Last week Ohio's senior United States Senator George Voinovich held what is likely his last Farm Forum as he prepares to retire from the Senate at the end of this year. Ohio Farm Bureau Executive Vice President Jack Fisher along with representatives of Ohio's agricultural commodity organizations...
For the 64th year, Ohio Farm Bureau county presidents visited Washington, D.C. last week to discuss agricultural issues with their lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Andy Vance of ABN Radio was among several reporters that covered the event including a briefing by American Farm Bureau staff...
Concerns about costly new taxes, mandates and federal regulations were on the minds of Ohioans Saturday at the 19th annual 8th District Farm Forum as a capacity crowd gathered at Edison Community College in Piqua to meet with Congressman John Boehner and talk energy, food safety and animal care...
Be watching your email for the new Livestock Care TOOLBOX, aimed at equipping you for the upcoming challenge to the Ohio Livestock Care Standards board. Each edition will include helpful information that you can use to turn back the out-of-state activists who want to undo what you accomplished...
The Ohio Department of Agriculture is now accepting proposals for the 2010 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, which will provide funding for projects that will enhance the competitiveness of Ohio’s specialty crops. The department is seeking project proposals that will advance long-term...
The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) Board of Trustees has voted to support passage of State Issue 2 on the May 4th ballot. Issue 2 would authorize a change in location for the Columbus casino, which was approved by Ohio voters last November.
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The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) has announced its support for State Issue 1on the May 4th ballot, which will renew Ohio’s highly successful Third Frontier program. OFBF’s Board of Trustees felt Third Frontier is a proven driver of economic development and represents responsible use...
In recognition that eliminating the estate tax is consistent with the policy positions developed and approved by delegates at the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) Annual Meeting, the OFBF Board of Trustees has voted to support an initiative petition campaign underway to end Ohio’s estate tax on December 31, 2012.
County Farm Bureaus and Farm Bureau members are encouraged to get involved in the November 2, 2010 General Election. According to OFBF Director of Political and Legislative Education Doug Foxx, "now is the time to get to know the candidates that will soon take office as our new elected leaders at the local, state, and national levels." The following list are just a few of many ways that county Farm Bureaus and individual farmers can get involved in the election.
Vice President Biden today announced 94 Recovery Act investments in broadband projects that will create jobs and expand economic opportunities within 37 states. These investments in high-speed Internet infrastructure will help bridge the technological divide in communities that are being left...
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After years of being a leader in world trade negotiations, the United States is now sitting on the sidelines. Congress still has not taken up any of the hard-fought free trade agreements that were negotiated years ago. Instead of waiting for the United States to finalize its...
USDA forecasts that the consumer price index for food will increase just 0.5 percent to 1 percent this year, the lowest rate since 1992. In last month’s forecast, USDA pegged the food price increase at 1.5 percent to 2 percent.
Farm Bureau is urging the Senate to approve H.R. 2999, the Veterinary Public Health Workforce Amendments Act of 2010, that was passed last week by the House by voice vote. On Friday, American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman wrote to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)...
An economic analysis by the Food and Agricultural Policy Institute reveals that requiring higher nonfat solids in fluid milk would benefit consumers with additional nutrients with little impact on the price of a gallon of milk.
The National Institutes of Health is reviewing a draft document outlining guidelines for animal care that Farm Bureau believes contains technical flaws relative to agriculture animal welfare. AFBF President Bob Stallman wrote to NIH Friday, urging it to reject the proposed guide and instead...
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Last November, an overwhelming majority of Ohio voters — more than 70 percent — voted to provide a modest payment to the men and women who served our country during the Iraq, Afghanistan and Persian Gulf wars. This Veterans Service Bonus is an honored tradition in our state: Voters approved...
Wal-Mart announced Thursday it will double sales of local produce to 9 percent of its purchases in U.S. stores. The company plans to triple the amount of food it sells from small- and medium-size farms in emerging markets such as India and Brazil to $1 billion within five years.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said federal farm payments have enabled Americans to have relatively cheap food and are needed to protect farmers from price drops. “Who benefits ultimately for all of this? I would argue that it’s not the 250,000 to 270,000 farmers who benefit from this...
As part of the administration’s effort to promote production of fuel from renewable sources, create jobs and mitigate the effects of climate change, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday announced a series of measures during a speech to the National Press Club in Washington, D.C....
There’s a growing buzz about whether or not U.S. farmland prices will be the next asset bubble to burst. But despite all the talk about the commercial real estate market and how it’s under pressure, when you look at farm real estate it has really held up, even increasing fairly rapidly...
Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry encourages hunters to harvest more deer and assures that the excess of venison, a great source of low-fat protein, finds its way to the table of hungry persons. Nearly all of Ohio’s counties participated in the program last winter, resulting in the...
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A few of the soon-to-be newly elected members of the 112th Congress may be familiar with farm policy, but like the public-at-large, most of them likely are not. And even the agriculture committees that will write the next farm bill won’t be immune to these changes, according to Mark Maslyn...
Republicans Sweep All Ohio Statewide Offices, Re-take Ohio House and U.S. House. Two former Ohio Farm Bureau Presidents Win Key Races and will now serve in the Ohio House of Representatives and U.S. Congress.As the most expensive mid-term elections in the nation’s history drew to a close...
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Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) commends Governor-elect Kasich’s selection of Jim Zehringer to serve as director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Mr. Zehringer’s experience as a family farmer, businessman and legislator makes him highly qualified to lead...
