Buckeye People

American Soybean Association (ASA) President Wade Cowan has confirmed the election of ASA’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) officers and committee members for 2015-2016, including Steve Reinhard from Crawford County with the Ohio Soybean Council.

“I want my fellow soybean farmers to know that WISHH is important because it lays the groundwork for our future,” Heinen said. “U.S. soybean growers send WISHH as their trailblazer for trade. WISHH teaches people in their own countries about how to use soybeans in animal feed rations as well as human foods.”

In the early 2000s, forward-thinking U.S. soybean leaders in multiples states recognized that the growing protein demand in developing countries was a driver for their soybean sales. Well-researched studies showed that most future growth in food demand would be in developing and middle-income countries where populations and incomes were both on the rise.

Today, the trends are even clearer, proving that WISHH-founding farmers planned well.… Continue reading

Anthony Bush of Mt. Gilead was re-elected to serve on the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) board for a three-year term during Corn Congress.

Bush is a 4th generation grain farmer with years of experience working on behalf of corn and agriculture.

“I am honored to continue my service to this industry that is so important to my family and our country,” Bush said. “I have been blessed with two kids that wish to pursue careers in agriculture, and they are the driving force behind my service here at NCGA.  It is their passion that inspires me to get involved and make a difference.”

During his three-year term, he will combine hands-on leadership experience that he has gained from his current and past leadership experiences.  Bush serves as the NCGA finance committee chair and is a board member of the Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association.  Bush is also past chairman of the NCGA Public Policy Action Team.… Continue reading

Seed Consultants has named Daniel Call as their new General Manager.

“Daniel has been a great student, he knows the seed business and I expect the continued success of Seed Consultants under his guidance and I look forward to watching Seed Consultants continue to grow just as it has over the past 25 years,” said Chris Jeffries, Seed Consultants founder.

Call grew up on a grain and hog farm in Madison County, Ohio. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture at The Ohio State University. Prior to working at Seed Consultants, he was a DSM for eight years at AgReliant Genetics. Since 2006, he has been Seed Consultants’ Operations Manager.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to lead Seed Consultants and I look forward to growing the well-respected Seed Consultants brand,” Call said.

Retiring General Manager Chris Jeffries will be transitioning to a sales role and will be servicing his customers’ seed needs. … Continue reading

Greg Davis has been selected to serve as interim director of Ohio State University Extension.

Now Extension’s assistant director overseeing community development, Davis will begin his role July 1, 2015, as Director Keith Smith begins his first day of retirement following 23 years as leader. OSU Extension is the outreach arm of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

Davis serves on the steering committee for Conversations on the Future of Extension, an effort that began in spring 2014 with discussions to identify the most challenging trends and issues Ohioans will face by 2035. It is now in the “So what?” phase, he said, determining how Extension should address those issues.

As interim director, Davis will look at how Extension approaches its work given the anticipated changes.

“It’s exciting to take the organization down the initial steps, to flesh out where we go next for Extension,” he said. “When the next director is chosen, some things will already be identified.”… Continue reading

Elizabeth Long of London is the winner of the 2015 Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) Discussion Meet. The final round of the competition was held during OFBF’s Young Agricultural Professionals Summer Reach Out event June 27 at Miami County Fairgrounds.

The annual contest tests participants’ subject knowledge, problem solving abilities and personal and small group communications skills.

Long won $1,000 from Nationwide Insurance, a Polaris Most Versatile Generator and an expense-paid trip to the American Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla. where she will represent Ohio in the national Discussion Meet contest.

Long is a Madison County Farm Bureau member where she serves as the communications action team leader. She also is a graduate of Ohio Farm Bureau’s AgriPOWER program Class V. She has a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University. Long is an agriculture and commercial loan officer with Merchants National Bank.

The Discussion Meet is hosted by OFBF’s Young Agricultural Professionals

— singles and married couples ages 18 to 35 who are interested in improving the business of agriculture, learning new ideas and developing leadership skills.… Continue reading

AgriGold is proud to introduce a group of college students that will be sharing the AgriGold story, helping create brand awareness and working closely with their local Corn Specialist as a part of the 2015 Sales Internship Program.

