Applications for Ohio Farm Bureau Health Plans now available
Members have three ways to apply: contacting a certified agent, calling 833-468-4280 or visiting ohiofarmbureauhealthplans.org.
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Ohio Farm Bureau is helping members protect their landowner rights by becoming involved in a rails-to-trails court case.
A Stark County Farm Bureau family is challenging a park district’s attempts to convert former railroad property into a trail. The Dickerhoof family says it has been farming the land in question since the 1970s and that it owns the property under the legal definition of adverse possession (exclusive possession of the land for at least 21 years). The Stark County Park District disagrees, saying it bought the former railroad property and can use the land to put in a trail. The 5th District Court of Appeals is now hearing the case after the Dickerhoof family appealed the lower court’s ruling in favor of the park district.
Ohio Farm Bureau and Stark County Farm Bureau have filed an amicus curiae brief in the case, supporting the Dickerhoof’s adverse possession claim. Citing a recent Ohio Supreme Court case it was involved with, Farm Bureau also argued that the intention of the property deed was that the land only be used for railroad purposes and if it was no longer used for that, then it should revert to adjacent owners.
“Former railroad lines often slice through a farmer’s land, and are often nearly impossible to rejoin with the residual land. Long after the railroad has left the land behind, a farmer must deal with railroad waste, drainage issues, fencing and the trespassers that these lands seem to attract. For these reasons, Ohio Farm Bureau policy strongly advocates that abandoned railroad lands should return to the underlying owner, either through a sale with right of first refusal or reversionary interest,” Farm Bureau wrote in its brief.
Next up is oral arguments in the case before the court issues a ruling.
To grow a network and gain perspective and knowledge in the industry through personal and professional development has been invaluable. Every day I learn and grow.
The issue of property taxation remains as one of the biggest challenges our members face today. Ensuring agricultural property is valued for its agricultural potential and not development is critical to the continued success of Ohio agriculture.
Farm Bureau is what really got the word out. It’s been one of their goals to get this done.
I could not have done it without the resources I have found through Farm Bureau.
Because we are younger farmers just starting out, Farm Bureau has a lot of good opportunities and resources to help us grow in the future.
Through the Select Partner program, we became educated in farm insurance and weren't just selling policies. It became more and more clear why farmers need an advocate like Ohio Farm Bureau.
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