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New book on soil

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MADISON — University of Wisconsin soil science professors Dr. James G. Bockheim and Dr. Alfred E. Hartemink have written a book entitled The Soils of Wisconsin. This book provides an up-to-date and comprehensive report on the soils of Wisconsin, a state that offers a rich tapestry of soils. It discusses the relevant soil forming factors and soil processes in detail and subsequently reviews the main soil regions and dominant soil orders, including paleosols and endemic and endangered soils. The last chapters address soils in a changing climate and provide an evaluation of their monetary value and crop yield potential. Richly illustrated, the book offers both a valuable teaching resource and essential guide for policymakers, land users, and all those interested in the soils of Wisconsin.

Click here to learn more.

All are welcome to attend a book launch on March 16, 2017 at 3pm at UW-Madison’s Department of Soil Science. The event will include speeches by the authors, Chancellor Rebecca Blank and a reception. RSVP to jgarvin2@wisc.edu.

For more news from Wisconsin, click here.

 

Fighting the hemlock woolly adelgid

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OTSEGO CO., N.Y. — The Otsego County Conservation Association (OCCA) and Mohican Farm are collaborating with the Catskill Regional Invasive Species Program (CRISP) and Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie and Otsego Counties to host a special training for outdoor enthusiasts interested in volunteering to help CRISP and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation identify and map stands of Eastern hemlock as part of its efforts to counter the accelerating invasion of the highly destructive hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) in New York State.

The workshop will be held on Saturday, February 25, from noon to 3 p.m. at Mohican Farm, 7207 St. Hwy. 80, in the Town of Springfield. The initial classroom session will address HWA identification, lifecycle, ecological impact, best management practices, and survey methods and protocols, followed by a hands-on field session to practice survey protocols and GPS navigation in a nearby hemlock stand. The workshop is free and open to land and forest owners, master gardeners, students, and others eager to arrest the HWA. Space is limited; preregistration is required for planning purposes by calling 607.282.4087 or emailing programdirector@occainfo.org. With your permission, your email address will be used to set up an iMap account (Seehttp://www.nyimapinvasives.org/) prior to the workshop. Appropriate winter dress/footwear is recommended. A snow date is planned for March 4, if needed.

Classroom Program:

  • Hemlocks as a core part of the Catskills’ and New York forest ecosystem and which species are likely to be impacted; the hemlock wooly adelgid, its introduction, spread, and biology; locations in the Catskills and NYS in general.
  • Best management methods for HWA, covering insecticides and biological controls, weighing the ecological costs of a mass loss of hemlock against the ecological costs of insecticides; past use and missteps of biological control and the current intense efforts that go into ensuring bio-controls are safe to release, including success stories to date.
  • How citizens can help stop HWA and preserve the hemlocks across the New York landscape; hemlock hedges as good release locations for bio-control agents; the need for citizen scientists to help survey for HWA, so agencies can prioritize when/where to release or use insecticides; CRISP citizen scientist survey protocol, iMap discussion as a reporting tool, and creating iMap accounts for volunteers.

Field Program:

  • Practice survey methodology in a nearby hemlock stand that can serve as a volunteer survey area. Learn survey protocols and practice methods on nearby hemlocks, covering diameter-at-breast-height measurements, crown transparency, live-crown ratios, new growth tip measurements, HWA density measurements, and GPS navigation.
  • Optional (if time permits), participants will split into smaller groups, depending on group size and partner leader staff, and survey additional hemlock stands.

For more information visit our website at http://cceschoharie-otsego.org/events or call 518.234.4303.  Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities.  Accommodations for persons with special needs may be requested by contacting Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie and Otsego Counties prior to a program.

—Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie and Otsego Counties

For more articles out of New York, click here.

A lot happens around the kitchen table

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FARGO, N.D. — For years, the kitchen table has been the center of planning for those in agriculture.

Conversations of the past, present and future surface around the table. Today, the kitchen table may be in the warming shed, the barn, the seed-cleaning facility, the shop or an available room slightly warmer than outside. In some cases, a meeting room, built to accommodate the input and planning for today’s agricultural enterprises, is the designated center.

