Buckeye People

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Ohio Pork Council recently awarded seven scholarships for a total of $6,500 to students across Ohio. The Ohio Pork Council awards scholarships annually to a select group of students who have shown exemplary service to the pork industry and an interest in a career in the industry.

This year’s class of recipients include:
Kara Langenkamp, Versailles
Lea Kimley, South Charleston
Chelsea Graham, Frazeysburg
Brandon Dues, St. Henry
Grant Lloyd Kaffenbarger, New Carlisle
Cameron Vaughan, Wilmington
Abbey Werstler, Wooster

Scholarship recipient Lea Kimley was also awarded the Ohio Pork Council Women’s Scholarship for a total of $500, and the Dick Isler Scholarship for $1,000. Miss Kimley is a resident of South Charleston and currently attends The Ohio State University.

Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation recently awarded $34,000 in scholarships to students across the state. The foundation annually recognizes Ohio students for their academic effort, community engagement and career interests that link agriculture to community service, education or scientific research.

Cindy Hollingshead Scholarship

Recipients are Sarah Lehner of Delaware County; Meredith Oglesby of Highland County; Katie Frost of Fayette County; Todd Peterson of Fayette County; Louisa Pullins of Wood County; Sumedha Kappagantula of Butler County; Kady Davis of Carroll County; Kaitlyn Evans of Richland County and Danielle Leeper of Union County. This fund honors Cynthia Anne (Cindy) Hollingshead for her 39 years of service as Ohio Farm Bureau’s executive secretary, as well as a lifetime of volunteer commitment to local government and community service activities. Financial assistance goes to students who are pursuing careers focused on agriculture, community service and association leadership.

Darwin Bryan Scholarship

Recipients are Kristen Eisenhauer of Richland County; Katie Frost of Fayette County; Melanie Fuhrmann of Scioto County; Sarah Lehner of Delaware County and Todd Peterson of Fayette County.

The Ohio Christmas Tree Association (OCTA) has selected Chelsea Graham of Licking County as the recipient of their scholarship. Graham is a graduate of Licking Valley High School where she served as the Class President for three years, was a member of the Student Council, National Honor Society, Student Leadership Team and Senior Leader. She also participated in the school’s basketball program for two years and then served as a coach for the biddy league program. Graham also participated in the College Credit Plus Program while attending high school.

Graham was also involved in the Valley Traditions 4-H Club, serving as the President for the past three years. Her 4-H projects ranged from the livestock area to the special interest area. As a member of the 4-H program, she was a member of the Food and Fashion Board and represented the county at the Ohio State Fair, where she won Outstanding of the Day and the Clock trophy award many times.

Gerald “Jerry” Koverman, 77, of Ansonia, passed away peacefully on June 23, 2018 at State of the Heart Care Center in Greenville.

He was born on October 20, 1940 in Dayton, Ohio to the late Cletus and Angeline (Weis) Koverman. In addition to his parents, Jerry was preceded in death by his sister, Marjorie Monnin; and his nephew, Dwight Wenning; in-laws, Victor Hoelscher and Deb Koverman.

Jerry was a 1958 graduate of Minster High School. He was a 1962 graduate of The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, and was a member of the Darke County Ohio State Alumni. He taught Vocational Agriculture at Ansonia High School for 34 years, and was the voice of the Tigers for over 50 years. Jerry was a member of the Ansonia Village Council for 10 years and mayor of Ansonia for 17 years. In 1985, Jerry was honored as Outstanding Agriculture Teacher in the State of Ohio.

Seed Consultants, Inc. (SCI) welcomes Alissa Armstrong as Marketing

Communications Manager. In this role, Alissa will work with the SCI team to develop and execute marketing strategies and tactics. Alissa holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Wittenberg University and brings five years of marketing and communication experience to SCI. Prior to joining SCI, Alissa was an Account Executive for FLM Harvest, a strategic consulting, marketing and communications agency that serves clients in the agriculture, food, lifestyle and pet markets.

“Alissa comes from a great family and is the type of hard working individual we want in our organization,” said Stuart Yensel, Director of Sales and Marketing for SCI.

The Ohio Pork Council is pleased to welcome Melissa Bell to its staff as the Director of Membership Outreach, beginning May 29, 2018. In this new role, Bell will organize all OPC events and develop or maintain relationships with key investors, members and partners of the organization.

“The Ohio Pork Council is excited to have Melissa join our team,” said Rich Deaton, President, Ohio Pork Council. “We know her experience, talents, and passion for agriculture will be a great addition to our organization.”

Prior to joining OPC, Bell served in various roles within the agriculture industry. Most recently, Bell served as the Sponsorship Development Consultant at the Ohio FFA Foundation, and prior to that as the Executive Director for the Foundation. Formerly, Bell served as the Regional Supervisor and Organizational Director with Ohio Farm Bureau. Bell also worked as the Coordinator of Admissions for the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University.

Richard A. Unverferth, co-founder of Unverferth Manufacturing Co., Inc., was inducted posthumously as one of three Putnam County Ag Hall of Fame honorees during the Farmers Share Breakfast Saturday, April 14, in Glandorf.

The Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding contributions of individuals involved in agriculture throughout their life in Putnam County. Growing up on the family farm just outside Kalida, Ohio, Richard learned early in life that farming was ever-evolving. He and his father were noted for creative innovations that made equipment more efficient.

The father-son partners began Unverferth Manufacturing Company in 1948 with the goal of helping their neighboring farmers become more efficient. That vision created a company that has grown from manufacturing simple, yet effective and innovative attachments in the early years to today’s current line of implements that increase productivity in a variety of farming tasks. Those Putnam County “neighbors” today stretch across North America and internationally.

“On behalf of the entire Unverferth family and the many dedicated coworkers, past and present, we greatly appreciate the recognition of Dad’s deep commitment to agriculture, business and community involvement in Putnam County,” says Larry Unverferth, president.

The Pork Checkoff has awarded 21 scholarships to college students around the United States as part of its strategy to develop the pork industry’s future leaders. A National Pork Board committee judged the pool of 70 applicants based on scholastic merit, leadership activities, involvement in the pork production industry and the applicants’ plans for a career in pork production.

“The 2018 scholarship winners are an important part of the pork industry’s future,” said National Pork Board President Terry O’Neel, a pork producer from Friend, Nebraska. “These young people are critical to helping us develop the next generation of pig farmers and industry leaders who will be ready to produce safe, wholesome food in a socially responsible way.”

The 21 student recipients hail from 15 states and 14 universities and represent six different majors in swine-related fields. The 2018 Pork Industry Scholarship recipients included Piper Hopple from Clyde, Ohio who will be attending Ohio State in Animal Science.

The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) awarded 16 Best of the Buckeye scholarships at the Ohio Beef Expo on Saturday, March 17. The Best of the Buckeye program is coordinated by OCA and held in conjunction with the Ohio Beef Expo and Ohio State Fair. The Best of the Buckeye Scholarship Division is sponsored by Ohio Ag Equipment and Ohio Cat.

The Best of the Buckeye program awarded $500 scholarships to program participants to offset the cost of purchasing, raising and exhibiting a Best of the Buckeye nominated calf awarded based on show experience and need. These scholarships were awarded to participants of all ages, whether they are looking for a boost to get started or they are a more experienced showman, but could use a little help offsetting the cost of a steer or heifer project.

Recipients of the scholarship are as follows: Brandon Barr, Xenia, Ohio; Raymond Beneker, Hamilton, Ohio; Brooklyn Cunningham, Howard, Ohio; Jordan Flax, London, Ohio; Russell Fox, Tiffin, Ohio; Claire French, Wakeman, Ohio; Shala Graham, Frazeysburg, Ohio; Blaine Grant, Hicksville, Ohio; Heath Hamer, Green Springs, Ohio; Emma Lewis, Litchfield, Ohio; Lukas Perry, Woodville, Ohio; Tatumn Poff, Chardon, Ohio; Brock Retcher, Defiance, Ohio; Gracie Stirm, Galion, Ohio; Alexis Watkins, Carey, Ohio; and Connor Yochum, Hillsboro, Ohio.

The American Farm Bureau Federation and Ohio Farm Bureau today presented Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) with AFBF’s Golden Plow award. The Golden Plow is the highest honor the organization gives to sitting members of Congress.

“Senator Portman is a champion for farmers, particularly on regulatory reform,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. As lead sponsor of the Regulatory Accountability Act, he “is working to bring common sense to the federal rule-making process,” Duvall noted. “Farm Bureau is grateful for his dedicated service to agriculture and rural America.”

Ohio Farm Bureau endorsed Portman for the award because of his commitment in Congress to issues important to farmers and ranchers. Ohio Farm Bureau appreciates that the senator’s priorities align with those of its members. 

“Senator Portman has always been an advocate for Ohio’s farmers,” said Frank Burkett III, president, Ohio Farm Bureau. “His leadership on issues such as regulatory reform is appreciated and valued.

Case IH dealer Redline Equipment has named Paul Cave Vice President of Product Support of their CASE IH dealership. In this new position he will lead all facets of aftermarket support, focusing on the customer experience and bringing value to customers.

“We have been working to build a dynamic group of parts and service team members,” said Zach Hetterick, Redline Equipment CEO. “With our strong focus on product and aftersales support, we needed this role to bring everything together to one point in the organization.”

“Paul brings excitement, motivation and passion for customer service. Plus, he has a proven track record of brining multiple locations together and improving functions.”

Cave comes from Whayne Supply where he was the Ag and Growth Industries Sales Manager. Prior to that he served as Product Support Sales Manager and Regional Sales Manager. He previously worked at Miles Farm Supply, where he was the General Manager and started his career at Richway Industries as Ag Sales Manager.

Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation recently added six new board members and elected officers of the board, which oversees the charitable, nonprofit organization.

New to the board are Angela Cauley, CEO & co-founder of Coalescence LLC; Rose Vargo McFarland, attorney with the Steely Law Office; Bobby Moser, retired dean of the Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences; Annalies Corbin, president and CEO of the PAST Foundation; Jane Scott, president and CEO of the Columbus Metropolitan Club, and Wade Smith, Northwest regional trustee for Ohio Farm Bureau. They replace outgoing board members: Todd Beckwith of CHS Inc.; Janice Welsheimer, director of educational programs for the Ohio AgriBusiness Association; Dave Rule, Ohio Farm Bureau’s senior director of organization development; Dale Arnold, Ohio Farm Bureau’s director of energy, utility, and local government policy, and Kayla Jones, Ohio Farm Bureau organization director.

The board also elected officers of the 15-member board. Ohio Farm Bureau Trustee Katherine Harrison was named president; Heather Thiltgen, senior vice president of individual and Medicare sales for Medical Mutual, was elected vice president, and Ohio Farm Bureau Treasurer Cy Prettyman was named as the foundation’s treasurer.

The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has announced participants selected for On the Farm STEM professional development events in Fort Worth, Texas, (March 26-28); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (May 16-18); and Portland, Oregon, (May 23-25). The training is designed to bring science to life for participants with the help of American beef cattle ranchers, researchers, nutritionists and veterinarians.

Nearly 350 applications were received for 40 spots in Fort Worth, 30 spots in Philadelphia and 40 spots in Portland. Applications closed Jan. 1 and participants were notified of acceptance for the On the Farm STEM events. Two Ohioans were selected for the program.

Leslie Cooksey, Ohio State University, 4-H Extension Educator from Lancaster, Ohio was selected for the Fort Worth event. Cindy Cassell, Vista Grand Ranch, Educator, from New Richmond was selected for the Philadelphia event.

The International Certified Crop Adviser (ICCA) Program and American Society of Agronomy have named Harold Watters of Ohio the 2018 ICCA of the Year.

The award recognizes a CCA who delivers exceptional customer service, is highly innovative, shows leadership, and contributes substantially to the exchange of ideas and transfer of agronomic knowledge.

Watters was recognized at the Commodity Classic on Feb. 28. He will also be recognized at the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) Annual Meeting in November.

“Growers and the fellow agronomists submit the nominations. We are proud to honor Watters on a stage surrounded by those individuals,” said Luther Smith, Director of Certification. “His contributions highlight the many science-informed decisions applied to agriculture.”

Watters’ work as an associate professor in Extension at The Ohio State University puts him at the center of a communication hub. Weekly newsletters, monthly columns, field days, academic papers, and presentations at various conferences are part of his repertoire.

The National Pork Producers Council elected new officers and members to its board of directors at the National Pork Industry Forum.

Elected as president of the organization was Jim Heimerl, of Johnstown, Ohio. Heimerl and his wife Kathy, along with three sons and a daughter-in-law, run three farrow-to-finish farms in Ohio and own 80 contract finishing farms in several states. Heimerl Farms LTD also consists of crops and cattle, as well as a trucking division and feed mill. Among other positions, Heimerl previously served as president of the Ohio Pork Council and as a board member of the Ohio Soybean Association.

Heimerl takes over from Ken Maschhoff, a pork producer from Carlyle, Ill., chairman of Maschhoff Family Foods and co-owner and chairman of The Maschhoffs, the third-largest pork producer in the United States. Maschhoff now is NPPC immediate past president and chairman of the organization’s Trade Policy Committee.

The National Pork Producers Council joined the National Pork Board in presenting former Ohio Pork Council Executive Vice President Dick Isler with the Paulson-Whitmore State Executive Award at the National Pork Industry Forum.

The award, named after Don Paulson, past Minnesota state pork executive, and Rex Whitmore, past Wisconsin state pork executive, recognizes the outstanding leadership and commitment of state pork organization executives.

Beginning his role with Ohio Pork in 1973 as the organization’s first full-time employee, Isler’s early career focused on promoting the nutritional value of pork to consumers and building support for the voluntary Pork Checkoff program. His tenure paralleled the industry’s changing structure and move toward increased efficiency.

Isler helped establish the Ohio Pork Congress in the late 1970s, leading it to become the second largest swine trade show in the nation during the 1980s. In 1998, when the industry faced the challenge of historically low hog prices, he worked to ensure that producers were provided adequate support and direction toward a solution.