april 2012

By GARY BROCKEditor

WILMINGTON -The “buy local”movement that hassparked an increaseddemand for locallygrown and producedfoods means that thosefarmers and producerswho know how tomarket and sell theirproducts directly toconsumers can increasetheir farm incomesubstantially by doingso, Ohio StateUniversity Extensioneducator MarkMechling told thoseattending the SmallFarm Conference andTrade Show inWilmington March 9and 10.

“The biggestchallenge that farmershave to overcome isto get theirproducts

directly to theconsumers,” he toldthose attending theopening night seminar.

“The number onetrend in 2011 forconsumers is ‘localfoods,’” he said.

One of the top foodtrends recently has beenthe demand byconsumers who want toknow where their foodcomes from, who isproducing it and want tobuy products from asclose to home aspossible, said Mechling.

But farmers andproducers who want totake advantage of the“buy local” movementto market and sell theirproducts directly toconsumers have tofollow a rigid andprecise set of rulesdesigned to ensure

consumers purchasewholesome and safeproducts, he said.

His opening sessionwas one of 30 held atWilmington Collegefrom Ohio State, theU.S. Department ofAgriculture and industryexperts, along with atrade show, for smallfarmers that offeredinformation that canbenefit a variety ofgrowers, said Tony Nye,an OSU Extensioneducator and SmallFarm Programcoordinator.

Francis Fluharty, aruminant nutritionistwith joint appointmentswith OSU Extensionand the OhioAgricultural Researchand DevelopmentCenter, also spoke to theopening night attendees,discussing livestock

marketing.“Ninety-ninepercent of

the

consumers of yourproducts have no ideahow your livestock areraised,” Fluharty said.

To remaincompetitive as foreignfood production marketsgrow, he said localfarmers: “Need tomarket local, marketorganic and market highvalue.”

In fact, he saidsurveys show thatalmost 80 percentof localconsumerswant topurchaselocally-producedfood.

Fluharty also pointedout that peoples’perception of thewelfare of the animalshas an impact on theirpurchasing decisions.“We have to be positive,and believe in what wedo,” he said.

The Mechlingworkshop gaveparticipants informationon issues including:obstacles to marketingmeat; labeling; themeanings of grass-fed,antibiotic-free, freerange, organic andgrain-fed; how to findthe right processor; andhow to price a product.

“Farmer can capturemore of those retailfood dollars by sellingdirectly to theconsumers that they’releaving on the tablewhen they sell thatproduct as a

continued on page 3A

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of Southwest OhioIssue 2 April 2012 $1.00

StandardWilmingtonNews JournalPermit No. 10Wilmington,

Ohio Post Office

Farming:AlwaysChanging

Buggy SpringAhead

Dugan’sColumn

Doing itNaturally

Brown CountySnapshot

Maple GroveFarm

EventsAround Ohio

Bee-utiful Bees

Keeping aneye on risingenergy costs

Farming:Businessand Pleasure

Agricultureand the Arts

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

10Local peoplewant local foodSmall Farm Conference focuses on marketing to consumers

By GARY BROCKEditor-Publisher

Farmers have neverneeded help more thanthey need it today.

The good news isthat help is availablehere in southern Ohioto help smaller acreagefarmers with all theproblems theyencounter in 2012 -from crop decisions tofinancial assistance.

It is time to think outof the box.

That is the messagegiven those attendingthe “Resources: Howdo I Find the Info INeed” seminar March10 at WilmingtonCollele, part of the“Small FarmConference” held thatweekend.

And there is moneyand aid for those

farmers wishing to takegreater risks withhigher value “niche”crops, said DaleBerjliner, with theClinton County officeof the Farm ServiceAgency.

He said farmers canreceive assistance,including funding andinsurance to help themlimit their risk ingrowing smalleracreage but highervalue crops such asstrawberries, limabeans, asparagus andsimilar crops.

“We want to provideassistance to thosefarmers who provide“niche” crops andproducts toconsumers,” he said.

FSA representativefrom Fayette County,

continued on page 3A

“It is time to think

out of the box.”

Money and Aidfor Farmers

Mark Mechling, OSU Extension Educator, opens the 2012 Small Farm Conference Friday night.

By GARY BROCKEditor

Farming isn’t what itused to be.

In fact, farming isnever what it used to be.

In 2012, southernOhio farmers have moreresources and greatertechnology at theirdisposal than at anypoint in the history offarming in America.

At the same time,southern Ohio farmersface more challengesand greater risks thanever before.

But isn’t that the wayit has always been?

Farming in 1960 wasnothing like farming in1900. And farming in1900 was a hugeadvancement overfarming in 1800. And soon.

The lesson is simple:Anyone who believesthat farming is the same“old school” occupationwith low-tech or no-techresources hasn’t been ona farm lately. Like everyother invaluable

resource in this country,agriculture in America isalways changing.

Never was that pointmore driven home thanat the Small farmConference held March9 and 10 at WilmingtonCollege.

During the two days, I

had a chance to listen toa number ofpresentations from farmand agriculture experts -many of whom werefarmers themselves,whether in livestock orgrain production.

What was moststriking about thepresentations was howmuch farming hasevolved in recent yearsto embrace newtechnologies andinnovations.

Yes, like everythingelse, farming has

changed over the years,But the rate of change inAmerican agriculturecan only be calledstaggering.

It isn’t just GPSsystems and computerstracking soiltemperatures from spacesatellites; it is a whole

shift in how farmersmarket their products,what they sell and howthey are perceived byconsumers.

At the Small FarmConference, forinstance, there werediscussions aboutensuring the humanetreatment of theirlivestock duringprocessing and the

importance ofeliminating stress on theanimals (the beef isbetter). There werediscussions of “niche”crops and soilconservation efforts.And plenty of discussionon ways to marketdirectly to consumers.

That is becausepeople in our localcommunities want tobuy food from localproducers. People wantto feel good about thefood they are buying -that it is local, nutritiousand above all - highquality.

That was the realtheme of the conference- what we produce herein Ohio isn’t justbeneficial to theeconomy, it is beneficialto local consumers whopurchase it because it isa much higher quality.

And that messageneeds to be heard.

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Local Food con’t from Page 1A

commodity,” he said.Traditional farmers

get about 18 to 20 centsof each retail dollar thata consumer spends in arestaurant or grocerystore, Mechlingexplained.

“They’re leaving 80percent of that retaildollar to others,including grocery stores,distributors, wholesalersand other components ofthe food chain, whichcapture more of thatretail dollar than thefarmer,” he said. “Bymarketing directly toconsumers they cancapture more of thosedollars, but it requiresmore management andmarketing skills.”

On Saturday, therewere nearly 30 hour-longworkshops on farmingissues throughout theday. The sessions wereheld at several buildingson the WilmingtonCollege campus.

Workshops included:Vegetable Disease andInsect Management;Beef Production;Website Design; InvasiveSpecies; Aquaculture:The “Nuts and Bolts” toFish Farming; FoodSafety; Green House andTunnel Production; andLivestock and the Law:Managing Legal Risk;

Finding Resources;Sizing Equipment for theSmall Farm; andGrowing the PerfectTomato.

The conference is anoutgrowth of the OhioNew and Small FarmCollege, an eight-weekprogram created by OSUExtension that offers anintroduction to thebusiness of smallfarming or those who arenew to the farmingindustry. The programoffers information onbudgeting, businessplanning and how todevelop a farm structure,among other issues.

“We’ve put somereally powerfulinformation together sothat people who attendedcan build a relationshipwith the presenters whocan help them as they gothrough their farmingjourney,” Nye said.

Aid for Farmers con’t fromPage 1A

Darren Metzger, alsotold those attending theconference that they arethere to provide loans, ifneeded.

“We are not here tocompete with the localbanks or otherinstitutions,” he said.“Our desire is for you toget credit from them ifyou can,” he pointed out.However, he alsoacknowledged that “it isdifficult if you are ayoung farmer, juststarting out, or doingsomething unique” to geta loan.

He pointed out thatFHAhas a number ofloan programs availableto farmers, includingfarm operating loans andterm operating loans forcrops and equipment.

And then there is theland itself.

“We are here to helppeople help the land,”said Steve Hall, of theGreene and WarrenCounties ResourcesConservation Service.The agency, part of theU.S. Department ofAgriculture providessomething that may be asvaluable as money -knowledge andinformation.

“When people cometo us with questions,especially people whoare just starting out infarming, the firstquestion I ask them is,

‘What do you want todo?’Once we know that,then we can look at theprograms and help weoffer that best suits theirneeds.”

The best part is, all theinformation and help isprovided free of charge.

Hall pointed out thatunder the 2008 FarmBill, there are a numberof land conservationprograms that providemoney to farmers forland preservation andimprovement, as well aswater conservation andprotection. “There is theConservationStewardship Program,which rewards farmersfor being good stewardsof their land,” Hall said.

There is moneyavailable to smallacreage farmers for:Land improvement(environmentalincentives, pastureimprovements, croplandimprovements and forestimprovements);Conservation (landretirement, wildlifehabitat incentives,grassland reservation,and Equipment(reimbursement forthings like constructionand farm equipment).

For farmers, thespeakers said thebottom line is that thereis funding and resourcesout there today as neverbefore - all they need todo to obtain it is to seekit out.

GaryBrockEditor,ACRESof Southwest Ohio

Acres Editor Gary Brock isalso publisher and editor of theRecord-Herald in WashingtonCourt House and editor of theweekly People’s Defender inWest Union

Miriam Speaight, owner of Linndale Equipment inWilmington, was one of the exhibitors at the Small FarmConference at Wilmington College March 9 and 10. She ispictured here looking through the first edition of “Acres.”

One of the many vendors at the Small Farm Conference atWilmington College March 9 and 10 was Larry Clifton Seedsin Hillsboro. Clifton is pictured here with Chelsie O’Neil withthe OSU Extension Service looking over his displays.

At the Small Farm Conference held March 9 and 10, one ofthe many displays at the Trade Show and Exhibition was onefrom Ohio State University on the threat of the Emerald AshBore. Manning the display are Gigi Neal and Cindy Meyer.

Reading her copy of "Acres"

Seed display

Ash Bore display

By ROSE COOPER([email protected])

One of the mildestwinters on record mayhave given people a breakfrom shoveling snow, butit may not have been aswelcome to area farmers.It could lead to a tough

spring for farmers sincemany pests that wouldnormally freeze may havesurvived the relativelymild temperatures andlittle snow.Tony Nye, Clinton

County agriculture/naturalresources educator for theOhio State UniversityExtension, said areafarmers can expect to see alarger number of insectsthis year. “Some of ouraphid population may behigher and there’s thepotential for a highernumber of flea beetles thisyear.”

Nye said flea beetlescan carry a disease thatdamages some varieties ofcorn.Another Clinton

County farmer, DaleStokes, believes that otherinsects could be a problemfor corn and soybeancrops, including ear worm,corn borer and stink bugs.Dale Stokes operates

Stokes Farm on CenterRoad with his son Mark.In addition to raising cornand soybeans, the farm’sbiggest crop is 40 acres ofblack, red, purple andyellow raspberries. Theyalso have six acres ofstrawberries.Stokes said he does

think the mildtemperatures could impactwinter wheat. “I think it(warmer weather) willresult in earlierdevelopment of wheat,”Stokes said.

