Category: News

21 Oct 2026
Featured, News, Research Cassidy Harvey 0 comment

American Burying Beetle Conservation at Greenacres

American Burying Beetle Conservation at Greenacres

Beneath the soil at Greenacres, a new generation of an endangered species is beginning to emerge. The American Burying Beetle (ABB) is federally listed as threatened and designated as endangered in Ohio. Once found across much of the eastern and central United States, this species has experienced significant population declines. Today, Greenacres Foundation and the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden are working together to better understand the species and support its recovery in Ohio.

American Burying Beetles play an important role in their ecosystems. They serve as decomposers of small animals due to their reproductive habits. ABBs locate small animal carcasses, bury them underground, and use them as a food source for their developing young. Understanding how these beetles reproduce, develop, and survive through changing seasons is essential to helping the species recover. Over the past 15 years, insect experts at the Cincinnati Zoo have developed a successful ABB breeding program and releasing these beetles throughout Ohio is a current goal.

In June 2026, the partnership took an important step toward that goal. Staff from Greenacres and the Cincinnati Zoo released 156 breeding pairs across two sites at Greenacres. Each pair was placed in a prepared underground chamber, or crypt, with a rat carcass to provide food for the beetles and their offspring.

Just two weeks later, researchers returned to a subset of the release chambers to look for evidence of reproduction. At the Greenacres Old Church site, approximately one-third of the monitored chambers contained larvae. In total, researchers documented 372 larvae, an encouraging early sign that the beetles were reproducing following the release.

But the work did not stop there. The next question was whether those young beetles would survive and emerge as adults.

From Larvae to Adults

Beginning August 10, researchers began trapping American Burying Beetles at Greenacres. The effort continued through September 4, with the goal of monitoring the population and learning more about the beetles’ activity and movement.

During the trapping period, researchers captured two beetles, one male and one female. Both were tagged to identify them as individuals born and emerged at Greenacres.

Finding these beetles marked an exciting milestone for the partnership. Their presence provides evidence that at least some beetles from the initial release successfully developed from larvae into adults. One female was captured approximately three-quarters of a mile from her original release location, demonstrating that she had emerged and traveled across the property.

For the Cincinnati Zoo and Greenacres, capturing two locally emerged beetles during the project’s first year is an exciting result. Each discovery helps researchers build a clearer picture of how the species is responding to the release and moving across the property.

Exploring New Approaches

As researchers continue to study the beetles, they are also exploring whether the timing and method of release can influence their success.

In September, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden released individual American Burying Beetles at Greenacres that had previously been part of its breeding program. With their time in the breeding program complete, the release offered these beetles an opportunity to live in the wild. Unlike the summer release, which introduced breeding pairs, this approach involved placing one beetle in each small hole in the ground. The release took place during cooler fall temperatures, providing the beetles with an opportunity to establish themselves in their natural environment.

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is also piloting a staggered breeding release at Greenacres this fall. The process follows the same approach used in June: researchers prepare an underground chamber, place a rat carcass inside, and introduce a breeding pair. By staggering the timing of releases, the Cincinnati Zoo hopes to investigate an important question: Do American Burying Beetles overwinter as larvae?

Building Knowledge for the Future

Restoring an endangered species takes time, patience, and a willingness to learn from each stage of the process. From the first breeding-pair release in June to the discovery of beetles born and emerged at Greenacres, each step has added to the partnership’s understanding of the American Burying Beetle.

The documentation of 372 larvae and the subsequent capture of two adult beetles offer encouraging early findings. Meanwhile, the individual and staggered breeding releases provide additional opportunities to investigate how release timing and seasonal conditions may affect the species.

Through its partnership with the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Greenacres is contributing to a broader effort to reestablish American Burying Beetle populations in Ohio. As research and monitoring continue, the discoveries made at Greenacres will help researchers better understand the needs of this endangered species and guide future conservation efforts.

Learn More About the American Burying Beetle

Want to see the conservation effort in action? Explore these news stories and videos to learn more about the American Burying Beetle release at Greenacres and the collaborative work to help restore this rare species in Ohio.

