of director training, and helped members put a marketing agreement in place for the 2017 season. Hannah Scott assisted Southern Ohio Growers Cooperative members to develop end-of-year financial statements. “One of my proudest moments was seeing the co-op share first-year profits back with members,” Hannah Scott says. “That revenue would not have happened without the co-op.”

Chris Smalley, Small Business Development Specialist, helped the group forecast finances and production costs. Program Manager of Direct Marketing Christie Welch assisted members with their initial marketing plan, and to identify additional markets for expansion.

In 2016, Southern Ohio Growers Cooperative delivered over 500 bins of pumpkins to regional retailers. The co-op’s goals for the future include building a reputation for quality, increasing the volume of pumpkins and adding additional fresh produce offerings. OSU South Centers is here to help the Southern Ohio Growers Cooperative achieve their goals by providing comprehensive resources through collaborative partnerships.

By: Ryan Mapes, Endeavor Center Manager

The OSU Endeavor Center manager and staff of the affiliated programs at the Ohio State University South Centers continually engage community organizations to maintain awareness of changing needs in the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem and develop solutions to combat negative impact to the economy while promoting the regions resources and talents of the region. 2014 was once again a successful year for the Ohio State University Endeavor Center, its programs and its partners. Open since 2005, the 27,000 square foot business incubator has come to be recognized as a community leader in economic development, business training, and technological excellence.

Endeavor Center business programs and partners had another successful year. The technical assistance programs affiliated with or housed within The Endeavor Center include a Small Business Development Center, an International Development Center, the Ohio Cooperative Development Center and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership. All of these programs provide technical expertise and guidance to the small businesses housed in the incubator. In partnership with the Endeavor Center, the region’s Small Business Development Center was chosen as the top performing SBDC within six states by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA). Partners proceeded to work on several projects at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion facility. The Endeavor Center facility housed eighteen individual businesses which filled twenty-seven office spaces throughout the year and operating at more than 100% of its original occupancy capability. In the last five years of operation, the Ohio State University Endeavor Center and its business partners have:

• Created more than 1,300 high-skill, high-wage jobs, adding more than 115 million dollars of direct economic activity to the local community.

• In cooperation with the Small Business Development Center of Ohio, sponsored or conducted 320 business workshops, training sessions and seminars with nearly 5,300 attendees – business owners, prospective entrepreneurs and ambitious employees seeking to improve the profitability of their businesses so they can grow and provide additional employment opportunities for those in the community.

In August, a partnership was formed with Community Action of Pike County to combat potential federal budget induced layoffs at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion facility. Community Action Committee of Pike County received funding to create a temporary transition center to provide technical assistance for employees facing layoffs. In short time, the transition center was up and running in the Endeavor Center.

Also in 2014, the OSU Endeavor Center was chosen as The Ohio State University’s nominee for the national C. Peter McGrath Community Outreach and Engagement Award. In October, the OSU South Centers director, Tom Worley, and Endeavor Center manager, Ryan Mapes, attended the national outreach and engagement award presentation in Edmonton, Alberta to learn more about the award process. The Endeavor Center staff is currently working with staff on main campus to prepare the presentation for the 2015 national award process.

By Gary Gao, PhD, Extension Specialist and Associate Professor

As a part of Gary Gao’s new specialty crop block grant, he travelled to the University of Florida in Gainesville to meet with professors Rebecca Darnell and Jeff Williamson. Together, they had a multi-year and multi-state USDA-SCRI grant to work on grafted blueberry trees.  Dr. Darnell was the PI of the project.  She showed Gary their grafted blueberry trees that were designed to improve harvest efficiency.  Southern highbush blueberry cultivars were grafted on the sparkleberry, Vaccinium arboretum in their study.

Dr. Jeff Williamson was one of the co-PIs of the project.  He showed Gary some of the advanced selections of sparkleberry plants.  It was very interesting to see the wide range of plant heights and forms.  Although the USDA project ended a couple of years ago, the blueberry tree project will continue, many thanks to some of the new state specialty crop grants that Drs. Darnell and Williamson have received.  

Gary Gao also reached out to Dr. Wei Qing Yang of Oregon State University for help.  Dr. Yang was able to send Gary Gao some sparkleberry plants from his rootstock selection program.  He is in the process of patenting several of his selections.  Hopefully, Gary Gao and his team will be able to find a few good selections for growers in Ohio.

Gary Gao and Ryan Slaughter would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the USDA for a new specialty crop block grant.  The grant will support a two-year study on grafted blueberry trees and evaluation of processing blueberry cultivars.

By Gary Gao, Ph.D., Extension Specialist and Associate Professor; Ryan Slaughter, Research Assistant; and Michael Daniels, Formerly Student Intern, OSU South Centers

Our container fruit production plot has finally been set up and ready for your viewing pleasure after several months of learning, planning, and hard work. Since we are not necessarily nursery production experts, we reached out to a few people before we decided on the specifics of our container fruit production plot. We toured Dr. Altland’s research facilities in Wooster, Ohio.  Both Dr. Altland and his assistant Dan Troyer welcomed us with open arms.  We are very grateful for all of the excellent information from them.  Our container production is on drip irrigation and is supported by a very strong trellis system. 

If you would like to bring a group to tour our research plots in Piketon, Ohio, please let Gary (Gao.2@osu.edu) or Ryan (Slaugher.71@osu.edu) know.  Fridays are typically the best days for tours like this.  Gary or Ryan can share what we have learned.  We planted blackberries, blueberries and raspberries so far, and may add other fruit crops.

The main objectives of this study are to:

1. Explore the techniques and practices of container fruit production;

2. Explore an effective way to produce blueberries where soil acidification is not feasible;

3. Provide an effective method of winter protection for blackberries;

4. Extend the fruit harvest season by “forcing” early or later blooms and fruit ripening;

5. Help farmers diversify their farming operations.

There may be other benefits from this project. We use aged pine fines as our substrate for our container fruit production. Pine barks are the byproducts of paper industry. In southern Ohio, timber industry is a significant source of cash receipts for many landowners. Using byproducts of the timber industry can help everyone!   

Since soils on many hilly areas are not ideally suited for fruit production, high density berry production in containers might be a good option. Stay tuned for more information. Pay us a visit, if you can’t wait!

We showcased our berry container production plot at our 2016 Super Berry, Container Fruit Production and Wine Grape Field Night on July 7. With the weather turning out to be much better than we had anticipated, it was a good turnout for the field night.

We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to Dave Daniels, Director of Ohio Department of Agriculture, and Ms. Lori Panda, a senior program manager at Ohio Department of Agriculture for a specialty crop block grant. We also thank the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service for the Special Crop Block Grant Program. 

By Dr. Gary Gao
Extension Specialist and Associate Professor 

Ohio has quite a diverse fruit industry; and the high value fruit crops being worked with at The Ohio State University South Centers are aronia, blackberries, blueberries, elderberries, gooseberries, hardy figs, hardy kiwis, raspberries, wine grapes, and other emerging fruits. 

According to the 2012 USDA Agricultural Census, Ohio had around 352 acres of blackberries, 381 acres of blueberries, seven acres of currants, 1,980 acres of grapes, 401 acres of raspberries, and 24 acres of other berries.  Since 2012, quite a few growers have planted more berry crops.  The biggest area of growth has been blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries.  

While Ohio may not boast the largest acreage in berry crop plantings, these small fruits are worth a lot of money.  For example, an acre of blackberries on a rotatable cross trellis can provide a gross revenue of $45,000, and an acre of blueberries can generate somewhere between $16,000 to $40,000 in gross revenue.

Dr. Gary Gao, Extension Specialist/Associate Professor and co-Director with the Center for Specialty Crops at OSU South Centers, says he feels very honored and privileged to support such an important sector of Ohio’s agriculture. 

“I have been conducting extension programs, research projects, and international collaboration in the area of high value fruit crops since 2011,” said Gao. “Currently, our team consists of a research assistant, a research associate, a post doc, a Ph.D. from Brazil, and two visiting scholars from China.  We are also blessed to have a strong team members of farm operations, program delivery, HR, accounting, and IT support.” 

Extension Programs for Both New and Existing Growers:
Extension Programs in the areas of high-value fruit production have been the cornerstones of Gao’s work at OSU South Centers in Piketon.  Three of the main educational programs are the Blueberry, Bramble, and Wine Grape Workshop in March; Blueberry, Bramble and Wine Grape Field Night in July or August; and the Grape and Wine Analysis Workshop in December.  The program also provides extension support to OSU Extension offices across the state of Ohio, Ohio Produce Growers and Marketers Association, Ohio Grape Industries Program, and Farm Science Review offered by The College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University. 

Dormant pruning of berry crops is typically the main focus of the Blueberry, Bramble and Wine Grape Workshop. Normally, around a half hour or so is spent in the classroom introducing the program agenda and each other.  What follows is a trip to the field in order to show our program attendees how to prune blackberries, blueberries, elderberries, raspberries, and wine grapes.  Some years, aronia, currants, gooseberries, and other fruit crops of importance are included.  Hands-on pruning demonstrations are always a good way to show folks how to prune.  In 2018, the weather was good and the attendees of the workshop were able to learn basic and advanced pruning techniques for their fruit-growing operations. 

The Blueberry, Bramble, and Wine Grape Field Night was offered in September, 2018, which was later than the typical July or August time frame due to scheduling conflicts.  It focused on cultural management tasks, disease and insect identification and management, and fall fruit harvests, as well as key findings of research projects.  Both Ryan Slaughter and Gary Gao served as the featured speakers.

The popular Grape and Wine Analysis Workshop was held in December, 2018.  The program, as usual, drew good attendance and reviews.  Drs. Lisa Dunlap (OSU-Horticulture and Crop Science), Gary Gao, Maria Smith (OSU-Horticulture and Crop Science), Mr. Todd Steiner (OSU-Horticulture and Crop Science), and Mr. Patrick Pierquet (OSU-Horticulture and Crop Science) were the featured speakers of this one-day program. Gao called this an excellent example of active collaboration between the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science and OSU South Centers.

Farm Science Review is one of the best programs that CFAES offers to farmers in Ohio. Gao has been a regular presenter at the Small Farm Center at this huge show.  In 2018, he gave a presentation on container berry production to more than 40 attendees.  Despite searing temperatures, the attendees were very engaged and asked a lot of questions.      

Gao is also actively involved in the planning and delivery of Ohio Grape and Wine Conference.  This two-day program is a joint effort between The Ohio State University and the Ohio Grape Industries Program or Committee (OGIC), and draws a large audience from the grape and wine industry.  According to a 2016 economic impact study commissioned by OGIC, Ohio’s grape and wine industry has a significant impact of $1.3 billion on the state’s economy annually, is the 6th largest wine producer in the country, and produces and sells 1.2 million gallons or more than a half-million cases of wine. The industry also boasts more than 270 wineries, 8,067 full-time jobs.  See findohiowines.com/about-ohio-wineries/economic-impact/ for more information.      

Research Projects:
Container Berry Production Project Funded by USDA Through Ohio DOA
This project was completed in 2018.  Trialed were production techniques of blackberries, blueberries and raspberries in containers.  After three years of hard work, Gao is happy to report that berry production in containers can be a viable option in Ohio.
The best crop for growers, who do not have acidic soil, to try is blueberries.  That pretty much encompasses the entire state, as Ohio rarely sees a soil pH of 4.5.  Growers in northwest Ohio may find blueberry a viable crop to grow for the first time ever, if they grow in containers. 
The recommended container size is 10 gallons, and are round and square ones. The substrate used was 100% aged loblolly pine bark, a byproduct of the paper industry.  Growers could also add up to 30% of peat moss to the mix. There are also commercial mixes available.  Fertilizers were a combination of slow release fertilizers with micronutrients.  Nutrients can be incorporated or injected with drip tubes.  Acid injection to irrigation water will be a necessity if the alkalinity level is high.  The containers can be “buried” into raised beds for winter protection of the roots. “The blueberry bushes could live in the containers for many years,” explained Gao. “It is hard to tell exactly how many right now.  I am hoping for at least 15 years in 10 gallon containers.”

Grafted Blueberry Tree Project (Department of Agriculture and USDA)
Sparkleberry (Vaccinium arboretum) is a large shrub or a small tree and can be used as a rootstock for greater adaptability of alkaline soils.  The added benefit is that blueberry bushes grafted onto the sparkleberries can turn into a small tree for ease of machine harvest.  Homeowners may plant them as small ornamental trees for beautiful white colors in spring, tasty fruits in June or July and red fall color.  

Elderberry Fruit Ripening and Color Development Study
Dr. Pengfei Wang, a visiting scholar from Shanxi Agricultural University, conducted an experiment on fruit color development of elderberries in 2018.  American elderberries are a native shrub and can be used in many different ways, such as for wine, jam, medicinal, baked goods, and its flowers can be used in pancake batter.