That could be aproblem, but Nye said hedoes not believe it will bea major problem.Winter wheat is

planted late in the fall andafter sprouting it goesdormant. But with amilder winter, the wheatcomes out of dormancyearlier, Nye said. “Whenwe have up and downtemperatures, it doesn’tknow whether to remaindormant or not. Somefarmers have had issues,”Nye said.Nye said he does have

concerns about the fruitcrop. “If we get a hardfreeze in March, the cropwould be greatly impacted.Should the temperaturesbe extremely cold for twoor three days, that woulddamage the flower andthen there would be nofruit,” he said.Many fruit trees are

budding now, Nye said,but the buds are stillclosed. “They haven’topened up yet. We can tellif they were damaged ifthey don’t open up. That’swhen you know and therewon’t be any fruit.”Nye said he has

strawberries and therecent warmer thannormal temperatures havebrought his berry plantsout of dormancy. In orderto protect the berries, Nyesaid he put straw back onthe plants. “The runnersare already a foot long,” hesaid.A late freeze at the

Stokes farm would notonly be devastating for thefamily, but it wouldimpact cancer researchand cancer patientsparticipating in testsusing freeze-dried blackraspberry powder fromthe Stokes farm.

Their blackraspberryoperation is thelargest in theeastern UnitedStates, said Dale’swife Jane.Unless the

temperaturegets down tozero, Dale saidhe doesn’tsee a

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problem for his operation.“Our berries are stilldormant at this time,” hesaid. “But they will bebreaking dormancy soon.”Strawberries on the

farm are protected with astraw cover, Dale said.Buds are showing on

some of the raspberrycanes in the field. Dalesaid if the temperaturegets dangerously low inApril or May, they mayhave to irrigate to keepthe fruit buds fromfreezing. “When you put afine mist of water on theplants, a little bit ofenergy is lost and heat istrapped under the ice,”Dale said. “That keepsthem from freezing.”

The Stokes’ blackberryoperation is unique. Thefather and son team notonly sells raspberrieslocally, nationally andinternationally, but anestimated 4,000 to 5,000pounds of blackraspberries are freeze driedinto powder for use incancer research. “It takesabout 10 pounds of freshberries to make one poundof powder,” Dale said.The raspberry farm is a

year-round concern sinceDale has a researchnursery at his residencewhere he does “breedingwork,” growing andtesting new varieties ofraspberries.“People should be

encouraged to eat asmany fruits andvegetables as they can,”Dale said.“We knew that was

really important, but theresearch has shown usthat is more importantthan we realized.”According to research

at The Ohio StateUniversity, blackraspberries have thegreatest impact of anyfruit for the prevention ofcancer, heart andcirculatory disease anddementia in humans.If the warmer than

normal temperaturescontinue, Nye saidfarmers could be in theirfields earlier this year.

“That’s up to MotherNature. If the weatherstays mild and we don’thave a lot of rain, theplanting season couldstart early this year.”Nye said the last killing

frost should normally bethe first week in May.“But, as long as thegrowing point is not aboveground, it will be fine.Let’s just hope for a

nice spring so it doesn’tget really wet or reallydry. We still have four orfive weeks left until we’reout of danger for frost anda freeze.”

Rose Cooper is a staffwriter for the WilmingtonNews Journal.

Mark Stokes holds a tray of raspberryplants in the greenhouse at the farm.A large number of plants are grown in the nursery.

“Let’s just hope for a nice springso it doesn’t get really wet or really

dry. We still have four or fiveweeks left until we’re out of

danger for frost and a freeze.”


Every year I get a fewcalls in early Aprilconcerning bag worms.Bag worms are mostcommon on evergreentrees and are not usually aproblem until May. I willaddress bag worms in afew weeks, but theconfusion at this point isnormally eastern tentcaterpillars, which form aheavy web, that resemblesa bag to some people. Thisweb is the nest that isnormally found in thecrotch of several fruittrees.

Apple trees and wildcherry are normally afavorite of this insect. Thepicture shows a nest fromthe OSU Factsheet.

A few years ago, therewas a huge population ofthese caterpillars inKentucky and southernOhio that was associatedwith the losses in the horseindustry. The issue stemsfrom the insect eating theleaves on wild cherry andthe mares consuming grassand droppings around thetrees to the level that theyaborted. Controlling thisinsect early, before thetrees leaf out will reducethe risk.

For more informationabout this you can go tothe factsheet on Ohioline athttp://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2022.html.

Beekeeping EducationIn recent years that

seems to be a renewedinterest in beekeeping inSouthern Ohio. I knowthere are some groups thatmeet on a regular basisand thought this might behelpful for those interestedin beekeeping. This ispretty easy to get access toif you have the internet.You can join the contactlist by going to:http://go.osu.edu/beelablist

By joining the contactlist you will have access tothe OSU Bee Lab webinarseries, which is a monthlywebinar targeted to Ohiobeekeepers and anyoneinterested in honey bees.Please help spread theword about this freeprogram, which uses thenew Adobe Connectformat. All sessions willbe recorded and availablefor free viewing thefollowing day.

Problem WeedsAbout a month ago I

wrote about controllingproblem weeds on thefarm. With the summerlike weather, temperaturesare warm enough to makeweeds grow pretty rapidly.Moisture is surely not aproblem for plant growtheither. Some of theseweeds are ahead of thenormal growth for mid-March, so controllingthem should be, too. Thispicture of this weed showsits early season growth.

Poison hemlock is onethat I mentioned back inFebruary when I wroteabout controlling problemweeds in the early spring.This plant is already morethan a foot tall in someareas that I have seen itgrowing this past week.This plant is more difficultto kill when it gets somesize to it. It has a hollowstalk, so even if you seethe plant wilted down,check back in a week or sofor re-growth. It may showa curled stem from beingwilted stage and begrowing again. The warmtemperatures should helpthe herbicides performbetter, too.

This article came to methis morning from ourOSU Extension TurfSpecialist, Pam Sherratt.The article was written byDr. Dave Gardener and herefers to the temperaturesin Columbus. We are a fewdegrees warmer than whathe states.

As everyone hasprobably noticed, it’sunusually warm right now.But, how warm is it?Consider this: If theforecast holds up, theMarch monthly meantemperature in Columbus,OH will be 53.5 degrees,which is the normalmonthly mean for April.

Also, we will have had9 days in the 70’s, two ofwhich will be at or justabove 80 degrees, which issimilar to what we saw inthe whole month of Aprillast year. In addition, if onelooks out the window theywill see not only Forsythiain full bloom (our indicatorplant that tells us it’s timeto put down preemergenceherbicide) but also cherrytrees and Bradford pears.Cherry trees normally donot bloom in central Ohiountil the 3rd week of April.

Soil temperatures are57 degrees in central Ohio.What is unusual is that

Kentucky bluegrass is justbarely out of dormancy,but soil temperatures willbe warm enough thisweek, theoretically, forcrabgrass to germinate. Isay theoretically becausewe’ve not seen crabgrassin Columbus in Marchbefore and all of the otherphenological indicators areso out of alignment (nomodel shows corneliancherry dogwood, forsythia,cherries, and magnolias infull bloom simultaneously).But, importantly, soiltemperatures will be warmenough this week forcrabgrass to germinate.

Bottom line: get yourpreemergence out as soonas possible. Remember,even if you see somecrabgrass, new plants willcontinue to germinate upuntil the first part of July,so at least thepreemergence herbicidecan prevent subsequentgermination. Don’t relyjust on a post product onthese sites. Also, there isalways a chance that a latefrost will knock out someof the early germinatingcrabgrass.

You should consider theuse of a product that offersboth pre and postemergencecontrol. Dimension is a

great choice, as is Echelonor Cavalcade PQ. If youdecide to use Echelon orCavalcade PQ, I wouldwait until crabgrass is 1-4leaf (which looks to besometime in mid-lateApril this year). That waythe quinclorac will takeout the early crabgrass,plus you won’t have to beas concerned withpremature breakdown ofthe preemergenceherbicide. If you have thematerials on hand, youcan also combineprodiamine with Tenacityherbicide and this willgive both pre andpostemergence crabgrasscontrol.

All of the above advicecould be renderedunnecessary if we have aturn in the weather tomore normal or belownormal temperatures.However, there is nothingfrom the National WeatherService ClimatePrediction Center (whichhas been remarkablyaccurate the past severalyears) to suggest that thiscurrent trend of abovenormal temperatures isgoing to end anytimesoon. Plan your spring asthough everything is 3-4weeks ahead of last year.

6A APRIL 2012

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Gardening Class —This class is for MasterGardeners and thepublic. The programwill be Top Performing,Low MaintenanceAnnuals. The programis at Southern StateCommunity College inFincastle starting at 7p.m. in Room 110.

Pesticide Testing —April 9 from noon until4 p.m. at the Old YRestaurant. You mustregister with ODA athttp://pested.osu.edu orcall (800) 282-1955.

Anaplasmosis Program— An educational classfor cattle producersabout this fatal diseasethat was confirmed inherds in Adams, Brownand Highland Countiesin 2011. The programwill be held at EasternBrown High Schoolstarting at 7:30 p.m. onApril 16. Food will beavailable at 7 p.m. ifyou call and RSVP bynoon on April 16. Callthe Adams Co. Ext.Office at 54-2339,Brown at 378-6716 orHighland at 393-1918.

Gardening EducationalClasses — These areopen to the public: April19 - ContainerGardening; and May 17- Herbs. Classes taughtby OSU ExtensionMaster Gardeners.These are at SSCCFincastle and they startat 6 p.m.

Estate PlanningWorkshop — Late Juneand early July, detailsstill being worked onand will be announcedsoon.

Dates toRemember

By PAT [email protected]

Last September, the Departmentof Labor published a Notice ofProposed Rulemaking to revise thechild labor regulations to strengthensafety requirements for minorsemployed in agriculture. The Wageand Hour Division was driven toupdate its 40-year-old child laborregulations by studies showing thatchildren are significantly morelikely to be killed while performingagricultural work than whileworking in all other industriescombined. The proposed new rulesexpand protection for hired younghelp, but do not in any waycompromise the statutory childlabor parental exemption involvingchildren working on farms ownedor operated by their parents.

The parental exemption allowschildren of any age who areemployed by their parent, or aperson standing in the place of aparent, to perform any job on afarm owned or operated by theirparent or such person standing inthe place of a parent.

The initial federal child laborprovisions, or child labor laws,were enacted in the Fair LaborStandardsAct of 1938 to ensuresafe working conditions for youngpeople and to ensure that the workdidn’t jeopardize their health, well-being or educational opportunities.Congress created the parentalexemption in 1966 when itexpanded protection for childrenemployed in agriculture andprohibited their employment injobs the Department of Labordeclared particularly hazardous forchildren under the age of 16 toperform. However, reflecting ahistorical deference to farm work,the rules are not as comprehensivefor children who work inagriculture as they are for childrenwho work in other industries, likefood service or grocery stores. Forexample, the FLSAprohibitshazardous work for children innon-agricultural employment up tothe age of 18, but only prohibitshazardous work for children inagriculture up to the age of 16.

Also, a child employed by his orher parents on a farm owned oroperated by the parents can do anykind of work, even the mosthazardous types of work, at anyage. This exemption is muchbroader than the parentalexemption in non-agriculturalemployment where restrictionsregarding employment of youth inhazardous occupations remain untilthe age of 18.

