Ohio Farmer Takes to Heart Business Innovation and Grassroots Leadership
Each year, Top Producer recognizes a female producer who is shining examples for her peers, as well as advocate for agriculture who represents an innovative farming operation. Congratulations to Marcia Ruff, the 2023 recipient of the Executive Women in Agriculture Trailblazer Award. She will be recognized at a ceremony held Feb. 24 during Top Producer Summit in Nashville.
Marcia Ruff considers herself blessed to live and work in agriculture. From an early age, she knew she would farm.
Today, she runs Ruff Farms near Circleville, Ohio, with her husband Mark and three children. The operation includes nearly 4,000 corn, soybean and wheat acres; beef cattle; and various ag businesses.
The Ruff family built a grain handling and container loading facility in partnership with Farmers Business Network. For the second year, they’re under contract to deliver soybeans to CHS for a premium.
“The most recent containers we’ve loaded and the ones we will be loading from here on out this season will likely go to Malaysia,” Ruff says. “Those are food-grade going into the human consumption market.”
Speaking of business innovation, the family also does lawn seeding, installs drain tile and has a 50-acre ear corn business that started as a FFA project for eldest son Matt during the COVID-19 lockdown.
“During the pandemic, when everything shut down, people must have been home watching squirrels and sales went through the roof. Instead of 15 boxes a day he was selling 150 boxes a day,” Ruff says.
Today it’s a full-time enterprise, managed by younger brother Mitchell. Sales are primarily through Amazon, with customers across the U.S.
Ruff plays an integral role in every aspect of the operation.
“I drill beans. I drill wheat in the middle of the night. I'm the shuttle driver for everybody moving pieces. I deliver the meals to the field,” Ruff says.
Heart of a Teacher
In addition to farming, Ruff has another passion: Teaching. She’s been a 4-H adviser for 25 years and a teacher for 27 years – both roles that allow her to educate and advocate for agriculture and food production.
“When I'm teaching the kids letters and we get to letter H, for example, I say H is for hen. That’s a girl chicken that lays the eggs,” Ruff explains. “I love when the kids repeat that information back to me later.”
As a female producer, Ruff diligently works to address stereotypes and show that women can be farmers too. Her message for other females is not to trivialize their role in the operation.
“You don’t have to be the one who’s driving the combine,” she says. “There’s so many working roles on a farm.
That attitude and spirit is why Ruff is this year’s Executive Women in Agriculture Trailblazer Award winner.
Get to know the other 2023 Top Producer award winners:
Trey Wasserburger, Tomorrow’s Top Producer Horizon Award
Silent Shade Planting Company, Top Producer of the Year
