Rex and Glen Spray have been farming together for nearly 50 years, the last 30 certified as organic. In fact, they were the first farm to be certified in Ohio. Both in their 70s, the brothers grow 530 acres of organic field crops, 150 acres of organic pasture and raise a 70-cow beef herd. The Sprays work hard to decrease production costs and increase the quality of their products. For example, Rex has improved soil productivity by applying manure every winter in straw-packs and using a four-year rotation of alternating grass and legume crops.

To help his community, Rex became a representative for a local seed company and organized all requests for organic seed into a large-volume order the company would fill. Moreover, Rex has been a vocal advocate for organic farming and an eager teacher. The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center has conducted multiple research projects on the Spray farm, and the researchers were so impressed that they now use Rex as the benchmark for a healthy agroecosystem.