The National Safety Councilranks agriculture as the nation’smost dangerous industry with 28.6deaths per 100,000 adult workersand, for 15 to 24 year-olds, 21.3deaths per 100,000 full timeworkers. The Bureau of LaborStatistics reports a fatality rate foragricultural workers 15 to 17 yearsold to be 4.4 times greater than forthe average worker in that agerange. The most common cause ofagricultural deaths among youngworkers is actually farmmachinery, with tractors involvedin over half of the fatalities. Still,not only is the fatality rate foryoung agricultural workers fourtimes greater than for non-agricultural working minors,injuries suffered by young farmworkers tend to be more severethan those suffered by non-agricultural workers.

The Department of Labor hasdeveloped proposed rules toexpand protection for childrenworking in agriculture whilepreserving the benefits that safe,healthy work can provide. Theproposals were influenced byenforcement experience of theWage and Hour Division,recommendations by the NationalInstitute for Occupational Safetyand Health and a federalcommitment to create paritybetween rules for agriculturalemployment and the more stringentrules for children’s employment innon-agricultural workplaces. Otherareas for improvement were alsoidentified by the Department ofLabor’s own enforcement actions.

The new proposals includestrengthening current child laborprohibitions regarding pesticidehandling, work with animals and

work in timber operations, manurepits or storage bins. Hired farmworkers under the age of 16 wouldbe prohibited from employment inthe cultivation, harvesting or curingof tobacco. Hired youth in bothagricultural and non-agriculturalemployment would be prohibitedfrom using electronic devices,including communication devices,while operating power-drivenequipment. Hired farm workersunder age 16 would be prohibitedfrom operating almost all power-driven equipment.A similarprohibition has existed as part ofthe non-agricultural child laborprovisions for more than 50 years.

The new regulations will alsoprevent children under 18 frombeing employed in the storing,marketing and transporting of farm-product raw materials. Prohibitedplaces of employment includecountry grain elevators, grain bins,silos, feed lots, stockyards,livestock exchanges and livestockauctions.

Although the proposed changesare intended to protect employedminors, questions concerning theparental exemption are the mostfrequent. Secretary of LaborHilda Solis says, “TheDepartment of Labor appreciatesand respects the role of parents inraising their children andassigning tasks and chores to theirchildren on farms and of relativessuch as grandparents, aunts anduncles in keeping grandchildren,nieces and nephews out of harm’sway.” The new proposal does notin any way compromise theexemption involving childrenworking on farms owned oroperated by their parents.However, the statutoryexemptions do not apply to

workers who are not the childrenof the owner or operator of thefarm. A parent of a hired farmworker cannot waive the childlabor provisions for his or herown child when the child isemployed on a farm not owned oroperated by a parent.

The Department of Laborpublished the proposed rulechanges and and invited publiccomments in September, 2011.Although the initial period ofcomment was extended, it hasexpired.A re-proposal of theparental exemption has beenannounced, “so that the departmentwill have the benefit of additionalpublic comment, and the public willhave an opportunity to consider arevised approach to this issue,”according to Solis. She says. “Wewill continue to work closely withthe U.S. Department ofAgricultureto ensure that the child labor inagriculture rule generally, and theparental exemption specifically,fully reflect input from ruralcommunities.” Their goal is also tomake certain that the final languageof the ruling reflects rural valuesand traditions.

A specific, side by sidecomparison of existing and newrules can be seen atwww.dol.gov/whd/CL/SidebySideNPRM.htm. The re-proposedportion of the rule is expected to bepublished for public comment byearly summer when remarks maybe submitted tohttp://www.regulations.gov with theRule Identification Number 235-AA06. The department will reviewcomments for the final rule, butkids will still be doing their choresno matter what the result. Thestatutory parental exemptionremains unchanged.

APRIL 2012 7AACRES of Southwest Ohio

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COLUMBUS — Twodecades of doing thingsnaturally earned twoGreene County organicfarmers the OhioEcological Food andFarm Association’s(OEFFA) highest honor inFebruary.

Doug Seibert andLeslie Garcia of GreeneCounty received theOEFFA’s 2012Stewardship Awardduring the association’s33rd annual conferenceentitled Sowing the Seedsof Our Food Sovereignty.The award, according toOEFFA’s website,“recognizes outstandingcontributions to thesustainable agriculturecommunity.” Theassociation was foundedin 1979 and is agrassroots organizationthat promotes local andorganic food systemsthrough education andadvocacy. The award,says Seibert, wasunexpected good news.

“Our reaction wassurprise,” said Siebert.“When I was at theconference, I was lookingat these major playersaround me. It made methink, ‘Why me?’”

Since 1992, Seibertand Garcia have beencertified as organicfarmers in the GreeneCounty area. The farmorganically at PeachMountain Organics, theirSpring Valley-based farm.The farm possesses 43acres, with more than 25acres certified organic and

used to produce seasonalvegetables, earlytomatoes, winter greens,cut flowers, log grownshiitake, herbs andgladiola bulbs. ForSeibert and Garcia,organic practicesrepresent the mostresponsible and healthyapproach to agriculture.

“I’ve never consideredany other way to farm,”said Garcia. “I think itsmore in line with naturallaw. It’s more pleasing toGod and less toxic. I wentto agricultural college justone year. I didn’t likewhat they were teaching.”

“I’ve never thought offarming any other way,”added Siebert. “My fathernever used anything butchicken manure in hisgarden. If you know a lotabout chemistry, youknow you don’t want toeat a lot of what’s goingonto the fields onconventional farms. Ican’t appreciate soil lossor pollutions in ourstreams. It doesn’t makesense to me.”

Visitors to the YellowSprings Farmer’s Marketwill recognize Seibert andGarcia as market regulars,selling their organicmixed vegetables,microgreens, fresh-cutflowers, bedding plants,mushrooms, hay andgreenhouse plants. Theduo also sells theirproducts to localrestaurants, grocery andhealth food stores. For atime during the earlynineties, Seibert andGarcia were GreeneCounty’s only organicfarmers. According to

Siebert, theorganic way oflife hasexperiencedsteady growth andexpansion sincethat time.

“When you look athealth food stores, it’scertainly on the rise,”said Siebert. “You seemore people talking aboutit.

The reality is that it isescalating. Science isstarting to convert itself toorganics. It works better.”

“As a shopper myself,it’s easy to find organicproducts now,” addedGarcia.

The award-winningorganic farmers arededicated to OEFFA’smission to educate peopleconcerning sustainable,ecological and healthyfood systems. In additionto raising and sellingproduce, Siebert and

Garciahold farm tours,host agriculture classesfor Wilmington Collegeand present OEFFAconference workshops.

“Most of my friends atthe OEFFA use me forinformation,” saidSiebert.

“We’re a draw topeople who are lookinginto organic foods,” addedGarcia. “People who areconcerned about food andeating fresh and local.”

Recipients of the

StewardshipAward are selected by theprior year’s winners.When next year’sselection process begins,Seibert and Garcia intendon looking for a recipientwho has made organicfood a way of life.

“We’ll be looking forpeople who live andbreathe organic in theireveryday lives,” saidSiebert.

Paul Collins is a staff writerfor the Xenia Daily Gazette

Doug Siebertand LeslieGarcia arerecipients ofthe OhioEcologicalFood and FarmAssociation’s(OEFFA) 2012StewardshipAward.Submitted photo.

Doing it naturallyOrganic farmers are honored with award

APRIL 2012 9A

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BROWN COUNTYAGRICULTURE SNAPSHOP

Brown County – OhioRanked items among the 88 state countiesand 3,079 U.S. counties, 2007

State U.S.Item Quantity Rank Universe Rank Universe

MARKET VALUE OF AGRICULTURALPRODUCTS SOLD ($1,000)Total value of agricultural products sold 58,013 49 88 1,425 3,076Value of crops including nursery and greenhouse 47,041 41 88 900 3,072Value of livestock, poultry, and their products 10,973 56 88 1,982 3,069

VALUE OF SALES BY COMMODITYGROUP ($1,000)Grains, oilseeds, dry beans, and dry peas 40,194 40 88 689 2,933Tobacco 4,492 1 12 82 437Cotton and cottonseed 0 0 0 0 626Vegetables, melons, potatoes, and sweet potatoes 329 63 88 1,266 2,796Fruits, tree nuts, and berries 145 63 88 1,236 2,659Nursery, greenhouse, floriculture, and sod 365 67 87 1,562 2,703Cut Christmas trees and short rotation woody crops 5 70 84 1,318 1,710Other crops and hay 1,512 27 88 1,134 3,054Poultry and eggs 40 64 88 1,781 3,020Cattle and calves 7,727 21 88 1,395 3,054Milk and other dairy products from cows 2,445 59 86 998 2,493Hogs and pigs 470 60 88 1,058 2,922Sheep, goats, and their products 80 60 88 1,284 2,998Horses, ponies, mules, burros, and donkeys 187 48 88 1,168 3,024Aquaculture 0 46 53 0 1,498Other animals and other animal products 0 65 88 0 2,875

TOP CROP ITEMS (acres)Forage - land used for all hay and haylage,grass silage, and greenchop 91,528 19 87 223 2,039

Soybeans for beans 36,006 43 88 709 2,634Corn for grain 23,653 14 88 894 3,060Wheat for grain, all 1,471 62 87 1,472 2,481Corn for silage 1,366 1 12 78 437

TOP LIVESTOCKINVENTORY ITEMS (number)Cattle and calves 20,175 18 88 1,411 3,060Hogs and pigs 1,917 45 88 1,135 3,024Horses and ponies 1,813 19 88 664 3,066Layers 1,685 61 88 1,102 2,958Goats, all 959 23 88 783 3,023

600

500

400

300

200

100

01 – 9 10 – 49 50 – 179 180 – 499 1,000+500 – 999

Acres/Farm

Farm

s

Farms by Size L

Land in Farmsby Type of Land

Woodland23.14%

Cropland52.02%

Pasture19.65%

Other uses5.20%

2007 CENSUS OF

AGRICULTURECounty Profile

%2007 2002 change

Number of Farms ...........................................1,487...................1,400 ............+6Land in Farms...................................240,389 acres .....220,729 acres ............+9Average Size of Farm ..............................162 acres ............158 acres ............+3

Market Value of Products Sold ...........$58,013,000........$31,178,000 ..........+86Crop Sales $14,631,000 (50 percent)Livestock Sales $14,627,000 (50 percent)Average Per Farm....................................$39,014...............$22,270 ..........+75

Government Payments..........................$2,679,000..........$2,019,000 ..........+33Average Per Farm Receiving Payments..........$3,413.................$4,467..........- 24

Information from www.agcensus.usda

Economic Characteristics Quantity

Farms by value of sales:Less than $1,000 ...............................................................396$1,000 to $2,499 ................................................................153$2,500 to $4,999 ................................................................191$5,000 to $9,999 ................................................................212$10,000 to $19,999 ............................................................131$20,000 to $24,999 .............................................................43$25,000 to $39,999 .............................................................98$40,000 to $49,999 .............................................................32$50,000 to $99,999 .............................................................84$100,000 to $249,999 .........................................................89$250,000 to $499,999 .........................................................44$500,000 or more ................................................................14

Total farm production expenses ($1,000) ...........................50,176Average per farm ($) .........................................................33,743

Net cash farm income of operation ($1,000) ......................14,137Average per farm ($) ..........................................................9,507

Operator Characteristics Quantity

Principal operators by primary occupation:Farming ..........................................................................................620Other...............................................................................................867

Principal operators by sex:Male ..............................................................................................1,285Female ............................................................................................202Average age of principal operator (years).......................................56.3

All operators by race:American Indian or Alaska Native ....................................................1Asian.................................................................................................1Black or African American................................................................10Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander .........................................0White.............................................................................................2,207More than one race...........................................................................2All operators of Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino Origin .........................9

BROWN

COUNTY

Look formore Agricultu

re

snapshots in

future editionsof Acres!


By RYAN CARTER([email protected])

Phil Grover doesn’t liketo boast about hisaccomplishments or thesuccess of his 50-acrefamily farm, located onParrott Station Road inJefferson Township, whichnow encompasses three

generations.However, he is proud of

the farm that he and hiswife Mary settled on in1962 and is grateful to hisfamily for their supportover the years throughoutall of his agriculturalendeavors and otherresponsibilities.

Phil served as the

Fayette County 4-H agentfrom 1955-62, FayetteCounty Agricultural Agentfrom 1962-72, and theOhio State ExtensionSpecialist in CommunityResource Developmentfrom 1972-87. He servedas a lay minister for theStaunton and White OakGrove United Methodist

Churches from 1974-76.He was also a member

and president for threeyears of the Miami Traceschool board.

Following retirementfrom Ohio StateUniversity, Phil wasemployed in a number ofpositions. These include:consultant to CincinnatiCenter for DevelopmentalDisabilities at theUniversity of Cincinnatifrom 1987-91, the actingdirector of the Agriculture& Livestock Ohio StateFair in 1992, news directorfor WCHO Radio from1993-94, executivedirector of the StatePlanning Committee forHealth Education in Ohiofrom 1995-2002, and part-time instructor at SouthernState Community College.

On the farm, which isknown as Maple GroveFarm, the Grovers haveraised Tamworth hogs,Polled Dorset sheep and in2001, commenced a Boergoat production business.He is currently the directorof the Boer GoatDepartment at the OhioState Fair.

“All of this has onlybeen possible because I’ve

had a very cooperativefamily,” said Phil. “Theyhave assisted in doing a lotof things around the farmin order for me to be ableto fulfill those otherresponsibilities.”

Phil is a native ofHIghland County andcame to Fayette County asthe 4-H Extension ServiceAgent following hisgraduation from OhioState in 1955. He met andmarried Mary LouiseHighfield, daughter ofNorris and MonaHighfield, on Feb. 9, 1958.

It wasn’t Phil’s originalintention to locate inFayette County when hewas searching for a placeto live, but many yearslater, he is certainly gladhe did.

“I drove throughWashington C.H. andFayette County when Iwas a student at OhioState,” said Phil. “I did notintend to locate here, butan opportunity came up. Iwas looking for a summerjob before I went to gradschool as a summer 4-Hassistant. They said theydidn’t have anything in thestate of Ohio, then all thesudden, they said we have

a full-time position inWashington C.H., FayetteCounty. Even though I hadnot given thatconsideration, Iremembered goingthrough Fayette Countyand Washington C.H., andI considered it God’scountry.”

“Coming out ofHighland County to get uphere in the flat ground,that was appealing,” Philsaid. “My family wouldsometimes come toWashington C.H. to shop.So I was familiar and Ithought that FayetteCounty was about as goodas it got as far asprosperous agriculturalcommunities. I changedmy plans in order to comein here and take that joband I did that on a veryshort notice. It justhappened at the right timefor me. I very muchadmired the looks andeconomic prosperity ofFayette County in 1955.”

Mary was raised inFayette County. Sheworked in the pricingdepartment at Armco untiltheir first child was bornand then she devotedherself full-time as a

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Family makesfarm work

The Grover family at the 2006 Agriculture Hall of Fame: (Back row): Mary Myers, Philip Myers,and Victor Pontious. (Middle Row): Cindi Grover, Mary Grover, Phil Grover, Carole Pontious,holding Drew, Dr. Cathy Grover and Bryon Ely. (Front row): Chas Grover and Tori Pontious.

Maple Grove Farm hasdeep community roots

IN THE SPOTLIGHTF A M I LY F A R M

The Grover farm on Parrott Station Road.

mother raising their threedaughters. When theJeffersonville Outlet Mallwas built, Mary becamethe manager of theJonathan Martin DressStore. She has also been a4-H advisor for 27 years.

The couple has threedaughters, each of whomgraduated from MiamiTrace High School andOhio State University.Cindi is a vocal musicteacher at the Miami TraceMiddle School. She hasthree children: Philip,Mary and Chas.

Cathy, Ph.D., L.S.W., isa social worker in theReynoldsburg SchoolDistrict working with at-risk students. Cathy andgranddaughter Mary are

both past ChristmanScholar AthleteLeadership Award winnersfor Fayette County.

The youngest daughter,Carole, has her J.D. fromthe University of ToledoLaw School and is anattorney in FayetteCounty. She is married toWashington MunicipalCourt Judge VictorPontious II, and they havetwo children: Victoria andAndrew.

Phil and Mary’s threedaughters were very activein the 4-H programgrowing up, participatingin county, state andnational 4-H events.

“We’ve very muchenjoyed raising our familyhere in Fayette County,”

said Phil. “We feltextremely comfortableliving in a communitywhere you know most ofthe people you come incontact with. When you dobusiness and so forth, youknow the people you’redealing with on a first-name basis.”

All three of Phil andMary’s daughters currentlylive within 12 miles of thefamily farm.

Cindi’s son, PhilipMyers, took an interest inthe business of the familyfarm at an early age. Afterworking on the farm forabout five years, hebecame a countyagricultural agent for ClarkCounty. He then movedonto become a commercial

loan officer for a bank inSpringfield, featuringagricultural credit.

Sixteen-year-old ChasGrover has taken over hisolder brother’s role on thefamily farm and is alsovery active in MiamiTrace’s FFA program.“Chas spends many hoursassisting his grandpa on thefarm and without his help, Icouldn’t continue the goatoperation,” said Phil.

The Grovers’ goatproduction business hasbeen a successful venture.Their breeding programhas featured some of themost outstanding does inthe Boer breed. Many havewon numerouschampionships and their

embryo transfer processhas been used to reproduceoutstanding individuals.

Each year in August,the Grovers hold aproduction sale for Boergoats with nearly 100different buyers registeredfrom 10 to 12 states.

“The Boer goat 4-Hproject is the fastest-growing 4-H project in theUnited States,” Phil said.“Also, there is more goatmeat eaten in the worldthan any other species.These are some of thereasons that we got intothe Boer goat operation.”

Phil said he is proudthat the farm that hestarted now spans threegenerations and his entire

family agrees on theimportant of the familyfarm.

“They do not want us tosell the farm or in any waychange the familyownership,” he said. “Ihave no intentions ofdispersing or selling it out.I would like to live herethe rest of my life and Ihave no interest in retiringfrom active participationin agriculture.”

APRIL 2012 11A22

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The Grover family farm specializes in the Boer goat production business.

RyanCarter

Ryan Carter is Assistant Editorfor the Record-Herald inFayette County.

Members of the Grover family particpate in the 1976 Premier Exhibitor Continental Dorset show.

For the first time, thedowntown WashingtonCourt House Farmers’Market will beparticipating in theFayette County Home &Garden Show.Approximately five toseven vendors willprovide an early springsampling of theirsignature products duringthis year’s show at theFayette CountyFairgrounds. Rhubarb,lettuce as well asasparagus will be offeredfor sale. Hand-craftedbird baths and birdfeeders, woven alpacaproducts, and personalcare items made withnatural ingredients suchas scrubs, lip balms, anda skin toner will also beavailable. Local honey,jams and jellies, fruitpies, cakes, cinnamonrolls, and an assortment

of homemade breads willbe for sale too.Vendors representing theMarket will be presentFriday, April 20 from 4-8p.m. and Saturday, April21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.and can be found in thebreezeway between theMahan building and theFine Arts building on the

Fayette CountyFairgrounds.Vendors participatinginclude Alpaca KingdomAcres, Snowhill Produce,L&L Natural Products,Green with Envy, BYEGardens, Your OtherMother’s Kitchen, andPersinger Produce &Cottage Foods.

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COLUMBUSThe Ohio Farm

Service Agency (FSA)has announced thatgeneral sign-up for theConservation ReserveProgram (CRP) is nowavailable and willcontinue through April 6.During the sign-upperiod, farmers andlandowners may offereligible land for CRP’sgeneral sign-up at theirlocal FSA office.

The CRP is Ohio’smost valuableconservation program,consisting of more than300,000 acres. The CRPprovides vital habitat forOhio’s wildlife species,as well as providing theopportunity for wildlifeobservation andphotography.

The Ohio Departmentof Natural Resources’(ODNR) Division ofWildlife supports theCRP because it creates

quality grassland andwetland wildlife habitatand reduces the amountof sediment enteringOhio’s waterways, thusproviding improvedwater quality in Ohio’sstreams and lakes.

“The ConservationReserve Program is awin-win for all Ohioans,”said Scott Zody, chief ofthe Division of Wildlife.“I encourage alllandowners to take thetime to consider enrollingall or a portion of theirland into thisecologically importantprogram.”

Ohio’s FSA, whichadministers the CRP, willevaluate and rank eligibleland using anEnvironmental BenefitsIndex (EBI), whichshows the environmentalbenefits of enrolling landin the program. There aresix factors that make upthe EBI, which include:

wildlife, water, soil, air,enduring benefits andcost.

Current CRPparticipants withcontracts expiring onSept. 30 are eligiblefor a new contract. Thisyear’s awards will beeffective Oct. 1.

For more informationabout CRP sign-up,contact a local FSAoffice or visit the FSACRP website at:http://www.fsa.usda.gov/crp.

Landowners may alsocontact the Division ofWildlife’s private landsbiologists at the Divisionof Wildlife districtheadquarters foradditional information.

ODNR ensures abalance between wise useand protection of ournatural resources for thebenefit of all. VisitODNR’s website atwww.ohiodnr.com.

Ohio’s Farm Services AgencyAnnounces ConservationReserve Program Sign-ups

Farmers Marketfeatured atthe 2012 Home& Garden Show

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APRILApril 11-12: A Bug’s World 2012,9 a.m.-3 p.m., Fisher Auditorium,Ohio Agricultural Research andDevelopment Center, 1680Madison Ave., Wooster. Forstudents in grades 1-3. Free.Information: http://go.osu.edu/JA9or 330-202-3507.

April 11: Produce Safety Program,1-4 p.m., Ohio State UniversityEndeavor Center, 1862 Shyville Rd.Features Good AgriculturalPractices for preventing microbialcontamination of fruits andvegetables on farms. Presentedby Ohio State University’s Fruit andVegetable Safety Team. Admission$10. Info: 330-202-3555, ext. 2918.

April 14: Guided Bird Walk, 9-11a.m., Secrest Arboretum, SeamanOrientation Plaza, Ohio AgriculturalResearch and DevelopmentCenter, 1680 Madison Ave.,Wooster. Bird watching walk led bymembers of Greater MohicanAudubon Society. Free.Information: 330-464-2148.

April 17: Wooster Campus Scarlet,Gray and Green Fair, 11 a.m.-6:30p.m., Ohio Agricultural Researchand Development Center, 1680Madison Ave., Wooster. Featuresexhibits, demonstrations, studentcontests and food vendors relatedto sustainability and theenvironment. Free. Information:http://www.wcsen.org/wcsggf/ or330-263-3700.

April 21: Mushrooms! 10 a.m.-noon,Godman Guild, 303 E. 6th St.,Columbus. Workshop on how togrow your own mushrooms. Free.Information, registration:http://go.osu.edu/HZJor 614-263-5662.

