Ohio's Country Journal: History, Ohio Ag Net, Coverage and Staff
Profile updated November 2026
Ohio's Country Journal is a twice-monthly farm newspaper for Ohio, published alongside the Ohio Ag Net radio network and daily web content at ocj.com. Started in 1992 by the Johnson family's Agri Communicators Inc., it has been owned by the Ohio Farm Bureau since the end of 2020 and runs as a stand-alone business.
| Founded | 1992, as a monthly |
|---|---|
| Founding company | Agri Communicators Inc., founded 1972 by Ed Johnson |
| Owner | Ohio Farm Bureau, since December 2020 |
| Operating company | Ag Net Communications LLC |
| Frequency | Twice monthly, with daily web content |
| Editor | Matt Reese |
| Official website | OFBF.org: OCJ and Ohio Ag Net |
History of Ohio's Country Journal
Ed Johnson founded the company in 1972 to produce daily farm radio reports for the ABN Radio Network and a weekly television show, Agri Country. His son Bart Johnson later ran it as publisher with his wife, Sheryl. In 1992 the company added a monthly print publication, Ohio's Country Journal, which later grew to twice a month. In 2007 it launched its own farm radio network, Ohio Ag Net.
On December 28, 2020, the Ohio Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm and food advocacy group with about 85,000 members, completed its purchase of Agri Communicators Inc. from Bart and Sheryl Johnson. The company was renamed Ag Net Communications LLC and kept as a separate business. Farm Bureau said the purchase would diversify its revenue and would not change the outlets' coverage, and the Johnsons stayed on as consultants during the transition.
Matt Reese, who joined as assistant editor in June 1999, became editor and also hosts the Ohio Ag Net podcast.
Ohio's Country Journal Today
Ohio's Country Journal prints twice a month and publishes daily at ocj.com. Readers can sign up for a free three-year subscription, breaking ag news text alerts and the weekday Digital Dale e-newsletter. Ohio Ag Net reaches farmers through more than 50 radio affiliates statewide.
The Farm Bureau describes the team as small but mighty, producing the newspaper, radio programming, a podcast and daily web content from Columbus.
What Ohio's Country Journal Is Publishing Now
Crops, livestock and markets
Ohio corn, soybean, wheat, livestock and dairy coverage, with markets, weather and agronomy from Ohio State University experts and others.
Ohio's Field Leader
A project with the Ohio Soybean Council, led by broadcaster and fifth-generation farmer Dusty Sonnenberg, highlighting Ohio farm research and farmers.
Radio, video and podcast
Ohio Ag Net radio reports, video features and the Ohio Ag Net podcast extend the newspaper's coverage.
Ohio's Country Journal Editors and Staff
Ohio Farm Bureau's 2023 introduction to the team names these people:
- Matt Reese - Editor; Ohio Ag Net podcast host
- Kim Lemmon - Managing Editor and Director of Operations
- Dale Minyo - General Manager, Ohio Ag Net
- Dusty Sonnenberg - Broadcaster; Ohio's Field Leader
- Joel Penhorwood - Broadcaster and Video Manager
- Bart Johnson - Former Publisher and owner (to 2020)
Dave Russell, a veteran broadcaster from northwest Ohio, also reports for Ohio Ag Net.
Who Reads Ohio's Country Journal
Readers are Ohio grain, livestock and dairy farmers, agribusiness people and rural families. Ohio State University's dairy extension team publishes outlook pieces that track the same USDA ERS forecasts the paper reports, and the Census of Agriculture gives county data for every corner of the state.
Ohio's Country Journal readers get their farm news in print, on the radio and through Digital Dale, so they are clearly not short of things to read. For one more, farm.FM offers farm satire and farm humor in a Buckeye-friendly voice, with ranch humor for the beef herds of southeast Ohio. Its farm jokes do not require a radio affiliate.
For context, farm.FM is the nation's first satirical farm site and the home of Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers. Its contributors each keep an archive, and this one is a good sampler of ranch humor and farm jokes.
Ohio's Country Journal Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Ohio Farm Bureau: Meet the people behind OCJ and Ohio Ag Net - the current team and products.
- Farm and Dairy: Ohio Farm Bureau buys OCJ and Ohio Ag Net - the 2020 purchase and company history.
- Wikipedia: Agri Broadcast Network - the radio network behind the company's early reports.
- Ohio State University: Buckeye Dairy News - extension summary of the USDA ERS dairy outlook.
- USDA NASS: Census of Agriculture - Ohio county and state farm data.
Ohio's Country Journal FAQ
When was Ohio's Country Journal founded?
It was added as a monthly print publication in 1992 and later went twice monthly.
Who owns Ohio's Country Journal?
The Ohio Farm Bureau, which bought it and Ohio Ag Net at the end of 2020; it runs as Ag Net Communications LLC.
Is Ohio's Country Journal free?
Ohio Farm Bureau offers readers a free three-year subscription.
Who edits Ohio's Country Journal?
Matt Reese is editor, with Kim Lemmon as managing editor.
In print, on air and online, Ohio's Country Journal keeps Ohio farmers informed twice a month and every day in between.