Good Agricultural Practices

One role of OSU Extension is to help producers get their products to retail outlets and to consumer tables efficiently, safely and cost-effectively. And an important part of that effort is to ensure that producers are aware of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) that was signed into law in January 2011. This is an area that produce farmers especially need to know.

FSMA was created to ensure that more attention is focused on prevention of contamination and minimizing risk starting on the farm. According to the FDA, each year 1 out of every 6 Americans experiences foodbourne illness. Microbial contamination of food can occur at many points along the way from harvest to the time it is consumed.

It is especially important to consider food safety with fresh fruits and vegetables that will be eaten without cooking or heating in any way to kill microorganisms. Good Agricultural Practices(GAPs) are guidelines to ensure that fresh produce is handled in ways to prevent microbial contamination during growing, harvesting, sorting, packaging and storage. To learn more about GAP training opportunities or audit preparation, please click above or contact me at the Extension office at 622-2265.

Though we may not all be producers, we are all consumers, so it is important to correctly handle and prepare all foods. For any food safety questions, please visit Ohio State Food Safety or call the Ohio State Food Safety Info Line at 1-800-752-2751.

Great Article in This Week's Wall Street Journal

Please take a moment to read this article that was published in Monday's Wall Street Journal.

Amid Acres of Wilting Stalks, Farmers Stand Tall by Victor Davis Hanson (click)

Here's a portion of the article:

We might also recalibrate our notion of "flyover country," that vast and productive region that rarely earns attention elsewhere except during close national elections. The federal government is insolvent; high finance is still suspect. Yet thousands of mostly unknown farmers in Iowa, Indiana or Ohio get better at what they do, and better too than all their counterparts across the globe—drought or no drought.

The parched summer of 2012 reminds us that we still live in an often tragic world that all our high-tech devices and therapeutic gobbledygook cannot quite overcome. The comfortable life of smartphones, reality TV and Facebook seems a birthright only because it is predicated on the talents of Americans who, with little fanfare, put a bounty of food on our tables and the world's.

Thank you to all of you in agriculture who do your jobs so well.

Know Your Farmer

Depending on which source you consult, the average American is anywhere from three to even five generations removed from the farm. And when you think about that, even if folks are only one or two generations removed, farming today is rarely how grandpa and grandma farmed.

In an effort to strengthen the critical connection between farmers and consumers and support local and regional food systems, the USDA started the “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food (KYF2)” program. Research in 2010 by the Economic Research Service identified barriers to local food market entry and expansion. Two of these included capacity constraints for farms and an inadequate infrastructure to move foods into mainstream markets. KYF2 works to eliminate these barriers.

I am especially interested in helping more producers in this area supply our schools with fresh local produce. If you have interest, or know someone who does, give me a call at 622-2265.

Hay Directory Available

ODA is offering a website to connect farmers with hay to sell to farmers who need hay. Please visit this site to learn more: Ohio's Hay Directory 

Other drought-related information, is now available at: www.agri.ohio.gov/TopNews/DroughtInformationAndResources/

Darrell Kick visits Coshocton & Tuscarawas counties

Darrell Kick, field representative for Congressman Bob Gibbs, visited Coshocton & Tuscarawas counties on August 9 as part of the OSU Extension Congressional Assistants' Tour.

First stop was the Dale & Doug Everett Farm for a roundtable discussion with some area farmers on current agriculture issues - especially the Farm Bill and the drought.


Steve Quillin, Wendell Waters, Greg Waters, Matt Durbin, Chris Zoller (OSUE ANR
Educator in Tusc County), Dale Everett, Doug Everett, Darrell Kick, and Luke Durbin 



 Then we headed to Lake Park to meet with Coshocton County Master Gardener Volunteers and learn about the Phenology Garden. The volunteers monitor specific plants and record the times at which those plants bloom and insects become active. This information is collected in a state and national database that helps gardeners and farmers all over the country.

Gail Piper, Tammi Rogers, Teresa Donley, Betty Williams, and Darrell Kick

 Darrell also had a chance to visit with Mary Thomas, a participant in Annie's Project - a 6 week program for women in agriculture. Mary shared that the program examines the types of risks that farmers encounter and how to best manage those risks. Annie's Project will be offered this January - March, so be sure to check in later for more details.

Darrell Kick and Mary Thomas

 Then on August 10, Darrell and I toured several sites in Columbus that highlighted some exciting efforts of Extension and OARDC. We learned about topics like functional foods, shale oil and gas, reducing phosphorus in waterways, bed bugs, antibiotics, local foods, 4-H STEM (science, technology engineering and math) activities and the proposed Farm Bills.  

Libby Dayton explaining current research to improve Ohio's phosphorus risk index.

A congressional assistant befriends a Jersey calf at Waterman Farm.

One of the community gardens from Extension efforts in a neighborhood near OSU campus.



Darrell and Emily at the Ohio 4-H Center

President Gee Visits Coshocton County



Coshocton County was very proud to welcome President E. Gordan Gee yesterday as part of his two-day tour of Ohio counties. President Gee visited the North Appalachian Experimental Watershed (Hydrologic Station) near Fresno. There were several individuals who shared the important research that has happened at this location since the 1930's. Jenny Cherry, our Coshocton County 4-H Youth Development Educator, took this photo of the Ohio State leadership who accompanied President Gee on his visit.

"O" Steve Slack, Director OARDC

"H" Bobby Mosier, Dean of the College of Food, Ag & Env Sciences

"I" E. Gordan Gee, President of The Ohio State University

"O" Keith Smith, Director OSU Extension





Happy Local Foods Week

This week is Central Ohio Local Foods Week (August 11-19). The local foods movement is an effort to purchase and consume fresh produce and other foods that are grown in or near your community.

According to the USDA, in the past 15 years the number of farmers markets has tripled. There are now more than 7000 across the country. Here in Coshocton County we have three farmers markets during the summer months in Coshocton, Fresno and Warsaw. Coshocton County is also home to Local Bounty, a year round producer and consumer cooperative.

Coshocton County Farmers Market

Saturdays, May - October

8:30 AM-12:00 PM

Coshocton County Fairgrounds

Fresno Farmers Market

Saturdays, May - October

8:00 AM-12:00 PM

Mark McCoy's Auto in Fresno (follow signs)

Warsaw Farmers Market

Thursdays, May - September

4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

River View Community Park

Local Bounty Coshocton

Open Year Round

Thursdays and Fridays  2:00-6:00 PM

Saturdays 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

State Route 83 next to Lake Park Soccer Complex

Farmers markets are at a location where several vendors gather to sell produce, plants, other agricultural products and crafts. A farm market is a location where a producer sells produce and other items that are usually grown at that farm. Farm markets are typically open daily while farmers markets are usually open weekly. There are also several farm markets here in the county.

Many restaurants are also making the effort to prepare foods using locally sourced ingredients. The National Restaurant Association identified the top two trends for 2011 as “locally sourced meats and seafood” and “locally grown produce.”

There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy some local agricultural products, so I encourage you to make a special effort this week.