COLUMBUS — The Ohio Farm Bureau held its 107th annual meeting Dec. 11-12 in Columbus, Ohio, where delegates honored members with awards, elected new board members and talked policy that will guide the organization in the coming year.
County Leader of Distinction
Four members received the inaugural County Leader of Distinction Award, which recognizes members who have had a lasting impact on their county farm bureau and local community. The 2025 recipients include Fred Cooke (posthumous) of Richland County; Marvin Dietsch of Williams County; Steven Knollman of Hamilton County; and Michele Miller (posthumous) of Ottawa County.
As a 50-year farm bureau member, Cookie dedicated his life to youth, agriculture and the farm bureau. He served on the Richland County Farm Bureau board from 2004 until his passing in 2023; this included three years as county president and various membership campaigns and committee work. He also helped launch the Richland County Farmers Share Breakfast, which raised $20,000 over 16 years, and the Farm to Plate, a community farm bureau program at the Shelby Farmers Market that teaches community members how to cook with fresh food. Each year, Cooke encouraged new members to join — more than any other member — and was widely known as “Mr. Farm Bureau,” asking everyone he met “Are you a farm bureau member?” He taught agricultural education at Shelby High School for 30 years, farmed and mentored FFA and 4-H youth with their livestock projects at the Richland County Fair.
Dietsch is a longtime member and past president of Williams County Farm Bureau board, a role that has allowed him to be a data-driven advocate for farmers and landowners. This work has led to policy decisions on the local, state and national level. He is also the founder and co-manager of Dietsch Enterprises, LLC. He and his late wife, Janie, expanded their generational family grain farm to span 1,100 acres, which includes a homestead that has been in the family since 1875. He is a former teacher and has mentored young farmers in both agronomy and business strategy.
Over the last 30 years, Knollman has been a member of the Hamilton County Farm Bureau and held leadership positions including county president multiple times. He follows in his family’s footsteps, being the fourth generation of the Knollman family to serve on the county board. Advocacy is a priority for Knollman, who always carves out time for events like OFBF’s Ag Day at the Capitol, County Presidents’ DC Trip and OFBF annual meeting. He has also helped spread the word about the Ohio Farm Bureau Health Plans. He is a sixth-generation farmer in Hamilton County, raising row crops and running a cow/calf beef operation on his family’s original dairy farm.
Miller was a devoted member of the Ottawa County Farm Bureau, who served as a volunteer leader for the Ottawa County Farm Bureau for 25 years. She is responsible for the establishment of county events like the annual legislative luncheon and was honored with many membership awards including the Murray Lincoln Award, which is given to members who sign 50 new or win back members. Over her tenure, she signed hundreds of memberships into the organization. Miller was also a loving mother, grandmother, farmer’s wife and friend.
Growing Tomorrow
The Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation also awarded the 2025 Growing Tomorrow Grant to Clover Valley Farm in Clermont County at its annual meeting. Clover Valley Farm is a small regenerative family farm owned and run by Nathan and Jill Parriman. The couple grows seasonal crops including Christmas trees, pumpkins and cut flowers. The farm is also an event space and seasonal photography venue for local families. The long-term goal of the farm is to build a community-focused farm that supports families, inspires next-generation farmers and boosts their rural community. The $100,000 grant will allow the Parrimans to restore their historic dairy farm, expand agritourism and educational opportunities and enhance environmental stewardship efforts.
The Growing Tomorrow Grant was created by Mike and Patti Boyert; Mike is a former Ohio Farm Bureau northeast regional trustee. The goal of the grant is to ensure that young farmers have access to various opportunities in order to tackle the challenges facing agriculture today.
Distinguished Service
The 2025 Distinguished Service Award recipients are Craig Adams, of Highland County; Mike Townsley, of Franklin County; and the families who have hosted the Blanchard River Demonstration Farms: Kellogg Farms of Hardin County, Kurt Farms of Hardin County and Stateler Family Farms of Hancock County.
Adams is a former Ohio Farm Bureau state trustee, Nationwide board member and former chairman of United Producers. His service on the OFBF board included several key roles, such as serving on the executive committee, chairing the public policy committee and the Agriculture for Good Government Political Action Committee and representing OFBF at a White House forum focused on the developing Cuban trade market. He also served on the Ohio Livestock Coalition, a statewide trade organization made up of agriculture organizations and individual farmers committed to advancing environmentally friendly, socially responsible and economically viable livestock farming practices. As chairman, Adams led United Producers to become one of the largest livestock marketing cooperatives in the country and continues to be a part of many statewide commodity organizations and local boards. He and his wife, Kim, run Adams Farms, which specializes in food-grade corn and other row crops as well as livestock.
Townsley is the former CEO and chairman of Bob Evans Farms. In this role, Townsley helped grow the company into the nation’s leading producer of refrigerated products and maintained a strong focus on community engagement and partnerships with agricultural producers. He is a previous board member of the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation and, as president, spearheaded the early efforts to strengthen the alignment between the foundation and the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. Additionally, Townsley is a former board member of the Ohio Farm Bureau Animals for Life Foundation, the Ohio Grocers Association, the National Pork Producers Council, and the Colorado Beef Board. He currently serves on the Ohio Expositions Commission, the governing body of the Ohio Expo Center.
Blanchard River Demonstration Farms was a 10-year joint project between Ohio Farm Bureau and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Through the program, three farm families implemented new and innovative conservation practices on their farms. These trials generated strong interest, and the farms hosted numerous tours for students, researchers, media and policymakers interested in Ohio’s forward-thinking efforts in water quality.
Bill and Shane Kellogg own and operate Kellogg Farm in Forest, Ohio, in Hardin County. The farm consists of 5,000 acres of corn and soybeans. The Kelloggs committed their entire farm acreage to the Blanchard River Demonstration Farms Network. Kurt Farms is a 470-acre corn and soybean operation in Dunkirk, Ohio, in Hardin County. Chris Kurt, owner and operator of the farm, committed his entire acreage to the Blanchard River Demonstration Farms Network. Stateler Farm in McComb, Ohio, is owned and operated by Duane and Anthony Stateler. They raise corn, soybeans and wheat on about 1,000 acres in Hancock County and also operate a 7,200-head wean-to-finish swine operation. The Statelers also committed their entire farm acreage to the Blanchard River Demonstration Farms Network.
Advocacy in Action
The winners of the 2025 Ohio Farm Bureau Advocacy in Action Award are Sarah Ison, of Clermont County and Tim Hesselbrock, of Butler County. This accolade is given to those who have demonstrated outstanding contributions to agricultural advocacy. Recipients, nominated by their peers, embody the spirit of leadership, initiative and commitment to advancing agriculture in Ohio.
Ison has built a strong foundation in agricultural policy through her involvement in AgriPOWER, the American Farm Bureau Partners in Advocacy Leadership program, the OFBF state Policy Development Committee and her leadership in Clermont County Farm Bureau. As the owner of Flourish and Roam with her husband, Josh, Ison is a leader in food entrepreneurship, rural infrastructure and small businesses. Most recently, Ison provided key proponent testimony before the Ohio House and Senate for Farm Bureau Health Plans. She also attended a White House event to highlight ag priorities within the Make America Healthy Again report.
Hesselbrock has spent more than 20 years organizing and facilitating meetings between local farmers, elected officials, and their staff, ensuring Ohio’s small, family-owned farms have a strong voice in the legislative process. These annual legislative meetings serve as a platform for discussing critical issues facing the agricultural community, from policy concerns to regulatory changes. Additionally, Hesselbrock has also been instrumental in educating the broader community about the importance of local agriculture. As a leader of the Butler County Farm Bureau Policy Committee, and having served two terms as county president, he has been a key figure in advancing legislation that supports farmers and promotes the sustainability of small farms.
Elections
At the meeting, members were also elected to the state board of trustees as follows:
District 1, Nate Andre, Defiance, Fulton, Henry and Williams counties
District 5, Craig Pohlman, Allen, Paulding, Putnam and Van Wert counties
District 6, John Bolte, Hancock, Hardin, Seneca and Wyandot counties
District 10, Matt Schmerge, Auglaize, Logan, Mercer and Shelby counties
District 13, Todd Davis, Carroll, Harrison, Jefferson and Tuscarawas counties
District 15, Mike Videkovich, Fairfield, Hocking, Pickaway and Ross counties
District 19, Nicol Reiterman, Clinton, Fayette, Greene and Warren counties
District 20, Evan Davis, Adams, Brown, Clermont and Highland counties
Southwest region, Steve Berk, Adams, Brown Butler, Champaign, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Darke, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Highland, Madison, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, Union and Warren counties.
Bill Patterson, of Chesterland, was re-elected as president of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. He has served on the state board since 2011 as District 4 trustee representing Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake and Trumbull counties.
Cy Prettyman, of New Bloomington, was re-elected as first vice president of the organization. He joined OFBF’s board of trustees in 2012. He will continue to act as the District 7 representative covering Crawford, Marion, Morrow and Richland counties.
Adele Flynn, of Wellington, was re-elected treasurer of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. She has been a member of Ohio Farm Bureau’s state board since 2018 and will continue acting as the District 3 representative, covering Cuyahoga, Erie, Huron and Lorain counties.
Policy talks
Additionally, delegates debated and discussed important topics impacting agriculture, including farmland preservation, local food and succession planning, to form next year’s policy agenda. At the meeting, 341 delegates representing Ohio’s 88 counties were in attendance. The delegates talked at length about property taxes, identifying policy that supports the reform of the property tax system, while noting the importance of CAUV to preserve farmland. However, the organization voted to oppose the outright elimination of property taxes because of concerns related to the unknowns of how its elimination would impact rural communities.
Delegates also discussed land use and zoning, supporting more direct citizen involvement in zoning changes and maintaining local control of zoning of short-term rentals. Delegates also proposed national policy that labels media generated through artificial intelligence and support for new uses of agricultural products. For more information, visit ohiofarmbureau.org.
(Information was provided by Ohio Farm Bureau.)
