2024 Noble SWCD Annual Meeting and Banquet

The Noble Soil & Water Conservation District held it’s 82nd Annual Meeting and Banquet on October 24th, 2024, at the Noble County Community Center. The evening started out by voting for SWCD board members. The two candidates running for positions on the Board of Supervisors were Levi Fogle and Sam Schneeberger. The supervisors elected were Levi Fogle and Sam Schneeberger; their three-year terms will begin January 1, 2025. 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 70 plus guests 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 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 introduced the 2024 “Cooperator of the Year” to Greg and Joan Bergman of Bergman Farms. The Bergman’s have operated a 150-acre cow/calf operation in Wayne Twp. for the past 35 years. Greg and Joan have installed thousands of feet of waterline along with spring developments and a pumping station that gravity feeds other areas of the farm to provide the water necessary for their rotational grazing system. They have also installed many miles of permanent and temporary fencing along with access roads and heavy use pads to ease the damage to the fields during winter feeding. They have also utilized the district’s no-till drill to establish cool season grasses and will be doing a warm season grass establishment in 2025. Greg was been very proactive in the fight against invasive species, including spotted knapweed, on their property. The Bergman’s also manage 50 acres of woodland on their farm by implementing woodland fencing and other timber stand improvements. The Bergman’s hosted the 2023 East Central Grazing Alliance Noble Co. Pasture Walk on their farm to share the practices they have implemented with fellow producers. The Noble SWCD would like to thank Greg and Joan for helping to conserve the natural resources of Noble County.

Dave then presented the “Friend of Conservation Award” to the Noble Correctional Institution’s Turf Management and Horticulture Teacher, Steve Wentworth. Every year Noble SWCD hosts AG School Days for Noble and Guernsey County 3rd graders. One of the stations the group participates in teaches the students about the process of growing pants in the soil. For the past 10 years, Steve and the inmates participating in the horticulture program at NCI have started over 500 marigold seeds for us so the 3rd graders can re-pot them and take them home. Noble SWCD would like to thank Steve and the Noble Correctional Institution for helping us to teach the importance of conservation to the next generation.

The District was honored to have Ty Higgins, Senior Director of Communication and Media Relations for the Ohio Farm Bureau, as the guest speaker for the evening. Ty is a proud spokesman for Ohio Agriculture and a passionate advocate for farmers across the State. Ty’s presentation, “All Eyes on Agriculture for All the Wrong Reasons” was a very entertaining and meaningful speech that really hit home to lot of members of the agriculture community.

The Noble Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors and Staff would like to express sincere thanks 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: 2024 Cooperator of the Year, Greg and Joan Berman, along with Dave Schott, Noble SWCD Administrator and Forestry/Wildlife Specialist.

Pictured below: 2024 Friend of Conservation Lt to Rt: NCI Warden, Jay Forshey, Steve Wentworth; along with Dave Schott, Noble SWCD District Administrator and Forestry/Wildlife Specialist.