Growing up in Cleveland and moving to the suburbs when I was ten was an eye-opening experience.

The late ’60s in any big city was a turbulent time — and Cleveland wasn’t any different with riots and unrest; it was most difficult on my three Uncles who were in law enforcement at the time.

By 1970 we had moved to the country and a more rural lifestyle that probably changed and maybe saved our family. But everything in Northwest Ohio evolved around Cleveland.

By the late 1970s, Cleveland was in default and most of us blamed the Democratic mayor, Dennis Kucinich, who constantly fought electric utilities, the city’s banking community and other business interests.

Then along came Mr. George Voinovich who defeated Mr. Kucinich, and then went on to serve a decade as mayor. He was credited by members of both parties with turning the city around.

As governor in the 1990s, Mr. Voinovich vowed to streamline state government. He began programs to roll back environmental regulations and struck long-term contract deals with state employee unions, promising security but little money.

Voinovich was known as a true friend of Ohio agriculture and was a regular attender and promoter of the Ohio State Fair and his home state.

He loved promoting Ohio tourism and Ohio products and in 1993 he helped create Ohio Proud, the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s marketing program that identifies and promotes food and agricultural products that are made in Ohio and grown in Ohio.

During his 12 years in the Senate, he cultivated an image as a proponent of fiscal discipline. He opposed President Obama’s $787 billion economic stimulus package, saying it was weighed down by too much spending that was not stimulative.

“I’ve long said that agriculture represents the backbone of Ohio,” Sen. Voinovich said. “That’s why I am pleased to support these projects (referring to the 2010 Farm Bill) that will not only aid our hard-working agriculture families, but will improve the quality of life for all Ohioans and ensure that our state remains a leader in agriculture and agriculture research.”

He also once said, “We must do everything we can to ensure a future free from the addiction to foreign oil that has plagued our country for decades and has tied our hands economically and politically. It is critical that we continue to harness American innovation and ingenuity to develop and accelerate to market biofuels, like Corn, Soybeans and Cellulosic.”

George Voinovich, former Mayor, former Ohio Governor and former U.S. Senator, died in his sleep at the age of 79 on June 12.

I really liked G.V. because he was a city boy who really loved agriculture. I last saw him at the Ohio State Fair – he really loved the Ohio State Fair — and he always had a cowboy hat on every time we met there. He was proud of the livestock and trade center that bore his name.

He seemed to always be with his children and grandchildren and never stopped talking about family, asking about family — especially if you were from the Cleveland area.

He was frank and honest, spoke from the heart and never ever seemed to waiver from his opinions and his love for Ohio.

Ohio agriculture will always be “proud” of what he has meant to our state and to our country.

Here’s seeing you, in Ohio country!