A New Study on LED Inter-lighting of Raspberries in Greenhouse 
Ricardo Bordignon Medina, a Ph.D. student from Brazil, initiated a study on the use of LED lights on growth and phytochemical production of raspberries.  Gao would like to thank Dr. Chieri Kubota (HCS), Dr. Mark Kroggle (HCS), Jim Vent (HCS), Dr. Abhay Thosar of Signify (Phillips Interact), Ryan Slaughter, Dr. Pengfei Wang, and Dr. Rafiq Islam for their help with the project.  

International Program:
2018 Cochran Program – High Value Horticultural Crops
Gao and Beau Ingle applied for, and secured, a training grant to host eight Cochran fellows in 2018.  This was a two-week program.  The fellows visited many farms, organizations, and companies in Ohio.  It was a very successful program. 
For more information on our high value fruit crops, please contact Gao at gao.2@osu.edu

By Brad Bergefurd and Dr. Matt Davies

If you’re lucky, valuable fruit in high demand could be growing in a tree on your property. Per acre, a pawpaw orchard has the potential to produce an annual gross income of $50,000, including $15,000 per acre for fresh fruit, $30,000 per acre for frozen pulp, and $5,000 an acre for seed and scion wood. 

Due to the pawpaw’s enticing taste and untold culinary possibilities, it is in high demand by brewers, consumers, chefs, bakers, ice cream manufacturers, and fresh fruit purveyors throughout Ohio. Pawpaw production has been researched on a small-scale at the OSU South Centers in Piketon since the 90’s with small acreage observation and demonstration trials. 

In 2018, Marketing and Orchard Resource Efficiency (MORE) Ohio Pawpaw, a new statewide, grant-funded project spearheaded by Principal Investigators Brad Bergefurd, a horticulture specialist with OSU Extension, the outreach arm of CFAES and Dr. Matt Davies, an assistant professor in CFAES, were awarded funding for this research and education project thanks to a USDA and Ohio Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant.

Pawpaw trees, the largest edible fruit trees native to North America, grow from the Great Lakes down to portions of the Florida Panhandle with Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states making up the predominant growing region. Pawpaw trees produce greenish-blackish fruit, usually three to six inches long. The flesh is pale to bright yellow and contains a network of glossy, dark brown seeds. 

A pawpaw’s flavor is sunny, electric, and downright tropical: a riot of mango-banana-citrus that is incongruous with its temperate, deciduous forest origins. They also have a subtle kick of a yeasty, floral aftertaste somewhat like unfiltered wheat beer. 
“The flavor of pawpaws is forceful and distinct,” wrote culinary historian Mark F. Sohn diplomatically in his encyclopedic book, Appalachian Home Cooking.

The members of the Lewis and Clark expedition ate pawpaws for pleasure, and, for a period in Missouri in 1806, subsistence. Our early American ancestors enjoyed pawpaws for centuries, spreading them as far west as Kansas. In 1541, the expedition of conquistador Hernando de Soto recorded Native Americans growing and eating pawpaws in the Mississippi Valley. Even though they had to clear pawpaw trees to create farmable land, white settlers savored pawpaw fruit —often the only fresh fruit available nearby.

Want to try some pawpaw fruit? Ask around at your local farmers market, where pawpaw fruit may show up around August, September, or early October. It is not cheap, but you can have fresh pawpaw fruit shipped to you in season, and frozen pawpaw pulp year round. The specialty foods company Earthy Delights says that requests for pawpaws have gone up every year since National Public Radio first aired a story about them in 2011. You can also go directly to the source and contact other regional growers and gatherers, who may be selling both frozen pulp and mixed fruit. 

How to Drink Pawpaws
Can’t find fresh pawpaw fruit? Drink beer! Pawpaw-flavored craft beer is popular among Ohio craft beer enthusiasts and is perhaps one of the most accessible ways pawpaws have been brought to the people. Breweries such as Weasel Boy Brewing in Zanesville, Sixth Sense Brewing in Jackson, and Jackie O’s Brewery in Athens are just a few Ohio craft breweries using pawpaw in specialty craft brews. 
Interested in Pawpaw growing?

To acquire unbiased, research-based information to help grow the Ohio Pawpaw industry, over two acres of research orchards and  native woodland research trials have been established on the Columbus and Piketon campuses of OSU.  Pawpaw information from this and past years trials and from the Ohio Pawpaw Growers Association can be found on the projects web site at southcenters.osu.edu/horticulture/fruits/pawpaws, or to receive information on upcoming pawpaw trainings and field days, subscribe to the email list at go.osu.edu/horticulturelistserv or contact Brad Bergefurd at Bergefurd.1@osu.edu or call him at the South Centers. 

By Bradford Sherman
Ohio State University South Centers

Veteran hops growers and those looking to get started, alike, received valuable information, witnessed demonstrations, and more as part of a Hops Field Night held on August 8 and hosted by The Ohio State University South Centers.

Featuring Horticulture Specialist Brad Bergefurd, the educational opportunity included dinner and a tour of the South Centers hops field. Informational items and demonstrations covered as part of the tour included: galvanized trellis systems, hop mechanical harvesting demonstration, drying demonstration, insects and disease, pest management, nutrient management/fertigation demonstration, and drip irrigation management.

Approximately 30 participants took part in the field night activities; it was a significant number considering that the same program had been held twice around the state previously, and will be held in two other locations in the coming weeks. Many potential attendees chose to attend earlier or later sessions due to their closer location. It speaks volumes about the growing popularity of hops in the Buckeye State.

“The number of hops growers in Ohio has quadrupled within the last five years, and there is a major need for educational programs such as these,” explained Charissa Gardner, Program Coordinator for Bergefurd’s Horticulture program at OSU South Centers.

“Because it’s a relatively new industry for Ohio, there is not a whole lot of information about it readily available,” she said. “There is a thirst for information from the public; that is why these events are so popular, they fill a major need.”
A main ingredient in beer manufacturing, hops provide a bitterness that balances the sweetness of the malt sugars and provides a refreshing finish. Hops educational programs are some of the South Center’s most popular events and are designed to help growers and anyone interested in hops to learn more about Ohio hops and the Ohio craft brewing industry.

The same program will be held in Bowling Green on August 15 and in Wooster on August 23.

“We are holding them at various locations because: one, they are popular, and, two, there is a lot of interest all over Ohio,” Gardner added.

To preregister for the remainder of the 2018 hops field nights, you can call Gardner at 740-289-2071, ext. 132, or email her at gardner.1148@osu.edu.

By Gary Gao, Ph.D.
Extension Specialist and Associate Professor

Container Fruit Production:

Now in the final year of our project on container berry production, our team has made significant progress.  Among blueberries and brambles, blueberries seem to be the most difficult crop to grow, both in the field and in containers.  Blackberries are next in terms of difficulty. Raspberries, on the other hand, are much easier to grow in containers than blackberries and blueberries.

The pine bark media seem to have worked out well; with a pH level that is perfect for blueberries.  To make sure that water alkalinity is reduced, an injector was installed to add sulfuric acid.  Both macronutrients and micronutrients have been added each year since pine bark media have very little mineral nutrients.  

One of the last stumbling blocks for successful blueberry production is winter storage.  We have used row covers as a way to protect blueberry roots during the winter months.

However, this method is quite cumbersome since row covers may still need to be put on and taken off multiple times.  Dr. Gary Gao, Extension Specialist and Associate Professor at OSU South Centers, learned one neat trick from a company in Holland at the North American Bramble Growers Association’s Annual Meeting; Instead of covering the potted blueberry bushes with row covers, the blueberry containers are buried in preformed raised beds.  Half of the pots are buried in the raised beds.  We are going to test this method in 2018 and beyond.  Hopefully, we will have a truly viable blueberry production system without soil acidification in Ohio.

Hardy Kiwis and Hardy Figs in Ohio

Our research team members are quite busy planting many different fruit crops, such as hardy kiwis and hardy figs.  We are very excited about these two crops as potential cash crops for Ohio.  As with many new or rare crops, growers should be cautious and do their homework before they plant a lot of them.  Stay tuned for more information.

Blueberry Rootstocks

Ryan Slaughter, Lijing Zhou, and Jiangbo Fan have made trips to Indiana and/or Missouri to collect sparkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum) plants and cuttings for our blueberry grafting study. I do not know how many of you have gone to the woods to collect wild specimens; both Ryan and Lijing found out what its like when they went to a national forest in Indiana.  Well, Ryan and Jiangbo had a taste of it in Missouri too … the woods in Indiana take the cake, though.  

Fruit Extension Programs

We offered two major extension programs during the last six months or so.  These were the Ohio Grape and Wine Analysis Workshop in December, 2017 and the Ohio Cane Berry and Wine Grape Pruning Workshop in March.  Both programs were well received by the attendees.  Dr. Gao also gave presentations at the 2018 OPGMA Connect, Ohio Grape and Wine Conference, and Southwest Ohio Fruit and Vegetable (Specialty) Crop Conference, as well as fruit training programs in Athens, Delaware, and Ross Counties.

Acknowledgements: We would like to thank Ohio Department of Agriculture and USDA Agricultural Marketing Services for their financial support of research projects and extension program through several Specialty Crop Block Grants.

By: Gary Gao, PhD, Extension Specialist and Associate Professor

Our team had a very good year in both research and extension in 2017. We conducted several successful Extension programs at OSU South Centers in Piketon. We also participated in many regional, statewide, national and international programs. In 2017, Dr. Gary Gao authored or coauthored and published 13 fact sheets, one Extension bulletin, and five refereed journal articles. We received a new grant from the Ohio Department of Agriculture and USDA to work on blackberries, hardy figs and hardy kiwis (kiwiberries), and another grant from Ohio Grape Industries to continue our work on wine grapes. We added a Thermo Fisher Ultimate 3000 UHPLC and a MSQ Plus Single Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer to our fruit research lab. We also added several new members to our team.

Fruit Educational Programs at South Centers in 2017:

We conducted the Ohio Cane Fruit Pruning Workshop on March 16, 2017, Ohio Blueberry, Bramble, and Wine Grape Field Night on August 22, and Ohio Commercial Grape and Wine Analysis Workshop on December 14, 2017. These programs were well received by attendees. Dr. Gary Gao, Dr. Lijing Zhou, Ryan Slaughter, Dave Scurlock (HCS-OSU), Patrick Pierquet (HCS-OSU) and Todd Steiner (HCS-OSU) were the featured presenters at some of these programs.

Dr. Gary Gao also participated in several programs throughout Ohio and other states. Dr. Gao gave two presentations at the 2017 OPGMA Congress in Sandusky, Ohio, two more at the Southwest Specialty Crop Conference, one poster presentation at 2017 Annual Meeting of American Society for Horticultural Science, two presentations at Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents, and several presentations at the county fruit training program in Delaware, Lorain and Richland counties.  

Specialty Crop Research Projects:

We made good progress with our container production research of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. Blueberry bushes grew very well in containers after we increased dosage of fertilizers and acidification of irrigation water. Several types of containers were used in our study. Raspberry bushes produced lots of fruit while blackberry bushes had a significant amount of fruit as well. We will finish our container fruit production project in September 2018 and share all production data in a summary report.

Our grafted blueberry project went quite well too. We were able to secure sparkleberry plants from different sources in Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Missouri, and Oregon. Jiangbo Fan, Ryan Slaughter, and Lijing Zhou were able to collect some sparkleberry plants from a few state and national parks in Indiana and Missouri. We are hoping that a few promising sparkleberry plants will emerge as good rootstock for blueberry plants in Ohio and beyond.

We received a new specialty crop block grant to continue our work on blackberry production, and start examining hardy figs and hardy kiwis for Ohio.  Blackberry production using rotatable cross arm trellis continues to draw attention from growers.  This highly specialized training system is quite complicated.  We will establish a plot of blackberry using this system and hope to teach growers how to manage this system well.  We will initiate a comprehensive study of hardy figs and hardy kiwis as alternative cash crops for Ohio.  Both fruits are very tasty and highly nutritious.  We will test which cultivars are best suited for Ohio and how to grow them for maximum profitability.

Extension and Research Publications

Dr. Gao’s fact sheets are posted on OhioLine at https://ohioline.osu.edu/  You may want to check them out.  Dr. Gao’s fact sheets concentrated on backyard production of tree fruits and small fruits, tomatoes and soil testing.

Dr. Gao revised the award winning “Midwest Home Fruit Production Guide.”  This OSU Extension bulletin is available for sale from the CFAES Publications at http://estore.osu-extension.org/ To find this bulletin, you can try searching “940” or “fruit.”  This publication can also be purchased from OSU Extension offices throughout Ohio.  Please call for availability before you visit an extension office. “Midwest Home Fruit Production Guide” can also be purchased from Amazon.

In 2017, Dr. Gary Gao published three journal articles in the Journal of Forestry Research, one in the Journal of Food Microbiology and two in the NACAA journal.

Dr. Gao is one of the contributing authors of a new book entitled “Blackberries and Their Hybrids.” This book was edited by Dick Funt and Harvey Hall and published by CABI.  It is available for purchase at https://cab.presswarehouse.com/Books/BookDetail.aspx?productID=512515 or from Amazon.

