Nationwide, OFBF, Golden Owl

Agricultural teachers play an essential and selfless role in the communities they serve. As they prepare future generations for successful careers, many also devote countless hours and often their own resources to make a difference.

To shed light on the contributions of Ohio’s leading agricultural teachers, Nationwide, the No. 1 insurer of farms and ranches in the U.S¹., is honoring 10 exceptional teachers as finalists for its Golden Owl Award.

In partnership with the Ohio Farm Bureau and the Ohio FFA, Nationwide collected nearly 400 nominations from local students, fellow teachers, parents and community members from August to December 2020.

Ohio’s 2020-2021 Golden Owl Award finalists:

  • Don Hammersmith – Ayersville High School
  • Mike Hoffman – Wynford High School
  • Shari Anderson – Marysville High School
  • Kari Roberts – Talawanda-Butler Tech High School
  • Andrew DeLong – Chief Logan High School
  • Ryan Sell – Archbold High School
  • Ryan Rosselot – Western Brown High School
  • Abbey VanTyne – Norwayne High School
  • Pamela Schultz – Fayette High School
  • Mark Hoffman – Hillsdale High School

Each finalist will receive an individualized plaque and a $500 donation to their school’s agricultural program and will be entered into a final selection stage for the chance to be crowned as Ohio’s Ag Educator of the Year. In addition to the Ag Educator of the Year designation, the grand-prize winner will also receive a $3,000 Nationwide-funded donation to their school’s agriculture program and the coveted Golden Owl Award trophy. 

“Similar to Nationwide’s mission of delivering extraordinary care, teachers across the country go above and beyond to bring new educational opportunities for their students and help them pursue their passions,” said Nationwide Agribusiness President Brad Liggett. “We created the Golden Owl Award in 2018 to honor the contributions of teachers, highlight the growing need for their services, and supply additional resources to help boost their programs and provide students with optimal learning experiences.”

In the award’s second year, Nationwide broadened the program from two states to five, recognizing the efforts of 31 agricultural teachers across California, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio and Pennsylvania with the 2019-2020 Golden Owl Award. As a result of the positive response from the communities that Golden Owl Award nominees make a difference in, Nationwide expanded the 2020-2021 Golden Owl Award even further to include Indiana and New York.

“We’re proud to recognize hardworking teachers in seven states for their dedication to preparing future generations for success,” said Liggett.

Nationwide is also investing $5,000 in each participating state’s FFA organization, including the Ohio FFA, to further support aspiring agriculture professionals.

The Golden Owl Award is the result of partnerships between Nationwide, the California FFA, California Farm Bureau, Illinois FFA, Illinois Association of Vocational Agriculture Teachers, Farm Credit Illinois, Indiana FFA, Farm Credit Mid-America, the Iowa FFA Foundation, New York FFA, New York Farm Bureau, Ohio FFA, Ohio Farm Bureau, Pennsylvania FFA, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and Compeer Financial.

1 Source: A.M. Best Market Share Report 2019
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.
Matt Aultman's avatar
Matt Aultman

Darke County Farm Bureau

Giving farmers a voice
The plan we are on is great. It’s comparable to my previous job's plan, and we are a sole proprietor.
Kevin Holy's avatar
Kevin Holy

Geauga County Farm Bureau

Ohio Farm Bureau Health Benefits Plan
I could not have done it without the resources I have found through Farm Bureau.
Gretchan Francis's avatar
Gretchan Francis

Trumbull County Farm Bureau

Bringing the farm back to life
We really appreciate what Farm Bureau has done to get people interested in this line of work and workforce development and getting people interested in this industry.
Jody Brown Boyd's avatar
Jody Brown Boyd

Brown's Family Farm Market

Finding farm labor
We work terrifically with the Ashtabula County Farm Bureau, hosting at least one to two outreach town hall events every year to educate new farmers and existing farmers on traditional CAUV and woodlands.
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David Thomas

Ashtabula County Auditor

CAUV: Past, present and future
Because we are younger farmers just starting out, Farm Bureau has a lot of good opportunities and resources to help us grow in the future.
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Hannah Kiser

Sandusky County Farm Bureau

Farm Bureau involvement
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.
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Chad Ruhl

Farm manager, CSI Insurance

Select Partner Program
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.
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Mary Smallsreed

Trumbull County Farm Bureau

Advocacy
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