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At the 106th American Farm Bureau Annual Convention this week, Ohio Farm Bureau member-approved policies were shared with AFBF delegates for consideration. In fact, all 13 policies that came from Ohio were passed on the AFBF delegate floor.

Most notably, Ohio Farm Bureau’s proposals on renewable energy were accepted, including a new national policy that supports incentives for renewable energy in rural areas that prioritizes energy production on land not suitable for agricultural production.

“The Ohio policies passed by AFBF delegates stem from the Renewable Energy Working Group that was created as a result of the priorities set after the 2023 Ohio Farm Bureau annual meeting, with the focus of protecting farmland while developing brownfields and other suitable options for energy projects,” said Brad Bales, senior director of state and national policy with Ohio Farm Bureau. “Ultimately, we came to San Antonio with solid policy, got it across the finish line, and we are very happy with the outcome.”

Other policies brought to the floor by Ohio Farm Bureau and passed by American Farm Bureau include making Sustainable Aviation Fuel tax credits implementable, defense against foreign adversaries acquiring American farmland, and protecting honey bees from over regulation from multiple federal agencies. Delegates were Craig Pohlman, Cy Prettyman, Bill Patterson and Adele Flynn, pictured above.

Outside of Ohio Farm Bureau’s suggestions, key topics ranged from labor to rural broadband to trade. Delegates also adopted policy supporting the development and sale of domestically sourced sustainable aviation fuel, including expanding the list of acceptable conservation practices for feedstock eligibility.

“Today, Farm Bureau demonstrated what truly makes it the voice of American agriculture,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “Delegates from each state Farm Bureau and Puerto Rico directly addressed the challenges and opportunities facing farmers and ranchers. The policies they set today give us a roadmap to work with the new administration and Congress to address the needs of rural America. It includes the passage of a new farm bill, enacting regulatory reform, and creating new markets for the men and women who are dedicated to keeping America’s pantries stocked.”

Recognizing the challenges of maintaining a strong agriculture workforce, delegates voted to stabilize labor costs to avoid drastic swings that put the economic sustainability of farms at risk. They also recommended the AFBF board study potential alternatives to the current Adverse Effect Wage Rate methodology used for the H-2A program.

On trade, delegates added policy in support of a United States—Mexico—Canada Agreement review process to encourage new opportunities while protecting U.S. agriculture from unfair competition.

Policy on rural broadband was revised to support requiring companies that win broadband loans or grants to quickly complete projects in underserved rural areas. Delegates also directed AFBF to press more forcefully for reform of the current requirements for small-scale meat, dairy and value-added processing facilities.

“All of the policies that were discussed on the delegate floor, from super-local to macro-global conversations, start at the county Farm Bureau level,” said Jack Irvin, vice president of public policy with Ohio Farm Bureau. “Policies are never entertained at this convention without the hands-on work by our members at the grassroots level and, to me, that is incredible and shows the true strength of this organization.”