Our Fruit Research and Extension Team at South Centers Is Growing too!

Our fruit research and extension team at OSU South Centers has been growing.  Dr. Lijing Zhou was hired as a research associate in July, 2017.  Mr. Yanling Chu of Jiangsu University of Science and Technology in China joined our group in September, 2017 as visiting scholar.  Dr. Jiangbo Fan was hired as a postdoctoral researcher jointly by Dr. Gary Gao and Dr. Ye “Summer” Xia of Department of Plant Pathology at OSU.

Ryan Slaughter, a research assistant, has been with our fruit team since 2014.  He has been Gary Gao’s “right hand man” for quite a few years and will continue to be a key member of our group.  Wayne Lewis, Farm Manager, also participated in many of our project activities.  Wayne has been quite instrumental our grape high tunnel project and vineyard maintenance.

Our Fruit Team is International in More Ways Than One!

In addition to having international members on our fruit team, our fruit research and extension team leader had reached China.  Dr. Gary Gao formed strong collaboration with Henan Agricultural University, Northeast China Agricultural University, and Shanxi Agricultural University in China.  He gave four international presentations in China in 2017 and visited many fruit and landscape plantings there.  His international experience certainly helped him generate many new ideas for his fruit research project in Ohio.  His active collaboration efforts also led to four refereed journal articles.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Ohio Department of Agriculture (Lori Panda), USDA (NIFA, SCRI, and Agricultural Marketing Services), and Ohio Grape Industries Program (Christy Eckstein) for their financial support of our fruit research projects and extension programs.  Our sincere appreciation also goes to many wonderful colleagues at OSU South Centers.  They are Marsha Amlin, Charissa Gardner, Rafiq Islam, Wayne Lewis, Paul O’Bryant, Dean Rapp, Duane Rigsby, Beth Rigsby, Sarah Swanson, and Dr. Tom Worley.  We are also thankful for the support of our colleagues from the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science at OSU.  They are Patrick Pierquet, Dave Scurlock, and Todd Steiner.

By: Brad Bergefurd, Extension Horticulture Specialist

Thanks to funding from the Ohio Fruit Growers Society, the Ohio Vegetable and Small Fruit Research and Development Program, the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, the Ohio strawberry harvest and marketing season expanded from a historical 3 week harvest season to a 5 month harvest and marketing season. New production techniques researched and taught by the OSU South Centers Specialty Crops program provided the basis for this extended season.

In an effort to increase local strawberry supply and availability and to capture consumer market demand previously sourced from out of state suppliers, Horticulture Specialist Brad Bergefurd as the strawberry research and education project Principle Investigator, acquired grant funding to conduct field and greenhouse research to introduce and develop new extended season strawberry growing systems to Ohio. The research and extension education program has resulted in extending the Ohio harvest season from a traditional 3-week harvest and marketing season to a 5-month harvest window, more than doubling yields per acre compared to Ohio’s traditional matted row production system.

In 2017, many Ohio strawberry growers reported the highest yields ever achieved on their farms, many exceeding 2 quarts per plant with annual strawberry retail sales exceeding $5 million. This new strawberry production system requires new plant types, not available in Ohio before. A propagation protocol and curriculum was developed and taught to assist with the development and creation of a new Ohio strawberry plug plant propagation industry where Ohio nurseries are now producing strawberry plug plants with annual plant sales exceeding $2 million.

Bergefurd and other Specialty Crops Team members have taught on season extension strawberry production techniques throughout Ohio for county-based Extension programs, field days and at 26 national programs, workshops and conferences, and have authored 18 technical reports and fact sheets on these new production techniques including day neutral production, plasticulture production, matted row production, greenhouse and high tunnel production. These strawberry production techniques have now been adopted by farms throughout Ohio, the Midwest and Canada.

By Dr. Gary Gao, Extension Specialist and Associate Professor

We are very happy to welcome Mr. Yanliang Chu to our fruit research and Extension team at OSU South Centers in Piketon.  Mr. Chu is an instructor of the College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China. He came to the U.S. in September, 2017. Mr. Chu received a M.S. in Animal Science from Zhejiang University in Hongzhou, China. He holds a B.S. in Biological Education from Yantai Normal University. Mr. Chu will assist Gary Gao with many of his fruit research projects and some of his Extension programs. Mr. Chu’s training at The Ohio State University is supported by a scholarship from Jiangsu University of Science and Technology.  

In China, Mr. Chu’s research efforts centered around the bioactivities (antimicrobial activity, enzymes activity and allelopathy) of the endphytes isolated from Saposhnikovia divaricate and other Chinese traditional medical plants.  He also teaches Biology for the College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology. Mr. Chu conducted research on the effects of external factors on the activities of immune serum in Macrobrachium nipponense. He was able to demonstrate antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of flavonoids extracted from Humulus scandens.

Mr. Chu will stay in the US for one year. We are very happy that Mr. Chu joined our group and look forward to productive collaboration in this coming year.

By Brad Bergefurd, Extension Horticulture Specialist

Thanks to grants from the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the United States Department of Agriculture and the Ohio Vegetable and Small Fruit Research and Development Program, Ohio strawberry research and Extension education programs are increasing. Brad Bergefurd, Extension Educator & Horticulture Specialist, the projects Principle Investigator, is leading this strawberry research project to further support the growth of the expanding consumer demand for locally grown strawberries. 

By Brad Bergefurd, Extension Horticulture Specialist

Thomas C. Harker, Horticulture Research Assistant at  the OSU South Centers and  a 20-year dedicated OSU College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) and OSU South Centers Horticulture and Field Research team member,  was recognized with a plaque presented by OSU President Michael Drake in May as one of 12 from over 25,000 staff members at the Ohio State University selected to receive the prestigious 2016 Ohio State University Distinguished Staff Award.  Annually OSU honors twelve individuals for their outstanding achievements, service, leadership and dedication to The Ohio State University. The Distinguished Staff Award is the highest honor bestowed upon staff at the university since its inception in 1984.

Thom was also recognized and received the OSU College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) 2016 Staff Advisory Council (SAC) Above and Beyond Innovation Award. This award is given annually by CFAES to recognize a staff member for developing and/or participating in project initiatives and/or process operations improvements that enhances CFAES, Extension, OSU Agriculture Technical Institute (ATI) or OARDC and its mission. Thom was recognized and received a one-time cash award and a plaque which was presented to him by the CFAES Administration at the CFAES Staff Advisory Council’s staff recognition banquet in November at the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center.

Thom oversees daily management of Horticulture field & greenhouse research and Extension education projects at Piketon, Bowling Green and Wooster CFAES campus locations. He manages this research with an innovative approach, practical, and whole-hearted effort.  He has developed creative and innovative solutions to CFAES research facilities that have resulted in significantly more effective, economically viable, and efficient research operations. He provides outstanding and ongoing excellence in service to all program leaders, farmers, agriculture industry clientele, and OSU faculty, students and staff to enhance the CFAES research and Extension mission.

As new projects or ventures are implemented, Thom as a “Farmer Engineer” has invented machinery, equipment and/or processes to accomplish important agricultural research tasks at very modest costs, saving the University thousands of dollars.  Some of these innovative examples have been;  the modified grape hoe, deer fence, drip irrigation, hop high trellis system, moveable greenhouse or high tunnels (which have now been adopted by the agriculture industry), whole-farm underground irrigation and a bird netting applicator that can protect grape, berry, and fruit plantings, Israeli style micro-irrigation technology, tomato plant grafting methods, field plasticulture technologies, micro-fertigation of crops, and greenhouse food crop production technology.  Many of these innovations have been adopted by farmers not only in Ohio, nationwide but also by African researchers, students and farmers at the Université Gaston Berger in Saint-Louis, Sénégal. 

Thom currently manages operations of eleven field and greenhouse research projects that account for over $380,000 in external funding.  With his attention to detail, Thom can spot potential problems with field research operations before the problems affect important data collection and he rectifies the problems immediately to protect data collection.

Gary Gao, Ph.D., Extension Specialist and Associate Professor, OSU South Centers

Gary Gao shared his research and extension expertise on fruit production in 2016 with researchers, extension professionals, farmers, and college students in Gansu, Hebei, and Shanxi provinces in China. He gave four lectures to graduate students and faculty members at Shanxi Agricultural University (http://www.sxau.edu.cn/) and Hexi University (http://www10.hxu.edu.cn/w/Default.htm). In addition, he visited more than 10 farms and gave three presentations to farmers.

Gary Gao taught a daylong session on English writing to a master’s level class at Shanxi Agricultural University. He also conducted joint research with several faculty members there. He and his collaborators at Shanxi Agricultural University had one paper accepted in 2016 by the Journal of Forestry Research for publication in 2017.

Gary Gao hosted Dr. Dong Qin, an associate professor of fruit crops from Northeast China Agricultural University (http://www.neau.edu.cn/). Dr. Qin conducted joint research projects, demonstrated fruit production techniques, and visited growers in Ohio. Drs. Qin and Gao had two journal articles accepted in 2016 for publication in 2017.

Collaborative research and Extension work has been immensely beneficial to Gary’s research projects and extension programs in Ohio. For example, his invited trip to Gansu Province helped directly with his Super Fruits Project with Ohio Department of Agriculture and USDA, since he received first-hand knowledge on how Chinese goji berries are produced. He also applied for and received a training grant with Beau Ingle to host a team of Chinese visitors as a part of the Scientific Cooperation Exchange program between USDA and Chinese Ministry of Agriculture.        

By: Brad Bergefurd, Extension Educator Horticulture /Agriculture and Natural Resources 

Extension Education Nurtures Senegalese Farming Future

By: Brad Bergefurd, MS, Horticulture Specialist and Extension Educator

Developing West Africa’s food-production capabilities in an environmentally sustainable manner is important to ensure the continent’s future food security, economic development and political stability. With sixty percent of people in Africa depending on agriculture, the people of Northern Senegal are poised to begin growing more of their own food, reducing reliance on imports, and creating a more sustainable future based on self-reliance. An irrigation project by the World Bank created 1,400 hectares of newly irrigated land to be farmed by 243 farmers on small two-to-five-hectare plots. However, the availability of irrigated land solves only part of the problem. New farmers need a lot of technical and practical assistance to make sustainable agriculture a reality in Northern Senegal. Brad Bergefurd received funding from a $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Higher Education for Development (HED) and is providing training to Senegalese farmers.

Purpose: The objective of the project is to implement state-of-the-art agricultural education and extension programs at the Université Gaston Berger (UGB), focused on enhancing sustainable agriculture in the fragile Sahelien agroecosystems of Africa. A main objective of this project is to establish the land grant model at UGB, incorporating extension and research into the traditional teaching role of the university. This project is an innovative way to export the land grant model to Sub-Saharan Africa and to support sustainable agriculture. Impact: The partners, the Ohio State University (OSU) and Université Gaston Berger (UGB), are creating pilot extension and outreach program with the Senegalese farmers working the newly irrigated land,troubleshooting problems, and conducting farm research on site. An immediate problem the farmers face is the amount of time it takes to plant up to five hectares. These plots of land are much larger than typical Senegalese farms. A farmer is able to transplant 15 plants per minute and about 9,880 tomato plants are needed for one hectare. Bergefurd immediately understood the challenges farmers were facing and recommended they adopt mechanical transplanting technology. The inexpensive device can plant 50 plants per minute, dramatically reducing the amount of time needed to fill a field. With a solution available, education was the next step. The partners purchased a transplanter and shipped it to Senegal. Field demonstration and trainings were held in 2014 at the UGB student farm as well as on village farms. Recognizing the tremendous impact this technology can have on the future of Senegal, representatives from the media, farmers associations and UGB, as well as politicians, 113 local farmers and 144 students were in attendance. Local farming organizations are planning to purchase additional transplanters, and working to establish a local transplanter dealer in the Saint-Louis region.

By: Brad Bergefurd, MS, Horticulture Specialist and Extension Educator

Thanks to a grant from the Ohio Vegetable and Small Fruit Research and Development Program, strawberry winter protection techniques researched for Ohio conditions proved to help keep strawberry growers from experiencing total crop losses during the 2014 polar vortex event with several episodes of -10°F temperature conditions. Without protection, strawberry blooms can be injured at temperatures of 10°F. Strawberry yields were reduced throughout Ohio from the sub-zero polar vortex events, however, farms that had adopted the row cover protection systems researched at Piketon ended up protecting a percentage of their crop from total loss. Farms also have adopted the row cover treatments to protect their sensitive strawberry blooms from frost and wind-borne advective freeze events in the spring of 2014. Growers that adopted these winter protection techniques reported up to 40% higher yields than unprotected strawberry crops.

$165,000 grant received for Urban Agriculture Development

Thanks to the city of Dayton Community Development Block Grant for $165,000, Principle Investigator Brad Bergefurd along with Co-Investigators Tony Nye (Ag/NR Educator, Clinton County Extension) and Suzanne Mills-Wasniak (Ag/NR Educator, Montgomery County Extension) are leading this two-year urban agriculture development project which will greatly expand their previous urban agriculture initiatives across the city of Dayton. This project further explores new uses for over six thousand vacant lots within the Dayton city limits as a part of the "Vacant to Vibrant" Urban Agriculture Project. The City of Dayton and the Ohio State University Extension Montgomery County, Clinton County and the OSU South Centers program areas, Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, are major partners in this endeavor. The marketing plan is producing vegetables for the area’s Middle-Eastern ethnic population on vacant lots, thus helping to eliminate a Dayton area "food desert."

The Vacant to Vibrant project expanded the number of vacant lots developed as food production units in 2014. Two major benefits from the project are that vacant lots are given a new environmentally sustainable life and purpose and that the city, neighborhood, Extension, and culturally diverse groups collaborate to make a positive difference for the city of Dayton. Secondary benefits are: an underserved population is able to produce and have access to fresh local ethnic produce, refuge partners learned English and agricultural and marketing job skills, and limited resource participants learned to combine the use of ethnic and local food for healthy nutritional choices.

Manufacturers have the opportunity to place high school and career technical students as interns in their manufacturing operations. 

The Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) has created this internship program to assist manufacturers with their workforce needs and is providing financial assistance for participating Ohio manufacturers.

Advantages of having student interns:
•    contribute to developing your future manufacturing workforce
•    connect with schools to ensure students are work-ready
•    be reimbursed up to 50% of student wages (up to $1,500/student)

How does the program work?
•    We help you work with your local schools to select students for internship positions in manufacturing operations
•    We will design a work-based learning experience with you that is school-approved and complies with state requirements
•    You guide the student(s) through their internship experience
•    You are reimbursed 50% of each student’s wage (up to $1,500/student)
For more information on this program, contact Bret Whitaker via email at whitaker.77@osu.edu.

By Christie Welch
Direct Marketing Program Manager

The Direct Food and Ag Marketing Team is focused on providing training, education, and technical assistance to Ohio’s food producers and marketers. 

The goal of this assistance is to help these small businesses increase their effectiveness and, thereby, their profitability. This should translate to healthier farms, food producers, and communities where they reside; and increase access for consumers to locally produced foods.

In 2018, the team provided many trainings and educational presentations throughout Ohio.  Highlights of these include:

• MarketReady – A one-day workshop that helps local food producers explore various market channels including direct to consumers, direct to restaurants, direct to wholesale, and direct to institutions. The workshop focused on the main business functions for each of these market channels.  The trainings were delivered 31 participants and were held in conjunction with OSUE Cuyahoga and Brown Counties and the University of Kentucky’s Center for Crop Diversification. An attendee said of the training, “the diversity information, the networking, and the transparency are what I liked best about MarketReady.” Another said they valued all the expertise from the different presenters. In addition to the previously mentioned collaboration, Ivory Harlow of the Center for Cooperatives shared information about cooperative development and marketing with the attendees. 
• The Appalachian Table, Where Local Food Buyers and Producers Meet was held for the first time at OSU South Centers.  The Appalachian Table event brings food producers, businesses, and buyers to the table to experience a local foods meal, make meaningful connections, and spark interest in the diversity of products produced in the Appalachian region. The event provides a forum to share information, learn best practices, and facilitate peer-to-peer learning and networking. 
• Potential buyers are exposed to a wide variety of locally produced foods from the Appalachian region of Ohio. The event features an all-local foods breakfast including coffee, baked goods, proteins, dairy, and grains. 
• Producers have an opportunity to learn how peers are successfully marketing through various channels including major retailers, farm-to-fork restaurants, community-supported agriculture programs, and direct-to-consumer markets. During the 2018 event, Sleepy Bee Café’s founder, Sandra Gross, and Executive Chef, Francis Kroner, shared information with attendees on how they procure locally produced foods for three restaurant locations in the Cincinnati area. 
• Partnered with the OSU Resource and Ag Law Program, Wright & Moore Law, LPP, and Ohio Farm Bureau to host the second annual Ohio AgritourismReady Conference. More than 40 individuals attended the conference and learned how to grow their agritourism enterprises, how to manage liability, best marketing practices, and much more.  Bill Bakan, Fun Tsar of Maize Valley, which is a Family Farm Market & Winery creating fun, local & healthy experiences for all, was the keynote speaker and very well received by those in attendance.  Comments included: “outstanding presentation;” “awesome, fantastic;” “please bring back;” and” Loved the energy and great information.”

The team is participating in a Connect & Collaborate Grant project with Dr. Abby Snyder, Field Specialist, Food Safety & Management with OSU Extension.  The project began in December 2018 and will continue into 2019.  The Direct Marketing Team is assisting with the objective to provide technical services for processors by funding a process analysis service needed in product development and regulatory compliance.

In addition, team members presented a variety of marketing trainings throughout Ohio including:

• Marketing Programs to Program Development and Evaluation (COMLDR 3330) for Dr. Scott Sheer’s class
• Marketing for New and Beginning Farmers to Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association’s New and Beginning Farm Training
• Marketing Matters – Free monthly marketing presentations that are delivered through online streaming and the team’s YouTube channel.
• Marketing Your Small Business in a Digital World – For the East Central Ohio Beekeepers Association and the Ohio State Beekeepers at their annual conference
• Additional marketing presentations were given at the Ohio Produce Growers and Marketers Association, The University of Rio Grande’s business class, AgritourismReady Conference, The Ohio & West Virginia Food Hub Network, and many more.

In addition, team members continue to participate in a variety of groups throughout Ohio including: Pike County Local Foods Group, Initiative for Food and AgriCultural Transformation (InFACT), The National Farm to Cafeteria Conference organized by the OSU Farm to School program, OPGMA’s educational committee, and the National Farmers’ Markets Working Group.

The team published the factsheet; Accepting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits at Ohio Farmers’ Markets and is available via Ohioline.

If you would like to be a member of the Direct Food and Agricultural Marketing Team or would like additional information please contact Christie Welch, welch.183@osu.edu. 

By Christie Welch
Direct Food & Agricultural Marketing Specialist

Local food producers came together in Brown and Cuyahoga Counties this past month to explore new market channels for their locally produced foods.  Many food producers get in to this enterprise because they really enjoy the production aspects of the business.  However, there are also many local food producers whose knowledge of the various market channels is limited.

To assist these local food producers in increasing their knowledge and overcoming barriers to entering different market channels, the OSUE Direct Food & Agricultural Marketing Team partnered with local OSU Extension offices for an in-depth workshop to share best practices when exploring the various market channels.

During the MarketReady training, local foods producers learned research-based best practices for exploring sales to restaurants, grocers, direct-to-consumers, and via wholesale markets.  And while all of these market channels are seeking to purchase locally produced foods, producers must take the time to match their products, capacities, and skills with each of the market channels in order to be successful. While many are familiar with selling their products direct-to-consumers through farm and farmers’ markets, there are additional opportunities to sell to restaurants, grocers, and wholesalers.  Each channel requires different business functions.  MarketReady provides education on these differences and how producers can be successful in developing the proper business functions for the various market channels.

The producers remarked that the training was “very informative” and they like “the different expertise of each of the speakers.”  

During the Cuyahoga County training, The Grocery’s owner, Rachael Kingsbury, shared information with the participants on how she procures local foods for her business.  She shared best practices that she experiences with her current suppliers. The Grocery offers locally produced foods, prepared foods, and catering services.  Attendees indicated they really appreciated the “real world” examples that were shared during the trainings.

At the OSUE Brown County training, Dr. Tim Woods of the University of Kentucky, Department of Agriculture Economics and the creator of the MarketReady program, joined the group to co-present the materials and share information about the research conducted when developing the MarketReady Program.  Joined by Dr. Woods was Alex Butler, also of the University of Kentucky and the Center for Crop Diversification, who shared information on insurance requirements for the various market channels. 

Also in attendance in Brown County were the participants of the USDA FAS Ukraine Agricultural Economics Faculty Exchange Program.  These visiting scholars will take the knowledge gained back to their home country and adapt the program to assist their local food producers. One of the Ukrainian faculty commented, “it was nice discussing practical solutions to solve the sales problems of farmers.”
If you would like more information about the MarketReady Program, which is currently being offered in 17 states, you can go to southcenters.osu.edu/marketing/overview-programs/marketready.

By Christie Welch
Direct Marketing Program Specialist

Ohio farmers’ markets are thriving and many of them accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits (SNAP); formerly known as the federal food stamp program.

In Ohio there are currently 224 farmers’ markets and farm markets that accept SNAP benefits.  This represents a 128.6% increase since 2012.  While this has helped food insecure individuals access fresh, locally produced foods, farmers’ markets are at risk of losing this ability.

On July 2, 2018 Novo Dia Group, Inc. announced it would shut down the Mobile Market + Application.  Novo Dia Group developed the Mobile Market + application for iPhones that allows farmers’ markets the ability to accept SNAP benefits wirelessly via iPhones, iPods, and iPads.  According to the Farmers Market Coalition, “Novo Dia Group is the largest supplier of SNAP payment processing equipment to farmers markets in the country. Over 1,700 (or 40%) of farmers markets and farmers that accept SNAP nationwide are currently customers.” This ability is critical for farmers’ markets that are typically held in open air locations that lack access to land-line telephones and electricity.  If the Mobile Market + app is no longer available, farmers’ markets will have few options. SNAP benefits in Ohio are administered by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and are known as the Ohio Direction Card. And while ODJFS offers access to wired terminals for Ohio farmers’ markets, due to the nature of where farmers’ markets, operate wired equipment is typically not feasible. 

Once Novo Dia Group made their announcement about the shutdown of the Mobile Market + app, farmers’ market supporters around the country began looking for solutions.  On July 19 the National Association of Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs announced it would provide funding to keep the Mobile Market + app functional for an additional 30 days in hopes a more permanent solution could be identified.  And while this news was welcomed by farmers’ markets, it was a temporary solution.

Then on July 27th New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced, “an agreement has been reached with Novo Dia Group to enable SNAP recipients to continue to use their benefits at farmers markets across the state, and *nationwide* through the rest of the farmers market season.”  In a press release of that day, the Governor went on to say, “This agreement also lays the groundwork for other states that rely on cellular-based transactions at farmers’ markets to continue their services as well.” You can read the full press release here: governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-plan-protect-snap-recipients-access-farmers-markets.

On August 2, 2018 Novo Dia Group provided a Frequently Asked Questions list on their website, mailchi.mp/novodiagroup/mobile-market-status-2160213?e=529d05a582.  To help farmers’ markets across the country remain up to date on the fate of Mobile Market + application and/or other solutions that may become available the Farmers Market Coalition has created a webpage dedicated to providing the most current information available.  You can find the information at: farmersmarketcoalition.org/novo-dia-group-shutdown-info-page-now-live.

The OSU Extension Direct Food and Agricultural Marketing Team is following the situation closely and providing updates via our Facebook pages, @OhioDirectMarketing, and @OhioFarmersMarkets.  If you have questions or concerns about your local farmers’ markets’ ability to continue to accept SNAP benefit wirelessly, please contact Christie Welch via email to: 
welch.183@osu.edu.  We will provide additional information or assistance as it become available.

By: Christie Welch, Program Manager and Team Leader

Direct Food & Ag Marketing Team focus:

The team is focused on providing training, education, and technical assistance to Ohio’s food producers and marketers. The goal of this assistance is to help these small businesses increase their effectiveness and thereby their profitability. This should translate to healthier farms, food producers, and the communities where they reside and increase access for consumers to locally produced foods.

In 2017 the team provided many trainings and educational presentations throughout Ohio.  Highlights of these include:

• MarketReady – A one day workshop that helps local food producers explore various market channels; direct to consumers, direct to restaurants, direct to wholesale, and direct to institutions. The workshop focuses on the main business functions for each of these market channels.  The training was delivered in conjunction with OSUE Cuyahoga County to 26 participants. An attendee said about the training that, “all subjects and speakers were very informative, meeting and talking with fellow growers-always a plus.” Another said they valued, “learning how to connect and strengthen customer relationships through demographics, their needs and offering products through direct sales.” In addition to the collaboration between Amanda Osborne of OSUE Cuyahoga County and the Direct Marketing Team, Ivory Harlow of the Center for Cooperatives shared information about cooperative development with the attendees.

• The Direct Marketing Team continues to collaborate with the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Ohio Proud Program. Team members supported two Ohio Proud Food Summits held in Columbus, and Wellington. The regional summits bring local food producers together with local food buyers. As a result, local food producers enter new markets and increase access to their locally produced foods.

• Collaborated with the Ohio Proud Program to offer best marketing practices to Ohio Proud Partners – Columbus and Piketon and Milan; approximately 75 individuals attended.

• Partnered with the OSU Resource and Ag Law Program and Wright & Moore Law, LPP to host the first annual Ohio AgritourismReady conference. More than 75 individuals attended the conference and learn how to grow their agritourism enterprises, how to manage liability, best marketing practices, and much more.  The conference was so well received that we are currently planning the second annual AgritourismReady conference which will be held March 10, 2018 in Piketon, OH.

