Cinderella rode to the ball in a coach that her fairy godmother crafted from a pumpkin in the patch. A fairy tale, yes, but growers of giant squash, Cucurbita maxima, are growing pumpkins that are approaching the size of small cars.
As Ohio's population grows, farm and nonfarm families are increasingly living and sometimes working alongside each other. Farmers who are near the metropolitan areas have been familiar with this trend, while those in more rural areas are seeing pockets of new development around them. There are many benefits for the farmer, nonfarmer, and also the community to living and working together. These include increased awareness and appreciation of interests and increased trust and confidence of farmers and nonfarmers, and a shared sense of community.
Objective: To learn to manage stress on the farm or in the workplace.
Trainer’s Note
Learning to manage stress can improve mental and physical health. Identify the stress factors in the workplace. Discuss how to manage or eliminate those factors. Invite a mental health or time management professional to speak. Review the true or false quiz.
Objective: To be able to describe the hazards that can occur when solvents and acids come in contact with the skin, and to know how to prevent this exposure.
Trainer’s Note
Objective: To know the effects of alcohol and drugs on the body and be aware of the on-the-job problems substance abuse can cause.
Trainer’s Note
Review the case studies or create others. Divide the workers into two groups to discuss scenarios. Identify the primary ways substance abuse can affect performance. Review the true or false quiz.
Grapevine nutrient status can be determined by three methods:
Observing visual symptoms.
Analyzing vine tissue samples.
Performing soil tests.
These methods should be performed regularly by scouting visual symptoms each season, analyzing tissue samples either annually or every other year, and performing soil tests both prior to planting and once every three to five years after planting.
