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by Seth Teter

For several hours, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns listened and jotted down notes as Ohio farmers shared their vision of the 2007 Farm Bill.

Nearly a dozen Ohio Farm Bureau Federation trustees were among those who offered input at the Farm Bill Forum held during the Farm Science Review near London. The forum is part of a nationwide effort to shape the next farm bill by allowing producers to respond to specific questions about federal farm programs.

"Our goal here is to build good farm policy for the U.S. That's why we're doing the forums, that's why we're out here listening to producers," Johanns said at a press conference before the event.

Adam Sharp, OFBF director of national affairs, said Ohio Farm Bureau generally supports the current farm bill and will be refining its policy positions based on farmer input.

"Even though we don't have specific policy on the next farm bill, we do have some general concepts we want to communicate to the secretary of agriculture," he said.

During the listening session, OFBF board members stepped up to microphone one after another to comment on issues such as trade, support payments and conservation programs.

"The vast majority of farmers throughout the U.S. will tell you that their ultimate policy vision would be a 'level playing field' or a 'chance to compete in open markets’," OFBF President Bob Peterson told Johanns.

Peterson said Ohio farmers are willing to discuss a reduction in commodity loan payments and counter cyclical payments if barriers to more open trade are removed.

"Bridging the gap between where we are now and where we want to be in the future will require time," he said. "The short-term reality is that we will continue to need income support, consistent with our international trade obligations."

OFBF board member Brent Porteus said Ohio Farm Bureau opposes changes to payment limitations in the current farm bill, noting that farmers who produce more traditionally receive larger payments but also take bigger risks and have higher investments in their farms. He said a farm program based on production is best for distributing assistance to the families most responsible for producing the nation's food and fiber.

"Only if we want to allow someone in Washington to decide winners and losers should we move to a socially-based policy," he said.

The impact that farm policy has on U.S. fruit and vegetable producers was emphasized by OFBF Treasurer Jeff Zellers.

"For the 2007 Farm Bill, fruit and vegetable producers would benefit from non-trade distorting assistance in the form of conservation payments designed for specialty crop growers, research and nutrition and real regulatory reform," he said.

Johanns had earlier told reporters that he has been receiving positive responses from farmers regarding conservation programs in the farm bill.

"People think they're getting the job done," he said. He added that feedback on rural development programs has been "almost 100 percent favorable."

OFBF also supports the continuation of conservation programs in the farm bill and provided testimony on how those programs could be improved.

It was not clear if the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to draft its own farm bill legislation for Congress to consider.

"We have not made a final decision on that, but it is a possibility," Johanns said.

Farmers can submit comments online to the USDA through Dec. 30 by visiting www.ofbf.org and clicking Featured Links.

Caption: OFBF First Vice President Sparky Weilnau testifies at the Farm Bill Forum. OFBF Treasurer Jeff Zellers is next in line.