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Jason Gibbs is the current president of the Shelby County Farm Bureau board of trustees and has been involved in several roles on the board and committees for six years. Shelby has been active in the Young Ag Professionals program locally as well as statewide, by attending the state leadership conference and participating on the Young Ag Professionals trip to Washington, D.C. last year.

They farm with Jason’s family, Gibbs Farm, outside of Sidney in Shelby County while having busy careers off the farm. Jason is a loan officer with FSA and Shelby is an accountant. The family’s farming operation started in 1977 when Jason’s father started to rent farms in Sidney, Ohio. Since then, the farm has grown to 500 acres of farmland, pasture and woods. The family farms 340 acres of corn, soybeans, and alfalfa in addition to running a 90 head herd of registered Gelbvieh Brood Cows on 140 acres of pasture.

The Gelbvieh herd rotationally grazes in the spring through fall on 4-5 acre paddocks each a day. They market their cattle through a Gelbvieh and Balancer organization based out of Missouri. When the cows calve in the spring, the elite heifers and bulls are then sold in Missouri, then yearling bulls are put on an RFID Program along with a feeding program and then sold, while the heifers are sold in showcase sales.

Jason had been introduced to Farm Bureau at a young age with the help of his parents being members and a friend taking him to a meeting, which sparked his interest to become more actively involved. Shelby became involved when Jason took her to a Young Ag Professionals conference.

Jason and Shelby both agree that being a part of the Farm Bureau organization is very important, because of the large role it plays in policy development in local, state and federal government. “The Farm Bureau creates interaction between farmers and helps develop the county’s youth through outreach programs,” Jason said.

Some advice that they would give to young farmers is to become involved locally in your board and its activities. “Many programs are designed to strengthen communications with local producers, co-ops, and friends. The Farm Bureau teaches different farming techniques related to agriculture, teaching new farming techniques and ideas along with helping to develop leadership skills,” they agreed.

As they look into the changing agriculture industry, Jason and Shelby believe that having longevity in the industry will happen if you learn how to adapt with doing more with less, along with becoming more dependent on technology. “We believe that as farmers we will always find ways to make whatever happens work,” Jason said.

The reason Jason and Shelby enjoy farming is simple: “We both grew up on family farms and it’s become a part of who we are. It’s not just something we do, It’s it something we love. Whether our days are spent pulling a calf, or planting in the field, most days end with a sense of accomplishment.”

Please join our county in saluting our Members in the Spotlight, Jason, and Shelby Gibbs!