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Representatives from 16 state Farm Bureaus gathered in Columbus in June to discuss how environmental regulations are impacting agriculture.

The American Farm Bureau Federation Environmental Issues Conference, hosted by OFBF, allowed participants to hear from industry leaders and see first-hand how Ohio agriculture is responding to environmental concerns.

At the beginning of the three-day meeting, OFBF President Bob Peterson told the group that he wanted to be able to give his children the opportunity to farm.

"One of the things I learned early on is that I could be regulated or legislated out of business, and that's why a lot of you are here," he said.

Peterson highlighted challenges faced by Ohio farmers, including resistance to large livestock farms and Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) reports, which determine pollutant regulations for waterways.

"How these TMDLs are implemented have huge implications for Ohio agriculture," he said.

Environmental attorney Jack Van Kley said farmers need to get involved in the regulation process before final decisions are made. He described farmers as having a law-and-order attitude and said they often accept new rules and regulations too easily.

"They don't realize that when a government agency issues a permit, they're expecting you to come back with a counter offer," he said "What they put on their permit is a wish list."

He said environmental groups will not hesitate to challenge regulations that they think are not stringent enough.

"They always want to stretch the law to its most expansive interpretation," he said.

Van Kley noted that lawsuits have expanded the definition of a point source, a term originally intended under the Clean Water Act to regulate factory pipes that discharged pollutants.

Farm equipment, a pile of rubble or the nozzle on an insecticide sprayer can now be considered a point source, he said.

Jon Scholl, counselor to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) administrator for agricultural policy, said farmers need to find a way to get their foot in the door with the agency.

Sholl, who worked for the Illinois Farm Bureau for 25 years, said there are people within EPA who are receptive to the concerns of agriculture.

"We need to know where those people are. We need to tap into them," he said.

He added that while the relationship between the EPA and agriculture is at times contentious, there are opportunities to work together.

"I think we all agree there's a role for enforcement," he said. "There's a right way to do it, and a wrong way to do it."

Caption: Participants visit the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London.