• Online video presentation to Heritage Ohio on how to have a successful farmers’ market in your community to 50 members of Heritage Ohio. According to their website, As Ohio’s official historic preservation and Main Street organization, Heritage Ohio fosters economic development and sustainability through preservation of historic buildings, revitalization of downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts, and promotion of cultural tourism.

• Presented at three regional meetings (Toledo, Dayton, and Marion) of the Ohio Travel Association to make connections with local visitors’ bureaus and tourism organizations with Ohio Agritourism operators for the benefit of both groups. Association members have a better understanding of agritourism enterprises in Ohio and how they can be included in county tourism promotions to help attract visitors to their counties.

• Was invited to present Facebook Basics and Using Social Media to Market Your Business to the Ohio State Beekeepers Association conference. This annual conference attracts nearly 400 attendees of which 100 attended these two presentations.

• Team members Rob Leeds, OSU Extension Delaware County and Eric Barrett, OSU Extension Delaware County presented - Managing Your Online Presence and Customer Service in Social Media and the Digital World at the 2017 North American Farm Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA) Annual Convention, in February in Mystic, Connecticut.

In addition team members presented a variety of marketing trainings throughout Ohio including; Best Marketing Practices, Identifying Your Target Market, Getting MarketReady, How to Develop a Marketing Plan, Farmers’ Markets Basics, Connecting with Your Customers, and Value Added Opportunities among others.

The team also rebranded and updated the Maps & Apps curriculum, now DeviceReady – Managing Your Online Presence.  The inaugural presentation of DeviceReady was held in conjunction with the Small Business Development Center at Columbus State Community College. The program was so well received it is being offered again on April 17, 2018 for CSCC and on April 24, 2018 for the Ohio State Beekeepers Association members.

Team members published two factsheets; Selling Eggs in Ohio: Marketing and Regulations and Maps, Apps and Mobile Media Marketing both of which are available via Ohioline.

Team members Eric Barrett, Peggy Hall and Emily Adams completed a project with others across campus, entitled, “Removing Barriers to the Direct Marketing of Farm Foods in Ohio,” as part of an OSU Cares Grant. The project surveyed farmers’ market managers and health departments, and gained input from farmers around Ohio. Four themes were evident that need addressed in Ohio. The project team will work with ODA, ODH and others in Ohio to review the results and to make plans for reducing barriers to entry in the coming year.

By Christie Welch, Direct Agricultural Marketing Specialist

On April 5, 2017 nearly 70 individuals gathered for the Ohio AgritourismReady Conference in Waldo, Ohio.  The attendees where there to learn about Ohio’s new agritourism law, liability management, profitability, adding an activity to an agritourism operation, and more.  The attendees heard from industry experts, extension educators, and agritourism operators. 

The first such event held in Ohio, the workshop was sponsored by OSU Extension’s Agriculture & Resource Law Program, the OSU Extension Direct Agricultural Marketing Program, and Wright & Moore Law Company LPA.  Guest speakers included Ben King, Risk Management Consultant with Nationwide Insurance, Ryan Conklin, Attorney with Wright & Moore Co., and representatives from Richwood Marketing.   

This one-day workshop was designed to assist Ohio’s agritourism operators to ensure they have the necessary information to effectively manage risks, market their enterprises, and better manage their agritourism business.  The event allowed agritourism operators the opportunity to learn from experts and peers in an effort to increase the profitability of Ohio’s agritourism operations.

One attendee said it was “Nice to have concrete examples with people who do this.  Would like more examples of tips they implement to make it easier for tours/teachers,” referring to a breakout session that focused on school tours and working with teachers.  Another attendee referred to the breakout session on Adding an Activity to Your Agritourism Operation, “Good brainstorming of potential issues and things I haven’t thought of.”  This session was led by Eric Barrett and Rob Leeds, OSU Extension Educators and members of the OSUE Direct Ag Marketing Team. 

Overall, the participants indicated the information presented was very helpful and would recommend having such a workshop annually.  There are also plans to hold a similar event in the southern part of the state for those agritourism operators that were unable to attend the April 5th event.

If you would like more information about this or upcoming workshops, check out the OSUE Direct Agricultural Marketing Program’s website at southcenters.osu.edu/marketing or contact Christie Welch, Direct Ag Marketing Specialist via email to welch.183@osu.edu. 

By Ivory Harlow, Cooperative Development Specialist

Friends of Ohio’s cooperatives joined the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences and OSU Extension to celebrate the newly established CFAES Center for Cooperatives at the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center on October 18th, 2017.

The celebration commemorated the 2017 National Cooperative Month of October. The event also coincided with Ohio Cooperative Week designated by Governor John Kasich as October 15-21, 2017 in a Resolution presented to Mid-America Cooperative Council Executive Director Rod Kelsay at the event.

Dr. Graham Cochran, CFAES Senior Administrative Officer, welcomed cooperative leaders from United Producers, Select Sires, Nationwide, the Ohio Farm Bureau, and others to the event, and shared the college’s commitment to organizational development and workforce preparation. Associate Dean and Director of OSU Extension Dr. Roger Rennekamp highlighted the importance of cooperatives and how the Center will be part of the overall network of OSU Extension programming to reach stakeholders in all 88 counties of Ohio. Dr. Tom Worley, Director of the new Center, announced the University has been awarded a Rural Cooperative Development Grant totaling approximately $200,0000 to improve rural areas of Ohio and West Virginia through the development of cooperatives and other mutually-owned businesses. Debbie Rausch, from the Ohio office of USDA Rural Development spoke to the group, highlighting the College’s 18 years of USDA cooperative development efforts.

Along with Worley, Dr. Ani Katchova is leading research programs for the Center and Hannah Scott is serving as leader of Extension and outreach activities. Programming for the Center will occur within and link all major mission areas of CFAES, including teaching, research and Extension. This integration is expected to extend knowledge to emerging and established agricultural cooperatives and support rural economic development. Furthermore, the Center will provide students and agricultural professionals with more interdisciplinary training and research opportunities.

“The CFAES Center for Cooperatives is expected to be comprehensive and bring together all three mission areas of the College - teaching, research, and Extension. We are very pleased to be well positioned to serve the wider cooperatives community in Ohio through the combined faculty and staff resources of the Center,” OSU South Centers Director Tom Worley said.

The Center maintains staff based in Piketon, Ohio and also has faculty presence on the Columbus campus. It will integrate the College’s current activities and operations that support cooperative business development, engage directly with long-established cooperatives, and provide cooperative education both in the classroom and via Extension and outreach programs.

By Hannah Scott, OCDC Program Manager

A group of farmers in Preston County, West Virginia is working together to get local food into local schools. The Preston County Growers Co-op recently incorporated as a cooperative business with five member-farms that produce a variety of foods from lettuce to potatoes to eggs and beyond.

Some of the co-op’s growers have been working together for a few years to supply local schools with produce, but recently decided to formalize as a cooperative that is owned and controlled by their farmer-members.  Within the cooperative model, members coordinate their production and marketing, selling to schools and other institutions as a single business and sharing profits with members.

The process of formalizing the co-op was supported by a number of organizations, including West Virginia University Extension, the Value Chain Cluster Initiative, West Virginia Farm to School, and the Ohio Cooperative Development Center.  The Ohio Cooperative Development Center (OCDC) worked with the growers to help them learn more about the co-op model, including the benefits of the business model, how money can move through a co-op, and the process of forming a co-op in West Virginia. OCDC also assisted the group with reviews of their foundational documents, including bylaws, membership applications, and membership agreements.  

Learn more about the Preston Growers Co-op in this article in The Preston County News & Journal.

Submitted by Brad Bapst
SBDC Director

The Ohio State University South Centers Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides business counseling and training to a 10-county region in Southern Ohio. Primary services the SBDC provides include business planning, financial packaging and lending, marketing assistance, and goods and services exporting to other countries. The Center utilizes a unified delivery model to incorporate resources from other programs affiliated with The Ohio State University South Centers, including the Ohio Cooperative Development Center, Direct Marketing, and OSU Extension programs to strengthen service offerings.

SBDCs offer no-cost, one-on-one, long-term professional business advising, low-cost training, and other specialized services. The SBDC program is one of our nation’s largest small business assistance programs within the Federal government, made up of a unique mix of SBA Federal funds, state and local governments, and private sector resources.   SBDCs are often hosted by leading universities and state economic development agencies, and are funded in part through a partnership with the Small Business Administration.

The Small Business Development Center at OSU South Centers had a very successful year providing business consulting to existing and start-up small businesses in Southern Ohio. During fiscal year 2018, the SBDC at OSU South Centers provided the following assistance:
• Provided consulting to 334 clients, of which 229 received five or more hours of consulting
• Assisted with starting 25 businesses
• Helped clients obtain $10,214,900 in capital
• Logged 4,323 consulting hours
• Held 19 training events with 344 attendees
• SBDC Clients created 106 new jobs and retained 532 jobs
• Recorded $4,944,400 in general sales growth for clients 

The staff at OSU South Centers SBDC continues to engage community organizations to maintain awareness of changing needs of entrepreneurs in the region and develop solutions to combat any negative impact to the economy.  Counselors volunteered time to serve as board members on several chambers of commerce, on a regional board established to support economic development, and as members of advisory boards for business organizations to increase awareness of business issues and identify solutions to problems.

The SBDC continues to work with the Southern Ohio Agricultural and Community Development Foundation in assisting area farmers interested in applying for the Ag Development Grant and the Young Farmer Grant programs. This is a program where our SBDC counselors work closely with area farmers to write business plans for projects that will be submitted to SOACDF for potential grant funding to assist with their project. This year, we assisted 33 individuals explore, complete, and submit applications for these programs. You can see details and deadlines about the program at soacdf.net.

By Dr. Rafiq Islam
Soil, Water, & Bioenergy Program Leader

The overall goal of the Soil, Water, and Bioenergy program at The Ohio State University South Centers is to develop and manage economically viable, environmentally compatible, and socially acceptable climate-smart agriculture. We believe agriculture is an integral component of the solution, and not the problem. 

To achieve the goal, the Soil, Water, and Bioenergy Resources program targets local, state-wide, and national farmers (youth and future farmers); agro-business and industry representatives; administrative and elected officials; civic, environmental, and non-profit groups; faculty, research staffs, and educators; state and federal agencies; mass communications and technology; international collaborators and institutions; and sister programs at The Ohio State University.

Applied Research and Demonstration
1. USDA Land Grant Institution Capacity Building Project on Aquaponics - Role of Water Quality and Soil Health in Sustainable Food Production on Urban Landscapes. 
In this project, The Ohio State University (OSU) and Central State University (CSU) engaged in a collaborative partnership to address the challenge of optimizing water quality and quantity to maximize economically viable fish and vegetable production in aquaponics. The scientists and students at both institutes are investigating (via academic research, Extension, and outreach) whether aquaponics can be combined with water conservation and storm-water management for converting abandoned food deserts into sustainable green environments where communities can thrive again. 
2018 was the first experimental year of the project. Dr. Rafiq Islam, Brad Bergefurd, and Matthew Smith are serving as the principal investigators of the project for a period of three years (2018-2021). 

2. Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. (Japan) funded a project entitled “Evaluation of Mitsui Chemicals iCAST Crop Cultivation System in Specialty Crop Production.”
We are currently researching to evaluate the performance of 21st Century fertigation (iCAST technology) based on holistic and novel approaches with respect to state-of-the-art climate-smart fertigation techniques (high water and nutrient-use efficiency) to grow agronomic crops (corn and soybeans) in desert and arid conditions under rain-fed and protective culture systems. 
Results showed that iCAST Technology is 50–60% more efficient in water and nutrient uses than highly efficient current drip systems.
2018 was the third experimental year of the project. Dr. Rafiq Islam and Brad Bergefurd are serving as the principal investigators of the project for a period of four years (2016-2019). 

3. Civilian Research Defense Foundation (CRDF) US-Ukraine Competitive Research program funded a project entitled “Impact of Sustainable Agricultural Management Practices on Soil Quality and Crop Productivity.” 
The goal of the research project is to develop suitable management practices based on novel and holistic approaches of cropping diversity with a plant stress alleviator (aspirin) under continuous no-till to help improve soil health, water- and nutrient-use efficiency, and economic crop productivity with enhanced agroecosystem services. A long-term collaborative research study by US-Ukrainian scientists was established on irrigated lands in the Southern (Kherson) Ukraine and at OSU South Centers. 
First year results showed that aspirin significantly increased soybean yield by 14% and improved the nutritional quality of grains. Protein content and nutrient density have increased in response to aspirin application. An international workshop and field day was held to demonstrate the experimental fields and disseminate the results to more than 150 participants including farmers, scientists, students, and policy makers in Ukraine. Drs. Rafiq Islam and Tom Worley, and Alan Sundermeier, from The Ohio State University delivered several presentations. Details on the project events can be obtained from youtube.com/watch?v=86wI4fsDfLM.
2018 was the first experimental year of the project. Dr. Rafiq Islam is serving as the U.S. principal investigator of the project for a period of two years (2018-2019). 

