A Powerful Program in Agriculture: AgriPower

It was 2011 and I had a lot going on in my life. I worked full time, was starting up a new business, raising two kids and then you add in what I call “Farm Crossfit”  — the farm chores.  At the time, Sandy Kuhn was in charge of AgriPower Institute and we began to chat about the AgriPower program. It sounded like a very exciting learning opportunity, but I was so busy, I was not sure I could add one more thing to my plate. I decided to bite the bullet and apply.

I was selected and received a tuition scholarship from several commodity organizations that covered my participation costs. In the program, I met some of the most amazing people in Ohio agriculture. Our class was diverse in age and in their involvement in agriculture. Some worked in agribusiness, some were full time farmers and others just had an interest in agriculture and politics. When I began the program, I did not know one person in my class. By the end of the first morning session, I had an entirely new group of friends in agriculture.

I not only learned about our government, business practices and agriculture, but I learned about myself and how to better contribute to Ohio agriculture and explore other farming operations. During this class I developed the network and skills to set out on my own personal agricultural journey. I truly believe that AgriPower laid the groundwork for me to start conversations with people about food and farming. As a result, I have had unbelievable opportunities to attend USFRA events and CommonGround media events all over the country and share my story with hundreds of thousands of people through my blog, TV, radio and speaking engagements.

I had the opportunity to participate in a National TV and Radio
media tour sharing about Agriculture. I met LaVell Winsor
a farmer from Kansas. Check out her blog
 http://growingfortomorrow.wordpress.com/

I strongly encourage you to take the time out of your already busy life to not only learn how you can benefit from this program, but how others can benefit from you and your story. We all have so much to offer in our own unique way. Our class was fun and we became a close group of friends. We are spread out all over the state yet we are always there as a resource, reference and a support system for each other. I am so proud to know my classmates in AgriPower IV. Some of my classmates have gone on to serve on state and national commodity boards, major job advancements, Township Trustees and work on political campaigns. It was an honor to be selected as a participant in this program and I encourage you to take the time and accept the challenge to be an AgriPower participant!

Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others. —Jack Welch

Days like these I wish I were a Pig!

The cold North wind blows and the temperature says 17 degrees. I bundle up in my winter farm gear and head out to the barn. Winter gear in Ohio has nothing on the Northern states but it is still cold. The barn water has frozen for the first time and this makes chores take some extra time. Winter guests at our house are familiar with 5 gallon buckets lined up in the entry way along with our family’s barn boots and coats. Not ideal for a girl who likes everything to look just right, but for winter it is a necessity.

The sheep have wool to keep them warm and stay in the barn most of the time, the rabbits are in the barn and the chickens have a clean coop with extra straw in their nesting boxes and thank goodness for the heated water, it cuts off lots of chore time not having to crack more ice. Our animals have it good, but I think they all would like to be hogs in their climate-controlled barn that I recently got to tour.

Through the Ohio Farm Bureau AgriPower Porgram, I got to visit the Standing Oaks Enterprise. Carol Wildman, who is in my class, and her husband own and operated this hog farm. It had been many years since I have been at a larger scale hog facility. We divided up in our 3 groups and set out for a few different areas of their family farm. They were kind enough to allow us to take photos.

We saw them do some artificial insemination, we saw some baby pigs that were just a few days old and then also saw castration. Each area was fascinating and to see the family work together and move so many hogs though their facility from start to finish was just eye opening. There is nothing better than working on a farm doing something you love or have a passion for.

I am a very hands-on person. I am not afraid of much and always want to try new things. They allowed us to see how they dock tails on the little pigs and how they AI (artificially inseminate) the sows (female pig). I must say it was quite exciting for me to AI a sow. I am very excited to find out how many pigs the sow has.

