COLUMBUS, Ohio — In a ceremony at the Ohio Governor’s Mansion, four were honored as 2012 Ohio Agriculture Women of the Year award winners.

They included Amy Sigg Davis of Lebanon, Stephanie Jolliff of Kenton, Karen Oberst of Findlay and Bev Roe of Hamilton.

“These Ohio women have had an incredible impact on our state’s largest industry,” Ohio First Lady Karen Kasich told the gathering. “It’s an honor to recognize them for their strength, leadership and outstanding contributions.”

The award was first created during last year’s Ohio State Fair. It is administered through the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) and the First Lady’s office. Nominations were reviewed by a diverse committee of industry leaders, who determined winners on the basis of their contributions to Ohio agriculture, leadership and advocacy in the agricultural community and significant impact on the industry as a whole.

Davis, from Warren County, has successfully managed her family farm since 1987, growing soybeans, corn and wheat, and is a licensed real estate broker specializing in farm brokerage.

She was instrumental in the development of the Ohio Soybean Council’s research program for new uses of soybeans, which has resulted in national awards and multiple patents. She has also worked to expand export opportunities to Japan and played a pivotal role in the development of an Ohio trade office in China.

Jolliff raises beef cattle, hogs and chickens on her family farm in Hardin County, and is an agriculture education teacher and FFA advisor at Ridgemont High School. She has secured more than $200,000 in grants to extend her agriculture education program and enhance student experiences.

Under her leadership, Ridgemont High School FFA was twice named the winner of the National Chapter Model of Innovation and Ohio’s top chapter.

Oberst started her own commercial dairy farm in 2007. It was the first dairy startup in Hancock County in more than 35 years. She was also the first woman to serve on the board of the Hancock County Soil and Water Conservation District.

She has worked as a field environmental scientist for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, an adjunct faculty member at the University of Findlay and offered education programs at the Hancock Park and the Historic McKinnis House at Litzenberg Memorial Woods Farmpark.

Roe operates Pedro’s Angus farm in Butler County. The firm is a seedstock operation that uses the latest techniques for genetics improvements. She previously operated Pedro’s Angus Steakhouse restaurant chain.

Dedicated to Ohio agriculture, she hosted a media tour of her farm in 2011 and advocated the creation of the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board in 2009. Roe is a respected member of the beef industry, receiving the 2012 Beef Industry Excellence award from her peers.

Each recipient will have her name engraved on a plaque for permanent display at the ODA offices and a commendation from the governor and first lady. Recipients will also serve as members of the selection committee the following year.