COLUMBUS, Ohio – From representing farmers in crop insurance disputes to counseling produce and food businesses regarding regulatory issues, the June 23-24 Ohio Agricultural Law Symposium is designed to provide insight into key issues in the agricultural legal community. 

The focus of this year’s symposium is representing Ohio’s farm and agri-business clients, with a goal to help attorneys stay up-to-date on current legal developments, said Peggy Hall, director of Ohio State University Extension's Agricultural and Resource Law Program and a conference organizer. 

OSU Extension is the statewide outreach arm of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. 

“Agricultural law is a complex area of law practice,” she said. “Agricultural attorneys must understand laws ranging from crop insurance to labor regulations. 

“Keeping up with the many laws that affect agriculture is challenging and so important.” 

The symposium, which will be held at Cherry Valley Lodge, 2299 Cherry Valley Road in Newark, runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with registration beginning at 7:30 a.m. Pre-registration, available at http://www.ohiobar.org, is $270 for Ohio State Bar Association members or $335 for nonmembers, with six Continuing Legal Education credits available for attorneys. 

Non-CLE rates are available; call the Bar Association at 800-232-2174. 

The symposium will feature two nationally known speakers: 

• Allen Olson, a Georgia-based agricultural attorney who will discuss representing farmers in crop insurance disputes and updates on federal farm bill policies.    
• Cari Rincker, a New York-based food and agriculture attorney who will discuss protecting the farm client’s business by managing contracts, intellectual property and employment concerns. 

Other sessions will include information on: 

• Trucking and labor compliance for farms.
• An update from the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
• Protecting agri-business.
• Produce and food business regulations.
• Estate and business planning.
• A bonus CLE option on ethics, professionalism and substance abuse.

Law students may apply for a scholarship to attend the symposium at no cost through Ohio State's Paul L. Wright Endowment Fund in Agricultural Law. For more information, visit https://www.ohiobar.org or contact Hall at aglaw@osu.edu. 

The symposium is hosted by OSU Extension's Agricultural and Resource Law Program, the Ohio State Bar Association, and the OSBA Agricultural Law Committee.

Sources

Peggy Hall
aglaw@osu.edu
614-247-7898

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Explore Ohio’s rich diversity of salamanders and you’ll discover more than the creatures themselves. You’ll find good signs -- and red flags -- on the quality of the state’s environment, says an Ohio State University wildlife specialist.

Twenty-four salamander species call Ohio home, said Marne Titchenell, who works in Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). She's a co-author of Getting to Know Salamanders in Ohio: Life History and Management, a book aimed at woodland owners, nature lovers and others.

“Salamanders are silent and spend most of their lives hidden, so people rarely see them,” Titchenell said. “But they’re there. And they’re often quite abundant.”

Getting to Know Salamanders (22 pages, $7.50) gives details on Ohio’s common species, how to see them, where to see them and how to take care of the places they live. It's published by Ohio State University Extension and can be bought through the organization’s county offices or its online eStore, http://go.osu.edu/salamander.

OSU Extension is CFAES’s statewide outreach arm.

Salamanders are long-tailed amphibians that live, like their cousins the frogs and toads, on land, in water or both. Forest floors and streams, ponds and pools in woods are where they’re usually found.

Ohio’s species total is half that of Georgia, which has more salamander types than any other state. But it's twice that of, say, Michigan or Ontario, Canada.

Salamanders prey on invertebrates such as insects and worms, said Titchenell, who is an OSU Extension wildlife program specialist in CFAES’s School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR).

Salamanders, in turn, are food for larger animals, she said. And they often hold clues to a place’s ecology.

“Salamanders can be important environmental indicators due to the permeability of their skin and eggs,” Titchenell said. “Water and air pass easily from the environment through their skin. This makes them very susceptible to toxins or changes in their environment.”

For example, a two-lined salamander found living under a rock by a stream is an indicator of good water quality in that stream.

“If the water quality was poor, that salamander wouldn’t be there,” Titchenell said.