The intern orientation meeting was held May 19th-21stin St. Francisville, Illinois, at the AgriGold Corporate Office. AgriGold is proud to invest in the future of agriculture and support college students pursuing careers in the agribusiness industry. AgriGold has hired a total of 78 interns across the Corn Belt.

Members of the AgriGold Intern Team will be responsible for assisting their Corn Specialist in achieving profitable growth and development in their respective district. This specifically includes helping with coordinating logistics, evaluating corn hybrid performance and implementing an advertising plan for the district.

The Ohio AgriGold interns are: Steven Sullender: Ohio State University, from Preble (not pictured)

 … Continue reading

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today announced key changes to Committee leadership. After serving with Stabenow since 2007, Staff Director Chris Adamo is headed to the White House Council on Environmental Quality to be Chief of Staff.  Replacing Adamo as Staff Director will be Joe Shultz who has served with the Committee since 2011 as Chief Economist.

“As we move forward, I am really pleased with the professional team we have assembled,” Ranking Member Stabenow said. “Each member of my staff understands the complexity of issues facing our farmers and ranchers as well as our families and communities and are committed to their success. I am very confident that our new Staff Director, Joe Shultz, and our new Deputy Directors Jonathan Cordone and Jacqlyn Schneider will be a powerful leadership team to move us forward in addressing issues critical to farmers, families, and communities across our country.”… Continue reading

Tim Hicks of Lexington has been named Ohio Farm Bureau Federation’s (OFBF) business development field director.

In this new position, Hicks will develop and implement programs, business development projects and activities designed to retain and increase Farm Bureau membership and member utilization of Nationwide financial and risk management products. Nationwide got its start as an insurance company for Ohio Farm Bureau members and continues to be a strong advocate of agriculture.

Previously, Hicks was Ohio Farm Bureau’s organization director for Crawford, Delaware, Marion, Morrow, Richland and Wyandot counties. Before coming to OFBF, Hicks was employed by the Schuyler County (New York) Watershed Protection Agency, the Soil and Water Conservation District and as an erosion control manager. He served as a village trustee and was active in various community organizations including the regional planning board. He is a graduate of Bowling Green State University with a degree in environmental science. He and his wife, Jenna, have two children.… Continue reading

Four Ohioans who have committed their lives to working in, promoting and advocating for Ohio’s farm community will be honored Friday, August 7, 2015, by the Ohio Agricultural Council (OAC), when they are inducted into the Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame.

The OAC will induct William J Haddad of Danville, the late Don Loudenslager of Morral, Roy Loudenslager of Marion, and Gerald (Gary) Mast of Millersburg into the Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame during a special breakfast ceremony held in the Celeste Center at the Ohio Expo Center. The 50^th annual event will attract approximately 500 guests to honor these four professionals for their lifetime of service and dedication to Ohio’s agriculture community.

“As we celebrate our 50^th anniversary, our Board is honored to recognize these four individuals who have made significant contributions to Ohio’s number-one industry, agriculture,” said Jenny Hubble, OAC president.  “Each inductee stands out individually for his exceptional contributions to Ohio agriculture, but together they represent the passion, creativity and hard work evidenced by their collective decades of unmatched experience.”… Continue reading

Six Ohio high school and college students have been selected to receive scholarships from the Ohio Ag Council. The scholarships, each totaling $1,500, were awarded for the 2015-2016 school year.

The students, each of whom is pursuing a degree in an agricultural-related area of study, were chosen based on their excellent academic record, outstanding leadership qualities, community involvement, and exceptional essay responses.

“The Ohio Agricultural Council is pleased to provide scholarships to help students further their education. We recognize that the future of the farming community lies with the next generation of agriculture leaders,” said Jenny Hubble, OAC president. “We congratulate these young leaders on being selected to receive scholarships for the 2015-16 school year.”

