An (Ag) xtravaganza

Various members of the Adams County farming and agricultural community gathered at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Tuesday night to hold the annual meeting of the Adams County Soil and Water Conservation District. In addition to the various awards and distinctions that were distributed, they saw the passage of various new resolutions for the District as well as elections for the County Farm Bureau.

Justin Hummel and Fred Kunkel were both elected as the delegates to the state convention for the Farm Bureau. Internally, the group passed a resolution supporting the result of organizational elections to be communicated to the delegate body after the vote is finished. Additionally, those present passed the recommendation that the religious life statement be reinserted back into the group’s policy book at the front of the book to make it a clear guiding principle of the organization.

On a state level, the group opposed residential TIF districts that use additional tax revenue raised from housing developments to pay for the infrastructure of housing development, as well as private sewer systems being forced upon landowners and going through private land. On a national level the Bureau voted to oppose the EPA making rodenticide a restricted use product and the FDA restricting certain antibiotics to animal owners and requiring oversight of veterinarians for what is currently over the counter antibiotics.

Keynote speaker Colette Childress, who is a policy advisor for Local Government Relations, gave an overview of how the proper utilization of local government can contribute to improvements in quality of life. She gave a rundown of the various responsibilities that lie within

different governmental positions and how they have a direct affect on local life. She also touched on the importance of local organizations that are involved with government,

such as Chambers of Commerce, Main Street Committees, and Foundations.

Awards and Distinctions that were distributed throughout the remainder of the meeting include:

Adams County Farm Bureau Scholarship,

Paige Busick

4-H Fair Tenure Winners, Emma Brames and Jara Hockemeyer

Ag Literacy Challenge Winner, Adams Central FFA

Farm Bureau Book of the Year, I Love Strawberries by Shannon Anderson

2022 SPLASH Art Contest Winner, Barbara Schwartz

Adams County Soil Contest Winners, Adams Central Team, Nick Beckner, Carston Girard, Dakota Marbach, and Faith Zuercher