WAPAKONETA, Ohio (WLIO) — Farmers and landowners spent Thursday afternoon learning about what comes next for agriculture in Auglaize County.
The Auglaize County Historical Society hosted “Farming Into the Future” as part of its Barns Alive project. Organizers say the goal is to help people learn how to care for older barns, keep farmland in production and begin planning early for the next generation of farmers.
Many barns across the county are decades old and were built for smaller equipment, creating challenges for farmers who want to continue using them safely today. The program also included a presentation from the Auglaize County OSU Extension on how families can prepare to pass farms down from older generations.
“These are family businesses. These are livelihoods. They’re very complicated business enterprises, and knowing where to start with that task is very stressful on farmers and their heirs,” said Jacob Winters, agriculture and natural resources educator with the Auglaize County OSU Extension. “So figuring out how to take care of that early, before a family matter stresses that situation, is what I’m here to help make everybody aware of.”
“Farming is such an important part not only of this county’s history, but the state’s history and our country’s history, and it’s really the backbone of our history, especially in Auglaize County,” said Rachel Barber, director of the Auglaize County Historical Society. “So we want to make sure that history remains.”
The Auglaize County Historical Society has events planned throughout the year to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. For more information, visit their Facebook page.
