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Deirdre Christy of Carey, Ohio, is one of 14 farmers and agribusiness professionals selected to participate in Ohio Farm Bureau’s 2023-2024 AgriPOWER Institute.

AgriPOWER is a program of Ohio Farm Bureau and designed for farmers and agribusiness professionals. It focuses on public issues that are relevant to the food industry such as consumer relations, regulations, energy and trade policies. In AgriPOWER, individuals develop the skills necessary to become effective leaders and advocates for agriculture by learning from experts in these fields. 

Christy is a tax preparer and insurance agent at a small family run business. The company was founded to help the niche market of farm and agribusiness clients due to the unique challenges they face for insurance coverage and tax rules that need to be navigated. She was raised on a farm that primarily produced grain crops (corn, wheat, soybeans) and hay. She was active in 4-H and FFA and earned her State FFA degree. Christy attended Ohio State University, earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and received the American FFA degree.

“AgriPOWER XIV is poised to provide these budding leaders with a remarkable chance to delve into the intricate challenges that Ohio agriculture faces, all while fine-tuning their abilities as powerful advocates for the industry,” said Melinda Witten, director of AgriPOWER. “We eagerly look forward to witnessing the transformative journey these participants will embark upon as they engage with the AgriPOWER program.”

One of the sessions will take place in Washington, D.C. to give participants a better understanding of national and global issues, and an out-of-state session will help them learn about the differences and similarities in agriculture outside of Ohio.

Partnering with Ohio Farm Bureau on AgriPOWER Class XIV are Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation, Ohio Soybean Council, Farm Credit Mid-America, AgCredit, Legacy Farmers Cooperative, Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association, Certified Angus Beef, Stark County Farm Bureau, PBS Animal Health and United Producers Inc.    

For additional information about AgriPOWER, visit ofb.ag/agripower.

This is a news release for use by journalists. Questions should be directed to Ty Higgins, 614-246-8231 or [email protected].

Editors: A high-resolution photo of Deirdre Christy is available for download.