Applications for Ohio Farm Bureau Health Plans now available
Members have three ways to apply: contacting a certified agent, calling 833-468-4280 or visiting ohiofarmbureauhealthplans.org.
Read More
His name sounds common, but Uncle Peter of Hickory Lane Horse Farm is strictly stud royalty.
The farm, in Findlay, is making the most of Uncle Peter’s storied background as a winner of the Breeders Crown in harness racing and one of the top breeding stallions in the country.
“His offspring are doing really well in their performances,” said Brad Wallace, farm manager at Hickory Lane. “His babies are at the top of the list in just about any way you break it down.”
Uncle Peter isn’t the only star stud at the 110-acre farm, a standardbred breeding facility for trotters and pacers that typically houses 100 to 147 horses at a time. What the Hill is the newest stud and Racing Hill and McArdle round out the group.
Four days a week, workers collect semen from the four stallions, cool it, pack it and either use it for the farm’s mares or sell it for $5,000 to $7,000 a vial. Some is shipped, some sent by courier and some is picked up. All will be used to artificially inseminate mares in the hopes that they’ll produce prize-winning standardbreds.
But there’s much more to the farm than semen collection. About 50 to 60 mares live there, some owned by the farm and some by the farm’s three owners — Wallace, attorney Kevin Greenfield of Perrysburg and Rebecca Buckner of Apple Creek.
Some history
Wallace, Greenfield and Leonard Buckner, Rebecca’s late husband, purchased the farm in 1996 from a group that had operated it as a breeding facility. It originally was a training operation started in the late 1960s by a local horse trainer and a wealthy businessman.
Wallace began working at the farm in 1978 under prior owners and now provides what he calls the “sweat equity” in the partnership. He grew up on a small farm in southeastern Ohio and graduated from Ohio State Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster with a degree in horse production and management.
Wallace and a small crew of employees manage the daily work of a breeding operation, including helping deliver 50 to 60 foals a year and sending horses off to auction.
Buckner is a silent partner, and Greenfield, a self-identified “city boy” with a yen for harness racing, handles the legal side of the farm from his Toledo law office.
“We’ve scratched and clawed and gone through some terrible economic conditions and we’ve survived,” Greenfield said. “Now we’re actually breaking even and providing good livings for people. Our industry is agricultural and webs out to many different areas.”
Supporting local farms
Among those is Defiance County Farm Bureau member Dave Bockelman, who grows corn, soybeans, wheat (and straw) and hay on his family’s 1,000-acre farm in Richland Township in Defiance County. He feeds Hickory Lane’s need for 400 tons of hay a year, dropping off about 10 tons every two weeks.
“Brad and I have gotten along good over the years,” said Bockelman, noting that he’s provided the farm with hay for 25 years. “He’s always said I’ve been fair with him.”
Bockelman has several producers that he delivers to, noting that he’s been in the hay business for 50 years, but said he and Wallace really hit it off.
“Sometimes I’m sure he’s not going to take what I bring him, but he always does,” he said, acknowledging that the equine industry is an important part of agriculture.
Hickory Lane also uses about 175 tons of grain and 100 tons of straw a year, purchased from nearby farmers.
Greenfield and Wallace see a bright future for the farm. Ohio is the No. 1 state in the country for registered standardbreds and owners have had tremendous success with their breeding stallions, Wallace said. “Ohio is the heartbeat of the harness racing business,” he said. “And most of the money generated in this business goes right back into agriculture in Ohio.”
Racing returns with COVID-19 protocols in place
A return to horse racing was given the green light May 22 after two months of shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, but spectators were not allowed at live races. Tracks reopening in the state were required to follow a number of safety measures meant to encourage physical distancing.
An order was issued by the Ohio Department of Health June 16 regarding county fairs, including live racing. Visit ohha.com/covid19 for updates.
My first recommendation in your journey is to start out with a local farming friend or mentor along with joining an organization like Ohio Farm Bureau.
We’re just so thankful for the Farm Bureau and the foundation for helping put this together. And of course, the Boyert family for the vision they had with this grant. It’s jumping us forward 10 years. It’s unbelievable.
I could not have done it without the resources I have found through Farm Bureau.
It wasn’t until I joined the Wilmington College Collegiate Farm Bureau that I truly saw how my passion could translate into leadership, advocacy and a career.
The issue of property taxation remains as one of the biggest challenges our members face today. Ensuring agricultural property is valued for its agricultural potential and not development is critical to the continued success of Ohio agriculture.
Through the Select Partner program, we became educated in farm insurance and weren't just selling policies. It became more and more clear why farmers need an advocate like Ohio Farm Bureau.
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.
Featured Articles
Ohio Farm Bureau applauds Gov. DeWine dyed diesel executive order
The executive order waives state penalties and suspends discretionary enforcement related to the use of dyed diesel on public highways through Dec. 31, 2026.
Read More
Growing our Generation: Representing Ohio in Charlotte
Maggie Preston, Lincoln Deitrick and Denver Davis describe their role in agriculture, their Farm Bureau involvement and what it means to win their respective state awards.
Read More
Legal with Leah: Changes to Fuel Taxes and Dyed Diesel Regulation
Associate General Counsel Leah Curtis breaks down the changes to Ohio’s fuel tax, recent guidance on dyed diesel and what farm families need to know.
Read More
Gripp business solution to establish Ohio test group
Gripp is launching a 60-day cohort in mid-January for Ohio Farm Bureau members, offering discounted access to its asset-tracking app.
Read More
Ohio must not make it easier to seize your property for data centers, other projects
Ohio Farm Bureau recently published an op-ed in The Columbus Dispatch highlighting the importance of protecting private property rights as discussions continue around expanding eminent domain powers in Ohio.
Read More