News and Notes: March 21, 2023

Please join me (Jackie Kirby Wilkins) and a few of our Buckeye Wellness ambassadors for a townhall discussion on LifeWork balance in Extension – March 28, from 11am-noon. We will discuss and share some best practices, expectations, myth busting, resource sharing, and remaining needs and ideas for continued improvement in this critical area of professional/personal balance. The Zoom meeting will allow for up to 300 participants. I look forward to the conversation and collaboration. Join the meeting at osu.zoom.us/j/97848148308?pwd=MldIVGZBWXIrSDF3V2o1RnorNzhvQT09. The meeting ID is 978 4814 8308, and the password is 658783.

The Knowledge Exchange now offers a searchable database of the 2022 eBarns Reports at kx.osu.edu/ebarns. A collaboration between the Ohio State Digital Ag Program and KX, the new tool follows a similar format to the popular online eFields Reports database with a focus on production agriculture. In this case, eBarns highlights 32 research studies from 16 counties in Ohio on small ruminants, dairy, beef, poultry, forages, farm business, and manure nutrients. Users can search by title, author, county, experiment type, production system, and type of collaboration.

Register now and plan to join Chancellor Robert J. Jones as he delivers the 2023 James F. Patterson Land-Grant University Lecture on April 6. In-person seating is limited, but you can also attend virtually via livestream. Register now at this Qualtrics survey link.

The James F. Patterson Land-Grant University Lecture honors former Board of Trustees member Jim Patterson and the cause to which he is most committed, a vibrant university fulfilling its land-grant mission in an ever-changing world. The lecture brings to campus annually a prominent figure to speak to the range of challenges facing land-grant institutions in the 21st century and beyond.

Join the Office of Outreach and Engagement for the 2023 Engaged Scholarship Symposium. This symposium will highlight community and university partnerships who are co-creating scholarship together. Through a keynote and panel discussions, participants will learn more about the innovative and impactful work of engaged scholars at Ohio State. Learn more and register at engage.osu.edu/2023-engaged-scholarship-symposium.

The Ohio Agritourism Conferenced will visit two locations in Loveland, Ohio on April 1 – Blooms and Berries Farm Market and The Marmalade Lily. Attendees can learn more and register at go.osu.edu/agritourism.

Identifying trees in winter can be a real challenge. This is an advanced class, to be held at the Fairfield County Ag Center. Cost is $40. Register at woodlandstewards.osu.edu.

The Ohio 4-H Foundation has voted to continue its match for the 2023 Ohio 4-H calendar year. As a reminder, this opportunity is open to all 88 counties even if you do not have an endowment but have an Ohio State gift fund. Here is the official language:

• The Ohio 4‐H Foundation will give $1,000 to each county that does any one of the following (or combo of both): raises $1,000 for their county 4‐H endowment (Ohio State fund); raises $1,000 for their county 4‐H current use fund (Ohio State fund).
• The county may use $1,000 in funds for any purpose determined by the county 4‐H professional with input from others in the county, such as the county advisory committee, or county elected officials.
• The county can choose if the match will be paid to endowment principal, current use fund, or to a 4-H camp.

If you have any questions, contact Crystal Ott, 4-H Foundation manager, at ott.109@osu.edu.

Several of the Extension Farm Stress team members will present at the Mental Health First Aid national summit in late April about the work they are doing with Mental Health First Aid education in rural and agriculture communities. Kate Homanoi and Bridget Britton wrote most of the proposal; and Jami Dellifield, Bridget, and Sarah Noggle will be presenting at the conference, which is one-of-a-kind in the Mental Health First Aid realm. Kudos to this group and the rest of the team (Chris Zoller, Dee Jepsen, Ken Martin).

Join your colleagues on this professional development and team-building experience to the Maryland and Washington D.C. area. See the attached flyer for information about the tour stops.

