General,  Take Action

OEFFA Policy Fellowship Opportunity

Our team has an upcoming opportunity for OEFFA members to get more involved in our policy work.

We hope this will be an experience to broaden your food and farm education and see how it is affected by policy. This fellowship will give you firsthand experience in the food and farm policy world and help illustrate how policy issues influence you and your communities.

The OEFFA Policy Fellowship is open to all Ohio-based farmers, ranchers, growers, processors (working with locally sourced agricultural products) and staff, regardless of advocacy experience. Farmers with a farm of any size and operation type are welcome to apply. However, you must be an OEFFA member to apply. 

The fellowship will last six months with flexible start and end dates from late fall 2024 to spring 2025. Approximately 10 hours per month will be spent working with the OEFFA policy team (60 hours total throughout the course of the Fellowship) with an opportunity for additional hours (paid hourly, depending on travel and needs). The total stipend is $3,000, paid on a monthly cycle. All travel costs (including mileage) will be supported by OEFFA, and the fellow will receive technology support, mentorship on advocacy, as well as base-building and organizing training. Policy work is fast-paced and requires showing up to a lot of varied spaces. The fellow can expect to get travel support from OEFFA for traveling to Columbus for meetings with the OEFFA Policy Team, in-districts with legislators, visits to the statehouse, coalition meetings with partners, and meetings in DC. 

No previous policy advocacy experience is needed; we are looking for someone eager to learn more and contribute to our collective policy work. We all have a role to play in shaping our food system and your voice is essential as a farmer/food systems leader. Our team will guide you in learning how to use your power to connect with those in power. We believe policy must be part of the change needed to create a livable future for all farmers to thrive and to create equitable food access.   

Lastly, this fellowship will support the individual in completing a self-determined project. You are able to pick something that is most important to you and your own agriculture policy concerns and priorities. OEFFA will work this into your schedule and offer all the encouragement and support needed. 

Learn more about the fellowship and apply today! The application deadline is Monday, November 4, 2024.