Cultivating Convos: An ODA Podcast

Annual cicadas are here to sing their songs of the summer! But wait, are these cicadas different than the Brood X species we saw earlier in the year? Find out as we chat with ODA plant health experts about annual cicadas, cicada pizza, and more. 

This week on Cultivating Convos we chat with Interim State Veterinarian Dr. Dennis Summers about African Swine Fever and what ODA is doing to prepare in case this extremely contagious disease does end up on U.S. soil.

This week on Cultivating Convos, we chat with the owners of Martha's Bath & Body and Silver Bridge Coffee about how their local farmers' markets helped them grow their businesses and why it's so important to go out and support your local vendors. Find a market near you.

On this week's episode of Cultivating Convos, we chat with Dr. Juan Leon, new Chief of the Division of Meat Inspection! Learn about the amazing path he's taken to get where he is in his career, and some of the big plans he has for DMI!

The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) has been a pest in southwestern Ohio for the past 10 years - but we have some exciting news to announce about the infestation! We are joined by an ODA Plant Health Inspector with the ALB program and the USDA ALB Eradication Program Director to talk about how the public is helping experts find and get rid of this invasive bug. Find photos of the ALB and info on how...

This week on Cultivating Convos, we sit down with one of our Dairy Inspectors and the owner of Charlotte & Olivia's Sublime Ice Creams to celebrate National Ice Cream Month. We learn how to taste ice cream like you would a fine wine, how to cure brain freeze and what ODA does to make sure your ice cream is safe. Find out which flavor is our favorite!

Water quality is an important topic in Ohio, and this year, ODA is doing more to keep Ohio's waters safe for everyone. H2Ohio is expanding into 10 more counties in northwest Ohio! This week, we chat with the H2ohio Program Manager and the Ottawa County District Program Administrator about the expansion and how interested farmers can get involved. Find more out about the H2Ohio Informational Meetin...

The owner of Buccia Vineyards sits down with us to talk about his journey into the Ohio Wine industry and how the Vineyard Expansion Assistance Program (VEAP) helped his business and can help others. Christy Eckstein from OGIC also joins us to explain a little more about VEAP and how you can get involved if you're interested in growing your own Ohio grapes.

We've all been to a party where you go to grab a spoonful of someone's famous potato salad...only to wonder, 'how long has this REALLY been sitting out?' This week on Cultivating Convos, we get answers from ODA's Food Safety Division on how to safely have your Fourth of July Weekend cookout so no one gets sick! Listen here: https://anchor.fm/ohio-dept-of-ag/episodes/Summer-Cookout-Safety-e13np2t O...

Manure can be a stinky subject, especially when it comes to water quality across Ohio. Today we sit down with the Ohio Farm Bureau and learn about the progress being made to improve water quality across the state, as well as some common misconceptions people have about agriculture, manure, and water quality. OFB Western Lake Erie Collaborative Agreement Progress H2Ohio

Summer is practically synonymous with fairs and amusement parks in Ohio! Now that it's nearly officially summer, we check in with our Fairs & Amusement Ride Safety team to chat about some recent changes made to inspection rules to ensure you and your family stay safe while having fun.

These are exciting times at ODA - Dr. Richard French has been named Laboratory Director of the Ohio Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory! Dr. French is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine with a Ph. D. and Residency in Neuropathology, and an MS in Parasitology, all from the University of Illinois. He completed a BS in Pathology at the University of Connecticut. Today, we chat with Dr. French and one o...

What do the Spotted Lanternfly and Ohio Vineyards have in common? Listen in to find out! Report a Spotted Lanternfly Sighting here. Learn more about Ohio Wines here.

The weather is warming up and summer is almost here - that means one thing in Ohio: fair season is around the corner! We chat with the Executive Director of the Ohio Fair Managers Association and the Chief of the Division of Amusement Ride Safety and Fairs about how they plan on keeping all fairgoers safe, plus the food they're looking forward to eating this year.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this week, we chat with a farmer on the Ohio Farm Bureau and the Executive Director of the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation about why it's so important for people in rural areas to start conversations about mental health. Ohio Department of Agriculture's Got Your Back

This week on Cultivating Convos, we chat with two of our Plant Health experts about ODA's Gypsy Moth Treatment Program . We learn about how one scientist's tiny mistake caused this big problem, why we want to get rid of the moth here, the damage they can cause and where we are treating this spring. You can learn more about Gypsy Moths here.

Grab something to snack on before you hit play - this episode will make you hungry! We talk with the Ohio Proud Program Manager and Tim the Mustard Man about how Ohio Proud has helped him expand his business - plus he shares some tips on the best way to use his mustard. Ohio Proud The Mustard Man

Think you can only have red wine with red meat and white wine with fish? Think again! This week, we sit down with the Executive Director of the Ohio Grape Industries Committee and the owner of Rockside Winery and Vineyards. They talk about Ohio wines, how to enjoy a good glass and what makes Ohio grapes unique.

They are creepy-crawly, super noisy and will emerge in masses! Over the next few weeks, the 17-year periodical cicadas will be digging their way out from underground and screaming across Ohio by the millions. We chat with our plant health experts about these elusive bugs that we will be seeing - and hearing - soon.

Victory Gardens originated during World War I, an answer to a severe food shortage at the time. While we’re not in wartime, we can all commiserate the past few months have been tough, mood-boosters are welcomed. So the Ohio Department of Agriculture and Ohio State University are reviving the effort and once again inspiring people to get their hands dirty, realize the fruits of their labor and shar...

We sit down with the Ohio Auctioneer Program Coordinator and one of Ohio's Bid Calling Champions to learn about Auctions in Ohio, what makes sales so hypnotizing, and of course, how they learn to talk so fast! 

This week on Cultivating Convos, we sit down with two farmers from Northwest Ohio who joined the H2Ohio program. They talk about which best practices they're using and the results they're seeing, one year into the program.

We are talking water quality on Cultivating Convos this week! We get the ins and outs of the H2Ohio program, Governor Mike DeWine's initiative to ensure safe and clean water for all Ohioans.  You can learn more about the H2Ohio Program here: http://h2.ohio.gov/

Ohio has some gorgeous farmland, and we want to keep it that way when possible. We chat with the Executive Director of ODA's Farmland Preservation Program about the ins and outs for anyone interested in joining. We also interview a local farmer who has not one but FOUR easements, about why he decided the program was the right fit for his family.

Today we sit down with ODA Enforcement to talk about what they do, from keeping ODA's campus safe, to stopping dogfighting rings and even rescuing dangerous wild animals, such as lions, tigers, bears and the mysterious liger!