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The agriculture sector continues to face a volatile economy, particularly with continued uncertainty around the price and availability of inputs for the 2026 growing season. 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 2026 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.

2026 Priority Issues

Preserve Ohio’s Farming Heritage

Farm Bureau will:

• Encourage policies that simultaneously allow for economic development and smart growth while preserving Ohio’s farmland, including but not limited to brownfield remediation, smart growth planning, and support for local land use planning.
• Support policies that foster a stable, cost-effective energy market while also promoting responsible land use for energy projects. This includes greater scrutiny of the agricultural and environmental impacts (land use, water quality, etc.) of energy-intensive projects, such as data centers, oil/gas, and solar.
• 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.
• Continue to engage in ballot initiatives, judicial challenges, and nuisance lawsuits so farmers can freely and responsibly operate their farms for generations to come.

Promote a Strong Business Climate

Farm Bureau will:

• Engage with the Ohio General Assembly on a tax landscape that supports a strong farm economy, with a focus on property tax reform, while pushing for a review of tax incentives that encourage the development of farmland such as data centers, warehouses, business facilities, etc.
• Pursue a long-term farm bill to give Ohio farmers certainty when it comes to planning for their operations.
• 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.
• Support the development of businesses that produce value-added products from locally grown agricultural commodities, while focusing on better market access for local foods within our communities.
• Support existing and develop new trade opportunities for all Ohio agriculture.

Create a Responsible Regulatory Environment

Farm Bureau will:

• 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 on water quality are objective and specifically aimed at improving Ohio’s water quality, including advocating for updated WOTUS regulations.
• Encourage a transparent, open process that emphasizes proven scientific methodology when reviewing regulations on essential agricultural technologies.
• Promote U.S.-based agriculturally sourced bioproducts and biofuels that provide savings to both the farmer and the consumer, including the authorization of year-round E15.

Build Healthy Rural Communities

Farm Bureau will:

• 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 mental health and prevention strategies for men, women, and youth at risk in agriculture.
• Increase affordable health care options for our members, whether they are individuals, families, or businesses, by growing Farm Bureau Health Plans and advocating for efficient health care systems
• Advocate for safe, adequate child care systems that meet the unique needs of rural communities.
• Work to support career tech education and strong rural schools to encourage growth of ag education programs as well as support the FFA and 4-H, to help encourage on-farm careers.

Engage in Grassroots Advocacy and Increase Engagement

Farm Bureau will:

• Work with members to create opportunities for political education and engagement during the 2026 election cycle, including open seat screenings, designating Friends of Agriculture, candidate education and recruitment, and Ag Day at the Capitol.
• Connect members with elected officials through events like Ag Day at the Capital, County Presidents’ Trip to Washington, D.C., Advocacy in Action programs, and other local opportunities.
• Mobilize extensive grassroots networks to shape public policy at all levels of government through action alerts and intentional direct contact, and provide resources to members interested in holding an elected office.
• Utilize organization communication and advocacy resources to empower members when speaking with policymakers.