2026 Conservation Celebration & Supervisor Election
The public is warmly invited and encouraged to attend the H2Ohio and Customer Appreciation Day on Thursday, September 10th, 2026 at the USDA Service Center and Madison County Engineer’s Office, 831 US HWY 42 NE, London, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Two board members will be elected to a three-year term of office. The candidates in this year’s election are JD Bethel, Steve Davis and Samuel Yoder.
Join us for a fun afternoon with activities like fishing, a forestry walk, a dry hydrant demonstration, conservation awards, and a free dinner prepared by our staff and supervisors. The fishing area is just a short hike away, but since the path goes through uneven grass and gravel, we’ll have a gater available to help transport anyone who needs it. For extra comfort, please bring a lawn chair!
Supervisor Steve Davis will be roasting barbeque pork, and we’ll have plenty of tasty sides and cookies to enjoy. (Just a heads-up - public fishing is only allowed during this event.)
We hope you can join us for a day of learning, celebration, and good food.
Schedule of Events
Conservation activities from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Voting ends at 5 p.m.
Dinner at 6 p.m.
Conservation Awards at 6:30 p.m.
After dinner, we will proudly present two conservation awards:
- Top-ranked County Envirothon Team: This award honors the highest-ranked team from Madison County at the Southwest Ohio Envirothon Competition.
- Outstanding Cooperator of the Year: This recognition celebrates families who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to conserving soil and water by installing best management practices or adopting innovative farming techniques based on a conservation plan.
To help us plan for dinner, please email Gail.Wilson@oh.nacdnet.net with the expected number of guests in your party by September 1. Your response will help us ensure a wonderful experience for everyone.
Meet the Candidates
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JD Bethel9577 Roberts Rd., West Jefferson, has been an agronomist at Integrated Ag Services for 6 years. Prior to that, he was at The Ohio State University researching soybeans for 4 years. He received his master’s degree in Weed Sciences at Ohio State. He helps his parents farm in Mechanicsburg. He and his wife, Wendy, enjoy bicycling, traveling and gardening.
The most important resource concern Bethel sees on a day-to-day basis working with farmers is soil erosion. He is interested in serving on the board because he supports the work of the Soil and Water Conservation District. He has done a lot of tiling and waterways on his parents’ farm and has seen the value. Anything we can do to promote keeping erosion under control is a good thing.
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Steve Davis1420 Linson Rd., is the current chairman of the SWCD board, which he has served for 6 years. He raises registered Angus cattle and had a purebred hog business for 30 years. He has cut back on his herd but still maintains about 15 cows. He is a member of the board of the Newport United Methodist Church.
Davis considers improving soil health as the biggest natural resource opportunity. He has seen reduced soil tilth from when he was a teenager as a result of conventional farming practices today. No till and cover crops could be a very big factor in saving our soil structure and health.
Davis would like to continue serving on the board to support positive change and contribute his lifelong experiences in farming and raising livestock.
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Samuel Yoder145 Roberts Mill Rd, London, lives in the same farmhouse as where he grew up with his wife, Elise Garber, and youngest son. He attended college in Indiana, where he married, worked for an equipment dealership and gained experience managing a small farm of his own.
In 2020, he moved back to Ohio, working for Koenig Equipment as a precision ag specialist. After five years, he left to take up full-time work at the family farm, Yoder Agriculture Company, where he is particularly interested in precision and regenerative agriculture.
His favorite job is being Dad. He has four kids, three of them out of the house. He enjoys taking his few old tractors to events and parades. He is often volunteered to assist his wife’s projects, such as her accessible community garden at the Madison County Board of Developmental Disabilities. He is a member of the London Rotary Club. His farm is a member of the Madison County Chamber of Commerce as well as Premium Agricultural Commodities, a co-op of forward-thinking farmers.
He believes that the greatest challenge and opportunity facing Madison County is the growth and development occurring alongside agriculture. Financial considerations are always important, but true success comes from managing our natural resources in such a way that it creates an environment that we want to live and work in. He believes the SWCD needs to increase its outreach so that our community is fully aware of the many valuable programs available. Everyone can play an active part in conservation.
If elected, he would provide a unique perspective and an open mind. He has practical experience in NRCS programs like CRP, CREP, and CSP. He puts his beliefs into action through enthusiasm, respect for business, knowledge of agriculture, and love of nature.
