American Farm Bureau Annual Convention 2018 Delegates

At the 2018 American Farm Bureau Annual Convention in January, delegates approved measures to help assure a prosperous agricultural and rural economy in the coming year and beyond.

Resolutions approved by farmer and rancher delegates from across the nation ran the gamut of issues, from trade to regulatory reform, crop insurance, biotechnology and more.

Ohio Farm Bureau delegates included state board members: OFBF President Frank Burkett, III, First Vice President Bill Patterson, Treasurer Cy Prettyman, Wyatt Bates, Patty DeBruin, Jerry Lahmers, John Mossbarger, Wade Smith and Mike Videkovich with alternates Karin Bright, Paul Davidson and Mike Poling.

Ohio was successful in amending or including federal policies relating to the opioid epidemic, drones, risk management programs, conservation and animal health.

Among other things, delegates approved measures supporting:
• An improved Agriculture Risk Coverage program to decrease risk-management disparities across counties.
• Strengthened and more flexible risk management and safety-net programs for dairy farmers.
• Permission for workers to seek employment from more than one farmer under the H-2A program.
• Trade and trade agreements that strengthen market opportunities for U.S. agriculture.
• Elimination of sunset provisions in trade agreements, to give certainty to businesses into the future.
• Modification of NAFTA to improve market access to difficult Canadian dairy markets, in addition to improved food-safety standards for imported products.
• An end to use of non-GMO labels on products that do not have GMO alternatives.
• A $1 per member increase in dues paid by state Farm Bureaus to the American Farm Bureau Federation effective in 2019.
• Support for the use of gene-editing techniques such as CRISPR, along with a voluntary and uniform labeling program for such products.

Ohio Farm Bureau will use these policies to help advocate on behalf of our members across the state.

“I love to be able to talk with our congressional leaders to share how the policies we support and advocate for come directly from our membership having moved up from our county Farm Bureaus, through the state all the way to American Farm Bureau,” said OFBF Senior Director, State and National Policy Jack Irvin. “Our policy process gives our political leaders a great appreciation for our strong grassroots network that is the envy of so many other organizations across the country.”

Photo by American Farm Bureau Federation

Labor has always been an issue, mainly because we are a seasonal operation. So that's a challenge finding somebody who only wants to work three months out of a year, sometimes up to six months.
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Mandy Way

Way Farms

Farm Labor Resources
I appreciate the benefit of having a strong voice in my corner. The extras that are included in membership are wonderful, but I'm a member because of the positive impact to my local and state agricultural communities.
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Ernie Welch

Van Wert County Farm Bureau

Strong communities
I see the value and need to be engaged in the community I live in, to be a part of the decision-making process and to volunteer with organizations that help make our community better.
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Matt Aultman

Darke County Farm Bureau

Leadership development
Farm Bureau involvement has taught me how to grow my professional and leadership experience outside of the workforce and how to do that in a community-centric way.
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Jaclyn De Candio

Clark County Farm Bureau

Young Ag Professionals program
With not growing up on a farm, I’d say I was a late bloomer to agriculture. I feel so fortunate that I found the agriculture industry. There are so many opportunities for growth.
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Jenna Gregorich

Coshocton County Farm Bureau

Growing our Generation
Knowing that horticulture is under the agriculture umbrella and having Farm Bureau supporting horticulture like it does the rest of ag is very important.
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Jared Hughes

Groovy Plants Ranch

Groovy Plants Ranch
If it wasn't for Farm Bureau, I personally, along with many others, would not have had the opportunity to meet with our representatives face to face in Washington.
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Austin Heil

Hardin County Farm Bureau

Washington, D.C. Leadership Experience
So many of the issues that OFBF and its members are advocating for are important to all Ohioans. I look at OFBF as an agricultural watchdog advocating for farmers and rural communities across Ohio.
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Mary Smallsreed

Trumbull County Farm Bureau

Advocacy
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