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Laramie Wells of Russellville recently graduated from Ohio Farm Bureau’s AgriPOWER Class X. The elite leadership program was started in 2008 to help agricultural advocates gain influence over public policy issues that impact their businesses and communities.

Wells is a program technician for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency and is in charge of compliance and price support programs. She and her family have a grain and hay farm and are starting a cow-calf operation. She is a Brown County Farm Bureau member and involved in its Young Ag Professionals group along with the Eastern Brown FFA Alumni group.

Over the course of a year, Class X participants learned from experts on how to become better leaders and advocates for the agricultural industry, including spokesperson and media training, etiquette training, social networking and communications. They learned about public policy matters important to their local communities, as well as the state, nation and world. They visited Washington, D.C. where they learned about national and global issues, and they visited diverse agricultural operations in Arizona so they could better understand the differences and similarities in agriculture from state to state.

Partnering with Ohio Farm Bureau on AgriPOWER Class X were AgCredit of Mt. Gilead, Brown County Farm Bureau, Certified Angus Beef, Clermont County Farm Bureau, Coshocton County Farm Bureau, Farm Credit Mid-America, Ohio Beef Council, Ohio Cattlemen’s Association, Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation, Ohio Soybean Council, Pickaway County Farm Bureau, Shoup Brothers Farm, Southern Ohio Agricultural & Community Development Fund and Wayne County Farm Bureau.

Applications are now being accepted for AgriPOWER Class XI. Deadline to apply is April 19. To apply and learn more about AgriPOWER, visit ofbf.org/agripower.

 

This is a news release for use by journalists. Questions should be directed to Joe Cornely, 614-246-8230.

Editors: A high-resolution photo of Ms. Wells is available to accompany this story.

Caption:

Laramie Wells receives congratulations for Ohio Farm Bureau Executive Vice President Adam Sharp.