Foundation board seeking Young Ag Professional member
This position is created for an active Young Ag Professional member who has a passion for fundraising and is interested in further developing their leadership skills. Apply by May 3.
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Farm life can be demanding and stressful, and the mental health challenges that come with it is an ongoing problem. Ohio Farm Bureau has been a part of many initiatives to raise mental health awareness and reduce stigma surrounding the issue in rural communities.
Now in its second year, the Yvonne Lesicko Perseverance Prize, the “Y Prize” for short, recognizes groups or individuals working to find innovative solutions to farmer mental health difficulties, including addressing obstacles in accessing resources, lessening stigma around mental health concerns and collaborating among health care, rural medicine and agriculture groups.
“We hope the Y Prize can provide recognition and a ‘thank you’ to groups and individuals working to advance this cause,” said Kelly Burns, executive director of the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation.
The prize was created by the Yvonne Lesicko Memorial Fund, which was established to recognize the life and career of Yvonne Lesicko, former Ohio Farm Bureau vice president of public policy. Housed within the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation, the Yvonne Lesicko Memorial Fund has raised more than $90,000 thanks to the generous support of more than 300 donors.
Recipient recognition
The Y Prize award recipient, whether an individual or a group, will be given a platform to share their work and efforts. As part of the award, Ohio Farm Bureau will feature and recognize the award recipient in publications and social media, at the state annual meeting (Dec. 8-9, 2022) and during the Young Ag Professional Winter Leadership Experience (Jan. 27-28, 2023). All of this is part of the award’s goal of lessening the stigma surrounding mental health issues.
How to apply
Nominations are being accepted through July 31, 2022.
Online extra
Labor has always been an issue, mainly because we are a seasonal operation. So that's a challenge finding somebody who only wants to work three months out of a year, sometimes up to six months.
I appreciate the benefit of having a strong voice in my corner. The extras that are included in membership are wonderful, but I'm a member because of the positive impact to my local and state agricultural communities.
I see the value and need to be engaged in the community I live in, to be a part of the decision-making process and to volunteer with organizations that help make our community better.
Farm Bureau involvement has taught me how to grow my professional and leadership experience outside of the workforce and how to do that in a community-centric way.
With not growing up on a farm, I’d say I was a late bloomer to agriculture. I feel so fortunate that I found the agriculture industry. There are so many opportunities for growth.
Knowing that horticulture is under the agriculture umbrella and having Farm Bureau supporting horticulture like it does the rest of ag is very important.
If it wasn't for Farm Bureau, I personally, along with many others, would not have had the opportunity to meet with our representatives face to face in Washington.
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