Disease, pollution, habitat loss and introduced species are salamanders’ biggest threats. So limiting pollutants, providing habitat and controlling non-native invasive species are ways to lend salamanders a hand, Titchenell said. She and co-author Sarah Lehnen write in their book, for instance, that “conservation of forest pools is one strategy that can help Ohio’s salamanders.”

Lehnen is a former SENR graduate student.

The state’s common salamander species include the spotted salamander, redback salamander, northern dusky salamander and red-spotted newt.

Of note, the red-spotted newt has both a red-colored, land-dwelling juvenile phase called an eft and a greenish adult phase that spends most of its time in the water.

Far rarer are the green salamander, cave salamander, eastern hellbender and blue-spotted salamander, which are endangered, and the midland mud salamander, which isthreatened, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

“Wildlife viewing is one of my favorite activities,” Titchenell said. “There are 24 different species of Ohio salamanders, some in brilliant colors of red and orange, some with yellow, white or blue spots, some with stripes.

“Like chasing frogs or crayfish in a stream or pond -- who hasn’t done that? -- searching for salamanders under rocks along a stream or under logs in a forest is just as fun.”

Be gentle if you do it, she added. Put rocks or logs back as you found them. And fight the urge to pick up and hold what you find.

Why:

• Certain chemicals on your skin can hurt salamanders due to the sensitivity of their skin.
• Some species, such as the red-spotted newt, secrete chemicals that can irritate your skin.
• Handling any of Ohio’s endangered salamander species is prohibited by law in order to keep them safe.

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Note: For a slideshow related to this story, click here.

Writers

Kurt Knebusch
knebusch.1@osu.edu
330-263-3776

Sources

Marne Titchenell
titchenell.4@osu.edu
614-292-0402

Friends tell us they get good deals with credit card rewards programs, so we’re starting to investigate possibly signing up for one. What questions should we ask? We always pay our credit card bills in full every month.

Credit card rewards programs can indeed offer a welcome bonus simply for using credit as you normally do.

But there could be some pitfalls, so you’re wise to not just jump into something like this without asking questions first. Keep in mind that any bonus will quickly be negated if you overspend or carry a balance on your card from month to month.

It’s great that you always pay your credit card bills in full. That way you avoid finance charges on any outstanding balance. Even if the interest on your card it relatively low, the extra charges can add up quickly, and you risk getting in over your head if your credit card debt continues to climb month after month.

You should realize that if you sign up for a credit card rewards program, you could be tempted to use the card more often simply to rack up more bonus points. This is rarely cost-effective. It might be OK if you are just shifting expenses to the credit card for purchases you now pay for with cash or a check. But if you do this, you also need to remember to set aside money to pay off a larger bill at the end of the month. And you need to avoid splurging on items you wouldn’t otherwise buy, even if the thought of those bonus points is always in the back of your head.

If you do sign up for a credit card rewards program, promise yourself to monitor your credit card use for at least the first few months. If you find yourself overspending, you’ll want to make some adjustments, or decide to stop participating in the rewards program.

When you start investigating different credit card bonus programs,  be sure to compare offers just as you would when signing up for any new credit card. For example, if you’re mostly interested in travel-related rewards, compare at least three such programs to determine which offers the best deal for you.

Read the fine print regarding not only the bonus program, but standard credit card disclosures as well:

• For travel-related bonuses, determine if there are “blackout dates” or if the travel awards are good for only certain airlines or hotel chains, for example.
• If the program offers “cash back” or allows you to trade points in for gift cards, again, compare offers to see what has the most value for you.
• Also compare interest rates (both the “introductory” rate and the rate after that period expires), annual fees, late payment fees and transaction fees. They could make the difference on whether the bonus program makes sense for you in the long run.

Family Fundamentals is a monthly column on family issues. It is a service of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences and its outreach and research arms, Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Send questions to Family Fundamentals, c/o Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1044, or filipic.3@osu.edu.

Dear Subscriber: This column was reviewed by Polly Loy, family and consumer sciences educator with Ohio State University Extension, the outreach arm of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

For a PDF of this column, click here.

