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Farm World writer recognized for ag writing by Ohio Farm Bureau
 


By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

HAMILTON, Ohio — Ohio Farm World correspondent Celeste Baumgartner made news as one of four individuals to go home with an award last month from the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) for their contribution to agriculture, their communities and Farm Bureau.
Baumgartner was honored with the Agricultural Communicator Award.
“We look for that person who is not only doing a good job with journalism but genuinely cares about the agriculture industry,” said Joe Cornely, senior director of Corporate Communications at OFBF.
“Celeste has this commitment to this industry and has had that commitment for many years that she’s covered agriculture in Farm Bureau.”
Baumgartner, a Butler County Farm Bureau member, has been a Farm World correspondent for 25 years. She’s also written for Ohio Rural Electric’s Country Living magazine, Ohio Outdoor News and Bird Watcher’s Digest, as well as a farm and bicycling column for the Hamilton-Journal News for 19 years.
She has won writing and photography awards from the Outdoor Writers of Ohio (where she served as president from 2007-09) and the Outdoor Writers Assoc. of America. She received the Butler County Farm Bureau Friend of Agriculture Award in 2009 and Friend of Extension Award from Butler County extension in 1999.
“My family moved onto a farm when my kids had horses,” said Baumgartner, who has four children.
“We didn’t know much then about farming, but our neighbors did. They helped us when it came time to plant corn, barley and to bale hay.”
To this day, she writes about agriculture-related news and features in southwestern Ohio. Her favorite ag subject is writing about multi-generation working farms, though she jumps at any opportunity to engage with the agricultural community.
“I never met a farmer that wasn’t friendly and welcoming,” she said.
Since January 2000, Farm World has published 1,169 stories authored by Baumgartner - nearly 200 of those have been on the paper’s front page. Farm World has also published more than 1,200 photographs by Baumgartner during that same time period.
“Celeste is much more than a prolific writer; she is also a highly skilled and knowledgeable farm journalist,” said Farm World Senior Editor Dave Blower Jr. “Celeste was among the first writers I spoke with when I started working at the paper, and I’m pleased that she has continued to work with us.
“It is my hope that Farm World readers will see ‘By Celeste Baumgartner’ in our paper for many years to come.”
Nominations for the awards came from county Farm Bureaus and individual members. The presentation was made during OFBF’s 96th annual meeting Dec. 10-12 in Columbus.
Distinguished Service Awards were presented to William Batchelder, speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, and agriculturalist William “Bart” Montgomery. John Davis received the Cooperative/Agriculture Educator award.
Batchelder was speaker for 30 years and returned to the House in 2007, where he is completing his fourth conse-cutive term. He is the second longest serving representative in that chamber. He has a long career in practicing and teaching law and serving as a judge in Ohio.
Batchelder has been awarded the 4-H Meritorious Service Award, Friends of 4-H Award and Conservation Legislators Award from the League of Ohio Sportsmen and the National Wildlife Federation. He is a member of OFBF, Medina County Township Assoc. and The Grange.
A Fayette County Farm Bureau member and farmer, Montgomery started out as an OFBF youth participant in the 1940s and advanced to serving as treasurer and vice president of the state board of trustees.
In 1985 he was elected to the American Farm Bureau board of directors and served nine years.
He was on the board of directors for the Fayette County Landmark Co-op, served seven years on the state Producers Livestock board, was an adviser for a hog and beef cattle 4-H club for 25 years and served 10 years as treasurer of the Fayette County Commission on Aging. He is also a 60-year Masonic Lodge member.
Davis is a retired agriculture teacher who was state director of agriculture education for the Ohio Department of Education from 1987-92 and also supervised vocational-ag teachers in 16 northeastern Ohio counties. He was director of FFA Camp Muskingum for 20 years, affecting the lives of 32,000 members.
He also was a Carroll County commissioner and has received numerous honors, including Vocational Educator of the Year, Ambassador of Agricultural Education and Distinguished Service Awards from the Ohio FFA Alumni Assoc. and Central States Agricultural Education Supervisors. He is involved with two family farms and served a term as Carroll County Farm Bureau president.
1/15/2015