Did you know that “Farm Bureau” is a multilevel organization? That means members
receive membership and benefits at the Summit County, State of Ohio and American
Farm Bureau levels. The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation is a grassroots membership
with a 26 member board of trustees (22 district trustees and 4 regional trustees) that
govern the organization. Summit County Farm Bureau shares District 8 State Trustee,
Roger Baker, with Ashland, Medina and Wayne County Farm Bureaus.
Roger Baker, a first-generation Wayne County farmer, owns and operates a hay and
row crop operation west of Wooster. Roger, who has served as the District 8 State
Trustee on the Ohio Farm Bureau board for the last 12 years will be ending his final
term this December at the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation’s annual meeting. The
Summit County Farm Bureau’s Board of Trustees wish to thank Roger for his dedication
representing the members of Summit County at the local, state and national level.
Roger has supported Summit County Farm Bureau through thick and thin with his
presence at our annual Farmers’ Share Breakfasts, our Annual Meetings and our Plow
to Chow dinners. In fact, when the condenser at the fairgrounds blew, leaving all in the
dark during our Plow to Chow dinner at the SCFB Antiques Museum, he jumped on the
large tractor that was on display for our event and shined the lights on the diners for the
remainder of the evening. Roger never hesitated to stand shoulder to shoulder with our
members when we packed the county council chambers to air our concerns over the
county’s surface water taxation issue and just last year, he met with the County’s
Executive office to hammer out a fair representation in the development of the County’s
Surface Water Management District.
As our state trustee for the past 12 years, Roger has had the opportunity to serve on a
number of committees including: procedure audit, code of regulations, credentials and
policy development. He has served as a Chair or Vice Chair of the Agriculture for Good
Government Political Action Committee (2017 and 2022), Public Policy Committee
(2015, 2020 and 2021), Communications Committee (2018 & 2019) and Organization
Committee (2016). He has also represented Ohio at the American Farm Bureau
Federation Annual Convention as a voting delegate.
There is no doubt that Roger has had a busy 12 years juggling his duties in Columbus
and District 8, as well as running his farm. Despite all the balls he might have had in the
air, Roger has always made time to talk with members and, to the best of his ability,
assist them in finding a resolution. He has become a master of phone calls from the
tractor cab – thank goodness for a hands-free headset!
Roger’s 12-year tenure as District 8 representative has been marked by an unwavering
dedication to advancing agriculture and strengthening our community. His sacrifice of
time away from his family and farm is deeply appreciated, and his diligence and
perseverance have brought great benefits to Summit County, District 8, and all of Ohio’s
agriculture. Thank you Roger for your many years of service to Farm Bureau!