By CELESTE BAUMGARTNER
Ohio Correspondent

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov.-elect John Kasich recently selected Ohio State Rep. Jim Zehringer (R-Fort Recovery, Ohio) to serve in his cabinet as the director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
“I am honored to have been appointed to serve as the director of the Department of Agriculture,” said Zehringer. “I look forward to serving the people of Ohio in this capacity and helping to bolster our state’s number-one industry. While serving as a state representative, I have fought to keep Ohio’s farms strong and address agricultural issues. I fully intend to maintain this same commitment as director of the agency.”

Zehringer is serving his second term in the Ohio House of Representatives representing Mercer and Preble and portions of Darke County. He served as ranking minority member of the Agricultural and Natural Resources Committee.

Zehringer is the former owner and operator of Meiring Poultry and Fish Farm, in Fort Recovery, which received awards for its outstanding environmental practices. And he is proud of Ohio agriculture.

“I am most proud that every day 10 million people eat good, safe, wholesome, hopefully locally-grown food and that is due in part to the good inspection and the health inspectors that we have in the state of Ohio and the good farmers,” Zehringer said. “They know how to not only produce crops, but they’re very good at animal husbandry – some of the best in the world. They treat their animals with respect and they produce food that is not only feeding Ohio, but helping to feed the world.”

The core responsibilities of ODA are food safety and animal health, Zehringer said.

Budget cuts are coming – no department will be immune. Zehringer looked forward to meeting with all department heads to determine how to run ODA on the slimmest possible budget, while maintaining those core responsibilities.

“My long-term goals will be creating jobs and continuing to have agriculture as the No. 1 industry in Ohio,” Zehringer said. “We want the folks to know that Ohio is a great place to come and grow things. There are many opportunities here.”

“Also Governor-elect Kasich has told me that he would like to see me, as ODA director, more visible ... doing economic development also as part of my job,” he said.

“Visiting universities to help them come up with ideas that we can share and turn into businesses and going to communities in all 88 counties and meeting with economic development directors seeing what can we do to promote agriculture.”

His first visits will be with the commodity groups, asking them how ODA can best help them to promote their commodity and create jobs.

Ohio’s agricultural and commodity groups welcomed Zehringer’s appointment. Ohio Farm Bureau applauded his experience as a family farmer, businessman and legislator.

“Farm Bureau and Mr. Zehringer share similar views on the proper role of government, the importance of agriculture to Ohio and the need for consumers to have confidence in food and food production,” Farm Bureau said.

“We look forward to continuing a positive relationship with him in his new role.”

In a joint statement the Ohio Corn Growers Assoc. and the Ohio Wheat Growers Assoc. said they looked forward to working with Zehringer.

“We are pleased to have a leader with firsthand experience as a family farmer, policymaker and entrepreneur.

Zehringer understands the economic importance of Ohio farms and the advancement of markets such as corn ethanol, bioproducts, experts, and improving nutrition with whole wheat grains,” they said.

The Ohio Soybean Assoc. applauded the appointment adding that Zehringer brings both public service and agricultural experience to the position. As a family farmer, he understands the unique challenges facing agriculture as well as the many opportunities.
Zehringer lives in Ft. Recovery with his wife, Sharon. They have three children, Julie, John and Kristy, and two grandchildren.