Raised a city boy, Jay Womack wanted his two children to enjoy wholesome country activities and looked to raise them in Geauga County.
Raised a city boy, Jay Womack wanted his two children to enjoy wholesome country activities and looked to raise them in Geauga County.
Although he works as a fire department platoon chief in Euclid, Womack’s home is in the country on a 30-acre hobby farm tucked away in Montville Township.
“The city life was getting too much,” said Womack, who made the move five years ago. “I found myself taking the kids to parks and doing outdoor recreational activities like hiking and fishing on my days off. I ended up deciding that we could move out to the country and do all of these activities in our backyard, if we found the right house that we could afford.”
The Geauga County Farm Bureau’s Young Agriculture Professionals group helps those seeking networking opportunities, like Womack, with presentations such as “Money Management for Young Farmers,” which was recently offered at Cleats in Chardon.
Ty Kellogg, raised in Chardon, is organizational director for the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, or OFBF, and sets up chances for members in Ashtabula, Lake, Geauga, Portage and Trumbull counties to get together.
“I found it hard to meet other farming enthusiasts so I joined the farm bureau to meet others that share my same enthusiasm and hopefully learn from them,” Womack said. “The farm bureau networking opportunities are very helpful. Every time I attend, I ask a million questions about the pros and cons of raising certain animals, thoughts on best equipment and so forth.
“The idea to start a backyard farm started as a way to bring family together, as something we could share forever and, obviously, teach the kids some responsibility,” he added. “Another reason was knowing where the food we eat comes from. I also like to buy from local farmers and can’t wait to see more vegetable stands open up.”
Young people are not going into full-time farming because of long hours, low pay, little to no vacation, long hours in the cold, wind, rain, snow and heat, lack of cash or lending power to buy land, equipment or supplies unless inherited, over-regulation, lack of mentoring and understanding of available resources, Kellogg said.
“I’m willing to say that in a best case scenario, if every young individual that is entering an agriculture field of study graduated and worked in the agriculture sector in the next 10-20 years, I’m sure we’d still be very short of filling jobs on the farm or in other agriculture-related jobs,” he said.
The good news is Ohio is still one of the strongest agriculture states in the United States.
“Overall, farming is strong. However, we need to always be preparing for the next generation of farmers, no matter how big, no matter how small,” Kellogg said.
Fourth generation farmer Nicole Vojtech, of Kotkowski Farms, a family-owned dairy farm in Mantua, said Kellogg’s meetings are invaluable.
“Networking opportunities are extremely helpful. This is a way to reach out to other farmers and/or people in agriculture, no matter what type of farm they have,” said Vojtech, who has about 125 head of cattle. “The goal is the same: sustainability.
“I have a very strong passion for farming and giving back to people. It’s incredible to watch things grow from start to finish, no matter what it is. So if you’re in a networking system where you’re able to reach out to others for ideas or questions, it’s improving and helpful.”
Besides the chance to talk with other farming enthusiasts, guest speakers included Jamie Pittman, vice president of agricultural banking at PNC Bank, and Kim Skala, a principal agent of the Skala Nationwide Agency.
“Many times, we run into families who are experiencing a changing of the guard, maybe passing the operations down from parent to child, etc.,” Skala said. “We have helped many families with this challenge.”
Banks can provide the same personalized service for each farm’s specific needs, Pittman said, adding they base what risk they are willing to take on data projections for each crop or type of animal they fund.
Womack started off with six chicks last spring and they were laying eggs by August, followed by 12 more chicks this March, along with six Khaki Campbells.
On a recent cool April day following school, Womack’s kids, Max, 8, and Maddy, 12, ran outside and scooped up a pair of their chickens.
“The eggs taste better than store bought eggs,” Womack said.
Soon, Maddy, who loves taking horseback riding lessons, sprinted over to a zip-line her dad constructed for some more fun on the farm.
“When I have kids, I want them to have the same experiences,” Maddy said.
