DELAWARE, Ohio – Josh Yoder, a farmer from Plain City, was elected chairman of the Ohio Corn Checkoff for 2021, during their December meeting. 

Yoder has served on the Ohio Corn Checkoff board with distinction, most recently as vice-chair. As District 9 Director, Yoder represents corn farmers in Clark, Greene and Madison counties. Yoder has served in a variety of roles on his family’s farm and ag retail seed dealership since coming back to the farm in 2010. In addition to farming corn and soybeans with his father, Josh serves as President of Yoder Ag Services, providing agronomic support to customers in the area of seed, precision agriculture, soil health and nutrition management. Yoder has extensive experience in the area of economic and financial analysis and holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from The Ohio State University, a master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University, and an MBA in Operations from the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University.

Fairfield County farmer, Jon Miller, was elected as vice-chairman. Miller grows corn, wheat and soybeans on his family operation in Pleasantville, Ohio. Miller has served on the leadership team at Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association and serves at the national level serving on several Action Teams for the National Corn Growers Association. Miller, who farms with his family, also volunteers time with the Liberty Union Young Farmers Ag Tech Peer group to help students wanting to learn about modern agriculture. 

Clark Sheets, Jr., will serve as secretary/treasurer. Sheets represents Ohio corn growers in District 15 that includes Adams, Athens, Belmont, Coshocton, Gallia, Guernsey, Harrison, Hocking, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Scioto, Vinton, and Washington Counties. Sheets farms in Fairfield and Hocking Counties and grows corn, wheat, hay and soybeans. Sheets is a former Hocking County Commissioner and is currently the Secretary of the Hocking County Community Improvement Corporation. He was a Board Member of the Hocking Soil & Water Conservation District for 27 years and served as President of the Ohio Federation of Soil & Water Conservation Districts. Sheets was a Marion Township Trustee for 16 years and is currently a Marion Township Volunteer Firefighter.  

Gail Lierer, of Butler County, was elected as Ohio Corn Checkoff past -chair. Lierer farms in Okeana with her husband Dave, and family where they grow corn, soybeans, hay and have a small cattle operation. Lierer also has a crop insurance business and she assists farmers in four states with their crop insurance needs. Lierer is a leader at the National Corn Growers Association where she is active on Action Teams. She has served in leadership roles with the Butler County Farm Bureau, the Ohio Farm Bureau, Ohio AgriWomen and the FFA Alumni. 

Newly elected to serve on the state checkoff board are:

District 6 – Anthony Bush of Edison (Morrow County) representing farmers in Marion, Morrow, Knox, Richland, and Ashland counties. 

District 8 – Patty Mann of Jackson Center (Shelby County) representing farmers in Mercer, Auglaize, Shelby, and Miami counties.

District 14 – Jed Bower of Washington Court House (Fayette County) representing farmers in Fayette, Ross, Highland, and Pike counties. 

The Ohio Corn Checkoff board – which invests in research, market development and promotion, and education to increase corn producers’ profitability – consists of 15 directors representing specific districts.