The Noble Soil and Water Conservation District held its 78th Annual Meeting and Banquet on October 15th, 2020 at the Noble County Community Center.  The evening started out by voting for SWCD board members.  The candidates running were Don Archer, Skyler King and Randy Patrick, for two supervisor positions. The supervisors elected were: Don Archer and Skyler King; their three year term will begin January 1, 2021.  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 plus 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 Districts 2020 Year in Review.  After dinner, Dave Schott, District Administrator and Wildlife/Forestry Specialist, for Noble SWCD recognized all the special guest, including elected officials, area agency workers and any election candidates.  Dave Schott, then introduced the 2020 “Cooperator of the Year Award” to Allen Schockling and his family, of Tybenal Farms.  Allen, his wife, Tamra, and their sons Tyler and Benjamin, work a 160 acre beef operation in Enoch and Center Townships, in Noble County. The Schockling family has installed numerous conservation practices on their farm including: spring developments, fencing, weed control, and grass seedings. All of this work was done to make their farm more productive, along with conserving the natural resources for themselves and future generations in Noble County.  Dave then presented the “Friend of Conservation Award” to the Ohio Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, and Whitetails Unlimited. These two organizations always have rallied around the Noble SWCD, and through the help of their grants the District was able to purchase a new No-Till Drill in 2018, and a new 2 Row Corn Planter in 2020. This new equipment was quickly put to use and has been used to plant over 250 acres of various crops in the year 2020 alone.

The Noble Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors and Staff would like to express a sincere thanks to all the candidates that ran for supervisor, and all of the supporters who attended the evening’s festivities to celebrate another great year in conservation.

Pictured above from Left to Right: Tyler and Allen Schockling, operators of Tybenal Farms, and Dave Schott, Noble SWCD District Administrator, Wildlife/Forestry Specialist.

Pictured above from Left to Right: Dave Schott, Noble SWCD District Administrator, Forestry/Wildlife Specialist presenting Jody Finch, and Sandra Cain, Southeast Ohio Whitetails Unlimited Representatives, the “Friend of Conservation” Award.

For the past 78 Years Noble Soil and Water Conservation District has been having their annual meeting and dinner, and this year is no different. This year the annual meeting and banquet, along with the election of two District Supervisors, will be held on October 15^th, at the Noble County Community Center.  The evening will start with the voting of two supervisors from 5:30pm until 6:30pm.  Followed by a catered, BBQ Dinner, by Hog Hollow, at 6:30pm.  After dinner we will present the Noble SWCD “Cooperator of the Year” award, and “Friend of Conservation” award.  The evening will conclude with a review of the year for the Noble Soil and Water Conservation District.

This event is open to the public and everyone is invited to attend.  Ticket cost is $10.00 for adults, and tickets are free to children 12 and younger.  For tickets, contact the Noble SWCD office at 740-732-4318, or stop by the office located at 46049 Marietta Road, Caldwell.  You can also contact any of the current SWCD board members, Richard Gessel, Don Archer, Sam Schneeberger, Levi Fogle, or Skyler King for tickets.  Ticket sales will end Friday, October 9th, 2020.

There are three ways an eligible voter can cast a ballot: (1) at the SWCD Annual Meeting, voting will take place on October 15th, 2020, from 5:30 pm until 6:30 pm at the Noble County Community Center; (2) at the SWCD office from September 2nd, 2020 until 11:00 am on October 15th, 2020; or (3) vote absentee by requesting the proper absentee request forms from the Noble SWCD office at the 46049 Marietta Road, Caldwell, OH 43724.  All Absentee ballots must be received by the SWCD by October 15th, 2020, in order to be eligible for election.  An eligible voter is considered to be a resident or landowner, firm, and corporation that owns or occupy land in Noble County. The voter must be 18-years of age and older to vote for a Supervisor. A non-resident landowner, firm, or corporation must provide an affidavit of eligibility, which includes designation of a voting representative, prior to casting a ballot.

Running for the Board of Supervisors, with a term starting January 1^st, 2021, and lasting until December 31^st, 2023 are: Don Archer, Skyler King and Randy Patrick.

Don Archer (INCUMBANT) – Lives in Marion Township. Don raises beef cattle, hay, and timber. Don has installed heavy use pads, spring developments, controls invasive species, and does rotational grazing.  Don is a retired Ag Ed Teacher and FFA Advisor, a member of the Caldwell United Methodist Church where he serves as Treasurer, and is a member of the Noble County Farm Bureau.  Don has served on the Noble SWCD Board since January of 2012, and serves currently as the Financial Advisor. Don believes in using the natural resources in Noble County to their fullest potential, without abusing or depleting them.

Skyler King (INCUMBANT)–Lives in Olive Twp. With his wife Lisa, and daughter Audrey. Skyler has been farming since the age of nine, and he raises beef cattle, and grows corn, hay, alfalfa, and timber.  Skyler has incorporated conservation into his farming operation by way of spring developments, contour strips, and rotational grazing. Skyler currently serves as vice Chairman on the Noble SWCD Board, and has been on the Board since January 2015. Skyler’s biggest concerns for the natural resources in Noble County are soil erosion and invasive species.  He is also very passionate about farming and wants people to realize the importance of keeping family farms alive in Noble County.

Randy Patrick- a lifelong Ohioan who moved to Noble County in 2006. After 40 years of ironwork, Randy retired and started a second career as the owner of Jones Feed in downtown Caldwell. He enjoys spending his days supporting and sharing his love of farming with his community. As a small farmer and feed store owner, Randy understands firsthand the needs and concerns facing farmers with both big and small farms. Every day Randy strives to preserve our way of life, protect our land, and share the farming traditions he learned from his grandfather.

Due to the effects of COVID-19, the Board of Supervisors and District Staff will host their monthly board meeting via teleconference.

The meeting will take place on April 15th, 2020, at 7:30 pm.
For access to the meeting call:1-888-844-9904. Meeting access code: 8762429

With any questions, call: 740-732-4318.