The phone call April 3 stunned Kevin Spreng. He was going to have to dump more than 700 gallons of milk on his Shreve farm, Willow Brook Dairy. The reason? His milk processor, Dairymens Inc., was over capacity for milk…
Amy Beth Graves - July 21
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Amy Beth Graves - July 21 Amy Beth Graves - July 13
Investment in fair buildings can revitalize region
Revamping Pickaway County fairgrounds spurs economic development The excitement in the air was electric. A long line of vehicles waited every day to get in to see the new fairgrounds in Pickaway County. Even though half of the fair was…
Amy Beth Graves - May 11
Collaboration builds community within pork industry
“That’s not true.” Over and over again, Josh and Courtney Berry found themselves uttering this phrase as they watched a CBS News “60 Minutes” program about the pork industry. Josh, who is a Fairfield County Farm Bureau member and on…
Amy Beth Graves - April 6
OFBF family receives national water quality award
“Cover crop technology … feeding the world through healthier soil.” When it comes to water quality and environmental stewardship, the Dean family in Bryan lives up to its business motto. The Williams County Farm Bureau members are recipients of the…
Amy Beth Graves - March 3
Growing corn, wheat and advocacy for farmers
Rachael Vonderhaar pauses when asked where the crops grown on her Preble County farm end up. It’s not that she doesn’t know — it’s just that the list is long. The wheat is sold to Consolidated Grain and Barge on…
Amy Beth Graves - Feb. 3Dormant mineral rights ownership clarity sought
A bill pending in the Ohio House seeks to clear up confusion over whether landowners own the mineral rights to their property. The confusion is over which version of the state’s Dormant Mineral Act applies to oil and natural gas…
Amy Beth Graves - Jan. 31
Stormwater fees help improve, protect Ohio’s water
When it rains or when snow melts, there are no boundaries — the water flows wherever it wants. Managing stormwater flooding and drainage discharges can be challenging and expensive for communities. In order to mitigate these problems, some of Ohio’s…
Amy Beth Graves - Jan. 8
A collaboration with Ohio cattlemen
A sense of dread overcame Bill Wickerham as he walked around the corner of the barn. Worried about two newborn calves, he’d left work early to check on them. Lined up on the fence posts were several black vultures watching…
Amy Beth Graves - Dec. 2, 2019
Coming full circle with Farm Bureau
“Who bought that painting?” That question echoed throughout the crowd watching the intense bidding on a painting by popular Ohio artist Dave Barnhouse. The richly detailed oil painting depicting a rural scene was one of four items being auctioned off…
Amy Beth Graves - Oct. 28, 2019
Field Day with Jordan Hoewischer: African swine fever
African swine fever has been sweeping through various pockets of the world, threatening the pork market. While this disease has been around for many years, it’s only been in the last year that concern has ramped up about this highly…