June News from the Central Ohio Young Farmers

June News from the Central Ohio Young Farmers

Save the Date: 

Please join us Tuesday 6/2/15 to meet State Supreme Court Justice Judi French!  This is an amazing opportunity to have dinner & discussion with a member of the Supreme Court of Ohio!  We will meet at Manifesto in downtown Columbus starting at 6:30pm, with Justice French presenting at 7:00pm.  Manifesto has just launched a new menu and revamped their space, and the restaurant is reserving a table for our group to be able to dine & convive with Justice French.  Parking is available at meters around the restaurant (21 East State Street 43215), or at the Columbus Commons parking garage. We look forward to seeing you!

Huge thanks to Pam Snyder of the Fort Hayes Career Center for a FANTASTIC tour in May!  Pam is the director of BioSciences Technology at this urban career center and she is doing amazing work educating young people on the biosciences.  Students also become part of the FFA program, and are exposed to many new ideas about agriculture & professional development through this.  It was impressive to see how Pam incorporates the FFA program into an urban school -- and especially impressive to realize how she is changing lives by providing instruction that translates into real career opportunities for young people.  Our council looks forward to partnering in the future with the Ft. Hayes FFA Chapter, as part of our goals to connect urban consumers with farming and to further opportunities for young people in agriculture.

Did you catch the Food Dialogues event on water hosted by the United States Farm & Ranch Association?  If not, you can still catch it online!  Visit www.fooddialogues.com to watch the panel discussion on water quality issues in Ohio and in our country.  Our council had great discussion with Jordan Hoewischer in May on water challenges for agriculture and accomplishments by farmers thus far.  Watching this event online is a great way to learn more about the challenges that farmers will face to protect our earth and produce food for our community.

Breakfast on the Farm is coming up on Saturday 6/6!  This event is free to the public and is a fun opportunity to share a meal on a farm.  Breakfast on the Farm is hosted by Madison County & Franklin County Farm Bureau, and the chair of the event is our council member Cassie Williams!  If you are interested in attending, please contact the Franklin County office to register at franklin@ofbf.org.  Better yet, if you are interested in volunteering, please contact Cassie at williams.3826@buckeyemail.osu.edu to sign up.

Congratulations to Jaclyn Ritchey & Trey Rogers for their marriage on 5/9/15!  Our council was well-represented to celebrate their wedding.  We send them best wishes for a life of wonderful adventures together!

What is Farm Bureau?  Ohio Farm Bureau is made up of county organizations that work to promote farms, connect farmers with consumers, provide education & networking opportunities, and support policy that benefits the farm community.  As part of its grassroots efforts, county Farm Bureaus encourage the development of councils: groups of individuals who socialize, debate ideas, and support each other in our farm endeavors.  The Central Ohio Young Farmers (and young at heart) council was started in 2007, and is congenially known as the Irish Pirates.  It encompasses Both Madison & Franklin county farmers, and strives to address issues relative to being a BMF farmer!

Save the Date . . .

6/2 Delaware County Policy Breakfast

6/2 Union County Policy Breakfast

6/2 COUNCIL MEETING: special guest Justice Judi French of the Ohio Supreme Court

6/3 Union County board meeting

6/6 Breakfast on the Farm hosted by Madison & Franklin Counties

6/23 Madison County board meeting

6/23 Delaware County board meeting

6/27 OFBF Young Ag Professionals Summer Reach Out tours

7/11 Ice cream with a Farmer hosted by Union County

7/12 COUNCIL MEETING: summer picnic at Neall Weber's

7/12-7/18 Madison County Fair

7/16 Madison County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting

7/18-7/25 Franklin County Fair

7/26-8/1 Union County Fair

8/7 Applications due for the Excellence in Ag & Outstanding Young Farmer contests

8/12-8/16 Farm Days at COSI

8/17 Franklin County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting

8/22 Delaware County fundraiser for Flying Horse Farms

8/25 Delaware County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting

Have an idea for a council event?  Want to highlight an activity in the council e-newsletter?  Curious how to get involved?  Contact Katherine Harrison at harrisonfarm13@gmail.com with your ideas!

May News from the Central Ohio Young Farmers

May News from the Central Ohio Young Farmers

Save the Date: 

Please join us Tuesday 5/5/15 for a special tour of the Fort Hayes FFA!  We will meet at 6:00pm for a special tour with Pam Snyder, the director of BioSciences Technology at Ft. Hayes Career Center in the Columbus School System.  We will have an opportunity to learn about this urban FFA chapter in Franklin County.  The address is 546 Jack Gibbs Boulevard 43215.  We will be meeting in Room 213 of the Health Building.  Please feel free to call 614.271.0304 for further directions.  After our tour at 6:00pm, we will then gather for dinner & libations.  This will be a fantastic opportunity to learn more about urban agriculture education, and then relax over a meal with friends!

