The webinar, which is part of the Global Change, Local Impact webinar series, will be held on Feb. 15 from noon to 1 p.m. Attendance is free, but registration is required to receive log-in information. Visit http://changingclimate.osu.edu to sign up. Brent Sohngen, professor in Ohio State’s Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics, will be moderating the session.

Tim Considine is the School of Energy Resources Professor of Energy Economics at the University of Wyoming (UW) and Director of the Center for Energy Economics and Public Policy. He was previously employed with the Pennsylvania State University, Bank of America, and the Congressional Budget Office. He holds a Ph.D. from Cornell, an M.S. from Purdue, and a B.A. from Loyola University of Chicago.

The OSU Climate Change Outreach Team is a partnership among multiple departments within  Ohio State University, including OSU Extension and Ohio Sea Grant, to help localize the climate change issue by bringing research and resources to Ohioans and Great Lakes residents. More information about the team’s work is available at http://changingclimate.osu.edu.

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Sources

Jill Jentes Banicki, Assistant Director, Ohio Sea Grant
614-292-8949
jentes.1@osu.edu

Writers

Sources

I spoke with a friend recently who said he had a bad attack of diverticulitis. First, is that the same thing as diverticulosis? Also, can a high-fiber diet help prevent either condition? 

Diverticulosis is a disease of the large intestine (the colon) in which pockets form and bulge outward from the colon wall. It gets more common as you age, particularly over age 60. Many people who have diverticulosis don’t even know they have it, though it may cause mild cramps, bloating or constipation. It’s estimated that about one-third of Americans over age 60 have diverticulosis.

But if the pouches become inflamed or infected, that’s diverticulitis. Severe abdominal pain on the left side is the most common symptom of diverticulitis, and you might also experience fever, nausea, constipation or diarrhea, or possibly even vomiting. The condition can be quite severe, sometimes requiring hospitalization.

It’s unclear what causes diverticulosis. For decades, the scientific community thought that the problem stemmed from a low-fiber diet, but findings from a study of 2,100 people recently published in the journal Gastroenterology casts doubt on that theory. In fact, the researchers found that people who reported the lowest fiber intake were 30 percent less likely to have diverticulosis than those who ate more fiber. The study aslo found no link between diverticulosis and constipation, physical inactivity, or intake of fat or red meat. The researchers, from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, believe gut flora may play a role in the development of the disease.

These findings echo a 2008 Harvard University study. Before that, eating popcorn or nuts was considered risky for people with diverticulosis. But the Harvard researchers found no such risk when they examined data from more than 47,000 men, 800 of whom developed diverticulosis. In fact, the study found that those who ate nuts at least twice a week were 20 percent less likely to develop diverticulitis; those who ate more popcorn had a 28 percent reduced risk.

These studies reveal that we still have a lot to learn when it comes to understanding the effects diet can have on specific conditions.

Although this might not help people who have suffered a bout of diverticulitis and want to avoid another, one thing is for sure: Your best bet for good health remains a varied, balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains along with low-fat dairy, lean protein and healthful oils.

Chow Line is a service of Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Send questions to Chow Line, c/o Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH, 43210-1044, or filipic.3@osu.edu.

Editor: This column was reviewed by Julie Kennel, nutrition program manager for Ohio State University Extension and director of the Dietetic Internship Program in the Department of Human Nutrition in the College of Education and Human Ecology.

Writers

Martha Filipic
614-292-9833
filipic.3@osu.edu

Sources

Julie Kennel
OSU Extension, Human Nutrition

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In response to the growing demand for professionals with expertise and training to address emerging trends and issues in plant health, Ohio State University is offering a new Professional Master in Plant Health Management (MPHM) graduate degree.

MPHM is an interdisciplinary program administered by the Department of Plant Pathology and the Department of Entomology in Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. It is the only master’s degree in plant health management offered in Ohio.

Anne Dorrance, professor in the Department of Plant Pathology and MPHM co-chair, said industry workforce demand was the driving force for this new program.

