Nick and Bailey Elchinger

Young Agricultural Professionals State Committee members Nick and Bailey Elchinger were both raised in agriculture and now are raising their two young daughters, Parker Jo and Chloe, the same. On their Henry County farm, they produce corn, soybeans and wheat along with baling both hay and straw commercially. Bailey also works off the farm for StoneX in Bowling Green, helping farmers, grain elevators and livestock producers mitigate the risks they face regarding commodity prices.

Nick was born and raised in northwest Ohio on a small family farm where he learned to love farming alongside his grandfather, father and brother. Bailey was born and raised on a small family hog farm in southern Michigan. She began her Ohio Farm Bureau journey right after college and got involved with the Henry County Farm Bureau board of trustees. In addition to her many volunteer activities, she also was the state Discussion Meet winner in 2013.

“My parents and grandparents are very active and involved Farm Bureau members,” she said. “It was natural for me to be a member in college and that evolved when I moved to Ohio.”

As new state committee members, she and Nick are heavily involved in all aspects of planning the 2022 Young Ag Professionals Winter Leadership Experience, a statewide conference taking place Jan. 28-29 in Cincinnati. Bailey has a special focus on entertainment, and Nick is helping coordinate the conference partners showcase and networking event. In addition, Bailey is serving as YAP committee secretary.

“We have met people inside our county as well as outside our county. Without Farm Bureau, we likely would not have met them,” Nick said.

Part of their focus on the state committee is to increase involvement of young ag professionals at all levels of Farm Bureau. They are working to increase awareness of Farm Bureau and bridge the gap between ag programs in high schools in the state, all the way to more seasoned veterans in agriculture in Ohio.
“We both really value our membership in Farm Bureau and the things Farm Bureau does for us and our farm. We really value our membership and we want to convey that value to others,” Bailey said.

2022 Conference

Registration for the 2022 YAP Winter Leadership Conference opens Oct. 13. Visit experienceyap.com for more information.

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