COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation has named the newest members of its Young Agricultural Professionals (YAP) State Committee. They are Joe and Casey Everett of Shelby County, Mike Hannewald of Lucas County, John and Kacy Hummel of Franklin County and Emily Warnimont of Hancock County.

 Committee members are selected based on Farm Bureau involvement, leadership potential and community service. Each year such a committee is comprised of members or couples who suggest, develop and conduct activities that provide opportunities for young farmers and ag professionals to be more involved in Ohio Farm Bureau programs. Duties include planning the yearly YAP Winter Leadership Conference and hosting Young Agricultural Professionals in a variety of in-and out-of-state events.

 “My involvement in Farm Bureau has allowed me to make connections with new people who are navigating a similar path working in agriculture, and I’m looking forward to more opportunities to connect and share with others,” said Hannewald, who is currently the vice president of Lucas County Farm Bureau.

Hannewald farms with his father, producing corn, soybeans and wheat on the family farm near Waterville. Off the farm, Hannewald is a full-time agronomist with Beck’s Hybrids, serving northern Ohio and northeast Indiana.

“Working in agriculture, both on and off the farm, is challenging, and the other people you meet from across the state can be great opportunities to learn from others’ past experiences,” he added.

Emily Warnimont grew up on a small cow-calf operation in northwest Ohio. She raises Simmental cattle on her family’s farm, is director of industry relations at Trans Ova and serves as the secretary of the Hancock County Farm Bureau board.

 “After completing AgriPOWER, I wanted to stay involved in the Ohio Farm Bureau within my county but also at a larger scale, and applying for the YAP state committee was a great way to do that,” Warnimont said.

Joe and Casey Everett are part of a corn and soybean operation with Joe’s dad, uncle and cousin. Casey is a reading specialists with Troy City Schools and serves as Student Council adviser, while Joe farms full-time and works with Ohio Ag Net Communications as a marketing specialist.

 “We wanted to be a part of the state committee because we wanted to grow our network and work alongside other agriculture leaders across the state,” Joe said. “We’re looking forward to meeting and working with other young ag professionals who are like us and who value the importance of agriculture.”

 John and Kacy Hummel are currently raising the sixth generation on the family farm. John farms fulltime, raising 3,400 acres of corn and soybeans in central Ohio. He has been on the Franklin County Farm Bureau board of trustees for the last four years and currently serves as its president. Kacy is a technical director of accounting at Nationwide Insurance. Both have been delegates at the OFBF annual meeting the past three years.

 “John and I are looking forward to networking and further developing ourselves professionally and personally,” Kacy said. “Within our role on the state committee, we hope we can make an impact on future generations and strengthen the agricultural community. We hope to be an advocate for our peers in the industry to ensure Ohioans see the importance of the many things that the Ohio Farm Bureau does to ensure generations of farming to come.”

 These young leaders will help host the Young Ag Professionals Winter Leadership Experience Jan. 26-27 at the Columbus Convention Center and Hyatt Regency Hotel. The annual event features networking opportunities with young agriculturalists from across the state and educational sessions on small business planning, emerging ag careers, local foods, consumer communications, social media and much more.

For more information about the conference and the Young Ag Professionals program, go to: https://ofbf.org/community/young-ag-professionals/