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The Highland County Farm Bureau hosted its 2022 policy development meeting April 11 at the Commissioners Administration Building in Hillsboro. The purpose of this grassroots policy proposal process is to hear from our members and community leaders on issues Farm Bureau should address. Attendees are encouraged to address new issues they confront on a regular basis that need some light shed on them. These issues can pertain to the organization on the local, state and national levels. 

For those who aren’t familiar with grassroots or Farm Bureau’s policy development process, it all starts right here in our communities. Our county Farm Bureau hosts this meeting with local officials, leaders and farmers. From all of this input, the local policy development committee reviews current policy and adds new policies based on member and community input. Do you have a suggestion? Please email your suggestion to [email protected] for the committee to review. Each of the proposed policies are voted on at our county annual meeting in the fall.

From there, the county proposals are submitted to Ohio Farm Bureau. A state policy development committee of policy staff, Farm Bureau members, state trustees and field staff is created through nominations from the county Farm Bureaus. Prior year’s topics included broadband, forestry, meat inspection, state and county emergency coordination, agricultural conservation, climate change and sustainable farming.

Through sharing and explaining, research and compromise, the committees come up with strong policy recommendations for Farm Bureau member delegates to discuss and vote on in December at the state annual meeting. National policies adopted at the annual meeting will then be escalated to the American Farm Bureau, where members throughout the nation will vote and set national policy.

Participants on Monday included local representation from the Highland County Farm Bureau board, former board trustees, a county commissioner, commissioner candidates, Farm Service Agency, OSU Extension, Highland County Soil & Water Conservation District, EMA director, Highland County Auditor, Board of Health, County Treasurer, Highland County Chamber of Commerce and members of Hillsboro DECA chapter.