The Mennel Milling Company was not looking to go into the popcorn business. According to Jay McAllister, grain manager for Mennel Milling, the idea behind purchasing the large grain bin and processing facility now known as Mennel Popcorn in Wyandot…
November/December 2019 Our Ohio magazine preview
Is hemp going to be worth all the hype? As lawmakers write the rules of hemp production, Our Ohio travels to the Bluegrass State to talk to a farmer who has been in the hemp business for a while. He…
Chocolatier finds healthy benefits plan with Farm Bureau
Ines Rehner knew the very first time she tasted chocolate that it was going to be at the center of her life. “I learned how to do everything on a farm,” said the owner of Sweet Design Chocolatier in Lakewood….
Amy Beth Graves - Oct. 4
Presenting a balanced view of agriculture
Vetting outside groups who want to speak to students is critical “Oh my gosh. I’m not going to eat meat anymore because of all the horrible things that’s going on at farms.” The student’s declaration stopped Madison County Farm Bureau…
Farm work may help autistic individuals bloom
When given the opportunity to plant, water and weed at two small greenhouses and a field of vegetables, some people with autism blossom. “Our goal is to find out what’s in their hearts and souls and makes them go. Once…
Ag diversity, struggle on display in southeast Ohio
The heart of Ohio’s Appalachian foothills seems a far cry from Washington, D.C., or the Statehouse in Columbus for that matter. Yet the choices made in those places far from the cascading hills of southeast Ohio have made an impact…
Horse camp brings community together
For five years, Rick McCleese searched across the country for the perfect site to fulfill his dream of running his own equestrian campground. Since 2008, McCleese has operated Elkins Creek Horse Camp in Lawrence County, offering access to miles of…
Making safe farms a reality in northeast Ohio
First responders in rural communities across the state have an acute need for grain bin rescue training, but a finite amount of availability to take such training. That’s about to change. From that knowledge came a vision that is taking…
Across the Table: Farmers don’t quit
They say rain makes grain. Well, that certainly wasn’t the case this spring. Nonstop, heavy rains kept many corn, soybean, fruit and vegetable farmers out of their tractors and only about half of the state’s crops were actually planted. I…
Nine organizations receive Foundation grants
Making a measurable difference in communities and the agricultural industry is the goal of Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation’s Action & Awareness grants. The foundation recently awarded just over $23,000 in grants to nine organizations throughout Ohio. The grants, which ranged…