“Today, many critical issues in agriculture and the environmental sciences require people with scientific training in plant health management. This program will enable working professionals to gain education in this area,” Dorrance said.

“Extension educators, crop advisers and turf/landscape managers are well-suited for this program. There’s also a lot of interest from professionals in business and law who wish to specialize in regulatory, environmental or intellectual property aspects. The job outlook is very strong.”

Dorrance adds that students are expected to come from a variety of disciplines, and all majors are eligible. The program is designed to accommodate working professionals. Part-time students can complete the program in two to three years, while full-time students can complete the program in one and a half years, excluding summers.

Professional master’s degrees are part of a growing trend in graduate education, with a curriculum that integrates science with professional and business skills. A key element involves hands-on experience through projects or internships.  

“One of the advantages of this program is that it is truly interdisciplinary and draws on resources from multiple departments,” said Joseph Kovach, a professor of entomology who serves as MPHM co-chair. “In the real world of pest management, we don’t just deal with individual diseases, insects or weeds, but we must integrate this information in order to make optimal recommendations for plant health.” 

For more information, visit http://mphm.osu.edu.

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Writers

Monica Lewandowski

lewandowski.52@osu.edu

614-247-6876

Sources

Anne Dorrance

dorrance.1@osu.edu

330-202-3560

Joe Kovach

kovach.49@osu.edu

330-263-3846

• Three other College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences researchers are Inventor of the Year finalists.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Monica Giusti, an assistant professor in Ohio State University's Department of Food Science and Technology, has been named Outstanding Woman in Technology by TechColumbus for her pathbreaking work on beneficial compounds of fruits and vegetables.

Giusti was honored Feb. 2 during TechColumbus's  2011 Innovation Awards ceremony. The awards recognize forward-thinking individuals, companies and technology teams in the central Ohio region for their achievements and contributions in technology leadership and innovation. TechColumbus is a public-private partnership whose mission is to accelerate the advancement of central Ohio's innovation economy through advocacy, venture acceleration and seed funding. 

"We are extremely pleased that TechColumbus has recognized the creative talents of Monica Giusti by naming her Outstanding Woman in Technology," said Steve Slack, director of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC), which supports Giusti's work. OARDC is the research arm of Ohio State's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).

Giusti studies anthocyanins, the natural compounds that give most fruits and vegetables their orange, red, blue and purple colors. These pigments are powerful antioxidants, believed to play an important role on the health-enhancing properties of produce -- including the prevention of cancer and other diseases.

Despite their wide availability in nature, anthocyanins are difficult and expensive to isolate into pure forms. Giusti's laboratory has led the development of a novel isolation technique to achieve highly purified anthocyanin mixtures at low costs and high efficiency. A company, AnthoScyantific, has been created to apply this technology for the production of large volumes of nature's purest and most colorful antioxidants.

"Monica's cutting-edge research in the field of antioxidants combines both application of technology and tremendous benefits for consumers," said Richard Linton, chair of the Department of Food Science and Technology. "This award is very well deserved, and our department is very proud of her accomplishments."

Giusti was selected by a panel of independent judges from a total of 12 finalists, who included Fortune 500 vice presidents, consulting firm owners and partners, and fellow university researchers.

"Winning this award is of course a great honor and recognition to the impact that our research can have in society," said Giusti, who joined Ohio State in 2004. "But most of all, this award is a tremendous motivation to continue working in this fascinating field."

Three other CFAES and OARDC scientists -- John Finer, Jianrong Li and Yebo Li -- were among 17 finalists in the Inventor of the Year category.

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Writers

Sources

CUSTAR, Ohio -- Ohio crop growers, seed company agronomists, retailers and other agriculture professionals will spend time up close and personal with diseased soybeans during a workshop held by Ohio State University experts that offers in-depth training on fungicide application, genetic resistance thresholds and other information related to soybean disease.

