Why is ag research important?

Ever wonder what exactly the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center is? Or why agricultural research is important? Well, here's the scoop:

Earliest year on record for Secrest Crabapples

It's that time of year! Well, actually, it's early for that time of year. But the warm weather we've been experiencing in Ohio this spring is pushing the beautiful crabapple trees of Secrest Arboretum into an early bloom this year. Here's what OARDC's Secrest Arboretum curator Ken Cochran has to say:

Why Trees Matter to the Lorax—and You!

We know a thing or two about trees here at OARDC's Wooster campus.

Source: movies.nytimes.com via Melissa on Pinterest

And like the Lorax, our researchers are well-versed in speaking for the trees. Our version of the Lorax goes by the name of Ken Cochran, and he's the curator for our 88-acre Secrest Arboretum.

Source: thesocialsilo.com via Oardc on Pinterest

The arboretum has been an integral part of our campus and community for over 100 years, but it's landscape was forever changed when it was hit head-on by a devastating tornado in September 2010 that took out over 1,200 of the arboretum's trees. Since that time, Ken has worked with his plants and countless volunteers to replan and replant Secrest Arboretum. And our researchers are able to assess the impact this loss will have on the arboretum's environment. A portion of the damaged area of the arboretum is even being left intact to regenerate naturally.

But this loss has reiterated to our campus and community that yes, trees do matter! Here's what Ken has to say about it on the Secrest website:

Trees have a powerful impact on outdoor space and in human well-being. Trees draw upon our senses as a natural resource, while scenic beauty and trees add value to our landscapes through the environmental services they provide. Urban parks and greenways, academic, business and industrial campuses and residential gardens are corridors linking up to the natural world and enhancing the whole ecosystem. Why do trees matter in your life? 

The Why Trees Matter Program is one of Ohio State University Extension’s six Signature Programs. It is an interdisciplinary program of the University that focuses on the economic, environmental and social benefits of trees and community forests. Using U.S. Forest Service models, it quantifies the sustainable environmental services trees provide, such as storm-water remediation, air quality benefits, energy savings, and carbon sequestration. For example, the annual value of a 12 inch diameter silver linden is $98. Why Trees Matter includes applied research plots at over 140 sites throughout Ohio communities (Ohio Street Tree Evaluation Program), tree research evaluation and extension (TREE) plots at OARDC’s Secrest Arboretum, OSUE Master Gardener 'Tree Specialist' volunteers in Ohio counties, and a diverse array of community development programs around the state. Signature Tree Program… is one of the components of the Why Trees Matter Program in cooperation with the Secrest Arboretum of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Initiated on March 11-12, 2009 in Wooster, Ohio, by OSU President E. Gordon Gee, this program is intended to increase awareness of the importance of trees for sustainable communities and to raise money for tree research at The Ohio State University. Features of the Signature Tree Program include the following: 

• Three tree selections offered for sale each year as Signature Trees. For 2009-2010, these are Silver Linden, Scarlet Buckeye, and Pagoda Dogwood. Cost is $30.00 ea.


• Each tree sold in 2009-2010 will include President E. Gordon Gee’s signature, along with a statement of “why trees matter” to President Gee.


• Each tree sale will also include an explanation of the environmental services trees provide, based on the science-based i-Tree model developed by the U.S. Forest Service and the Ohio-based Davey Tree Company, the largest tree care company in the world. Each tree will also have a tree care tag with proper planting and care information.


• Signature Trees will be available for sale at selected tree planting programs and Secrest Arboretum and other OSU horticulture programs throughout the year, as well as, Ohio counties, OSUE 4-H camps, and other events. Proceeds will be placed in an OSU Development Account for tree research at OSU.

Please support of tree research at The Ohio State University, through the purchase of Signature Trees. Let Signature Trees be a symbol of 'Why Trees Matter' in your life. Contact Ken Cochran at cochran.7@osu.edu or Joe Cochran at cochran.58@osu.edu or call: (330) 464-2148.

Celebrate Earth Day with the Lorax!

We're talking about trees and the Lorax this month—which makes perfect sense with Earth Day just around the corner! Now here at our Wooster, Ohio, campus, we're celebrating Earth Day with on April 17 with our Scarlet Gray and Green Fair.

Source: wcsen.org via Oardc on Pinterest

And while we'd love for you to come join the fun, some of you just might not be close enough to join us for the day. If not, have you considered hosting an Earth Day celebration with the Lorax?