        14 Sep 2026
        Featured, News, Research Cassidy Harvey 0 comment

        Around Greenacres – Summer 2026

        Around Greenacres - Summer 2026

        Growing More Than Grass: New Approaches to Sheep Health

        Healthy animals are an important part of a healthy farm, and caring for them often means asking questions about how traditional practices can be improved.

        This summer, Research Intern Liam Barker worked alongside the Greenacres Livestock team to explore a question in sheep health: How can parasites be effectively managed while reducing reliance on traditional chemical dewormers?

        Liam’s research compared a conventional chemical dewormer with a natural deworming treatment. Throughout the project, the team monitored the sheep’s weights and fecal egg counts (FECs), which provide an indication of parasite levels within the animals.

        The results offered insight into how the different approaches affected parasite levels. Sheep treated with the chemical dewormer showed an initial decrease in FECs, followed by a spike later in the summer. In comparison, sheep receiving the natural deworming treatment had more stable FECs throughout the summer.

        Based on his findings, Liam recommended a three-pronged approach to managing parasites in sheep. The first is preventing infection through practices such as rotational grazing and selective breeding. The second is protecting sheep during months when worm pressure is highest by using natural remedies. When necessary, the third is treating highly infected sheep with a combination of chemical dewormers.

        Liam shared his findings during his final intern presentation, bringing the project full circle and demonstrating the value of hands-on research. While parasite management remains an ongoing challenge for sheep producers, research like this helps Greenacres explore practical approaches that can support animal health while reducing reliance on chemical treatments when possible.

        The Livestock team looks forward to building on what was learned and exploring how these practices may be incorporated into the care of Greenacres flocks in the future.

        An Evening in the Meadow: Cincinnati Pops Comes to Lewis Township

        On June 25, the sounds of the Cincinnati Pops filled the evening air at Greenacres Lewis Township as 316 guests gathered for a special outdoor concert celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

        Led by conductor John Morris Russell, the Cincinnati Pops performed a lively program of patriotic selections and well-known favorites. Before the music began, neighbors and community members gathered to catch up with friends, meet Greenacres staff, and learn more about the research and educational work taking place at Lewis Township.

        The evening was about more than music. Opening the property to the community gave Greenacres an opportunity to listen, too. Throughout the evening, guests shared ideas about programs and experiences they would like to see at Lewis Township in the future.

        Those conversations offered valuable insight as Greenacres continues to serve the surrounding community. From research and education to special events and opportunities to simply experience the land, the evening was a wonderful reminder of the connections that can grow when people come together in a special place.

        We were grateful to welcome our neighbors to Lewis Township and share an evening of music, conversation, and community.

        Studying the Buzz: Understanding Bee Health Across Ohio

        What happens to bees when the landscapes around them change?

        That is one of the questions researchers from The Ohio State University are exploring through the grant-funded project Native Bee Health and Population Dynamics Across Agricultural Landscapes. Greenacres is one of several field sites across Ohio, with research taking place at both our Indian Hill and Lewis Township properties.

        The researchers are comparing conventional and diversified farming systems to better understand how different agricultural landscapes affect bee health and population genetics. Their work looks at several factors, including parasite prevalence, colony growth, and pollen preferences.

        To support the study, honey bee hives, bumble bee colonies, and solitary bee nesting blocks have been established at both Greenacres sites. Researchers began collecting samples in 2025, and the work will continue through 2026.

        For Greenacres, serving as a research site provides an opportunity to contribute to a broader understanding of how agricultural landscapes can support healthy pollinator populations. The information gathered through the project will help researchers develop recommendations for landowners and land managers looking to improve pollinator health and build more resilient agricultural ecosystems.

        Planting for the Future: A New Native Landscape at Michaela Farm

        A new landscape is taking root at Greenacres Michaela Farm.

        Visitors to the garden may notice a new native planting along the garden’s outer berm. While the planting adds beauty to the landscape, its purpose reaches far beyond what meets the eye.

