Buckeye People

Jeff Magyar of Ashtabula County has been appointed by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to serve on the United Soybean Board (USB).

USB manages the national soybean checkoff which was created by the Soybean Promotion, Research, and Information Act. The board is composed of 73 members representing 29 states and Eastern and Western regions. The newly-appointed farmer-leaders were sworn in as directors at the USB annual meeting in St. Louis this week.

“I’m glad to see Jeff appointed to USB and have the opportunity to represent all U.S. soybean farmers,” said Steve Reinhard, Ohio Soybean Council (OSC) Chairman, Crawford County soybean farmer and USB board member. “He’s an active leader in Ohio, advocating for important projects that will give farmers a return on their investment. I know he’ll do the same at USB.”

Magyar currently serves on the OSC Board of Trustees, as well as the Ohio Soybean Association.… Continue reading

Andrea Kackley has been named organization director for Ohio Farm Bureau in Morgan, Muskingum, Perry and Washington Counties. She will work with the county Farm Bureaus to address issues important to members and their communities.

Kackley is a native of Guernsey County where she participated in 4-H and FFA. She graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in agribusiness and applied economics. While at Ohio State, she was an undergrad research assistant with the Farm Income Enhancement Program. Prior to joining Farm Bureau, Kackley was a legal analyst for Kohrman, Jackson and Krantz. She is a member of the Columbus Young Professionals Club and Mt. Zion Lutheran Church.

Ohio Farm Bureau’s mission is working together for Ohio farmers to advance agriculture and strengthen our communities. Learn more at ofbf.org.… Continue reading

Adam Conrad recently accepted a position with Axis Ohio. Axis Ohio is representing Axis Seed as an Independent Regional Company for all counties in Ohio.

“Adam will be a huge asset to Ohio farmers. His extensive background in seed production will further insure Axis Ohio is providing the right genetics for our unique Ohio environment,” Nathan Louiso, Axis owner.

Conrad is a Certified Crop Advisor and has worked in the seed production industry for 8 years both in Ohio and Illinois. He brings that experience to help farmers make the right decisions for their growing conditions and geography.

“Putting the power of choice in the hands of the Ohio farmer and not a corporate office; that accompanied with the family-first culture at Axis was a perfect fit for me,” Adam said.

As an independent regional company for Axis Seed, Axis Ohio has access to all current traits and technologies. Complete information about the varieties that Axis Ohio carries is available on its web site at www.axisohio.com.… Continue reading

Rattan Lal, Distinguished University Professor of Soil Science at The Ohio State University, yesterday (Oct. 28) received the 2018 World Agriculture Prize from the Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations for Agricultural and Life Sciences (GCHERA). His work focuses on the ability of soil to address such global challenges as climate change, food security and water quality.

The award honors Lal’s “exceptional and significant lifetime achievements” in the agricultural and life sciences, GCHERA officials said. It was presented in a ceremony at China’s Nanjing Agricultural University.

Lal is a faculty member in Ohio State’s School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR), part of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). He is the director of CFAES’s Carbon Management and Sequestration Center (CMSC), conducts research with support from the college’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, is an adjunct professor with the University of Iceland, and is the current president of the Vienna-based 60,000-member International Union of Soil Sciences.… Continue reading

Today, the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) announced the 2018 National Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year. This year’s honorees are Randy and Koral Clum of east central Ohio. The Clums have been sustainably managing Hepatica Falls Tree Farm, their 152-acre certified forestland in southwestern Harrison County, since they purchased the property in 1993.

While Randy and Koral Clum had spent much of their careers in forestry, they hadn’t managed their own property until they acquired their tree farm. Since then, they’ve been dedicated to creating a working forest that produces high-quality timber while managing for water, wildlife and recreation, as well as using their woodland to educate others about the benefits of the forest and good management principles.

“It’s an amazing honor and I feel blessed to have worked with all the people that we’ve worked with. We are honored to be recognized in this way,” Koral Clum said.

Randy Clum added, “What’s been important to us about the American Tree Farm System is the education component.… Continue reading

Tim Derickson was sworn in on Oct. 19 as interim director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Derickson, who was serving as assistant director, was named by Ohio Governor John R. Kasich to replace Dave Daniels, just weeks before the November elections.

