MEDIA RELEASE__Bluffton University was honored to welcome farmers, food system professionals, environmental partners and community members from across Ohio as the 19th Annual Stinner Summit convened on campus on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. in Marbeck Center.

Hosted by The Ohio State University’s Agroecosystem Management Program (AMP), this year’s Summit invited participants to explore the theme “Finding Common Ground: Connecting Farms, Food, and Community in the Western Lake Erie Watershed.”

For nearly two decades, AMP has traveled throughout Ohio to bring together local farm, food and resource-management stakeholders. Using a participatory, conversation-driven format, the Stinner Summit empowered attendees to identify pressing regional challenges and co-create project ideas that can be implemented locally with support from the Ben Stinner Endowment Fund.

Throughout the day, participants collaborated in small groups, engaged in facilitated discussions and helped determine which new community-led project would receive funding. The Summit intentionally prioritized shared learning and relationship-building over traditional presentations.

While farmers of all sizes were encouraged to attend, organizers emphasized that the Stinner Summit was open to everyone.

“People sometimes ask, ‘Why attend if I’m not a farmer?’” said Kathy Dickson, senior director of advancement at Bluffton University and summit planning committee member. “If you are curious about how food, land, farming and the environment intersect—or if you eat food—this Summit was for you. It offered an opportunity for conversation, collaboration, and community that we hope continues in the region long after the day is over, maybe through a Stinner Summit Project or beyond.”

Bluffton University was honored to serve as this year’s host site, continuing a long-standing relationship with OSU AMP faculty and staff. The event featured locally prepared and catered food by Jonah Agner, owner of the former Greenhorn in Bluffton, Ohio, and attendance was free of charge.

“We were excited to welcome partners from across northwest Ohio and beyond to our campus,” Dickson added. “It was an incredible opportunity for members of the Bluffton community to join meaningful conversations shaping the future of food and land stewardship in our region. We are grateful to the vision and leadership of OSU AMP and the Stinner family for making that possible in one more area of Ohio. We are glad to be a part of their statewide work.”