The high school student recipients and their hometowns are:

• Abby Motter, Mansfield

• Mikayla Storck, New Carlisle

• Emily Kreinbrink, Leipsic

The college student recipients and their hometowns are:

• Clint Gasser, Creston

• Taylor Klass, Worthington

• Christine Balint, Huron

The students will be recognized at OAC’s annual Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame Awards Program on Aug.… Continue reading

In 1980 Doug Southgate, Cam Thraen and Carl Zulauf each started academic careers as Assistant Professors in OSU’s Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology. Thirty-five years later, each is retiring from OSU’s Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics (AEDE), leaving remarkable individual legacies in teaching, research and public engagement.

The co-author of six books, Southgate has influenced many students through his contributions to classroom favorites including the The World Food Economy and Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, while engaging more general audiences with titles such as Globalized Fruit: Transnational Firms, Tropical Entrepreneurs and Governments, and Independent Banana Development. Southgate’s extensive research portfolio occurs at the interface of development economics and environmental economics with a strong focus on Latin America. Southgate was a recipient of a Fullbright Fellowship to Ecuador and has served the University and Department in many important service roles ranging from the Department’s Undergraduate Director to Director of the University’s Center for International Studies.… Continue reading

Lisa Griffis has been named director of design for Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, the state’s largest and most inclusive farm organization. Its mission is to forge a partnership between farmers and consumers.

In her position, Griffis will provide graphic design and technical support for publications such as Our Ohio magazine and Buckeye Farm News, collateral and other printed material for Ohio Farm Bureau and other select organizations, as well as maintain the integrity of the corporate brand.

Previously, Griffis was graphic designer at The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, art director at The Cincinnati Enquirer and a freelance designer. She has won numerous awards for her work including three awards for overall portfolio from the Society of News Design, and Newspaper Series Award of Excellence, Pictures of the Year from the National Press Photographers Association.

Griffis is a graduate of Ohio University with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in visual communications.

To learn more about Ohio Farm Bureau, visit ofbf.org… Continue reading

The Ohio Poultry Association (OPA) recently announced its 2015 award recipients during the organization’s annual meeting and banquet in Columbus. This year, there were three awards which honored four individuals who have made a significant contribution to Ohio’s egg, chicken and turkey communities.

“Every year we seek individuals whose work and accomplishments promote the goals of our poultry community to provide Ohioans safe, affordable food,” said Jim Chakeres, OPA executive vice president. “I am honored to work with so many talented individuals, farms and businesses who continually go above and beyond what is expected of them – and this year’s award winners are no exception.”

Awards and recipients at the 30^th Annual OPA Banquet included:

Golden Egg Award: Tom Hertzfeld II

The Golden Egg Award recognizes an individual who is committed to advancing the mission and values of the state’s egg, chicken and turkey farmers. This year’s honor was presented to Tom Hertzfeld II, of Grand Rapids, Ohio.… Continue reading

Hundreds filled the Archie Griffin Ballroom at The Ohio State University’s Student Union Thursday night to take part in one of the great traditions of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. The 62nd Annual CFAES Student Recognition Banquet was themed “Should Have Seen It In Color” and took time to acknowledge those faculty, staff, students, and organizations of the College that made an outstanding impression in the past school year.

“Tonight at the CFAES Recognition Program, we honored students, staff, and faculty for their outstanding achievements throughout the year,” said Stacie Seger, student chair of the banquet. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for everyone to come together in terms of our family, community members, donors, and supporters to really join around and celebrate the wonderful things our students are doing here in the college.”

The banquet is also seen as a last hurrah for seniors soon to graduate from OSU.… Continue reading

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 human capital for the future.

Recipients of the national awards included: Grant Price, from Tiffin, Ohio and Garrit Sproull from Uhrichsville, Ohio. Both plan on attending The Ohio State University majoring in Animal Science Production.

Recipients were selected based on scholastic merit, leadership activities, involvement in the pork production industry and future plans for a career in pork production.

“Developing the next generation of leaders in the pork industry is one of the top issues that the Pork Checkoff has identified as being critical for the industry’s future. Finding new leaders also is part of our strategic plan,” said Dale Norton, president of the National Pork Board. “Our ongoing goal is to help ensure that there is a sustainable source of new leaders ready to take on the industry’s charge of producing a safe, wholesome food product in a socially responsible way.”… Continue reading

Shawn Cleveland has been named executive director of the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation, a 501(c) nonprofit, public charitable organization. Established in 1985, the foundation helps community groups, civic leaders and consumers in rural, suburban and urban neighborhoods use agriculture to address a variety of quality of life issues.

