Farmer’s Guide to Trucking Regulations available to Ohio Farm Bureau members
The guide includes a farm driver checklist, overview of state and federal regulations and exemptions, CDL qualifications and more.
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An energy bill currently making its way through the Ohio Legislature will impact Farm Bureau members.
House Bill 6 is a comprehensive energy bill that currently addresses many topics, but it would predominantly create the Ohio Clean Air Program offering price supports to in-state, utility-scale nuclear generation until Dec. 31, 2026. The new rider will be $1/month for residential customers through 2026. It will be $10/month in 2020 and $15/month from 2021-2026 for commercial customers. It is important to note ratepayers in an electric cooperative or municipal utility are not subject to the new rider.
Another major provision would allow electric utilities with shares in the Ohio Valley Electric Corporation to continue recovering costs through 2030 since the purpose of those coal plants was to support the uranium enrichment project in Piketon as a matter of national security.
There are other provisions that could potentially impact Ohio Farm Bureau members. Townships affected by a wind project are permitted under the bill to have a referendum in order to reject a certificate issued by the Ohio Power Siting Board if the majority of all townships impacted agree. If not all the townships reject the certificate, then the certificate goes back to the Ohio Power Siting Board for modification.
In addition, county fairs and agricultural societies would receive a fixed monthly rate based on a kilowatt-per-hour charge from their electric utility and are exempt from any demand-based riders. Electric utilities are prohibited from their “minimum monthly service fee” exceeding their fixed monthly fee.
There is also a provision regarding E-check, which would allow Ohio EPA to apply to U.S. EPA for an exemption from the program; however, it is not clear at this time that the Ohio Clean Air Program would meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act. If Ohio is not in compliance with the Clean Air Act, the state could lose federal highway funds.
HB 6 is one of many energy bills introduced in recent years. Ohio Farm Bureau has previously remained neutral on these various energy bills and will remain neutral on House Bill 6 as well.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Knowing that horticulture is under the agriculture umbrella and having Farm Bureau supporting horticulture like it does the rest of ag is very important.
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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