CFAES Give Today
Extension Operations

Ohio State University Extension

CFAES

News and Notes: September 26, 2025

Helpful hint: You can view each News and Notes issue in its entirety by clicking on the Printer-Friendly Version red button on the right side of that issue's landing page.  

OUR VISION: Ohioans have the knowledge and resources they need to actively engage in creating conditions in which they thrive.  

OUR MISSION: We create opportunities for people to explore how science-based knowledge can improve social, economic, and environmental conditions.  

In This Issue:

Leadership Notes

  1. Note from David Civittolo
  2. Director’s Video Update – Oct. 1
  3. Regional Conversation Reminder

College Connections

  1. Nominations Now Open for CFAES Faculty and Staff Awards – Due Dec. 1

Campus Connections/Partnerships

  1. Ohio Regional Tick Symposium – Oct. 27

Community Connections

  1. 2025 Ohio Floriculture and Nursery Conference – Oct. 16
  2. Ohio Community Wildlife Cooperative Conference – Nov. 20

Programming Perspectives

  1. Online Farm Transition and Estate Planning Course Now Available
  2. Upcoming A DAY in the WOODS Program to Focus on Shrub Identification – Oct. 10
  3. Bee Tree Trails In-Service and Workshop – Oct. 23 or Nov. 13
  4. 2025 Ag Lender Seminars

Award Opportunities/Reminders

  1. Steve Ruhl County Agriculture Agent Award Nominations – Due Sept. 30
  2. ESP Accepting Award Applications – Due Oct. 1
  3. Charles Lifer Excellence in 4-H Award Nominations – Due Oct. 1
  4. Raymond A. Schindler Excellence in Community Development Award Nominations – Due Oct. 10

Operations/Business of Extension

  1. Adobe Express Trainings – Continue Oct. 8
  2. Extension Marketing Meetups – Continue Nov. 5

Professional Development Opportunities

  1. Soil Erosion Best Management Practices In-Service – Nov. 20
  2. Ohio State Leadership Center's Fall Workshops
  3. OSP Office Hours

Health and Wellness

  1. Lighten your Footprint at the Grocery Store
  2. How Grandparents and Grandchildren Foster Good Health in One Another

  1. Note from David Civittolo

    County fair season is winding down, Farm Science Review is in the books, and the days are already showing noticeably shorter daylight hours. Fall is officially here. While the season has changed, I want to pause and recognize the intensity of the last few weeks of summer. Thank you to all who stepped up once again this year to provide timely information and support related to the state’s drought conditions. Your responsiveness and expertise continue to make a difference in the communities we serve.  

    Looking ahead, Regional Conversations will be here soon. These gatherings are designed to be more than updates. They’re an opportunity for us to reflect on where we are as an organization, discuss challenges and opportunities, and think together about our future. I encourage you to come prepared with questions and perspectives. I’m looking forward to connecting with all of you in person soon. In the meantime, I’ll see you in the Director’s Video update next week.  

    Kindly, David 

  2. Director’s Video Update – Oct. 1

    Please plan to join a Director’s Video Update on Wednesday, Oct. 1 (1-2 p.m.). Registration is required; please register in advance for this webinar at osu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_o9av_y9ZT7G7r-JppDoZYw. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. You may need to log into Zoom first, then click on the individualized link in your registration confirmation to access the webinar. The update will be recorded for those who cannot join us for the live presentation. This event will be presented with automated closed captions. If you wish to request traditional CART services or other accommodations, contact Cheryl Buck at buck.19@osu.edu or 614-292-4880. Note: This webinar will be presented via CarmenZoom, which is supported by the Office of Technology and Digital Innovation. If you have a disability and have trouble accessing this content, please call the Accessibility Help Line 614-292-5000.

  3. Regional Conversation Reminder

    Extension’s Administrative Cabinet is hosting Regional Conversations in November. It is important that every Extension professional register for and attend one of five dates we’ve set aside to have these important conversations. These meetings are an excellent opportunity for learning and engagement with each other. There is no cost for the Regional Conversations; and all OSU Extension employees are expected to attend one of the days. Offices have permission to close for the day, as this is an important time for all of us to connect in person. 

