Category: Events

The Coshocton Soil and Water Conservation District invites you to the 83rd Annual Meeting and Banquet on October 16, 2025 at the Lake Park Pavilion. Doors will open for supervisor election voting at 6:00 pm; dinner will begin at 7:00 pm. Dinner will be catered by Theo’s Restaurant of Cambridge. 

You do not have to attend the meal to vote in the election. You can also vote prior to the meeting at the District Office. More details are available here: Supervisor Election Notice

Tickets for the event are $15.00 for adults and $6.00 for children 10 and under. Tickets must be purchased by October 6 through the SWCD Office at 724 S. Seventh Street Room 120, Coshocton OH 43812. If you have questions, call us at (740)622-8087 ext. 4 or email kelseysaylor@coshoctoncounty.net.

August 26, 6:30 pm:  Floyd Yoder Farm 53320 TR 170 Fresno, OH 43824 

Floyd is grazing 30 cow calf pairs and has improved his forage production and soil health since implementing a rotational grazing system.  Floyd will also share how he was able to utilize warm season annuals to boost his forage production.  Jarrod Hittle, ODA grazing specialist, will also be on hand to educate on grazing management and answer questions.

Reservations are appreciated but not required.  Water and light snacks will be provided.  Coshocton SWCD would also like to send out a big thank you to Jim and Floyd for hosting!

There will be signs posted to help you find the farm for both events.

If you would like more information or to receive a postcard for pasture walks, please call us at (740)622-8087 x 4 or email kelseysaylor@coshoctoncounty.net.

We hope you will join us on Main Street in Coshocton for First FARM Friday on August 1. The goal of First FARM Friday is to educate the public about the importance of agriculture in our community and beyond. Visit one of our many displays, climb into farm machinery, and get up close to farm animals. Bring the kids to complete a stamp card and receive a free cup of custard from Whit’s Frozen Custard. Food will be available for purchase from vendors at the event.

Do you have a question for a local farmer? At First FARM Friday, you can talk to the men and women of Coshocton County agriculture. All of the presenters at the event volunteer their time to educate the community about Coshocton County’s number one industry. First FARM Friday was organized to be a fun, educational event that helps the general public understand the importance of agriculture in our community and beyond.

The Coshocton SWCD is sponsoring its annual “Big Tree Contest.”  This contest is open to all species of trees growing on privately owned property in Coshocton County.  Property line trees and trees growing on federal, state, or local government land are not eligible.  Any person can enter a tree physically located in Coshocton County whether or not the tree is growing on the nominator’s property. The Big Tree Contest is a county-wide contest, while the “Coshocton Is Blooming” category is limited to trees growing within the City of Coshocton. 

All entries must be received by 4:30 p.m. on August 29, 2025.  Entries will be measured by a representative from the Coshocton SWCD using the national standardized measurement criteria.  The owners of the two “Big Trees” will each receive a plaque at Coshocton SWCD’s Annual Meeting & Banquet to be held October 16 at the Lake Park Pavilion. Entry forms are also available at the Coshocton SWCD office.

Big Tree Entry Form

Our technicians will measure the trees, but if you are interested in how they are measured, this is a good resource: Measuring a Big Tree

The Coshocton Soil and Water Conservation District’s Board of Supervisors meets once a month, and uses the following schedule:

January, February, March, and December – Second Wednesday of the Month – 12:00 p.m.

April, May, June, July, August, September, October, and November – Second Wednesday of the Month – 8:00 p.m.

Any special or emergency meetings will be posted on our Events page as soon as they are scheduled.

SWCD Board Meetings are open to the public, and most meetings are held at the District Office, 724 S. 7^th Street, Coshocton, Ohio.  If you are interested in attending our meetings or would like more information, please contact our office at 740-622-8087, ext. 4.  The Chairman of the Board may need to change the date and/or time of meetings throughout the year. Any changes will be made known to the public and updated on our Events page.

The Ohio Soil & Water Conservation Commission will cause an election of Supervisors of the Coshocton Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) to be held in accordance with Chapter 940 of the Ohio Revised Code. Individuals who own or occupy land within the Coshocton Soil and Water Conservation District and are 18 years of age or older may vote for Supervisor.

There are 3 ways an eligible voter can cast a ballot:

1. At the SWCD office (724 S. Seventh Street Room 120, Coshocton, OH 43812) during normal business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) starting September 17 and ending at noon on October 16.
2. At the SWCD Annual Meeting, which will take place at the Lake Park Pavilion on October 16, with voting from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. You do not have to purchase an Annual Meeting ticket to come and vote for Supervisor.
3. Voting absentee from September 17 until October 16 by requesting the ballot application and election ballot from the SWCD office by calling 740-622-8087 ext. 4 or email ryanmedley@coshoctoncounty.net. Absentee ballots must be received by the SWCD office by noon on October 16, 2025.

2 Supervisors will be elected to a three‐year term commencing January 1, 2026 and ending December 31, 2028.

Nominee Information:

KRISTY LEINDECKER moved to Coshocton County in 1997, growing up in Butler County and attending Lakota High School. She has been married to Brian for 29 years and they live on the family farm in White Eyes Township. Kristy and Brian have two sons, Keith and Marcus and the addition of two Daughter-In-Laws, Makayla and Aliya. The Leindecker Farm has been a cooperator since 1981, installing tile drainage and a grassed waterway. Kristy has been co-owner of the Garden Patch Greenhouse for the past 25 years, with the Greenhouse contributing as a SWCD Affiliate Member since 2005. She graduated from OSU-Agricultural Technical Institute in 1995, majoring in Greenhouse Production and Management. She and her family are members of the Fresno Bible Church. Kristy has been a Coshocton SWCD Supervisor since 2014.

JORDAN THOMSPON was raised on his family farm in Bethlehem Township. He met his wife, Stephanie, while he was earning his Forest Management Associates degree at Hocking College and obtaining both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Forest Management at West Virginia University. They welcomed their daughter, Raegen, in March of this year.  Throughout his ventures in life, he has practice with rotational forest management and utilizing EQIP to tackle resource concerns like invasive plants and tree removal. Jordan’s experience includes completed CRP tree planting and established  warm-season grasses as well as row crops such as corn and beans and participates in the Cover Crop Program. While Jordan is working as a Consulting Forester, he serves on the Coshocton County Career Center Natural Resources Committee, WVU Forestry Management Program Board, and Chairman of the OFA Education Committee.

PAUL SNYDER was raised on the family farm in Baltic and has dedicated his life to agriculture and conservation. He was part of the first graduating class of ATI in Wooster in 1974, earning a degree in Dairy Management. Over the years, he transitioned from dairy farming to raising beef cattle and producing hay and corn, now managing a herd of 40 head. Committed to conservation, Paul has implemented numerous practices on the farm, including spring developments, a manure pit, heavy use roads, and a complete no-till cropping system since 1981. He and his wife, Catherine, have three daughters and are proud grandparents to six grandchildren ranging from ages 6 months to 8 years old. Beyond the farm, Paul is active in the community, serving as both Deacon and Elder at the First United Church of Christ in Sugarcreek.