Ohio Agriculture and Rural Communities Action Plan

The agriculture sector continues to face a volatile economy. Crop prices were solid in 2022, but uncertainty around the price and availability of inputs for the 2023 growing season remains. Consumers continue to pay higher prices for food while margins for agricultural producers remain tight. Meanwhile, development pressures from many different sources threaten the availability of farmland and the Buckeye State’s rich farming heritage.

The 2023 Ohio Agriculture and Rural Communities Action plan provides a blueprint for policymakers and Ohio Farm Bureau members to bolster Ohio’s agriculture industry and our rural communities. 

Strengthen the Food Supply Chain and Focus on the Economy

Farm Bureau will:

  • Promote policies and programs to increase meat and poultry processing capacity in Ohio to make the food system more resilient for farmers and consumers.
  • Secure resources to rebuild, repair, or modernize transportation infrastructure, including rural roads and bridges, ports, and inland waterway locks and dams.
  • Advocate for fiscal policies and regulatory reforms to incentivize business sustainability that recognizes the diversity and unpredictability of the agricultural industry.
  • Support the development of businesses that produce value-added products from locally grown agricultural commodities.
  • Promote enactment of legislation that helps farmers meet their labor needs.
  • Support initiatives and implementation efforts that bring proper infrastructure, affordable broadband and high-speed internet access to unserved and underserved parts of the state. 
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Promote an Efficient State Budget 

Farm Bureau will: 

  • Promote the H2Ohio program that supports voluntary practices that improve Ohio’s water quality and conservation. 
  • Ensure that institutions vital to agriculture’s success, particularly those with research facilities, are fully funded. 
  • Promote workforce development initiatives, especially those with a focus on agricultural education.
  • Support the modernization of the Ohio Expo Center and the Ohio State Fairgrounds.
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Enact Regulatory Reform

Farm Bureau will:

  • Continue to work for a regulatory environment that enables farmers to be productive as well as environmentally and economically sustainable.
  • Continue to be the voice for agriculture by ensuring discussions involving water quality are objective and specifically target improving Ohio’s water quality.
  • Encourage a transparent and open process when reviewing regulations on essential agricultural technologies 
  • Promote agriculturally sourced biofuels that provide savings to both the farmer and the consumer
  • Continue to engage in ballot initiatives, judicial challenges and nuisance lawsuits so farmers can freely and responsibly operate their farms for generations to come. 
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Preserve Ohio’s Farming Heritage

Farm Bureau will:

  • Lead efforts for additional landowner protections, including eminent domain reform, streamlined judicial procedures and agricultural easement program enforcement.
  • Seek stronger requirements for local government use of private land for projects that impact agricultural land, such as rails to trails projects.
  • Strengthen agricultural land easement initiatives through programmatic reform and increased funding opportunities 
  • Encourage smart growth policies that simultaneously allow for economic development opportunities while preserving farmland
  • Engage in the court system to protect and promote agriculture and support sound judicial precedent.
Build Healthy Rural Communities 

Farm Bureau will:

  • Support the expansion of telehealth into rural communities to provide critical health care needs, including access to behavioral health care.
  • Increase the accessibility of health care services currently lacking in rural areas
  • Focus on grassroots initiatives that engage a wide range of stakeholders to offer prevention strategies for men, women and youth at risk in agriculture.
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Engage in Grassroots Advocacy 

Farm Bureau will:

  • Encourage member participation in all levels of government
  • Utilize communication and advocacy resources to empower members when speaking with policymakers
  • Mobilize extensive grassroots networks to shape strong public policy at all levels of government
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New and beginning farmers
My first recommendation in your journey is to start out with a local farming friend or mentor along with joining an organization like Ohio Farm Bureau.
Greg McGlinch's avatar
Greg McGlinch

Darke County Farm Bureau

Growing Tomorrow Grant
We’re just so thankful for the Farm Bureau and the foundation for helping put this together. And of course, the Boyert family for the vision they had with this grant. It’s jumping us forward 10 years. It’s unbelievable.
Nathan and Jill Parriman's avatar
Nathan and Jill Parriman

Clermont County Farm Bureau

Bringing the farm back to life
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

Youth pathways in Farm Bureau
It wasn’t until I joined the Wilmington College Collegiate Farm Bureau that I truly saw how my passion could translate into leadership, advocacy and a career.
Wyatt Morrow's avatar
Wyatt Morrow

Clinton County Farm Bureau

Giving farmers a voice
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

Select Partner Program
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

Advocacy
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

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