April 24: Guided Spring Walk,2-3:30 p.m., Secrest Arboretum,Seaman Orientation Plaza, OhioAgricultural Research andDevelopment Center, 1680Madison Ave., Wooster. Free.Information: 330-464-2148.

April 27: Produce Safety Program,1-4 p.m., Fisher Auditorium, OhioAgricultural Research andDevelopment Center, 1680Madison Ave., Wooster. FeaturesGood Agricultural Practices forpreventing microbialcontamination of fruits andvegetables on farms. Presentedby Ohio State University’s Fruitand Vegetable Safety Team.Admission $10. Information:330-202-3555, ext. 2918.

MAYMay 5: Plant Discovery Day, 9a.m.-3 p.m., Fisher Auditorium,Ohio Agricultural Research andDevelopment Center, 1680Madison Ave., Wooster. Plant andart sale and auctions; proceedsbenefit OARDC’s SecrestArboretum. Information:330-464-3148.

May 7: Ohio Wine Competition,noon-6:30 p.m., Fisher Auditorium,Ohio Agricultural Research andDevelopment Center, 1680Madison Ave., Wooster.Sponsored by Ohio StateUniversity’s Department ofHorticulture and Crop Science.Information: 330-263-3881.

May 10-12: Plant Sale 2012,Chadwick Arboretum andLearning Gardens, Ohio StateUniversity, 2001 Fyffe Court,Columbus. May 10, 6-9 p.m.;May 11, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.; May 12,8 a.m.-3 p.m. Proceeds benefitthe arboretum. Information:http://go.osu.edu/Hwjor 614-688-3479.

May 19: Irrigating Urban Gardens,9 a.m.-noon, Godman Guild,303 E. 6th St., Columbus. Workshopon how to build irrigation systems;speakers are Ohio State UniversityExtension’s Larry Brown andAngelica Huerta. Free.Information, registration:http://go.osu.edu/HZJor 614-263-5662.

JUNEJune 2: Building and Testing Soil,10 a.m.-noon, Godman Guild,303 E. 6th St., Columbus. Workshopby Mike Hogan, Ohio StateUniversity Extension. Information,registration: http://go.osu.edu/HZJor 614-263-5662.

June 9: Guided Bird Walk,9-11 a.m., Secrest Arboretum,Seaman Orientation Plaza, OhioAgricultural Research andDevelopment Center, 1680Madison Ave., Wooster. Birdwatching walk led by membersof Greater Mohican AudubonSociety. Free. Information:330-464-2148.

June 9: Plastic Pot Recycling, 8a.m.-noon, Chadwick Arboretumand Learning Gardens, Ohio StateUniversity, Howlett Hall, 2001 FyffeCourt, Columbus. Free recycling ofplastic flower trays, plastic potsand non-food-grade plastic foampacking material. Information:614-688-3479.

June 9: Rose Garden Open House,9 a.m.-2 p.m., Garden of Roses ofLegend and Romance, OhioAgricultural Research andDevelopment Center, 1680Madison Ave., Wooster. Featuresthree-acre garden of 1,500heirloom roses, most of them in fullbloom. Free. Information: 330-263-3612.

June 14: Whiz Bang! ScienceShow, 7-8:30 p.m., John StreeterGarden Amphitheater, SecrestArboretum, Ohio AgriculturalResearch and DevelopmentCenter, 1680 Madison Ave.,Wooster. Fun science program forkids of all ages. Free. Information:http://www.whizbangscience.com or 330-464-2148.

AGRICULTURE EVENTS AROUND OHIOHere are upcoming events involving Ohio State University’s College of Food,

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By MARSHA [email protected]

In recent years we’veheard much about theimportance of bees in thepollination ofcropsand

that parasites and virusesin bee colonies are causingcolony collapse disorder.Although there have beenmany losses, there seems

to be hope that the beeswill become more

resilient andcontinue to

flourish.With

declining

populations of honey bees,now is a good time forthose who have been acontemplating a newhobby to investigateraising honey bees.

There are a number oflocal bee keepers who arewilling to mentor thosewho want to start a beecolony.

“There are as manyways to keep bees as thereare beekeepers,” saidChristine Tailer, ofStraight Creek Valley

Farm, in Georgetown.“There is no singleright way to do it. Ifyou are thinkingabout keeping bees,start right in and doit.”

ChristineTailer’s husband,Greg Cole, tookan interest inbeekeeping asa child whilewatching hisgrandfatherwork thehives on hisfarm. WhenCole andTailermoved to a

farm inBrown County, theymade plans to keepbees and began theventure in 2003.

“The book, ‘BeeKeeping forDummies,’provided us withall the basicinformation weneeded to getstarted,” said

Tailer.She said that her

husband read every how-tobook on bees that he couldfind and they ordered theirfirst hive online from BeeCommerce.

Spring is the right timeto begin and according toTailer, for as little as acouple hundred dollars,someone can become abeekeeper.

Starter kits are availablewhich include a queen bee,drones and worker beesand a hive.

The life of the colonyevolves around the queenbee - she is responsible forlaying eggs, sometimes asmany as 2,000 per day.The drones, which maynumber up to 300 in ahive, mate with the queento produce more workerbees.

The worker bees, oftennumbering in thethousands, sustain thecolony by gathering water,nectar and pollen. Theybuild wax combs, do allthe housework, maintainthe inside temperature andact as guards for the hive.

It sounds like acomplicated process, butthe bees instinctively knowwhat they need to do tosustain their hive. The jobof a bee keeper is to aid thebees in their work byplacing them in a locationwith plenty of floweringplants, making sure there isa water supply nearby andproviding a place for themto produce honey (thehive) and then reap the

rewards of the bee�s laborby harvesting the honey.

“I would say that youneed to have a least twohives to start,” said Tailer.“Each hive should produceabout 50 pounds of honeya year and that leavesplenty for the bees to usethroughout the winter. Theflavor of honey grown atStraight Creek is very

sweet because of the cloverand wild flowers, but ifbees are situated next to acorn field, the flavor wouldbe completely different.”

Tailer noted that in2011, with 10 hives on herproperty, she harvested 14gallons of honey.

There are somenecessary tools of the tradefor the beekeeper, which

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What’s the buzz on raising bees?Are there sweet rewards?

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Step One

Christine Taylorsmoking the hive

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include a bee veil, hat,gloves, smoker andextractor. White clothingis recommended andshould include a longsleeved shirt, heavy longpants and high top shoes.Tucking the bottom ofpants into shoes keepsthe bees from gettinginside clothing.

“Approach the beehive from the side andback as bees fly up andout when they leave thehive,” said Tailer. “Beeswon’t sting while theyare foraging. If you seeone on a flower, it won’tsting you as long as youdon’t get in betweenthem and their ‘bee line’back to the hive.”

George Rooks, ofBethel, has been keepingbees for 18 years. Hecurrently has three hiveson his property. Because

of his expertise, Rooks isoften called on toremove nests of beesfrom unwanted placesand has a specialvacuum tool at hisdisposal to help gatherthe bees.

“We take about 20pounds of honey eachyear,” said Rooks. “Wedon’t take too much, butleave plenty of honey inthe hive for the winter,so the bees don’t starve.”

Rooks offered a bit ofadvice for those who arejust beginning beekeepers.

“Attend a bee school.There will be one held inMarch at the Oasis Clubclose to Loveland,” saidRooks. “It’s alsoimportant to keep thearea clean around thehives.”

The beekeeping

school, presented by theOhio State UniversityExtension will be heldfrom 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.Saturday, March 24, atthe Oasis ConferenceCenter, in Loveland. Toregister for the class, visitwarren.osu.edu/events/bee-school or contact GregMeyer at (513) 695-1311.

According to mostexperts, the only way toreally learn about the artof beekeeping is throughhands-on experience.Anyone interested inlearning the art ofbeekeeping is invited toa seminar hosted byTailer. The full day,hands on sustainablebeekeeping seminar willbe held at Straight CreekValley Farm from 10a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday,April 14.

“We will tour ourapiary, learn about theequipment andtechniques we use all theway from catching aswarm, dealing withpests, extracting thehoney and making beeswax candles,” said Tailer.“We will provide lightsnacks and beverages,but suggest that you packyour own lunch.”

The cost of theseminar is $25 perperson. To find out moreabout beekeeping,contact Tailer at (513)205-0054, email her [email protected] or visither website atstraightcreekvalleyfarm.com.

Step Two

extracting the honey

REYNOLDSBURG -Fifty-two farms wererecognized by the OhioDepartment ofAgriculture in 2011 ascentury farms. Centuryfarm status is awarded tofamilies who have ownedthe same farm for at least100 consecutive years.

To commemorate thisimpressive milestone,each family received aspecial certificate signedby Governor John R.Kasich and the Directorof the Ohio Departmentof Agriculture to keepwith their historicdocuments and pass downto future generations.

More than 850 farms in85 counties across thestate are registered ascentury farms. Athens,Noble, and Pike are theonly counties that do notyet have any registeredcentury farms.

Anyone who can verifythat a currently-ownedfarm has remained intheir family for at least100 years may register.For more information,visit www.agri.ohio.govand click on“Promotional Programs”and then “Century FarmRecognition,” or contactCindy Shy in the Officeof Communication at614-752-9817 [email protected].

County Name Year Est.Adams Swearingen 1875Allen Badertsche 1868Allen Bilen 1853Allen Sidey 1883Ashland Elson 1908Auglaize Albers 1835Butler Beeler 1901Champaign Detwiler 1904Clark Ackerman 1888Clark Bowman 1910Clark Goodfellow 1902Clark King 1896Clark Stickney 1805Clinton Branstrator 1904Clinton Stephens 1911Columbiana Huston 1842Columbiana Little 1907Crawford Pope 1885Defiance Reagle 1865Defiance Steinberger 1872Defiance Weber 1908Delaware Watkins 1897Delaware Watkins 1881Delaware Watkins 1892Fairfield Berry (2 farms) 1811Fairfield McManus 1850Fairfield Solt 1909Hancock Van Sant 1877Hardin Eibling 1907Hardin Sanders 1865Hardin Wagner 1833Henry Bechtol 1910Hocking Brimner 1910Knox Dudgeon 1831Lake West 1891Lorain Greene 1909Madison Hunter 1910Mercer Moeder (2 farms) 1873Mercer Thieman 1869Morgan Bragg 1902Putnam Hoersten 1908Putnam Maag 1879Putnam Pierman 1910Putnam Risser 1864Putnam Verhoff 1911Sandusky Gerwin 1900Shelby Baumer 1911Union Bouic 1906Wood Karns (2 farms) 1865

Following is a list of familieswho registered in 2011:

CENTURY FARMSONE HUNDRED YEARS OF FAMILY TRADITION

52 Ohio Families Recognized as 2011 Century Farms

MarshaMundyNews EditorGeorgetownNews Democrat

She is an award winningcolumnist for The NewsDemocrat in Georgetown. Shelives in Bethel with her husbandDon who is pastor at NewHarmony Methodist Church inBrown County.

By TONY [email protected]

Agriculture andNatural ResourcesEducator OSUExtension ClintonCounty Weather expertssay this past winter hasbeen the fourth warmestin history. A questionthat is being asked iswhat impact the warmwinter will have on fieldcrop insects.

The answer, itdepends on the insectand crop in question.Although warmertemperatures will affectthe various insectsdifferently, other factorsmight impact the cropsgreater because it willstill depend on whencrops get planted.Although the warmertemperatures will allowfor soil to warm upearlier, higher thanexpected spring rainsmight not allow forearlier crop planting ifsoils remain wet.

