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Moving the Needle on Land Access
When the National Young Farmers Coalition formed, they started their work by assessing the challenges faced by beginning farmers. It came as no surprise to many that access to farmland was, and remains, a huge hurdle for farmers just getting started. The cost of land to purchase or lease continue to climb and, combined with the significant investments in starting a new operation, often put a farming career out of reach for many. We know secure land tenure ensures that farmers are able to invest in place and provide culturally relevant food, medicine, and connection to their communities. That tenure also allows them to invest in practices and management systems…
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Preparing for the 2023 Farm Bill
The Farm Bill is a major piece of legislation developed every five years that shapes our food and farming system. The work to shape what the 2023 Farm Bill looks like will be done this year. This legislation impacts conservation programs, nutrition programs, farm credit, rural development, local foods, crop insurance, agriculture and climate change, and much more. For an excellent overview of the Farm Bill, see this primer from our partners at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. We want your input about how to use the Farm Bill as an opportunity to create a more resilient, fair, and healthy food system. The voices of our members, as farmers and…
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Contact Your Representative Today for Soil Health Into the Future!
OEFFA members know that healthy soil is foundational to sustainable agriculture. While healthy soil is the basis for healthy crops, animals and humans, decision makers at the statehouse overwhelmingly are not talking about this important issue. That’s why OEFFA, the Ohio Soil Health Initiative and allies are urging decision makers to pass legislation that creates a Soil Health Task Force that includes public hearings and the creation of a proposed comprehensive soil health action plan within 1-year of establishing the task force. Use the form below to send an email to your state Representative and ask them to join Representative Juanita Brent (D-12) and sponsor the bill to create a Soil Health…
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Making a Difference Together: Six Conference Conversations You’ll Want to Be a Part of
For many, getting the OEFFA conference schedule of workshops, keynotes, and networking events can make you feel like a kid in a candy store. There’s so much good material to choose from and opportunities to connect with old friends and make new ones, all while working collectively toward a healthier future. The 2022 conference will be no exception. If you want to see real change in our food and farming system—changes that support organic and regenerative farmers and invest in healthful local and regional food choices—you’re going to want to be a part of these key conversations at the 2022 OEFFA conference, Rooted and Rising, February 12 online and February…
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OEFFA Soil Health Task Force Petition
Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) members know that healthy soil is foundational to sustainable agriculture. While healthy soil is the basis for healthy crops, animals and humans, decision makers at the statehouse overwhelmingly are not talking about this important issue. We believe in an Ohio where farmers who are curious about experimenting with soil health are supported and farmers who are implementing soil health practices are recognized. That’s why OEFFA, the Ohio Soil Health Initiative and allies are urging decision makers to pass legislation that creates a Soil Health Task Force as a first step towards developing farmer informed solutions that support health soil principles and practices. This…
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Beginning Farmer Bill on the Move
Farmland Access Legislation Moving in the Senate Ohio House Bill 95- The Family Farm ReGeneration Act The end of first year of Ohio’s 134th General Assembly brought the passage of Ohio House Bill 95 (HB 95). The Family Farm ReGeneration Act passed with almost unanimous support (Republican House Member Thomas Brinkman, Jr. was the only dissenting vote). OEFFA has been championing legislation to alleviate the overwhelming challenges beginning farmers face in finding affordable farmland for several years. Ohio can be proud to rank 6th in the nation in the number of beginning farmers. If we are to enjoy the food security and economic development benefits of agriculture, we must ensure…
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Why Farm Bill Conservation Programs Matter (and What You Can Do About It)
good conservation practices = healthy soil and clean water = resilient farms = nutritious food = a vibrant society OEFFA’s member-farmers work hard every day to practice good conservation on their land. They plant cover crops to feed the soil and protect it from erosion. They create buffers of grass, trees, and shrubs, that draw carbon from the atmosphere and protect our waterways and find creative ways to improve habitat for pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. Farmers are increasingly looking to expand their practices to include no- and reduced-tillage systems, rotational grazing, alley crops, and agroforestry. All of these practices can help farmers produce food while also improving soil conditions…
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Building Soil Health: Strategy Meeting
Wednesday, December 15, 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Register Now At the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA), we know that healthy soil is the foundation for sustainable agriculture. We also know the process of transitioning to stronger soil health practices must be informed and led by the experiences of farmers. Over the past year, OEFFA held listening sessions with more than 50 farmers across Ohio. At these meetings, we consistently heard a need for stronger farmer-to-farmer soil health networks and greater investment in soil health practices. That’s why we are bringing together folks statewide for a virtual meeting on December 15 at 7 p.m. At this meeting, we will take…
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Anti-Trust, Take Two
Seed Competition Last month, Biden signed an Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy. This EO is exciting in many ways, from the sheer scope of its ambition to its acknowledgment of some of the many ills that have plagued American farmers, from unfair contract farming to retaliation. More on that EO can be found here. One of the most exciting facets of the Order, however, only received a few sentences’ worth of attention. The Order charged the Secretary of Agriculture, in conjunction with the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, with submitting a report to the White…
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Biden Expands Antitrust Protections in Agriculture
This first in a series of two blog posts was written by OEFFA policy intern, Eliza VanNess, a second year law student at the Ohio State University. On July 9th, President Biden signed an Executive Order (EO) on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, which covers a variety of industries including the agricultural sector. The Order identifies consolidation as a threat to the survival of small family farms and proposes a number of antitrust measures to bolster support for these farmers. This EO is the latest in a long tradition of antitrust regulations spurred on by the agricultural industry. The most sweeping regulation was the Packers and Stockyards Act (PSA),…
FARM POLICY MATTERS