Highland County Chamber hosts sold-out Ag is Everyone’s Business event
Keynote speaker Shawn Hackett, ag commodities expert and TV and radio personality, is pictured at the Highland County Chamber of Commerce’s 12th annual Ag is Everyone’s Business event. (Submitted photos)
It was standing room only at the Highland County Chamber of Commerce’s 12th annual Ag is Everyone’s Business event on Friday, March 1 at Boeckmann Farms, owned and operated by Jason and Amy Boeckmann.
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 Highland County Chamber of Commerce would like to thank R.D. Holder Oil for sponsoring the speakers at this year’s event.
Kicking off the event was Melanie Wilt, Founder and CEO of Shift-ology Communication. Wilt is an expert PR consultant and communication coach who has led communications for state and international organizations in food & agriculture and aerospace. Wilt is a passionate advocate for agriculture and has pioneered applying neuroscience and virtual experiences to industry communication.
Wilt discussed the importance of communication and understanding in multi-generational teams. There were five generations present at the event and Wilt demonstrated the communication barriers between each generation. She highlighted the importance of understanding there are communication barriers and trying to look at situations from the other generation’s perspective.
Last on stage was keynote speaker Shawn Hackett, ag commodities expert and TV and radio personality. Hackett has dedicated his life to educating ag industry leaders and farmers about financial risk management, hedging and the utility of indicator-based ag commodity price forecasting tools. His extensive research on long-term cycles and statistics on climate, currencies, geopolitics and global capital flows have long been a key differentiating factor for Hackett’s price forecasting skills.
Hackett shared his research on the many factors that will be impacting ag commodities in the next few years including geopolitics, weather patterns and increased weather events.
Throughout the day, youth from McClain FFA, Lynchburg-Clay FFA and Highland County 4-H networked with attendees and assisted in serving lunch. McClain FFA and Lynchburg-Clay FFA students sold raffle tickets for a John Deere toy tractor donated by Ag Pro Hillsboro, selling over $900 in tickets. The Highland County Chamber of Commerce donated the proceeds from the raffle back to the two FFA chapters.
Level I Sponsors of the event included: Ag Pro; All Axxiss; Amy Magulac Boeckmann + William Klay Walker - Insurance Agents; Bear Mechanical, LLC; J Boeckmann Farms; Highland County Chamber of Commerce; Highland District Hospital; iHeart Media; Lewis Financial Group; Merchants National Bank; Nutrien Ag Solutions; RoofX; Seal-Tite LLC; Shafer Heating & Cooling, LLC; Southern Hills Community Bank; W.A. Hodson Inc; Wilkin Heating & Air Conditioning; and Willey & Son Trucking.
Level II Sponsors of the event included: Adena Greenfield Medical Center; Atomic Credit Union; Bane Welker Equipment; Charlie Mootz Trucking; Edward Jones; Elite Roofing & Construction, LLC; Farm Credit Mid-America; Fifth Third Bank; First State Bank; Great Oaks Career Campuses; Greenfield Research Inc.; Hamilton Insurance Agency; Highland County Farm Bureau; ICAP Crop Insurance; National Cooperative Bank; Paramount Commercial Roofing Systems, LLC; Peoples Bank; Petland Hillsboro; Rumpke Waste & Recycling; SOCS Fiber; South Central Power Co; Southern Ohio Propane; Southern Ohio RetroFoam, LLC; Southern State Community College; The Guest House Spa; Thompson Funeral Service, Inc.; Tom Pitzer Trucking, LLC; and United Producers Inc.
Level III Sponsors of the event included: Bohrer Vet Services; Country Layne Travel; Crum Farm Supply; Donald Fender Realty; Greenfield Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation; HealthSource of Ohio; Heritage Meat Company; Highland County Community Action/ Ohio Means Jobs; Highland County Pork Council; Highland Health Providers; Hillsboro Ohio Pickleball Association; Howard Ag; Huhtamaki Inc.; Innergex Renewables Development USA LLC; Jerry Haag Motors Inc.; Kayleesue Laber/ Coldwell Realty Heritage; Maplecrest Meats & More; Midwest Air; Ohio Asphaltic Limestone Corporation; Parry Landscapes and Lawn Care, LLC; Rick's Hometown TV & Appliance Center; Royth Everest; Scotty's 22-Brew; Shipphaus.com; Stevens Do It Best Hardware; TechneTitle Agency Inc.; TechSolve; The Barn at Hidden Ridge; The Lake View Loft Event Venue; Union Stock Yards; Visitors Bureau of Highland County; and Walker Real Estate.
About the Highland County Chamber of Commerce: The Highland County Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit membership-driven organization that represents the business community of Highland County. The many plans and programs the Chamber offers its investors, combined with county workforce development initiatives and local, state and federal legislative/advocacy efforts, position the Chamber of Commerce as a lead organization in Highland County. Learn more at www.thehighlandchamber.com.
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