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The Morrow County program year started with kicking off the volunteer membership drive on Feb. 13, in Mt. Gilead. The membership committee was provided training and materials to help talk to people about membership. Morrow County Farm Bureau met the goal of farmer member gain with 351 farming members and 505 total members.

To help farmers and rural landowners, a monthly e-blast about risk management topics and Nationwide products and services offered for those specific issues is sent.

Ag Day at the Capital, held annually in February, provides a forum for members to meet with the state legislature. Seth Romine, Eddie Lou Meimer and Manny Heilman attended. Romine also attended the Presidents’ Trip  to D.C. in March to advocate for the needs of local farm families and rural residents.

March 2, the Farmers Share Breakfast was held at Handlebar Ranch. Jack Irvin from Ohio Farm Bureau’s policy team moderated a roundtable discussion with county political candidates.

March 20 and 21, Morrow County Farm Bureau hosted one of four manure pit safety and rescue training sessions where farmers, firefighters and other emergency personnel learned critical information about the hazards of working around manure pits, the importance of air quality monitoring, and how to use body harnesses, lifelines, and retrieval equipment. The training featured a one-of-a-kind manure pit rescue simulator. First responders make up over 60% of the fatalities related to manure pit accidents, highlighting the critical need for this training at our rural fire departments. The sponsors were Farm Credit Mid-America, Centerra Co-op, Hord Family Farms, Farmer Boy Ag, The First Citizens National Bank, CSI Insurance, Douce Insurance, Gerber Insurance and Hempy Water. This program will be recognized as a County Activity of Excellence at the American Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in January in San Antonio.

The Policy Development process began in March with a meeting of members and public officials. Board members and action team members worked through all of the suggestions after the meeting. The proposals were voted on at the Morrow County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in July. The adopted policies, which guide program development, can be found here. 

Partnerships with local companies and agencies also help Morrow County Farm Bureau serve members and improve the community. In early May, members helped OSU Extension with the 5th Graders’ Safety Day and made students aware of farm safety issues.

June 22, Morrow County Farm Bureau and the Morrow County Dairy Association co-hosted the Morrow County Dairy Tour. Attendees toured Spring Valley Farm in action and enjoyed dairy treats, including a one-of-a-kind grilled cheese sandwich prepared by our volunteers.

The 2024 Morrow County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting was held on July 11 at Gilead Friends Church. Members voted on policies and elected trustees and delegates for the 2025 Ohio Farm Bureau Annual Meeting. A county committee spoke about Morrow County’s Land Use Revitalization Plan and gathered input from attendees.

At the Morrow County Fair, Morrow County Farm Bureau had a display tent  and sponsored a fairground-wide scavenger hunt. We hosted Barnyard Olympics and provided a sandbox for children to play in while at the fair. At the junior fair livestock sale, we purchased a market goat from a member family. In appreciation of members, anyone who joined or renewed their Farm Bureau membership during the fair received the choice of a hat or T-shirt. Eleven members took advantage of this promotion.

Morrow County Farm Bureau looks for ways to impact and improve the community. We strive to keep strong relationships with elected officials so that rural interests are not neglected when rules are being made. Your Morrow County Farm Bureau member trustees are Seth Romine, Manny Heilman, Madison Ott, Russ Mayer, Nicole Feilon, Todd Jenkins, Julie Logan, Eddie Lou Meimer and Kelly Tennant.

If you’d like more information about Farm Bureau, or better still you’d like to serve as a trustee or help with some of our projects, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can contact one of the county trustees, or contact the county office at 419-747-7488 or [email protected].