        Agroecology is about producing food while supporting healthy ecosystems, and native plants play an important role in that work. As the berm grows, it will provide habitat for insects, birds, small mammals, and reptiles that contribute to the farm’s natural systems. It will also become an educational resource and, as the plants mature, provide native plant material that can be used for future propagation.

        The planting builds on work already taking root across Greenacres. Native plantings in the Ley Field hedgerows help strengthen the farm ecosystem, while native landscapes at the Arts Center demonstrate how these plants can also create beautiful spaces for people to enjoy and learn from.

        Together, these efforts are helping Greenacres develop a growing network of native landscapes. As the planting at Michaela Farm matures, it will become another living example of how agriculture, education, and ecological stewardship can grow side by side.

        A Summer of Discovery: Growing the Reach of Greenacres Camps

        Summer at Greenacres was a time for discovery. Each week, campers stepped into the fields, gardens, barns, and forests to learn through hands-on experiences that encouraged curiosity, confidence, and a deeper connection with the natural world.

        In 2026, 950 campers spent time this summer learning, exploring, creating, and building confidence through Greenacres camps. Our 56 camp offerings operated at 94% of available capacity, reflecting the continued interest in hands-on outdoor learning.

        The 2026 season also brought six new camp experiences: Enchanted Forest Camp, Barn Breakout, Flowers on the Farm, Gallop Games, Creativity Takes the Stage Mini, and Folktales at the Barn. We also expanded several popular offerings, including Survival Camp, Creekville, and Camp Green Mini at the Miami Township Community Center.

        Growth was exciting, but the experience each camper took home was what mattered most. Family evaluations highlighted the care of our staff, thoughtful program design, and opportunities for children to engage deeply with the world around them.

        One parent shared, “I love that they get to be in nature and in a safe environment. The ratios of adults to kids is amazing and the programming is very well thought through.”

        Another parent described watching their child at camp as “pretty magical,” sharing that they had never seen him so engaged and curious before.

        The summer also brought 44 Leaders in Training, our largest LIT group to date. These young leaders built confidence and leadership skills while helping create meaningful experiences for younger campers.

        17 Aug 2026
        Beef, Featured, News, Research Cassidy Harvey 0 comment

        Learning from the Land: A Forage Stockpiling Study at Greenacres

        Learning from the Land: A Forage Stockpiling Study at Greenacres

        Research often begins with a simple question. 

        Can we decrease the overall number of hay bales needed through the fall and winter by increasing stockpiled grass ahead of the non-growing season? 

        At Greenacres Michaela Farm, we wanted to test if feeding our cattle hay earlier in the fall, while allowing other pastures to rest and grow, would create enough stockpiled forage to reduce the total amount of hay needed throughout the fall and winter when pasture growth slowed. 

        We put the idea to the test from September 2024 through April 2025. 

        What we found was not exactly what we expected, but that is one of the reasons we do research. The results gave us a better understanding of how timing, rainfall, pasture growth, and grazing management work together. They also gave us ideas about what we might do differently in the future. 

        Putting Stockpiling to the Test

        Stockpiling is a grazing practice that allows forage to grow and accumulate in a pasture before it is needed. Instead of grazing specific fields in the fall, livestock are grazed elsewhere while the grass continues to grow. That stockpiled forage can then be grazed later, during the winter when pasture regrowth is slowest. 

        In September 2024, the fields at Greenacres Michaela Farm were divided in half for two treatment groups. The cattle were also divided into two groups of approximately 40 head each. 

        One became the Stockpiled Group. The other became the Grazed Group.

        From September 1 through November 22, the Stockpiled Group stayed in one pasture and was fed bales. This allowed the Stockpiled Group’s portions of each field to rest and accumulate grass. During the same timeframe, the Grazed Group rotated through its portion of each field. 

        Beginning November 23, the Stockpiled Group began grazing its portions of the fields that had been allowed to accumulate forage and continued rotating through them until April, aside from the period when snow and frozen ground prevented grazing. 

