The Ohio State University Extension, Lucas County

05/28/2026

05/24/2026

Spots are filling quick! Don’t miss out on the best overnight camp for Lucas County Residents!

Voted the best overnight camp for Lucas County youth—and it’s easy to see why 🍀

Lucas County 4-H Camp offers a fun, safe, and welcoming experience led by highly trained staff and counselors. No 4-H membership needed—just come ready for adventure!

Ready to register? https://go.osu.edu/lcsummercamp26
Dates: July 24 - 27, 2026
Camp Cost: $220 per camper

Find all the details and the registration link here:
🔗 https://lucas.osu.edu/4Hcamp

05/24/2026

Summer 2026 webinars on home food presentation

Join us for this summer's Home Food Preservation webinar series, "Let's Preserve It!"
Tuesdays 12-12:30 p.m.
June 9: Methods of Preserving
June 23: Water Bath Canning Basics
July 7: Pressure Canning Basics
July 21: Freezing Basics
July 28: Drying Basics
Aug. 11: Making and Preserving Juice

Webinars are free, register required go.osu.edu/fpwebinars

05/22/2026

Quote by Gayla Trail, "As I work on the garden, the garden works on me"

05/18/2026

Way to go Amy!

Amy Stone, a recently retired Ohio State University Extension educator in Lucas County, received the 2026 Distinguished Extension Professional Award at last month's CFAES Awards. 🏆

Amy served in leadership roles related to horticulture, natural resources, agriculture, invasive species and sustainability. Her passion for education, her writing and her outstanding leadership displayed her commitment to her work and her community.

Join us in congratulating Amy on this well‑deserved recognition.

05/14/2026

High school seniors will be testing their financial literacy skills and paying the bills today. Ohio State - Lucas County 4-H

05/13/2026

🌱 It’s Asparagus Season in Ohio! 🌱
Fresh asparagus is at its peak from April through June, making now the perfect time to enjoy this nutritious veggie!
✅ Choose the best: Look for straight, firm spears with tight, compact tips
✅ Store smart: Keep refrigerated (unwashed) and use within a few days
✅ Eat well: Low in calories and packed with fiber, folate, and vitamins A & C
✅ Cook simply: Roast, grill, steam—or even enjoy it raw in salads!
✅ Preserve: Pickle, freeze or dry
Pro tip: Snap off the tough ends before cooking—they naturally break where the tender part begins.
How are you enjoying asparagus this season? 🥗🔥
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-5508

05/13/2026

May is “Mental Health Awareness Month”, and this year’s theme is “More Good Days, Together.” What makes a day “good”, versus any other day? What does a good day look like for our family…

05/12/2026

Beautiful blooms all over the Toledo Botanical Garden! Come visit this local treasure.

While our office is located on the grounds, these days OSU Extension staff is all over the county helping wrap up the end of the school year with area schools. This week’s topics include healthy living, 4-H ChickQuest, mindfulness, and Real Money Real World.
Ohio State - Lucas County 4-H and

05/12/2026

Thank you for the invite to participate in the Sylvania Schools Career Technical Education Stakeholder meeting last week. Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) is one of the programs and our FCS Educator, Patrice Powers-Barker was happy to meet with others in that program area! It’s always inspiring to hear from the students!

We appreciate our community partners for your participation and input at the annual Career Technical Education Stakeholder Meeting. We extend a special THANK YOU to the students who attended on their day off from school. Students from our 2-year programs shared insights about what they found valuable from their Career Tech experience. *𝙉𝙚𝙬* 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧 -- The Firefighter/EMT program was represented, as this opportunity for students begins in the fall of 2026. Distinguished guests and speakers who shared the impact and importance of career education included: Superintendent Dr. Motley, Career Readiness Coordinator Steve Urbanski, State Senator Paula Hicks-Hudson, and Executive Director of the Ohio Association for Career Technical Education Dee Smith.

05/07/2026

Looking for ways to reduce screen time in your family? Tomorrow, May 8th, from 10am - 1pm the OSU Extension Lucas County office will have free technology kits for local families!

There is no cost for the kit but we ask for an email and your willingness to answer short online survey about the toolkit in a month.

We are located at the Toledo Botanical Garden. We’re the second house to right ad soon as you turn into the gardens at 5403 Elmer Drive.

Can’t make it to our office tomorrow? Sign up online and we will contact you by email for other opportunities to connect. Check out the link below for details and sign up.

Ohio State University Extension is pleased to partner with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to share free Smartphones, Smart Families Survival Kits. You will be asked to share your name, email address, age range of the children and agree to complete a short online survey about a month after y...