Article

The Lake County Farm Bureau held its 2021 Annual Meeting on Monday, Sept. 13, 2021, at the Lake County Youth and Community Building at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 1301 Mentor Avenue, Painesville, Ohio.

The evening started with a social and happy hour with Nationwide agents that highlighted the Farm Bureau/Nationwide relationship and heritage. Nationwide agencies represented for the evening were Ty Kellogg, of Sherman Insurance Agency. All in attendance enjoyed a delicious meal catered and served by Mama Roberto’s, as well as a selection of wine provided by Silvercrest winery and North High Brewing Cover Crop beer. Cover Crop is a blonde ale brewed in honor of Ohio Farm Bureau’s 100 year Anniversary. The ale is locally sourced and produced in Ohio by Farm Bureau members, and the name Cover Crop honors the revival of a farming practice that sustains the land and its surrounding environment.

County president Steve Ohmes presided over the event. Board trustees were voted on and elected for two-year terms. Those elected are: Samantha Bly, Eric Cotton, Todd Demshar, Hannah Lucic, Anne Poorman, Cindy Woodman and Stephanie Woodman. Layne Lassnick was elected to serve as a delegate to the Ohio Farm Bureau annual meeting in 2022. A code change to the Lake County Farm Bureau Code of Regulations was also voted on and passed, which reduced the number of board trustees from 14 to 12.  

Farm Bureau members voted on the policies that guide the county Farm Bureau and established member positions for proposals to the Ohio Farm Bureau, which will be voted on at the 2021 Ohio Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in December.  Policy positions included agriculture’s role in protecting water quality,  wildlife management, agricultural education programs, land conservation, road maintenance, and woodland management. All proposed policies passed.

The guest speaker was a representative of the Ohio Soybean Council who zoomed in and talked about the Soybean Council and the role that soybeans play in livestock feed, human food and biofuel industries.

Dick and July Parker received the Distinguished Service to Agriculture award for their exceptional contribution to Lake County agriculture and lifetime involvement in the Lake County Fair.

Anya Demshar, Paige Lucic and Julia Bystrom were acknowledged as the 2021 Lake County Farm Bureau scholarship recipients, all represented by their parents.

Lake County Organization Director Mandy Orahood recognized the Lake County Farm Bureau board of trustees, action team leaders and membership coordinators for their 2021 accomplishments and thanked them all for their commitment to the Lake County Farm Bureau.  

The annual meeting was also a celebration of the work our members, volunteers and staff put into representing the Farm Bureau in advancing agriculture and strengthening our communities” and setting the course of the Lake County Farm Bureau for 2022.