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by Joe Cornely

Ohio farmers have a new resource for up-to-date farm news, markets and weather. The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) Web site has undergone significant upgrades in design, navigation and content with the result being a more useful tool for Farm Bureau members.

One new featured item on the front page of www.ofbf.org is Buckeye Farm News Now, a frequently updated section of current agricultural news stories. Newspaper News contains links to daily newspaper Web sites’ coverage of farm and related issues. TITLE TBD includes the Ohio Agricultural Statistics Service crop updates, the Ohio State University Crop Observation and Recommendation Network newsletter and Farm Bureau’s own Producer Perspective, which highlights commentary on local field conditions submitted by OFBF members. Also in this section are links to many crop and livestock reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Extensive futures and options information is also now conveniently located on the OFBF front page. Quotes and charts are available for Ohio’s major farm commodities as well as natural gas and propane. Another front-page link to The Weather Channel gives visitors access to local weather conditions and short- and long-term forecasts.

The site emphasizes "fresh" content, according to Kurt Ely, OFBF vice president of information, education and community services. "Our goal is to give members a reason to visit our site every day. We’re doing that by regularly posting useful and interesting material."

Other front-page sections explain Farm Bureau member benefits, list upcoming Farm Bureau events and detail various OFBF programs and activities. County Farm Bureau information is also accessed via the OFBF front page.

Visitors will also find the new site more visually attractive and more accommodating to use. The design of the home page incorporates Web industry standards, which makes navigation easier and improves the accessibility for all users. According to Dave Rule, OFBF’s technology director, "We now have the information packaged in a much cleaner way. Everything is easier to find and easier to read."

The new look and content have already drawn recognition. The OFBF site was named "best in the nation" during the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual information awards program (see related story on page 3).

Upgrades for many of the site’s back pages are also planned, according to Ely. "The whole site is evolving, both in terms of content and technology," he explained.

The ramping up of the site’s value to members is part of the overall effort to enhance Farm Bureau’s communications efforts, Ely said. "Part of Farm Bureau’s job is to help the public gain more of an appreciation for agriculture, and the Our Ohio brand is doing that. But farmers need information too, and the new site is designed to meet their needs."