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PUT DEATH TAXES TO REST - Congress Needs to Hear From You Today to Ensure a $5 million Estate Tax Exemption Is In End-of-the-year tax legislation. The White House announced "a framework for a bipartisan agreement" Monday night over the impending expiration of the Bush tax cuts that includes Farm...
The Public Utilities Commission (PUCO) has revised its rules relative to motor carrier transportation safety. These revised rules now extend PUCO jurisdiction to regulate vehicle safety to vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 10,001 to 26,000 pounds that are operating...
U.S. Rep.-elect Bob Gibbs, R-Lakeville, will sit on the Agriculture Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the House of Representatives next year. The Agriculture Committee has jurisdiction over renewable energy, conservation, animal and plant health and agricultural research and development.
The House voted 277-148 late Thursday night to approve the $859 billion bill that extends the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts for two years and sets the estate tax at 35 percent with a $5 million exemption through 2012. The legislation, which passed the Senate by a vote of 81-19 on Wednesday, now goes...
On Wednesday, a 10 percent cut in farm support programs was proposed by an 18-member bipartisan commission intent on balancing the federal budget. A vote by the commission on the overall plan, which encompasses the entire federal government, is expected Friday.
REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (Dec. 30, 2010) – Ohio’s fish farmers can now apply for their portion of $34,859 in reimbursements through the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Aquaculture Grant Program. The program will assist producers who suffered financial losses associated with high feed costs in 2009.
REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (Jan. 6, 2010) – Thirty Ohio grape growers will soon receive $2,000 grants provided by the Vineyard Expansion Assistance Program. Ohio vineyards will receive these grants funded by the Ohio Department of Agriculture through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Block...
REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (Jan. 6, 2011) – The 2011 Clean Ohio Agricultural Easement Purchase Program application is now available on the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s website. All applications must be submitted electronically no later than 5 p.m. on April 6, 2011.
Ohio Department of Agriculture Director James Zehringer today announced several new appointments to the department’s senior management team: Frederick M. Shimp, assistant director; Rocky Black, deputy director; Andy Ware, communications director; Thomas A. Johnston, chief financial officer...
President Barack Obama recently signed a $1.4 billion food safety bill that sets the biggest change to oversight of the food industry since 1938 and gives the Food and Drug Administration more regulatory authority. However, Republicans are sending signals of a funding fight for the new regulations.
As discussion develops on writing a 2012 farm bill and reducing the federal budget deficit, there may be talk of cutting “farm subsidies.” But the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri points out that such cuts would make just a tiny dent...
Ohio’s motor carrier community is invited to provide the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) with testimony regarding new safety rules that apply to private intrastate commercial motor vehicles. The PUCO will host five listening sessions to learn from small carriers about the operational...
Farm Bureau is pleased by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s announcement that the Agriculture Department will fully deregulate Roundup Ready alfalfa, American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman said.
On Thursday, a bipartisan group of senators sent a letter to Vilsack that commended USDA for proposing a Good Performance Refund program aimed at strengthening the federal crop insurance program.
After being formally appointed yesterday to serve as chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) said she looks forward to leading the committee and emphasized her belief that “agriculture is critical to our economy and is helping to lead our recovery.”
Help End Ohio's Estate Tax by Calling or E-mailing your State Representative and State Senator. On average, 84 percent of farm assets are real-estate based. Burdensome estate taxes can cause the loss or break-up of family farms when heirs are forced to sell assets to pay the tax...
Eliminating Ohio's Estate Tax, ensuring a sound business climate and low tax burden, addressing Ohio's state budget, transportation, energy, and environmental issues are among the top state legislative priorities for Ohio Farm Bureau in 2011.
Maintaining a strong safety net for farmers, establishing a new direction for dairy policy, growing agricultural trade opportunities, regulatory oversight and reducing additional regulatory burdens, tax policy, food quality and safety, and energy and transportation issues are our top priorities.
HB 3 (Grossman, Hottinger) & SB 90 (Jordan) – Repeal the Estate Tax HB 3 is an OFBF priority bill. HB 3 passed the House Ways and Means Committee on Feb. 16. At this time, the bill has not been scheduled for a vote before the full House of Representatives. Sources within the House...
HB 22 (Bubp) - Animals at Large HB 22, which is an OFBF priority issue for 2011, will clarify Ohio law by establishing clear standards for civil and criminal liability and will ensure that farmers whose animals escape fences and buildings through no fault of the owner (natural disasters,....
HB 89 (Derickson) – Agriculture Week HB 89 passed both Chambers with unanimous support and was signed into law by Governor Kasich on March 11th. HB 89 designates the second full week of March as Ohio Agriculture Week to honor the state's agriculture community.
HB 114 (McGregor) – Transportation Budget Bill HB 114 recently passed the Ohio House and is now being heard in the Ohio Senate. It is the legislation that funds Ohio’s Department of Transportation, Public Safety, and other projects related to transportation and infrastructure in Ohio...
OFBF Director of State Policy Beth Vanderkooi testified before the Ohio House of Representatives Economic and Small Business Development Committee about the importance of growing Ohio's agricultural economy.
OFBF Director of State Policy Beth Vanderkooi testified before the Ohio Senate Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Environment Committee in support of House Bill 22 regarding changes to Ohio's Animals at Large Law.
OFBF Director of State Policy Beth Vanderkooi testified before the Senate Ways and Means and Economic Development Committee in support of Senate Bill 90 to eliminate the Ohio Estate Tax.
$3 Billion in Additional Exports, Economic Development and Jobs. That’s what is gained once the Korea, Panama and Colombia Free Trade Agreements are implemented. But while the Administration and Congress delay action, current American agricultural market share is being cut by other countries...
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