Stop by Suessville for plenty of fun, fabulous and hands-on ideas for celebrating Earth Day the Lorax way!

Source: bigplastichead.com via Oardc on Pinterest

Who Speaks for the Trees?

Last week we talked about the new Lorax movie based on Dr. Suess's classic book. Trees and tree health are certainly intertwined with the lives of humans throughout history. Whether for firewood, tools, paper, shelter or something else, humans rely on trees. And that means this renewable resource needs to be replenished as well!

Source: google.com via Oardc on Pinterest

Project Learning Tree has put together a series of cool lesson plans based on the Lorax book and subsequently the movie. They are targeted to a variety of age levels and are a lot of fun—not to mention very timely with the new movie coming out in theaters!

In their Who Speaks for the Trees activities, students in grades 2-8 read the book (or watch the movie) and investigate questions why the Onceler did what he did, how the environment changed and the impact one person can have on changing the status quo. There are variations for older student and follow up activities as well.

We're actually doing a variation of this lesson plan later this month, and we were fortunate enough to receive a large pack of Lorax bookmarks from IHOP—one for each child in our group.

Source: Uploaded by user via Jenney on Pinterest

How fun is that? We are loving the Lorax here and excited to share the tale with our preschool programming this spring!

Source: grandoptimist.tumblr.com via Brittany on Pinterest

Discover Secrest Arboretum

Are you and yours excited about the upcoming Lorax movie based on Dr. Suess's book? My household is for sure.

Source: cinemark.com via Jane on Pinterest

One of the key themes from the movie is protecting and enjoying the trees and forests we may often take for granted. In fact, the U.S. Forest Service has even launched a new public service announcement campaign with the Lorax:

Have YOU spent time enjoying and discovering the wonderful world of trees lately? If not, be sure to plan a visit to OARDC's own Secrest Arboretum. The 88-acre arboretum is perfect to explore on your own as a family. Much of the arboretum is even handicap accessible with paved paths through our holly plantation, unique plant collection, million flower walkway, prairie plantings, butterfly garden, water garden and so much more. There's even a Discovery Pavilion to learn about the biological calendar that affects us all, a forest plantation, deciduous tree planting, share tree planting and much much more.

Or, you can join in one of our upcoming special events like our Dormant Pruning Workshop, Guided Bird Walk, Scarlet Gray and Green Fair or even a Guided Spring Walk. Details for these events as well as directions to the arboretum can be found at the Secrest Arboretum website. 

Be sure to come back next week for more information on how you can use the Lorax book and movie as a teaching tool.

Don't let the bed bugs bite!

The thought might send a shiver down your spine, but bed bugs are real—and a real problem. OARDC us a leader in bed bug research. Here's the scoop:




Want to find out more about bugs? Be on the look out! Soon we will be opening registration for our 10TH ANNUAL A BUG'S WORLD program. This is a fun, fabulous and free educational program that will take place April 11-12 this spring. Stay tuned!

AgBC's: Z is for BuZZZZZ

I love being outdoors and hearing all the sounds during the warm summer months—including the buzz of the insects. Bees certainly aren't the only insects that buzz, but they are certainly the 1st insect that pops to mind when we think of buzzing, aren't they?

Photo from the Honeybee Conservancy

But did you know there are a whole host of bee species in addition to the honeybees and bumblebees we normally think of? There are 4,000 known species of bees native to the United States. Some of their common names include plasterer, leafcutter, mason, carder, digger and carpenter. Others earned their names by lapping up perspiration or humming loudly as they fly. 


Want to know how you can meet science standards for your students by teaching them about bees? Check out this archived video.

Learn how pollinators, particularly bees, can be used to teach standards-based science and get students actively engaged with their work and the outdoors.

• See this Web Seminar's Archive
• PowerPoint Presentation (19.7 MB)
• Presentation - PDF version (5.66 MB)
• Add this Web Seminar Archive to your NSTA Learning Center Library

This is the second of two Web Seminars in a series from PollinatorLIVE. The presentation includes a definition of pollinators and the tasks they perform as well as information about Bee Hunt—a program that allows educators to access and contribute to a large cache of images of various species of pollinators from across the country. You can also comprehensive curriculum for grades 3-6 that addresses plant pollinator relationships and related concepts and the Zaagkii Wings & Seeds Project.

