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Despite a few challenges during planting season, all indications are pointing to Ohio farmers bringing in one of the biggest crops on record.

A successful growing season takes equal amounts of planning, skill, hard work and certainly some luck as farmers use the latest technology and work with their trusted advisers to keep the corn, soybean and wheat fields healthy, then rely on Mother Nature to do the rest.
For some, the next challenge facing Ohio agriculture is how to get crops, livestock and
other goods from the farm to the next stop on the value chain.

Ohio Farm Bureau members rely on so many different modes of transportation to get our products to the end user, wherever they may be. From potential rail strikes, to bogged down ports, dried up river systems and significantly deficient rural roads and bridges, every single aspect of infrastructure agriculture relies on has been tested in recent years.

The adversity in the transportation sector is also realized at the farm level. I recently had a conversation with Pat Hord, a Crawford County Farm Bureau member and owner of Hord Family Farms, about acquiring the amount of CDL drivers his farm needs in order to keep the farm moving, quite literally, in the right direction.

He told me trucking is a very important aspect of his farm in order to remain successful, especially when it comes to applying crop protection, feeding and moving animals, or hauling grain. He added that without these positions, it is a show stopper for all of agriculture and “If you like to eat, it does not happen without drivers.”

Although Pat has a fantastic CDL team, he is seeing some team members retiring, creating the need for new strategies in agriculture to encourage more young people to select this important career.

On top of all of the hurdles already mentioned, we frequently get questions from members about state and federal regulations when it comes to hauling grain and livestock over the road. To help answer those questions, Ohio Farm Bureau has created the Farmer’s Guide to Truck and Farm Implement Laws and Regulations as a free resource for members. The guide includes a farm driver checklist, overview of both state and federal regulations and exemptions, details on CDL qualifications, inspections, load regulations, hazardous materials, emergency response information and more.

Resources like this can’t be found anywhere else and it is yet another way Ohio Farm Bureau creates value for our members to help them remain competitive, innovative and on the road to success.