The Richland County Farm Bureau hosted its annual Farmer’s Share Breakfast Saturday morning at the new Shelby High School.
The Farmer’s Share Breakfast is held to raise funds for local food pantries, as well as raise consumer awareness of where food comes from and how much farmers actually earn from food production, or what actually is the “Farmer’s Share.”
Hand lettered signs posted along the dining area described the distribution of funds. For example, a breakfast consisting of two eggs, 4 ounces of sausage, 2 ounces of pancakes, and 8 ounces of milk would retail at $3.01 but a farmer’s share would be 47 cents.
That 47 cents is gross, not net, according to Tim Hicks, Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) Organization Director.
The breakfast of scrambled eggs, whole hog sausage, pancakes, milk, coffee, orange juice, and Ohio maple syrup was free but donations were requested.
Earl Lynch II, Richland County Farm Bureau Breakfast Co-Chair said, “All the stuff you see here is donated. It’s basically to raise awareness of Farm Bureau and what we do.”
“One of the things any farmer will tell you is that they want to be able to put good quality food out there for people at a reasonable price,” added Lynch. “That’s another message we’re trying to put out there for people – we’re trying to do our part to keep their food bills reasonable and the quality there at the same time. You hear and read about too many things that come from other places and you worry about what’s in those. If it’s locally done, you know a lot more about it.”
Lynch noted that not only were FFA members volunteering, but also members of the Farm Bureau, as well as local farmers, “If you need a hand, it seems like a farmer’s always there to help you out.”
Clear Fork, Crestview and Shelby FFA members donated time to the event, serving and cleaning up.
Richland County Farm Bureau President Tim Johnson said that each year between $300 and $500 are donated to area food pantries, “It’s a way for the Ag community to give back to the community.”
Johnson noted that over 1200 eggs were donated, as well as an entire hog.
Interestingly, one hog would make more than enough sausage to feed the over 300 people in attendance.
In addition to breakfast, booths were set up by the Ohio and Richland County Farm Bureaus and local business, mainly those in the agricultural industry, to help consumers learn about food production.
Farm Credit Mid-America’s booth held a display model of hog barns, showing how the animals are housed.
Farm Credit Mid America Financial Services Officer Ashley Weaver said, “The idea is that we could showcase that we are caring for our animals in a humane way and educate the public on how their food is raised.”
Weaver noted that their office not only offers crop insurance but also financing for farms and country homes.
Nationwide Agribusiness was also in attendance. Paul Trent, Elite Farm Certified Agent, noted that the agriculture industry changes so quickly that it is helpful for farmers to find farm certified agents that are educated in the industry.
The Ohio Beef Council was represented and Kelvin Egner, a member of the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association, was on hand to answer questions for consumers.
Shelby Home and Public Health offered free blood pressure screenings.
“One of the things any farmer will tell you is that they want to be able to put good quality food out there for people at a reasonable price,” said Earl Lynch II.
