Hartschuh Sheep

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!

Rose Hartschuh
Rose Hartschuh

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.

Farm Labor Resources
Labor has always been an issue, mainly because we are a seasonal operation. So that's a challenge finding somebody who only wants to work three months out of a year, sometimes up to six months.
Mandy Way's avatar
Mandy Way

Way Farms

Farm Labor Resources
Strong communities
I appreciate the benefit of having a strong voice in my corner. The extras that are included in membership are wonderful, but I'm a member because of the positive impact to my local and state agricultural communities.
Ernie Welch's avatar
Ernie Welch

Van Wert County Farm Bureau

Strong communities
Leadership development
I see the value and need to be engaged in the community I live in, to be a part of the decision-making process and to volunteer with organizations that help make our community better.
Matt Aultman's avatar
Matt Aultman

Darke County Farm Bureau

Leadership development
Young Ag Professionals program
Farm Bureau involvement has taught me how to grow my professional and leadership experience outside of the workforce and how to do that in a community-centric way.
Jaclyn De Candio's avatar
Jaclyn De Candio

Clark County Farm Bureau

Young Ag Professionals program
Growing our Generation
With not growing up on a farm, I’d say I was a late bloomer to agriculture. I feel so fortunate that I found the agriculture industry. There are so many opportunities for growth.
Jenna Gregorich's avatar
Jenna Gregorich

Coshocton County Farm Bureau

Growing our Generation
Groovy Plants Ranch
Knowing that horticulture is under the agriculture umbrella and having Farm Bureau supporting horticulture like it does the rest of ag is very important.
Jared Hughes's avatar
Jared Hughes

Groovy Plants Ranch

Groovy Plants Ranch
Washington, D.C. Leadership Experience
If it wasn't for Farm Bureau, I personally, along with many others, would not have had the opportunity to meet with our representatives face to face in Washington.
Austin Heil's avatar
Austin Heil

Hardin County Farm Bureau

Washington, D.C. Leadership Experience
Advocacy
So many of the issues that OFBF and its members are advocating for are important to all Ohioans. I look at OFBF as an agricultural watchdog advocating for farmers and rural communities across Ohio.
Mary Smallsreed's avatar
Mary Smallsreed

Trumbull County Farm Bureau

Advocacy
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