The Hardin Soil and Water Conservation District held its annual conservation tour on Dec. 2. It highlighted a few of the conservation practices that have been installed by landowners in the county.

FOSTORIA — Ag Credit, ACA has created a new loan program based upon the recommendation of team members working directly with many young, beginning and small farmers. The program, known as AgStart, features lower costs, extended terms, reduced down payments and assistance with loan fees.

Doug Dyer, County Extension Director for the Hardin County Consolidated Farm Service Agency, presents a certificate of appreciation to Kenneth Klingler upon his retirement from the agency’s board of trustees. Klingler has been a member of the board for nine years and has served as its chairman for the last two years.

COLUMBUS — Hunters checked 73,399 white-tailed deer during Ohio’s 2015 deer-gun hunting season, Nov. 30-Dec. 6, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). This represents a significant increase over last year’s harvest of 65,484 deer.

COLUMBUS — Ridgemont High School agricultural educator Stephanie Jolliff was honored with the Cooperative/Agriculture Educator Award by the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. The presentation took place Thursday during the organization’s 97th annual meeting in Columbus.

Farmers will have the opportunity to learn about cover crops and soil health in an all-day workshop at the in Mount Victory on Thursday, Jan. 14. This program will be held in the banquet room of the Plaza Inn.

DELAWARE, Ohio – The Riverdale FFA is among 11 Ohio FFA chapters chosen to receive a $500 grant to participate in the Ohio Small Grains Marketing Program’s (OSGMP) nutritional-awareness campaign, “Food for Thought Challenge.”

COLUMBUS — The 97th annual meeting of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) will be Dec. 2-4 in Columbus. The organization will elect leaders, establish its policies for the coming year, conduct leadership training and recognize county Farm Bureaus and individuals for their contributions to the organization and community.

COLUMBUS – Senator Cliff Hite, R–Findlay, the introduction of legislation aimed at updating the way agricultural property values are calculated and reducing the financial burden for farmers using land for conservation purposes.

MARYSVILLE — The Best of the Buckeye Program, hosted by the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) in conjunction with the Ohio Beef Expo and the Ohio State Fair, is gearing up for its third season. The program provides Ohio seedstock breeders an additional marketing opportunity, creates a source for moderately priced show steers and heifers by providing a program with awards and prestige, and attracts new participants interested in showing at the Ohio Beef Expo and/or the Ohio State Fair.