The Science of WHAT?!?

We host a huge event for students in grades k-12 on our Wooster, Ohio campus each fall. It's called the Science of Agriculture. Yep. You heard me...AGRICULTURE! If you think agriculture is just a bunch of cows, sows and plows, this event will show you that you couldn't be farther from the truth!

 Yes, students can learn about cows at the session called For Your InFARMation that will teach students about Ohio's dairy industry and the farms and farmers that provide safe, affordable and nutritious dairy products to eat...and they can also learn about Ohio's beef industry, too.

 And yes, students can learn about sows (female pigs) from Ohio Pork Producers at Pig Out! Visit a Hog Farm for elementary students and another more advanced session for grades 6-12.

 And yes, they will learn about plows...and how many Ohio farmers are not using plows at No Till Know How where students will learn about the importance of conservation tillage and see the country's oldest continuous no-till plots.

 But students will also learn about Plant Doctors (we call them plant pathologists) who diagnose and work hard to prevent plant diseases. And they'll even get to try their hand at being a plant doctor.

 They will learn about Who's Been Tickling Your Toes as they take samples and assess stream water quality and diversity for themselves while learning about the important difference those of us who live in headwater areas (like Ohio) can make in water quality hundreds of miles away.

They will learn about the Mendelian Genetics behind today's agricultural products and breeding programs.

 They's learn how agricultural engineers are literally Engineering the Future by improving crop production systems with new designs and technologies...and even how those technologies are being used in space travel.

 They'll learn about Sensational Soil and Creating Compost and how they affect the envionment.

 They'll see our Greenhouse Laboratories at work and even make their own mini greenhouse to take home.

And so much more! In fact, there's so much more I'm going to be discussing this fabulous program all month long!

Science of Agriculture takes place at OARDC's Wooster campus on October 5 for grades k-5 and on October 6 for grades 6-12. It's fun, free-hands-on science education. For more information on the sessions offered or to register online, check out our Science of Agriculture site.

Everything's coming up roses!

Sorry...we're behind. Due to some personal issues, it's been a week and a half since our blog has been updated. But I promise to make it up to you! How? Two blog posts this week and then back on schedule for next week...promise!

So summer is upon us. The kids are out of school, and you're looking for something to keep them busy and occupied. Trust me, I know how it goes. (Our house has 3 kidders ages 7 and below. Yikes!) The question is, what can you do with them?

How about making some super-cool, super-easy rose bookmarks? The inspiration for these comes from our friends over at Disney Family.

These are so easy my 5-year old made them. You start by cutting a pipe cleaner in half:

Pick some pretty paper or cardstock, then cut out 4 identical hearts.

We used the Creative Memories heart maker because it's simple, everything is identical, and most importantly, we had one on hand. :)

Even a 5-year old can manage! :)

Next step: use some kind of adhesive to mount one of the hearts to the pipe cleaner. If you use something like Zots, use the medium or large size...the small is too small...trust me, I know. I ended up using my tape runner from my scrapbook stash. Put the pointy part of the heart up so that it looks like the center part of a rose.

Now attach the second heart right on top of the first one:

Now bend back the tips with your fingers just enough to make it look like the rose petals are opening up:

Now for the outer petals. Fold the remaining two hearts in half:

Now open it back up flat and fold the pointy tip back. Fold it in half again and fold back the fat parts of the heart. This will be a petal opening on the rose:

Now, fasten them to the rose:

Repeat on the other side with the other heart:

Add some ribbons or decorations to spruce it up if you want. We used a tag maker punch to make name tags:

Colors and options are limitless!

Sound like fun? Come join us at our open house next weekend at OARDC's Garden of Roses of Legend and Romance! The whole family can enjoy the 500 varieties of old-fashioned and antique roses (there are 3 plantings of each variety for a total of about 1,500 rose plants), and the kids can make these cool rose bookmarks while the adults are looking around. There will also be historical interpreters on-hand re-enacting activites from the period of the era of the French and Indian War. Admission is free, and hours are from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on June 12. Kids activities will be offered from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. For more information, click the link above or contact Kelly King at 330-263-3612 or e-mail king.1364@osu.edu.