A chartered bus has been generously provided by Extension administration. Priority will be given to educators with less than 10 years of experience with OSU Extension, but registration will be opened to fill the bus to capacity (52). Indicate your interest in attending via this Qualtrics survey link. LOD will handle registration, and cost is expected to be about $200 for lodging (double occupancy) and one catered lunch. Other meals will be on your own. If you have questions, contact Mike Estadt at estadt.3@osu.edu.

Have you ever had an important conversation that did not go the way you thought it would? If it did not, did you wonder why not? You can improve your skills in having crucial conversations by attending the official Crucial Conversations two-day workshops that are taught by the Learning and Organizational Development (LOD) team. After a pilot test of the workshop, participants recommended that the training be two days in person, with time between the first and second days. We now have five sessions scheduled across the state starting in early April and concluding in September. There are only 20 seats per session, so register at the link below to reserve your spot today. The training will be two full days. The typical cost is more than $230, but LOD is able to offer it for $50 including breaks and lunch for both days plus all of your learning materials.

The sessions will be held in Franklin County on April 3 and May 1; at OSU South Centers on May 15 and June 13; at the OSU Wooster campus on June 26 and July 24; at Adventure Central on Aug 29 and Sept 29; and at the Toledo Botanical Gardens on June 29 and July 17. Registration for the Franklin County session will close on Friday, March 24 at 4pm. Sign up for one of the five sessions at go.osu.edu/crucialconversations.

Note: All SNAP-Ed staff will be taking this training in-person at regional meetings in August and September. If you are interested in the training and are limited by funding, contact us about the potential for a scholarship. Reach out to Amanda Rysz at rysz.4@osu.edu with any questions.

Check out the ongoing list of workshops hosted by the Leadership Center. Learn more and register at leadershipcenter.osu.edu/events. Some upcoming examples include:

• Wonder Woman Wednesday: Kathy Lechman (online) – March 22
• Wonder Woman Wednesday: Cathann Kress (online) – March 29
• The Importance of Time Management and Organization in Leadership (online) – April 13
• Communicating to be Understood (online) – April 19

Interested in becoming a certified Real Colors Facilitator? Registration is now open for this workshop to be held at the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center. View the attached flyer for details, including the link (you’ll create an account on the Real Colors site) and a coupon code to get our discounted registration price of $899. To get the correct Extension pricing (not corporate pricing), be sure to choose ‘University Extension 4-H’ in the dropdown when setting up your online account. A total of 50 seats are available. Already certified? If you’re already certified, stay tuned for an email coming from Real Colors about a possible refresher day and/or to learn about additional Real Colors resources.

During Ramadan, join this youth-led presentation about the Muslim American perspective. Whitney Gherman, Extension educator, will briefly explain why youth voice is so important when studying cultures, religion, and other identity-based topics. Following her introduction, a local high school student, Abdullahi Mohamed Musse, will give an entertaining presentation on what educators should know from the Muslim American perspective. His presentation will end with a call to action for educators and staff working with the Muslim community.

This virtual event (now rescheduled to April 6 via Zoom from 1-1:30 p.m.) is intended to elevate youth voices and not intended to replace formal learning about Islam. Please be prepared to engage with our guest! This special program is organized by Project DREAMS, whose mission is to create equitable schools and communities through youth leadership. Register at go.osu.edu/youthvoice. If you have already registered, you do not need to re-register; the link will work for the new date and time. The event also will be recorded and shared with all those who register.

The Live Healthy Live Well team invites you to sign up for Think Green…it’s not just a color, a free six-week email wellness challenge this spring to broaden your “green” thinking. Topics will include stress management, refreshing your space, saving money, enjoying nature, green with food, and aging well. Along with a weekly email message and call to action, the team is hosting a six-part webinar series related to the content. Register by visiting go.osu.edu/lhlwross. Answer a few questions, and you are set. Online pre- and post-challenge surveys will be used to track your progress and comments. Expect a pre-challenge message the week of March 27 and the first challenge message the week of April 3. Contact Lisa Barlage, Extension educator, at barlage.7@osu.edu if you have questions.