Article

The Fairfield County Farm Bureau is the largest membership organization in Fairfield County and is focused on all aspects of those working in the agricultural industry. Fairfield County Farm Bureau was organized in 1921 and incorporated as a non-profit corporation in 1933.

Fairfield County Farm Bureau is one of 86 county Farm Bureaus that make up the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. In 2024, Fairfield County had 783 members. 

Fairfield County Farm Bureau is led by an elected board consisting of 12 trustees. Those currently serving as county board trustees are:

• Derek Burns of Liberty Twp. – Secretary
• Carl DeBruin of Clearcreek Twp.
• Dalton Hyme of Berne Twp.-Treasurer
• Mike Friddle of Violet Twp.
• Kendall Foster of Clearcreek Twp.
• David Mast of Pleasant Twp.
• Trish Preston of Violet Twp. – Vice-President
• Victoria Meade of Violet Twp.
• Josh Schultz of Rushcreek Twp.
• Lynne Schultz of Rushcreek Twp. – President
• Kyle Sharp of Clearcreek Twp. 
• Mike Wolfe of Walnut Twp.

The mission of Farm Bureau is “Working together for Ohio farmers to advance agriculture and strengthen our communities.” The Fairfield County Farm Bureau recently adopted the following policies during its 2023 county annual meeting: 

COUNTY:

We Support:

• A more assertive effort by the county fair board and the various 4-H clubs to post more signs in the barns about not feeding the animals.
• An Agriculture Economic Impact Study on the loss of farmland.
• Stronger zoning laws in the county.
•  Fairfield County Commissioners direct funds from CAUV recoupment to a conservation, farmland or other open space preservation fund.

 STATE:

We Support:

• The acknowledgment of the property rights of all landowners and work to protect landowners by providing thorough education and advocacy.
• The mounting of solar panels on roofs of existing or new commercial buildings.
• Farm fields that are no longer being used to produce food or fiber because they are being used exclusively for solar will no longer be eligible for CAUV.
• The monitoring and management of any Community-Scale solar project (less than 49.9 MW production) come under the guidance of someone with expertise in this area along with the township trustees and zoning boards.
• An independent study and testing of new and damaged solar panels for leaking hazardous materials to determine how soils, groundwater, and subsurface water may be affected.
• The placing of solar panels on rooftops of warehouses, businesses, and existing brownfields.
• The placing of solar panels over business parking lots where vehicles park underneath, given that a plan has been put in place for surface drainage, such as adequate drainage tile, retention ponds, and/or rain gardens.
• The establishment of legislation permitting political subdivisions to create transfer of development rights (TDR) programs.
• We Support: A long-term study on the impact of the loss of agricultural land to the state of Ohio, and an annual report presented to the state General Assembly on farmland loss.      

We Oppose:

• Solar panels from being placed in farm fields unless in conjunction with production agriculture.
• Any regulations that force farm equipment manufacturers to produce EV equipment.
• We oppose farm equipment manufacturers forcing farmers to switch to EV farm equipment because they no longer fabricate equipment that runs on fossil fuels.
• The Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) having the ability to override local zoning ordinances when approving wind and solar projects.

FEDERAL

We support:

• A mentoring program between next-generation farmers and those who plan to retire soon.

We oppose:

• Any regulatory action for the removal of pesticides, herbicides, etc. that takes effect immediately or inside of a planning period for the following season’s planting.
• Any efforts from the Federal Reserve toward a Central Banking Digital Currency System.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Fairfield County Farm Bureau, the dues are $120 per year, plus an optional donation of $6 for the AGGPAC fund, which supports better government. You can contact the Fairfield County office at 740-474-6284.