Menu

This year the Williams County Farm Bureau held a Law School for Laymen on Presidents’ Day. The purpose of the school was to give more prominence to Farm Bureau and to offer a public service to the community.

"We had 65 participants, made up mostly of Farm Bureau members, but the school was open to the public. I chose February because it’s the closing of our annual membership campaign, and I thought this would give more recognition to Williams County Farm Bureau," Marvin Dietsch, Williams County Farm Bureau president, said. "The response was great, and I bet we had two to three times more people attend this year."

Dietsch said there was a lot of concern about large dairies moving into the county, and he realized there was a huge void in knowledge about property rights. He contacted a local attorney, and the attorney agreed to make the presentation covering private property ownership, rights and liabilities.

"This gives our young farmers a good chance to learn the rights and responsibilities they should know," Roy Norman, OFBF organization director for Fulton, Henry and Williams counties, said. "It really was a full day of information."

This year, Ralph Gallagher, attorney, and Walter Schelling, Williams County engineer, presented the Farm Bureau members with information, facts and definitions of conveyancing, liens, possession, easements, leases, title assurance, powers of attorney, surface water and eminent domain. The participants examined the ins and outs of riparian rights, zoning, and fence rights and liabilities.

Other important topics were liability for personal injury, wrongful death and property damage. The farmers were given specific duties they are responsible for on their property concerning invitees, licensees and trespassers. They were also told about the proper cleaning and maintenance of ditches. Farmers learned about surveys and the requirements for sale of small parcels of land.