Article

Changing leaves signal that deer hunting season is upon us. In the September/October issue of Our Ohio magazine, we take a deep dive into hunting lease options available to both hunters and landowners from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.

Also in this issue we check in with the Ohio Restaurant Association on how our industry partners have survived not only coming out of the pandemic, but also ongoing supply chain woes and labor shortages across the state and nation. We also talk with Dan Young of Young’s Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs about his thoughts on the future of the industry. 

Strong rural centers are the backbone of farm communities, and watching many decline over the years is alarming. The comeback story of Bellefontaine, through the ongoing efforts of real estate developer Small Nation, which is owned and operated by those who grew up in or near the county, is an inspiring blueprint for villages and cities across the state. Their holistic work with local entrepreneurs is lifting Logan County in more ways than one. 

In September/October we also meet the 2022 ag teacher of the year Barrett Zimmerman, who was awarded the Golden Owl Award, sponsored by Nationwide, at the state FFA conference earlier this year. In this issue we also learn the story of the Morgan family in Champaign County, whose use of Nationwide’s Land As Your Legacy program gave them peace of mind when they needed it the most. 

With early voting beginning Oct. 1, Executive Vice President Adam Sharp’s Across the Table column talks about the importance of voting for and retaining “consistent” justices on the Ohio Supreme Court. We also have a story on testimony Sharp and others gave at a joint hearing of the Ohio House and Ohio Senate ag committees on the importance of the Ohio State Fair and Ohio Expo Center to ag youth in the state.  

Other items of interest in this issue include a Farm Science Review preview in the latest OSU Impact from the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, as well as reader favorites — autumn recipes and Grow and Know events. 

These are just some of what members will find in the latest issue of Our Ohio magazine, a benefit of Farm Bureau membership and Our Ohio supporters. A digital edition is also available.

Photo by Dave Liggett