Local National Ag Day Celebration held
CANAL LEWISVILLE – Wendell Waters got a little chocked up when talking about his family’s passion for farming.
“I couldn’t image doing anything I love more,” he said.
Waters and his son Greg were asked to speak at the Second annual Ag Day Celebration Luncheon on March 15 at Canal Lewisville United Methodist Church. They and two other local farming families addressed the day’s theme – Agriculture: Stewards of a Healthy Planet.
“When I think about that topic I think about health for myself, my livestock and our ground,” Greg said. “We care about the environment. That’s why I’m on the soil and water board. I want to make things better for our children than when I got here.”
They use technology to help them test their soil and make sure they are treating and planting it correctly and do their research at meetings and on the computer to ensure that their livestock is getting the right feed.
David and Alana Lapp also use technology on their family run farm to help them be good stewards of the land. They too test their soil, have GPS in their planters to make sure they are only planting seeds where they need to, compare yield and field maps and do much more to make sure they are as efficient as possible with their natural resources and finances.
“What we have today is all we will ever have so we have to help keep it viable for sustaining life,” Alana said.
Kyle Daugherty who grew up on a dairy farm, did some job shadowing with the Lapps and got exposed to technology that his family doesn’t have. He also spent time at five dairy farms in Sugarcreek and both experiences helped him realize that he doesn’t want to manage. He’d rather be out in the field and with the cows. After graduating from River View High School this spring he plans to go to the Agriculture Technical Institute and then come back home to expand his family’s operation.
Bill, Kyle’s father, explained that he and his wife are already working on plans to help the next generation continue the farm by doing things such as investing in land when the time is right, updating to GPS equipped equipment, beefing up cover crops and doing estate planning. However, he also stressed how important it is for farmers to make time for family.
“There are days you think you just have to keep going, but you won’t get those days back so take time for your family,” Bill said.
Kelly Miller from Farm Credit Mid-America, which helped sponsor the luncheon, thanked all the speakers.
“While you all talked about the theme I also heard from each of you how important family is and that farming is in your blood and you can’t get it out,” she said. “I thank you for sharing.”
The Soil and Water Conservation District, local OSU Extension office and Coshocton County Chamber of Commerce also helped sponsor the event. Coshocton County Commissioner Dane Shryock also was there to present a proclamation recognizing Ag Day and Ridgewood FFA members assisted organizers.
Agriculture is the number one industry in Coshocton County and the goal of this now annual event is to show gratitude toward and recognize all those who work in the field and help provide us with plentiful and safe food.
“There are no better stewards of the land than those who depend on it for a living,” Miller said.
josie@coshoctoncountybeacon.com
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