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Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation received 20 applications and seven grants were awarded for a total of $15,000 in the foundation’s first round of Agriculture Action and Awareness grants. Foundation Director Dale Arnold said grants were judged on their merit and selected by the members of the foundation board of directors. Each grant met at least one of the Foundation’s objectives: education, environment or economic issues. Arnold said as the foundation’s resources increase, the board’s goal is to award grants quarterly.

The seven winners:

• Barnyard Friends at the Fair. A $1,000 grant will be used to develop an agriculture-themed educational display featuring farm animals for the Williams County Fair. The display will include baby farm animals, along with additional information concerning beef, sheep, pork, poultry and dairy.

• Springfield Farmers Market. A $2,200 grant will be used to help re-establish the Springfield Farmer’s Market. Many local farmers had pulled out of the previous market due to management and location changes. The Springfield City Market Partnership has been formed to resurrect the market. Its goal is to have the market functioning this year.

• Central Ohio Chef Growers Network. This $2,500 grant will be used to cover the costs of printed materials and special events associated with introducing chefs and farmers to each other to develop economic relationships as well as helping farmers know how to organize their businesses to accommodate selling to restaurants. The Chef Growers Network connects farmers to chefs to nurture commerce between farms and restaurants while increasing citizen access and awareness of locally produced food.

• Small Farm Soil Sampling program. A $2,300 grant will be used by Wayne Soil and Water Conservation District and Wayne County OSU Extension to increase awareness of small farmers concerning the importance of soil fertility to crop production and pasture health by providing access to free soil sampling and analysis. The goal is to help 20 small farmers, who have less than 200 acres each keep the more informed on best management practices for appropriate soil fertility.

• Winners of Wellness. A $2,500 grant will be used in 10 elementary schools to assist them in meeting the mandates of the Federal Nutrition Act by providing an interactive assembly teaching wellness and nutrition lessons through rock and roll music.

• Facilitating Access to the Chesterhill Produce Auction. This $2,500 grant will help the auction meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for handicapped parking spaces and ramp construction and to expand out reach efforts to senior citizens about the auction and what it has to offer them.

• Energy Sources Tours. A $2,000 grant will sponsor three teachers, selected because of their connection to Ohio Farm Bureau, to join a four-day bus tour of Ohio’s energy sites. The tours demonstrate various energy sources, applications, concepts and issues. The project is organized through the Ohio Energy Project.