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Land Access Legislation Moves to the House Floor
OEFFA has been working with members of the Ohio House and Senate to pass legislation that would incentivize land transfer between current landowners and beginning farmers.
After months of work, House Bill 183, the Family Farm ReGeneration Act, passed out of the Ohio House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee unanimously on November 19. OEFFA is thankful to the bill’s co-sponsors Rep. Susan Manchester and Rep. John Patterson.
In October, OEFFA’s Begin Farming Program Coordinator, Rachel Tayse, presented testimony to the committee on the need for this bill based on her experience working with aspiring and early-career farmers.
According to Rachel’s testimony, “… OEFFA’s elder farmer generation call on me nearly daily for help finding young people to carry on their agricultural legacy. “
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Ohio Governor Signs Hemp Legislation into Law
Farmers will soon be able to grow and process hemp in Ohio, after Governor Mike DeWine signed legislation this week removing its prohibitions.
Before that can happen though, the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) must develop a formal program and rules, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will need to approve.
Hemp contains a fiber, grain, and oil that can be extracted for cannabidiol (CBD), which is now being used in food and dietary supplements.
Both hemp producers and processors need to apply for a license to grow or process their products to be in compliance with state and federal law. Those licenses will be valid for three years. A critical factor for the hemp industry is ensuring that THC levels remain below three-tenths of one percent. ODA will also be testing CBD and hemp products for safety and accurate labeling to protect Ohio consumers.
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New Report Details Challenges and Opportunities for Ohio Agriculture
Every five years the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agriculture Statistics Service (USDA NASS) completes a comprehensive survey of agriculture across the country. The 2017 survey results show how Ohio could benefit from increased and targeted investments.
OEFFA’s new report, “Ohio Agriculture: The Changing Contours of Farming,” helps put Ohio in focus by providing a national overview and state-level analysis of farm demographics, farmland, farm size, farmland tenure, local and regional marketing, and organic agriculture. It includes recommendations for Ohio policymakers, community and economic development professionals, and investors.
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OEFFA Members Work the Statehouse
Support for beginning farmers has been a high priority for OEFFA and its members for years. The policy program has been advocating for the state to adopt a measure successfully implemented in Minnesota that provides tax credits for landowners who sell or lease land or other agricultural assets to beginning farmers.
The recent release of the five-year Census of Agriculture by the U.S. Department of Agriculture revealed some good news for Ohio agriculture generally, and reveals opportunities for the state to grow healthy food systems, contribute to rural community economic development, and grow the agricultural sector by supporting this industry.
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Family Farm ReGeneration Act Moves Forward
The average age of farmers continues to climb, more than 100 million acres of farmland will change hands in the near future, and the biggest challenge identified by beginning farmers is access to land.
OEFFA is working to see how the state of Ohio could do more to ensure a future for agriculture. More than a year ago, we began meeting with members of the Ohio Legislature to alert them to a legislative tool Minnesota recently passed.
In little more than one year, the Minnesota Beginning Farmer Tax Credit received more than 800 applicants and provides tax credits for landowners who transfer land to a beginning farmer. OEFFA reached out to the Ohio Farmers Union, the Ohio Farm Bureau, and leaders of the House and Senate agriculture committees to advance this idea.
FARM POLICY MATTERS