OEFFA’s Policy Team Debriefs Ohio Election Results
At OEFFA, our priorities for supporting local, sustainable farmers and food system workers reaches beyond political lines. We are a non-partisan organization committed to our vision of regional food systems that provide nourishment, protection of our environment, and livelihoods for communities in our network.
Every one of us is internally debriefing the election results from November 5, regardless of political party. While we aren’t sure what local, state, and federal policy will look like over the next several years, we as an organization will continue to put our members first by asking for a five-year farm bill that centers our member-driven priorities and soil health legislation for Ohio. We will persist in building resiliency and community with one another through our policy caucuses and events that help guide our next policy asks.
Most importantly, we will continue engaging with farmers and connecting them with those who represent them in government. Looking forward into 2025, we have new relationships to build, and a lot of grassroots power to develop.
Ohio Members of Congress
To summarize what happened in the General Election and how it pertains to our work, it’s important to consider the House and Senate Agriculture Committees. A longtime supporter of OEFFA’s work and many of our priorities, Sherrod Brown, lost to his Senate challenger, Bernie Moreno.
We have strong relationships with two Ohio members of the House Agriculture Committee who won their races, Representatives Max Miller and Shontel Brown. Both are cosponsors of the Food Supply Chain Capacity and Resiliency Act and Miller has cosponsored the Continuous Improvement and Accountability in Organic Standards (CIAO) Act, while Brown cosponsored the Supporting Urban and Innovative Farming Act.
In addition to supporting these OEFFA-endorsed marker bills, our team connects regularly with both offices, and we look forward to deepening our relationships with these members of Congress should they remain on the House Agriculture Committee.
Representative Marcy Kaptur also won her race in Ohio’s Ninth Congressional District. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Kaptur participates in appropriating funding for functions of the federal government, including funding for the USDA. Kaptur has previously advanced legislation that supports farmers in our network, local food systems, urban agriculture, and much more.
Ohio General Assembly
In the Ohio Statehouse, two soil health champions were re-elected. Senator Tim Schaffer (OH-20) of the Ohio Senate Agriculture Committee introduced the amendment for Ohio Soil Health Week to H.B. 162. Representative Juanita O. Brent (OH-22) on the House Agriculture Committee, who introduced H.B. 568 for the creation of a Healthy Soils Task Force, also won her re-election. Representative Bill Dean (OH-71) who is the Republican co-sponsor on H.B. 568 is term-limited, and we will be looking for another Republican cosponsor on this bill if it does not move by the end of the year.
Lastly, we previously worked with Representative Susan Manchester (OH-78) on the House Agriculture Committee to start the Ohio Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Program. She ran unopposed this year in the Senate (OH-12).
As committee assignments are made for the next session, we will actively be connecting with returning and new members of the Senate and House Agriculture Committees. Many of OEFFA’s members live in state districts of current agriculture committee members and we look forward to helping foster those connections in 2025.
Acknowledging Sherrod Brown
We would like to extend our gratitude toward Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown for his service on the Senate Agriculture Committee and in Congress. OEFFA previously recognized Brown’s commitment to sustainable agriculture by presenting him with the Food and Farm Champion Award at the 2019 OEFFA Conference.
Brown was the first Ohio Senator on the Agriculture Committee in more than 40 years. He has championed legislation that promotes climate resilience, uplifts local food communities, and expands the farm safety net for diversified and small producers. Ohio agriculture would not be what it is without the efforts of Senator Brown, and we sincerely thank him for his service.
2025 Incoming
2025 will mark the beginning of the second Trump Administration and the 119th Congress. As with any shift in power, there will be both obstacles and opportunities over the next four years. We remain committed to amplifying the voices of those in our community and building relationships with local members of Congress and members of the Ohio General Assembly, especially those who will play a significant role in matters related to agriculture. Most importantly, we’ll be working with you, the OEFFA community, to identify and advance policies that support you, your work, and your communities.