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Nov. 24, 2014
Late summer is the ideal time to observe dragonflies and damselflies in our area. More than 64 species of these insects in the order Odonata have been identified in Butler and Warren counties and more than 164 in the state of Ohio. They love Ohio because of our many rivers, lakes, ponds and wetlands and these are the ideal areas to observe them. If you see a winged insect with huge eyes in proportion to their head and a very long abdomen, it is almost certainly a member of the order Odonata.
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Nov. 24, 2014
Summer is officially over now that Labor Day holiday celebrations have concluded, the school kids are back in school, everyone is getting focused on the new iPhone 6 release and all the holidays coming up this fall. Also, more teens are on our roadways during the school week. More teens are settling into the new school year with homework, extracurricular activities, and going to work. This week I would like to focus my article on teen drivers. How many of you know what the 4-H CARTEENS program is all about? The 4-H CARTEENS’ primary purpose is to decrease the number of repeat juvenile...
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Nov. 24, 2014
The 2015 garden year is about to begin. Many folks think of next year’s garden as beginning next spring but, it really should begin in the fall of the previous year for the most success next year. Here are a few ideas to get ready for next spring:
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Nov. 24, 2014
To some it may seem old fashioned, or a thing of the past, but family meals are a proven way to help strengthen families. Years of research has found that the more children eat dinner with their families, the less likely they were to smoke, drink or use drugs. Why? Eating dinner together has a positive effect on social development, family communication, nutritional intake and the development of the family structure. The conversations that go hand-in-hand with dinner help parents learn more about their children’s lives and help them better understand the challenges their kids face each...
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Nov. 24, 2014
Recently I attended a program where three high school 4-H members shared with an audience of about fifty people the wonderful benefits that they all gained through the Butler County 4-H program. Each one said something that caught my attention as I listened closely. One young man said something that stood out to me. That young man said that without 4-H he would have never been able to speak in front of a group. That brought back memories of being that shy kid in class and hoping each day that the teacher would not call on me to answer a question or speak in front of the class. We have...
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Nov. 24, 2014
My absolute favorite meeting of our Master Gardeners’ group is the November seed exchange. Seed harvesting is an old industry that many of us do not think much about anymore.
Now we typically order seeds from seed catalogues or buy them from seed racks. The Shakers were one of the first groups in this country who began to sell seeds in paper packets. I found a reference that The Shakers of New Lebanon, NY, began packaging and selling garden seeds in the 1790s.
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Nov. 24, 2014
When sitting on an airplane waiting for take-off, have you ever put much thought into why flight attendants instruct parents travelling with young children to put on their oxygen mask first before putting it on their small children?
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Nov. 24, 2014
With fall harvest almost completed, the changing colors of the leaves and with black Friday coming up soon many realize that 2014 is coming to a close soon. My kids have already started telling me what they want Santa to bring them for Christmas. No real surprise to hear this news from my kids as stores have already started putting out some Christmas like items and some have even put out Christmas trees. As you start developing your 2015 resolutions on paper I would like to put a plug in your ears about the wonderful opportunities that can be gained by volunteering with the Butler...
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Sep. 22, 2014
Celebrating the significant accomplishments and deep impact that OSU Extension has had on communities and in the lives of Ohioans provides a great springboard for the future. A significant component of Ohio’s celebration in 2014 will be a year-long process focused on our future. The primary work this year will center on futuring – asking questions about and envisioning the long-term future of OSU Extension as well as the role the organization should play in shaping and positively impacting Ohio and Ohio residents.
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Sep. 14, 2014
The Molly Caren Agricultural Center near London, Ohio is home to the Farm Science Review (FSR), which attracts more than 140,000 visitors from all over the United States and Canada, who come for three days to peruse 4,000 product lines from 600 commercial exhibitors and learn the latest in agricultural production. The educational programs feature Ohio State and Purdue specialists and are second to none in the agricultural exhibition world.
