Article

Every new year, my family has a tradition of sitting down together to talk about what we want to accomplish in the months ahead.

As a farm family, the winter season also gives us time to review business agreements and jot down what needs to be done before the ground opens back up. January also brings a not-so-fun farm chore to the top of the to-do list: tax preparation.

American Farm Bureau recently prepared some graphics that explain how our work together on various policy issues impact members. These dollars and cents results illustrate member value that we don’t talk about enough: our work to create tax policy that helps employers like farms stay in business.

The chart on the left is a good example. It shows that, on average, 10% of a family farm’s net  income in 2023 came from savings from tax provisions established in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. When many farms are operating on razor-thin margins and every dollar counts, that additional $5,000 can mean the difference between red and black ink. Thanks to Farm Bureau’s advocacy at both the state and national levels, several key tax provisions that were set to expire last year were made permanent or extended through the One Big Beautiful Act, keeping more money in farmer’s pockets.

Many of our member benefits are designed to help members save money. However, some of our greatest policy achievements do just that, but often are our most hidden or forgotten benefits because they are difficult to quantify for the average farm.

In this issue of Our Ohio, you will see the many ways that our team continues to advocate for your farm and strengthen the value of your Ohio Farm Bureau membership. From outlining membership benefits and recapping key advocacy accomplishments to offering an inside look at our ongoing work, we hope you get a true sense of the value your membership provides.

Last year, we saw success in shaping policy through our work on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, drought relief and maintaining funding for H2Ohio. We helped members leverage trends through resources like this magazine and the continued promotion of agricultural technology and research. We advanced on-farm business solutions with the creation of Ohio Farm Bureau Health Plans and the expansion of money-saving membership programs. Finally, we created opportunities for growth through our Young Ag Professionals program, AgriPOWER Class, ExploreAg and many local and state-level educational classes.

There is both challenging and exciting work ahead this year but know that Ohio Farm Bureau will continue standing with you to build a stronger future for your farm and Ohio agriculture.