The goal is to provide participants the opportunity for hands-on identification of live plant diseases in order to better prepare them for disease identification in the fields this year, said Alan Sundermeier, an Ohio State University Extension educator who is among a group of Ohio State experts to offer the workshop Feb. 14 at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center’s Northwest Agricultural Research Station.

The workshop is the first in a series to be held this year designed to offer hands-on identification of live plant diseases, Sundermeier said. While the Feb. 14 workshop is full, subsequent workshops on the issue will be held throughout the spring, summer and fall based on the popularity of the issue with agriculture professionals, he said.

The soybean workshops will include presentations on Ohio State soybean population research, using cereal rye cover crops, cultural practices to improve yield, northwest Ohio soybean diseases, genetic disease resistance, thresholds and fungicide use, and future soybean disease issues. There will also be a hands-on soybean disease identification session.

“The success of this workshop will lead to offering more workshops throughout the state,” Sundermeier said. “The workshops use plants grown in a greenhouse to allow participants to view the plants up close to look at the disease symptoms.

“It’s one thing to see a photo of a diseased plant but it’s another thing to hold it and inspect it. That will lead to better identification next summer in the fields.”

Hands-on demonstrations will help growers make better decisions on their farms when faced with these challenges, said Anne Dorrance, a plant pathologist with joint appointments with OSU Extension and OARDC, who will talk about genetic disease resistance, pathogen biology and thresholds, and fungicide use during the workshop.

“The science is changing and the industry is changing, just like any other career,” she said. “So growers and other agriculture professionals have to keep up-to-date with what is changing as well.” 

The soybean workshops that will be held in the spring, summer and fall will likely use plants that are grown in greenhouses as well as include live demonstrations in the field, Sundermeier said.

The dates have not yet been finalized for the remaining workshops, he said.

For more information on fungicide application, genetic resistance thresholds and other information related to soybean disease, individuals can call Alan Sundermeier at 419-354-9050, or contact him through email at sundermeier.5@osu.edu. Individuals can also call Anne Dorrance at 330-202-3560 or contact her through email at dorrance.1@osu.edu.

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Writers

Tracy Turner
turner.490@osu.edu

614-688-1067

Sources

Alan P. Sundermeier

419-354-9050

sundermeier.5@osu.edu

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio crop growers are likely to find glyphosate-resistant marestail to be more abundant and harder to control this year thanks to the very wet fall and unseasonably warm weather we’ve had this winter, an Ohio State University Extension expert predicts.

But Ohio crop growers will find that a systems approach to marestail management using a combination of herbicide applications may just provide the most consistently effective control of and reduction in marestail population over time, said Mark Loux, an OSU Extension weed specialist.

Marestail is the most abundant herbicide-resistant weed growers have to grapple with in Ohio, he said. While traditionally found in the southwestern portions of Ohio, Loux said resistant populations of marestail are now found throughout the state.

And considering that essentially all of the marestail populations statewide are glyphosate-resistant, with 25 percent of the marestail population also resistant to ALS inhibitors, postemergence applications are often the least important in effective control, he said.

“The situation takes on even more significance this spring as crop growers were hampered from fall applications due to the lack of time and good weather last fall to get herbicide applied,” Loux said.

To deal with increasingly difficult weed control scenarios, he offers several approaches growers can take:

• Application of burndown plus residual herbicides in late March or early April, which allows applying early enough to ensure that burndown of emerged plants is not an issue.
• Application of burndown plus residual herbicides in late April or close to planting, which allows applying the residual later in the season and increases the potential for adequate control of late-emerging marestail plants. The disadvantage of waiting this late, especially as applications are delayed into May, is increased variability in the burndown of existing plants.
• Split the preplant application of herbicides with a late March or early April application of glyphosate plus 2,4-D plus a low rate of residual herbicide, followed by a second application at the time of soybean planting consisting of the majority of the residual herbicide plus whatever additional burndown is needed.

