Highland County Chamber hosts record breaking Ag is Everyone’s Business event

More than 750 people were in attendance for the Highland County Chamber of Commerce’s 14th annual Ag is Everyone’s Business event on Friday, March 6 at the Patriot Center on Southern State Community College’s campus.

After an opportunity to network with attendees and sponsors, those in attendance were welcomed to the event by Jamie Wheeler, Executive Director of the Highland County Chamber of Commerce.

“Those of us in this room represent a variety of industries but we are all connected by agriculture,” said Wheeler. “Let’s take this opportunity to connect, learn and celebrate Highland County’s leading industry, Agriculture.”

Brian Baldridge, director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, addressed those in attendance and gave an update on current programs with the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

The keynote speaker for the event was Dr. Temple Grandin, a world-renowned scientist, author, and autism advocate. She is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University and a leading expert on livestock behavior, known for revolutionizing humane livestock handling systems used in facilities around the world. 

Diagnosed with autism as a child, Grandin has become one of the most influential voices in raising awareness and understanding of autism and neurodiversity. She has received numerous honors for her work, including being named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2010 and induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2017. Grandin is also the recipient of the Proggy Award from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals for advancing animal welfare practices. She is the author of several bestselling books, including Thinking in Pictures and Animals in Translation. Her life and work were portrayed in the award-winning HBO film Temple Grandin.

Dr. Grandin discussed how people think differently and how those differences help us be successful. She explained that some people are visual thinkers, some are mathematical thinkers, and others are verbal thinkers. She said agriculture and engineering need all these types of minds because each type has different skills that help solve problems. Grandin emphasized that people with autism can be very successful in agriculture, because their different ways of thinking can help them notice details and invent new ideas.

Throughout the day, youth from McClain FFA, Lynchburg-Clay FFA, Hillsboro Great Oaks FFA, Mowrystown FFA, Fairfield FFA and Highland County 4-H networked with attendees and assisted in serving breakfast. The FFA students sold raffle tickets for a John Deere toy tractor donated by Ag Pro Hillsboro and outdoor bundle donated by the Highland County Chamber of Commerce, selling over $2,500 in tickets. The Highland County Chamber of Commerce donated the proceeds from the raffle back to the five FFA chapters. 

Speaker Sponsors of the event included: ICAP Crop Insurance/Farmers Mutual Company of Iowa and R.D. Holder Oil.

The Media Sponsor of the event was South Central Power and Connect SCP.

The Book Sponsor of the event was Southern State Community College.

Level I Sponsors of the event included: Ag Pro; All Axiss; Bear Mechanical LLC; First State Bank; Highland District Hospital; Huhtamaki; iHeart Media; Lewis Financial Group; Merchants National Bank; NCB; Nutrien Ag; Ohio Beef Council; RoofX; Seal-Tite LLC; Shafer Heating and Cooling; Southern Hills Community Bank; Southern State Community College; United Producers Inc Hillsboro/United Producers Credit Services; and Wilkin Heating & A.C. Co., Inc.

Level II Sponsors of the event included: Abbott Image Solutions; Adena Greenfield Medical Center; Arven Wealth Management; Bohrer Vet Services; Edward Jones - Susan Vaher, Mathew Greene, Kyle King, Ashley Farley; Elite Roofing & Construction; Fifth Third Bank; Great Oaks Career Campuses; Greenfield Research, Inc.; McCarty Associates, LLC; Ohio Asphaltic Limestone Corporation; OSU Extension Highland County Agriculture and Natural Resources; Peoples Bank; SOCS Fiber; South Central Power Company; Southern Ohio Propane; Southern Ohio Retrofoam; The Barn at Hidden Ridge; Thompson Funeral Service; and Zoom Drain of Southwestern Ohio.

Level III Sponsors of the event included: Atomic Credit Union; City of Hillsboro; ERA Don Fender Classic; FRS Transportation; Hamilton Insurance Agency; HealthSource of Ohio Hillsboro; Highland County Farm Bureau; Highland County Historical Society; Highland Health Providers; Hillsboro Ohio Pickleball Association, Inc.; Holtfield Station; Kayleesue Laber, Walker Real Estate Advisors; Maplecrest Meats & More; McDonald's of Hillsboro, Inc. / Ison Family Restaurants; Noreen's School of Dance; Reset Business Consulting; Rick's Hometown TV & Appliance Center; Rural King; St. Mary's Episcopal Church; Stevens Do It Best Hardware; TechneTitle Agency, Inc.; The Dickey Group Realtors; The Barn at Hidden Ridge; The Guest House Spa; The Lake View Loft Event Venue; Trustwell Living at Bell Gardens Place; Union Stock Yards; Visitors Bureau of Highland County; Walker Real Estate Advisors; and Wilmington Savings Bank.

Dr. Temple Grandin, a world-renowned scientist, author, and autism advocate was the keynote speaker for this year’s Ag Is Everyone’s Business event. Dr. Grandin is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University and a leading expert on livestock behavior, known for revolutionizing humane livestock handling systems used in facilities around the world.