If you ever thought you had the 24-hour flu, you may have had a foodborne illness caused by the bacteria Bacillus cereus (B. cereus). Illness from B. cereus is also called “fried rice syndrome” or “reheated rice syndrome” (Leong et al., 2023). Though it has made social media headlines in recent years, B. cereus is not a new microorganism or a new problem.
The pawpaw value chain in the eastern United States centers on a native fruit valued for its tropical flavor, nutritional benefits, and cultural heritage.
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, a condition caused by a family of viruses that includes Hepatitis A, B, and C. Hepatitis A is a pathogen found in human feces. Contamination of water and food by food handlers who are infected with Hepatitis A and practice poor personal hygiene is the main cause of the foodborne illness. Contamination can occur at any point in the food chain—growing, harvesting, processing, handling, or even after cooking.
In Ohio, the likelihood of experiencing weather impacts or emergencies on the farm is elevated. Ohio is often the battle ground between cold, Canadian air and a humid, tropical flow out of the Gulf. Thunderstorms can occur every month, and on average, Ohio experiences 22 tornadoes per year. This number varies considerably though, with zero tornadoes reported in 1988 to 74 recorded in 2024 (US Department of Commerce, 2025).
What is forest management? If you were to ask a forester to define forest management, they would probably say, "Forest management is the application of technical forestry principles, practices, and business techniques such as accounting, cost/benefit analysis, etc., to manage a woodland in a manner that achieves the owner's objectives." Simply stated, forest management is giving a woodland the care it needs to be healthy, vigorous, and provides the products and amenities the landowner desires.
Despite their intimidating appearance, earwigs are harmless to people and, contrary to their eye-catching name, they do not seek to hide inside your ears. However, these insects can cause serious damage to seedlings and chew large holes into specialty crops, flowers, and grain. Earwigs belong to the Order (taxonomic ranking) Dermaptera which derives from Greek origins meaning leather and wings. One could find earwigs during the night or during the day in dark, moist, and cool places such as inside vegetables, weeds, home corners, or mulch.
Striped cucumber beetles (Acalymma vittatum, StCB; Figure 1A) and spotted cucumber beetles (Diabrotica undecimpunctata, SpCB; Figure 1B) are common North American pests that feed on cucurbit crops, including cucumber, watermelon, squash, and pumpkin. Both cucumber beetle species feed on plant foliage, which puts young seedlings at risk. In addition to feeding, they also spread plant pathogens such as bacterial wilt of cucurbits caused by Erwinia tracheiphila.
“White grub” is the common name for root-damaging turf pests in the family Scarabaeidae, or scarab beetles. Scarabs, like all beetles, undergo complete metamorphosis, transitioning through egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages. All white grubs appear as plump, pale, typically C-shaped larvae that feed in the thatch layer of grass stands. White grubs have six true legs and no abdominal leg-like structures (prolegs) like caterpillars. Late instars have highly developed chewing mouthparts.
Squash vine borer (SVB), Melittia cucurbitae, is a destructive insect pest of cucurbits in Ohio and across the eastern and central United States. In some cases, growers report nearly complete crop loss as a result of SVB damage. Larvae bore into the stems of cucurbit plants, disrupting xylem and phloem transport resulting in plant collapse (Fig. 3) (Middleton, 2018).
Communities of all sizes face the challenge of brownfields, including properties that are abandoned, derelict, or underutilized as a result of their prior use. These sites contribute limited economic or community value and often impede redevelopment efforts. Without coordinated planning, community engagement, and stakeholder collaboration for reuse, remediation, or redevelopment, brownfields typically remain underutilized.
