Department of Agriculture seeks nominations for committees

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.

Individuals 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: District 1 - Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Lucas and Williams counties; District 2 – Ottawa, Sandusky, Seneca, Wood counties; District 6 – Ashland, Knox, Marion, Morrow, Richland counties; District 8 – Auglaize, Mercer, Miami, Shelby counties; District 11 – Darke, Montgomery, Preble counties; and District 14 – Fayette, Highland, Pike, Ross counties.

Individuals 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: District 1 – Defiance, Fulton, Henry Lucas and Williams counties; District 2 – Ottawa, Sandusky, Seneca and Wood counties; and District 8 – Butler, Champaign, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Darke, Greene, Hamilton, Miami, Montgomery, Preble and Warren counties.

Nomination petitions 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. Petitions must be returned no later than 5 p.m. on October 31, 2014. Voting and ballot information will be published when the department receives the candidates’ petitions. Elections to the Ohio Corn Marketing Program Committee and the Ohio Small Grains Marketing Committee will be held in early January, 2015. 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, contact David Miran, Jr. at 1-614-728-6390 or 1-800-282-1955.