Garth was appointed to this position in July 2020. Ruff has served as the Extension educator for agriculture and natural resources in Henry County since May 2017. Ruff has specialized in livestock production and marketing, farm management, and meat science. His current Extension research and teaching efforts include direct marketing of animal products, forage and field crop trials, and the OSU Extension Grill Smart program (a course looking at the science of great grilling).
Prior to joining OSU Extension, Ruff was a student in the Department of Animal Sciences at Ohio State, earning a BS in 2015 and MS in 2017. In addition, Ruff was appointed to the Ohio Beef Council in January 2019. A native of Morgan County, Ruff continues to be active in the family livestock and forage operation.
Ruff joins several other OSU Extension field specialists, who each have a particular subject matter focus and provide overall leadership for a comprehensive teaching and applied research program to address statewide issues. The field specialists work to expand existing partnerships, develop new relationships, and foster collaborations across the state, including with campus researchers, to complement what local Extension educators are doing.