According toRonHammondand Andy

Michel, entomologyspecialists at Ohio StateUniversity, while“warmer” temperatureshave been the norm andcould result in greatersurvival, our “normal”winters in the state arenot that cold comparedto the temperaturesprobably required tocause significantmortality. And rememberthat snow acts as a greatinsulator. Thus, whilesurvival might begreater, it remains to beseen if we see hugelygreater densities of manyof our crop pests.

Hammond andMichel note the one areawhere warmertemperatures can impactfield crop insectconcerns is when thepests might show up andrequire scouting. A goodexample is with alfalfaweevil on alfalfa.

The time to begin

sampling for weevils andlarval feeding isdependent on weather,with heat unitaccumulations beginningon Jan 1. At 300 heatunits, we recommendsampling. Thus, the timefor scouting willprobably come earlier inthe season.

However, becausealfalfa is already plantedand in the field, wewould expect alfalfagrowth to also begin itsgreen-up earlier,probably at the samerelative rate as we seewith weevil growth.

Thus, we mightexpect that relationshipbetween feeding andalfalfa growth to remainthe same, albeit earlierthan normal. Then, thereare the many insects thatmigrate from southernareas, so theirdevelopment is affectedby weather conditionsfurther south, e.g., blackcutworm, truearmyworm, potatoleafhopper. Whetherthey migrate earlier ornot into Ohio willdepend on the weatherconditions later thisspring.

Insects that dooverwinter in Ohio,Hammond and Michelwould expect to seethem emerging fromtheir overwintering sitesearlier than normalbecause temperaturesoften drive this event.What will determinewhether they becomeeconomic issues oncrops will dependgreatly on the stage ofcrop development andgrowth. If insects arrive

in fields early but nocrop is evenplanted, thiscould lead togreater mortality

if they cannot findalternative hosts.However, if the insectarrives or begins feedingearlier when crops aresmaller in size, a greaterpotential for injuryexists. This latterscenario is especiallytrue for slugs on cornand soybeans.

Hammond andMichel reflect back afew years ago whensoybean aphids hatchedearlier on buckthorn,their overwintering host,because of warmertemperatures, butsuffered significantmortality because of alate spring freeze.

There is one crop pestthat we specifically tieinto winter temperatures,corn flea beetles andtheir ability to vectorStewart’s bacterial wilt.Because of the warmertemperatures duringDecember, January andFebruary, more corn fleabeetles are expected, andthus, the potential forgreater Stewart’sbacterial wilt. Beetleadults that overwinterbecome active in thespring when the soiltemperatures reach 65degrees F, and are mostactive on sunny, warm,windless days. Thoseadults that fed on cornplants with Stewart’sdisease in the previouslate summer or fall mayacquire and carry thebacterium from onegrowing season toanother. By feeding onyoung plants in thespring, they may spreadthe bacterium which inturn causes seedling wiltand leaf blight. Theoccurrence of Stewart’sbacterial disease istotally dependent on thelevel of bacteria-carrying flea beetle

survival over the winter.For many years the

winter temperatureshave been used topredict the risk ofStewart’s diseasebecause higherpopulations of the fleabeetle survive duringmild winters than duringcold winters. An indexhas been developed thathelps to predict thelikelihood of the diseasethreat. This ‘flea beetleindex’ is calculated asthe sum of the averagetemperatures(Fahrenheit) ofDecember, January andFebruary.

The flea beetle indexis:

• Index values lessthan 90 indicatenegligible diseasethreat.

• 90-95 indicate lowto moderate levels.

• 95-100 indicatemoderate to severe

• Values over 100predict severedisease threat.

Having checkedaverage temperatures forvarious locations in Ohiothe past three months, allareas of the state haveindexes over 100suggesting that risk issevere in 2012.

Hammond andMichel recommend thatgrowers scout for fleabeetles, especially if theyplant a hybrid that issusceptible to Stewart’sdisease. Normally wewould recommend thatgrowers wanting to takepreventive action againstflea beetles apply acommercially appliedinsecticide seedtreatment labeled for fleabeetles. However, therealization is that mostfield corn planted thesedays, especially alltransgenic hybrids,

already comes with aninsecticide seedtreatment applied. Thus,it is mostly non-transgenic corn thatmight need to be treatedspecifically for thisconcern. Also, most fieldcorn hybrids are moreresistant to wilt thansweet corn. Dent cornhybrids vary greatly intheir resistance to theleaf blight stage phase ofthe disease. All sweetcorn varieties aresusceptible to wilt in thefirst leaf stage. A few areresistant by the secondleaf stage and many areresistant in the third andfourth leaf stage.

Consult your seedsupplier for informationon resistant varieties andhybrids.

To summarize, thewarmer temperaturesthat Ohio experiencedthe past three monthswill impact insect peststo some degree.However, whethereconomic problems willincrease, or perhapsdecrease, depends on thespecific pest/croprelationship, and then theweather conditions overthe next two to threemonths. But remember asignificant player onwhether we will haveearlier economicproblems depends on thecrop, and when they getplanted.

Will the springcontinue to be warm orwill it turn cold? Howwill rainfall impact cropplanting?

What will the

IMPACTbe of a

mild winter?

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The Warm Winter and Field Crop Insects


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Skyrocketing energyprices can hurtmanufacturers, smallbusinesses and averageconsumers. But amongthose most adverselyaffected when electric orgas prices zoom skywardare farmers.Earlier this year,

customers began receivingAEP Ohio electric billsreflecting increases of asmuch as 40 percent onaverage, and in some casestwo or three times higherthan previous bills.The increases happened

after the Public UtilityCommission of Ohio(PUCO) approved anAEP Ohio electric securityplan (ESP) in Decemberwhich allowed thecompany to beginrecouping millions it hadspent on upgrades,established a price atwhich the company wouldsell generation services tocompetitors, and laid thegroundwork for AEP’stakeover and merger ofColumbus SouthernPower and Ohio Power.By 2015, AEP is

supposed to separate itsgeneration anddistribution assets andprocure electricity forcustomers throughcompetitive auctions,which is intended to resultin lower prices.But when the first bills

for January began to arrivereflecting the new AEPrates, business owners,government agencies andschools were outraged atthe costs. Many residentialcustomers also sawastounding increases. Andfamily farms were notspared, either.“Farms, small businesses

and residential energyconsumers … were someof the most impacted bythe increased rates,” saidDale Arnold, director ofenergy policy for OhioFarm Bureau Federation.“We had members withsmall businesses who sawwarehouse electricity billsincrease from $50 inDecember to $80 inJanuary. Some dairy farmssaw bill increases from$1,500 to $1,800.”A loosely-connected

network of governmentofficials, business ownersand residents begancontacting the PUCO,filing complaints aboutthe new rates. Some mediaorganizations joined thefray, and State Rep. CliffRosenberger (R-86thDistrict) demanded anemergency meeting withPUCO staff in hisColumbus office.Ohio Farm Bureau Vice

President Jack Fishersubmitted comments tothe PUCO, saying, “TheOhio Farm BureauFederation respectfullyurges that the commissionemploy the currentregulatory framework andrespectfully recommendsthat AEP withdraw itsenergy security plan putinto effect in January2012. In its place, theprevious energy securityplan approved by thecommission in 2009should continue to be ineffect.”When AEP held a

public session in HighlandCounty to meetindividually withcustomers whose bills hadgone up, several localfarmers were among thosewho showed up lookingfor answers.Ultimately, the PUCO

announced it would take

another look at the AEPrate plan it had previouslyapproved. A meeting ofthe commission was set forFeb. 23, and the PUCOmeeting room inColumbus was packedwith various interestedparties to show support foraddressing the issue.Among those in

attendance was DrewHastings, a nationally-renowned comedian who

was recently elected mayorof Hillsboro, Ohio. A fewyears earlier, Hastings hadpurchased a farm nearHillsboro, and has becomea spokesman for FarmAmerican, an advocacygroup that promotes theimportance of U.S.agriculture.Ultimately, the PUCO

took the extreme step ofrescinding the AEP ratesit had approved just twomonths earlier, andordered rates totemporarily return toDecember levels. AsPUCO Chairman ToddSnitchler said, “Ourdecision effectively hitsthe reset button on AEP’selectric security plan,allows us to start over fromthe beginning, ensure thatwe have a completepicture of any proposaland balance the interest of

all customers and theutility.”Hastings was glad the

PUCO took drasticmeasures.”They used theword ‘reset’ three times,”said Hastings. “Assomeone who is cynical bynature, I was taken aback.I wanted it to go this way,but didn’t really expect it.”Hastings said that

PUCO commissioners“showed empathy, and I

thanked them afterwards.They went out of theirway to explain why theyrescinded it.” Hastingssaid that commissionersencouraged local officialsto stay “actively engaged”in the process.Comments on the

ongoing AEP rate case canbe lodged with the PUCOby using the case number11- 346-EL-SSO andcontacting the PUCOonline atwww.puco.ohio.gov, or bycalling 1-800-686-7826.Eventually, a new rate

plan will be approved forAEP, and farm advocatesremain concerned whatfuture prices might do tothe agriculture industry.Steve Dillon is

president of HighlandCounty Farm BureauFederation, and says that“from an animal

husbandry standpoint,these facilities require alot of energy. It goes acrossthe board,” covering allsegments of the energyindustry.Much of southern

Ohio’s economy is basedon agriculture, Dillonnotes. With diesel fuelprices hitting the fourdollar per gallon mark inmany southern Ohioareas, and gasoline pricesnot far behind, the rippleeffect can hurt the wholeeconomy, says Dillon.“If a farmer wants to go

from one side of a countyto the other, to go tomarket or get supplies, he’snot going to make thattrip as often, and that’sgoing to reduce his overallspending,” says Dillon.In addition to providing

fuel for machinery, ormeeting heating andcooling needs, gasoline,diesel and electricity arecrucial to other farm-related activities.“The production of

input items like fertilizertakes energy to produce,”says Dillon. “Items likefuels and lubes, thoseprices are skyrocketing. Itwill be interesting to seewhere these inputs takethe market, and how theyinfluence end prices forconsumers.”Dillon also points out

that more farmers thanever are taking their cropsto regional markets,resulting in even highertransportation costs.Joe Cornely, spokesman

for Ohio Farm BureauFederation, says few costsare more important tofarmers than energy costs.“Second to labor costs,

energy is the single biggestline item in the farmer’sbudget,” says Cornely.“Whether it’s tractors,

combines, drying grain orcooling milk, just abouteverything is energydependent.”In early March, the

PUCO approved atemporary plan by AEP tomeet the commission’sorder to roll back electricrates to December 2011levels. Those rolled-backrates went into effect onMarch 9.For its part, AEP says it

is working with thePUCO to meet consumerdemands while protectingits investments andservices.AEP President and

Chief Executive OfficerNicholas K. Akins saidthat the latest PUCOaction “provides anappropriate short-termsolution that fairlybalances the interests ofelectric consumers withthe need to protect thefinancial health of AEPOhio. We recognize,however, that this is thefirst step in a longerprocess of addressing thetransition to a fullycompetitive market that isstructured equitably for allmarket participants andprovides benefits forconsumers.”Cornely hopes that will

be the case. “Farms are ineffect small businesses,” hesays. “There are enoughvariables in farmingalready. We need energypolicies that bringcertainty to the table.”

