Class of 2013

The decision by the award’s sponsor to nominate Calvin Leimbach as a first inductee was a quick and unanimous decision, as no one person is believed to have made the impact as this one man. Cal’s service to agriculture is largely defined by his 31 years of service as the OSU Extension Agriculture Community and Natural Resources Agent. In a November 28, 1982 article celebrating his career, The Lima News declared him as “doctor to area gardens…counsel to local environ-mentalists…and general trouble-shooter for area farmers.”  His service to Allen County farmers began post-WWII when livestock represented 70% of farm income and 30% from crops. By the end of his career that statistic had flip-flopped. He worked directly with farmers on the subjects of agronomy, livestock, economics and book-keeping. Cal Leimbach spent countless hours out on individual farms, brought in university specialists, coordinated field test plots, guided livestock producers through various practices, and distributed a broad base of information from OSUE. But his success was largely due to his amazing amount of networking and partnering that drew people together to address common subjects. Cal wants it noted that agriculture’s success in Allen County is enhanced by local educational bodies such as OSU Lima, Apollo and UNOH. Beyond that, his community service record is quite extensive, remarkable, and evidences a lifetime commitment to service. Born and raised on a dairy farm in Erie County, Leimbach not only made a career in Allen County but he made it his home.

J. Edgar Begg was nominated by the Allen Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) as their first board chair, critical to their formation and bringing the resources of the USDA Soil Conservation Service to Allen County in 1945. His nomination was co-sponsored by his grandson, Jay Begg. This honor is bestowed posthumously (1906-2003). Edgar Begg was a general livestock and grain farmer raising cattle, hogs, dairy, corn, soybeans, oats, wheat and hay. He was an early advocate for conservation improvements and farming practices, working hand-in-hand with the Soil Conservation staff and other farmers to layout and install practices on the land. His family believes that seeing Allen SWCD go from its inception with only a farm planner to an agency with eight employees and thousands of conservation improvement projects on the land is Edgar’s legacy. Begg was a founding member of the Progressive Farmers and a life time member of the Lima Farmers Club. He was an early innovator in many areas including hybrid corn production as a grower for Ohio Certified Seeds, cooperator with OSU Extension in the early use of soil tests and fertilizer and pesticide recommendations. Mechanizing and powering his farm with tractors and motors rather than horses was a passion that made a 1956 cover of the Successful Farming magazine. He was also the originator and facilitator of a local cooperative purchasing group, buying fuel and agricultural supplies by the barrel, ton or truckload to allow for the economy of scale and then distributing them among the neighbors in the group. Edgar’s community leadership record is also distinguished.