AgBCs: Y is for Yams

Yams aren't just for holiday meals—they are fun for science, too!

Even though most Americans use the terms interchangeably, did you know yams and sweet potatoes are not the same thing? In fact they are not even related. Who knew, right?


Although yams and sweet potatoes are both angiosperms (flowering plants), they are not related botanically. Yams are a monocot (a plant having one embryonic seed leaf) and from the Dioscoreaceae or Yam family. Sweet Potatoes, often called ‘yams’, are a dicot (a plant having two embryonic seed leaves) and are from the Convolvulacea or morning glory family.


Want to have some REAL fun with yams? Try out this lab for converting the starch in yams to sugar. Pretty cool, huh?

AgBCs: X Marks the Barn Spot

I have to admit, the X letter of our AgBCs series had me stumped—until I saw a barn door like this:

Photo from Mike Gilliam photography.

Barns are an integral part of any livestock operation, providing protection and shelter for the livestock as well as farm supplies and equipment. Historic barns are not just rural relics, they are important tangible reminders of Ohio's rural heritage. Many barns and other older farm buildings can be rehabilitated to accommodate modern farming practices. The Ohio Historic Preservation Office and the Ohio State Extension encourage owners to maintain their historic buildings for future generations to use and appreciate. Check out the Barn Again program for more information on restoring historic barns.


Barns provide insight into the history and heritage of our early farmers. And they continue to provide learning opportunities today. Have you heard of Ohio's quilt barns? They offer a fun and scenic way to learn about not only various types of barn architecture but also quilting patterns.


And here in our part of Ohio, barn raisings are also an important part of the Amish community. Maybe your students can take their lead from Crayola and combine a lesson about the Amish culture with this fun barn raising project.

Have fun with learning about the history of barns!

Smart Stuff with Twig Walkingstick:Tomato Splatability

Twig Walkingstick lives in and around the Wooster campus of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. His alter ego is Kurt Knebusch, one of our super-talented writers and editors on campus. Each month, look for Twig to answer a reader questions and some additional interesting facts below. After Twig's post, we will be providing some ideas and suggestions on how to incorporate the info in Twig's column into fun science learning for your students and children.

Q. Dear Twig: Why do some tomatoes splat more when I throw them at my brother?

A. Everything else being equal - the ripeness of the tomato, how hard you throw it, what you throw it at - the type of tomato is the main thing: fresh market vs. processing.

"Your average ripe fresh-market tomato splats better than your average ripe processing type," says David Francis, a tomato breeder and geneticist at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center who seems to have something in his hand there, behind his back.

"Processing tomatoes don't splat well because they're high in dry matter and soluble ["soll-you-bull"] solids," he explains while offering me some sort of visual aid that flies past my head very quickly. "What you need for a good splat is water content."

Processing tomatoes need to be dryish. They go to make ketchup, salsa and tomato sauce. You don't want that stuff runny.

Fresh-market types, though, are better when juicy. They go into salads, for instance.

"Here!" Professor Francis says as he sends another visual aid (he's very helpful) in my direction. "See for yourself!"

Splatee,

Twig

P.S. Fresh-market tomatoes are usually the kind that you cut up and put on a hamburger.

Notes:

• Common fresh-market tomato varieties include Beefsteak and Better Boy.
• A common processing variety is Roma, though tomato breeders such as Professor Francis continue to develop new and better varieties based on flavor, soluble solids (more soluble solids and less water makes it easier and cheaper to process a processing tomato) and how well the plants resist diseases (greater resistance can mean less or even no need to spray fungicides). Read about the work he does.
• Soluble solids are materials (from tomatoes, in this case) that can be dissolved by or mixed into water - important if you're making, say, tomato juice and want it smooth.

Check out this fun lesson-plan for incorporating tomatoes into your healthy diet.

AgBCs: W is for Wool

Wool—it's the natural fiber grown from sheep. But besides keeping you warm in the winter, wool clothes can also keep you cool in the summer?

Wool is also flame resistant—it won't catch on fire. And, different breeds of sheep grow different kinds of wool. Fine wool is used to make suits, medium wool to make blankets and coarse wool is used to make carpets.