APRIL 2012 1BACRES of Southwest Ohio

Farmerskeeping aneye on risingenergy costs

Recent AEP ratehikes, soaringgas prices bringmore uncertaintyto farming

of Southwest OhioIssue 2 April 2012 1-8B

GaryAbernathy

Gary is the Publisher at theHillsboro Times-Gazette.

As fuel, gas and electric costs rise, so do the costs for farmers

Larry Dwelly rides his combine across hisHighland County fields.

FARMINGBusiness& Pleasure

By BRYAN [email protected]

Erik Scott’s family has been in thefarming business for a long time, goingback to the mid 1970s. When Scott’sgrandparents purchased the farm in 1975,Scott said they created a family businessthat currently encompasses threegenerations.

After the death of his grandfather,Scott said his father took over the familycattle farm, which is located off US 68,just north of Georgetown and the Rumpkelandfill. In 2007, Scott’s immediatefamily purchased the farm exclusively,with Frankie, Fred, Hannah and ErikScott all taking an active role in differentaspects of the farm. Erik Scott is the onlyfamily member who works at the farmfull time, and he said he keeps a close eyeon all aspects of the farm year round.

“This farm has actually been in myfamily for three generations,” Scott said.“I work full time out here, but my mom,my dad and my sister, we all havespecific responsibilities. I take care of theday to day stuff like keeping feed out andkeeping things moving.”

The farm currently has a large cattlebusiness going, with approximately 100head of cattle present on the farm fromday to day. Scott said most of the cattleare black Angus cross, though somepurebred are available on the farm. As faras he knows, Scott said the land hasalways been used as a cattle farm.

“This was a cattle farm before mygrandparents bought it,” Scott said. “Itwas owned by Avico Farms. I don’t knowhow many, but I know they had cattlehere. This was pre-1975. It is suitable forother things, but its best suited, I think,for cattle operation.”

Each member of the Scott family has arole on the farm. Scott said the familyoften refer to Frankie Scott as the ChiefFinancial Officer. While all members ofthe family deal with the financial side ofrunning a business, Frankie Scott helpskeep everything central and ties togetherall aspects of the farm while making surethe farm keeps current on all new andcurrent standards. Hannah Scott is incharge of the farm’s tobacco crop anddecides what kind of crop to plant eachyear. Currently, Hannah Scott is attendingDuke University. Fred Scott oversees thecattle business and also makes decisionsconcerning hay production and on howmuch feed will be needed each year.

Erik Scott helps to maintain the day today operations of each end of thebusiness, but also manages the farm’scorn and soybean crop. He said this endof the business also feeds into the cattleend of the business in deciding how muchcorn to grow in order to feed the calves.

Erik Scott said he has been around thefarm for most of his life, and that heenjoys being able to work in a field heloves.

“I get to get up every day and comeout here and do what I like to do,” Scott

said. “I like working with cows, we feedseveral feeder calves and we send outseveral steers each year. I like the idea offormulating feeds, we have a set of scalesto track rate of gain and conversion rates,and I could go out here and point to thesecows out here and tell you when theyhave a calf which one will finish fasterand better.”

“The challenge is to make it makemoney,” Scott said. “We all have to payour bills.”

The number of calves produced byScott Farms varies from year to year.Scott said the weather plays a significantrole in production in all areas ofagriculture. On the cattle end of thebusiness, having extreme fluctuations intemperature can cause cows to get ill.

“Everything is dependent on theweather,” Scott said. “That can reallythrow you for a curve, whether it’s cattleor grain or any other commodity. Rightnow, it’s the first of February and it feelslike its almost 70 degrees outside. Thesebig swings in temperature can causepneumonia very fast.”

“If we have an outbreak of pneumonia,that’s over 100 vaccinations or treatmentswe have to give,” Scott said. “Any kindof illness outbreak is pretty significant.It’s not something to look past lightly.”

Finished cattle are sent to ManningPacking, in Sardinia, for preparation forthe larger market. Typically, Scott said thefarm sells feeder calves that weighbetween 475 and 580 pounds. Some cowsare sold to other packing houses, whichoutsource the sold meat to companies likeOhio Proud. Most of the beef producedby Scott Farms is sold wholesale, thoughScott said some items are available forsale from the small farm market being runout of his house at 8568 Henize Road.

“We have a farm market where we sellcuts piece by piece,” Scott said. “Anyonecan come out and buy from one steak to

2B APRIL 2012 ACRES of Southwest Ohio

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ACRES of Southwest Ohio500 pounds ofhamburger.”

The market businesshas been so successful,Scott said the family islooking to build a secondlocation at Scott Farm onUS 68. Scott said theproject will hopefully becomplete by the end of2012.

“I started that as a verysmall business,” Scottsaid. “I didn’t expect it toget very big, I didn’texpect much to come fromit, but we’re getting to thepoint where we are havinga hard time keeping ourfreezer stocked. What wesell is an all naturalproject, we don’t feed anygrowth enhancers, orsteroids or hormones, andthere seems to be a prettystrong market for that.”

Scott said there are a lotof misconceptions aboutagriculture floatingaround, and said anyonewith any questions shouldcontact an agricultureproducer and get bothsides of the story beforecoming to a conclusion.

“I would encourageanyone that has questions

about any of the industriesto go find somebody andask one of the producers,”Scott said. “I think whenpeople get informationabout the food industryand the agricultureindustry, they need toconsider the source, wherethe information is comingfrom.”

“Go find someone andget both sides of the story,and then form your ownopinions,” Scott said.“Most producers I knoware more than happy totalk to any one, and Imyself am.”

For anyonelooking to getinto cattlefarming, Scottsaid it isimportant toknow if youwould enjoydoing thatkind ofwork yearroundbeforestarting anewcattlebusiness.

“Make

sure you enjoy it and thatyou enjoy it in everyseason, because there aregood days and there arebad days. Cattle farming insouthern Ohio is verydifferent because fromabout the last week ofSeptember to sometime inApril, this is all you get.It’s not pretty. I wish itwas, I wish there was away to make it pretty andkeep it cost effective, butyou’re going to have to putup with the mud, the bloodand the manure, and if youdon’t like being out in it,

this might notbe thebusiness for

you.”“You can’t

be afraid

to get dirty,” Scott said. “Idon’t like being dirty, butif I have to in order toaccomplish something, sobe it.”

For more informationabout Scott Farms or forinformation on theproducts offered at Scott’sfarm market, call (937)725-9115 or (937) 378-4359.

Bryan Peck is Associate Editorof the Ripley Bee, GeorgetownNews Democrat and the NewsDemocrat Sunday.

4B APRIL 2012 ACRES of Southwest Ohio

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WOOSTER, Ohio — Tworecent outbreaks of norovirus inGranville in central Ohio — ontop of other outbreaks acrossthe country — have Ohio StateUniversity food safety expertswarning people to takeprecautions to prevent thespread of the foodborne illness.

Norovirus is the leadingcause of foodborne disease inthe United States, responsiblefor 58 percent of all cases —nearly 5.5 million illnesses ayear. Most cases are relativelymild, but norovirus causes 26percent (or 15,000) of allfoodborne illness-relatedhospitalizations and 11 percent(or 149) of foodborne illness-related deaths in the UnitedStates each year. (For more, seethe Centers for Disease Controland Prevention web page athttp://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/2011-foodborne-estimates.html.)

Qiuhong Wang, researchscientist and adjunct assistantprofessor in the Food AnimalHealth Research Program(FAHRP) in Wooster, is part ofa team studying the stability ofnoroviruses on leafy greens andtheir potential modes oftransmission to humans. Otherteam members are Linda Saif,

distinguished universityprofessor, Malak Esseili andZhenwen Zhang, all withFAHRP at the OhioAgricultural Research andDevelopment Center, theresearch arm of Ohio State’sCollege of Food, Agricultural,and Environmental Sciences.

The virus is extremelystable, especially in wintermonths, Wang says. It cansurvive on surfaces or foodseven after standard disinfectionprocedures are instituted, andthe infectious dose is low, withas few as 18-1,000 viralparticles able to causeinfection.

Wang also is working with ateam including Saif and Kwonil Jung, another researchscientist with FAHRP, incollaboration with K.O. Changof Kansas State University totry to develop antivirals tohuman norovirus. UsingOARDC’s germfree piglets, theteam is testing potential newantivirals in initial trials. Theteam at OARDC also hopes toinitiate new work incollaboration with a local Ohiocompany to test more effectivedisinfectants and handsanitizers for norovirus.

!VIRUSALERT

To lessen the chance ofillness from norovirus,

Wang advises:• Wash hands thoroughly. This isimportant not only to preventfoodborne illness, but also todecrease the risk of person-to-person transmission, which canoccur not only during illness butfor one to three weeks after aninfected person’s symptomssubside. Person-to-persontransmission especially occursduring the winter when peopleare in closed settings with closecontact among individuals —this includes schools, colleges,day care centers, nursing homes,among military troops and oncruise ships. It’s important tonote, Wang says, that 20 percentof norovirus-infected people donot show any symptoms, but stillcan spread the virus to others.Most people don’t wash theirhands long enough — at least 20seconds. For guidance, seehttp://foodsafety.osu.edu/picture-lessons/keep-your-hands-clean/.

• Avoid raw produce. When foodsare cooked, norovirus and otherpathogens are killed. This couldbe especially important forindividuals who are most at risk— the elderly, young children,and people with cancer or whohave other diseases or chronicconditions.

• When preparing leafy greens tobe eaten raw, as in a salad,purchase a whole head of lettuceand rinse leaves thoroughly. Themore leafy greens are processed,such as those in ready-to-eatbags, the more opportunity thereis for contamination fromnorovirus.

Education& ResearchKey to Feeding aHungry World

Wilmington’s Dr. Chafin: Mechanization,genetics and biotechnology havereplaced the ‘Hoe and the Horse’

Dr. Donald Chafin isdismayed at the naivete;and misinformed opinionstated in a recent reporton Yahoo News thatclassified agriculture,animal science andhorticultural studies asamong the most “useless”college degrees.

“Such misunderstandingof reality begs an answer,”said Chafin, professor ofagriculture at WilmingtonCollege.

“Likely, the author of thearticle traced the declinein number of farmerssince the high point ofemployment in the1930s,” he said.

Indeed, the technologicalrevolution in agriculturesince World War II hascreated a large migrationof farmers off the land, asfarm size has increased.

“Mechanization, geneticsand biotechnology havereplaced the hoe and thehorse, and the need forsweat labor,” he added.

Chafin contends that isprecisely why education ismore important today forthe businessman farmerthan ever before.

“No doubt the authorof the article awoke thenext day expecting threesquare meals on the table- where does he thinkfood comes from?”he said.

“There is an integratedchain that takescommodities from thefarm gate to fork-readyfood products. Farmersno longer sell livechickens to consumers,”Chafin noted. “It takes alot of agribusiness peopleto service the preparedand convenient foodneeds of consumers.”

Chafin said the essentialmix of science,technology, agribusinessand the American farmermust be up to theintimidating task over thenext 20 years of providing9 billion people with asafe, abundant and cheapfood supply.

“Education and researchare key to achievingsuccess,” he said.

Chafin cited a U.S.Department of Agriculturereport that indicates thenation’s agriculturalcolleges are producingonly 70 percent of thecollege graduates neededby agriculture.

“Wilmington College ishelping solve thatdeficiency,” he said,noting it is one of onlytwo colleges in Ohio witha bachelor’s degreeprogram in agriculture.

