Yesterday, I came home from Mechanicsburg via Rosedale Road. I usually take State Route 4. But, I was looking for a change of scenery. I soon came across an Ohio History Marker that honored Joseph E. Wing. I had seen this sign before, but I had never taken the time to find out who Joseph E. Wing was. So, I vowed to myself that I would find out more as soon as I got home.
Joseph E. Wing
Joseph E. Wing was born on September 14, 1861. He was raised on Woodland Farms near Mechanicsburg, Ohio. He spent time working on a cattle ranch in Utah. This proved to be life-shaping for him, as this is where he acquired his interest in alfalfa as a hay source for livestock.
Wing was one of the first farmers east of the Mississippi River to grow alfalfa as a forage/hay crop for livestock. And, once he found it to be a successful crop on his own farm, he began to spread the word, first to farmers around Champaign County, and then to farmers around the state of Ohio. In 1913 he hosted an "Alfalfa Picnic" on his farm that attracted of 3,500 people, including the Governor James M. Cox.
For his work with alfalfa, Joseph E. WIng was posthumously inducted into the Ohio Agriculture Hall of Fame in the 1940s. His farm remains in the Wing Family today. Over the course of his life, he also contributed to many agriculture publications both in Ohio and across the United States.
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