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2017 went way too quick and before we all know it we will be working outside and the inevitable task of mowing yard will be upon us, too. Over the past year, Darke County Farm Bureau has been very active and our membership continues to grow. Our focus has pointed to the youth in our community along with building ties between the farmer and the consumer. We are very fortunate to live in a community that is on average one generation from the farm so we all understand where our food comes from, but we need to fall in love with it again. This program year the board decided to once again support the graduating FFA seniors with a membership to allow them to continue to be involved with agriculture and what is going on in Darke County. The board is also going to offer $500 grants to county FFA programs to help with the costs of programming or events. This will be the second year we are able to contribute back to the community to help spread the word and value of agriculture.

As we look to the summer, we have the 3^rd Annual Tractor Cruise that will be held during Farm Power of the Past, a revamped Cooking Series that will now be a farm to table meal, and before we know it, the Great Darke County Fair will be upon us.

Farm Bureau does many things that we cannot put a price on, but for many
landowners we are able to do that when we opened our real estate tax bills. Due to changes from the State of Ohio and the CAUV formula, we have seen a good discount on land used for woods and conservation acres. Since this was a re-evaluation year, we saw part of a two-part reduction with the next reduction coming on the next re-evaluation in three years. The best way to gauge the value of your membership is take your new tax bill, subtract the old one and then divide it by your $80 membership and that directly tells you how many years of membership you saved by the most recent changes championed by the grassroots lobbying that Farm Bureau has done on your behalf. If this is not enough, check out your Our Ohio magazine when it comes in the mail to see all the good things we are doing across the state.

Coming soon you will be seeing more about our county as we embark on a new public relations campaign and become more visible within our community. We will be sharing photos, videos, and information to share with your friends and neighbors on what Darke County and the surrounding community has going on.

We are always looking to make our county better. If you have suggestions, thoughts, or want to volunteer, contact a board member or our regional office. Our goal is to improve our community through youth development, community partnerships, and support of our farmers in any way we can.

Thank you for being a member and being involved in agriculture!