Ohio Farmer

5 Ohio families honored for conservation efforts

The farmers have been recognized for an outstanding job of protecting and conserving soil, water and related natural resources.

Jennifer Kiel, Editor, Michigan Farmer and Ohio Farmer

September 9, 2024

1 Min Read
An aerial view of a midwestern farm
AWARDS: Ohio will honor five Ohio Conservation Farm Family award winners for commitment to conservation and outreach efforts. AlenaMozhjer/Getty Images

The Ohio Conservation Farm Family Awards program recognizes farmers who are doing an outstanding job of protecting and conserving soil, water and related natural resources on the land they farm.

Five winners have been chosen and will be featured online this week. They are:

  • Mehl family: Rachel and Alan of Oxford

  • Workman family: Fred and Jason of Perrysville

  • Hodge family: J. and Rachel of Norwich

  • Jepsen family: Jim and Dee of Amanda

  • Weller family: Arden, Randy and Kay of Continental

The award was founded by Ohio Farmer magazine and is now coordinated by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Division of Soil and Water Conservation, and co-sponsored by Ohio Farmer magazine and the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation.

The program emphasizes the application of technically sound, innovative and cost-effective conservation practices, and encourages the sharing of this information with other farmers and the general public.

All five finalists will be recognized as winners of the Ohio Conservation Farm Family Award at a public ceremony Sept. 19 during the Farm Science Review, with a private luncheon for the farm families following. The winners will also receive a $400 check courtesy from the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation.

About the Author

Jennifer Kiel

Editor, Michigan Farmer and Ohio Farmer

Jennifer was hired as editor of Michigan Farmer in 2003, and in 2015, she began serving a dual role as editor of Michigan Farmer and Ohio Farmer. Both those publications are now online only, while the print version is American Agriculturist, which covers Michigan, Ohio, the Northeast and the mid-Atlantic. She is the co-editor with Chris Torres.

Prior to joining Farm Progress, she served three years as the manager of communications and development for the American Farmland Trust Central Great Lakes Regional Office in Michigan, and as director of communications with the Michigan Agri-Business Association. Previously, she was the communications manager at Michigan Farm Bureau's state headquarters. She also lists 10 years of experience at six different daily and weekly Michigan newspapers on her resume.

She has been a member of American Agricultural Editors’ Association (now Agricultural Communicators Network) since 2003. She has won numerous writing and photography awards through that organization, which named her a Master Writer in 2006 and Writer of Merit in 2017.

She is a board member for the Michigan 4-H Foundation, Clinton County Conservation District and Barn Believers.

Jennifer and her husband, Chris, live in St. Johns, Mich., and collectively have five grown children and four grandchildren.

Subscribe to receive top agriculture news
Be informed daily with these free e-newsletters

You May Also Like