4. USDA NCR-SARE Partnership grant program funded a project entitled “Making Sense of Soil Health Reports – A partnership to develop recommendations for soil health testing and interpretation.” 
Maintaining a healthy and productive soil is the foundation of sustainable agriculture. However, a majority of producers are not clearly informed about the importance of managing soil health. Soil health tests based on different approaches, indicators, tools, and scales offered by several university and private commercial labs often provide conflicting and confusing test results without any realistic interpretations or management recommendations. 
The goal of this current research project is to develop a set of simple, common, widely applicable, consistent soil biological, chemical, and physical health measurements. This will allow lab technicians, scientists, and farmers the ability to compare these measurements with standard tests, scores, and ranks, and track over time in response to management practices. Currently, we are collecting composite soil samples from long-term experiments and farmer’s fields in Ohio, and analyzing them in different labs to select core indicators of soil health.
2018 was the first experimental year of the project. Alan Sundermeier, Vinayak Shedekar, and Dr. Rafiq Islam are serving as the principal investigators of the project for a period of two years (2018-2019). 

5. American Councils for International Education funded a project entitled “Strengthening U.S. and Kazakh Scientific Capacity Through Joint-Institutional Agricultural Teaching, Research, and Outreach Development.” 
The goal of this project is to share and exchange the most up-to-date approaches for academic education, applied research, and outreach capacity building between professionals at The Ohio State University and Kazakh National Agrarian University (KazNAU), and to equip the latter with science-based knowledge and tools to strengthen and sustain programmatic development in these areas. 
To achieve our project goal with these specific objectives, the following activities will be performed during a one-week visit by the OSU team to KazNAU in the spring 2019. Proposed activities will be thoroughly discussed and planned with KazNAU prior to the visit to maximize productivity and success of the program. Collaboration and dialogue will continue after the visit and focus on strategically building upon the crosscutting discussions, priorities, and foundational trainings having occurred during the visit.
Drs. Rafiq Islam & Renukaradhya Gourapura, and Beau Ingle are serving as the principal investigators of the project for a period of one year (2019). 

6. Soil, Water, and Bioenergy Resources program also conducted and/or maintained several projects on: (1) soil amendments and phosphorus pollution reduction; (2) long-term impact of no-till and cropping diversity on soil health and agroecosystem services; (3) organic production; (4) marginal land and bio-feedstock production.

Invention and Technology Transfer
A simple and user-friendly field test kit to evaluate soil health for farmers. Licensed by SoilOne Inc. (http://www.soil1.com), Springfield, Ohio in conjunction with The Ohio State University Office of Technology and Licensing. 2018.
A farmer’s friendly “Soil Organic Matter and Ecosystem Services Calculator (software).” Invention disclosure with The Ohio State University Office of Technology and Licensing. 2018.

SWBR Research Grants and Extra-mural Funding (seven grants)

• USDA-Capacity Building Program funded a project entitled “Role of Water Quality and Soil Health in Sustainable Food Production on Urban Landscapes.” 1/2018 -12/2021) $289,000.
• Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. (Japan) funded a project entitled “Evaluation of Mitsui Chemicals iCAST Crop Cultivation System in Specialty Crop Production.” 5/2016 to 12/2022, $650,000.
• American Councils for International Education funded a project entitled “Strengthening U.S. and Kazakh Scientific Capacity Through Joint-Institutional Agricultural Teaching, Research, and Outreach Development.” 12/2018 – 11/2019. $15,035. 
• CRDF US-Ukraine Competitive Research program funded a project entitled “Impact of Sustainable Agricultural Management Practices on Soil Quality and Crop Productivity.” 2018 – 2019. $107,000.
• USDA NCR-SARE Partnership grant program funded a project entitled “Making Sense of Soil Health Reports – A partnership to develop recommendations for soil health testing and interpretation.” 2018 - 2019, $29,980.
• US State Dept. Mandela Washington Fellowship Reciprocal Exchange funded a project “Training Professionals and Educators on Sustainable Agriculture and Soil Health.” 2018. $5,260.
• CTTC funded mini-grant project entitled “Gypsum and Cover Crops Effect on Edge-of-Field Phosphorus Loss.” 2018. $3,000.

Awards/Recognition
Certificate of U.S. Special Congressional Recognition for Outstanding and Invaluable Service to the World Community. 
USDA-Borlaug Mentor Award for Burkina Faso.
OARDC International Research Travel Grant for Burkina Faso.
US Sate Dept. Mandela Washington Fellowship Mentor Reciprocal Award.
Visiting Scholar Award, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
Soil, Water, & Bioenergy Lab listing/recognition by the Food and Agriculture Organizations of the United Nations.

Students and Scholars Hosted/Mentored
Dr. Sergiy Lavrenko, visiting scholar, Dept. of Agronomy, Kherson State Agrarian University, Kherson, Ukraine. 9/15/2018 - 11/12/2018. 
Prof. Yilmaz Bayhan, Tubitek post-doctoral scholar, Dept. of Biosystems Engineering, Nemek Kemal University, Turkey. 7/10/2017-6/30/2018.
Cai Lehjun (Cynthia), Visiting scholar, Sustainable Research Agricultural Technology, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences-Jiamusi Branch, Heilongjiang, China. 11/1/2017-1/1/2018.

Peer-Reviewed Publications
Aksakal, E.L., Barik, K., Angin, I., Sari, S., and Islam, K.R. (2019) Spatio-temporal variability in physical properties of different textured soils under similar management and semi-arid climatic conditions. Catena 172: 528-546.
Ortas, I., K.R. Islam (2018) Phosphorus fertilization impacts on corn yield and soil fertility. Commun. Soil Sci Plant Nutr. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103624.2018.1474906.
Gao, G.Y., Zhou, L., Harker, T., Lewis, W., Slaughter, M.R., Islam, K.R., Xia, Y., and Worley, C.T. (2018) Effects of high-tunnel and tile drainage on the yield and ripening time of mature Northern highbush blueberries in Ohio. Journal of the NACCA, 10(2): ISSN 2158-9429.
Batte, M.T., Dick, W.A., Fausey, N.R., Flanagan, D.C., Gonzalez, J.M., Islam, K.R., Reeder, R.C., VanToai, T., and D.B. Watts (2018) Cover crops and gypsum applications: Soybean and corn yield and profitability impacts. Amer. Soc. Farm Manager Rural Appraisers. 8: 47-71. 
Ibrikci, H., G. Koca, M. Cetin, E. Karnez, Y.K. Koca, C. Kirda, H. Sagir, J. Ryan and K.R. Islam (2018) Considering residual soil mineral nitrogen in corn fertilizer recommendations in an irrigated Mediterranean area. Commun Soil Sci. Plant Nutr. 49(2): 202-214.

Professional Workshop/Meeting Organized and /Invited Presentations
21st Century – Climate-Smart Agriculture International Meeting and Field Day, at Institute of Irrigated Agriculture/Askanijske Farm, Ukraine. Sponsored by CRDF, Government of Ukraine, and The Ohio State University, Sep. 11-12, 2018.
Train the Trainer Workshop on “Climate-Smart Agriculture Systems in Ghana. Sponsored by US State dept. Mandela Washington Fellowship Program, CSIR-CRI of Ghana, and The Ohio State University. Kumasi, Ghana. July 2-6, 2018.
Soil Health Workshop in Burkina Faso. Sponsored by The Ohio State University, USDA-FAS Borlaug Program, and INERA-Burkina Faso. Feb 27-Mar 1, 2018.
Professional Workshop/Meeting Organized and /Invited Presentations (cont.)
Impact of Sustainable Agricultural Management Practices on Soil Quality and Crop Productivity. Professional presentation at the 21st Century – Climate-Smart Agriculture. International Meeting and Field Day, Kherson, Ukraine, Sep 11-12, 2018.
Advanced Soil Health Training for Farmers and NRCS Professionals. Wenning Farms, Greensburg & Brocksmith Farms, Vincennes, IN. July 24-26, 2018. 
Rethinking Agriculture in the 21st Century: Growing Healthy Food with One Health Vision. Ohio One Health Symposium, Drake Performance and Event Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Nov 1-2, 2018.
The Ohio State University soil health test service. Farm Science Review, Molly Caren, London, Ohio, Sep 27-28, 2018
Soil quality test – Active carbon. Ohio No-Till Field Day, Wooster, Ohio, August 29.
Rethinking Agriculture in the 21st Century. Professional presentation at CSIR-Crops Research Institute, Kumasi – Ghana, July 6, 2018.
No-Till Cropping Diversity with Cover Crops. Professional presentation at CSIR-Crops Research Institute, Kumasi – Ghana, July 6, 2018.
Sustainable Agriculture Decision Tools (Soil quality test demonstration). Professional presentation at CSIR-Crops Research Institute, Kumasi – Ghana, July 6, 2018.
Brain storming session on current agricultural problems in Ghana. Professional presentation at CSIR-Crops Research Institute, Kumasi – Ghana, July 6, 2018.
Measuring soil health characteristics. In Healthy Soils for Healthy Waters Session, Professional presentation at CTTC Annual Meeting, Ada, OH. March 22-23, 2018.

Professional Service
Academic, Research and Extension Committees
Member, Graduate studies committee, School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University.
Member, Midwest Cover Crop Council.
Editorial Service
Academic Editor, PLOS ONE
Editorial Board Member, ISRN Agronomy Journal
Editorial Board Member, Journal of Agriculture Food and Development (JAFD)
Editorial Board Member, Botanical Research and Applications
Board of Directors
Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference
Ohio No-Till Council
Mentor/Supervisor/Technical Review Committee Member
Borlaug Young Scholar Program, World Food Prize
US State Dept. Mandela-Washington Fellowship Program
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicines.
External Examiner for M.S/Ph.D. dissertation
Dmitri Maksimov (2018) The productivity and quality of haricot beans depending on soil tillage, mineral fertilizers and row width under irrigation. M.S. /Ph.D. thesis, Kherson State Agricultural University, Kherson, Ukraine.
Natasha Didenko (2018) Investigation of soybean productivity depending on the main cultivation of soil in the south of Ukraine. M.S. thesis, Kherson State Agricultural University, Kherson, Ukraine.
Promotion and Tenure Committee
Dr. Mushtaq Hussain Lashari (2018), Dept. of Life Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan. External expert evaluation for Assistant professor to Associate Professorship. 

By Dr. Rafiq Islam
Soil, Water, & BioEnergy Program Leader

Dr. Rafiq Islam attended and delivered a presentation entitled “Rethinking Agriculture in the 21st Century: Growing Healthy Food with One Health Vision” at the Plenary Session of the Ohio One Health Symposium, which was held at Drake Performance and Event Center on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus on November 1-2.

The symposium was sponsored by The Global One Health initiative (GOHi) with donations from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), OSU Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Ohio State University Extension, and One World, One Health.

One Health Day, celebrated annually on November 3, is an international campaign co-coordinated by the One Health Commission, the One Health Initiative, and the One Health Platform Foundation. The goal of One Health Day is to bring attention around the world to the need for One Health interactions and for the world to see them in action. The One Health Day campaign is designed to engage as many individuals as possible from as many arenas as possible in One Health education and awareness events, and to generate an inspiring array of projects worldwide.

The One Health Day Symposium brought together multiple disciplines working locally, nationally, and globally to address the spread of disease, promote health, and emphasize the connection among humans, animals, and the environment.

By Dr. Tom Worley
OSU South Centers Director
and Alan Sundermeier
Wood County Extension Educator

Within the framework of the Civilian Research Defense Foundation (CRDF)-funded Ukrainian-US project entitled “Impact of sustainable agricultural management practices on soil quality and crop productivity,” workshops and meetings were organized in Kherson, Ukraine as part of International Field Day “XXI century - Climate-Smart Agriculture.” 

On the first day (September 11), more than 100 participants including representatives from the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine and the leading scientists of the Institute of Irrigated Agriculture of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Institute of Water Problems and Land Reclamation of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, “Askaniyske” and “Brylivske” farms, Kherson State Agrarian University, Mykolaiv National Agrarian University, Dnipropetrovsk State Agrarian and Economic University, Research Institute of Agriculture of the Crimea,” The Ohio State University, Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food production of Ukraine, Kherson Regional State Administration, Kherson Branch of the State Agency of Ukraine, Kherson Branch of Soil Protection, Ukrainian Hydro-meteorological Center of the Ministry for Emergencies, heads and agronomists of farms in the southern region of Ukraine, and several participants from other countries attended.

The event took place at the Institute of Irrigated Agriculture, Naddniprjanske village, Kherson, Ukraine. Several professional presentations were delivered by scientists, farmers, agro-industry personnel, and faculty members. Drs. Rafiq Islam and Natalia Didenko presented the CRDF-funded project results based on a first-year field study on the topic of Agriculture under Climate Change in Ukraine.

