Our Ohio Weekly: Recent Media Coverage of Rural Ohio
Small town Ohio isn’t getting a whole lot of attention these days, but two journalists are looking to rural Ohio for stories and sharing what they find with the entire nation.
Read MoreJami Dellifield, Family and Consumer Sciences educator with Ohio State University Extension’s Hardin County office, is the recipient of the first Y Prize.
The Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation recognized Jami Dellifield with the first ever Yvonne Lesicko Perseverance Prize, or Y Prize for short, for her innovative work on farmer mental health initiatives.
Dellifield serves as a Family and Consumer Sciences educator with Ohio State University Extension’s Hardin County office. After seeing the stress effects of farm life on producers in her area, Dellifield led the charge of bringing farmer mental health to the forefront of her efforts. Dellifield took it upon herself to find training and resources – not just for herself, but for others in OSU Extension to address farm stress issues.
The Y Prize is a new award created by the Yvonne Lesicko Memorial Fund. The fund was created in 2020 to honor Yvonne Lesicko, former vice president of public policy for Ohio Farm Bureau. The fund, within the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation, was established to support the causes and initiatives that were important to Lesicko.
“I am beyond honored to be a part of this as I think about all of the amazing things that Yvonne did to keep the mental health of farmers and our entire community a priority,” Dellifield said. “She was a true leader and did so much for this very important issue for agriculture.”
Dellifield is a trainer and an advocate for mental health literacy programs such as Mental Health First Aid and Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR), where the focus is on improving knowledge of signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use problems. She has taught well over 1,000 farmers and farm youth around the state and also has been a trainer for professionals working with farm communities.
As the 2021 Y Prize award winner, Dellifield will be given a platform to share her work and the efforts of Ohio State University Extension for farm stress and mental health. Dellifield will be a presenter at the 2022 Young Ag Professionals Winter Leadership Experience. All of this is part of the award’s goal of lessening the stigma surrounding mental health issues.
To contribute to the Yvonne Lesicko Memorial Fund, visit the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation website at OhioFarmBureau.org/donate.
The Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation, a 501(c) (3) charitable, nonprofit organization, understands the need to inspire innovation and cultivate investment in Ohio’s farm and food community. Learn more by visiting OhioFarmBureau.org/foundation.
This is a news release for use by journalists. Questions should be directed to Ty Higgins, 614-246-8231 or [email protected].
Editors: A high-resolution photo of Ms. Dellifield is available for download.
Caption: Lesicko’s siblings presented the Y Prize to Dellifield. Pictured from left: Annette Houck, Lawrence Houck, Janene Kehl, Dellifield and Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation Executive Director Kelly Burns.
Small town Ohio isn’t getting a whole lot of attention these days, but two journalists are looking to rural Ohio for stories and sharing what they find with the entire nation.
Read MoreJenna Gregorich of Coshocton County is the editor of the June 2022 Growing our Generation enewsletter.
Read MoreOhio Farm Bureau Foundation recently awarded nearly $85,000 in scholarships to students across the state, the highest amount given in a single year.
Read MoreRose Hartschuh didn’t grow up on a farm, but her children will.
Read MoreJana Mussard of Mount Vernon, Ohio has been named ExploreAg and ag literacy program specialist for Ohio Farm Bureau.
Read MoreKelly Warner of Harrod has been named director of donor engagement and giving for the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation.
Read MoreThe innovative program is free to high school students who often don’t know what Ohio agriculture jobs are available.
Read MoreTeaching students about the career possibilities in agriculture – and at places like Davey Tree Expert Company – is a key mission of the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation.
Read MoreLeveraging the resources of the Fisher Fund for Lifelong Learning, Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation launched a Youth Pathways initiative in…
Read MoreThrough 12 scholarship funds, approximately 50 awards will be made to deserving students. The deadline to apply online at ohiofarmbureau.org/foundation is Feb. 28.
Read More