Writers

Martha Filipic
614-292-9833
filipic.3@osu.edu

Sources

Polly Loy
OSU Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences

I can easily find information about nutrition online, but I'm not certain how to tell if it's reliable. Are there good sources I can trust?

There are plenty of sources of trustworthy nutrition information online -- too many to try to list here. But perhaps even more important is learning for yourself how to evaluate information you find on the Web.

Several good sources provide guidance on that. Here are some tips from the National Institutes of Health in its "MedlinePlus Guide to Healthy Web Surfing" (http://bit.ly/hlthyweb) and from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) in its Complete Food and Nutrition Guide (Fourth Edition, 2012):

• First, find details about the source of information. Look for an "about us" page -- is the source a branch of the government or a highly regarded health-related organization? Is it a nonprofit or educational institution? Is it a commercial enterprise or an individual's blog? It's possible to get good information and ideas on all sorts of sites, but you will want to use extra caution if someone is trying to sell you something or doesn't have highly regarded credentials. People can be passionate about their food and their diet, but that doesn't mean they necessarily have the background and expertise you're looking for.
  
• Be on the lookout for claims that sound too good to be true. As with any pitch, a healthy dose of skepticism is called for if a product -- even if the "product" in this case is a supplement or a nutrient -- promises to be a cure-all or carries some kind of secret ingredient.
• Weigh the evidence presented. Personal stories and other types of anecdotal information can be compelling, but look for research that has broader implications than "this is what worked for me." In addition, if research is cited, understand that one study is just a small piece of the puzzle that builds scientific consensus. Look for indications that this study backs up previous findings or, if not, that it offers an explanation about why researchers found something new. 
• Look for evidence of bias. Often, industry funding is necessary to conduct research or develop a website, so that in itself doesn't mean the information is flawed. But it is a clue that should prompt you to investigate other sources on the same topic to see if there's another perspective.
• Be cautious if a site requests personal information. Look for its privacy policy on how it will use that information before sharing.

Chow Line is a service of Ohio State University Extension, the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, and the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Send questions to Chow Line, c/o Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH, 43210-1044, or filipic.3@osu.edu.

Editor: This column was reviewed by Dan Remley, field specialist in Food, Nutrition and Wellness for Ohio State University Extension, the outreach arm of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

For a PDF of this column, click here.

Writers

Martha Filipic
614-292-9833
filipic.3@osu.edu

Sources

Dan Remley
OSU Extension, Food, Nutrition and Wellness

FINDLAY, Ohio -- Legal issues regarding manure hauling, as well as issues surrounding equipment inspections and highway safety, will be discussed by Ohio State University experts and others during a joint workshop and meeting of the Midwest Professional Nutrient Applicators Association June 11 in Findlay. 

The workshop is targeted toward livestock producers, growers, professional nutrient applicators, crop consultants and Extension educators to offer information on nutrient application, management and stewardship, said Amanda Douridas, an Ohio State University Extension agriculture and natural resources educator. 

OSU Extension is the outreach arm of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. 

“The goal is to touch on the key issues they may have, whether it is with their equipment or on the business side of nutrient application,” she said. “The workshop can be beneficial to helping participants meet environmental and safety standards, improve water quality, and make their business more successful.” 

The workshop is from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hancock County Extension office, 7868 CR 140, Suite B in Findlay. 

Topics to be discussed during the workshop include: 

• Legal Issues for Manure Haulers
• Facilitating Communication between Farmers
• Equipment on the Roadways
• Online Tools for Nutrient Management, Irrigation, and Comparing Commercial and Manure  Fertilizers
• The 4Rs of Nutrient Stewardship 

Registration for the workshop is $20 for members of the nutrient applicators association and $25 for nonmembers. Payments can be sent to Douridas at 590 Woody Hayes Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43210. The deadline to register is June 1. 

Continuing education credits are available for the workshop, including five hours for certified livestock managers and four hours of nutrient management for certified crop advisers. More information can be found at http://oema.osu.edu/mpnaa.htm.