Huge thanks to Jordan Hoewischer for joining our council in April to discuss water quality issues!  Jordan shared details of his new position with Ohio Farm Bureau, and offered ideas on how to provide tools for farmers to address water quality concerns.  Discussion was enjoyable & covered a wide range of topics -- even opera!  We met at Gresso's, a favorite of our council . . . And our council was even featured in Gresso's e-newsletter!

Congratulations to two of our council members on the birth of sons!  Neall Weber is the proud father of Vonn Jacob Weber, and Kylene Dietemyer welcomed John Prescott Dietemyer.  We are very excited to have two new babies as future young Ag professionals!  Congratulations to Neall, Kylene, and both their families!

Congratulations also go to two of our council members on their election as incoming county Farm Bureau board presidents!  Jeff Schilling was recently elected to serve as the 2015-2016 Franklin County Farm Bureau president, and Ron Burns will have the honor of leading the Union County Farm Bureau board as president for the upcoming year.  We are very excited to commend these gentlemen on their election!

Yet more exciting news: congratulations to Emma Bratton on her acceptance to The Ohio State University's School of Veterinary Medicine!  We are very excited for Emma as she begins her veterinary studies this fall!

What is Farm Bureau?  Ohio Farm Bureau is made up of county organizations that work to promote farms, connect farmers with consumers, provide education & networking opportunities, and support policy that benefits the farm community.  As part of its grassroots efforts, county Farm Bureaus encourage the development of councils: groups of individuals who socialize, debate ideas, and support each other in our farm endeavors.  The Central Ohio Young Farmers (and young at heart) council was started in 2007, and is congenially known as the Irish Pirates.  It encompasses Both Madison & Franklin county farmers, and strives to address issues relative to being a BMF farmer!

Save the Date . . .

5/5 COUNCIL MEETING: special tour of the Ft. Hayes FFA Chapter

5/18 Franklin County Board Meeting

5/26 Union County Board Meeting

5/28 Union County Farm Bureau Grow & Know event at Mitchell's Berries

6/2 Union County Policy Breakfast

6/2 COUNCIL MEETING: special guest Justice Judi French of the Ohio Supreme Court

6/3 Union County board meeting

6/6 Breakfast on the Farm hosted by Madison & Franklin Counties

6/23 Madison County board meeting

6/23 Delaware County board meeting

7/11 Ice cream with a Farmer hosted by Union County

7/12 COUNCIL MEETING: summer picnic at Neall Weber's

7/12-7/18 Madison County Fair

7/16 Madison County Annual Meeting

Have an idea for a council event?  Want to highlight an activity in the council e-newsletter?  Curious how to get involved?  Contact Katherine Harrison at harrisonfarm13@gmail.com with your ideas!

April News from the Central Ohio Young Farmers

April News from the Central Ohio Young Farmers

Save the Date: our next meeting of the Central Ohio Young Farmers council will be Tuesday 4/14.  Our special guest will be Jordan Hoewischer, Ohio Farm Bureau's new water quality specialist!  Jordan has served as a member of the Franklin County Farm Bureau Board, and is a graduate of the AgriPower program.  He will join our council to share what Ohio Farm Bureau is doing to promote water quality in Ohio, and how his new role will serve as a part of Farm Bureau's commitment to healthy waters.  Please join us at Gresso's at 961 South High Street, in German Village (same location as our Holiday party).  Cocktails start at 6:30pm, with Jordan presenting at approximately 7pm.  This will be a very fun social activity, and a great way to meet other young professionals in agriculture!

Special thanks go to Kylene Dietemyer, Cassie Williams, and Amy Zwayer for their efforts to plan the 2015 Women in Agriculture celebration at Jorgensen Farms!  The delicious brunch was catered by PBJ Catering of Ashville, and this local business did a fantastic job.  The honor of 2014 Woman of the Year was presented to Wilma Roberts.  Known affectionately as "Grandma", this dynamic lady volunteers her time to teach children at the Highland Youth Gardens.  Franklin County Farm Bureau supports this urban garden financially to assist with its mission of introducing children to raising produce.  The Franklin County Farm Bureau Board was delighted to honor Grandma Roberts for her dedication to teaching children, improving her community, and inspiring appreciation for gardening in an urban setting!

Several members of our council travelled to Clark County for the regional young agricultural professionals event on 3/21/15.  Two educational tracks were offered for attendees during the afternoon portion: one focused on small farms and the other addressed larger farms.  Thanks to Kylene Dietemyer of Franklin County Farm Bureau for helping to organize this event!  Kylene led a session which highlighted farm equipment, and did an outstanding job.  Neall Weber & Katherine Harrison had the opportunity to have dinner with keynote speaker Drew Hastings.  Mayor Hastings of Hillsboro was a fantastic speaker, and even gave a memorable shout out to Neall during his presentation!  Be sure to ask Neall about this!

