News & Events

White House supports Senate farm bill; calls for more subsidy cuts

Published May. 22, 2013

“Consistent with the President's budget, the administration looks forward to working with the Congress to achieve crop insurance and commodity program savings that are not contained in S. 954,” the White House statement says.

What is rural? Most Ohio farm counties still don't qualify, despite update

Published May. 22, 2013

It’s official: A Washington bureaucrat could stand amid 1,000 acres of tall corn and still not realize he was in the country.

USDA-certified sheep farm tucked away in Jefferson County

Published May. 20, 2013

From the feed to the table, Barton's Barbados sheep have everything organic. This means they eat organic hay and eventually need to be butchered at a location with organic credentials.

USDA Report Summary

Published May. 13, 2013

The slow start to the corn planting this year has prompted USDA to back off its early projected corn yields, though the May World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates still project record corn production of 14.1 billion bushels.

USDA and EPA: Report shows no definitive reason for honey bee colony collapse

Published May. 9, 2013

The USDA and the United States EPA released a comprehensive scientific report on honey bee health May 2. The report states that there are multiple factors playing a role in honey bee colony declines, including parasites and disease, genetics, poor nutrition and pesticide exposure.

U.S. Senate panel approves farm bill that expands crop insurance

Published May. 15, 2013

The Senate Agriculture Committee approved a farm bill on Tuesday, costing $500 billion over a decade, that would expand the scope of the federally subsidized crop insurance program and modestly trim spending on food stamps for the poor.

U.S. pesticide makers seek answers as bee losses sting agriculture

Published May. 22, 2013

Monsanto Co is hosting a "Bee Summit." Bayer AG is breaking ground on a "Bee Care Center." And Sygenta AG is funding grants for research into the accelerating demise of honeybees in the United States, where the insects pollinate fruits and vegetables that make up roughly a quarter of the American diet.

Tn. Governor vetoes 'ag gag' measure over constitutional issues

Published May. 14, 2013

He also agreed with state Attorney General Robert Cooper’s assessment that the bill is constitutionally suspect. But the governor also called on state lawmakers to revisit the issue. He expressed sympathy for farmers who say they fear “large-scale attacks on their livelihoods” from secret recordings.

Supreme Court favors Monsanto in seed saving case

Published May. 14, 2013

Despite the narrow focus of the ruling, many in the industry see the decision as having wide reaching implications.

Still time to enter ODA’s “Agriculture is Cool!”

Published May. 10, 2013

Ohio children enrolled in school or home schooled during the 2012-2013 academic year are encouraged to capture their personal interpretation of why Ohio agriculture is cool for their chance to win prizes including Ohio State Fair concert tickets. Entries must be postmarked by May 15, 2013.