Writers

Tracy Turner
614-688-1067
turner.490@osu.edu

Sources

Amanda Douridas
614-292-6625 Office
douridas.9@osu.edu

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Three "Grow Your Own" workshops are scheduled for May through July in Columbus to help people interested in raising chickens, bees and produce in urban environments. The workshops are free and are sponsored by Ohio State University Extension, Local Matters and the Godman Guild.

OSU Extension is the outreach arm of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

All workshops are held at the Godman Guild, 303 E. 6th St., Columbus. Participants are asked to RSVP by emailing localmattersintern@gmail.com.

The workshops are:

• Chickens 101, May 21, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Speaker Rachel Tayse Baulliel will discuss housing, health and nutrition needs of backyard chickens.
• Keeping Bees in the City, June 15, 9 a.m.-noon. The Central Ohio Beekeepers Association will present this introductory workshop, with a special emphasis on keeping bees in urban environments.
  
• GAPS Workshop for Urban Food Producers, July 13, 9-11 a.m. Mike Hogan, educator with OSU Extension, will teach an introductory food safety workshop focused on GAPs (Good Agricultural Practices) geared to urban producers of fruits, vegetables and other food items.

"These workshops are the result of an effort to develop a community-based local food system in the Weiland Park neighborhood in the University District," said Hogan, who is a member of the planning team for the Growing Your Own series. "But they're open to anyone, and we've attracted participants from all over Franklin County and central Ohio."

For more information, see http://local-matters.org.

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Writers

Martha Filipic
614-292-9833
filipic.3@osu.edu

Sources

Mike Hogan
740-653-5419
hogan.1@osu.edu

WOOSTER, Ohio -- The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center’s (OARDC) Garden of Roses of Legend and Romance, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster, will hold its annual open house and rose sale from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 8.

The three-acre collection is home to about 1,500 heirloom rose plants, which should be in peak bloom for the event.

OARDC is the research arm of Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). The garden is part of the center’s Secrest Arboretum.

Admission to the open house is free and open to the public. Proceeds from the sale will go toward supporting the garden.

All the plants in the sale, which will be $15 each, will have been propagated from roses in the garden.

Heirloom roses are rose types that were developed before 1867, when the first hybrid tea rose came out. Also called antique roses or old garden roses, they’re known for their fragrance, easy care, and broad range of plant forms and flower colors.

The following heirloom rose types will be offered in the sale: Ballerina, Berlin, Buff Queen, Chevy Chase, Frau Karl Druschki, Golden Wings, Handel, Hanseat, Hiawatha, Lillian Gibson, Marchioness of Londonderry, New Dawn, Queen of the Musks, Queen of the Prairie, Rosa rugosa Alba, rugosa hybrid, Thalia, Thomas Lipton, Veilchenblau and Windchimes.

For more information, email king.1364@osu.edu.

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Sources

Kelly King
king.1364@osu.edu

MANSFIELD, Ohio -- The Ohio Woodland Stewards Program is holding a four-part seminar series for gardeners, landscapers, homeowners and others on invasive species, the problems they cause and how to deal with them.

The seminars will take place from 7-9 p.m. on June 4, June 11, June 18 and June 25 in 129 Riedl Hall on Ohio State University’s Mansfield campus, 1760 University Drive.

Invasive species are species that aren’t native to a place but arrive through people’s actions, either by accident or on purpose. They tend to spread fast and can reduce or wipe out native species by eating, shading, crowding, damaging, infecting or outcompeting them.

The stewards program is part of Ohio State University Extension, which is the statewide outreach arm of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences(CFAES).