Huge props go to the amazing Jody Carney for organizing Farm to City Day at Norwood Elementary School in West Jefferson!  This is an annual program that Madison County Farm Bureau puts on to teach young people about farming.  Each year, volunteers visit a different elementary school in Madison County.  Jody did a fantastic job of planning this event, and even recruited Katherine Harrison & Rebekah Headings to teach students about sheep & goats!  This program is a great example of how Farm Bureau members work to connect with their local community on farming.

DON'T FORGET: Applications for AgriPower are due on 4/17 to Ohio Farm Bureau.  Our council member Rebekah Headings graduated last month from this leadership program for individuals involved in agriculture!  It is an amazing opportunity to learn more about agriculture, gain an understanding of policy issues, and network with leaders from across the state of Ohio.  In addition, you are guaranteed to meet amazing  individuals who will be your AgriPower classmates!  For more information, visit www.ofbf.org or ask Rebekah about her experiences!

What is Farm Bureau?  Ohio Farm Bureau is made up of county organizations that work to promote farms, connect farmers with consumers, provide education & networking opportunities, and support policy that benefits the farm community.  As part of its grassroots efforts, county Farm Bureaus encourage the development of councils: groups of individuals who socialize, debate ideas, and support each other in our farm endeavors.  The Central Ohio Young Farmers (and young at heart) council was started in 2007, and is congenially known as the Irish Pirates.  It encompasses Both Madison & Franklin county farmers, and strives to address issues relative to being a BMF farmer!

Save the Date . . .

4/16 Madison County Policy Lunch

4/20 Franklin County board meeting

4/28 Delaware County Board Meeting

5/5 COUNCIL MEETING: special tour of the Ft. Hayes FFA Chapter

5/18 Franklin County Board Meeting

5/28 Union County Farm Bureau Grow & Know event at Mitchell's Berries

6/2 Union County Policy Breakfast

6/2 COUNCIL MEETING: special guest Justice Judi French of the Ohio Supreme Court

6/3 Union County board meeting

6/6 Breakfast on the Farm hosted by Madison & Franklin Counties

6/23 Madison County board meeting

7/11 Ice cream with a Farmer hosted by Union County

7/12 COUNCIL MEETING: tentative date for summer picnic

Have an idea for a council event?  Want to highlight an activity in the council e-newsletter?  Curious how to get involved?  Contact Katherine Harrison at harrisonfarm13@gmail.com with your ideas!

March News from the Central Ohio Young Farmers

Winter may be dragging on, but there are multiple social events this month to connect with other young farmers in the area!

On Saturday 3/7 at 11:00am, Franklin County Farm Bureau will host its annual Women in Agriculture event to celebrate the achievements of local women in farming.  Please note: everyone is welcome at this event . . . Not just ladies!  The brunch will be held at Jorgensen Farms at 5851 East Walnut Street, Westerville OH.  Val Jorgensen, farm owner, was recognized in 2012 by Franklin County Farm Bureau for her achievements.  She will be the guest speaker this year!  Please visit www.jorgensen-farms.com to learn more about the host location.  The co-chairs of the celebration are Kylene Dietemyer, Cassie Williams, and Amy Zwayer -- so it will definitely be a fun party!  Please join us for a fun meal & social time celebrating successful individuals in farming!  It is only $10 to attend.  You can RSVP (or get more information) by responding to this email by Monday 3/9. 

There will be an exciting regional young farmer event on Saturday 3/21 in Springfield OH, starting at 3:30pm, with keynote speaker Drew Hastings!  The event will take place at the Clark County Fairgrounds.  Attendees will have the opportunity to select two information sessions on agriculture, which will be followed by a social & cash bar at 6:15pm.  Dinner will be at 7pm, then Mayor Drew Hastings will be the featured speaker.  

Check out Drew Hastings on the Jay Leno show: http://youtu.be/nqGd0d2WE2E. Please note, Jay Leno will thankfully NOT be at this event (after bombing at the American Farm Bureau convention)!  Registrations are due by 3/17.  The conference is $20 for Farm Bureau members, and $25 for non-members . . . But all are welcome!  Please respond to this email for details or information on car-pooling.

Congratulations to Madison County farmer Rebekah Headings for her success with the AgriPower program!  Rebekah will graduate from AgriPower, the leadership development program of Ohio Farm Bureau, on Saturday 3/21.  Rebekah is a dedicated board member for Madison County Farm Bureau.  She & her husband Dennis operate a small farm in Chuckery, and their greatest agricultural endeavor is raising their four dynamic daughters into future farmers.  Rebekah is a wonderful leader for her community & for Farm Bureau, and we are very impressed by her accomplishments!  Applications are currently being accepted for the 2015-2016 leadership school.  For more information, please visit the Ohio Farm Bureau website at http://ofbf.org/get-involved/agripower/ or ask former graduates Neall Weber & Katherine Harrison for details on this fantastic opportunity!