The point is, time must be set aside to develop a plan, which can be implemented successfully by including individual opinions of those involved in the operation. Individual input is critical. Without such input, the operation eventually could be dispersed or, at best, the working environment deteriorates, employee turnover goes up and hard feelings develop.

All of these scenarios can be prevented with a good session around the kitchen table. The Dickinson Research Extension Center is no different. As spring nears, the center personnel, like producers, initiate summer planning. This is not a time of rest. Cows start calving, equipment needs servicing and seed needs to be fetched, pushing winter out.

The center personnel, as well as the numerous agricultural producers around the area, must sit down around the table because the time for decisions is now. How are we going to get through another production year with pounds of calves or bushels of grain to pay the bills?

Like many agricultural operations today, various production units are not contingent on each other; in fact, 10 to 20 miles may separate the various units, thus the need to plan the movement of equipment, livestock and the many other pieces needed for farming and ranching.

The other day, while walking around the shop, I pondered how many wrenches, nuts, bolts, various chains, wire, metal pieces and other assorted hardware are needed to run a farm or ranch. Let us just say, “A lot.” And even when one thinks he or she has everything, when you need a certain-sized wrench, darned if you cannot find it. Anyway, all the pieces have to come together to make an agricultural operation work.

For the center, each unit is discussed individually, with various options placed on the table. This past week, the first topic was a review of the land maps. The center’s website (https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/dickinsonrec) has a facilities tab providing access to the various sections of land by township and range. Field numbers and last year’s history are being incorporated into the maps for ease of discussion.

These maps are the foundation for the discussion, followed by the actual implementation of the plan for a particular field. A review of the history and current needs are put on the table for discussion, followed by a consensus as to how to proceed. Essentially, the question is, “What does the center need from the field to meet the desired objective of the center?” Let’s tune in and re-visit last week’s discussion as we focused on the center’s Boehm Research Farm at Richardton, N.D. The discussion started with the 2016 cropping history and proposed 2017 land usage intentions. The obvious points were resolved quickly: The native pasture would be utilized for grazing approximately 53 cow-calf pairs starting in early June and ending in late October.

Next was the allocation of a 98-acre field for grazing by the 53 cow-calf pairs after summer grazing. In 2016, these acres were seeded to German millet, piper sudangrass, medium red clover and common vetch as a cover crop blend and produced 478 large bales. After discussion, these acres would be split for grazing after Oct. 15, half to a 100-plus-day corn and half to a cover crop mix. A suggested blend of seven crops for this year was discussed and will be finalized at the next meeting.

The next discussion turned to 474 acres of cool-season pasture. This pasture was re-seeded to a cover crop blend, including buckwheat, German millet, radish, sunflowers, crested wheatgrass and tall wheatgrass, in 2016. The cool-season grass will be rested this year to allow for the further development of the crested wheatgrass and tall wheatgrass, pending any fall grazing developments.

The next field was 124 acres seeded to German millet, piper sudangrass, medium red clover and common vetch as a cover crop blend in 2016. The field yielded 377 large round bales and will be seeded to a cover crop blend of Stockford barley, berseem clover, crimson clover, forage pea and sorghum sudan for hay. Harvest timing and hauling of the 2017 hay crop also were discussed, assuring that the various equipment and labor will be available.

That is not all the fields, as two remain, and we will finish the plan in two weeks. Never underestimate the value of discussion at the kitchen table.

May you find all your ear tags.

For more information, contact your local NDSU Extension Service agent (https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/extension/directory) or Ringwall at the Dickinson Research Extension Center, 1041 State Ave., Dickinson, ND 58601; 701-456-1103; or kris.ringwall@ndsu.edu.

— Kris Ringwall, Beef Specialist, NDSU Extension Service

For more news from North Dakota, click here.

America's most admired

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MANHATTAN, Kan. — Nobody likes us. Everyone’s out to get us. We can’t buy a break.

Don’t believe it. It isn’t so. Never has been and hopefully never will be.

Farmers and ranchers still rank at the top of America’s most admired professions. This A-list is comprised of those who serve others, including firefighters, doctors, nurses, farmers and ranchers (who feed the world), police, teachers and engineers who build things.

And when the public thinks of agriculture – two words come to mind.
If you guessed “hard working” you’re right. That’s the ranking in a recent article in Forbes.