Derickson served seven years in the Ohio House of Representatives where he chaired numerous committees, including serving as vice chair of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. He and his family operated several successful small businesses in southwest Ohio and he is a graduate of Miami University. He and his wife, Kelly, have two children and one grandchild.

“As a farmer, businessperson, member of the Ohio House of Representative and as part of our Administration, Tim has always demonstrated the integrity, loyalty and command of the issues that are the hallmark of a natural leader,” Kasich said. “I’m grateful for his willingness to step up, get us across the finish line and hand-off the Department the right way to the next Administration.”… Continue reading

Student teams from Wynford High School and the Centerville Environmental Management program were first place winners in the 66th annual Future Farmers of America (FFA) State Land and Soil Judging Contest held October 13th at Dawes Arboretum in Licking County. The event is sponsored by the Ohio Department of Agriculture Division of Soil and Water Conservation, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Delaware Soil and Water Conservation District and Haviland Plastic Products.

Wynford’s victory came in the agricultural land judging portion of the competition, where soils are evaluated for their limitations, soil health, fertility and overall potential for agricultural production. The Centerville win came in the urban soil judging category, which challenges students to evaluate soil limitations for urban applications such as buildings, septic systems, roads and landscaping.

Teams from Centerburg and Monroeville placed second and third, respectively, in the agricultural contest. Northmor and Buckeye Central took second and third place, respectively, in the urban contest.… Continue reading

AgCredit, Agricultural Credit Association, recently announced the recipients of the cooperative’s annual Joe Leiser Memorial Scholarship.

Joe Leiser served as the first president and chief executive officer for AgCredit, which is one of northern Ohio’s largest lenders, serving farmers, agribusiness and rural homeowners. Each scholarship recipient received a $2,000.00 for the 2018-2019 school year. This year, all three of the scholar winners are studying at The Ohio State University.

• Taylor Lutz, from Bucyrus, (Crawford County) is a junior majoring in Agriscience Education with a minor in Production Agriculture.
• Megan Ritter, from Findlay, (Hancock County) is a senior majoring in Agribusiness and Applied Economics with a minor in Agronomy.
• Josh Strine, from Caledonia, (Marion County) is a freshman majoring in Animal Science with a minor in Agribusiness.

“AgCredit is happy to encourage and reward these hardworking students. Congratulations! We wish the Joe Leiser scholarship winners success throughout their college years — continuing on to their future careers,” said Brian Ricker, President and CEO.… Continue reading

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the appointment of 16 members to serve on the United Soybean Board, including Jeff Magyar from Orwell, Ohio.

“I truly appreciate the time and expertise these individuals have agreed to give guiding the United Soybean Board,” Perdue said. “Their work is especially important as we work to improve international opportunities for American farmers and ranchers. Together we will help them thrive by increasing domestic and international demand for the nearly 90 million acres of soybeans produced by U.S. farmers.”

The board is authorized by the Soybean Promotion, Research and Information Act and is composed of 73 members representing 29 states and Eastern and Western regions. Members must be soybean producers nominated by a qualified state soybean board.

More information about the board and a list of board members is available on AMS’ Soybean Research and Promotion Program webpage and the board’s website, unitedsoybean.org.… Continue reading

Adele Flynn of Wellington has been elected District 3 trustee for the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. She will represent members from Cuyahoga, Erie, Huron and Lorain counties and help govern Ohio’s largest general farm and food organization.

She was elected by delegates from District 3 in a special election to fill the term of longtime Farm Bureau leader Al DiVencenzo, who passed away unexpectedly in July. Flynn will serve the remaining two years of his term.

Flynn and her husband, Eric, have a cow-calf operation, raising freezer beef, show calves and breeding stock. She is an account specialist with Farm Credit Mid-America. Eric also farms with Adele’s father and uncles. The Flynns are parents of three children.

She will step down as president of the Lorain County Farm Bureau to serve on the state board. Flynn has been a county board member since 2010 and served as a state annual meeting delegate.… Continue reading

By Sydney Snider, OCJ FFA reporter

As a student who grew up around FFA and agricultural education, Luke Jennings knows the impact the organization has on students and communities.