More than 50 participants attended a field day and presentation on climate-smart agriculture in Ukraine; it was delivered at Askaniyske Farm (Tavrychanka village, Kakhovka district) on the second day (Sept 12th, 2018). Several professional presentations were delivered by OSU experts including Alan Sundermeier from Wood County Extension on long-term no-till, cover crops, compaction and soil health; and Dr. Tom Worley on economics of crop production with no-till. 

After the professional presentation session, the participants visited our research and cover crops site. Several demonstrations on equipment, cover crops, on-site soil quality evaluation, and use of drones to monitor crop growth and disease pressures were performed.

You can find more information on OSU’s involvement in research, extension and outreach activities in Ukraine by utilizing the following resources:
izpr.org.ua/index.php/novini/855-mizhnarodnij-den-polja-hhi-stolittja-chas-klimatichno -adaptovanogo-silskogo-gospodarstva-110918.html
izpr.org.ua/index.php/novini/857-prodovzhennja-mizhnarodnogo-dnja-polja-hhi-stolittja-chas-klimatichno -adaptovanogo-silskogo-gospodarstva.html
ksau.kherson.ua/news/3234-2018091301.html
igim.org.ua/?p=5073
igim.org.ua/?p=5088
youtube.com/watch?v=fCYL_hxpTKE
youtube.com/watch?v=yOCh5wVP3Qc
youtube.com/watch?v=HBKGvFsvt4E
youtube.com/watch?v=j9utY4k0GTE
youtube.com/watch?v=86wI4fsDfLM
youtube.com/watch?v=MWKnzjoXfJA&t=394s

By Rafiq Islam, PhD
Soil, Water and Bioenergy Resources Program

Dr. Rafiq Islam visited Ghana as one of The Mandela Washington Fellowship Reciprocal Exchange Components in June and July 2018.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders – the flagship program of the U.S. Government’s (State Department) Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) – was created in 2014 to invest in the next generation of African Leaders.

Under the Mandela Washington Fellowship Program, young African leaders attend top US colleges and universities for a six-week academic and leadership institute in one of the following areas: Business and Entrepreneurship, Civic Leadership, Public Management, and Energy.

Programs draw from each university’s unique set of expertise and resources. Academic study is augmented by workshops, mentorship, and networking opportunities with recognized leaders in each field and interaction with everyday Americans. Each academic host institute will also offer insights into American society through site visits, community service, and cultural programming.

The Reciprocal Exchange component provides Americans with the opportunity to travel to Africa to “build strategic partnerships and professional connections developed during the Mandela Washington Fellowship in the United States.” 

Mavis Akom is a principal technologist of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Crop Research Institute (CSIR-CRI) of Ghana and attended The Ohio State University as one of the Mandela Washington Fellows, who was mentored by Rafiq Islam. 

As one of the Reciprocal Exchange Awardees, Islam had the unique opportunity to implement a co-designed project with Akom (Mandela Washington Fellow) to form a partnership, expand markets and networks, and increase mutual understanding between the United States and Africa (Ghana). Our former USDA-FAS Borlaug Fellow, Emmanuel Amoakwah, was very instrumental in organizing the workshop.

The purpose of this project was to help develop a collaboration between The Ohio State University and Ghana CSIR-Crop Research Institute on “training educators and professionals” with the most up-to-date approaches for applied research and outreach capacity building on climate-smart agriculture. 

The objectives were to (1) organize a “train-the-trainer” workshop for agricultural scientists, educators and professionals; (2) train the trainers to acquaint with OSU rapid soil quality/health tests; and (3) conduct a three-hour “brain storming session” to identify the most emergent agricultural issues in Ghana and help write applied collaborative field research proposals expected to be funded by international donors.

To achieve these goals, the most relevant and high quality educational materials were provided to all 42 participants on Rethinking Agriculture in the 21st Century; Crop rotation and cover crops; and Sustainable agriculture decision tools during the workshop. Moreover, all the participants conducted on-site rapid soil quality comparative tests on Ghanaian and U.S. soils, and wrote test interpretation and management recommendations. Participants were asked to identify a much needed problem in 2-3 words and place the sticky note on the wall. About 42 sticky notes were finally grouped into the three most important current agricultural issues in Ghana: climate-smart crop breeding (drought resistant) research; (2) sustainable soil-crop management practices; and (3) extension and outreach programs. The participants in the three groups were mentored to complete the drafting of the pre-proposed on the selected issues and presented to justify their research proposal for funding.

Several professional and academic presentations were delivered by Islam to the scientists of the Crop and Soil Research Institutes and graduate students and faculty members of the Department of Natural Resources Management and Department of Soil and Crop Sciences of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi. 

Islam met administrators, officials, and scientists from several universities and CSIR Institutes including Dr. Stella A. Ennin, Director of CSIR-Crop Research Institute; Prof. Emmanuel Otoo, Chief Research Scientist, CSIR-Crops Research Institute; Prof. Hans Adu-Dapaah, Chief Research Scientist, CSIR-Crop Research Institute; Dr. Mohammed Moro Buri, Director, CSIR-Soil Research Institute; Drs. Akwasi A. Abunyewa, Victor R. Barnes, Evans Dawoe, and Andrew Opoku, Senior Lecturer, CANR, KNUST; and Dr. Kwame A. Frimpong, Senior Lecturer, Dept. Soil Science, University of Cape Coast.

The key highlights of the Reciprocal Exchange are: (1) greater understanding and learning experience on Western Africa, (2) successful organization of the professional development training workshop, (3) enhanced team building capacity for collaborative research on climate-smart agriculture, and (4) development of sandwich academic and research program for graduate students and scientists in Ghana for capacity building.

By Rafiq Islam
Soil, Water and Bioenergy Resources Program

Rafiq Islam participated at The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM)/National Research Council (NRC), as a technical review committee member, to review and select NRC post-doctoral fellowships. 

The NASEM/NRC are one of the top ranked scientific and research organizations in the United States. The NRC annual technical review committee meeting was held at the Beckman-Marble Center, University of California-Irvine on March 12 and 13. About 100 scientists and faculty members were invited from universities all over in the United States to participate in the  two-day rigorous review process. 

The review process was performed to select most outstanding Ph.D. graduates worldwide in the field of Earth Science, Life Science, Chemistry and Physics, and Mathematics and Engineering fields. 
Three eminent reviewers reviewed each proposal and credential submitted by the applicants. About 100 post-doctoral fellowships are offered annually to the outstanding candidates working in the U.S. government-sponsored laboratories on state-of-art cutting-edge research priorities.

On behalf of The Ohio State University, Rafiq Islam has been serving as one of the technical review committee technical members in the field of Earth Science since 2014. He, along with other members, reviewed more than 30 proposals on Earth Science research in 2018.

By Rafiq Islam
Soil, Water and Bioenergy Resources Program

Several members of our Soil, Water and Bioenergy Resources Program staff participated/attended 2018 Building Soil Health, Regenerative Agriculture, and Healthy Foods from Healthy Soil sessions of the Conservation Tillage & Technology Conference Annual meeting (CTC) held at Ohio Northern University in March. 

The Healthy Soils for Healthy Waters (HSHW) program is a continuation of a series that began in Columbus in 2014. The most recent HSHW programs were in Denver (2017) and Memphis (2016). On the first day, overall topics included Building Soil Health, Regenerative Agriculture, and Healthy Foods from Healthy Soil. Fifteen speakers and panelists included: Barry Fisher (NRCS), David Brandt (Farmer), Rick Cruse (Iowa State Univ.), Rafiq Islam (OSU), David Montgomery, and Britt Burton-Freeman.
Rafiq Islam along with Alan Sundermeier (OSU Wood County Extension Educator) delivered a presentation entitled “Testing and management recommendations of soil health characteristics” on the first day in a two-day session on the Healthy Soils for Healthy Waters at the chapel of the Ohio Northern University. More than 250 people including farmers, educators, consultants, state and federal personnel, students, and non-profit personnel from different states and Canada attended the session.

One CCA credit (0.5 for Certified Livestock Manager, CLM and 0.5 for Soil and Water, SW) was by the participating educators for their professional development. Dr. Vinayak Shedekar, along with Alan Sundermeier and others, moderated the HSHW session for both days.

Lijun Cai, a Research Associate in the Sustainable Agricultural Technology Institute of the Jiamusi Branch of Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences in China, visited the Soil, Water and Bioenergy Resources Program in late 2017. She has been working at the academy since 2014. Her field of research interests are: Sustainable agriculture; Cover crop; Conservation tillage; Soil health; and Semi-dwarf soybean breeding.

She was a short-term scholar studying recent developments in U.S. sustainable agricultural management practices, including the most recently developed analytical techniques. Currently, she is pursuing her Ph.D. on Plant Nutrition at the Department of Land Resources and Environment of the Shenyang Agricultural University in Liaoning, China.

By: Rafiq Islam, PhD, Soil, Water, and Bioenergy Resources Program Director

The OARDC-Piketon Soil, Water and Bioenergy Resources Lab at The Ohio State University South Centers has recently started to provide soil health, air quality and greenhouse gas emission, water quality, plant, manure, fertilizer and chemical, and other environmental analytical services to clientele. The lab facility includes more than 2,500 sq. feet of analytical space for receiving, storing, processing, and analysis of various samples.

The analytical equipment includes: Microbial preparation ventilated station and hood, Integrated Coupled Plasma Emission (ICPE) spectroscopy (72 chemical elements, including nutrients), HPLC-Mass spectroscopy, Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Carbon-Nitrogen-Sulfur analyzer, Dissolved Carbon and Nitrogen analyzer, Flow-injection auto-analyzer for nitrate, ammonium and phosphates, UV-VIS-IR spectroscopy, Gas chromatographs (HP and Shimadzu) for CO2, CH4, and N2O, High-powered microwave digestion system, Hot-plate digestion, Pressure plate membrane apparatus for water retention and potentials, Aggregate stability analyzers, and other equipment for routine analysis.

Do you need high-quality certified biological, chemical and physical analysis of your samples? Visit our website southcenters.osu.edu/soil-and-bioenergy to check the variety of analytical services and the fees associated with the analysis.

By Dr. Yogi Raut, Soil, Water, and Bioenergy Resources Research Associate

The theme of the 2018 ASA-CSSA-SSSA international annual meeting was the power of human interaction combined with science to create solutions. The meetings were held in Tampa, Florida on October 22-25, 2017. With more than 6,000 attendees from over 55 countries and 3,000 technical programs, it was a unique conference that brought together global scientific leaders from industry, government agencies, and academic institutions in one platform. The OSU South Centers team delivered twelve presentations in different program areas and moderated one technical session. The team included authors and co-authors from six different countries, namely Burkina Faso, Ghana, India, Ukraine, USA, and Uzbekistan.

Our USDA-FAS Borlaug fellow Dr. Alima Bandaogo delivered a presentation entitled Optimizing use of fertilizer for tropical food legumes both in sole as well as intercropping from West Africa. Emmanuel Amoakwah, USDA-FAS Borlaug LEAP PhD scholar, presented two posters; first representing the Biochar effects on microbial community profiling using phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) analysis, and second showing the Effects of biochar on soil aggregate stability and aggregate associated carbon and nitrogen content on tropical soil from Ghana. Alan Sundermeier from OSU-Extension Wood County as one of the co-authors presented the Impact of organic grain cropping systems on soil health parameters. The research was funded by the USDA-Organic Transition Program and conducted simultaneously at both Bowling Green and Piketon sites for four years.

Vinayak Shedekar delivered three oral presentations and one poster; first showing Uncertainty in rainfall measurements and its implications to hydrologic modeling; second on Healthy soils - Healthy Environment; third on Research available to build healthy soils, and fourth A new method to measure particulate organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur pools as an early indicator of soil quality. He also served as one of the judges to evaluate graduate students’ poster competition. Yogendra (Yogi) Raut had three presentations, two oral, and a poster. The oral presentation showed the results about Soil quality assessment using long-term Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land as a guide for policy makers and the poster was titled A Simplified approach to greenhouse gas emission modeling. Yogi delivered another oral presentation entitled Aggregate associated carbon and nitrogen pools in response to different tillage systems. Rafiq Islam moderated a technical session on soil health analysis, interpretation, and recommendations under the Soil and Water Conservation theme. He also delivered two oral presentations; Long-term tillage effects on soil health and Soil health analysis, interpretation, and recommendations.

Ashlee Saunders, an undergraduate student, has recently joined the Soil, Water, and Bioenergy Resources Program. She is currently enrolled at The University of Rio Grande pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and an Associate degree in Mathematics and Pre-Engineering.

Ashlee is from Gallipolis, Ohio and was seeking a position which would develop her laboratory and field research skills and leadership qualities. Currently, she is managing the Soil, Water, and Bioenergy Resources laboratory as one of the key team members. Ashlee hopes to lead the lab one day as its supervisor and help the program flourish. We welcome Ashlee to our program at The Ohio State University South Centers.

