P3 NEWS

Pickaway County Invites Residents to Help Envision Its Future at the County Fair

Pickaway County is growing — and its residents are the ones shaping what that growth looks like.

This summer, the Pickaway Progress Partnership (P3) and the Pickaway County Board of Commissioners will bring that conversation to one of the county’s most beloved gathering places: the Pickaway County Fair.

From June 22 through June 26, residents are encouraged to stop by the “Future of Pickaway County” booth to learn about two connected community planning efforts underway — the Future of Agriculture Study and the county’s first-ever Land Use Plan — and to share their priorities for the future of Pickaway County.

The fair booth offers a welcoming, drop-in opportunity for neighbors, farmers, business owners, and families to see the work that has been done, weigh in on what matters most, and ask questions — all at an event that is already at the heart of Pickaway County’s agricultural community.

Two Studies, One Vision

The Future of Agriculture Study, led by P3 and the Agriculture Committee, has spent more than a year examining the pressures facing farming in Pickaway County — rising land values, input costs, generational transitions, and competition for land — and identifying actions the county can take to support a thriving agricultural future.

The Land Use Plan builds directly on that work. Funded through a $50,000 Land Use Planning Grant from the Ohio Department of Agriculture — and developed in close partnership with the Agricultural Study — the plan will provide a community-wide framework for how and where Pickaway County grows. It is the first plan of its kind at the county level.

Importantly, the Land Use Plan is not zoning. It does not regulate individual properties or override the authority of townships and municipalities, which retain full control over their own land use decisions. Rather, the plan is a shared vision and a practical guide — a way for decision-makers, farmers, businesses, and residents to plan together for growth that is sensible, balanced, and respectful of what makes Pickaway County distinctive.

“Pickaway County has never had a countywide land use plan, and that tells you something about where we’ve been,” said Brian Hill, Executive Director of the Pickaway Progress Partnership. “Population projections make clear that growth is coming regardless. This process is about making sure we’re in the driver’s seat — deciding together how we grow, where we grow, and how we protect the agricultural land and rural character that define this county.”

Broad Community Engagement

To date, the planning effort has engaged more than 350 participants across six stakeholder group meetings, three public meetings held at the Fairgrounds, South Bloomfield, and Westfall High School, sessions with township trustees and village mayors, and visits to five agricultural classes at Teays Valley and Circleville High Schools. Participants have represented 14 of Pickaway County’s 15 townships, and the average participant has lived in the county for 44 years.

What residents have said is consistent: they know growth is coming, they want it planned thoughtfully, they want agriculture protected, and they want the next generation to have a future in farming. The fair booth is the next step in bringing those voices into the process.

“Pickaway County has always been defined by its farms and its people,” said Commissioner Jay H. Wippel. “This planning process honors that heritage while preparing us for what’s ahead. The fair is the perfect place to have that conversation — it’s where this community comes together.”

Come Be Part of the Conversation

Visitors to the “Future of Pickaway County” booth can review findings from the Agricultural Study and Land Use Plan, share their priorities for the future of agriculture in Pickaway County, weigh in on how and where growth should be directed, and ask questions of the planning team.

No appointment is necessary. The booth will be open throughout the fair, June 20–27, at the Pickaway Agriculture and Event Center in Circleville.

For more information about the Future of Agriculture Study, the Land Use Plan, or upcoming engagement opportunities, visit www.pickawayprogress.com.