Fresh Ohio veggies in winter? Here’s why

Chances are you’ve been noticing more Ohio-grown produce at your grocer, and not just in summer but in winter, too.

Turns out there are good reasons for it, including a red-hot industry, support from CFAES, and warm, cozy shelter from the storms.

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New series on renewable energy in Ohio

When it comes to boosting the use of solar and wind energy, “Ohio can do better,” reporter Peter Krouse wrote yesterday in a slideshow story on cleveland.com — and until it does, it’s losing out on “the economic benefits that come from a fast-growing industry.” Among those benefits are jobs. The slideshow went with a main story by Krouse, called “Renewing our commitment to renewable energy: Impact 2016,” which says it’s the first installment in a series that “will examine why Ohio lags behind other states in promoting renewable energy and what we might do to catch up, or get ahead.” Check it out.

Environmental, Sustainability Career Expo is Friday

If you’re an Ohio State student or recent alumnus, are interested in a green-related field, and are looking for a job or internship, check out CFAES’s Winter 2016 Environmental and Sustainability Career Expo. It’s tomorrow in Columbus. Get details and a list of the participating employers.

Students: Prepare for career expo at workshop

If you’re a CFAES student planning to attend the college’s Jan. 22 Environment and Sustainability Career Expo (scroll down), you might want to check this out: It’s a workshop on Dec. 2 to help you prepare for the expo. You can get your resume reviewed there, for example. Get details or download the flier.

U.S. solar industry adding jobs 20 times faster than economy as a whole: Report

solar panels on red roofThinking about enrolling in ATI’s degree program in renewable energy? Especially solar and wind? Think about this: The U.S. solar industry is adding jobs 20 times faster than the national rate, says the latest National Solar Jobs Census, released Jan. 15 by the nonprofit Solar Foundation. Read stories about the census by CNBC, Fortune and Grist. ATI is CFAES’s two-year degree-granting unit in Wooster.

Hot in Cleveland? CFAES-spurred jobs, sustainability

buckeye smart flierCFAES Dean Bruce McPheron headlines the Buckeye Smart: Northeast Ohio Speaker Series from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 4 at The City Club of Cleveland, 850 Euclid Ave. His talk, called “Ohio State: Growing Jobs in Northeast Ohio,” will include details on a number of sustainability efforts. Among them: Projects to improve Lake Erie’s water quality, recycle food waste from the Cleveland Browns’ stadium and further support Cleveland’s big, growing urban farm movement. Tickets: $25; table of eight, $200. Details and reservations.

Vilsack: ‘Creating jobs by strengthening the bio-based economy’

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack blogged on Friday about USDA’s support for a bio-based economy, one that will “help increase business opportunities for farmers and ranchers, and create jobs across our nation.” He’ll visit our Columbus campus this Thursday (June 28), where in part he’ll talk with food scientists in our college about innovations in food safety and in functional foods. Update: His schedule.

How local food production could save cities

Cleveland and other post-industrial North American cities have the potential to generate up to 100 percent of their current needs for fresh produce and other food items — retaining millions of dollars in the local economy, creating new jobs, and spurring additional health, social and environmental benefits.

In fact, increased urban food production would add $29-$115 million to Cleveland’s economy annually.

Those are some of the findings of a study conducted by Parwinder Grewal, professor of entomology and director of the Center for Urban Environment and Economic Development at Ohio State University, based in Wooster. The study, “Can cities become self-reliant in food?” was published online on July 20 by the journal Cities.

Read how this could be done and watch a video here.