YAP 2024 grant recipients include local ag toy drive

Eight local Young Agricultural Professionals groups have been awarded $500 grants for educational programming or events they are planning or that have taken place already in 2024.

Included in the grant winners are the Wayne County Young Ag Professionals, who, partnered with the groups from Ashland and Medina County, received funding to go to the annual Ag Toy Drive.

After its inception in 2017, the Ag Toy Drive has been a cornerstone event for the Ashland and Wayne County Young Ag Professionals and the Medina County Young Farmers. The event has grown from 40 people attending and around $5,000 in toy donations to well over 100 attending and over $12,500 in toy donations made in 2023. The YAP committee will once again solicit donations from businesses, both cash and toys, as well as from attendees at the event, then take part in major toy shopping, where they look for agricultural-themed toys to give to Toys for Tots and other local charities.

The local grants are a part of Farm Credit Mid-America’s $100,000 donation to Farm Bureau young leader programs in its six-state region of Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee. Farm Credit Mid-America supports these local grant programs and Ohio Farm Bureau’s annual statewide Young Ag Professionals contests and the YAP Winter Leadership Experience.

Others receiving grants included the Wilmington College Collegiate Farm Bureau for its Clinton County Etiquette Dinner, the Coshocton County Farm Bureau for its Coshocton County Square Dance and Youth Event, the Paulding County Farm Bureau for its Finding Success in Your Succession Plan program, the Fulton County Farm Bureau for a Fulton County Habitat for Humanity Playhouse, the Guernsey County Farm Bureau for its axe throwing event, Young Ag Professionals from Lake County for an outing at a Lake County Captains baseball game, and the Defiance, Fulton, Henry and Williams County Farm Bureaus to host a YAP Night at a Toledo Mud Hens baseball game.

The Young Agricultural Professionals program provides leadership development and professional growth opportunities for Farm Bureau members who are age 18-35. The program hosts the Winter Leadership Experience, a Washington, D.C. Leadership Experience, and conducts the Outstanding Young Farmer, Excellence in Agriculture and Discussion Meet contests. Learn more about the program at www.experienceyap.com.