While there is no single perfect time for growers to apply herbicide in the spring, what is important is that they get rid of what marestail is present before soybeans emerge, and to also include herbicides that provide residual control because marestail will typically continue to emerge into June, Loux said.

“The bottom line here is that there is no one easy approach to marestail management that consistently optimizes both burndown and residual control of marestail,” he said. “Several possible approaches are offered for your consideration here, with the caveat that any of them may work in a field with a low infestation level and the growing season progresses normally.

“But the more complex approach will help ensure control when populations are higher and the growing season less favorable.”

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Photo credit: Kansas State University.

Writers

Tracy Turner

turner.490@osu.edu

614-688-1067

Sources

Mark Loux

loux.1@osu.edu

614-292-9081

CHESTERHILL, Ohio -- Ohio State University’s Fruit and Vegetable Safety Team, in conjunction with the group Rural Action, will hold a Produce Safety Education Program for farmers from 1-4 p.m. on April 12 at the Marion Community Center, 7474 College St., in Chesterhill in southeast Ohio.

Good Agricultural Practices, or GAPS, for fruit and vegetable production are the focus.

“The Food and Drug Administration will be releasing draft standards for safe production of fruits and vegetables later this year,” said the team’s Ashley Kulhanek. “So it’s a good time to learn about GAPS.”

Participants will receive a resource workbook, paper handouts and certificate of participation.

The program will be presented in a conversational format without technology out of respect for the Amish community but is open to the public. Expect a helpful but less formal presentation on GAPS, Kulhanek said.

Attendees won’t actually become “certified in GAPS” by taking the course, Kulhanek added. That certification comes only through a farm audit by the U.S. Department of Agriculture or a third-party company. 

“The program can help prepare you for an audit,” she said, “but find out if your customers are asking for education in GAPs or if they actually want an audit certificate, or both.”

Also, the program will double as the required yearly attendance in a comprehensive GAPS class for anyone participating in the Ohio Produce Marketing Agreement.

Contact Rural Action’s Tom Redfern, 740-767-4938, tomr@ruralaction.org, to reserve a spot in the program.

Registration is $25 per person, paid at the door by cash or check, with checks made out to “OSP.”

The registration cost is lower than it was for similar programs last year, Kulhanek said, thanks to a grant from the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

Similar programs will be offered in Homerville in Medina County on Feb. 20, in Burton in Geauga County on March 30, and in Wooster in Wayne County on April 27.

For more information, call 330-202-3555, ext. 2918.

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Photo credit: U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Writers

Ashley Kulhanek

kulhanek.5@osu.edu

330-202-3555, ext. 2918

Farmers across the state are continuing to experience glyphosate-resistant marestail as a key weed problem, said Mark Loux, an OSU Extension weed specialist. And growing concerns about glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth, which is significantly impacting growers in Southern states, are among the questions Ohio farmers are now asking, he said.

“Farmers are seeing pictures of entire fields being mowed down in the South because of Palmer amaranth,” he said. “While we don’t have anything as extreme as that happening here, we want to make sure we don’t have similar issues like that in the future.”

While traditionally found in the southwestern portions of Ohio, Loux said resistant populations of marestail are now found throughout the state.

“Marestail is the most abundant herbicide-resistant weed we have in Ohio,” he said.
“Given the very warm weather we’ve had thus far this winter, it may grow more vigorously into the spring, making it harder to kill.”

This while Palmer amaranth is continuing its move north, with at least one population of Palmer amaranth recently confirmed in southern Illinois, according to the University of Illinois.

The workshops, which are sponsored by the Ohio AgriBusiness Association (OABA) and the Ohio Soybean Association (OSA), will be held Feb. 28 and 29, and March 1. The workshops will feature presentations by Loux and Tony Dobbels, also an OSU Extension weed specialist. Representatives from Monsanto will also be there to sit on a panel discussion with other experts to answer questions from farmers, Loux said.