“Located amid thecornfields in southwestOhio, Wilmington’semphasis is focused uponreal world farming, animalscience and horticulture.”

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DEADLINES/CORRECTIONS:Liner deadline 3rd Thurdsay of each month:

Display Deadlines:Mar. Edition: March 6 Aug. Edition: July 31Apr. Edition: April 3 Sept. Edition: Sept.5May Edition: May 1 Oct. Edition: Oct 2Jun. Edition: June 5 Nov. Edition: Oct. 23Jul. Edition: July 3 Dec. Edition: Dec. 4

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We AcceptPLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD ONLINE-24/7

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POLICY: Please Check Your Ad The 1st Day. It Is The Advertiser’s Responsibility To Report Errors Immediately.Publisher Will Not Be Responsible for More Than One Incorrect Insertion. We Reserve The Right To Correctly Classify, Edit, Cancel Or Decline Any Advertisement Without Notice.

GENERAL INFORMA To Advertise Call:TIONOffice Hours: 937-544-2391

937-368-6161937-382-2574740-335-3611937-393-3456

Monday-Friday 8-5

newsdemocrat.com peoplesdefender.com recordherald.comtimesgazette.com wnewsj.com


400 - Real Estate

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420 Farms for Sale

Wanted: Cropland acres to buy. Agent has clients wanting 200 acres and 800 to 2000 acres. Call Jim Hanna and Robert McNamara. Halderman Real Estate Services 937-382-1425

500 - Merchandise

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Old Allis Chalmers trac-tors or John Deer's to re-store running or not. 740-636-0223 or 740-505-1608

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Agricultureand the Arts:

The story ofAmerica’s Quilt Barn Trails unfolds

The beginning of Quilt Barn Trailsacross America hangs on this barnat Lewis Mountain, on state Route

247 in Adams County, betweenWest Union and Wrightsville.

Photo by Tom Cross, Adams CountyTravel & Visitors Bureau

By CARLETA WEYRICH([email protected])

The essence and beauty of awell orchestrated creation ofAdams County, the Quilt BarnTrail, has been thoroughlyexplored and enticinglyillustrated in a new book.

“Barn Quilts and TheAmerican Quilt TrailMovement,” by Suzi Parron,with Donna Sue Groves ofAdams County, includes quiltpatterns and several local QuiltBarn photographs by TomCross, an accomplished AdamsCounty writer andphotographer in his own right.

The book is availablelocally in West Union at TheOlde Wayside Inn, 222 W.Main Street; the Adams CountyTravel and Visitors Bureau,509 E. Main Street; and at ThePeople’s Defender office, 229N. Cross Street.

“For four or five years I hadabout half a dozen peoplewanting to write the story, but

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none of the offers feltright,” said Groves, whoplanted the seed for thefirst Quilt Barn Trail.“When Suzie called, andafter severalconversations, I felt shewas the right person at theright time. She wassomeone I could entrustmy story to.”

A high school Englishteacher, Parron lives at

Stone Mountain, Ga.About three years ago sheand her dog, a blackLabrador mix namedGracie, went on a summerroad trip, camping outalong the way. Whiletraveling throughKentucky, she saw her firstquilt square on a barn. Itwas a brightly coloredFlying Geese pattern onthe barn of Belenda

Holland in southwesternKentucky.

“She was hooked,” saidGroves. “Once she got thefever, her inquiries led tome.”

Parron’s book coversthe decade long history ofQuilt Barn trails and howthe fever spread fromAdams County, Ohio into27 states. Along the way,Parron relates human

stories and anecdotes thathelp readers to realize thatthe Quilt Barns are somuch more than pieces ofwood, paint and prettypatterns.

“Since the book waspublished, Quilt BarnTrails are now in 34 states,along with Prince EdwardIsland, Canada.” Grovesexplained, “A Quilt BarnTrail is a living, breathingentity created bycommunity membersutilizing the best of theircommunity. A trail is acommunity project usingthe arts - and so muchmore. The trails havechanged individual lives.”

Originally from Creed,W. Va., Groves is a 1966graduate of CharlestonHigh School and has ajournalism degree fromWest Virginia University.When she was a childtraveling in a car throughher home state, hermother, Maxine Groves,would occupy her childrenwith counting barns andadvertising signs along theway. Groves explainedthat it was too boring totry to keep track of licenseplates as traffic was verysparse in their area. So,instead, she learned anappreciation of barns anddeveloped an interest inpromotion.

Groves also developedservice skills for hercommunity throughinvolvement with GirlScouts, through working ata local radio station and asa candy striper at the localhospital.

In time, Groves’ parentsrelocated to Xenia, and shefollowed them there.While living in thesouthern end of the city, aworking classneighborhood, she noticedthey didn’t seem to get thesame services as otherareas. She launched intoher first major communityservice project, organized

the residents, and theresult was new streetrenovations and upgradesto gas and water lines.

Subsequently, Groveswas asked to run for citycommissioner. Shecampaigned door to doorand won, beating anincumbent in the election.However, beforecompleting the term, sheand her mother decided torelocate to Adams County.The year was 1989, and bythen she had raised a childand was divorced. Maxinewas widowed and retiredfrom her vocation as aschool teacher.

“I had been on a lot ofnature trails here,” saidMaxine. “I liked therelaxed pace. People arekind here and look aftereach other. It was a goodplace to call home.”

The two ladiespurchased a small farm onGermany Hill Road fromwhich they could see theKentucky hills. Maxinebuilt a house for them tolive in and had a place todo her hobby of quilting.She had learned the craftfrom her mother andgrandmother.

“There’s a tobacco barnon the property,” Grovessaid. “It was very plainand dull. I promised MomI would paint one of herquilt squares on it tobrighten it up. Time wenton, and I didn’t get aroundto it.”

In February 2001, PeteWhan, with the NatureConservancy and co-founder of PlanningAdams County’sTomorrow (PACT),offered to help paint thesquare. Elaine Collins,director of Adams CountyEconomic Development,was with them at the time.Groves thought if theywere going to paint onesquare, they could paint anentire trail of them acrossthe county to draw tourists

and bring economicopportunities to localartists and businesses. Atthe time she was workingfor the Ohio Arts Counciland was looking for waysto help local artists.

A committee wasformed withrepresentatives from theNature Conservancy, theAdams County EconomicDevelopment Office, theAdams County Travel andVisitors Bureau, artisansand quilters and otherinterested parties. Theproject became known asthe Adams County QuiltSampler and Collinssecured a grant to give theproject a jump start.

With Donna Sue andMaxine forgoing the ideaof having the first barnsquare, for the commongood, the very first QuiltBarn Square, an Ohio Star,was unveiled in Octoberon state Route 247,between West Union andWrightsville, at the site ofa popular autumn festivalat Lewis Mountain Herbsand Everlastings.

“It’s phenomenal tothink, as a little girl of fiveto six years old a game mymother devised to occupyher children by countingbarns and looking at adswould some 40 years laterbring about all the joy andhappiness of the QuiltBarn Trails,” said Groves.“I’m very grateful Suzitold my story. It’s ofimportance that AdamsCounty was where it allbegan.”

For more informationabout the original “BarnClothesline” of quiltsquares, please go towww.appalachiandiscovery.com/Quilt_Barn_Squares

Carleta Weyrich is a staffwriter for The People’sDefender in Adams Countyand owns a farm inneighboring HighlandCounty.

In this 2010 file photo, Donna Sue Groves holds a quilt made for her to lift her spirits, during about with cancer, by friends she has made through her promotion of the arts. Photo by CarletaWeyrich/The People’s Defender

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COLUMBUS — Ahousehold food andnutrition survey developedin part by an Ohio StateUniversity researcher isuncovering a clearerpicture of hunger andmalnutrition throughoutthe world.

Although the UnitedNations’ Food andAgriculture Organization(FAO) has in the pastestimated that 1 billionpeople in the world gohungry or aremalnourished, the surveysbeing used now, said Hugo

Melgar-Quiñonez, indicatethe number may be doublethat.

“The problem is muchlarger than we canimagine,” said Melgar-Quiñonez, who was askedto report on a portion ofthe project in January atthe International ScientificSymposium on Food andNutrition SecurityInformation in Rome.Melgar-Quiñonez is foodsecurity specialist withOhio State UniversityExtension and also has anappointment

with the Ohio AgriculturalResearch andDevelopment Center.

The survey, calledELCSA (for EscalaLatinoamericana yCaribeña de SeguridadAlimentaria), is based onthe food security surveyused in the United States.It was developed byMelgar-Quiñonez andresearchers from theUniversity of Antioquia inColombia; the Universityof Campinas in Brazil;Yale University; and the

U.S. Department ofAgriculture’sEconomic ResearchService. Launched

in 2007 inColombia

and Brazil,ELCSA is currentlybeing used in adozen countries inLatin America, andtranslations arebeing developed in

other languagesfor use in otherparts of the

world.Melgar-

Quiñonezhopes that

widespread use of thesurvey will helporganizations such as FAOdevelop a better estimateof world hunger and assistpolicymakers in eachcountry design better waysof combating hunger andmalnutrition.

“There are several waysto measure hunger, buteach has its drawbacks,”said Melgar-Quiñonez,who is also an associateprofessor of humannutrition in Ohio StateUniversity’s College ofEducation and HumanEcology. The most recentmethod used by FAO, forexample, compared howmuch food a nationproduced or imported,minus the amount of foodexported, estimated aswaste or used as livestockfeed. That information istranslated into calories offood available in thenation, which was thendivided by the population(adjusted for the numberof children, women, menor the elderly). If thecalorie level of foodavailable to the averageperson is too low, thenumbers are used toestimate the number ofpeople who are “foodinsecure.”

“But that doesn’t tellyou anything about who is

the most vulnerable in apopulation,” Melgar-Quiñonez said. “Whatregions in a country are hithardest? Are women orchildren going hungry atgreater rates? And,focusing on calories alonedoesn’t tell you anythingabout the quality of thecalorie — the nutrientsavailable to thepopulation. Also, this typeof estimate is also basedon the information eachcountry provides. Somenations don’t have theresources to be able tocollect such informationeven every five years. So,it’s really an incompletepicture.”

The survey asksparticipants a series ofquestions regarding theirhousehold food situationin the previous threemonths. For example, itasks if the household hadrun out of food in that timeperiod because of a lack ofmoney or other resources,or if, for the same reason,any adult or child in thehousehold had to skipmeals or reduce portionsizes. Other questions askwhether the householdcould afford a nutritious,varied diet, and howfrequently the householdexperienced suchsituations.

Development ofELCSA began about 10years ago when bothBrazil and Colombiawanted to set up methodsto collect food insecuritydata.

“For the first time inhistory, we had nationalfood security data fromtwo Latin Americancountries, but it wasn’tcomparable because theyweren’t using the samescale,” Melgar-Quiñonezsaid. “With ELCSA, wemerged the two surveys —what we as a group wantedwas one scale, the samefor all countries.”

ELCSA is similar to theU.S. Household FoodSecurity Survey Moduleused by the U.S.Department ofAgriculture’s EconomicResearch Service(http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/FoodSecurity/).

“It’s this measurementthat shows that singlemothers sometimes havethree times the nationalrate of food insecurity, orHispanic households havedouble the rate,” Melgar-Quiñonez said. “We canidentify groups at higherrisk, then target programsto help them.”

Global Hunger May Be Double Previous Estimates

Hugo Melgar-Quinonez Photo by Ken Chamberlain

april 2012

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