    Remember, these meetings will take place in five different locations; you should register to attend one. For more details, please read the information on the registration page. The deadline to register is Friday, Nov. 7 at noon. The link to register is here — go.osu.edu/regionalmeetings25. 

  4. Nominations Now Open for CFAES Faculty and Staff Awards – Due Dec. 1

    The nomination window for the 2025-2026 College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences faculty and staff awards is open through Dec. 1, 2025. Criteria and nomination requirements for all awards, a list of past recipients, and the link to submit nominations can be found here.

  5. Ohio Regional Tick Symposium – Oct. 27

    The Ohio Regional Tick Symposium will be Oct. 27 (8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) at the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center in Columbus. Learn more about this annual symposium and register for it here.

  6. 2025 Ohio Floriculture and Nursery Conference – Oct. 16

    Join Extension professionals and other industry leaders for the 2025 Ohio Floriculture and Nursery Conference on Oct. 16 (in-person and virtual options available). This year’s conference will be held at the Controlled Environment Agricultural Research Complex (CEARC) in Columbus. Visit the conference’s official website for more information.

  7. Ohio Community Wildlife Cooperative Conference – Nov. 20

    The Ohio Community Wildlife Cooperative Conference will be Nov. 20 at the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center in Columbus. Join Ohio community leaders and planners for a conference focused on the role of local government in managing human-wildlife conflict. The conference will include topics on addressing ticks in urban landscapes, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza update, establishing a bird trail in your community, surveying wildlife in your municipality, writing local ordinances, and BMPs when finding injured/orphaned wildlife. More information about the conference can be found here. Registration will open in late September.

  8. Online Farm Transition and Estate Planning Course Now Available

    The Farm Office Team has released a new online self-paced course titled Planning for the Future of Your Farm. This course is designed to help farm families navigate the complex process of farm transition and estate planning. It is now available through Ohio State’s Professional and Continuing Education platform. Learn more about this online course here.

  9. Upcoming A DAY in the WOODS Program to Focus on Shrub Identification – Oct. 10

    The next A DAY in the WOODS program will be Oct. 10 (9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.) at the Bishop Educational Gardens in Hocking County, and it will focus on shrub identification. Learn more and register here.

  10. Bee Tree Trails In-Service and Workshop – Oct. 23 or Nov. 13

    Join Logan Minter, specialty crops field specialist, for this hands-on workshop. It is designed to train public-facing educators to use free digital infrastructure and resources in creating virtual and educational trails that highlight the importance of trees to pollinators. This in-service will be offered on two dates—Oct. 23 (South Centers) and Nov. 13 (Wooster). There will also be a virtual follow-up on Nov. 20 (will be recorded). For more information and to register, visit go.osu.edu/mytrail.

  11. 2025 Ag Lender Seminars

    Registration is now open for the 2025 Ag Lender Seminars. There will be four in-person workshops throughout the state in October. All sessions will feature guest speaker Brad Lubben from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Visit u.osu.edu/aglenderseminars to learn more about the 2025 Ag Lender Seminars including dates, times, locations, and registration details.

  12. Steve Ruhl County Agriculture Agent Award Nominations – Due Sept. 30

    The Steve D. Ruhl Outstanding Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator Award is presented annually to the Ohio Agriculture and Natural Resources professional who has demonstrated exceptional achievement in their career. Nominations are due Sept. 30, 2025. Learn more about the award, including minimum qualifications, here. 

  13. ESP Accepting Award Applications – Due Oct. 1

    Epsilon Sigma Phi (ESP) is now accepting applications for its 2025 awards—including Special Chapter Awards, Creative Works, Team Teaching, Friend of Extension, and Excellence in Extension. To learn more about these awards and to access the nomination forms, visit ESP’s official award website.

  14. Charles Lifer Excellence in 4-H Award Nominations – Due Oct. 1

    The Charles W. Lifer Excellence in 4-H Award is presented annually to an Ohio 4-H educator who has demonstrated exceptional achievement. The nominee must have made a major contribution to 4-H programs with new and innovative offerings or an effort that improves existing programs. The long-range impact and broader use (beyond county level) of programming will be considered. Learn more about selection criteria, and start the nomination process here.

