For the fifth consecutive year the Highland County Chamber of Commerce is bringing back its Ag Is Everyone’s Business event and this year’s featured speaker will be Orion Samuelson, the speaker at the inaugural event.

Tickets are currently available for the event that will be held Friday, March 3 at Southern State Community College’s Patriot Center in Hillsboro. The doors open at 7:30 a.m. and breakfast will be served from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. There will be a few introductory speakers and then the event will be turned over to Ohio Department of Agriculture Director David Daniels and Samuelson.

Samuelson is well known in agribusiness for his roles on radio and television, including the “National Farm Report,” “Samuelson Sez” and the “Saturday Morning Show” on WGN Radio, and RFD-TV’s “This Week in Agri-Business.” He has served on the boards of many community and ag-related foundations and organizations, has been granted numerous awards and honors for his work in agribusiness, and has authored his autobiography, “You Can’t Dream Big Enough.”

Maddie Cupp, community relations coordinator for the chamber, said the event is being held a little later in the year to accommodate Samuelson’s schedule.

“Agriculture is the biggest industry in Highland County and it doesn’t seem like we have any other venue where everyone comes together to celebrate what it does for this community,” Cupp said. “As important as agriculture is, this is something we want to keep doing.”

Cupp said Samuelson will give a brief presentation, then will engage the audience with a question-and-answer period.

As in past years, there will be an auction of pedal tractors at the event’s conclusion. The auction benefits the Highland County FFA chapters and a 4-H club.

Around 450 people are expected to attend this year. Cupp said that Highland County Farm Bureau sent postcards to all its members about Ag Is Everyone’s Business for the first time this year and the chamber is hoping that will draw a few more people in.

Breakfast will be catered by Ponderosa Catering, Cupp said.

Twenty-three local businesses are sponsoring the event.

To purchase tickets, which are $15 each, call toll-free at 1-866-967-8167, visit www.thehighlandchamber.com, or call the chamber offices at 937-393-1111. A small service charge applies to online and phone purchases.

Reach Jeff Gilliland at 937-402-2522 or on Twitter @13gillilandj.