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Four Ohioans who have committed their lives to working in, promoting and advocating for Ohio’s farm community will be honored Friday, Aug. 7, 2020, by the Ohio Agricultural Council, when they are inducted into the Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame.  Editor’s Note: The 2020 event has been postponed until 2021.

This year’s inductees are Joe Cornely of Westerville, Dr. Tony Forshey of Hebron, Larry R. Gearhardt of Covington and Wendell L. Waters of West Lafayette.

Induction is currently planned in Kasich Hall on the state fairgrounds, which features the Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame display and salute to Ohio’s agriculture community. The following four inductees will join 233 prior recipients named since 1966 when the program began.

Joe Cornely

For more than 40 years, Joe Cornely has dedicated his time to improving the agriculture industry through communication – cementing his name as a true guide and trusted news source for Ohio agriculture. Cornely began his communication career at WKTN in Hardin County, serving local farmers through his broadcast. He later joined the WRFD radio stations, developing the station’s 90-minute mid-day farm program that reached 80 Ohio counties.

In 1998, Cornely was hired as the director of media relations at the Ohio Farm Bureau. As the voice of Ohio Farm Bureau for more than 20 years, he made numerous contributions to the organization: helping to create the Our Ohio magazine, developing the radio program Town Hall Ohio, and launching the organization’s social media accounts. Cornely retired from OFBF in 2019, leaving a legacy that will last for years to come.

Cornely has been recognized at both the state and national level. He has twice been awarded the Ohio Farm Bureau agricultural communicator award – the only two-time recipient of the award. He was chosen by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture John Block to accompany the U.S. Delegation to the European Union Economic Summit. Cornely was president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters in 1995 and was voted the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year by his peers in 1996.

Dr. Tony Forshey

A mentor to future veterinarians and a champion of preventative measures, Dr. Tony Forshey made invaluable contributions to the betterment of the swine industry in his 27 years as a practicing veterinarian. The swine industry has grown significantly due to his focus on herd health and disease prevention, rather than simply treating sick animals. As an adjunct faculty member of the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine, Forshey mentored countless students, many of whom are now involved in Ohio agriculture as livestock producers or food animal veterinarians.

After leaving his private practice in 2005, Forshey joined the Ohio Department of Agriculture as the assistant state veterinarian, later appointed the state veterinarian and chief of the Division of Animal Health. In this position, he is charged with protecting and promoting Ohio’s livestock and poultry industries. Through his leadership, Forshey has made significant investments in the betterment of the industry, most notably the creation of the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board – the most comprehensive livestock care standards in the U.S.

Forshey has been recognized by the industry on numerous occasions, including the 1998 Ohio Pork Producers Council Service Award for Outstanding Service to the Ohio Swine Industry, the 2010 Ohio Veterinary Medical Association’s Veterinarian of the Year Award and as the Distinguished Alumnus of the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2013.

Larry R. Gearhardt

Equally comfortable in blue jeans or a suit, Larry R. Gearhardt moves with ease from his small family farm, raising crops and livestock, to the Ohio Statehouse, lobbying on behalf of Ohio agriculture. Gearhardt began his career at a local general civil practice in 1979, before transitioning to the Ohio Farm Bureau as an attorney and legislative analyst in 1991. He now serves of counsel at Barrett, Easterday, Cunningham and Eselgroth and volunteers with Ohio Northern University’s Agricultural Law program – the only one of its kind in Ohio and one which Gearhardt was a driving force in establishing.

In his distinguished career, Gearhardt has made significant impact on agriculture’s political landscape. He was an advocate of private property rights, battling government’s overuse of eminent domain and strengthening landowner rights through his time on Ohio’s eminent domain task force. Gearhardt was a major force in instituting the “Fast Tractor Law,” which resulted in the adoption of speed identification symbols, as well as legislation involving weight variances, slow moving vehicle signs and the use of dual wheel tractor lights.

Gearhardt is known for his willingness to listen and advise, no matter the situation: whether it is an intentional phone call or a casual conversation in the grocery store, diner or local sporting event. He has spent his career perpetuating the advancement of agricultural law and serving as an ambassador to the farming community, political arena and beyond.

Wendell L. Waters

An untiring advocate for the agriculture industry, Wendell Waters has changed the face of Ohio agriculture through the sharing of his time and experience. Following a short term as the vocational agriculture teacher at Ridgewood Local Schools, Waters and his wife Marcia formed WenMar Farms, Inc., which today consists of 4,000 acres of corn and soybeans, and a 3,600-sow farrow to finish hog operation.

In the late 1970s, Waters joined the “Ohio Corn Rookies” – an informal group of farmers that met to discuss farm management techniques. As the group evolved, the farmers realized it was time to form an official organization to be a voice for Ohio’s corn farmers. Waters, with several other “Rookie” trailblazers, founded the Ohio Corn Growers in 1977, which he would serve for eleven years in many capacities, including president. He also advocated for the Ohio Corn Marketing Program, which was established in 1989 for the betterment of Ohio’s corn industry.

Waters was instrumental in creating the PGI Group in 1994, a coalition of hog farmers that lowers costs through standardized genetics, jointly markets animals to increase market prices and shares best practices to continuously improve the hog industry. For more than 50 years, Waters has been a champion for Ohio farmers, ensuring the industry continues to thrive for years to come.

The Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame induction annually attracts more than 600 guests to honor the Ohio agricultural community and the select inductees dedicated to Ohio’s largest industry.

For further information or to be a sponsor in honor of the inductees and in celebration of Ohio agriculture, contact the Ohio Agricultural Council at 614-794-8970 or via email at [email protected]. The celebration details and date are subject to change based on COVID-19 restrictions.