Family and Consumer Sciences

Live Smart Ohio

Ohio State University Extension

Questions about CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture)

The sun is shining brightly but there is still snow on the ground in Northwest Ohio. It is the end of February and while my grocery shopping list includes lettuce and other fresh vegetables, we also eat a lot of frozen and canned vegetables right now. Considering our food shopping and gardening patterns, I can […]

WRITTEN BY: Patrice Powers-Barker, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Lucas County

REVIEWED BY: Misty Harmon, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Perry County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • Powers-Barker, P.

SOURCES:

  • Local Food Directories: CSA, USDA https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-5593
  • Using a Community Supported Agriculture Share to Plan Family Meals, Ohio State University Extension FactSheet https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-5593
  • What's In Season? Ohio Farm Bureau https://ofbf.org/whats-in-season/

Spring Salads

If you try to eat locally and by the season, you know that the bookends of the growing season in Ohio – spring and fall – bring an abundance of greens. Spinach, kale, lettuces, collards, cabbage and bok choy are all available locally this time of year. What can you do with all of those […]

WRITTEN BY: Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension Franklin County

REVIEWED BY: Candace J. Heer, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension-Morrow County

SOURCES:

  • Chop Chop Magazine. Your Own Salad Dressing. http://www.chopchopmag.org/recipe/your-own-salad-dressing
  • Meehan, A. (2017). Meal Prepping: How to plan for your week ahead. Live Smart Ohio. http://livesmartohio.osu.edu/food/meehan-89osu-edu/meal-prepping-how-to-plan-for-your-week-ahead/
  • Ohio Farm Bureau. What’s in season? https://ofbf.org/whats-in-season/
  • Oregon State University. Food Hero. http://foodhero.org/

Fresh, Safe Garden Produce

Preventing contamination is the most important part of food safety in fresh produce and it starts in the vegetable garden. Follow these steps to promote food safety with fresh, garden produce. In the Garden Be familiar with the water source for the garden. If using well water, test the water at least once a year […]

WRITTEN BY: Patrice Powers-Barker, OSU Extension Educator, Lucas County Family and Consumer Sciences

REVIEWED BY: Abigail Snyder, Field Specialist, Food Safety & Management, OSU Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences

SOURCES:

  • Bolton, J., Bushway, A., Crowe, K., and El-Begearmi, M. (2013) University of Maine Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, and Cooperative Extension https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/4336e/
  • Bunning, M. and Newby, M. (2010) Colorado State University Extension http://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/nutrition-food-safety-health/safe-food-facts-for-community-gardens-9-381/
  • Chaifetz, A., Alnajjar, K., Ammerman, A., Driscoll, E., Gunter, C., Chapman, B. (2015), The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Fight bac! Partnership for Food Safety Education http://www.fightbac.org/food-safety-basics/the-core-four-practices/
  • Goard, L. (2015) Ohioline https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/HYG-5338
  • Ilic, S. and Lewis Ivey, M. (2017) Ohio State University https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-1153
  • Jarvie, M. (2015), Michigan State University Extension http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/food_safety_and_composting
  • Mancl, K. (2016) Ohioline https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/aex-314
  • Private Drinking Water Wells (2018), United States Environmental Protection Agency https://www.epa.gov/privatewells
  • Universities of Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont and funded by NIFA/USDA https://extension.umaine.edu/gardening/manual/five-steps-food-safe-fruit-vegetable-gardening/
  • Water Quality (2016), Ohio Department of Health, http://www.odh.ohio.gov/odhprograms/eh/water/PrivateWaterSystems/quality.aspx
  • Wright Hirsch, D. (2014) University of Connecticut Extension https://blog.extension.uconn.edu/2014/08/06/should-i-eat-that/

Are You a Maker?

Have you heard of the Maker Movement? The Maker Movement is a “tech-influenced DIY community” full of creative and innovative individuals including hobbyists, tinkerers, students, young adults and entrepreneurs. The Maker Movement began in 2005 when Dale Dougherty launched MAKE Magazine, a published collection of DIY projects, ideas and toolkits. Dougherty later introduced Maker Faire, […]

WRITTEN BY: Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Franklin County

REVIEWED BY: Patrice Powers-Barker, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Lucas County

SOURCES:

  • Dougherty, D. (2012). The Maker Movement. Innovations, 7(3), 11-14. http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/INOV_a_00135.
  • Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension (2017). Food Preservation. https://fcs.osu.edu/programs/major-program-areas/healthy-people/food-preservation.
  • Ohio State University Extension (2017). Local Foods. https://localfoods.osu.edu/.
  • Ohioline (2017). Ohio State University Extension. Food. http://ohioline.osu.edu/topic/food.

Enjoy Summer Squash and Zucchini this Fall!

I often pick up squash & zucchini at the farmer’s market in the summer. I found them in October for the great price of 2/$1. When selecting squash look for small to medium size squash and they should feel heavy for their size. If they are soft and squishy or showing any signs of decay, […]

REVIEWED BY: Tammy Jones, Family & Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Pike County

Enjoy #LocalFoodsOH Throughout the Year

September is my favorite month to visit the farmer’s market. There is still late-summer produce available this time of the year, but fall vegetables are starting to come on, too. The variety and abundance of locally grown produce makes September an ideal time to stock up on fresh fruits and veggies and preserve them for […]

WRITTEN BY: Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Franklin County

REVIEWED BY: Joanna Fifner, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, , Ohio State University Extension, County, Medina County

SOURCES:

  • Kidd B (2015). Freezing Vegetables. Ohioline. http://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/HYG-5333.
  • Lobb J (2016). CSA: What, How and Why. Live Smart Ohio. https://livesmartohio.osu.edu/food/lobb-3osu-edu/csa-what-how-and-why/.
  • Ohio State University Extension Family & Consumer Sciences (2016). Food Preservation. http://fcs.osu.edu/programs/major-program-areas/healthy-people/food-preservation.
  • Ohio State University Extension Local Foods (2016). Online Local Food Directories for Ohio Consumers. http://localfoods.osu.edu/resources/ohio-local-food-directories.

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