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Aaron Harner of Portage County, Ginny Tarka of Mahoning County and Kenneth Lloyd of Carroll County were selected to exhibit their helpful ideas at the AFBF’s Farmer Idea Exchange during the recent annual meeting in Honolulu. The program is geared to surface inventions, equipment modifications, innovative crops, marketing techniques, management systems and farming practices developed by farmers. It is designed to encourage Farm Bureau members to share their innovative ideas and help farmers find ways to cut costs, become more efficient, improve the environment and improve their net income

Harner of Newton Falls was the winner of the energy category for his biobased vegetable oil extraction project. His patent pending invention allows more soybean oil to be extracted than with a conventional press. The nontoxic chemicals used in Harner’s vegetable oil extraction process are water, ethanol and soy lecithin. For about a $10,000 investment, farmers could use off-season labor to process almost $100,000 worth of crude vegetable oil per year.

"People visiting the trade show have been really interested in my project. We’ve had a lot of people come through and ask questions," Harner said. "It was great because so many of them were impressed by my work, and told me to ‘Keep up the good work.’"

Tarka of New Springfield was the winner of the wildlife category for her inside ledge bluebird box. The inside ledge on Tarka’s bluebird box is unique in that it gives the mate a protected place from which to guard the nest. It deters predators and gives nestlings a place to rest before fledging, allowing more birds to reach maturity and eat more insects.

"This convention has been great. There have been so many people stopping by our booth at the trade show to visit and see how the bluebird box works," Tarka said. "The inside ledge has taken care of the predator problem I had, and I think more people will want this bluebird box at their home."

Lloyd won for his hardwood trees, long term investment idea but was not able to attend the meeting in Hawaii. Thomas Koch of Mahoning County received an honorable mention in the Farmer Idea Exchange for his hydraulic hose holder idea.

Other winners include:

• Equipment – Harry Thompson, Missouri, seedsweeper
• Farm Buildings – Louis Wierenga Jr., Mississippi, old barn modernized with bi-fold doors
• Farm Shop – Einar Oftedal, Minnesota, Roll-a-Light
• Input Efficiency – Richard Hartmann, Oregon, fertilizer with a brain
• Livestock – Hugh Wayman, Oklahoma, automatic livestock feeder
• Management Systems – Edward Huffmeyer, Indiana, Variable Rate via Slope
• Marketing – George Hubka, Mississippi, E-Z Roll Straw
• Safety and Handicap – Arvin DeCook, Iowa, Break-away adjustable mailbox
• Tobacco – Keith and Lisa Herron, Kentucky, step saver wagon hitch

Caption: Aaron Harnar of Portage County was invited to be a part of AFBF’s Farmer Idea Exchange and was the winner of the energy category for his biobased vegetable oil extraction project.

Caption: Ginny Tarka of Mahoning County won the wildlife category in AFBF’s Farmer Idea Exchange with her inside ledge bluebird box.