Ohio Farm Bureau sets policies for 2008Published on 12/04/2007 For Immediate Release COLUMBUS, Ohio (OFBF) – Food labeling and wildlife damage were two of the top issues on the minds of Ohio farmers as delegates established the official policies for the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) during the group’s annual meeting Nov. 28 to 30 in Columbus. Other topics delegates addressed included school funding, Ohio’s commercial activity tax, raw milk sales and commodity check-off programs. “Our members came to Columbus well prepared and well informed and that lead to some great discussion and debate,” said Ohio Farm Bureau President Bob Peterson. “Now that we’ve set our policies, our members will be working to see that our goals are met.” The policy sessions at Ohio Farm Bureau’s annual meeting were preceded by months of research and discussion done by county Farm Bureaus, individual members and the state policy development committee. The policies will direct OFBF leaders, volunteers and staff as they represent Farm Bureau’s interests with government officials, the public and other audiences. The food labeling discussion centered on the need to maintain freedom of choice for farmers and consumers. OFBF believes farmers should be free to utilize production technologies that are proven safe; consumers should have a choice to buy foods produced with those technologies. Delegates approved a variety of ideas to deal with the ongoing problem of Ohio’s deer population. Among the concepts Farm Bureau will explore is the establishment of an abatement program targeted at losses created by deer and other wildlife. “While the public benefits from hunting fees and tourism dollars associated with wildlife, many of our members are bearing an unfair share of the costs associated with an overly abundant wildlife population,” said Keith Stimpert, OFBF’s senior vice president of public policy. Deer and other wildlife are responsible for damage to grain and forage crops, nursery plants and orchards that is estimated in millions of dollars every year, according to Stimpert. 335 delegates representing all 88 Ohio counties participated in the business sessions. More than 1,100 members, dignitaries and guests attended OFBF’s 89th annual meeting. Ohio Farm Bureau is the state’s largest general farm organization with more than 230,000 members across the state including nearly 60,000 farmers. Its mission is to forge a partnership between farmers and consumers.
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