The Ohio Department of Agriculture has been blown away by the thousands of farmers who signed up for H2Ohio funds in the 14 counties of the Maumee Watershed prior to the revised March 31 deadline. Ohio farmers stepped up to the plate and signed up over a million conservation practice acres in a short amount of time. OFBF commends the 14 county Soil and Water Conservation Districts for their hard work and due diligence in a narrow time frame and their continued efforts as champions of conservation.

“The Ohio Department of Agriculture applauds Ohio farmers’ demonstration of voluntary conservation through the overwhelming sign up of H2Ohio best practices to reduce phosphorus in the Maumee River Watershed. Nearly 2000 farmers submitted applications to enroll more than 1.1 million acres. This far exceeded expectations for the agricultural portion of the H2Ohio program,” said Dorothy Pelanda, director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. “While the rollout of the program was very thoughtfully executed, the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a necessary re-evaluation of ODA’s budget for the H2Ohio Initiative. ODA is committed to working within the administration’s budgetary guidelines and will communicate with farmers the status of H2Ohio going forward based upon those guidelines once they are known.”

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions to state budgeting and it is likely that H2Ohio funds will be negatively affected. Despite this, Ohio Farm Bureau has been working with ODA and the DeWine administration to gain clarity on what dollars will be available for the H2Ohio program.

With last week’s sign-up deadline now complete, the administration is finalizing the full scope of dollars requested as well as trying to determine what funds will be available based on the economic situation the state now faces. For those who signed up for funds through their local SWCD office, SWCD does not have updated information on the future of the program yet. However, once ODA provides a directive, the local SWCD will be the best point of contact to know how to proceed. 

At this time, Ohio Farm Bureau recommends producers not make any major investments that would be dependent on a H2Ohio funding application. Farmers should not overextend themselves beyond what their farm is capable of financing but are strongly encouraged to continue the important conservation practices they are undertaking so that agriculture can continue to improve Lake Erie’s water quality. It is expected more information will come soon from ODA and an update will be provided as soon as that information is available.

The plan we are on is great. It’s comparable to my previous job's plan, and we are a sole proprietor.
Kevin Holy's avatar
Kevin Holy

Geauga County Farm Bureau

Ohio Farm Bureau Health Benefits Plan
To grow a network and gain perspective and knowledge in the industry through personal and professional development has been invaluable. Every day I learn and grow.
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Ryanna Tietje

Henry County Farm Bureau

Farm Bureau connections
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.
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Matt Aultman

Darke County Farm Bureau

Giving farmers a voice
Farm Bureau is what really got the word out. It’s been one of their goals to get this done.
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Bill and Charlotte Wachtman

Henry County

10-year campaign for safer roads
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

Bringing the farm back to life
Because we are younger farmers just starting out, Farm Bureau has a lot of good opportunities and resources to help us grow in the future.
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Hannah Kiser

Sandusky County Farm Bureau

Farm Bureau involvement
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.
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Chad Ruhl

Farm manager, CSI Insurance

Select Partner Program
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.
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Mary Smallsreed

Trumbull County Farm Bureau

Advocacy
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