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Your ability to influence legislation is one of the greatest benefits of membership in Ohio Farm Bureau. Your work as engaged volunteers, coupled with the efforts of your professional staff, have made Farm Bureau the single most effective legislative voice for agriculture in the state and in the nation.

As a volunteer, your effectiveness is in part tied to your ability to keep up with the multitude of legislative proposals introduced throughout the year. One very effective tool with which to do that is the Ohio Farm Bureau Web site. The "Government and Grassroots" section is an easy-to-use resource for keeping yourself informed and involved.

The "Legislation and Regulation" section is a complete guide to all legislation OFBF is monitoring. At any one time, the "Current Legislation" section can include 60 or more bills pending in Congress and the General Assembly. The "KeyVote" section highlights bills that are getting special attention by Farm Bureau. These KeyVote bills have the most potential to help or hurt your farm and family. In the "Testimony" section, you can access OFBF's official comments delivered during hearings. Another option on this page is the "Legislative Directory" which allows you to link to information about your elected officials, and e-mail them directly.

One of the most useful segments of the site is the "Policy and Issue Background" page. Accessible to members only, this part of the Web site gives you specifics on Farm Bureau policy positions. It also offers in-depth reports on many of the top issues being debated. Among the topics currently featured are farm bill issues, livestock regulation, education standards and school funding, land use and line fence laws.

Under "Politics and Elections," you are provided information about current general elections, candidate information, campaign financing and a useful list of frequently asked questions about exercising your right to vote.

Details on putting Farm Bureau's clout to work are covered in the section "Blueprint for Grassroots Action." OFBF's Local Policy Advancement Program, Legislative Action Program and Political Action Program are all highlighted.

A final segment of the Web site is titled "Publications and Links." Some of Farm Bureau's most popular legal-issue brochures are posted here including ones on CAUV and dog laws. The Links section ties you into an extensive list of Web sites for government, other farm groups, media and more.

All of the items listed above, and more, are easy to find and easy to use. Go to the Ohio Farm Bureau home page at www.ofbf.org. In the left-hand column, you'll see the link for "Government and Grassroots."

Farm Bureau's influence is rooted in your involvement, so be sure to make use of this highly valuable resource.