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by Jack Fisher, executive vice president, OFBF

What's the most common "farm" story in the newspaper today? In the big city dailies and the small county weeklies, livestock farms are getting all the ink.

We see most all of them here at Farm Bureau, and I don't believe I've read one yet where the headline is "New farming enterprise to boost local economy." No, the headline is usually more along the lines of "Citizen's group formed to oppose mega-farm." Sometimes the stories are fairly balanced. But more often than not, the meat of the story focuses on the opponents' dire predictions that this "factory farm" will ruin the community.

It's my guess that readers react to these stories in different ways. Farmers wonder how animal agriculture became public enemy number one. Local residents wonder if the opponents' worrisome claims are true. And elected officials wonder how this is going to affect the next election.

Livestock farming in Ohio has become a political hot potato. Trustees, councilmen, commissioners and legislators are increasingly being asked to weigh in whenever a farm is planned in the community. So, agriculture has some work to do. We have to see to it that politicians know a whole lot more about livestock farms than just what’s in their local paper.

One way to do that is to get our elected officials out of the office and into the barn. Last month we did just that. The Ohio Livestock Coalition (OLC) hosted lawmakers and their staffs on a tour of two livestock farms. OFBF was glad to throw its support behind this event for a simple reason: It’s in agriculture’s best interest when politicians see farms and meet farmers.

Getting elected officials up close and personal with farm people and their cows, pigs and poultry helps agriculture overcome one of our greatest handicaps: we stick to the facts. Our quotes in the newspapers tend to calmly cite science, technology, economics and best management practices. In contrast, our opponents emotionally lament the smells, noises and pollution that could, might and may afflict the community. Who’s a lawmaker to believe, and how do they get to the truth? I figure there’s nothing better than a demonstration.

"This tour is how we show that we’re doing things right," is how Chad Wilt explained why he helped OLC by hosting lawmakers on the hog farm he operates with father-in-law Richard Flax in Madison County.

State Sen. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, saw what Wilt meant, saying "I can confidently go back home and tell my constituents that these operations are safe and efficient and good businesses; something we have to have in our communities."

Ohio Rep. Mike Skindell, D-Lakewood, has a constituency of primarily urban residents near Cleveland. "This has been good to see," he said, because he has interest in the environment and other issues about which he had his questions answered during the tour.

Elected officials all want answers, and it’s up to us to provide them. Cindy Van Raay, who along with husband Ted operates a dairy the politicians visited, summed it up well. "Your best defense is to show people what you’re doing. If you manage well and take good care, your operation reflects that."

It’s my belief the vast majority of Ohio’s farms are managed well and carefully operated. We need more people, politicians included, to come to that conclusion based on what they see, not what they read.

Caption: (l to r) Ohio Reps. Jim McGregor, R-Gahanna, and Mike Skindell, D-Lakewood, along with Jennifer Taylor of Congressman Mike Turner's, R-Dayton, office hear from farmer Richard Flax. The Ohio Livestock Coalition tour allowed lawmakers and aids to see first hand how livestock farms work to protect the environment while remaining economically viable.