Thanks to everyone who attended our January social event at Gresso's in German Village!  The holiday gift exchange was amusing as always, and the conviviality was fantastic!

What is Farm Bureau?  Ohio Farm Bureau is made up of county organizations that work to promote farms, connect farmers with consumers, provide education & networking opportunities, and support policy that benefits the farm community.  As part of its grassroots efforts, county Farm Bureaus encourage the development of councils: groups of individuals who socialize, debate ideas, and support each other in our farm endeavors.  The Central Ohio Young Farmers (and young at heart) council was started in 2007, and is congenially known as the Irish Pirates.  It encompasses Both Madison & Franklin county farmers, and strives to address issues relative to being a BMF farmer!

Save the Date . . .

3/14 Women in Ag brunch at Jorgensen Farms

3/16 Franklin County Farm Bureau board meeting

3/17 Madison County Farm Bureau board meeting

3/21 Regional Young Ag Professional event in Springfield

3/24 Delaware County Farm Bureau board meeting

4/7 tentative date for young farmer social event . . . Details to follow!

4/8 Union County Farm Bureau board meeting

4/16 Madison County Policy Lunch

5/5 tentative date for young farmer social event . . . Details to follow!

Citizens for Stinziano

Last night I got to enjoy one of those great moments when you are able to stop and be amazed by life!  While enjoying cookies and discussing farm policy with some of my favorite people, I was struck by how engaging politics can be when the people involved are really good people.  

Our Franklin County Young Farmer council (aka the Irish Pirates) met last night at Harrison Farm.  We had delicious pizza from the Pump (proper name J&R's Pizza & Pub of Lithopolis, a local institution), and I made my first solo attempt at my Grandmother's chocolate chip cookie recipe.  Per Brother Man Josh, the cookies were a huge success!  I was very excited that Josh and his friend Ben were able to attend our council meeting.  They both work at Blystone Farm Butcher Shop, and it was great to introduce them to Farm Bureau activities.

State Representative Michael Stinziano was our guest speaker last night.  Representative Stinziano's district encompasses much of downtown Columbus, along with Bexley, German Village, Franklinton, and parts of OSU.  While this area might not immediately seem to be one that would offer its representative a direct connection to farming, Representative Stinziano has distinguished himself as someone who cares about farming and who understands the importance of agriculture in our community.  It is an honor to have this dedicated individual as a friend of the farm community, and as a personal friend.

Representative Stinziano shared his thoughts with our council on the upcoming General Assembly.  He discussed what he saw as challenges for the legislature in general, and particularly for farm-related legislation.  The 18th House District is metropolitan, but it does include urban gardens and the Ohio State University College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences. Representative Stinziano has established himself as someone who works with both Republicans & Democrats -- in his District and in the legislature.  I cannot fail to mention that amongst his other accompllishments (devoted husband & father, graduate of OSU's law school, former Director of the Franklin County Board of Elections), Michael Stinziano is a fellow graduate of my alma mater, the University of Richmond!

I originally became acquainted with Representative Stinziano when he was running for his first term and met with representatives from our county Farm Bureau.  He impressed me then with his open nature and with his willingness to learn about farming, and he has continued to demonstrate those qualities.  Yesterday the Ohio House was in session, and thus Representative Stinziano worked late and then drove out to my farm in the dark to talk to a small group of farmers.  This was not a fundraising event and it was well after the 2014 elections.  Representative Stinziano drove all the way out to the farm after a very long day simply to show his support for the farm community and to discuss issues with local farmers.  That speaks volumes to me about this public servant.

Sometimes I forget just how fortunate I am to have met so many political leaders.  It is directly thanks to Farm Bureau that I have had these opportunities.  Last night's discussion reminded me of how fortunate I am to be involved with a bi-partisan organization that works for common sense in government.  Watching Josh & Ben interact with Representative Stinziano (one of the first state politicians they have met), reminded me what great opportunities are provided for political engagement through Farm Bureau.  Josh & Ben worked all day at the butcher shop, and then had chocolate chip cookies with a leader of our great state!  I must also applaud Representative Stinziano for sharing his love of government with others.  His passion for public service and his knowledge of local issues helped to create in these young men a solid appreciation for policy work.

My grandfather was quite active in local politics, and he created in me a love of policy discussions.  I think he would have enjoyed the fact that his granddaughter had the opportunity to host a prominent young politician for a discussion with local farmers . . . And I think Grandmother would be delighted that I am attempting to perfect her Chocolate Chip Cookies!