Making a measurable difference in communities and the agricultural industry is the goal of Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation’s Action & Awareness grants. The foundation recently awarded just over $23,000 in grants to nine organizations throughout Ohio. The grants, which ranged from $1,500 to $3,000, focus on four core areas: economic development, education, environment and the human-animal bond.

Grant recipients and projects:

  • Acres of Adventure for a new activity center that will excite visitors about the world of agriculture and expose them to food and farming. The center will also be utilized for a variety of community functions.
  • Ashland County Farm Bureau to support its annual third grade farm tour, which promotes agricultural awareness and teaches students and their families about the products grown and sold in their backyard.
  • Cuyahoga Soil & Water for its Urban Agriculture Program, which will teach and empower residents to be better environmental stewards when farming by reducing plastics, chemicals and tillage and also increasing efficiency and self-reliance.
  • Fairfield County Farm Bureau for its Careers in Ag Aviation program, which will engage 50 high school students enrolled in Pickerington School District’s Global Scholars program in digital agriculture and robotics, remote sensing, agroecosystems, precision agriculture, GIS and data analytics in a daylong program at the Farm Science Review grounds.
  • Highland Youth Garden for its Green Teens programming. Funding will support teen internships to expand programming of the inner city Columbus garden as well as provide leadership development and education about agriculture, food systems and job and life skills.
  • Nutrients for Life Foundation to support a two-day professional development program for 50 middle and high school science teachers. They will learn about and receive free resources about crop nutrients, soil science, agriculture, 4R nutrient stewardship and water quality. Cuyahoga County Farm Bureau is a partner on the program.
  • Ross County Farm Bureau to support a water quality education program at three library branches in the county. The project will plug into the library’s existing after-school program and feature hands-on, interactive demonstrations of pollution sources and solutions to improve water quality.
  • South Side Early Learning Center to support its Full Bellies, Full Minds program, which provides nutritious meals for students as well as food education, resources and hands-on opportunities for families on how to grow, harvest and prepare meals using produce grown at the Columbus center.
  • Warren County Farm Bureau for its new Feed a Neighbor, Support Our Future program. The goal is to increase the number of buyers at the local county 4-H sale and pay for the processing of 42 hogs to be donated to area food pantries.

Applications are being accepted now through Oct. 1, 2019 for the next round of Action & Awareness grants. Grants may be used for general support, startup funding for new organizations, program expansion or capital for equipment necessary to implement eligible programs. Learn more

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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