COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation recently awarded its first-ever Growing Tomorrow Grants to help inspire, encourage and nurture young agricultural professionals and entrepreneurs to find creative and transformative ways to address challenges facing the agricultural sector today.
A total of two grants, equalling $50,000, were awarded to young professionals and entrepreneurs who are looking to generate wider and deeper public understanding of farming and the ways that agriculture impacts our nation and our communities.
Following are those organizations awarded grants in 2024:
Winchester Farm Exchange ($30,000)
The Winchester Farm Exchange, located in Canal Winchester, was started by owners Trish Preston and Chelsie Casagrande-Smith. It is a community gathering space, which includes a local farm-to-table grocery store, and serves the community by offering over 50 bakers, makers, and meat and produce vendors a space to sell their goods. The Exchange also leverages its space and vendors to help customers become more acquainted with their local farmers and more educated about the way their food is produced.
Chambers Family Fab ($20,000)
Chambers Family Fab specializes in designing pens for goats, sheep, hogs, and chickens, all in-house at its Stark County fabrication shop. The company has expanded into creating scales, livestock feeders, wash pens and accessories. Ron and Diana Chambers pride themselves on working with youth, educating them on best practices for livestock and for an on-farm customization process, and working with customers to design products to ensure they create exactly what fits the farm and the end-users’ needs.
The Growing Tomorrow Grant is the brainchild of Mike Boyert, a former Ohio Farm Bureau northeast regional trustee, and his wife, Patti. The goal of the grants is to find a way of ensuring that creative young farmers can access opportunities the Boyerts did not have, and enabling these young professionals to use their skills to alleviate the difficulties facing agriculture today, including a lack of public education regarding the importance of farms within the U.S. food system and the significant economic hardships facing rural communities and farm workers.
The Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation, a 501(c) (3) charitable, nonprofit organization, understands the need to inspire innovation and cultivate investment in Ohio’s farm and food community. Learn more by visiting ohiofarmbureau.org/foundation.
— Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation
