Applications for Ohio Farm Bureau Health Plans now available
Members have three ways to apply: contacting a certified agent, calling 833-468-4280 or visiting ohiofarmbureauhealthplans.org.
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Bobby Moser has been around agriculture his entire life.
The former dean of the Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences has seen a lot of change over the years, but it is the advancement of ag technology that has enhanced productivity Moser said has made the biggest impact.
“Biotech, GPS, drones, all of the advancements have been most impressive,” Moser said. Having a sustainable, educated workforce in agriculture to keep up with the technology demand is imperative, he said.
So when Moser was asked to join the board of the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation about three years ago, he welcomed the opportunity to support the industry he loved.
Now several years into his service as a director on the foundation board, the excitement in his voice as he talks about the direction the philanthropic arm of Ohio Farm Bureau is headed is plain to hear.
“Our Youth Pathways and ExploreAg programs are right in line with what we need in agriculture,” he said. “That is what I’m most excited about. We need bright young minds in agriculture to increase and enhance production. The key to ag is to educate, develop and move the industry forward.”
Youth Pathways and ExploreAg are two initiatives born out of The Fisher Fund for Lifelong Learning. Both are entering their second year and aim to introduce as many youth as possible to careers in agriculture, both on and off the farm. (See sidebar).
“The ability to impact the lives of young leaders is so important to the future of our state and country,” said Doug Miller, vice president of Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives. “Important to me is exposing young people to career opportunities in rural Ohio. If we can retain them and their families that would go a long way to reinvigorate the rural economy.”
Moser and Miller aren’t alone in their excitement as directors of the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation. Board President Heather Thiltgen, senior vice president of individual sales for Medical Mutual, said that same enthusiasm emanates from all of her board colleagues.
“I serve on a few not-for-profit boards and this is the one people are the most engaged in,” Thiltgen said. “There is a passion for making a difference in this space and that commitment bleeds through in every single board meeting.”
At a recent foundation board meeting, Annalies Corbin, president of the PAST Foundation, gave a report about the Youth Pathways “prep” pitch presentations she and Foundation Executive Director Chris Baker had recently held as part of the Youth Pathways request for proposal process.
“I wish more of you could have experienced it,” she told her fellow board members. “We had 13 pitches, which was more than I expected.”
As Corbin described the many different projects presented, it was evident the strategic mission of the foundation was clearly in focus. Helping develop a robust ag workforce is something that has become the foundation’s priority over the last few years, Thiltgen said.
“There has been a huge evolution,” said Thiltgen, who has been on the foundation board for four years. “We have a strategic focus on how we build ag leaders and support and nurture them. It’s the purpose of the foundation and that purpose has resonated with donors.”
It’s resonated clearly with board members as well, some of whom didn’t have a full grasp of many of the challenges agriculture is facing in the future, despite knowing a fair amount about farming.
“With a background in a county-level Farm Bureau Board, and having the benefit of Young Ag Professionals (programming) and (OSU) Extension classes, I believed myself fairly well-informed/read/experienced in this arena,” said Rose Vargo-McFarland, an attorney at Steely Law Office in Circleville. “However, service on this board has opened my eyes to the stark need for human capital in agricultural industries, in our state and federally. The numbers of projected unfilled jobs provide this board with the opportunity to assist in addressing a major and pressing need for our community.”
It is also one of many aspects of agriculture that the public doesn’t see when they drive by a cornfield in July or visit a farm to pick up a pumpkin in October.
“I was not aware of how vast the farming enterprises in Ohio are (before joining the board),” Corbin said. “There is a public misconception about what farming is and we do not fully understand the breadth and depth of farming in the 21st century.”
Foundation Director Jane Scott, president and CEO of the Columbus Metropolitan Club, grew up on a small family farm and also worked in the industry. She took CMC members out to tour Farm Science Review last September so they could experience first-hand the latest in agriculture.
“It’s very true that you can take the boy (girl) out of the farm, but you can’t take the farm out of the girl,” Scott said. “Being on the foundation board feels like home to me.”
Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation Board of Directors
Heather Thiltgen, president
Senior Vice President Individual Sales, Medical Mutual
Wade Smith, vice president
Ohio Farm Bureau State Trustee
Cy Prettyman, treasurer
Ohio Farm BureauState Trustee
Lane Osswald
Ohio Farm Bureau State Trustee
Adam Sharp
Ohio Farm Bureau Executive Vice President
Michael Bailey
Ohio Farm Bureau Vice President of Strategic Partnerships
Chris Baker, secretary
Foundation Executive Director
Angela Cauley
CEO of Coalescence
Annalies Corbin
President & CEO of the PAST Foundation
Tara Durbin
Senior Vice President Financial Services Farm Credit Mid-America
Dan Durheim
Associate Vice President Sponsor Relations, Nationwide
Doug Miller
Vice President Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives
Rose Vargo-McFarland
Attorney at Steely Law Office in Circleville
Bobby Moser
Retired Dean of OSU College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences
Jane Scott
President & CEO Columbus Metropolitan Club
Mike Townsley
President & CEO of Bob Evans Farm Foods
My first recommendation in your journey is to start out with a local farming friend or mentor along with joining an organization like Ohio Farm Bureau.
We’re just so thankful for the Farm Bureau and the foundation for helping put this together. And of course, the Boyert family for the vision they had with this grant. It’s jumping us forward 10 years. It’s unbelievable.
I could not have done it without the resources I have found through Farm Bureau.
It wasn’t until I joined the Wilmington College Collegiate Farm Bureau that I truly saw how my passion could translate into leadership, advocacy and a career.
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.
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.
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.
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