SMITHFIELD -- "I've Got Your Back," a campaign to raise awareness about the increase in drug use by youth and the not so young, is being promoted by the Jefferson County Farm Bureau.
"This amounts to $5.4 million in medical costs, and in 2016, heroin deaths were one in nine user deaths and opioids amounted to one in 14 deaths," Michele Specht, organization director for Jefferson, Harrison, Tuscarawas and Carroll counties, told members, scholarship recipients and guests at the annual farm bureau dinner meeting at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds Rozsa Gazebo.
A campaign was held prior to the Jefferson County Fair where pictures were taken of friends or adults involved with youth organizations having their backs against and featuring the caption "I've Got Your Back."
Specht said she, Jennifer Barnett, administrative assistant, and Jeanne Roberts, promotion and education chairman, were stationed at the 4-H Building taking pictures of youth with the same pose and same caption. T-shirts were given to those who participated, and students signed papers on the need for the anti-drug campaign.
"This is an educational challenge," Specht noted. "At an Ohio event attended by Janine, more than 300,000 4-H and FFA youth filled out pledges and had back-to-back pictures taken. All four of our Farm Bureau counties are working on the program, and on Dec. 2, a youth rally -- 'Hope for Ohio' -- will be held at the Ohio State University campus," she said.
Duayne Wetherell, president, introduced guests, including Jerry Lahmer, Ohio Farm Bureau trustee; Nationwide Insurance agents; and recipients of awards. In identifying projects held throughout the year by the promotion and education committee, Wetherell said the presidents trip to Washington, D.C., was taken with Paul Giannamore in attendance for the four-county media; a combine simulator was on display at the county fair for youth and adults to understand the care that must be taken to provide the crops; and an egg hatching was observed by children and adults; and there were reading programs at area schools and at the fair.
The Farm Bureau is conducting a well water testing through the Heidelburg University for members who have registered between Sept. 5 and Nov. 17. Test kits can be picked up from the county farm bureau office on Dec. 19-21, and payment should be paid when the kit is received. It needs to be dropped off no later than Jan. 8 to the county office, as the samples are shipped to Heidelburg on Jan. 9. A call or e-mail to the office at (740) 266-6603 can be made to pre-register.
Members voted on proposed local, state and national policies, with Sherry Finney reading the policies before they were marked. The policies passed by majority vote.
Jerry Lahmers, Ohio Farm Bureau trustee and guest speaker at the recent Jefferson County Farm Bureau annual meeting, spoke on scholarships that would fund students in 19 counties of Ohio Farm Bureau through a Ken Walters self-propitiating fund. "This was estimated to bring in $26,000 for the aid to college students, but in just a few months, the scholarship monies reached $46,000, a great recognition to the former organization director of Jefferson, Harrison, Tuscarawas and Carroll counties in his earlier years and supervisor of 19 counties before his retirement," Lahmers said.
John Grafton, board vice president, was installed as president by Wetherell. Heidi Ryan is the new communications team leader; Gene Omaits, organization team leader; and Austin Cable, publicity policy and CFAI team leader. Jeanne Roberts is the promotion and education chairman.
State Sen. Frank Hoagland, R-Mingo, was present and spoke with the group.