Ohio Farm Bureau supports expanded use of dyed diesel
The administration recently issued an executive order easing restrictions on the use of tax-exempt dyed diesel fuel for on-road agricultural transportation.
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Much warmer than normal temperatures in February and March gave Ohioans an early preview of the upcoming spring, but for produce growers like Martha Mora, it was a cause for concern.
Mora, a Fulton County Farm Bureau member and owner of Johnston Fruit Farms in Swanton,, said the early mild weather has caused her strawberry, raspberry and blueberry crops to be ripe for the picking well before her u-pick customers were accustomed to.
“When your local customer has it marked on their calendar or in their mind that they are going to come out and pick at a certain time and you are at least two weeks early, that’s a big problem,” Mora said
For many of the fruits grown in Ohio, time is of the essence when it comes harvesting the freshest produce possible.
“It depends on the crop, but they definitely all have their limits,” Mora said. “When a strawberry is ripe today, you better pick it. It was a bump in the road to start the season, but there are a lot of green berries out there and nice weather ahead of us, so I think we are going to be able to salvage a really nice crop.”
More used her social media accounts to spread the word about her crops being unusually ahead of schedule, and the community responded.
“I put a post out telling people of our situation and we had a tremendous response,” Mora said. “Since the day I made that post we have been very busy, and I am extremely thankful for that.”
After all, no customers means no income in a business that works on slim margins and labor shortages.
“The bottom line would have fallen out if the fruit was left in the field,” Mora said. “As a u-pick farm you are at the mercy of your customers year in and year out as you rely on them heavily to bring the harvest in for you.”
For other farmers, like Megan Perry from Carter’s Produce and Farm Market in Wauseon, the produce being ready early has been beneficial.
“Having an early harvest gains us a few days of business by opening earlier in the season,” Perry said. “The challenge for us then becomes how to stagger planting in between the recent excessive amounts of rain in an attempt to make the season last as long as possible.”
Mora said the abnormal weather earlier in the year will continue to affect crops still in the development stages, including apples, and encourages consumers to check with their local farmers to see if they need to adjust their produce picking days appropriately.
Photo courtesy of Johnston Fruit Farms
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.
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.
I could not have done it without the resources I have found through 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.
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.
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.
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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