More than 1,500 northwest Ohio farmers have attended the four meetings held so far to learn more about Gov. DeWine’s H2Ohio program and the $30 million funding available to farmers and landowners within the Maumee River watershed.

At the beginning of February, the Ohio Department of Agriculture, local Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and the Ohio Agricultural Conservation Initiative (OACI) began hosting meetings to inform farmers about H2Ohio. Attendees are also learning more about the H2Ohio application process through their local Soil and Water Conservation offices and how to sign up for the OACI Farmer Certification program, the main component used to qualify farmers for H2Ohio funding.

“The questions that farmers have been asking at these meetings indicate that they are motivated, educated and very interested to learn more about the H2Ohio best management practices and how they can be incentivized for implementing more of those practices,” said Dorothy Pelanda, director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

More meetings are planned. Ohio Farm Bureau encourages farmers in the 14 counties of the Maumee River Watershed to attend one of the remaining informational meetings. Meetings are open to the public and attendees do not need to be a resident of the county meeting that they choose to attend.

6 p.m., Feb. 18:
American Legion Hall
601 N. 2nd Street, Coldwater

6 p.m., Feb. 20:
Fogle Center
815 E. Mathias Street. Leipsic

6 p.m., Feb. 27:
Kissell Community Building
509 N. Main Street, West Unity

9:30 a.m., Feb. 28:
Ohio Northern University McIntosh Center
402 West College, Ada

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Mary Smallsreed

Trumbull County Farm Bureau

Advocacy
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