Across the Table with Adam Sharp, OFBF executive vice president

If he wants, Matt Aultman can now afford to pasture a few more Nigerian dwarf goats or maybe invest a little in his small orchard, beehives, sheep, tank-raised fish or his kids’ 4-H steers. Matt just got some much needed relief from exploding farm property tax bills. That’s good for him and good for the customers at his roadside market and at the local grocery he supplies.

Matt’s an example of how skyrocketing property tax bills have impacted local food suppliers. On their 50-acre Darke County farm, Matt and wife, Morgan, were forced to drop some lower value crops and replace them with higher value crops to help cover the taxes. “That gave our customers less choices,” he said. “I had some friends that even rented their acreage to the neighbor farmer instead of raising products for the farmers market due to the increase in their CAUV taxes.”

CAUV stands for Current Agricultural Use Value. Ohioans put it in the state constitution in 1973. The system taxes land on its value for farming, which is lower than its value if turned into strip malls and housing tracts. It achieved the goal of keeping land in farming. But in recent years, nonfarm factors in the complex CAUV formula led to farm property taxes shooting up by an average of 307 percent, which cost small farmers like Matt thousands of dollars and cost bigger family farms tens of thousands. At the same time, farm income experienced the second biggest drop in history. So, Farm Bureau members got busy.

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In 1973, Farm Bureau members successfully made their case to the public that fair taxes would preserve farmland.  In 2017, members achieved reforms to make farm property taxes more accurate and more fair.

 

Thousands of phone calls, emails and personal visits by members and much work by Farm Bureau staff resulted in regulatory and legislative changes that reduced average farm valuations by 30 percent. I tip my cap to the members who made this happen, and I thank the lawmakers who supported our efforts.

While CAUV reform is clearly good for farmers and their customers, questions remain about the implications for our broader communities. Matt, for example, needs to sort things out as not just as a farmer but also as a county commissioner and the spouse of a school teacher. He thinks the impacts will be manageable. So do I.

A more fair property tax system is good for Ohio. Matt shared a story that I think makes my case. Early in his farming career, Matt listened to an elderly farmer who offered these thoughts: “The greatest economic development tool to a community is a prosperous farmer. They’ll spend their money with local businesses and local service groups. They have the pride to make where they live better so that it’s a place their children will want to work and live as well.”

Matt says when he looks around his community today, that’s exactly what he sees. Me, too.

Feature Image: Morgan and Matt Aultman and family on their Darke County farm.

Farm Labor Resources
Labor has always been an issue, mainly because we are a seasonal operation. So that's a challenge finding somebody who only wants to work three months out of a year, sometimes up to six months.
Mandy Way's avatar
Mandy Way

Way Farms

Farm Labor Resources
Strong communities
I appreciate the benefit of having a strong voice in my corner. The extras that are included in membership are wonderful, but I'm a member because of the positive impact to my local and state agricultural communities.
Ernie Welch's avatar
Ernie Welch

Van Wert County Farm Bureau

Strong communities
Leadership development
I see the value and need to be engaged in the community I live in, to be a part of the decision-making process and to volunteer with organizations that help make our community better.
Matt Aultman's avatar
Matt Aultman

Darke County Farm Bureau

Leadership development
Young Ag Professionals program
Farm Bureau involvement has taught me how to grow my professional and leadership experience outside of the workforce and how to do that in a community-centric way.
Jaclyn De Candio's avatar
Jaclyn De Candio

Clark County Farm Bureau

Young Ag Professionals program
Growing our Generation
With not growing up on a farm, I’d say I was a late bloomer to agriculture. I feel so fortunate that I found the agriculture industry. There are so many opportunities for growth.
Jenna Gregorich's avatar
Jenna Gregorich

Coshocton County Farm Bureau

Growing our Generation
Groovy Plants Ranch
Knowing that horticulture is under the agriculture umbrella and having Farm Bureau supporting horticulture like it does the rest of ag is very important.
Jared Hughes's avatar
Jared Hughes

Groovy Plants Ranch

Groovy Plants Ranch
Washington, D.C. Leadership Experience
If it wasn't for Farm Bureau, I personally, along with many others, would not have had the opportunity to meet with our representatives face to face in Washington.
Austin Heil's avatar
Austin Heil

Hardin County Farm Bureau

Washington, D.C. Leadership Experience
Advocacy
So many of the issues that OFBF and its members are advocating for are important to all Ohioans. I look at OFBF as an agricultural watchdog advocating for farmers and rural communities across Ohio.
Mary Smallsreed's avatar
Mary Smallsreed

Trumbull County Farm Bureau

Advocacy
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