Chareasa Jeffries

Hello Farm Bureau, long time no see. I have to say the past few months have been pretty busy for me this summer as the 2019 Auglaize, Logan, Mercer and Shelby County Farm Bureau intern.

My first large task to tackle was assisting in getting the 2019 Shelby County Conservation Day Camp up and rolling. After a lot of emails, phone calls and T-shirt counting, Conservation Day Camp came and went by as a success! With the help of 23 counselors, keeping our 125 campers hydrated and entertained was easy. Some of our campers’ most favorite activities were the Mako drums, fishing, bow and arrow and tie-dying. Each of our campers and counselors were able to sign the huge Conservation Day Camp sign, which was later displayed at the 2019 Shelby County Fair for all of the visitors to see.

My next biggest activity I took on was assisting Michelle Langmeyer in creating a fun activity for campers in Mercer County who participated in Camp Inquire. This is a camp where students are able to explore different forms of science, art and math. Michelle asked if I could come up with an activity that would last for 90 minutes for three sessions of third/fourth grade students. Jill, Michelle and I sat down together and began to brainstorm what would be the best fit for this activity. It eventually came down to the idea of strawberry DNA extraction and that’s where my work began. I researched the best way to extract the DNA, calculated the amount of supplies, created a presentation and then tested it on my unsuspecting siblings.

Since Jill was preoccupied with passing out T-shirts at the Logan County Fair, I was going to be presenting this all on my own with Michelle as my assistant. I was a little bit nervous but, once I arrived and got all of my supplies laid out I felt more confident. I am happy to say that the experiment was a huge success, and the campers greatly enjoyed the excitement of extracting the DNA from the strawberry mash. Most were surprised when the DNA was white and most were happy with the smell of strawberry shampoo. Michelle and I quickly realized that my presentation wouldn’t last all 90 minutes, so after I was done with my presentation, Michelle did a presentation on how to make ice cream in a bag. I greatly enjoyed with the campers and getting the chance to speak to them about some careers in the agricultural Industry.

During this time I was also helping organize paperwork for the policy meeting that took place this past June. I was even given the chance to attend the Shelby and Mercer County policy meetings where I listened to leaders in these communities speak about the issues and future issues that were occurring in their community and Ohio. One of my favorite places I got to visit was MVP Dairy in Mercer County Ohio. I was able to tour the large dairy and even snap a few pictures.

I worked on editing/writing the monthly Farm Feature here at Farm Bureau. I went and rewrote and created a picture collage of the Spotlight member for each month. The two that have been recently released are June – Joel Penhorwood and July – Kevin Henry. It was very interesting to read about how much Farm Bureau members accomplish in their day-to-day lives and then on top of that be an extraordinary member here at Farm Bureau. I will also be publishing the next Farm Feature for August soon, so be on the lookout for that!

I have also helped Joy Aufdehaar in designing the 2019 Farm Bureau T-shirts. These T-shirts are designed and purchased through a local company and later given away at the residing fair. Our designs this year were Just Show It, We Put the Fun In Funnel Cake, Red White and Blue this fair is for YOU, and Stacked with Great Projects. These T-shirts were passed out to the local 4-H and FFA members that stopped by our booth the day we were passing them out.

To wrap up my last day here at Farm Bureau, I would just like to thank Jill Smith, Barb Longfellow and Joy Aufedhaar for making this such a great experience for me this summer. I’ve have learned a great deal from these hard working and amazing women. I plan to take my knowledge back to Ohio State to further my career and make them proud. Thank you Farm Bureau for an amazing summer and an amazing opportunity to further my education!

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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