The 2018 annual meeting of the Lake County Farm Bureau was held recently at Hellriegel’s Inn in Painesville.  It was an evening filled with agricultural friends and great food.

The evening began with a social reception. This was the opportunity to speak with elected officials and candidates running for public office, a very active part of Farm Bureau, working closely with our legislators and other elected officials

Following dinner were Farm Bureau elections and voting on policy resolutions to be worked on in 2019, and Jordan Hoewischer, OFBF Director of Water Quality & Research spoke to the group on water quality.  jordan-hoewischer

Jordan said he appreciates coming to the different areas in Ohio. He grew up on a hog farm, earned his degree from The Ohio State University and worked for Scott’s for about eight years. Jordan has been with the Farm Bureau for about four years.  He works on rules for fertilizer and Senate Bill 150 which requires anyone who fertilizes to be trained and certified.

Since 2014, Farm Bureau has contributed $2.5 million to water quality programs.  Farm Bureau supported several local projects on equine manure disposition. Knox County and Farm Bureau created a smartphone app for nutrient management making it easier to be compliant with the certification. Jordan is currently working on the Demonstration Farms projects.

After the guest speaker, Farm Bureau took time to honor some very special members and guests. Over the past few years, Ohio Farm Bureau has created a Member of Distinction award, giving each county the opportunity to recognize an outstanding member for his or her service.

This year, Carl Broadwater was selected in Lake County. Carl grew up in a farming community in western Maryland. He served in the Army and after the war, Carl attended agricultural classes, graduated and was hired as a manager of a farm in Kirtland. He purchased a farm in Madison Township, and he and his wife of 72 years, Lorena, joined the Farm Bureau where he served on many committees. Carl thanked the Farm Bureau and encouraged the membership to keep up the good work.

Mandy Orahood, organization director, thanked our Farm Bureau Action Team leaders: Organization Action Team Leader, David Wilcox; Communication Action Team Leader, Sam Taylor; Membership Action Team Leaders Sam Taylor and Todd Demshar; and Public Policy Action Team Leader, Steve Ohmes. These dedicated volunteers are the hands of the organization.

We are looking forward to 2019, working together with county organizations, offering great programs and services to our members and our communities!

Labor has always been an issue, mainly because we are a seasonal operation. So that's a challenge finding somebody who only wants to work three months out of a year, sometimes up to six months.
Mandy Way's avatar
Mandy Way

Way Farms

Farm Labor Resources
I appreciate the benefit of having a strong voice in my corner. The extras that are included in membership are wonderful, but I'm a member because of the positive impact to my local and state agricultural communities.
Ernie Welch's avatar
Ernie Welch

Van Wert County Farm Bureau

Strong communities
I see the value and need to be engaged in the community I live in, to be a part of the decision-making process and to volunteer with organizations that help make our community better.
Matt Aultman's avatar
Matt Aultman

Darke County Farm Bureau

Leadership development
Farm Bureau involvement has taught me how to grow my professional and leadership experience outside of the workforce and how to do that in a community-centric way.
Jaclyn De Candio's avatar
Jaclyn De Candio

Clark County Farm Bureau

Young Ag Professionals program
With not growing up on a farm, I’d say I was a late bloomer to agriculture. I feel so fortunate that I found the agriculture industry. There are so many opportunities for growth.
Jenna Gregorich's avatar
Jenna Gregorich

Coshocton County Farm Bureau

Growing our Generation
Knowing that horticulture is under the agriculture umbrella and having Farm Bureau supporting horticulture like it does the rest of ag is very important.
Jared Hughes's avatar
Jared Hughes

Groovy Plants Ranch

Groovy Plants Ranch
If it wasn't for Farm Bureau, I personally, along with many others, would not have had the opportunity to meet with our representatives face to face in Washington.
Austin Heil's avatar
Austin Heil

Hardin County Farm Bureau

Washington, D.C. Leadership Experience
So many of the issues that OFBF and its members are advocating for are important to all Ohioans. I look at OFBF as an agricultural watchdog advocating for farmers and rural communities across Ohio.
Mary Smallsreed's avatar
Mary Smallsreed

Trumbull County Farm Bureau

Advocacy
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