Across this country consumers believe farmers are important. When people take the time to think about their importance, most agree farmers feed everyone. They’ll tell you there isn’t anybody who doesn’t need farmers.

Other words used by consumers to describe farmers included necessary, good for society, honest, take care of the land, independent and good family values.

Americans also believe farmers are highly believable when speaking on farm-related issues. When asked if they would believe a farmer talking about the challenges of farming, nearly 90 percent said they would.

Farm wives were deemed even more believable than farmers. Depending on the topic, university researchers or scientists could be just as believable as farmers while environmentalists and government officials rated less favorably.

Most consumers will tell you they believe farmers and ranchers choose their occupation based on the satisfaction it gives them, not the money they make. They also believe when faced with a decision between economics and doing the right thing, most farmers and ranchers would do what is right.

Today’s American consumer also believes farmers have a high level of professional training and competency in agriculture. They also will tell you farmers care about food quality and safety. Nearly 80 percent of the public thought farmers and ranchers do an excellent job of taking care of their farm animals.

Believe it or not, depending on where you look or find information, two of every three people agree the use of land for agriculture is good for the environment. The public believes farmers take care of the land. Nearly half believe farmers and ranchers do an excellent or good job of taking care of the nation’s water.

Don’t listen to what the naysayers say. The public’s image of farmers and ranchers remains strong. Overall, the public appreciates the jobs farmers are doing and they like hearing from them. That means farmers should take every opportunity to speak up about their profession.

Stand up for agriculture. Say what’s on your mind and speak from the heart. American farmers and ranchers can help shape the message and mold the public image of their profession in their own likenesses, rather than having it molded for them by dictionary synonyms or advertising’s stereotypical overalls and pitchforks.

— John Schlageck, Kansas Farm Bureau

For more news from Kansas, click here.

Share your family’s ranching legacies

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BLANCO, Texas — What you can see and measure on a ranch property is only a part of the land’s full value.

Unseen, and frequently priceless, are the stories of the men and women who worked the ranch; tended its cattle, wildlife, and crops; and instilled solid values in their descendants – often passing down their work ethic and principles to multiple generations.

Lem Lewis, a 4th generation Texas rancher who is known by his friends and clients as “The Ranch Broker,” is planning to share not only his family’s rich ranching legacy, but also those of other ranchers and rural landowners who wish to preserve and showcase their family folklore.

“Ranch and family lore are priceless tales, passed from one generation to the next, that help us as individuals shape our sense of who we are and where we fit into the flow of people and time,” says Lem, whose great grandfather purchased his first piece of dirt in the Texas Hill Country in 1929.

Lem, who specializes in helping both ranch buyers and sellers, encourages all of his clients and friends to record the histories of their families and their ranch properties.

“Every ranch has a legacy, as does every ranch family,” Lem explains. “Many people, quite honestly, don’t know and haven’t investigated what their legacy is. But everyone should.”

Among questions ranch owners might address when researching their property’s legacy are: Who has previously owned it? What pieces of history did it witness or occurred nearby? And what life and business wisdom has been passed down from previous generations?

Will a ranch property that has a documented history of ownership, including tales of the owner’s struggles and triumphs, increase its appeal to prospective buyers? More often than not, says Lem, it will.

More importantly, he believes, capturing the rich history and culture of ranching is important to maintaining ranching’s best traditions. “America and American values are rooted in the land,” Lem says. “When it comes to ranching, we can learn and teach so much when we know our history.”

Lem, himself, is sharing his family folklore on The Ranch Broker blog, at http://www.theranchbroker.com/blog. Two of his popular posts are:

• This Legend About My Great-Great-Great Grandfather Bears Repeating
• Spending My Thanksgivings on the H.W. Lewis Ranch: Grandma Always Made the Turkey Dressing

The roots of Lem’s family tree run deep – dating back to the Revolutionary War period. In the coming weeks and months, Lem will continue sharing his Lewis Family Legacy with readers of his blog and listeners to his RANCHCAST™ with LEM LEWIS podcast.

