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Rose Hartschuh didn’t grow up on a farm. But her children will.

On their dairy farm in Sycamore, Hartschuh is passing along her agricultural knowledge to her twin 9-year-old sons, sharing what she’s learned as a college student, dairy owner, county Farm Bureau member and now trustee of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation.

Hartschuh credits the Darwin Bryan scholarship she received from the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation for establishing her path. With the award, Hartschuh said, “The Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation made college attainable to me. The belief that the foundation placed in me to succeed was a motivating factor to make the most out of my college career.”

While studying agricultural education at The Ohio State University, Hartschuh found both community and purpose. “I admired the camaraderie that existed within the industry, and I also appreciated the importance of feeding the world,” she said.

Degree in hand, Hartschuh was prepared to begin her career in agriculture, but her scholarship did more than educate her. It connected her, by prompting her to get involved with the Ohio Farm Bureau. After graduating and moving to another part of the state, the first thing Hartschuh did was join the county Farm Bureau board.

“It is the relationships I have formed with my peers, mentors and professionals in the industry that have continued to allow me to experience new opportunities and to grow as a person and as a professional,” she said. Today, she serves on the Ohio Farm Bureau Board of Trustees as the representative for the Northwest Region.

Hartschuh now passes along the support she’s gained from the Ohio Farm Bureau to her young sons. That spirit of paying it forward underlies her advice to the next generation: “Give back to your community and serve those around you. The rest will fall into place.”