Ag Director David Daniels accepting nominations for vacant board seats

Ohio Department of Agriculture Director David T. Daniels is accepting nominations to fill vacancies on the Ohio Corn Marketing Program Committee and the Ohio Small Grains Marketing Program Committee.

The Ohio Corn Marketing Program and the Ohio Small Grains Marketing Program’s respective missions are to maintain, create, and increase opportunities for Ohio corn and small grain growers in the global marketplace.

The purpose of these programs are to provide funds to permit corn and small grain producers to develop, implement, and participate in promotion, market development, research, and educational programs.

People who have marketed corn in the last 12 months are eligible to petition for nomination to the Ohio Corn Marketing Program Committee if they live in one of the following five districts. Districts include: District 1 – Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Lucas and Williams counties; District 4 – Allen, Paulding, Putnam and Van Wert counties; District 7 – Carroll, Columbiana, Holmes, Jefferson, Stark, Tuscarawas and Wayne counties; District 10 – Fairfield, Franklin, Licking and Pickaway counties; and District 13 – Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton and Warren counties.

People who have marketed small grains in the last 12 months are eligible to petition for nomination the Ohio Small Grains Marketing Program Committee if they live in one of the following three districts. Districts include: District 4 – Paulding, Putnam, and Van Wert counties; District 5 – Hancock, Hardin, and Wyandot counties; and District 6 – Allen, Auglaize, Logan, Mercer, and Shelby counties.

The petitions for nominations require at least 25 valid signatures from qualifying Ohio producers of the respective commodity who reside within the district in which the candidate seeks election.

Nomination petitions are available from the Ohio Department of Agriculture and must be returned no later than 5 p.m. on Dec. 27.

Voting and ballot information will be published when the department receives the candidates’ petitions. Elections to the Ohio Corn Marketing Program Committee will be held Jan. 27 - 29, 2014. Elections to the Ohio Small Grains Marketing Committee will be held Feb. 3, 4, and 5, 2014. If only one valid petition is received in a district there will be no election and that person will become the committee member.

Nominating petitions may be obtained by contacting the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Legal Office at-1-800-282-1955 or 614-728-6390 or by writing to David T. Daniels, Director, Ohio Department of Agriculture, Attn: Legal Office, 8995 E. Main St., Reynoldsburg, OH 43068-3399. For additional questions or comments, contact David Miran, Jr. at 1-614-728-6390 or 1-800-282-1955.