What is so impressive to me when I visit larger production farms is how clean and temperate the barns are. These hogs are kept at the same 70-degree temperature year round. They do not have to worry about rain, snow, wind or hail. Some people wonder why they have to be kept inside all the time. The answer is simple, for their protection! Their environment can be controlled and this takes away so many worries for disease, temperature changes and environmental conditions. When you step outside and the wind and cold air chills your bones, you may wish you were a pig too!

Large Scale vs. Me

I am currently in the AgriPower IV class through the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. This is a program that selects 20 individuals each year to participate and hone their leadership skills, learn more about the organization and politics. Over the next year I will spend 17 days with my classmates and staff from the Ohio Farm Bureau. At the end of September in Columbus, we met with many elected officials including state Auditor, Secretary of State, state legislators, Director of Agriculture and Governor Kasich. I am sure I have left someone out but it was an excellent opportunity to learn how our government works and how everything fits together.


After our formal meetings, we left Columbus and headed toward Raymond, OH to visit New Day Farms. This is a farm that houses laying hens and also has a processing facility for broken out eggs. It was a very large poultry facility to the eyes of most.

This farm was truly amazing. It had been nearly 10 years since I had toured a farm like this and I must say it was fascinating. We live in a society where people are very removed from the origins of their food. Children think their milk comes from the grocery store, eggs come from the refrigerator case and when you open the door it moos and clucks as an effort to help bridge the gap. When I was growing up I never realized how lucky I was to be raised on a farm. I often thought it was hard work and sometimes got tired of missing out on fun things with my friends because I was doing chores or working with animals.

After living in town for a few years after getting married, Matt and I realized just how lucky we were to grow up in rural America. While the town life was easier we knew we wanted to raise a family in the country. Our neighbors thought we were a bit strange when we would pull up in front of our house with a livestock trailer full of sheep. Our old neighbors who are now very dear friends asked us what we were doing with those sheep in town. We told them they were going in the backyard to mow and fertilize. We were clearly joking but they had concern in their eyes.

We raise layers on our farm and invite all of our friends to come see the hens that produce the eggs they purchase from us. Their children like to collect the eggs in a pretty basket. Our egg production is old fashioned and fun but not nearly as sophisticated, clean or efficient as New Day Farms and most poultry farms across the country.

Most uninformed consumers think big is bad! I as a small rural Ohio farmer am here to say Bigger is Better. My customers pay a premium for our natural antibiotic-free farm fresh eggs. New Day Farms feeds no antibiotics to their hens either. The hens have fresh water and food all the time on demand. I was most fascinated that the farm works with a poultry nutritionist who changes the hens’ diets to adjust for what their nutritional needs are week by week. When the hen lays an egg, is rolls onto a mini conveyor belt which heads straight to the processing end of the farm. All the manure is automatically dropped onto another belt system which dries and is discarded multiple times per week. Can you guess how many flies were in the barn? I did not see one fly the entire time I was there. It smelled a little like a chicken but no odor or smells of manure. The barn is temperature controlled for comfort and is on automatic light timers to ensure proper day and night schedules. Another fun fact about this large farm is that everything on the farm is composted. Even the egg shells are composted into lime which is sold locally. I would have loved to take photos but due to liability, which I understand, we were not allowed to take photos.

I would like to add that this farm takes great care to ensure a safe healthy animal and end product. I had to stay out of my own chicken barn for 72 hours prior to visiting and was in a full plastic coverall and hair net. After seeing this farm, I feel 100% safe buying eggs from the store and so glad we live in a country that values animal safety and consumer health.

The buy local movement is huge and I am fortunate to be a part of it. I love to buy local and I appreciate having this option. Do I always buy local? No, it is not always easy and frankly it sometimes costs more. Larger farms allow for a more cost effective food. Just because something is produced on a larger scale does not make it bad or change the nutritional content. Good, safe food, comes from well cared for birds whether they are on a large, or small, farm. Did you know that we are only 9 meals away from going hungry? Keep reading later this week as I will share more about hunger, food supply and Food Day coming up in one week. Every Day is Food Day to a Farmer.