SWCD & Farm Bureau Annual Meeting Set for August 16

After much positive feedback in 2021, Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District and Ashland Farm Bureau will once again return to the Myers Convocation Center at Ashland University for their annual meeting to celebrate the successes of the last year and make decisions about their organizations’ futures.

This year’s joint annual meeting will take place August 16 at 6:30 p.m. with voting for the Ashland SWCD election opening at 6 p.m. Tickets are just $5, and registration is required..

“We had a great response and great feedback for our meeting last year at Ashland University,” said Jane Houin, Ashland SWCD program director. “Our annual meeting is going to be a great opportunity to come together as a community to celebrate agriculture and conservation in Ashland County and to make decisions that will impact those areas for years to come.”

During the evening Ashland SWCD will recognize it’s 2022 award winners: Cooperator of the Year Honey Haven Farm, Volunteer of the Year Gigi Obringer, and Horizon Award winner Wendell Swartzentruber. The district will also celebrate the accomplishments of the last year.

“We are excited to recognize such a diverse group of people in our annual meeting this year, from an operation like Honey Haven that has embraced change and transitioned from a more traditional dairy to agritourism, to Gigi who really helped make an impact in our Rain Beat on Main Street program as an artist,” Houin said. “And of course, you would be hard-pressed to find a farm in Ashland County that has not been impacted by the hard work of Wendell Swartzentruber during his time as a district conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and even know as an independent consultant. We want to share their stories of how the citizens of Ashland County can partner with organizations like Ashland SWCD and Farm Bureau to make an impact on the soil health and water quality in our community.”

And of course, the annual meeting would not be complete without a little business. Election voting will take place for both Ashland SWCD and Ashland Farm Bureau as well as policy development for Farm Bureau. SWCD election voting is open to all Ashland County residents and landowners age 18 and over; voting will take place July 21-August 19 at the SWCD office as well as at the annual meeting.

“Election of our board of supervisors is critical to the long-term success and vision of Ashland SWCD,” Houin said, noting that Ashland SWCD is governed by a five-member, publicly elected board of volunteers that shape the mission and direction of district programming.

This year, residents will select two new members of the Ashland SWCD board of supervisors. Candidates are Valerie Hall, Justing Ringler, and Terry Timmons. More information about the candidates can be found at ashlandswcd.com in the news section of the site in the summer issue of The Steward newsletter..

Guests can RSVP to Ashland Farm Bureau at 330-263-7456 and pay at the door for their tickets