FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 12, 1998

COLUMBUS -- Governor George V. Voinovich recognized the tenacity and achievements of eight Ohio farm families today at a ceremony at the Ohio State Fair. The eight families were chosen as finalists for the 1998 Ohio's Outstanding Century Farm Awards -- an annual recognition given to productive farms held in the same family for the past 100 years or more. One of the families will be chosen as the statewide winner to be announced at the Farm Science Review in September.

"Through dedication, perseverance, and innovation, these farms have evolved from being self-sufficient homesteads in the late 19th century to producers of world class agricultural products sold in Ohio, across the country, and around the world today," Governor Voinovich said. "I am proud to be involved in a program that recognizes the commitment of these families to Ohio agriculture."

The Outstanding Century Farm Awards Program, now in its sixth year, is a joint project of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the Ohio Historical Society, and Ohio's Country Journal. Winners are chosen for their commitment to preserving their heritage, their contribution to the agriculture community, and their environmental stewardship.

"These families have been chosen from a field of more than 400 applicants," said Ohio Agriculture Director Fred L. Dailey. "Combined, they have preserved more than 1,700 acres of Ohio's farmland. Half of the families here today have increased the size of their farms by 40 percent or more."

The 1998 Outstanding Century Farm Regional winners include:

• Otto (deceased) and Elizabeth Shaw, 27996 State Route 180, Rockbridge (Hocking County)
• Larry and Janet Neeley, 11100 Deepcut Road NE, Millersport (Fairfield County)
• Fred and Kathryn Nicol, 19331 Boerger Road, Marysville (Union County)
• David and Ann Cramer, 2765 North Co. Road 39, Fostoria (Seneca County)
• James (deceased) and Jirdena Waddle, 6831 Snowhill Road, Washington Court House (Fayette County)
• Garth and Sherry McNary, 3455 State Route 29, Mechanicsburg (Madison County)
• Cy and Dennis Smith, 1723 Schneider Street NE, North Canton (Stark County)
• Frank and Virginia Goodell, 10220 Peck Road, Mantua (Portage County).

Editors: For more information on the Ohio's Outstanding Century Farm Awards Program, contact Mark Anthony or Deb Wilson, Ohio Department of Agriculture, at 614-752-9817, or Tim Reeves, Ohio's Country Journal, at 614-481-6000.