November_December 2019 Our Ohio

Is hemp going to be worth all the hype? As lawmakers write the rules of hemp production, Our Ohio travels to the Bluegrass State to talk to a farmer who has been in the hemp business for a while. He details the challenges and opportunities of growing the hottest crop to hit the market in years. 

Also inside this issue is a feature about how Mennel Milling grew a popcorn company, with the help of farmers who have done it for decades, as well as a story about figuring out a sustainable future for figs in Ohio. 

One heartwarming piece brings a Farm Bureau member family full circle through gifts of generosity. It started in 1920, when a young man named Emerson Mizer was looking to better himself. He won a scholarship from Coshocton County Farm Bureau to attend Ohio State University. Fast forward almost 100 years, and read how Emerson’s son, David, paid it forward with a donation back to Farm Bureau. 

Find out how rural nurses try to meet the needs of patients who live a significant distance from healthcare, and catch up with a group of high school Global Scholars in Pickerington as they explore ag careers with the help of Fairfield County Farm Bureau.

In his column Across The Table, Ohio Farm Bureau’s Executive Vice President Adam Sharp takes a close look at the latest agricultural census and how farms, and the number of farmers, have grown in Ohio since 2012.  

News sections of the magazine are dedicated to the terrific work done by 15 county Farm Bureaus that were lauded by American Farm Bureau with County Activities of Excellence awards in 2019. New Nationwide CEO Kirt Walker talks about his rural roots in a first-hand column also included in this issue of the magazine.   

Rounding out November/December Our Ohio are recipes from the chefs at Lorain Community College Culinary Institute, as well as pages of local events happening for members as harvest winds down and winter settles in. 

Our Ohio magazine is a benefit of Farm Bureau membership and Our Ohio Supporters.

 

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
Suggested Tags: