March usually gets us thinking about spring. In our house, it also gets us to thinking about birthdays and Farm Bureau.

For those of you who faithfully read this farm column, you might remember what I have done each March since 2015. As you are reading this, I, along with other county Farm Bureau presidents, will be wrapping up our trip to Washington, D.C., and heading back to Ohio.

Why are we going again? Advocacy. Advocacy. Advocacy.
Looking on the Internet, I found this definition from Citizens Advice Sheffield: “Advocacy in all its forms seeks to ensure that people, particularly those who are most vulnerable in society, are able to have their voice heard on issues that are important to them; defend and safeguard their rights; have their views and wishes genuinely considered when decisions are being made about their lives.”

When you relate this definition to agriculture, you can see why advocates are needed. Farmers and ranchers make up less than 2 percent of the U.S. population and their average age is 58. It is an industry that carries a lot of risk. Adverse weather, market or financial conditions can turn perfect efforts into total loss. The loss of dairy farms in recent times is a perfect example.

This minority deserves an advocate.

Farmers and ranchers want their voices to be heard and given genuine consideration when laws and rules are being made that will greatly impact their ability to keep farming. For most elected officials (and consumers), it has been three to four generations since a family member has owned and operated a farm. How can they make regulations for agriculture when they really don’t understand it?

Agriculture is a very complex industry. Organic, conventional, large, small, animal, grain, vegetable, fruit, horticulture — the list goes on and on. Who better to advocate for agriculture than people who are directly involved in the industry?

That’s where the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation comes in. This grassroots organization has members in every county and provides the “vehicle” for Ohio farmers to be informed, unite and act.

Working together for Ohio farmers to advance agriculture and strengthen our communities is the mission. The state staff advocates for agriculture on the local, state and national levels all the time while farmers are busy farming. But with events like this and in so many other ways, they equip the members to advocate for themselves.

So this week I am pretty certain that I will have learned new things and expanded my knowledge on priority issues, and shared information and took steps to build a better working relationship with the elected officials who represent Ohio.

Advocacy needs to happen in Washington, D.C., but is also important to happen in your own hometown. By being open with your friends and neighbors about what is happening on your farm and being willing to answer questions about why you do it.

Submitted by Mary Smallsreed, a member of the Trumbull County Farm Bureau, who  grew up on a family dairy farm in northeast Ohio.

 

OFBF Mission: Working together for Ohio farmers to advance agriculture and strengthen our communities.

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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