Tuscarawas Co. Farm Bureau celebrates its members’ successes

SUGARCREEK, Ohio – “Hog Wild for Our Ohio” was the theme for the 2005 Tuscarawas County Farm Bureau annual meeting Aug. 30, emphasizing the need to promote products grown and produced in Ohio.
Bill Hawthorne, county president, received a 10-star plaque. This is the first time in recent years the Tuscarawas County Farm Bureau has had a 100 percent completion in all categories.
Committees. Committee members recognized for their achievements were John Feller, government affairs; Caryn Biggs and Sheila Mutti, promotion and education; Darlene Finzer, safety; Hallie Hawthorne, information; Dan Donato, Jean Specht and Mary Jane John, membership; Todd and Chris Kendle and Jeremy and Michelle Evans, youth council; Mary Jane John, advisory councils and young farm couples; Connie Kinsey and Jaynie Norman, agriculture ecology; Jim Rowe, policy development; and Mike Yoder, nationwide sponsorship.
Hawthorne announced his 2005-2006 committee chairpersons: Feller, government affairs; Norman, promotion and education; Finzer, safety; Hawthorne, information; Donato and John, membership; Michelle and Jeremy Evans, youth council; John, advisory council and young farm couples; Yoder and Rowe, agricultural ecology; Matt Miller, policy development; and Don Hoffman, Nationwide sponsorship.
Membership gains. It was noted that Tuscarawas County had an overall membership gain last year, with a total membership of 2,065 and a farmer membership of 1,008.
The membership team of Donato, John and Specht were given special recognition and Feller was honored as an Ambassador Club member for signing 10 new members.
Young couple. Dale and Karen Loveday were honored as the 2005 Outstanding Young Farm Couple. They are unique in that they not only farm together but also farm independently.
Together, they farm 220 acres of soybeans, 325 acres of corn and 125 acres of alfalfa.
Karen is also in partnership with her parents, Jim and Rita Rowe, at Jimita Holstein Farm near Strasburg, Ohio.
Karen is also an adviser for the Milkmakers 4-H Club and serves on the county 4-H dairy committee.
Excellence. Ann Gano was the recipient of the 2005 Young Farmer Excellence in Agriculture award for her work throughout the farming community.
She has been the farm business planning analysis instructor at Buckeye Career Center for the past 11 years.
She is a member of the Tuscarawas County Extension Advisory Committee, secretary of the 4-H Dairy Committee, and member of the 4-H advisory committee and county dairy farmers committee.
Gano is co-owner of Gano Farms Inc., where she and her father raise corn and hay on 400 acres of crop ground. They also feed 100 head of Holstein steers and contract raise Holstein heifer calves for a small local dairy farm.
Educators. Honored as the 2005 Ag Educators of the Year were Martha Fankhauser, fourth-grade teacher at Miller Avenue School in the Garaway School District, and Shirley Thornton, second-grade teacher at Midvale School in the Indian Valley School District.
Fankhauser has incorporated agriculture in the classroom by using “Factors of Production,” which teaches about land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship and incorporates Ohio’s agriculture as the major business that keeps Ohio economically sound.
Thornton chose a project on “What Plants Need, Using our Resources” to help students gain a better understanding of the importance of the earth’s natural resources and their effect on farmer’s products.
Youth events. Jeremy and Michelle Evans gave a report on the Bootscooter Youth Council’s activities during the past year. He said there were 12 active youth taking part in various projects including swimming, putt-putt golf, bowling, cookouts, the fall haunted barn, a spring fun event and the state annual meeting.
Nominees for the 2005 youth member of the year were Nikki Dryden, Tricia Kendle and Liz Stocker, with Stocker being named the outstanding member.
Todd and Chris Kendle, who are retiring after having served as youth leaders for seven years, received the Bootscooter Youth Council award for their work.
Policies. During the meeting, Jim Rowe presented the 2005 local, state and national policies developed by his committee.
All policies were approved by the 168 members attending the meeting, including the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District’s proposal to base its assessments on operating units.
The resolution opposes assessments by the parcel.
Rowe, policy committee chairman, said his committee was concerned that the district was going to make its assessments based on parcels and some farms are divided into parcels, which meant that some farmers might have to pay several assessments for one farm.
Representation. Elected to represent the county on the board of trustees were Dan Widder, District 1; Amy Mizer, District 6; Connie Finton, District 7; Al Fillman, District 10; and Jerry Lahmers, trustee at large.
Serving as delegates for the 2006 Ohio Farm Bureau annual meeting will be Connie Finton, Dan Donato, Virginia Specht, Dan Evans and Gene Miller.
Hobert White and Eric Finzer are alternates.