SWCD to host 73rd banquet Tuesday

The 73rd annual Wyandot County Soil and Water Conservation District banquet is Aug. 17 at Trinity Evangelical United Methodist Church, 108 Malabar Drive, Upper Sandusky.

Voting begins at 5:45 p.m. with a meal to follow at 6:30 p.m. Voting in the election of supervisors of the Wyandot County Soil and Water Conservation District will be open to those who own or occupy land within Wyandot County and are 18 years of age or older.

Supervisors represent county residents and landowners in soil and water conservation and natural resource management decisions. Candidates for the Wyandot SWCD Board of Supervisors are Kyle Brown and Ryan Swinehart.

Brown farms with his father, raising corn and soybeans and has two contract pig barns. He graduated from the Ohio State University. He has served on the board with the Ohio Pork Council and State and Producers Services committee with the National Pork Board. He currently serves on the Wyandot County Farm Bureau board.

Swinehart grew up farming and lives in Crane Township. He raises corn, beans, wheat and hay in Crane, Eden, Antrim and Pitt townships. He also raises freezer beef with family members. Swinehart works full time at Hempy Water and is a graduate of Upper Sandusky High School, where he was involved with FFA. He received diesel and ag mechanic certifications from University of Northwestern Ohio. He is a farm bureau member.

The board and staff thank Jeff Bowen for serving for 15 years and thank both candidates for agreeing to run in the supervisor election this year. 

Supervisors volunteer their time to plan, prioritize and promote soil and water conservation and natural resources management activities. They hire and evaluate office staff, participate in local field days and tours, attend area, state and national meetings as time and budget permits and secure operating funds for the district by presenting a budget to the county commissioners and through contact with state officials regarding special funding and legislation affecting natural resources.

The featured speaker is Ty Higgins, the Ohio Farm Bureau’s senior director of communications. 

Banquet tickets are available in the SWCD office now. Meals include a choice of barbequed chicken or pork chop, layered salad, parsley red potatoes, a dinner roll and cherry cheesecake dessert.