Taking a field trip to a sheep farm can be a fun way for students to learn about livestock production in Ohio. Don't know any sheep farmers? Contact the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association—or your state's organization—and they can help you connect with a sheep producer in your area. While there, ask to bring back some of the wool with you, then try this dun, "Dyed in the Wool" activity from the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association:

• Wet the wool. Make sure it's thoroughly washed and wet.
• Add 2 packages of sugarless Kool-Aid to a crockpot of water. You may use one package for a lighter shade.
• Stir.
• Add wool.
• Turn the crochet on high.
• When the crockpot is hot and steaming, you may turn the temperature down to "simmer" or low for 30 minutes.
• At the end of the 30 minutes, turn the crockpot off. The dye bath should be "exhausted."
• Now, rinse the wool and wash it with soap or detergent. Make sure the water temperature is consistent. Do not plunge the hot wool into cold water.

Have fun!

AgBCs: V is for Vegetables

When we think go growing vegetables, we think of soils and summer gardens. But have you ever considered learning more about how vegetables are grown hydroponically? In water?

Here's a look at how some of our OARDC researchers are investigating hydropnic production:





Do hydroponic vegetables sound cool to you? Here are a ton of fun lesson plans for incorporating hydroponics into your science lessons. 


Enjoy!

AgBCs: U is for Urban

Think agriculture is just in the country? Think again? As our population grows along with interest in local food, so does the interest in urban agriculture. Here's what one of our own researchers here at OARDC has to say about urban agriculture:

Smart Stuff with Twig Walkingstick; The Biggest Tomato Ever

Twig Walkingstick lives in and around the Wooster campus of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. His alter ego is Kurt Knebusch, one of our super-talented writers and editors on campus. Each month, look for Twig to answer a reader questions and some additional interesting facts below. After Twig's post, we will be providing some ideas and suggestions on how to incorporate the info in Twig's column into fun science learning for your students and children.

Q. Dear Twig: What's the biggest tomato ever?

A. The biggest tomato ever in weight – the heaviest, that is – weighed an amazing 7 pounds, 12 ounces. That's actually just a little bit more than the average weight of a newborn baby born in the United States! 

Whoa. Big tomato ...

Scientists at Cornell University say tomatoes come in a huge range of sizes. One wild type grows tiny fruit that weigh less than a tenth of an ounce: way less than even a blueberry or cranberry.
Other types – ones bred especially to crank out whoppers – grow tomatoes that weigh nearly a thousand times more than that!

The variety called Brandywine, for instance, grows fruit that weigh about 2 pounds each. Dutchman and Gian Beligan tomatoes can tip the scales at up to 5 pounds. The record tomato, the baby-sized one, came from a type called Delicious.

Giant tomatoes tend to look like soccer balls with the air half let out. Big, but caved in on tom. Also juicier.

Kickingly,

Twig

P.S. Plant scientists call the tomato a fruit. But in general we call it and use it as a vegetable.


Notes: The record tomato was grown by Gordon Graham in Oklahoma in 1986. Read about him and it in Southern Living. Learn more about growing giant tomatoes in Organic Gardening. Sources included Guinness World Records 2006 and "Dissecting the Genetic Pathway to Extreme Fruit Size in Tomato ..." by Lippmann and Tanksley, Cornell University. Note, too, the "World's Largest Tomato" (artificial category),  Leamington, Ontario, Canada, which Twig in fact has had the pleasure of staring in open-mouth wonder at.

Using this information in the classroom:

Want to have more fun with tomatoes? Have dun growing them together with your students in your classroom or home.

AgBCs: Terrific Tomatoes

It's the most popular edible plant grown in the home garden. The National garden Bureau has even designated this year as the year of the tomato. Who knew, right?

But what most Ohioans don't know is that Ohio is a tomato mecca, ranking second nationwide in tomato production. Tomatoes are even Ohio's official state fruit. And our state drink? Tomato juice.


Want to have fun learning more about tomatoes? Check out Ohio State's interactive tomato model.


Want to learn even more cool tomato facts? See what OARDC scientist Esther van der Knapp is doing with her award-winning research on the shape of tomatoes.

AgBC's: S is for Sensational Soil

Soil is so important, yet we hardly think about it! Soil anchors plant roots, holds water for plants, and even provides air spaces for plant roots to grow.

