This week on the FarmHouse, a podcast by Lancaster Farming, we’re talking to Amanda Bennett, an agriculture and natural resources educator with Ohio State Extension.
Bennett, who grew up on a grain farm, specializes in raised bed gardening, native plant landscaping, hydroponics as well as beekeeping.
Working as an Extension educator means Bennett gets to be a life-long learner, as you never know what kinds of questions you’ll get.
“When we get together we start telling stories and think that we could write a book on all the weird questions that we get,” Bennett said.
One time, Bennett said, someone even brought a live mouse into the office worried that it may have bred with a rabbit because it could jump so high.
But that’s just a typical day in the life of an ag and natural resources educator for Bennett, where she has to be able to field questions from livestock to bees and from conventional farming to native plants.
The wide variety of topics is more similar than it may seem.
“I do think there are a lot more connections than people think,” Bennett said. “I often say that I grew up on a grain farm, but it’s really just gardening on a huge scale.”
Bennett’s interest in native plants grew alongside her interest in beekeeping, as a native landscape with plants that bloom in spring, summer and fall benefits pollinators.
Native plants also require fewer nutrients and pesticides, making them relatively easy to incorporate into the landscape.
“I always say I’m a lazy gardener, and they require a whole lot less work,” Bennett said.
Bennett has been keeping bees for about 12 years and also teaches beekeeping courses with Ohio State Extension.
Though her life now is filled with a wide variety of agriculture, that wasn’t always the plan.
Initially, Bennett wanted to be a Spanish teacher, but after starting school at Ohio State, she realized a lot of people didn’t know much about agriculture, so she changed her major to go into that field instead.
“I just appreciate the opportunity to be part of an industry that has been beneficial in my life, that has been beneficial to my upbringing, that has taught me a lot of values and hard work ethic,” Bennett said. “And I feel grateful to be able to represent that industry, and hopefully I’m doing that in a good way.”
You can find more information on the Lancaster Farming article discussed in the beginning of this episode here:
What Is Feral Woman Fall And How Can You Embrace It? [Opinion]