The free workshops are from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and will be followed by a lunch. The dates and locations are as follows:

• Northeast Ohio – Feb. 28 at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster.
• Central and Southern Ohio – Feb. 29 at the Fawcett Center, 2400 Olentangy River Road, Columbus.
• Western and Northwest Ohio - March 1 at the Centre, 601 North Main St., Bluffton.

Participants can sign up for the workshops at OABA’s website at http://www.oaba.net.

Writers

Tracy Turner
614-688-1067
turner.490@osu.edu

Sources

Mark Loux
614-292-9081
loux.1@osu.edu

The conference, which will be held March 6-7 at the McIntosh Center of Ohio Northern University in Ada, is anticipated to attract more than 400 CCAs from throughout the Midwest and will offer sessions that focus on cover crops, no-till systems and precision agriculture. Also offered will be Corn University and Soybean School.

The conference also will feature a presentation from Jill Clapperton, a nationally known rhizosphere ecologist, who will speak during the opening general session on Healthy Soil for Higher Yields, said Randall Reeder, a recently retired Ohio State University Extension agricultural engineer and an organizer of the conference.

Crop consultants can earn continuing education credits while farmers will learn more about the benefits of switching to continuous no-till and how to do it successfully, he said, especially significant after a year that has seen record rainfalls during the spring and fall.

"Farmers will learn the benefits for water quality of adopting continuous no-till with good management of inputs, especially nitrogen and phosphorus," Reeder said. "If farmers adopt continuous no-till and other practices like cover crops, crop rotations and controlled traffic, they will build up soil quality which will lead to higher yields."

This year's conference will host more than 60 presenters who will speak on a wide range of topics from eco-farming to managing drainage water to cover crop mixtures. Presenters include speakers from several universities, farmers and industry representatives.

The Ohio Crop Consultant of the Year will be named and recognized during the opening session, Reeder said.

A soil quality workshop will be held March 5-6 in conjunction with the conference and will feature a Train-the-Trainer program to teach soil quality management. It will be useful also for crop consultants and farmers who want to learn more about agricultural soil quality and how to improve it, Reeder said. The workshop is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program (SARE).

The Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference is sponsored by OSU Extension, the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Northwest Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Ohio No-Till Council.

The full schedule and registration information can be found at http://ctc.osu.edu. Participants may register online or by mail. Registration for the full conference is $80 (or $60 for one day) if received by Feb. 24. Information is also available in county offices of OSU Extension.

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Writers

Tracy Turner
614-688-1067
turner.490@osu.edu

Sources

Randall Reeder
614-292-6648
reeder.1@osu.edu

The faculty and students have teamed up with Ohio State University Extension educators and Ohio AgrAbility to offer the OSU Cares About Farmers with Arthritis Screening Project. The program helps farmers with arthritis manage their disease and seeks to prevent other farmers from getting the disease.

The project works by sending teams throughout Ohio to various agriculture events to offer arthritis screenings to farmers and other people in the agriculture field, said Margaret Teaford, an associate professor in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and project director.

"The purpose of the project is to help older farmers and their families understand that arthritis can be prevented and managed," she said. "Some people think there is nothing you can do about arthritis, and that is not the case."

A key goal of the project is to provide management and prevention tips so that farmers can maintain productivity on their farms, said Kent McGuire, Ohio AgrAbility program coordinator.

"While research tells us that a third of all farmers have been diagnosed with arthritis, what we are finding through the screenings is that the majority of Ohio's farmers have either developed arthritis or are at high risk of developing arthritis," McGuire said. "Much of that is due to the physical nature of farm work; the day-to-day tasks farmers have to do, oftentimes done in adverse weather conditions."

The screenings, which are free and last about 10 to 15 minutes, are done out in the counties to bring the screenings where the people are, Teaford said.

The screenings include identifying risk factors for arthritis and a physical fitness component to test strength, balance and flexibility, she said. The screenings were developed in conjunction with Sharon Flinn, an occupational therapist and faculty member in health and rehabilitation sciences.

