Posted May 14, 200619 yr A legacy without takers Economic pressures, urban sprawl leave agriculture with too few future farmers Sunday, May 14, 2006 Monique Curet THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Jeff Wuebker says he became a farmer by default, but his wife, Dena, knows it’s because "it’s in the blood." His dad and granddad before him were farmers. When Jeff’s father died of a heart attack eight years ago, "That made me an instant hog farmer," the 35-year-old says. To make a living in an industry with low profit margins, the Wuebkers are growing crops, raising hogs, baling hay, selling straw and running a small seed dealership on their farm in Versailles, northwest of Dayton in Darke County. This year, Jeff and his brother, who owns the farm with him, will spend more than $1 million to expand their hog operation. More at: http://dispatch.com/business-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/05/14/20060514-G1-01.html
May 24, 200619 yr From the 5/22/06 Columbus Dispatch: Program to help beginning farmers Monday, May 22, 2006 Monique Curet THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH A nonprofit farming group is starting a program to support and educate beginning farmers in central Ohio. Innovative Farmers of Ohio will run the program, called Wisdom in the Land, with a $93,000 grant from Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program will pair beginning farmers of all ages with experienced counterparts, said Charles Fry, executive director of Innovative Farmers, based in Logan, in Hocking County. More at: http://www.dispatch.com/business-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/05/22/20060522-C6-03.html
May 26, 200619 yr A farm for the ages Dad, 101, worked the Ashland County spread until last year Friday, May 26, 2006 Margaret Harding THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH ASHLAND, Ohio –— They look the part of farmers, and they ought to: Between them, they have tilled the soil for more than 100 years. Forest Smith, 101, kicks back in his rocking chair, his denim overalls buttoned over a flannel shirt, a fraying green-and-white ball cap covering his head. He has a century of stories behind him, including tales of Indians who used to live nearby, horses he rode just to get around, and trees that have grown with him. Denny Smith, Forest’s son, stands tall in dark jeans, a flannel shirt and worn brown work boots, his face ruddy from hours working in the sun. More at: http://dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/05/26/20060526-A1-03.html
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