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There are four Collegiate Farm Bureaus in the state, at The Ohio State University, Wilmington College, Wright State University – Lake Campus and the newest at the University of Findlay. We asked each of the chapter presidents what makes their Collegiate Farm Bureau essential and unique.

Learn more about Collegiate Farm Bureaus by contacting Katie Share, Collegiate Farm Bureau coordinator, at [email protected].

“The driving force behind establishing a Collegiate Farm Bureau at the University of Findlay is to help connect students to businesses and people in the agriculture communities,” said Gracelyn Heider, a Greene County Farm Bureau member and president of the newly launched collegiate chapter. Heider is majoring in animal science (pre-veterinary science) at Findlay. “We are hoping this new club will allow students to find agriculture connections in their communities and open opportunities for future internships and jobs.” Heider leads a new officer team that is busy brainstorming many exciting opportunities for this year, including hosting agricultural speakers and planning tours to industry facilities, as well as coordinating various workshops to help foster community involvement and preparation for future internship and job opportunities.  “We would like to do service projects to give back to our agriculture community and have resume building workshops with mock interviews,” Heider said.

“Collegiate Farm Bureau is like many student orgs on campus, but what sets us apart fromthe others is the personal and career development opportunities we provide for students. We not only have ties to a major institution, OSU, but we also have the support of the Ohio Farm Bureau,” said Sarah Hoak, a Richland County Farm Bureau member and president of the Ohio State collegiate chapter. Hoak is majoring in sustainable agriculture.

“This allows us access to so many incredible opportunities. Along with Farm Bureau career development events, we also lead a community service event every year.”  Last year, the OSU chapter made and donated 24 ag literacy kits to Columbus City Schools. When presenting the kits, members interacted with elementary students and talked about agriculture. “Ag advocacy comes in many forms, and through this community service project, members got to push themselves outside of their comfort zones and see another side of agricultural advocacy,” she said. Membership in Collegiate Farm Bureau offers the same member benefits as all other members, which means that each chapter has access to Farm Bureau events. “The chapter is launching its flagship experience, the D.C. Policy Experience, this spring,” Hoak said. “This will allow members to experience Washington, D.C., gain exposure to policy and industry issues and build a solid foundation for proactive advocacy.”

“Our Collegiate Farm Bureau chapter at Wilmington College provides a connection for students to the agriculture industry through leadership, professional and career development,” said Ruth Beery, a Ross County Farm Bureau member and president of the collegiate chapter. Beery is studying animal science and biology at Wilmington. “Our connections with Ohio Farm Bureau and the other state Collegiate Farm Bureaus also open up a network of industry professionals and other students who will move forward with our collegiate members as they go into their career.”  Wilmington Collegiate Farm Bureau was awarded a $500 mini-grant from American Farm Bureau for its etiquette dinner, which takes place annually in February. “Our annual etiquette dinner focuses on giving students an opportunity to learn more professional etiquette to use in their professional career…because of the numerous dinners that students can attend and may need prepared for in their careers, including conferences, scholarship meals or other professional events,” Beery said. “February (2026) will mark the third year that we have hosted this event, and we have enjoyed improving on it year after year. It’s also an important event because we invite other students that are not a part of Farm Bureau to connect to our chapter and provide an opportunity to learn about dinner etiquette with us.”

“Located within a county with deep agricultural roots, the campus offers chapter members meaningful opportunities to connect with local community members who are dedicated to the agriculture industry,” said Morgan Rempfer, a Mercer County Farm Bureau member and president of the collegiate chapter. Rempfer is pursuing a bachelor of technical and applied studies with an agricultural concentration at Wright State.

“The chapter fosters a supportive environment where members can share experiences and learn from one another, as many come from strong agricultural backgrounds. This collaboration helps build a lasting network of peers that continues to support students beyond graduation.” Wright State University – Lake Campus was awarded a $500 mini-grant from American Farm Bureau for its Emerging Ag Conference, which takes place on March 30 this year.  “The event will feature a trade show, professional development breakout sessions (new this year) and a keynote address by Katie Share, who serves as the Collegiate Farm Bureau coordinator for the Ohio Farm Bureau,” Rempfer said. “We were thrilled to receive a mini-grant in support of this conference. The event is especially impactful as it attracts participation from FFA chapters, community members, area businesses and Wright State students, creating an evening rich in networking and professional development opportunities.”