  15. Raymond A. Schindler Excellence in Community Development Award Nominations – Due Oct. 10

    Nominations are now being accepted for the 2025 Raymond A. Schindler Excellence in Community Development Extension Award. This $1,500 award honors an Extension Community Development professional for significant contributions, programmatic strengths, and innovative approaches throughout their career. For complete information, including past recipients and the nomination form, click here.

  16. Adobe Express Trainings – Continue Oct. 8

    Whether you’re new to Extension or have been with the organization for a while, it is important to learn how to navigate Adobe Express to help with marketing efforts. Whether creating an event flyer, research poster, or brochure, this user-friendly graphic design tool (and the templates housed in it) will help ensure that all pieces are in alignment with university brand standards. Dates and times for upcoming training sessions are as follows:  

    If a pre-recorded training session fits your schedule better, you can find one here – Express Training Video.  

    If you are new to Extension or have missed previous messaging about Adobe Express, it is a design tool to help with marketing needs. We have created a robust library of pre-made templates for workshop flyers, social media posts, tri-fold brochures, newsletters, presentations, and many more in the web-based program. Express helps us consistently apply the Ohio State brand in the work Extension does throughout the state.  

    To access Express, visit new.express.adobe.com. You’ll need your Ohio State credentials to log in. 

  17. Extension Marketing Meetups – Continue Nov. 5

    The next Extension Marketing Meetup will be on Nov. 5 (1:30-2:30 p.m.). The October meetup is cancelled. In November, we will talk about how to co-brand marketing pieces with community partners. This will take 10-15 minutes, and then we will open the meeting for any brand or marketing questions attendees have. Marketing Meetups are for all Extension professionals who create any type of promotional pieces (workshop flyers, social media posts, research posters, yard signs, brochures, and more). Dates and topics for the 2025 Marketing Meetups are listed here. And you can access the Teams meeting room here.

  18. Soil Erosion Best Management Practices In-Service – Nov. 20

    Join Extension, the Ohio Division of Forestry, and the Ohio Forestry Association for a best management practices workshop that focuses on soil erosion. The workshop will be Nov. 20 (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) in Loudonville. Register for this in-service at go.osu.edu/bmps2025.

  19. Ohio State Leadership Center's Fall Workshops

    The Ohio State Leadership Center is hosting numerous professional development workshops this fall—including how to apply personality type to leadership skills, Clifton Strengths, how to lead others through change, and communication and conflict management. To learn more about these workshops (including dates, times, and more), visit the Leadership Center’s online calendar.

  20. OSP Office Hours

    The Office of Sponsored Programs and the CFAES Office for Research and Graduate Education provide scheduled office hours tailored to Extension professionals. These biweekly sessions aim to provide guidance and support for your grant-related inquiries, spanning from proposal submission to the epa-005 process, and encompassing award management. Extension sponsored program officers (SPO), Extension cost center managers, and staff from the Grant Development Support Unit are in attendance to address your questions.     

    They have allocated dedicated time every other week to accommodate your needs, with office hours scheduled from 1 to 2 p.m., offered in 15-minute time slots.    

    To take advantage of this opportunity, follow these steps:    

    1. Register for your preferred time slot through Picktime. 

    1. Include the following information in your registration: 

    1. Your full name. 

    1. Your email address. 

    1. Your award or grant number. 

    1. Your specific question or inquiry. 

    1. Upon successful registration, you will receive an email confirmation from the CFAES Office for Research and Graduate Education with the Zoom link 

  21. Lighten your Footprint at the Grocery Store

    The Live Healthy Live Well team recently shared information on how to lighten your environmental footprint while at the grocery store. This includes using reusable bags, containers, and produce sacks. Visit the Live Healthy Live Well blog to read the full article.

  22. How Grandparents and Grandchildren Foster Good Health in One Another

    The bond between children and grandparents is more than a family tradition. It’s a protective factor for health and well-being on both sides. Ohio State’s Health & Discovery featured this topic in a recent article, click here to access it.