The series topics and speakers:

• June 4: Emerald ash borer and Asian longhorned beetle. Both are non-native wood-boring insects. Emerald ash borer has killed millions of native ash trees in Ohio and beyond and continues to spread. Asian longhorned beetle has been found so far in only one place in Ohio but attacks many types of trees, not just one as the ash borer does. OSU Extension’s Amy Stone will discuss how to recognize signs of infestations and the best ways to manage them.
• June 11: Further threats to trees and shrubs. Stone and Kathy Smith, also of OSU Extension, will cover gypsy moth, viburnum leaf beetle and hemlock woolly adelgid -- non-native insects that damage or kill their respective host plants -- and looming thousand cankers disease, which is fatal to walnut trees.
• June 18: Threats to woodlands and wildlife. Marne Titchenell and Eric McConnell, both of OSU Extension, and Craig Hicks of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will detail deadly white-nose syndrome in bats; the harm done by invasive plants to wildlife and to Ohio’s $22 billion-a-year forest industry; and the literal and figurative deep impact of feral pigs, which are now in southern Ohio.
• June 25: Invasive plants in the landscape. Smith will look at the problems caused by buckthorn, garlic-mustard, autumn olive, bush honeysuckle and more, and will show how to identify and control them.

Registration is $15 per seminar or $45 for all four seminars. The series flier and a registration form can be downloaded at http://go.osu.edu/UuP (pdf), or register and pay online at http://go.osu.edu/UuN.

The registration deadlines are May 30 for the June 4 seminar or for the complete series of four, June 6 for the June 11 seminar, June 13 for the June 18 seminar, and June 20 for the June 25 seminar.

Participants in the series are eligible for up to 6 hours of continuing education credit under the Ohio Forest Tax Law program.

For more information, call 614-688-3421, email ohiowoods@osu.edu, or go to http://go.osu.edu/UuK.

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Writers

Kurt Knebusch
knebusch.1@osu.edu
330-263-3776

Sources

Kathy Smith
smith.81@osu.edu
614-688-3136

WOOSTER, Ohio -- A September 2010 tornado took it away. Now, support from elected officials and the state of Ohio will help bring back an even better version of the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering's building on the Wooster campus of Ohio State University's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC).

A groundbreaking ceremony for the new building was held Friday, May 10. Attending were university officials, Ohio legislators who represent Wooster and Wayne County, staff from the offices of U.S. senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman and U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, and local city and county officials.

OARDC is the research arm of Ohio State's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).

"I got tired of looking at the remains of that building every day for about two years," said OARDC Director Steve Slack. "I want to thank the department's leadership and support from the university to help get us to this day. I also want to recognize our partners with the city of Wooster and Wayne County, and I can't say enough about our congressional delegation in Ohio."

Slack also thanked the state of Ohio for its support to help to close a $6 million gap in funding for the new building, thanks to the allocation of emergency funds to this project. Total cost of the building is $14 million, with $3.6 million coming from insurance and the rest from state funds.

"This is a great day," said State Rep. Ron Amstutz, whose 3rd House District includes Wooster and who was instrumental in securing the emergency funds. "I'm delighted to have been a small part of this effort to put together this great asset for our state and the country."

The new structure will be the first "green" building on the Wooster campus, certified "Silver" by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.

An architectural rendering shows what the new building will look like.

"This facility represents the best of what Ohio has to offer: our rich agricultural traditions and state-of-the-art technologies for agricultural production and advanced energy," said Ohio Sen. Frank LaRose from the 27th Senate District, which includes Wayne County.

Construction of the building will begin in the summer of 2013 and is expected to be completed by late fall 2014.

"This is not the way you usually want to plan for your facilities," said Bruce McPheron, associate vice president for agricultural administration and dean, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, referring to the tornado and the $30 million in total damages to the OARDC campus.

"But this is a remarkable opportunity for a new start. The research capacity we have here at OARDC is unparalleled, and this is a very important investment for both Ohio State and the agricultural community."

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Writers

Sources

Ohio State University’s Sustainable Agriculture Team will host seven tours this spring and summer on the plasticulture strawberry growing method, hops production, agritourism, organic farming and urban agriculture, as part of the 2013 Ohio Sustainable Farm Tour and Workshop Series.

