Area farm bureaus attend annual meeting in California

BOTKINS - The staff of the Auglaize and Mercer County Farm Bureaus attended the American Farm Bureau annual meeting in Anaheim, California, Jan. 9-14. The counties were selected as recipients of the American Farm Bureau Federation County Activities of Excellence award, which celebrates unique, local, volunteer-driven programs that serve as models of innovation in local program development.

As two of the winning 24 counties nationwide, they received grants to participate in the Farm Bureau CAE showcase at the 2026 American Farm Bureau Annual Convention & Trade Show in Anaheim.

"The opportunity to share our programs at the National meeting is a huge honor, and we are proud to share our success with others across the country, " said Jill Smith, the senior organization director of Auglaize and Mercer County Farm Bureaus.

Projects for the CAE awards were categorized into the following areas: education and ag promotion, member services, public relations and information, leadership development, policy implementation, and safety.

Submitted Photo

Auglaize County representatives Patty and Keith Richardson, Wapakoneta, talk with a visitor at their booth at the American Farm Bureau annual convention and trade show in Anaheim, California.

Auglaize County's project was Mission: Discovery, an event held in conjunction with the Auglaize County Workforce Partnership. The program wasn't a traditional career fair hiring event but an opportunity for local students to learn more about seven different career areas, including agriculture. Using a hands-on, demonstration-based approach, students explored in-demand careers in agriculture and learned the steps required to pursue them after high school. The Farm Bureau organized the agriculture section and hosted more than 1,000 students during its two-day program. They celebrated the eight agriculture career areas of interest, from agronomy to food science.

Submitted Photo

From left are Zippy Duvall, AFBF president, Kaitlyn Kinsella, Ella Aufderhaar and Jill Smith, organization director.

Mercer County showcased its Northwest Ohio Ag in the Classroom workshop, designed to equip K-4 teachers with educational tools to incorporate agricultural topics into their curriculum throughout the year and with resources for farm field trips to introduce students to agriculture. The county partners with MVP Dairy and Cooper Farms to bring teachers to the workshop and help them with tools, curriculum and resources to grow agricultural awareness. In its fifth year, they were excited to spread the news of the event to others.

"The opportunity for the counties to meet Farm Bureau members from across the nation and learn more about how to grow agriculture was priceless!" Smith said. "They can't wait to share what they have learned in their counties."

The Ohio Farm Bureau's mission is working together for Ohio farmers to advance agriculture and strengthen their communities.