Importantly, Lem is also inviting members of the public to share their ranch and family legacies. He’ll highlight the stories he receives on both his blog and his podcast, and one day plans to compile an anthology of ranching legacies – something to pass along to family and friends, and to use to educate non-ranchers about the rich culture and traditions of ranching.

Those who’d like to participate in Lem’s “Ranching Legacies™” project are encouraged to email him at lem@theranchbroker.com or call Lem at 210-275-3551.

As an aside, Lem notes that it’s never, ever, too late to start your own family and ranchland legacy. Plenty of good folks from outside Texas have recently purchased ranch properties as vacation and recreation homes, which is a perfect time to begin their own ranching traditions and legacies.

If you’re considering a ranch purchase or sale, or have any ranch-related questions, Lem encourages you to contact him to discuss your thinking. He’s always happy to answer questions and share his experience, without cost, obligation, or sales pressure of any kind.

—Lem Lewis
The Ranch Broker
via EINPresswire.com

Peoples Company partners with AcreValue

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CLIVE, Iowa — Peoples Company announced today that they will partner with AcreValue, the leading digital platform for farmland data and analytics, offered by California-based farm software company, Granular.

The AcreValue site is used by tens of thousands of farmland owners, buyers and renters across the U.S. to understand the current value of their land and evaluate prospective land for purchase or rent.

Peoples Company launched “What’s My Farm Worth?” more than a year ago, and Bruere says it makes sense to partner with the leading platform to offer the best technology solutions to their clients.

“Peoples Company is a leading provider of land brokerage, land management, land investment and appraisal services in 14 states throughout the Midwest,” said Peoples Company President Steve Bruere. “With AcreValue, our current and prospective clients will have more information, data and understanding than ever before. With good information our partners can make good decisions.”

The announcement was made at the annual Land Investment Expo, which has been hosted by Peoples Company for 10 years and draws top financial and management experts from across the state, country and world.

“We are continually expanding on the content available on AcreValue and listings will be a key focus for us going forward,” said Tamar Tashjan. “We are excited to partner with a progressive, fast growing company like Peoples to bring their listings and services to our users.”

— PR Newswire

For more news from Iowa, click here.

Scott Pruitt confirmed to EPA

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WASHINGTON — On February 17th, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt was confirmed and sworn in as the 14th administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Administrator Pruitt was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito at 5:40pm  Feb. 17, 2017 and subsequently resigned as Attorney General of Oklahoma.

Administrator Pruitt believes promoting and protecting a strong and healthy environment is one of the lifeblood priorities of the government, and EPA is a vital part of that mission.

Pruitt became a national leader through a career of advocating to keep power in the hands of hardworking Americans. He has a proven record of working with industry, farmers, ranchers, landowners, small business owners and others to protect our natural resources.

As a dedicated civil servant, Pruitt created policies that serve the people. He strongly believes environmental law, policy, and progress are all based on cooperation among the states, cooperation between the states and EPA, and cooperation between regulators and the public.

As Administrator, Mr. Pruitt will lead EPA in a way that our future generations inherit a better and healthier environment while advancing America’s economic interests. He is committed to working with the thousands of dedicated public servants at EPA who have devoted their careers to helping realize this shared vision, while faithfully administering environmental laws.

Most recently, Administrator Pruitt served as the Attorney General for Oklahoma. He worked with his Democratic counterpart in Arkansas to reach agreement to study the water quality of the Illinois River that crosses between the two states and has been enjoyed by generations of Oklahomans and Arkansans. The Statement of Joint Principles provided for a best science study using EPA-approved methods, with both states agreeing, for the first time, to be bound by the outcome.

During his tenure as Oklahoma’s Attorney General, Mr. Pruitt led an historic water rights settlement between the State of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City and the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations that preserved the ecosystems of scenic lakes and rivers on native lands. The agreement, which required Congressional approval, was signed into law on December 2016.

The Law provides a framework that fosters intergovernmental collaboration on significant water resource concerns while protecting existing water rights and affirming the state’s role in water rights permitting and administration. Water settlement cases can be lengthy, costly, divisive and disruptive, however under Pruitt’s forward thinking leadership the process was hailed by all parties as one of commitment, hard work, perseverance and cooperation.

As Attorney General for Oklahoma, he also led the State’s legal challenges against property rights intrusion while protecting Oklahoma’s natural resources and environment.

