2023 Annual Meeting and Banquet
The Noble Soil & Water Conservation District held it’s 81st Annual Meeting and Banquet on October 19th, 2023, at the Noble County Community Center. The evening started with voting for SWCD board members. The two candidates running for positions on the Board of Supervisors were Don Archer and Randy DePuy. The supervisors elected were Don Archer and Randy DePuy: their three-year term will begin January 1, 2024. Richard Gessel, SWCD Board Chairman, started off the evening with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by Don Archer, SWCD Fiscal Agent, with the Invocation. The guests of 70+ enjoyed a barbeque dinner catered and prepared by Tim and Jody Parsons’, owners of Hog Hollow BBQ, from Beverly. During dinner the crowd enjoyed a power point presentation covering the Noble Soil and Water Conservation District’s 2023 Year in Review. After dinner Dave Schott, District Administrator and Wildlife/Forestry Specialist for Noble SWCD, recognized all the special guests, including elected officials, area agency workers, and any election candidates.
Dave, then, introduced the 2023 “Cooperator of the Year” to the owners and operators of Green Valley Farms. Rick and Linda VanFleet, along with their family; sons, Eric and his wife, Steffany, Ben and his wife, Jennifer, and daughter, Andrea, run a Polled Hereford cow/calf operation in Enoch, Center, and Buffalo Townships on 700acres. Over the years they have installed many spring developments and pipelines, woodland exclusion fence, heavy use feeding pads, and implemented rotational grazing on their farm. All this work was done to make their farm more productive, along with the goal of conserving the natural resources for themselves and future generations in Noble County.
Dave presented the 2023 “Friend of Conservation” to Buckey Disposal. Mike and Linda Buckey along with their son, Lance and his wife, Kristin, have owned and operated the business for the last 48 years. They employ 23 people and cover Noble, Guernsey, Monroe, Morgan, and Washington Counties. Buckey Disposal is a huge supporter of our county and is always there when we need them. For the past 6 years the Noble SWCD has partnered with Buckey Disposal to promote Soil Stewardship Week with a trash pick-up contest on our Facebook page. When you send us a picture of yourself or family picking up trash along the Noble County roadsides during Stewardship Week, we will put your name in a drawing to win 1 years’ worth of free trash pickup from Buckey Disposal. The Buckey’s goal of extending conservation has reached far and wide across the region and Noble County.
The Noble County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors and Staff would like to express a sincere thank you to all the candidates that ran for supervisor, and all the supporters who attended the evening’s festivities to celebrate another great year in conservation.
Pictured below: 2023 Cooperator of the Year, Green Valley Farms. L-R: Rick, Steffany, Eric, and Linda VanFleet, along with Dave Schott, Noble SWCD District Administrator and Wildlife/Forestry Specialist.
Picture Below: 2023 Friend of Conservation awarded to Buckey Disposal. L-R: Kristin, Lance, Linda and Mike Buckey, along with Dave Schott, District Administrator and Forestry/Wildlife Specialist.