Image from the Extreme Pumpkin Store

But for all that, did you know soil is basically made of of 3 sizes of particles? Sand is the larges, clay is the smaller, and silt falls in the middle size-wise. The proportion of each of these particles varies from soil to soil, giving each soil unique characteristics. Some solid drain more quickly (sand), while others hold water or become saturated with water (clay). Many plants, trees and shrubs prefer to grow in a balanced mixture of these particles called "loam." Loamy soils hold a moderate amount of water, air and nutrients while supporting the plant.

A vineyard in Lake County, Ohio

Because characteristics of the soil can affect plant growth, farmers and gardeners often test soil to determine if it's good for growing specific plants. Two such simple tests include the ribbon test and the "soil shake" test. The results are a good predictor of whether or not the soil is good for growing specific plants. More accurate assessments can be sent to soil testing labs, and today it is increasingly common for farmers to have their cropland grid sampled and have the results of their soil testing GPS mapped to improve the efficiency of their farming operations.


Here are some simple instructions for conducting the ribbon and "soil shake" tests with your students:

• Ask the students if they've ever heard of the ribbon test. The explain that is can help determine what kinds of particles are in their soil. 
• Demonstrate the text by moistening a handful of garden soil or silt in the palm of your hand until it has the consistency of putty. Work the soil into a ball about 1/2" in diameter. Press the ball between your forefinger and thumb to form a ribbon (see below).
• If the soil will not form a ribbon, it is sand. If it makes a ribbon 1-2 inches long, it is loam. Ribbons longer and 2 inches are clay. Here is a more detailed description.
• Explain that each of the three types of soil particles forms a different type of ribbon. Repeat the test with clay and sand.
• Ask the children to describe the difference between the three ribbons.
• Pass out different kinds of soil without telling the students what soil type they have; let them each conduct their own ribbon test and hypothesize about what type of soil they have.

Making a soil ribbon.

Students can also conduct a "soil shake" test:

• Fill a jar 1/3 full with soil.
• Fill the jar 1/3 full with water.
• Add a tablespoon of alum (alum speeds the settling process and can be found in the spice section of the grocery store.
• Ask the children to predict what will happen when the jar is shaken. 
• Divide the children into groups of 3-4. Ask them to collect soil from outdoors or give them some soil you have collected.
• Tighten the lid and shake for 3 minutes. Make sure all the lumps have broken apart. Tell the children to observe the jar after 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes and 3 minutes and write down what they observe.
• Have them report their findings to the class. Discuss how the soil separates by particle size and identify the particles int he layers they see. The larger sand particles will be on the bottom, with the silt in the middle and any clay particles on top.

For more fun, investigate what kinds of plants grow best in various kinds of soil.

AgBC's: R is for Roots

Last week we talked about ducks and their wetland habitats. But did you know one of the other important functions of wetlands is that they help to stabilize the soil and hold it in place? This  helps to prevent erosion and trap sediments, which helps to create a rich, fertile habitats for plants and animals. But how do they do this?

The roots of the plants in this interior wetlands in North Carolina help protect the soil.
Photo from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration.

The roots of wetland plants play a critical role in protecting the soil from erosion and keeping it in place. Want to see hands-on for yourself if and how roots hold soil in place? Try this simple experiment. Here's what you'll need:

• 5 radish seeds
• 5 mustard seeds
• 2 glass or plastic contains, about 1-cup volume
• earth/soil free from lumps
• water

Fill both containers roughly 2/3 full of soil. Then plant the radish seeds in one container and the mustard seeds in the other. Cover the seeds very, very lightly with soil. Add 1/4 cup water to each container and place in a sunny area or near a bright light. Make sure the soil stays slightly damp.

After 2 weeks, empty the container with the radish seeds onto some newspaper. Do the same with the mustard seed container. What shape does the soil have? Why? Talk about the impact of this discovery. What would happen to the soil if a fire burned all the plant material from a hillside if there was a heavy rain?

Students will have fun with this simple experiment, and you will, too!

AgBCs: Q is for Quack

Quack, quack! There are lots of cool resources available for learning about ducks! Now duck farming is not a HUGE business here in Ohio, but it IS in our neighboring state of Indiana. But not only do farmers raise ducks on farms, here at OARDC we do a lot of research about natural resources and the environment, and ducks are a key component of our natural environment—especially wetlands!

This photo of Brian Blight Canvasbacks is from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Did you know wetlands rank with tropical rain forests in the diversity and productivity of plants and animals that they support? Or that they are found in every part of the world except Antarctica? Mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish and invertebrates all use wetlands for food, water, breeding and nesting grounds, resting areas and shelters.