In his position, Cleveland will focus on creating an overall vision and direction for the foundation to expand its good works and increase its financial resources. The foundation focuses on four areas: education, community development, legal issues and animal issues.

Previously, Cleveland was a director of development for 11 years with Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. He also was director of the Heidelberg Fund in Tiffin and development officer for the Children’s Hospital Foundation in Columbus.

Cleveland graduated from Ohio State in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and received the university’s student service award. Prior to that, he spent four years in the U.S.… Continue reading

A group of 10 outstanding young farm and ranch leaders, including Emily Buck from Ohio, have been selected by the American Farm Bureau Federation as the organization’s eighth Partners in Agricultural Leadership class. PAL is designed to help agricultural leaders accelerate their leadership abilities and solidify their roles as advocates for agriculture.

“The new PAL class represents the very ‘best of the best’ among today’s farmers, ranchers and agri-business professionals,” said Bob Stallman, AFBF President. “We look forward to working with them as they embark on an exciting journey that will equip them as vital contributors to our agricultural outreach efforts.”

Buck is an associate professor of ag communication at The Ohio State University and lives with her husband John on their Marion County farm. Other members of PAL Class 8 are: Jeremy Barron, Indiana; Jennifer Bergin, Montana; ; Terisha Driggs, Arizona; Cameron Edwards, Kentucky; Brian Marshall, Missouri; Chris Pollack, Wisconsin; Derek Sawyer, Kansas; Scott Sink, Virginia; and Julie White, Mississippi.… Continue reading

Jim Tucker of Marshallville Packing in Marshallville will serve as the president of the Ohio Association of Meat Processors (OAMP) for the upcoming year. Tucker was elected to continue his term of the office at the OAMP Convention in Columbus on March 20 and 21, 2015.

Other officers for the upcoming year include:

Levi King of King and Sons Poultry in Bradford will serve as the Vice President

Marion Pacula of Winesburg Meats in Winesburg will serve as the Past President

Mike Jessee of Dee Jays Custom Butchering in Fredericktown will serve as the Director at Large

The OAMP Convention was also highlighted by a Product Competition. Over 130 products were entered in the competition. Dee Jays Custom Butchering of Fredericktown, Ohio won the Best of Show with their smoked turkey.

The OAMP is a non-profit organization that works for the betterment of the meat industry in Ohio and is proud to be celebrating its 75th anniversary.… Continue reading

United Producers Inc. (UPI) announced that Ryan Vaughn is joining the team at its Gallipolis facility as manager effective March 23. In this role Vaughn will be responsible for developing relationships with livestock producers in the area, managing the day-to-day operation of the facility and providing leadership to the UPI Irvington team. Vaughn is a native of the Ripley, W.Va., area and previously served as manager of UPI’s Irvington, Ky., facility.

“Ryan has a keen understanding of the value of customer service and has great knowledge of cattle and the region,” said Senior Vice President of Livestock Marketing Jeff Harding. “We are confident he will be a valued resource to cattle producers in the area.”… Continue reading

Dr. Gene Isler, 74, of Delaware, died Tuesday, March 10, while vacationing in Costa Rica.

Isler was a professor of Animal Science at The Ohio State University for 23 years, owner of Lean Value Sires, and a judge for many hog shows around the United States. He was inducted into the Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame and the OSU Animal Science Hall of Fame. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, Ohio Valley Affiliate, 5455 N. High St., Columbus, OH 43214 or the American Diabetes Association, 471 E. Broad St. #1630, Columbus, OH 43215.

Gene is survived by his wife Karen Isler and their two children and their families. Calling hours for Gene will be Monday 5-8 at Schoedinger in Worthington at 6699 North High Street and the funeral on Tuesday at 11 at All Saints Lutheran Church in Worthington at 6770 N. High Street, Columbus, OH 43085.… Continue reading