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When Sarah Hoak graduates from Ohio State University with a major in sustainable agriculture, she’ll have plenty of help getting a job.

Her secret weapon? Membership in the university’s Collegiate Farm Bureau chapter, one of three in Ohio and 120 across the country.

“It’s opened so many doors for me,” said Hoak, a second-year Ohio State student who hails from Shelby, Ohio, in Richland County. “The chapter provides so much professional development and networking, and I know the connections you have and the people you know helps so much.”

Collegiate chapters connect agriculture students with grassroots Farm Bureau efforts at county, state and national levels, said Katie Share, Ohio Farm Bureau ExploreAg and youth development specialist.

“This is a generation that’ll bring in new ideas, and we want to keep them interested in staying in the ag field,” Share said. “It’s a great personal and professional tool.”

Hoak’s participation with her collegiate chapter already has helped her find an internship for the summer, and she’s expanded her agricultural knowledge with industry speakers the chapter hosted. She’s also participated in Ohio Farm Bureau’s Ag Day at the Capital in Columbus and a similar program in Washington, D.C. meeting with state and national legislators.

As Ohio State Collegiate Farm Bureau president this school year, she’s helping organize agriculture literacy kits for Columbus first graders, thanks to a $500 American Farm Bureau Federation grant awarded to the chapter.

The Wilmington College Collegiate Farm Bureau chapter also received a $500 grant, which chapter president Ruth Beery said they used to pay for a dinner focusing on dining etiquette.
Beery, a junior studying animal science and biology with a goal of becoming a veterinarian, has belonged to Wilmington’s collegiate chapter for three years. She’s from Frankfort, Ohio, in Ross County and became interested in agriculture through 4-H and FFA.

“We strive to develop ag students beyond the classroom with professional and career development,” she said. Last semester, chapter members boxed up lunches for Clinton County farmers and delivered them during the harvest season. In April, the chapter hosted its annual Earth Day/Ag Day event for the community.

Chapter members also have participated in state-level competitions sponsored by Ohio Farm Bureau, including Collegiate Discussion Meets, where participants have conversations around agricultural issues and are judged on their subject knowledge, problem-solving abilities and communications skills. OSU Collegiate Farm Bureau member Jed Adams made the national Sweet 16 at the national discussion meet contest in February.

Both the Ohio State and Wilmington collegiate chapters have about 40 members and meet monthly or bi-monthly. Each member pays a $40-a-year student membership fee to the Ohio Farm Bureau to participate. The third collegiate chapter in Ohio is at Wright State University–Lake Campus.

Share would like to expand the number of chapters in Ohio at schools with strong agriculture departments, such as Miami University and University of Findlay.

“I’m happy to connect with them and help them get established,” she said. “There are so many opportunities members have access to, including scholarships and internships.”

Farm Bureau also has hired collegiate members to serve as social media ambassadors at events and included them in the Young Ag Professionals annual Winter Leadership Experience.

Hoak said chapter activities have influenced her future in agriculture. As a result of meeting with legislators through Farm Bureau, she’s now interested in becoming a lobbyist and advocating for agriculture.

She expects her chapter membership also will help her long after she graduates.

“Building those networks within the ag industry can get you so far,” she said.
Share said she is excited to see how the future generation of agriculturalists evolve the industry.

“I am honored to work with the Collegiate Farm Bureau chapters across the state of Ohio,” she said. “It has been incredible to see how each of the chapters have grown and the innovative ways they engage with Ohio Farm Bureau, their campuses and their communities. This generation of young leaders will truly have a positive impact in their agricultural and farm communities.”

Learn more about Collegiate Farm Bureaus on the Ohio Farm Bureau Podcast.

What to do next

If you know individuals aged 18 to 24, remember that the young member rate is just $40 for an annual Farm Bureau membership. 

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