“I have been around FFA my whole life,” said Jennings, a freshman member of the Felicity-Franklin FFA Chapter. “And I have seen how it has changed so many lives.” Jennings’ mom is the FFA advisor and agricultural education teacher at Felicity-Franklin high school, located in Clermont County. The impact of FFA is what led Jennings to apply for the 2018 Culver’s essay program. The program asks students to explain what the most recent National FFA theme means to them. This past year’s theme was “I Can. We Will.”

In his essay, Jennings wrote, “If we believe in the future of agriculture, then we must become advocates for agriculture. As the world’s population is rapidly growing and is approaching 10 billion people by 2050, we agriculturists must feed and clothe these people.… Continue reading

Adam and Jess Campbell of Waynesville are winners of Ohio Farm Bureau Federation’s 2018 Excellence in Agriculture Award. The award recognizes successful young agricultural professionals who are actively contributing to and growing through their involvement with Farm Bureau and agriculture.

The Campbells run Carroll Creek Farms LLC, a livestock farm that sells directly to consumers. Jess is assistant vice president of agribusiness at Farm Credit Mid-America and has held several leadership positions on the Warren County Farm Bureau board of trustees, including president and vice president and served on its budget, audit and communications committees. Both she and Adam are graduates of OFBF’s AgriPOWER Institute leadership development program, and Adam was a Discussion Meet contest participant. In 2017 the couple was named the local chamber of commerce’s Young Professional Award winner.

The Campbells will be recognized at Ohio Farm Bureau’s annual meeting in December and will receive a John Deere Gator courtesy of Farm Credit Mid-America as well as a $1,000 cash prize from Ohio Farm Bureau.… Continue reading

A veterinarian and assistant professor of animal sciences in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University (CFAES) has been named a Diplomate of the American College of Animal Welfare, the only swine veterinarian in Ohio to earn such a designation.

In fact, Monique Pairis-Garcia, who is also an animal welfare specialist with Ohio State University Extension, is the first veterinarian at Ohio State to earn board certification in this relatively new veterinary specialty.

The designation means that Pairis-Garcia can demonstrate detailed knowledge of and special competence in animal welfare across all species. This is significant, considering that the American Veterinary Medical Association identified animal welfare in June 2006 as “one of the top five critical issues affecting the veterinary profession both in the United States and globally.”

“My entire career has been focused on animal welfare and behavior, so I’m very proud and excited to bring this honor to Ohio State, CFAES and the Department of Animal Sciences,“ Pairis-Garcia said.… Continue reading

The team of Whitney Bauman, Carlie Cluxton and Bonnie Simpkins from Adams County won the 2018 Ohio Youth Capital Challenge for their project to address Ohio’s growing feral swine population.

Sponsored by Ohio Farm Bureau, Ohio 4-H and Ohio FFA, the challenge brings together youths ages 14 to 18 from around the state to discuss community concerns and then work together to propose policies and programs to solve the issues.

The challenge started in the spring when groups met to learn about public policy issues and began planning their proposals. A preliminary contest narrowed the field down to four teams, which competed in the finals during the Ohio State Fair.

In their final presentation, Bauman, Cluxton and Simpkins proposed the development of Area Feral Swine Task Forces that work with Ohio Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to educate Ohioans about feral swine and implement a feral swine population management program.… Continue reading

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) was appointed to serve as a conferee on the committee that will reconcile the differences between the House and Senate versions of the 2018 Farm Bill. The Senate version of the Farm Bill included several Ohio provisions that Brown helped to secure. Brown is the first Ohioan to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in more than 40 years, and his standing on the committee will help ensure that Ohio farmers have a seat at the table. It is the second Farm Bill conference committee upon which Brown has served.

As a conferee, Brown will continue fighting for Ohio provisions, including language to better support Ohio farmers, protect Lake Erie, spur economic development in rural Ohio, and feed hungry families. Brown secured these priorities in the Senate bill after hearing from Ohio farmers, small businesses, and sportsmen during a series of roundtable discussions he hosted throughout the state.… Continue reading

Laura Mantle, Auctioneer and Realtor with RES Auction Services, recently placed third in the Women’s Division of the International Auctioneers Championship. The contest was hosted by the National Auctioneers Association and was held at the annual Conference and Show in Jacksonville, Fl. In addition to International recognition, Laura has also won the Michigan and Indiana Auctioneer Championships. She currently serves as Vice President for the Ohio Auctioneers Association. In addition to selling real estate and equipment for RES at auctions across Ohio, Mantle regularly sells and works the ring at automobile and property auctions in Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan.

“Laura is an important part of our team,” said Andy White, RES co-owner and auctioneer. “We count on Laura both on the mic and also helping with our auction staff at the RES Equipment Yard in Wooster.”

Mantle is a graduate of Otterbein College in Westerville,  the Ohio Auction School and the Certified Auctioneers Institute.… Continue reading

Alfred David DiVencenzo, 64, of Grafton Township, died July 24, 2018.

Al was on the Lorain County Farm Bureau Board for 12 years. He was president on the county farm bureau for 6 yrs and was now an Ohio Farm Bureau State Trustee (since June 2014) representing Lorain, Erie, Huron and Cuyahoga Counties on Farm Bureau’s state level and has been a state delegate on the national level. Al has been on the Ohio Christmas Tree Association Board of Directors since 2010. He volunteered to represent the OCTA at an ag booth at the Ohio State Fair for more than 20 years. Al participated in Operation Evergreen where Ohio Christmas trees are sent to troops overseas.

He was born July 12, 1954 in Medina and lived in Grafton Twp and the Grafton/Elyria area his whole life. He was a 1972 graduate of Midview High School and received an Associates Degree from LCCC in 1974.… Continue reading

The Kasich Administration recently announced that William R. Knapke of Fort Recovery (Mercer County) has been reappointed to the Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Commission for a term beginning July 13, 2018, and ending June 30, 2022.

Kathryn “Kate” Bartter of Columbus (Franklin Co.) and Bethany Gibson, DVM of Ashville (Pickaway County), have been appointed to the Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Commission for terms beginning July 13, 2018, and ending June 30, 2022.

Bartter and Gibson replace Bill Tom and Dennis Corcoran, who will no longer serve on the Commission. Among other duties, the Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Commission, as required by law, determines the official “Watersheds in Distress” designation that will require the farmers within them to develop and implement nutrient management plans as directed by an executive order signed by Gov. John Kasich July 11.… Continue reading

By Ty Higgins, Ohio Ag Net

The Pork Checkoff has selected 12 college students to represent the #RealPigFarming Student Social Forces team. The program, now in its fourth year, partners with students who are earning a degree in agriculture and allows them to help share the stories of pig farmers all across the U.S.

“These students are interested in our industry and want to tell our story so we will bring them in for training and give them the tools that they need to do so,” said Claire Masker, communications director with the National Pork Board. “At the end of the program, they will all receive a scholarship to go toward their tuition and fees at their university.”

Social media is ingrained in the lives of young people. Masker says this is a tool to tell the story of pig farming.

“In our social networks, if you are on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram or Snapchat, a lot of people that follow you probably aren’t involved in agriculture or in pig farming,” Masker said.… Continue reading

The Andersons, Inc. announced key leadership changes within its Plant Nutrient Group’s wholesale fertilizer business.

Sarah Pirolli has been promoted to Vice President of the Plant Nutrient Group, overseeing the primary nutrient and specialty ag businesses, including sales, supply, logistics and customer service. Pirolli has more than 15 years of experience in commodity futures and cash markets, transportation and logistics, and price forecasting. She most recently served as Senior Sales Manager for the company’s Ethanol Group after holding leadership positions at Flint Hills Resources and Cargill.

Pirolli will begin her new role on Sept. 1, 2018, succeeding Jan Finch, who will become Vice President of Business Development and Strategy for the Plant Nutrient Group. Finch will focus on the strategic direction and long-term growth of the group. He has more than 30 years of industry experience and has served in several leadership roles for The Andersons, including Vice President of Sales, Supply and Merchandising and Vice President of U.S.… Continue reading