The series is a unique opportunity for growers and other interested people to experience what sustainable agriculture is all about directly from farmers, said Mike Hogan, an Ohio State University Extension educator who is also the coordinator of Ohio State’s Sustainable Agriculture Team.

OSU Extension is the outreach arm of the university's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

The tour is designed to share and update information among growers and people trying to promote sustainability and move the issues forward throughout Ohio, he said.

“We want to provide farm families and anyone interested in sustainability a place where they can gain new ideas to make their farms or operations more sustainable by looking at alternative enterprises, alternative production systems and alternative marketing systems,” Hogan said. “Our goal is to help farmers, business and communities become more sustainable no matter where they are in the sustainability continuum.”

Ohio State’s Sustainable Agriculture Team works to get people to consider economic sustainability, the environment and social consciousness when farming, he said.

Complete details and a list of all 26 tours in the series can be downloaded at http://www.oeffa.org/pdfs/farmtour2013.pdf#page=1.

The Ohio State team’s tours in the series include:

• May 16, Strawberry Plasticulture Field Night, a look at plasticulture strawberry field research including winter protection techniques, Israeli drip irrigation demonstration and management, row cover management, cultivar evaluations, pest and disease control, and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques.  From 6-9 p.m., OSU South Centers, 1864 Shyville Road, Piketon. Contact 740-289-2071 ext. 132 or mcglothin.4@osu.edu. 
• June 21, Fulton County Sustainable Agriculture tour, a look at three successful and economically viable farms in Fulton County, including a winery, a goat cheese farm and a traditional family-run farm that has modified its production to include organic produce, community supported agriculture subscriptions, and high tunnel greenhouse production. The tour will include stops at Kinsman Farm, Turkeyfoot Creek Creamery, and Knotty Vines Farm and Winery. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 5328 County Road 22, Archbold. Contact Eric Richer, 419-337-9210 or richer.5@osu.edu. 
• July 12, Fairfield County Managed Grazing and Direct Marketing Meats, a look at the 70-acre Berry Family Farm, which direct-markets freezer beef and value-added products, including beef snack sticks, jerky and summer sausage. Participants can learn how to direct-market beef to consumers. From 1-3:30 p.m., 5500 Canal Rd., Pleasantville. Contact Hogan, 740-653-5419 or hogan.1@osu.edu. 
• Aug. 15, Hops Production, a look at the new hops research planting effort and discussion of malting barley research. Participants can learn about new hop cultivars; innovative hop production techniques; insect and disease control methods; and harvesting, processing and marketing techniques that can be adopted by Ohio farmers wanting to provide hops for Ohio’s breweries. From 6-8 p.m., OSU South Centers, 1864 Shyville Road, Piketon. Contact 740-289-2071 ext. 132 or mcglothin.4@osu.edu. 
• Aug 17, Urban Community Garden, a tour of Magyar Garden, an urban community garden on the east side of Toledo, where some 15 to 30 families grow food. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 2353 York St., Toledo. Contact 419- 578-6783 or richter.71@osu.edu. 
• Sept. 5, Hops Production, a look at the new hops research planting effort and discussion of malting barley research. Participants can learn about new hop cultivars; innovative hop production techniques; insect and disease control methods; and harvesting, processing and marketing techniques that can be adopted by Ohio farmers wanting to provide hops for Ohio’s breweries. From 6-8 p.m. at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center research field, 5082 Oil City Road, Wooster.  Contact 330-263-3725 or jones.728@osu.edu. 
• Sept. 5, Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Field Day, a tour of the Organic Valley corn variety plot, where participants will learn about an organic grain crop and Zeolite soil amendment research, pest scouting and organic controls. Begins at 5 p.m. at 13737 Middleton Pike, in Bowling Green. Contact 419-354-9050 or sundermeier.5@osu.edu.

Writers

Tracy Turner
614-688-1067
turner.490@osu.edu

Sources

Mike Hogan
740-653-5419
hogan.1@osu.edu

I’ve been trying to lose some weight, but lately I’ve been eating out a lot, both for business and pleasure. How can I keep eating healthfully at restaurants?