Administrator Pruitt is recognized as a national leader in the cause to restore the proper balance between the States and federal government, and established common sense regulations that are fair and provide relief where needed. Before being elected attorney general, he served eight years in the Oklahoma State Senate where he was a leading voice for fiscal responsibility.

After earning his Bachelor’s Degree from Georgetown College and graduating from the University of Tulsa law school, Pruitt went into private legal practice, specializing in Constitutional Law.

In addition to his life as a civil servant, Administrator Pruitt is a successful entrepreneur. As a co-owner and managing general partner of Oklahoma City’s Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate, the Oklahoma City RedHawks, Mr. Pruitt took over the team’s marketing operations and helped the team become one of the league’s leaders in attendance and merchandise sales.

Scott Pruitt is, first and foremost, a family man. Scott and Marlyn, his wife of 26 years, proudly raised their daughter, McKenna, and son, Cade, in Tulsa. Scott has made it a priority to pass on to his children the same principled, family values with which he was raised.

To see Administrator Pruitt’s biography, visit:  https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epas-administrator

–EPA

For more articles concerning the EPA, click here.

Free grazing seminar Feb. 20

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CORYDON, Iowa — The Stewards of the Land program, a one-of-a-kind initiative aimed at improving soil health and water quality in Iowa through well-managed grazing, officially kicks off February 20.

The program is a partnership between the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, the Iowa Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), the Iowa Cattlemen’s Foundation, and Prairie Creek Seed.

“Iowa cattlemen are truly stewards of the land and want to leave the land better for the future generations.  In order to accomplish this, farmers and ranchers need to be both economically and environmentally sustainable.  The Stewards of the Land project will demonstrate the value of both and that the two goals are completely compatible,” says Karl Dallefeld, President of Prairie Creek Seed. The company has pledged to support the program financially, and will also donate 5 cents back to the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association for every pound of forage and cover crop seed sold.

An educational meeting will be held Monday, February 20 at the Wayne County Extension Office in Corydon. Linda Shumate, ICA Grazing Advisor, will explain the Stewards of the Land program in more depth. Dallefeld will share information on perennial and annual forage selection and Joe Sellers, ISU Extension, will present “Managing Fescue Pasture.”

The event is free and includes a complimentary dinner. Producers should RSVP to the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association office: 515-296-2266 or tristen@iabeef.org.

Background:

According to the ISU Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, when grasslands are managed with a focus on the regenerative crop, cattle not only reduce overall GHG emissions, but also facilitate increased soil carbon sequestration, reduce environmental damage, and create habitat for various wildlife and pollinator species.

Since 2007, the state of Iowa has lost roughly 1,600 cow/calf farms and over 110,000 cow/calf pairs.

In an effort to restore Iowa’s grasslands, the Stewards of the Land project will help farmers and ranchers make positive changes on their farm, such as enhancing current grassland management practices and  transitioning current crop ground and expiring CRP contract acres into working grasslands. According to the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, perennial cover and grazed pastures are estimated to reduce Nitrate loss by 85% and Phosphorus loss by 60%.

Allocating additional acres to grasslands requires financial investment and technical expertise. Through the Stewards of the Land project, ICA will hire a Grazing Advisor that will work to educate Iowa cattlemen and encourage environmentally conscious  decisions when it comes to land management.  Through technical assistance, the ICA Grazing Advisor will work with area cattlemen to increase the productivity of current grasslands, while encouraging transformation of additional acres.

— Iowa Cattlemen’s Association

For more news from Iowa, click here.

Henderson to speak in Dubois County

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JASPER, Ind. — Dr. Jason Henderson — director of Purdue Extension, Associate Dean for the College of Agriculture and Assistant Vice President of Engagement — will share his insights on how “Purdue Extension is Moving Indiana Forward” at the Purdue Extension-Dubois County annual meeting on March 7.

Scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST, the program will be in the Lecture Hall of the Classroom Building on the Vincennes University Jasper Campus. Community leaders, elected officials, leadership of Purdue Extension affiliated groups and county residents will benefit from his message.

