Once a year
at the annual meeting of the Summit County Farm Bureau, an individual is recognized for extraordinary service and contributions to the community concerning the field of agriculture. This award recognizing a “friend of agriculture” actually involves a husband and wife team.
She grew up on the family farm in Copley, the youngest of 3 children, who participated in 4-H as a child. He was the 2nd of 4 children in Copley, that was encouraged to help with the family garden and graduated from The University of Akron with a bachelor of science degree. They were married in 1974 and it wasn’t long there after when they built their house on the family farm, where they raised their two children. Their daughter and her husband, who also live on the Van Nostran family farm, are raising their two daughters there, as well. They continue to farm the land, producing hay, straw, and corn to provide for their animals, which currently include beef cattle, goats, chickens, and cats. His childhood chores have carried over into adulthood. They grow a vegetable garden each year in order to can and freeze the produce and eat homegrown food throughout the year.
These individuals have been Farm Bureau members for 20 years with one of them serving as a board member from 2008 through 2011. They have supported the Farm Bureau in many ways and most notably through educational seminars in their store including but not limited to: Hay 101: Hay Quality and Purchasing Basics, Backyard Ponds, Canning & Freezing, Poultry, Lawn and Organic Fertilizing, Wildlife and Wild Bird Feeding, and Protecting Your Farm. In fact, he was one of the speakers at Summit County Farm Bureau’s very first educational seminar at the Summit County fairgrounds in March 2007.
They are active in their church, the Grace Church in Bath. She is an active member of the National Federation of Independent Businesses’ Leadership Council, was one of the founding members of the Copley Associated Businesses group and has volunteered on numerous township committees. He is a member of the Copley Lions Club. He can sometimes be heard on WAKR 1590AM radio some Saturday mornings, joining or filling in for Tom Dayton, on Tom’s show, Ready, Set, Grow.
Everyday except Sunday, this husband and wife team dispense valuable information directly to their customers or through 11 well-trained employees as to do with gardening or animal husbandry.
While their business was actually founded by the Klotz family in 1939, this couple began to work for the then owner Walter Klotz, beginning almost 50 years ago in 1969 and in 1985 they became the third generation of owners of the well known Copley landmark known as Copley Feed and Supply. Their focus has always been to remain a family owned business and to maintain some of the former traditions, such as home delivery and face to face knowledgeable customer service and their daughter Chrissy Seyerle will be a 4th generation owner.
Mark & Nancy certainly have earned and well deserve this award for their service to Farm Bureau, Copley Township and the surrounding communities.
They are indeed, “Friends of Farm Bureau”.
Congratulations!