Ohio State University Extension and The Nature Conservancy are partnering for the third year in a row to provide a platform showcasing farms around Northwest Ohio that are utilizing soil health-promoting practices. These virtual stops include photos, videos, and interviews with the site providers, allowing attendees to learn more about the practices without leaving the comfort of their homes.
Soil Health is becoming an increasingly important topic within agriculture, and many different practices and methods can be used to promote it. This tour is designed to showcase what local farmers are doing on their farms and how these practices have affected the health of their soils and their farming operations. The wrap-up event is an opportunity for one-on-one or small group discussion with farmers already implementing these best management practices, as well as with OSU Extension’s new state specialist for soil health.
The tour opened at 8:00 AM on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, and will remain open through the end of 2023. Paulding County will be hosting an event to close out the first two weeks of the Soil Health Tour at the OSU Extension Office in Paulding on November 30, 2023, from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM. The wrap-up event will feature Dr. Manbir Rakkar, statewide Soil Health and Soil Fertility specialist, as the night’s guest speaker. In addition, farmers who provided sites on the tour will be invited to speak with attendees about their practices and answer any questions that may have come up during the tour. Please call the Paulding County Extension Office or visit go.osu.edu/soilhealthtour to register for this meeting. Dinner will be provided free of charge, but registration is required to attend this event.
To view the interactive StoryMap of site locations around Northwest Ohio and to get information about the Wrap-Up Event, visit go.osu.edu/soilhealthtour. Be sure to fill out the survey at the bottom of the StoryMap to give your feedback on the tour!
For additional information on Soil Health or other Best Management Practices, to register for a program or receive additional education, contact Sarah Noggle, Paulding County Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources, at noggle.17@osu.edu, or Rachel Cochran, CCA, Water Quality Extension Associate for Paulding, Defiance, and Van Wert Counties, at cochran.474@osu.edu. Individuals can also walk into the OSU Extension Office at 503 Fairground Drive in Paulding or call 419-399-8225.