Dr. Yilmaz Bayhan, a Tubitak senior postdoctoral fellow from Turkey, joined the Soil, Water and BioEnergy program in July. He is a professor in the Biosystems Engineering Department at Namik Kemal University in Tekirdag, Turkey.  Dr. Yilmaz has performed research on conservation tillage systems and no-till machinery. His one-year fellowship program involves studying long-term continuous no-till and multi-functional cover crop systems to maximize agroecosystem services in Turkey. He will conduct research based on continuous no-till and cover crop field experiments in Ohio.

“Current agricultural production systems in Turkey rely heavily on traditional irrigation, excessive use of tillage and reactive chemicals, and a very limited crop rotation, which are responsible for degrading agroecosystem services,” Yilmaz said. He explained he will be studying the continuous no-till, both with and without multi-functional cover crops in the agronomic crop rotation experiments established OSU South Centers. The science-based knowledge and research experience he is gaining in the U.S. will be directly applicable to his research interests in Turkish agriculture. Dr. Yilmaz will transfer the knowledge and skills learned from this experience to adopt sustainable agricultural management practices in Turkey. He also hopes to develop new undergraduate and graduate courses focused on cover crops.

By Vinayak Shedekar, PhD, Soil Research Associate

The 2017 Global Symposium on Soil Organic Carbon (GSOC17) organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, was held in Rome, Italy March 21-23. Vinayak Shedekar, OSU South Centers Research Associate was invited to attend the prestigious conference and present the Soil, Water and Bioenergy program’s research work related to on-farm assessment, prediction and management of soil organic carbon. Participants included representatives from FAO member states, UNCCD country Parties, organizing institutions, relevant panels, presenters whose abstracts were accepted, and scientists working in related fields. Over 450 participants from 111 countries were actively involved in both presenting results of studies demonstrating the potential and challenges of managing soil organic carbon (SOC) in different types of soil – such as peatland, black soils and permafrost soils, grasslands and livestock production systems and dryland soils - as well as discussing and developing key messages.
The first meter of soil across the globe holds an estimated 1,417 gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon – almost double the amount in our atmosphere and dozens of times the levels of man-made emissions each year. At greater depths, soil holds three times as much carbon as in the atmosphere. The overall aim of the symposium was to review the role and potential of soils and SOC in the context of climate change and sustainable development and build scientific evidence that could be adopted in policy making at national and international levels through the IPCC, UNFCCC, and UNCCD frameworks. The symposium had three main themes:
1. Measuring, mapping, monitoring and reporting SOC
2. Maintaining and/or increasing SOC stocks (fostering SOC sequestration) for climate change mitigation and adaptation, and Land Degradation Neutrality
3. Managing SOC in soils with a) high SOC - peatlands, permafrost, and black soils b) grasslands, and livestock production systems and c) in dryland soils

As part of Theme 2, Vinayak presented a novel approach that integrates field-based techniques of SOC assessment, and prediction tools based on long-term experiments for better decision making and assessing the impacts of SOC management on farm economics and soil health at farm scales.  Dr. Rattan Lal, Director of the OSU’s Carbon Management and Sequestration Center was one of the keynote speakers during the second plenary session of the symposium, and discussed the “state-of-the-science of soil organic carbon sequestration.”  He called for a global effort to encourage soil stewardship that is based on sound management practices and mechanisms to account for ecosystem services of soil organic carbon. Mr. José Graziano Da Silva, Director-General of FAO, H.E. Jioji Konousi Konrote, President of the Republic of Fiji, Ms. Elena Manaenkova, Deputy-Secretary General World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Mr. Stéphane Le Foll, French Minister for Agriculture, were among other notable speakers.

Vinayak contributed significantly to the scientific and policy discussions during the symposium – stressing the need to consider the practicality of on-farm implementation of global SOC sequestration policies, and the need for mechanisms to train farmers, educators and policy makers. He and Dr. Rafiq Islam have been invited to contribute a research article to the symposium outcome – a scientific document (Proceedings of the Global Symposium on Soil Organic Carbon 2017) highlighting the role of soils and SOC management in meeting the climate change and sustainable development goals of different nations, as well as reporting to UNFCCC, UNCCD. A complete webcast of the symposium is available at the GSOC17 website.

Soil Organic Carbon: the hidden potential 

The publication was launched at the Global Symposium on Soil Organic Carbon (GSOC). 
It provides an overview to decision-makers and practitioners of the main scientific facts and information regarding the current knowledge and knowledge gaps on Soil Organic Carbon. It highlights how better information and good practices may be implemented to support ending hunger, adapting to and mitigating climate change and achieving overall sustainable development.

By Rafiq Islam, PhD, Soil Program Director 
Three representatives from the Ohio State University, Rafiq Islam, Vinayak Shedekar, and Alan Sundermeier, along with Jerry Grigar from USDA-NRCS were invited to organize a series of “Climate-smart agriculture and soil health” workshops by two large farmer organizations in France from March 12 to 18, 2017. This French connection is the result of the science-based knowledge exchange initiatives that brought a French delegation, David Brandt, a farmer from Fairfield County, and the Ohio State University together in 2015. As a result of continued dialogue and partnership, the associations BASE (Biodiversité, Agriculture, Sol & Environnement) (www.asso-base.fr/) and Soin de la Terre (www.soin-de-la-terre.org/) sponsored our trip to France. 

Dr. Rafiq Islam is a soil scientist who has more than 20 years of national and international research, teaching and extension experience in climate-smart sustainable agricultural and organic cropping systems with a special emphasis on no-till practice, crop rotation with cover crops, soil amendments and nutrient recycling, and soil health assessments. Alan Sundermeier is an associate professor and Extension educator at the Ohio State University with national and international expertise on no-till organic farming, cover crops, and agroecosystem services with more than 30 years of outreach and engagement experience. By profession, Dr. Vinayak Shedekar is an Agricultural Engineer and has more than 5 years of experience in agricultural water management, soil organic matter dynamics, and advanced tools and techniques in modern agriculture. He is currently serving as a Research Associate in the Soil, Water and Bioenergy Resources Program at the Ohio State University South Centers at Piketon. Jerry Grigar serves as a State Agronomist for USDA-NRCS in Michigan and has more than 32 years of national and international experience in sustainable agronomic practices. He is also a successful no-till farmer, with vast practical experience in soil organic matter modeling, strip-cropping, and slow-release nitrogen fertilization techniques.

The team travelled more than 2,600 kilometers to organize four workshops in France: Monday March 13th in Alsace, in the northwest region of France on; Tuesday, March 14th in the Dijon area; Wednesday, March 15th in the Lyon area, and Friday, March 16th in Gironville, close to Paris. On March 16 the group visited a biodynamic lab in Cluny in the mountainous region of France.  

Information was disseminated during day-long workshops through presentations and demonstrations, based on research findings and experience with organic, bio-dynamic and ecological farming systems.  Topics included: organic farming and soil health management, selecting and incorporating cover crops in organic farming systems, no-till and cover crops impact on soil health and ecosystems services, soil health balancing with organic and inorganic amendments, using a soil organic matter calculator, farmer friendly soil health assessment tools, and economics of organic farming systems.

More than three hundred farmers, educators, professors, and students attended the workshops. Several farmers from other European countries attended the workshops as well. Post-workshop survey showed about 64% of the participants were farmers, with the remainder being university students, faculty, educators, consultants and trainers. More than 71% of the participants were very satisfied with the workshop. About 67% of the participants found the soil quality field test and soil organic matter calculator very relevant to their needs. More than 74% of the participants reported that they have improved their knowledge on no-till, cover crops, and soil health. About 48, 28, and 22% of the participants reported that cover crops, soil conservation, and crop rotation are the most important agricultural management practices to improve soil health. Among the workshop participants, 37% were motivated to use crop rotation/cover crops, 22% to practice no-till, 22% will use crop rotation, cover and no-till, and 19% of them will regularly perform soil quality tests in their future agricultural planning and management practices. 

The French sponsoring organizations, BASE and Soin de la Terre, are nonprofit farmer associations that are striving to find suitable solutions, knowledge-based information, and simple, rapid and inexpensive tools for French farmers. This was a great opportunity for us at The Ohio State University to be involved in a knowledge exchange program at the international level, while expanding the college and university’s outreach to the European Union farming communities of France. The interactions with the French farmers and visits to their farms were a great learning experience for our team. This helped our team members to identify some of the local as well as global issues in relation to agricultural sustainability, socio-economics, and environmental quality. Furthermore, the interactions and feedback received from these workshops will help to assess the effectiveness of our outreach and educational methods, and help us improve upon them.

Vinayak Shedekar, Research Associate

The Healthy Soil – Healthy Environment is an Ohio State University (OSU) Extension Signature Program launched in July 2016 that will create a Soil Health Education and Outreach Network comprised of OSU researchers, Extension educators and 4-H educators. Vinayak Shedekar, OSU South Centers Research Associate and Alan Sundermeier, Wood County Extension Educator co-lead the program. Dr. Rafiq Islam, Brad Bergefurd, and Dr. Dan Remley from OSU South Centers are also members of the team.

The new signature program intends to serve a variety of clientele including: all farmers (traditional, organic, no-till, sustainable or low-put), landowners, 4-H members and youth, urban gardeners (youth and adults), Master Gardeners, crop consultants, ag retailers, salesmen, underserved populations, non-profit organizations, and the general public. The program’s long-term goal is to help improve Ohio’s Soil Health and Environment by educating farmers, youth, and the general public. Over the past half century, OSU researchers have a developed a plethora of knowledge and practical solutions farmers can use to better manage their soils. Examples include the long-term no-till studies in Wooster, cover crop studies in Piketon, and the long-term soil drainage and compaction research at Hoytville. This vast knowledge base will be made available to the stakeholders through the Healthy Soil – Healthy Environment program.

Maintaining a healthy and productive soil is the foundation of sustainable agriculture. However, a majority of producers, youth in agriculture, and urban gardeners are unaware of the importance and ways to manage soil health. The OSU Healthy Soil – Healthy Environment signature program is intended to bridge this knowledge gap, by providing knowledge and tools, and educational curricula related to soil health and its assessment under different agricultural management settings. The program will develop factsheets and other educational materials, conduct in-service training, workshops and field days focused on sustainable soil management practices, and develop curriculum that could be incorporated into state-wide 4-H and youth-education programs.

The program team also includes OSU soil scientists Warren Dick, Nick Basta, Rafiq Islam, and Steve Culman, and OSU Extension Agriculture & Natural Resources and 4-H educators Clifton Martin (Muskingum County), Dr. Robert Horton (Columbus), Jason Hendrick (Putnam County) and Sarah Noggle (Paulding County), Michael Schweinsberg (Paulding County), and Les Ober (Geauga County).

Program website: soilhealth.osu.edu

Twitter: @OhioSoilHealth

Peter is a short-term visiting scientist from the Chinese Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences – Jiamusi Branch who is working on sustainable agricultural management practices to improve soil health for economic crop production with enhanced ecosystem services. Peter is the second intern to come to the OSU South Centers for a two-month training period from the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences – Jiamusi Branch.

By Dr. Rafiq Islam, Soil, Water and Bioenergy Specialist

The Soil, Water & Bioenergy Resources Program of the Ohio State University South Centers, in conjunction with Pike County Soil and Water Conservation District and Pike County Solid Waste District, organized a “Food Waste Composting for Home Gardening” workshop in Piketon on     May 19, 2016.The workshop was well attended by the presence of small farmers, organic producers, home gardeners, compost producers and dealers, and home owners.

The main speaker at the workshop was Dr. Frederick C. Michel, Jr., from the Deptartment of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, and member of the Compost Research Center at OARDC, Wooster. He presented information on improving the collection, characterization, and processing of agricultural and industrial organic byproducts. Specific topics include collection, mixing and processing of food wastes, microbial communities in composts and amended soils, efficient conversion of dairy and hog production wastes into composts, and characterizing the effects of composting and other waste management processes on microorganisms, antibiotics and human and animal pathogen persistence. He also covered topics such as how to increase soil organic matter levels by using food waste composts and nutrient recycling to improve soil health for small-scale organic production and home gardening.

Jingqi (Lily) Liu and Heba El Abd have been welcomed as visiting scholars after recently joining the Soil, Water and Bioenergy Program at the OSU South Centers at Piketon. 

Currently, Lily is employed as a Research Associate at the Sustainable Agricultural Technology Institute, Jiamusi Branch of Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China. Lily is a short-term (3-month) exchange scholar and will be working on lab and field-based research techniques, analysis and data interpretation related to sustainable agricultural management practices. Her research focus will be on soil health, conservation tillage, cover crops and ecosystem services.

Heba is a graduate exchange scholar from Egypt. Currently, she is employed as an Assistant Lecturer, Botany Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Banha University, Egypt. Her teaching focus is on plant morphology and physiology, as well as plant taxonomy. She will be pursuing her Ph.D. research work entitled “Plants’ response to nano- and chelated nutrients” under the supervision of Drs. Rafiq Islam and Gary Gao, and Brad Bergefurd, respectively.