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Editor’s note: Rose Hartschuh represents the 24 counties of northwest Ohio on the Ohio Farm Bureau Board of Trustees. To help support the work counties in the northwest region are doing to grow membership, she and the other six state board trustees in that area launched a Farm Bureau Membership Monday email. Each issue shows appreciation to volunteers, helps members get to know their trustees and provides tips or encouragement to keep working toward county goals.

Hello Fellow Farm Bureau Members!

For those of you I haven’t had the opportunity to meet, my name is Rose Hartschuh, and I represent the 24 counties of northwest Ohio on the Ohio Farm Bureau Board of Trustees. To help support the work you’re doing in your counties to grow membership, I, along with the six district trustees in NW Ohio, are launching this Farm Bureau Membership Monday email (in the Northwest Region). We want you to know that we appreciate what you do to position our organization for success. We hope these weekly newsletters, now through the end of the membership campaign, will help you get to know your state trustees better while also providing some tips or encouragement to keep working toward your county goals. Feel free to reach out to any of us at any time with questions or concerns. Thanks for all you do for our Farm Bureau!

Enjoy this first edition, and next week, you’ll hear from another NW Ohio trustee!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m Rose Hartschuh. My husband, Greg, and I farm in Crawford County with his parents and our twin, nine-year-old sons. We have a dairy farm and commercial sheep operation, and we grow corn, soybeans, hay, and forage crops. I grew up in Farm Bureau. I remember attending Community Council meetings as a small child, and even though I didn’t understand the issues my parents were discussing, I knew from an early age that Farm Bureau got things done. I participated in youth events, such as camps and conferences, and throughout college and my early career, I was active in the Young Ag Professionals. I served for almost 10 years on my county board. During that time, my husband and I were named the 2018 American Farm Bureau Excellence in Ag winners. I have served on the OFBF Board of Trustees since 2018.

Why are you a member?

Alone, my voice doesn’t go very far, but collectively, when we raise our voices as Farm Bureau, we are able to impact change. I’m a Farm Bureau member, because I know that whether it is sharing a program in our local communities or lobbying on Capitol Hill, we can do more together.

What is something you’ve personally done this membership campaign to spread the word about Farm Bureau?

Last week, I attended a local Kiwanis meeting with my OD to share the work Farm Bureau is doing in our community and statewide. We didn’t approach it as a membership pitch, but rather, we just went to spread the word, and we had such positive conversations! I think we automatically go into sales pitch mode at membership time, but working membership can be as simple as sharing a positive message about who Farm Bureau is and what we do. And, as a bonus, we signed one new member and a winback who hadn’t renewed for several years!

What’s one piece of advice you would offer to volunteers working membership?

Make a prospect list! Think of individuals or businesses who could benefit from being a part of Farm Bureau. Run your list past your OD or COA to see who is a member and who isn’t. Make a goal to target a few of those prospects this week.