It can be a challenge to keep calories under control when eating out. Portion sizes tend to be big, and, if nutrition information isn’t available, items that sound healthful on the menu may not be so in reality.

However, with a little planning and determination, you can stay on track and keep shedding pounds, even while dining out. Here are a few tips:

• If you know where you’ll be eating, look online for a menu to review ahead of time. This will help in case you find yourself caught up in conversation and not able to study the menu carefully once you get to the restaurant.
  
• While you’re online, see if nutrition information is available, either on the restaurant website or a weight loss or fitness website. It’s not always possible to find, but it’s worth investigating since most chain restaurants publish this information.
• Don’t assume that salad is your best option. With high-calorie dressings, croutons, cheese, fried chicken or other fried toppings, salads can easily put you overboard on calories if you’re not careful.
• Look for lean protein -- chicken, fish, or lean pork or beef -- that hasn’t been fried or smothered in sauce. Entrees that are baked, broiled, grilled or stir-fried are your best options.
• With pasta, choose tomato or marinara sauce instead of cream or cheese sauces. Opt for a dish that doesn’t have cheese as a primary ingredient. If the server offers to add freshly grated cheese on your entree, you can control the amount.
• If your meal comes with a side, order a salad or vegetable without butter. If it comes with two sides and there’s only one healthy option that sounds appealing, ask for a double order of that item.
• Before you head out, you might want to eat a small portion of lean protein (possibly a high-protein drink or bar) to help you feel satiated and avoid overeating at the restaurant.
• If the portion size is large, ask for a take-home container immediately. Then remove half of the meal from your plate so you aren’t tempted to polish it off.
• Watch the beverages. Stick with ice water, diet soda or unsweetened iced tea. Limit alcoholic beverages to one at most.

You can enjoy your time dining out and make healthy choices at the same time. Don’t forget your decision to eat a healthy diet when you step through the restaurant door.

Chow Line is a service of Ohio State University Extension, the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, and the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Send questions to Chow Line, c/o Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH, 43210-1044, or filipic.3@osu.edu.

For a PDF of this column, please click here.

Editor: This column was reviewed by Carolyn Gunther, community nutrition education specialist for Ohio State University Extension, the outreach arm of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

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Writers

Martha Filipic
614-292-9833
filipic.3@osu.edu

Sources

Carolyn Gunther
OSU Extension, Community Nutrition Education

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Tick populations are on the rise in Ohio and with them comes the risk of contracting illnesses such as Lyme disease.

To help Ohioans learn more about ticks and how to keep people and pets safe, Ohio State University Extension has developed an online course that teaches about tick biology, tick identification and tick-borne diseases.

"With the warmer weather, ticks will be active and looking to feed," said Glen Needham, an entomologist and tick expert with OSU Extension, the outreach arm of the university's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

Developed by Needham and Denise Ellsworth, director of the Department of Entomology's Honey Bee and Native Pollinator Program, the course is geared toward hunters, gardeners, veterinary professionals, Extension professionals and others engaged in outdoor activities or educating the public.

The not-for-credit Tick Course consists of videos, self-paced lessons, quizzes and Internet resources and takes approximately three hours to complete, Ellsworth said. The cost is $10.

The course is available through eXtension, the national Extension system's website, at http://campus.extension.org. To get started, you will need to create an account at eXtension. The course can be found in the "Yard and Garden" category.

For more information, contact Ellsworth at ellsworth.2@osu.edu or 330-263-3723.

Learn more about ticks in Ohio and Lyme Disease Awareness Month (May) here.

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Note: The workshop's signup deadline has been extended from May 10 to May 13.

MANSFIELD, Ohio -- Curious about Ohio’s top 10 landscape trees? Want to learn how to keep deer from eating your plants? Or learn how to fight kudzu, keep honey bees, make maple syrup, identify mushrooms, attract pollinators, and know the difference between sensible and senseless pruning?

These are just a few of the topics to be taught at Ohio State University’s first-ever Tree School May 18. The program offers 20 sessions on topics that also include farm uses of wood, the right way to plant a tree, identifying Ohio’s tree species and “Weird Things in Your Woods,” such as the colorfully named beech aphid poop-eater.

Organizers say the first-time event is for anyone interested in learning more about trees, including farmers, gardeners, landscapers, woodland owners, Christmas tree growers, and bird and other wildlife lovers. 

Most of the speakers will be specialists from Ohio State University Extension, which is the outreach arm of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Also in the lineup is Mississippi State University kudzu expert Andy Londo.

The event, which is sponsored by OSU Extension’s Ohio Woodland Stewards Program, runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. in Founder’s Auditorium in Ovalwood Hall on the university’s Mansfield campus, 1760 University Drive.

Registration is $55 per person and includes lunch and materials. The registration deadline is soon: Friday, May 10.

Links to the session and speaker list and to online registration are at http://go.osu.edu/UqP.

Participants in the workshop will qualify for 6 hours of continuing education credit under the Ohio Forest Tax Law program.

For more information, call 614-688-3421 or email ohiowoods@osu.edu.

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Kathy Smith

smith.81@osu.edu

614-688-3136

PIKETON, Ohio – Growers wanting to learn how to improve soil health and increase crop yields while reducing operating and input costs may want to consider using multi-functional cover crops, which can also improve water quality, reduce soil erosion and lower greenhouse gas emissions, a soil scientist from Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences said.

Rafiq Islam, who holds joint appointments with Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, will discuss soil health, no-till and cover crops during a June 8 workshop on these issues at the Ohio State University South Centers in Piketon.

OSU Extension and OARDC are the outreach and research arms, respectively, of the college.  The Centers are also a part of the college. Planting mixed cover crops such as oilseed radish, cereal rye, cowpea or Austrian winter pea has been proven to supply the required amount of nitrogen to crops, lower inputs, increase crop yields and improve soil health, Islam said.

“Growers with increased costs associated with crop production, including long-term use of higher amount of herbicides and chemical fertilizers, may degrade soil health,” Islam said. “Improving soil health is necessary to get higher crop yields, to minimize the usage of fertilizer and herbicides, and to better manage the soil without plowing the ground.  

“Cover crops can also provide mulch, recycle nutrients and increase soil organic matter, which can help growers get carbon credit in the future.”

The hands-on workshop is suited for both beginning and veteran farmers and will offer strategies and tips for growers on everything they’ll need to know about cover crops and the benefits to soil, water and air quality, he said.

Nationally recognized speakers and experts on soil health, carbon sequestration, conservation tillage and cover crops, including Don Reicosky, a U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service soil scientist emeritus, and David Brandt, president of the Ohio No-Till Council, will speak at the workshop.

Participants are asked to bring samples of what they consider to be good soil and bad soil from their fields to the workshop for testing. The 15-minute soil health test will also determine soil matter accumulation levels and how much nitrogen is needed for field fertilizer.

The daylong workshop will cover the following issues:

• Soil health overview.
• Cover crops.
• Soil testing techniques.
• Presentations in the field.
• No-till’s impact on soil health and water quality.
• Climate challenges.
• 4R Tomorrow, an Ohio conservation program aimed at wise nutrient management.
• Soil lab tour.

The workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the OSU South Centers, 1864 Shyville Road, in Piketon. Registration is $10 and includes lunch. The deadline to register is June 1. Attendees will receive a soil health field test kit, with the first 50 registered participants receiving two soil test vouchers from the Scioto and Lawrence county soil and water conservation districts.

The workshop is funded by the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program. Sponsors include OSU Extension, the OSU South Centers, the Scioto Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Lawrence County Soil and Water Conservation District.

For more information or to register, contact Debby Basham at 740-259-9231 or Debby.Basham@oh.nacdnet.net.

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Tracy Turner
614-688-1067
turner.490@osu.edu

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Rafiq Islam
740-289-2071 ext. 147
islam.27@osu.edu

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