The program has successfully screened more than 600 farmers since its inception in summer 2010 and has a goal to reach hundreds more, Teaford said.

"We want to help them manage the arthritis they have and to reduce the risk of other farmers from getting arthritis," McGuire said. "The average age of Ohio farmers is 57, so age plays a big role simply because the majority of our farmers have been around farm work their entire lives, which increases their chance of developing arthritis."

Funding for the program came from a grant from OSU Cares, an outreach and engagement program at Ohio State; from the Linda Cummings Simmons Research Endowment; and an Area Health Education Center grant which seeks to link health care students with underserved areas, Teaford said.

Upcoming screenings will take place in Piketon on Feb. 8, at the OSU South Centers, 1864 Shyville Road, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., and at the Fairfield County-Hocking County Ag Day, on April 14 at the Hocking County Fairgrounds.

The long-term goal of the program is to develop ongoing teams of Extension educators and health-care providers to do the screenings on regular basis and to provide helpful information on the issue in Extension newsletters, she said.

"We've been very well-received in the community and overall I think that we've been helpful to farmers," Teaford said.

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Writers

Tracy Turner
614-688-1067
turner.490@osu.edu

Sources

Meg Teaford
614-292-8152
teaford.1@osu.edu

Kent McGuire
614-292-0588
mcguire.225@osu.ed

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Farmers, growers and any agriculture workers dealing with a disabling condition can find tips on how to cope with their condition while continuing to farm thanks to 15 new fact sheets from the Ohio State University Extension’s Ohio AgrAbility Program.

The fact sheets are designed to provide useful information and resources to any farmer or agricultural worker who has a disability, injury or illness, said Kent McGuire, Ohio AgrAbility program coordinator.

“Much of the focus of this series of fact sheets is on helping farmers prevent injuries, including secondary injury, and how to manage serious conditions such as arthritis or Parkinson’s disease while being able to continue daily farm activities,” he said.

The fact sheets also seek to provide farmers with tips on how to use assistive technology to be able to remain productive on their farms and can be useful to any grower or producer, McGuire said.

“They provide useful information on health and various strategies that can be used to help with a particular issue in farming,” he said. “The fact sheets help farmers, growers and producers to continue to be productive in order to maintain their life and livelihoods on the farm and reduce the potential for secondary injury that may be caused by an original disability.”

 This group is the second in a series of 40 new fact sheets the Ohio AgrAbility Program is planning to produce over the next year. This second set is available to download as PDF files now at http://ohioline.osu.edu/lines/farm.html#FSAFE. Topics are:

• Farming with Lower Extremity Amputation, AEX-981.9-11: Amputations to toes, feet or legs can pose a specific set of limitations to those involved in agriculture.

• Farming with Upper Extremity Limitation/Amputation, AEX-981.10-11: Amputations to fingers, hands or arms can pose a specific set of limitations to those involved in agriculture.

• Secondary Injury Prevention: Understanding Concussions, AEX-981.11-11: A focus on mild traumatic brain injuries known as concussions. Includes signs and symptoms of concussions.

• Secondary Injury Prevention: Repetitive Motion, AEX-981.12-11: Repetitive motion injuries are linked to type of work conducted, the tools used and the design of the work area.

• Injury Prevention: Types of Cold Stress, AEX-981.13-11: Awareness of cold stress injuries associated with completing farm tasks in adverse weather conditions.

• Injury Prevention: Working in Cold Weather, AEX-981.14-11: Reducing the risks of prolonged exposure to cold, wet and windy conditions in a farm environment.

• Managing Arthritis When Farming, AEX-982.1-11: Strategies to minimize the effect arthritis has on completing farm tasks.

• Farming After a Stroke, AEX-982.2-11: A look at the demands associated with farming when recovering from a stroke.

• Managing Stress for a Healthy Heart, AEX-982.4-11: Reducing the stresses associated with farming to increase heart health.

• Farming with Parkinson's Disease, AEX-982.5-11: Awareness and strategies for farming with Parkinson’s disease.