        After completing its first rotation, the Grazed Group returned to those fields during the winter, from December 3 through March 10, for a second rotation. During this second rotation, the fields were bale grazed, meaning the cattle continued to utilize the available grass but relied primarily on hay. 

        Throughout the study, we tracked how many bales each group consumed, forage quantity, and forage quality.

        What Happened?

        After tracking the two groups from September 2024 through April 2025, we found that the Stockpiled Group used more hay, rather than less. 

        The Stockpiled Group consumed 260 round bales during the study, while the Grazed Group consumed 232.

        For the Stockpiled Group, 78 of those bales were fed between September 1 and November 22 while the animals remained in one field and the other fields were allowed to stockpile. 

        The Grazed Group took a different approach, continuously grazing its available fields with two full rotations during the fall and winter. 

        That difference in management gave the Grazed Group the opportunity to utilize pasture regrowth after two grazing periods, rather than relying on one period of stockpiled forage.

        Across the study, the Grazed Group’s portions of the fields produced 175 tons of forage, compared with 96 tons in the Stockpiled Group’s portions. 

        Before each pasture was grazed, we measured the amount of available forage using a rising plate meter. This allowed us to collect forage quantity data for each pasture and compare forage production between the two treatment groups and across grazing periods. 

        The forage yield data showed a statistical difference between the first time the fields were grazed in the fall and the second time they were grazed during the winter. Overall, the portions of the fields used by the Grazed Group produced more total forage during the study than the portions reserved for the Stockpiled Group. 

        Under the conditions we experienced that year, continuing to graze and returning to those fields later allowed us to make better use of the forage that grew throughout the season. 

        But there was an important part of the story that we could not overlook. 

        The weather.

        A Dry Fall Made Stockpiling Difficult

        We were attempting to build a forage stockpile during one of the worst droughts our region had experienced in decades. October 2024 was the second-driest October in Indiana since 1895. 

        Stockpiling forage works best when there is enough growth to stockpile. Without rain, growth rates slow significantly, leaving much less grass to save for later. 

        From August through November, Oldenburg, Indiana, received just 4.46 inches of rain, compared with a historical median of 11.04 inches. The pasture simply did not have the moisture it needed to produce the amount of forage we had hoped to stockpile.

        Earlier Stockpiling May Have Been Beneficial 

        Because of logistical challenges, we could not begin stockpiling forage until September. The general recommendation for stockpiling in our area is to begin in early August. 

        Starting earlier could have given the pastures more time to take advantage of late-summer rainfall and warmer temperatures before growth slowed in November. We cannot know how much of a difference that change would have made under the drought conditions we experienced, but beginning earlier would have given the pasture more time and opportunity to grow.

        Winter Brought Another Challenge

        The dry fall was followed by a three-week period of heavy snow and frozen ground. During that time, neither group could effectively graze, so we exclusively fed bales to both groups. 

        This increased hay consumption for both groups and contributed to the Stockpiled Group’s overall total. 

        It was a good reminder that pasture management does not happen in a vacuum. Rainfall, temperature, ground conditions, and even a few weeks of unusual winter weather can significantly change the outcome of a grazing plan.

        We Also Wanted to Know About Forage Quality

        In addition to quantity, we also wanted to know what happened to the quality of the forage when we grazed the fields at different times. 

        Before the animals entered each field, the team collected forage samples. The forage samples allowed us to look at characteristics including crude protein, relative forage value, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, dry matter, moisture, and total digestible nutrients. 

        The Grazed Group grazed its portions of the fields twice: first in the fall and again in the winter. In all but one field, crude protein increased from the first grazing period to the second.

        We saw a similar pattern with relative forage value, or RFV. In all but one field, RFV increased between the first and second grazing periods.

        The most likely explanation for the differences between the Grazed Group’s first and second rotations is the age of the pasture regrowth. After the first grazing period, the fields had time to regrow. When the cattle returned during the winter, that regrowth was younger and more tender than the forage available during the first grazing period. 

