On the latest Legal with Leah, Leah Curtis, policy counsel for Ohio Farm Bureau, updates farm employers on rule changes to the Worker Protection Standard.

The Worker Protection Standard is a set of regulations that are intended to reduce the risks of illness or injury to workers and handlers from exposures to pesticides in their jobs. The WPS requires agricultural employers and commercial pesticide handler employers to provide certain information and protection to workers, handlers and other persons when they use a WPS-labeled pesticide product on agricultural establishments in the production of agricultural plants. 

This set of regulations was updated in 2015. Ohio Farm Bureau provided substantial comment on these revisions, including convening several grower conference calls to ensure the individual concerns of OFBF members subject to these regulations would be heard.

A number of new resources have been created by the U.S. EPA to help farmers ensure they are in compliance with these laws.

A “How to Comply with the Worker Protection Standard” Manual is available here.
The Pesticide Education Research Council has also prepared a number of videos, including training videos in English and Spanish, in conjunction with U.S. EPA. They are available here.

Listen to Legal with Leah, a podcast featuring Ohio Farm Bureau’s Policy Counsel Leah Curtis discussing topics impacting farmers and landowners.

Ohio Farm Bureau membership

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.
Mandy Way's avatar
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.
Ernie Welch's avatar
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.
Matt Aultman's avatar
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.
Jaclyn De Candio's avatar
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.
Jenna Gregorich's avatar
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.
Jared Hughes's avatar
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.
Austin Heil's avatar
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.
Mary Smallsreed's avatar
Mary Smallsreed

Trumbull County Farm Bureau

Advocacy
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