A nationally recognized expert in agricultural and rural issues, Henderson leads statewide public engagement and research-based education in 4-H Youth Development, Agricultural and Natural Resources, Community Development, and Health and Human Sciences.

As Purdue’s Assistant Vice President for Engagement, he provides leadership in university-wide initiatives that connect Purdue expertise and resources to statewide needs and helps form effective partnerships to grow Indiana’s economy and improve quality of life for its residents.

Henderson previously served as vice president and Omaha Branch Executive at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. While serving as the Bank’s regional economist and Nebraska representative, he also led Federal Reserve efforts to track agricultural and rural economies, including the Tenth District Survey of Agricultural Credit Conditions and the Federal Reserve System’s Agricultural Finance Databook. He also managed the Main Street Economist, a bimonthly publication covering economic issues affecting rural areas, and has published more than 60 agricultural economics research articles in academic and Federal Reserve publications on such topics as land values, entrepreneurship, electronic commerce in agriculture, demographics, and many more. He holds masters and doctorate degrees in agricultural economics from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Central College in Pella, Iowa.

Register for this event, call Purdue Extension-Dubois County at 812-482-1782 by March 1.

A grab-and-go $5 lunch provided by Northeast Dubois High School Career Pathways: Culinary Arts Students will be provided to pre-registered guests, payable at the door.

For more information, contact Jan Dougan, Purdue Extension-Dubois County Director, at 812-482-1782 or jmdougan@purdue.edu. Purdue Extension-Dubois County appreciates our local financial institutions for sponsoring this program: German American, Freedom Bank, Old National Bank and Springs Valley Bank & Trust.

— Purdue Extension-Dubois County

OEFFA announces 2017 award recipients

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COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association has named the 2017 recipients for the Stewardship Award and Service Award, as well as the first winner of the Advocate of the Year.

Mike Anderson of Delaware County received the Stewardship Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the sustainable agriculture community, Holly Harman Fackler of Richland County received the Service Award, which recognizes extraordinary service in support of sustainable agriculture, and Alex Dragovich of Stark County was named Advocate of the Year, an award which recognizes exceptional contributions to sustainable agriculture policy advocacy.

The announcements were made on Feb. 10-11 in Dayton as part of OEFFA’s 38th annual conference, Growing Today, Transforming Tomorrow.

2017 Stewardship Award Winner—Mike Anderson

For 25 years, Mike Anderson of Delaware County has given his time and energy to Ohio’s organic farming community.

He began his farming career at the Ohio State University demonstration farm, then housed at the Ohio Department of Agriculture, before managing vegetable production and field research for five years at the Stratford Ecological Center in Delaware. In 2001, he started Sundog Specialty Crops in Sunbury, a certified organic farm specializing in produce and cut flowers. Today, Anderson co-manages Whitebarn Organics, a certified organic farm in New Albany.

“Patrons of many central Ohio farmers markets might have come for sunflowers, tomatoes or other produce, but they returned to hear his unmistakable and friendly laughter,” said Sean McGovern, outreach manager for the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program and former OEFFA director, who presented the award to Anderson during the Friday ceremony.

Throughout his entire career, Anderson has generously shared his time and expertise with other growers and with OEFFA. He served on OEFFA’s Board of Trustees in the 1990s, coordinating procurement of local food for the annual conference and planning farmer training workshops. Later, he served on the board of directors for the Pearl Alley Growers Association, on the administrative council of the NCR-SARE program, and on OEFFA’s staff as a Sustainable Agriculture Educator, helping organic and transitional farmers with their certification, production, and marketing questions.

Anderson has hosted numerous farm tours and has led many workshops at the OEFFA conference and other events to share what he knows with other farmers and grow Ohio’s sustainable agriculture community.

“I’ve met many extraordinary farmers and sustainable agriculture advocates over the past 25 years and I know for certain that there are countless individuals much more deserving of this recognition then I am. I’m grateful for the people that I’ve met through OEFFA and inspired by their dedication to help us all become better stewards of our farms, families, and communities,” Anderson said.

Watch the recorded Facebook Live award presentation.

2017 Service Award Winner—Holly Harman Fackler

Holly Harman Fackler, a Fairfield County native who lived for 30 years in Richland County, was an important influence and leader in the early days of OEFFA, acting as the organization’s first paid newsletter editor and employee.