        That may have contributed to the increase in crude protein and RFV we observed between the two grazing periods. The results suggest that, under these conditions, returning to pasture after a period of regrowth may improve forage quality.

        Looking More Closely at the Forage

        Our forage samples gave us an even more detailed picture of what was happening in the pastures. We measured several characteristics, including crude protein, available crude protein, ADF, NDF, dry matter, moisture, RFV, and TDN.

        The data show that forage quality varied from field to field and across the grazing season. Looking at the individual samples also shows the difference between the Grazed Group’s first and second rotations. Generally, crude protein and RFV increased, while ADF and NDF decreased, showing improved forage quality in the more tender regrowth. 

        Total digestible nutrients, or TDN, gave us another way to look at the nutritional characteristics of the forage.

        What Did We Learn?

        The results of this study showed us that stockpiling does not always mean using less hay. During the dry fall of 2024, the Stockpiled Group consumed 260 bales compared with 232 for the Grazed Group. 

        But the results also showed us where we might adjust our approach in the future: 

        Start earlier. We would begin stockpiling in August to give pastures more time to grow before winter. 

        Watch the weather. When rainfall is limited, there may not be enough forage growth to build a useful stockpile. 

        Stay flexible. In a dry year, continuing to graze available pasture and returning to those fields later to bale graze may be more effective in reducing the total amount of bales fed than holding pasture back for an extended period. 

        Look at forage quality, too. In most fields, crude protein and relative forage value increased during the second grazing period, showing that when pasture is grazed can influence its nutritional value. 

        For us, the biggest lesson is that there is no single grazing strategy that will work the same way every year. Weather, pasture growth, timing, and livestock needs all play a role. The value of research is in learning from those conditions and using what we learn to make thoughtful decisions in the future.

        Learning From What the Land Tells Us

        Research does not always confirm what we expect. Sometimes, the most valuable findings come from understanding why something worked differently than we anticipated. 

        That was the case with this study. We set out to see if stockpiling could reduce our hay use through the winter. Under the conditions we experienced in 2024–2025, it did not. Instead, we learned more about how rainfall, timing, pasture growth, and grazing management work together. 

        Those lessons will help inform future grazing decisions at Greenacres. They may also be useful to other farmers considering stockpiling on their own farms. 

        Every farm is different, and what works in one year or one place may not work the same way in another. Our goal is not to prescribe one approach, but to ask questions, measure what happens, and share what we learn.

        20 Jul 2026
        News Cassidy Harvey 0 comment

        Remembering a Valued Member of the Greenacres Team

        Remembering a Valued Member of the Greenacres Team

        The Greenacres community suffered a tremendous loss this past week with the passing of our beloved teammate, Parker Lisle. While words cannot fully express the sorrow felt by those who knew and loved him, our hearts are with his family, friends, and coworkers as they navigate this unimaginable loss.

        As a member of our Buildings & Grounds team, Parker’s talent and craftsmanship helped shape Greenacres in countless ways. From repairs and improvements to the many behind-the-scenes projects that keep our farms and facilities running, his work can be found throughout our organization and will continue to serve our mission for years to come.

        Parker shares his welding skills with a fellow Greenacres team member. His talent, craftsmanship, and willingness to help others can be seen in projects across Greenacres and in the knowledge he shared with those around him.

        Those who knew Parker at Greenacres saw more than an employee and colleague. They saw the light of someone who genuinely loved his work, took pride in doing it well, and quietly made Greenacres a better place through his craftsmanship, humility, and willingness to help others. He found joy in his work, approaching every project with passion and quiet dedication that earned the respect of everyone who had the privilege of working alongside him.

        Although Parker’s time with us was far too short, the impact of his work and the example he set will remain part of Greenacres for years to come. Every project he completed and every piece he crafted stands as a lasting reminder of a young man who found purpose in his work and left this place better than he found it.

        Parker will be deeply missed, fondly remembered, and will forever remain a part of the Greenacres story.

        © 2025 Greenacres Foundation and respective content owners. All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission.