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The Dirt on Soil Health: Virtual Programming for Producers to Improve Soil Health

Search for Excellence in Sustainable Agriculture Recognition Program

Mary Griffith
Extension Educator, Agriculture & Natural Resources
Ohio State University Extension
London

Team Members: Zoller, C*1, Shedekar, V2, Scheckelhoff, B*3, Raymond, H4, Nye, L*5, Noggle, S*6, Neal, N*7, Moneymaker, B*8, Lyon, E*9, Labarge, G*10, Karhoff, S*11, Jackson-Smith, D12, Hawkins, E*13, Hartschuh, J*14, Fulton, J*15, Fisher, B16, Corboy, T*17, Cochran, R*18, Chanon, A*19, Brown, C20, Barker, F*21, Culman, S22, Estadt, M*23, Badertscher, M*24, Griffith, M*25
  1. Extension Educator, ANR, Ohio State University Extension, New Philadelphia, Ohio, 44663
  2. Postdoctoral Researcher, Ohio State University Extension, Columbus, Ohio, 4321-
  3. Extension Educator, ANR, Ohio State University Extension, Ottawa, Ohio, 45975
  4. Water Quality Initiative Director, Ohio State University Extension, Columbus, Ohio, 43210
  5. Extension Educator, ANR, Ohio State University Extension, Wilmington, Ohio, 45177
  6. Extension Educator, ANR, Ohio State University Extension, Paulding, Ohio, 45879
  7. Extension Educator, ANR, Ohio State University Extension, Owensville, Ohio, 45130
  8. Extension Associate, Ohio State University Extension, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 45895
  9. Extension Educator, ANR, Ohio State University Extension, Steubenville, Ohio, 43952
  10. Extension Field Specialist, Ohio State University Extension, London, Ohio, 43140
  11. Extension Educator, ANR, Ohio State University Extension, Bryan, Ohio, 43506
  12. , Ohio State University Extension, Columbus, Ohio, 43210
  13. Extension Field Specialist and Associate Professor, Ohio State University Extension, Wilmington, Ohio, 45177
  14. Extension Educator, ANR, Ohio State University Extension, Bucyrus, Ohio, 44820
  15. Professor, Ohio State University Extension, Columbus, Ohio, 43210
  16. Extension Associate, Ohio State University Extension, Ottawa, Ohio, 45875
  17. Extension Educator, ANR, Ohio State University Extension, Xenia, Ohio, 45385
  18. Extension Associat, Ohio State University Extension, Paulding, Ohio, 45385
  19. Extension Educator, ANR, Ohio State University Extension, Elyria, Ohio, 44035
  20. Program Manager, Ohio State University Extension, Wooster, Ohio, 44691
  21. Extension Educator, ANR, Ohio State University Extension, Mt. Vernon, Ohio, 43050
  22. Associate Professor, Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio, 4691
  23. Extension Educator, ANR, Ohio State University Extension, Circleville, Ohio, 43133
  24. Extension Educator, Agriculture & Natural Resources, Ohio State University Extension, Kenton, Ohio, 43326
  25. Extension Educator, Agriculture & Natural Resources, Ohio State University Extension, London, Ohio, 43140

Abstract

OSU Extension’s Agronomic Crops Team developed a Soil Health Committee in 2020 in response to increasing demand from stakeholders to know more about soil health. The committee’s first project was a virtual webinar series titled The Dirt on Soil Health: Digging Beneath the Surface. The objectives of the webinar were to provide research-based information to enable producers to implement practices to improve soil health on their farms, and to identify needs for future programming on soil health. The webinar included eight sessions held on a weekly basis with recordings available to registrants who could not attend live sessions. A total 2,858 registered for the webinars, representing 72 Ohio counties, 20 states, and 9 nations. 1,517 attended the live sessions with 1,055 views of the recorded sessions to date. On the program evaluation 95.3% of respondents reported that they learned new information as a result of attending, and 88.7% reported that they plan to use the information they learned to improve soil health on their farm.

Years of CES Service: 0

Entry