COLUMBUS — John C. (Jack) Fisher was honored as Ohio Farm Bureau Federation’s Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award recipient. The award recognized Fisher’s outstanding contributions to agriculture, the state of Ohio and to Farm Bureau. The award was presented at Ohio Farm Bureau’s 98th annual meeting Dec. 1.
Fisher retired as Farm Bureau’s executive vice president in July of this year after serving in that role since 1996. He previously served as deputy director and assistant director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, director of the Illinois Corn Growers Association and Marketing Board, executive director of governmental affairs and commodities for Illinois Farm Bureau and was plant manager for Wyandot, Inc.
He is a former member of the board of trustees at The Ohio State University. He now serves as a member of the Vice President’s Advisory Council for Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), participates in the Farm Foundation Round Table and Dialogue on Food and Agriculture in the 21st Century initiative, serves on the board of trustees for the Columbus 2020 Economic Development Board, and is co-chair of the CFAES Fundraising Campaign Planning and Fundraising Organization. He has served as a member of The Ohio State University Alumni Association board of directors, Ohio Farmland Preservation Task Force, Advisory Committee for the Swank Chair in Rural-Urban Policy at The Ohio State University, the board of trustees for BioOhio and the board of directors for Children’s Hunger Alliance.
He has been inducted in the Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame, OSU Department of Animal Sciences Hall of Fame, the Ohio State Fair Hall of Fame and was awarded the OSU College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Distinguished Service Award and the College’s Meritorious Service to Students award. He received the Dan L. Heinlen advocacy award from the OSU Alumni Association and received the National Agricultural Alumni Development Association Volunteer Award. Fisher holds the FFA Honorary State Farmer Degree and was presented the national FFA Honorary American Farmer Degree.
Fisher has participated in several international trade missions with both government and commodity interests. He grew up on a farm in Crawford County, Ohio. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agriculture from The Ohio State University and a master’s degree in counseling from Ball State University. He served in the United States Air Force. He and his wife, Judy, are the parents of three children and have seven grandchildren.
Also during the convention, the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation, the organization’s philanthropic arm, announced it has received leadership gifts to the Jack Fisher Fund for Lifelong Learning including $1 million from Nationwide, $300,000 from Ohio Farm Bureau, $25,000 from current Farm Bureau state board members and $250,000 from Farm Credit Mid-America. The funds will benefit youth, beginning farmers and Ohio communities.
Ohio Farm Bureau is the state’s largest and most inclusive farm and food organization. Its mission is to build a partnership between farmers and consumers. To learn more, visit ofbf.org.
