The recent "Agriculture is Everyone's Business" event sponsored by the Highland County Chamber of Commerce not only was a resounding success, it almost reminds us all that we sometimes take for granted the importance of agriculture to our local economy.
By far, agriculture is what drives Highland County's economic engine. As we reported not long ago, Highland County has the fourth highest number of farms among Ohio's 88 counties, according to the most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service Census. Our county has 42 farms of 1,000 or more acres and 86 of one to nine acres. Most farms in the county - 540 - are 50 to 179 acres. There are a total of 19,454 cattle and calves, 8,537 beef cows, 1,319 milk cows, 12,415 hogs and 2,537 sheep and lambs being raised on Highland County farms.
Highland County's prominence in the agriculture community is reflected in part by having one of our own, Greenfield native David Daniels, currently serving as the top agriculture official in the state. He was a featured speaker at the chamber event, along with broadcasting legend Orion Samuelson, a longtime icon of the ag community.
We thank and commend chamber president Melissa Elmore and the other staff, sponsors, donors and participants for making "Agriculture is Everyone's Business" not only a successful event, but a needed reminder that all Highland Countians directly connected with agriculture - including farmers, ag-related stores and businesses, real estate agents, extension office workers, and many more - deserve our support and our appreciation.
The chamber event's theme - Agriculture is Everyone's Business - is truer in Highland County than almost anywhere in Ohio. We are all socially and economically connected to agriculture, whether every job or business seems on the surface to reflect that fact or not. We all need to do more to highlight and support the business of agriculture in Highland County.
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