Ohio Farm Bureau testified as an interested party in December on House Bill 401 which will change the current setback standards and prescribe a local referendum process for wind projects.

Jenna Beadle

“There are many Farm Bureau members who are adamantly opposed to wind development and many outspoken in their support of it, so any position we take has to adhere to Farm Bureau policy,” Jenna Beadle, OFBF director of state policy, told members of the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

“There are two competing landowner interests at play in this complex issue—the landowner who wants to enter into a private contract and the adjacent landowner who will be impacted by another’s contract.”

Beadle said Farm Bureau policy supports wind turbine setback requirements that ensure safety and are based on scientific research. HB 401 creates setbacks that are based on the turbine manufacturer’s safety standards, which OFBF supports.

“The Ohio Power Siting Board’s role in this process, however, is critically important,” she testified. Ohio Farm Bureau supports rules and regulations made by OPSB that provide landowner friendly, reasonable and uniform statewide procedures for siting, placement, construction and operation of wind farms. Ohio Farm Bureau is concerned about diminishing the OPSB’s authority over the adjudicatory process that encompasses the siting and operation of all types of generation and transmission assets statewide.

The bill is under consideration by the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee. There is also a companion bill in the Senate (SB 234), for which OFBF will provide similar testimony.

Ohio Farm Bureau membership

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.
Matt Aultman's avatar
Matt Aultman

Darke County Farm Bureau

Giving farmers a voice
The plan we are on is great. It’s comparable to my previous job's plan, and we are a sole proprietor.
Kevin Holy's avatar
Kevin Holy

Geauga County Farm Bureau

Ohio Farm Bureau Health Benefits Plan
I could not have done it without the resources I have found through Farm Bureau.
Gretchan Francis's avatar
Gretchan Francis

Trumbull County Farm Bureau

Bringing the farm back to life
We really appreciate what Farm Bureau has done to get people interested in this line of work and workforce development and getting people interested in this industry.
Jody Brown Boyd's avatar
Jody Brown Boyd

Brown's Family Farm Market

Finding farm labor
We work terrifically with the Ashtabula County Farm Bureau, hosting at least one to two outreach town hall events every year to educate new farmers and existing farmers on traditional CAUV and woodlands.
David Thomas's avatar
David Thomas

Ashtabula County Auditor

CAUV: Past, present and future
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.
Hannah Kiser's avatar
Hannah Kiser

Sandusky County Farm Bureau

Farm Bureau involvement
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.
Chad Ruhl's avatar
Chad Ruhl

Farm manager, CSI Insurance

Select Partner Program
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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