Meet Preble County Trustee Paul Hays

Paul Hays has been a Farm Bureau member for 20 years and has served on the Preble County board of trustees for several of them. His hope is “to see future generations be able to keep up the fight. Agriculture and the tech involved with it is changing at breakneck speed. Along with this comes new challenges and issues to be addressed. Also, pressure from outside sources such as solar, wind, and development. I believe agriculture will always be around in some form but definitely needs to have a presence in the discussions surrounding the issues. Farm Bureau has undergone a number of changes over the years to adapt and maintain a presence. I hope this presence can continue well into the future.”

Hays grew up in a Farm Bureau family so it could be said that being a Farm Bureau member is a Hays family tradition. A couple years after becoming a member himself, he was approached about joining the board, and has been involved in various ways over the years. Paul believes having a voice at the state and national levels for agriculture is very valuable, and the fight to maintain CAUV is a major benefit to members.

Hays farms full time and operates an ag transportation enterprise. His family farm is an Ohio Bicentennial Farm that has been in the family since 1812, and he is somewhere around the 8th generation to be involved in farming it. Paul’s roots run deep. 

Thank you for your support of Preble County agriculture, Paul!

The issue of property taxation remains as one of the biggest challenges our members face today. Ensuring agricultural property is valued for its agricultural potential and not development is critical to the continued success of Ohio agriculture.
Matt Aultman's avatar
Matt Aultman

Darke County Farm Bureau

Giving farmers a voice
The plan we are on is great. It’s comparable to my previous job's plan, and we are a sole proprietor.
Kevin Holy's avatar
Kevin Holy

Geauga County Farm Bureau

Ohio Farm Bureau Health Benefits Plan
I could not have done it without the resources I have found through Farm Bureau.
Gretchan Francis's avatar
Gretchan Francis

Trumbull County Farm Bureau

Bringing the farm back to life
We really appreciate what Farm Bureau has done to get people interested in this line of work and workforce development and getting people interested in this industry.
Jody Brown Boyd's avatar
Jody Brown Boyd

Brown's Family Farm Market

Finding farm labor
We work terrifically with the Ashtabula County Farm Bureau, hosting at least one to two outreach town hall events every year to educate new farmers and existing farmers on traditional CAUV and woodlands.
David Thomas's avatar
David Thomas

Ashtabula County Auditor

CAUV: Past, present and future
Because we are younger farmers just starting out, Farm Bureau has a lot of good opportunities and resources to help us grow in the future.
Hannah Kiser's avatar
Hannah Kiser

Sandusky County Farm Bureau

Farm Bureau involvement
Through the Select Partner program, we became educated in farm insurance and weren't just selling policies. It became more and more clear why farmers need an advocate like Ohio Farm Bureau.
Chad Ruhl's avatar
Chad Ruhl

Farm manager, CSI Insurance

Select Partner Program
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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