• Farming with Diabetes, AEX-982.6-11: A resource based on daily farm activities and limitations associated with diabetes.
• Assistive Technology for the Farm, AEX-983.2-11: Devices, modifications or services that will help a person with a disability work and live more independently on the farm.
• Initial Farm Injury Emergency Response, AEX-984.1-11: Guidelines to handling the initial response to a traumatic farm incident or injury. 
• Primary Caregiver for a Farm Family Member, AEX-984.2-11: A resource to assist those who are primary caregivers in an agricultural or rural setting.

For more information about the Ohio AgrAbility Program, contact McGuire at mcguire.225@osu.edu or 614-292-0588, or see the website at http://agrability.osu.edu.

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Writers

Tracy Turner
614-688-1067
turner.490@osu.edu

Sources

Kent McGuire
614-292-0588
mcguire.225@osu.edu

I roll my eyes every time someone says that “chocolate is good for you.” What are the facts?

It’s sensible to be skeptical about claims like this. While there is some evidence that cocoa solids in chocolate offer some health benefits, you are right: Chocolate also contains a significant amount of fat and sugar (and therefore, calories) which could have health effects that aren’t so desirable.

In August 2011, an article in the “News in Health” monthly newsletter from the National Institutes of Health (http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/) provided a detailed overview of the latest studies on health claims about chocolate. Its conclusion is honest but hardly satisfying: The research remains far from clear.

It is true that cocoa solids contain a significant amount of flavonoids, which have powerful antioxidant properties. In fact, there have been ongoing studies of these effects on the Kuna Indians, who live on islands off the coast of Panama and whose primary beverage is made from dried, ground cocoa beans with just a small amount of added sweetener. The Kuna get as much as 900 milligrams of flavonols (a type of flavonoid) daily from this drink -- and they tend to have much lower rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes.

But this amount of flavonols is almost unheard of in the American diet. A typical bar of dark chocolate (1.6 ounces) might contain about 250 milligrams of flavonols -- and also offers 9 grams of saturated fat, 21 grams of sugar and 240 calories.

Still, there is some evidence that dark chocolate might provide benefits. A 2004 study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition gave a small group of people a daily dose of a dark-chocolate bar rich in flavonoids for two weeks and compared effects with those who got chocolate with the flavonoids removed. Those who received the chocolate rich in flavonoids had significantly better blood vessel function. Although no difference in blood pressure was observed, other studies indicate that dark chocolate could help decrease hypertension.

Still, research findings are up in the air -- enough so that experts aren’t telling people to have a bit of chocolate every day. But, if you do enjoy chocolate now and again, follow these recommendations from NIH to get the most bang for your buck:

• Choose as dark a chocolate as you can find. Darker chocolate means more cocoa solids and more flavonoids.
• Avoid white chocolate, which has no cocoa solids, and milk chocolate, which has just a little.
• Enjoy hot chocolate? Make your own from unsweetened cocoa, water and nonfat milk, with just a little sugar or sweetener.

Chow Line is a service of Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Send questions to Chow Line, c/o Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH, 43210-1044, or filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu.

Editor: This column was reviewed by Hugo Melgar-Quinonez, food security specialist for Ohio State University Extension and associate professor in human nutrition for the College of Education and Human Ecology.

Writers

Martha Filipic
614-292-9833
filipic.3@osu.edu

Sources

Hugo Melgar-Quinonez
Human Nutrition, OSU Extension

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State University Extension and Local Matters are collaborating on a series of free gardening workshops through mid-June.

The "Growing Our Own" workshops cover a variety of topics, from extending the growing season by using hoop houses and cold frames to planning and seeding your garden.

All except the Feb. 11-12 weekend workshop are located at Godman Guild, 303 E. 6th St., Columbus. Participants are asked to reserve a spot by contacting Cole Wardell, cwardell@local-matters.org or 614-263-5662.

