Rural Ohio

The American Farm Bureau Federation sent a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday stating its opposition to the Build Back Better Act, also known as the reconciliation package.

The letter points to inflation driving up costs across the economy and that greatly increased federal spending is a contributing factor. It identifies federal policy choices that raised energy prices, leading to higher costs for everything from food to used cars and mentioned how this legislation will further exacerbate that pain through a methane tax on oil and gas.

“Our members, like all Americans, are seeing their cost of living continue to rise at a staggering rate. Increasing prices and decreasing availability for many of the things we rely on for our families and our farms are at alarming levels and, as an organization, we struggle to see how the colossal Build Back Better spending bill addresses these issues,” said Ohio Farm Bureau President Bill Patterson. “We are deeply concerned with the extreme ideas in this plan that would make changes in the tax code and impact production practices on farms directly, both of which conflict with Ohio Farm Bureau’s policies set by members at the grassroots level.”

American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall also commented on the Build Back Better Act.

“We appreciate House efforts to protect farmers and ranchers by leaving key tax provisions untouched,” Duvall said. “Thousands of small businesses, however, would still be affected by tax increases, forcing them to pass increased costs to families across the nation.”

The legislation also seeks to raise revenue by increasing fines and penalties as much as ten times their current amount for violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, Fair Labor

Standards Act and Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act. The letter states that the missteps of farmers and ranchers when navigating complex, oftentimes onerous regulations and laws should not serve as a funding mechanism.

“We urge lawmakers to take a different approach to solving these challenges by focusing directly on the causes of the inflation, supply chain and labor woes we are experiencing today,” Patterson said. “We are asking them to find practical solutions, rather than an unorganized plan spending a massive amount of taxpayer dollars only to create additional uncertainty. It’s time to get back to basics.”

Contact your member of Congress

Leaving stepped-up basis untouched in the current package is a positive development, but there are still concerns about other tax provisions in the plan. Farm Bureau members should continue to call on members of Congress to oppose adding any detrimental tax increases for family farms in this or any other legislation. Use this link to contact your member of Congress.

Read the American Farm Bureau letter.

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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