COLUMBUS, Ohio – Fourteen farmers and agribusiness professionals were selected to participate in Ohio Farm Bureau’s 14th AgriPOWER Institute.

The year-long program, sponsored by Ohio Farm Bureau, is designed for those who want to become effective leaders and advocates for agriculture in the state. The eight-month program focuses on public policy issues that are relevant to the food industry such as consumer relations, regulations, energy and trade policies. The individuals who were selected will learn from experts in ag-related fields and develop the skills necessary to become effective leaders and advocates for agriculture.

This year’s participants are Blake Adams, of Leesburg, Jenna Brown, of Utica, Deirdre Christy, of Carey, Heather Coen, of New Concord, Cristen Cramer, of Woodville, Mia Grimes, of Saint Paris, Hattie Hartschuh, of Nevada, Lisa Holding, of London, Olivia Krumwiede, of Wakeman, Alicia McCracken, of Beach City, Brianna Smith, of Shelby, Shaeley Swick, of Utica, Mary Wilhelm, of New Bavaria, and Cora Willeke, of Marengo.

The program has begun and will involve seven sessions. It concludes in September 2024.

“People apply for this AgriPOWER class because they want to improve understanding of current issues affecting them and their agricultural community,” said Melinda Witten, director of AgriPOWER. “This program is great for anyone with a passion for agriculture who is interested in the political process. One just needs to commit the time necessary to participate in the program.

“Specific sessions will help class members develop important skills necessary to become an effective leader and advocate for agriculture. But it’s much more than leadership training. Class members bond with each other as they share their experiences in the workplace, community and home.”

Session No. 1 is already under way.

“The theme of assessing current skills and growing them into larger leadership roles was present in all of the activities the group conducted in Session No. 1,” Christy said. “Adam Sharp, the executive vice president of Ohio Farm Bureau, led the charge with suggestions on learning about yourself and others, discovering and participating in the process of policy development, and exploring the many facets of agriculture. We analytically discovered these details through the Myers-Briggs assessment, an emotional intelligence assessment, and a workshop in defining leadership.”

Jordan Healey, with American Farm Bureau Federation, led both assessments. Marlene Eick, with Ohio Corn & Wheat, correlated with the assessment results by introducing the group to a strategy used to define leadership.

During Session No. 2, the group will convene in Columbus, Ohio (Dec. 7-8) for the OFBF Annual Meeting to view the policy development process and meet with leaders in Ohio agriculture.

Session No. 3 (Feb. 21-22) takes the group to the OFBF Ag Day at the Capital in Columbus. There they will gather an understanding the role of local and state governments have, and how those entities influence political leaders.

For Session No. 4, the group will head to Southern Ohio Power (March 15-16) and learn the role of media and that of spokesperson training.

ession No. 5 (June 20-23) involves an out-of-state tour, where the group will explore current issues in food, agriculture, and the environment in another state. They will gain a first-hand perspective of agricultural facilities, businesses, and the farm bureau’s role in another state.

In Session No. 6 (Aug. 9-10) the group will venture to northern Ohio to dive into issues, trends and topics facing Ohio agriculture today and in the future.

During the final session (Sept. 10-12) the group will head to Washington, D.C., to learn about the power of organizations, Farm Bureau’s process, national and international issues, trade, demographics, and federal government basics.

Previous participants of AgriPOWER have come from all parts of Ohio with a variety of ag industry backgrounds, and this year is no different.

Christy is a tax preparer and insurance agent at a small family run business. She was raised on a farm that produced grain crops and hay. She was active in 4-H and FFA and earned her State FFA degree.

Adams is a centralization accounting specialist for United Producers Inc. She grew up in the ag industry on a grain and cattle farm and still assists on the family operation.

Brown is an associate financial officer with Farm Credit Mid-America. She grew up on a fourth-generation dairy and grain farm in Coshocton County and was active in 4-H and FFA.

Coen is the assistant at McDonald’s Greenhouse and Corn Maze in Muskingum County. She grows cut flowers and pumpkins to sell at her roadside stand and local farmers markets. Coen completed the Ohio State Master Gardener Program in 2006 and currently raises a few animals with her husband and three sons.

Cramer is a grain branch manager and grain division personnel lead for Legacy Farmers Cooperative. She is currently the chairperson for the Ohio AgriBusiness Association (OABA) Grain and Feed Subcommittee and is this year’s recipient of the Achievement as an Emerging Leader Award from OABA.

Krumwiede is secretary of Wakeman Congregational Church, and is the self-described “farm support specialist” for her family. Her family farms 3,500 acres and tends to 800 head of beef cattle. Krumwiede is a big supporter of 4-H and serves as a Cloverbud adviser.

Grimes manages her family’s corn, soybean and Angus cattle operations in Clark, Champaign and Miami Counties. She took on the role of leading the farm after her father passed away in 2013.

Holding serves as a business operations manager for Ohio Health over Berger Hospital. She grew up on a small farm in Franklin County and was active in 4-H. She and her family run a small farm where they raise beef cattle, poultry and feed out a few hogs each year.

McCracken is an outbound sales representative with PBS Animal Health. She was born and raised on her family’s dairy farm in Louisville, Ohio. She participated in 4-H and FFA in high school and served as an FFA state officer.

Smith is a marketing manager at Certified Angus Beef. She and her husband help manage 80 acres of woodlands. She coaches the Wayne County and Ashland County 4-H Livestock Judging Teams.

Swick is self-employed through Shaeley’s Custom Tags & More, where she makes custom livestock ear tags. She grew up on her family’s row crop farm which has expanded to raise commercial beef cattle. She remains active in 4-H and FFA.

Willeke is an account officer at AgCredit, ACA in Mt. Gilead, Ohio. Willeke, who is still heavily involved in 4-H and FFA, won the 2022 Distinguished Senior Award as an agribusiness and applied economics student at Ohio State University.

Hartschuh is an animal nutritionist for Kambach Feeds Inc., specializing in ruminants and small animals. She was raised on a farm and now runs a small cow/calf operation. Hartschuh is a certified volunteer firefighter and EMT.

Wilhelm is a nutrient management specialist with Putnam County Soil & Water Conservation District. She created and coordinates Women for the Land workshops for Putnam County women and surrounding counties. She grew up on her family’s dairy farm and orchard in Henry County.