The workshops are:

• Feb. 11-12, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Growing Communities. Longtime community organizers Noreen Warnock and Trish Dehnbostel of Local Matters will facilitate this award-winning two-day workshop designed by the American Community Gardening Association. Participants will gain skills and strategies to work with the most important aspect of gardens -- people. Attendees will learn proven strategies to build dynamic leaders and create strong gardening programs, using a participatory approach to community building. This workshop will be held at the Audubon Center, 505 W. Whittier St., Columbus.
• Feb. 25, 9 a.m. to noon, Grow Year-Round: Hoop Houses, Low Tunnels and Cold Frames. Participants will learn a wide range of methods to grow food and herbs year-round. Features a presentation by Hal Kneen of OSU Extension. 
  
• March 3, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Planning and Seeding Your Garden. Join Pam Bennett of OSU Extension for essential garden planning tips and learn how to grow seedlings. Growers can increase diversity and healthy plants in their gardens, adding more to their kitchens and plates with heirloom plants and successful growing tips for lush gardens. Attendees will receive free seeds.
• March 24, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Fruits and Berries. Mark Mechling and Mark Landefeld of OSU Extension will lead this two-part workshop about fruit and berries, the most in-demand local crop. Learn the basics of fruit tree growing and care, and, plus ways to include healthy, delicious berries in your meals. Participants also will learn about the best sources to purchase fruit trees and berries in Ohio. Includes a tasting of local fruits for all attendees.
• April 21 10 a.m. to noon, Mushrooms! Join the owners of Green Edge Gardens to learn how to grow your own delicious mushrooms from start to finish. The workshop concludes by sharing mushroom-and-local-herb pizza.
• May 19, 9 a.m. to noon, Irrigating Urban Gardens. Larry Brown and Angelica Huerta from Ohio State University will lead this hands-on workshop on building irrigation systems that allow gardeners to grow higher-yielding crops with less labor.
• June 2, 10 a.m. to noon, Water Harvesting: Methods, Care, and Resources. Local experts the Rain Brothers will talk about programs for discounted or free rain barrels, how to care for rain barrels and cisterns, winterization and other helpful tips. Participants also will receive materials for planning and planting rain gardens to direct water for individual growers needs.
• June 16, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Building and Testing Soil. A portion of the workshop will be devoted to reading participants' individual soil tests. Leaders will determine the types and amounts of soil amendments to balance and enhance the soil. Veteran garden educator Mike Hogan of OSU Extension will discuss building soil and techniques to create a rich ground for growing food.

For information on the series, see http://local-matters.org/blog/cole/growing-our-own-free-workshop-series.

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Sources

Mike Hogan
740-264-2212
hogan.1@osu.edu

PIKETON, Ohio -- Ohio food producers looking to sell through different marketing channels are invited to attend one of three MarketReady training programs. The day-long workshop teaches what is required to sell to grocers, restaurants and other wholesale buyers.

Programs will be held on Feb. 15 at the UFCW Hall in Cincinnati, Feb. 23 at the Center for Innovative Food Technology in Toledo, and Feb. 28 at the Mustard Seed Market and Café in Akron. Each program will run from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The cost is $75 per person and $25 for each additional person from the same business. Registration should be completed one week prior to the workshop. For details or to register, contact Julie Moose at 740-289-2071, ext. 223, or email moose.14@osu.edu.

The MarketReady program was initially developed by the University of Kentucky and was piloted in cooperation with OSU Extension and the Ohio Direct Marketing Team. To find out more about the program, go to http://go.osu.edu/MarketReady. 

"MarketReady workshops and resources guide producers through the decisions needed for entering various direct marketing channels," said Julie Fox, direct marketing specialist with Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. "Participants leave knowing what is required for packaging, pricing, delivering, regulations, insurance and marketing of their products for each type of buyer."

OSU Extension and OARDC are the outreach and research arms, respectively, of Ohio State's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

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Sources

Julie Moose
740-289-2071, ext. 223
moose.14@osu.edu