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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Jill Smith is organization director for Auglaize, Logan, Mercer and Shelby counties. In this role, she is a liaison between the county Farm Bureaus and Ohio Farm Bureau. She assists county groups as they develop and implement programs to strengthen their organizations, serve members and affect positive change in their communities.
She is a graduate of Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, majoring in animal science with a minor in agriculture business.
What is something you can point to that has been accomplished thanks to the joint efforts of farmers and community members in your area?
Mercer and Auglaize county farmers have had to work very hard in the last 10 years on water quality and agriculture/nonagriculture relationship building in the Grand Lake Watershed. Our efforts as a county Farm Bureau along with the other ag agencies have made huge in-roads in that dynamic. We had to work hard to not only make changes in the daily status quo in the ag community and how they did their jobs, but also help communicate messages to the public about what we are doing and why we do it. That relationship is so much better because of the struggles we worked through.
What is your favorite Farm Bureau member benefit?
Tell us about one big project one of your counties has planned or has recently conducted.
Shelby County completed its third Women in Agriculture: An Empowerment Celebration event. This is a great event were we offer speakers, demonstrations and educational information about the roles of women in agriculture. This event is a partnership with several agencies in our community and has grown in size each of the last three years. At this year’s event, keynote speaker was Shelly Tobe, who is a product innovation coordinator with Wendy’s International. She focused not only on what she does at her job, which is source and “invent” new food for their menu, but she also empowered our group about making your way in the agriculture/food industry and how to help those you meet along the way. We also had sessions on succession planning, cooking demos and a session on reshaping/redesigning old items. A great event and one of my favorite that we do.
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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