Continental Who's Who

Patty Dyer

Patty Dyer is recognized by Continental Who’s Who as a 2014 Woman of the Year in the field of Agriculture as a result of her role as an Area Grasslands Conservationist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation  The USDA Natural Resources Conservation offers assistance with agriculture, pasture and hayland management, water systems for livestock, fencing for livestock, water quality, natural resources, rural development and other issues related to efficient management of their resources, with the highest standards of sciences and technologies available.

With over thirty-four years of experience working with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services, Patty has served as a Direct Conservationist in several counties and currently serves as an area Grassland Specialist with the USDA and specializes in agricultural education relating to grazing management issues. She is responsible for training services in nine counties and provides reinforcement to individual farmers in the areas of pasture and hay production, water development and protection, and other livestock needs. Furthermore, Patty has acquired multiple industry related certifications and licensures.

She is a certified Crop Adviser, certified Conservation Planner, and a certified Forage and Grassland Professional. Additionally, Patty holds a Private and Commercial Pesticide Applicator license, and is also an instructor for Basic Grazing Schools, Advanced Grazing Schools, Livestock Environmental Assurance Programs and has adapted each of these programs to special classes for the owners of horses. She was a featured speaker at this year’s Equine Affaire at the Ohio State Fairgrounds speaking on hay quality, fence and water systems for horses. She received cash awards for individual or group performance for eight of ten consecutive years in the middle of her career plus numerous other recognitions throughout her career from other groups that she has worked with.

Patty has also received several performance and achievement awards throughout the course of her professional career. A member of the National Association of Professional Women, Patty was recognized as an NAPW Woman of the Year for 2011-2012. Outside of work, she has close ties with her community and has assisted a local volunteer fire department for over forty years in their fund raising events by making cotton candy and various other activities. Patty has also published numerous articles in the Farm and Dairy newspaper, the Gallipolis Tribune, the Ohio Granger magazine and various Soil and Water Conservation District Newsletters. She worked with local agricultural leaders for many years to start a weekly farm page and mystery farm picture contest in the Gallipolis Daily Tribune and the Pomeroy Daily Sentinel that covered a 3-county and 2-state area.

Moreover, she maintains affiliation with the Ohio Forage and Grassland Council, Soil and Water Conservation Society, and the American Society of Agronomy. In addition, Patty is the President of the non-profit organization, the Ohio Grange Charitable Foundation, Inc., after serving as Chairperson of the Board of Trustees for the past eight years. The Ohio Grange Charitable Foundation is a 501c3 organization that serves children, senior citizens, physically challenged individuals and many others to develop many leadership and conservation skills along with the numerous other programs and opportunities that they offer. Patty also manages the Friendly Hills Camp Ground and Conference Center for the Foundation in her spare time as well as co-directing a camp with her sister for children ages 5 - 14 every summer for the past 20 years. She has a lifetime membership with the Gallia Academy FFA Alumni Association, which she was instrumental in getting reinstated into the school system after the school administration discontinued the program. Looking into the future, Patty’s goals are to pay it forward and allow others to have the opportunities and support that she had to work for. Patty received her Master’s Degree from the Ohio State University in Agricultural Education and her Bachelor of Science Degree with a dual major in Agricultural Education and Agronomy and graduated with distinction through the combined Bachelors/ Masters Program in a total of 13 quarters. 

Patty was also named the Outstanding Granger of the Year by the Ohio State Grange. She serves her local Grange as President and leads many community service projects. A few years ago she led her Grange through the difficult decision of maintaining a 123 year old structure that really did not meet the current needs or tearing down the historic structure and building a new hall. After much discussion it was decided to build for the future and through hard work and dedication, the Grange members, led by Patty (who designed the new building including developing the cut list for boards to build the building) the members built the new Grange Hall from the ground up. This included the site prep work, sawing down the trees, and building, wiring, installing the plumbing and finishing the entire building with the volunteer labor of the members and the assistance of one of the members concrete crews who finished the concrete floor. During the project, the Grange gained several new members. For more information, please visit www.nrcs.usda.gov.