This photo of ducks in a wetland habitat is from the US Fish & Wildlife Service

Wetlands are the water filters of nature. Many wetland plants and animals remove harmful impurities from our water and keep it naturally clean. Some communities and businesses even use managed wetlands to purify their wastewater. And when spring runoff and heavy rains create too much water for the land to absorb, wetlands can sore that excess water and slow its flow, reducing both the risk and severity of flooding.

But despite all of these benefits (and many, many more), wetlands are also one of the world's most vulnerable and threatened ecosystems. Here at Ohio State University, we're even doing research on the differences and similarities between man-made and naturally occurring wetlands.

This photo of wood ducks in a wetland habitat is from the
US EPA & US Fish & Wildlife Service photographer Tim McCade

Considering how important wetlands are to not only animals like ducks but to our ecosystem as a whole, this may be a great area for you and the young people in your life to get involved in by participating in an action-based learning experience! These types of experience can be custom tailored and developed to your group's interests and age level:

• Younger students may enjoy writing a poem, story or play about animals in their wetland homes, creating a poster or storybook about the wildlife who rely on wetlands or even building a diorama of a local wetland.
• Middle elementary students can construct nest boxes, conduct a wetland cleanup, grow & plant native trees and shrubs stream side, write letters regarding a local wetland issue or share their wetland knowledge through science projects and displays.
• Older students can build wetland trails and boardwalks, work with others to restore a wetland, research and plan ways to address a local environmental concern, or even contribute to research through bird banding.

The possibilities are limitless! There's no need to rack your brain to come up with a new and novel idea—there are many great ideas already out there. Ducks Unlimited Canada has some great ideas plus FREE educational resources and lesson plans! Local conservation groups are another great source for information on local issues and ideas.

Kids of all age will love learning about an important issue like this while "getting their hands dirty" in the process—especially when they feel like they've made a difference in the real world!

By the way, did you know May is American Wetland month? Go celebrate!

Smart Stuff with Twig Walkingstick: Homegrown Frugal Frugivorous Fruitfest!

Twig Walkingstick lives in and around the Wooster campus of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. His alter ego is Kurt Knebusch, one of our super-talented writers and editors on campus. Each month, look for Twig to answer a reader questions and some additional interesting facts below. After Twig's post, we will be providing some ideas and suggestions on how to incorporate the info in Twig's column into fun science learning for your students and children.

Q. Dear Twig: You asked this last week: "Why would you want to grow your own fruit?" You mentioned a good way to learn about it.

A. My friend Miss McGillicuddy grows her own raspberries. She has bags and bags of frozen ones down in the freezer in her basement. Whenever she wants some, even in the middle of winter, maybe to make a raspberry cobbler, she goes downstairs and gets some. Simple. They're free, sweet and good. And in summer, whoa, during raspberry season, she picks them almost every day (she has to, there are so many) and can eat them fresh, if she wants to, till she pops. Which make, as I see it, some pretty good reasons to grow your own fruit or to try.

How to learn about it? Find gobs of helpful books at your library or bookstore. And also try this new one. It's called Midwest Home Fruit Production Guide. It's a fact-filled, fruit-filled, fruity fruitipedia. The place I work for, Ohio State, just published it. You can read about it here. You can buy it online here ($9.50). 

Fruitfully,

Twig

P.S. More good reasons: It's fun. Good exercise. And cuts your food bill with fresh, healthy food.

P.P.S. Frugal ("FROO-guhl") means thrifty, inexpensive, economical. Frugivorous ("froo-JIV-ah-russ") means fruit-eating.

Notes:
Another good way to learn more: Find a ton of fact sheets on fruit growing at Ohioline. Click the yellow "Yard and Garden" circle. Click the third bullet down: "Fruit." Then pick a fruit and start fruitin'! Learnin'! Both!

Remember, the kinds of fruit you can grow in Ohio and the rest of the Midwest include apples, grapes, pears, plums, peaches, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and a big bunch of others.

Our closing words come from three bards: "A crummy commercial?" (Ralphie, "A Christmas Story"). "It's a Major Award!" (The Old Man, "A Christmas Story"). "Tell me what I want, what I really, really want!" (Ralph Wiggum, "The Simpsons").

Good night, good luck.