Are you a small farm landowner wondering what to do with your acreage? Are you interested in exploring options for land uses but not sure where to turn or how to begin? Have you considered adding an agricultural or horticultural enterprise but you just are not sure of what is required, from an equipment, labor, and/or management perspective? Are you looking for some place to get some basic farm information? If you or someone you know answered yes to any of these questions, then the Ohio State University New and Small Farm College program may be just what you are looking for.
The Ohio State University New and Small Farm College is an 8 session short course that will be held one night a week. The 2018 Ohio New and Small Farm College program will be held in two locations across the state including:
The Butler County location will be held at the OSU Extension Butler County office, 1802 Princeton Road Hamilton, OH. Classes will be held on Thursdays beginning January 18th and concluding March 8, 2018. A farm tour will be held on Saturday, March 10, 2018. Inclement weather makeup date will be March 15th. For more information, contact the Butler County Extension office at (513) 887-3722.
The Scioto County location will be held at the Shawnee State University - Massie Hall, 940 Second Street, Portsmouth, OH. Classes will be held on Mondays beginning January 29th and concluding March 19, 2018. A farm tour will be held on Saturday, March 31, 2018. Inclement weather makeup date: March 26th. For more information, contact Scioto County Extension office at (740) 354-7879.
Both college locations will start each evening at 6:00 PM with a light dinner and the nightly presentations beginning at 6:30 PM and concluding at 9:00 PM.
Topics to be covered include:
- Getting Started (goal setting, resource inventory, business planning)
- Appropriate Land Use
- Where to Get Assistance
- Natural Resource Management (soils, ponds, woodlands and wildlife)
- Legal Issues
- Insurance
- Business Structure
- Finances & Record Keeping
- Marketing Alternatives
- Enterprise exploration of livestock and horticulture opportunities
The cost of the course is $150 per person, $100 for an additional family member. Each participating family will receive a small farm college notebook plus additional materials. Registrations are now being accepted. You can register online at: https://agnr.osu.edu/small-farm-programs/new-and-small-farm-college. For more details about the course and/or a registration form, contact Tony Nye, Small Farm Program Coordinator (937) 382-0901 or email at: nye.1@osu.edu.