During the late 1980s and 1990s, she stepped up to do some of the heavy lifting required to build the then-fledgling organization into the state-wide, 4,325 member educational network it is today. For several years, Harman Fackler’s home in Plymouth, Ohio, was OEFFA’s office and her phone was OEFFA’s phone. She wrote, edited, designed, and distributed OEFFA’s newsletter, labeling and bundling newsletters at the dining room table, often with a young one on her knee. “We took pretty seriously the need to get information out, which now is much easier to get ahold of, but which, then, was not,” she said.

In addition to her work on the newsletter, she built OEFFA’s first electronic membership database from paper files kept on index cards, responded to phone and mail inquiries and networked with other OEFFA leaders. She served several terms on OEFFA’s Board of Trustees, helped organize OEFFA’s educational events and took an active role in planning and preparing conference meals that reflected the values of the organization.

“Holly’s giving and kind spirit infused her efforts to develop OEFFA’s early administrative and communications infrastructure and provided crucial energy and organizing skills at the time when they were needed most,” said McGovern.

Harman Fackler found her way to OEFFA as a partner in a small diversified grain and livestock farm. “OEFFA was a lifesaver for us, really, and an important part of what we chose to do with farming … I feel like OEFFA really enriched my life, and I’m glad that it has been part of it.”

Harman Fackler worked as a reporter, blogger, editor and online editor, retiring in 2015 from Media Network of Central Ohio. Now she works, gardens and volunteers in her hometown of Baltimore, Ohio.

Watch the recorded Facebook Live award presentation.

2017 Advocate of the Year Winner—Alex Dragovich

Alex Dragovich of Mud Run Farm in Stark County has been a strong and guiding presence in OEFFA’s policy work since the program was formed in 2011, serving actively on OEFFA’s grassroots policy work groups and often speaking with the media and decision-makers about the impacts of fracking, climate change, food safety regulations, and genetic engineering on farmers.

As a member of the fracking work group, which is focused on protecting farmers and our food system from the negative impacts of the oil and gas industry, Dragovich was literally the face of the issue when he agreed to work with a partner organization in representing farmers on a fracking billboard in southeast Ohio. He has experienced the issue first-hand; he has been approached by several companies with fracking lease offers, but has refused to sign a lease.

“These are large industrial operations and history tells us that industrial accidents can occur, even when regulated,” Dragovich said. “I’m just not willing to sign away my land and water, and jeopardize the health of my chickens and those that I employ for the promise of some quick cash.”

As a member of OEFFA’s genetic engineering work group, which works to secure clear and transparent labeling for GE foods and protect farmers from GE contamination, he organized and hosted a showing and discussion of the documentary, GMO OMG, and made calls to Senate candidates about their stance on GE labeling.

Since 1980, he has owned and operated Mud Run Farm, where he raises free-range chickens and eggs and grows vegetables, fruit and small grains for local markets. His farm is powered mostly by horses, in part because he is concerned about climate change and wants to reduce his carbon emissions.

“Even with his tremendously busy schedule, Alex is actively involved in multiple issues, attending meetings and calls. He is known to pick up the phone and call the OEFFA office to ask what he can do help. He is truly dedicated and effective,” said Amalie Lipstreu, OEFFA’s Policy Program Coordinator. “Without farmers like Alex engaging in the issues that affect farming and food systems, we will not achieve our goals of moving toward a more sustainable agriculture and ultimately, a more healthy and habitable world.”

Watch the recorded Facebook Live award presentation.

“The sustainable food and farm economy we have today is a reflection of the vision, commitment, and hard work of our thousands of OEFFA members over the course of almost four decades,” said OEFFA executive director Carol Goland. “We are grateful for all of their collective efforts in pioneering organic and sustainable farming in Ohio, but it is a special pleasure to be able to recognize three truly remarkable individuals for their contributions and accomplishments.”

For a full list of past Stewardship and Service Award winners, click here.

About OEFFA
The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association is a statewide, grassroots, nonprofit organization founded in 1979 by farmers, gardeners and conscientious eaters working together to create and promote a sustainable and healthful food and farming system. For more information, go to www.oeffa.org.