-
Grassroots and Dirty Boots: A New OEFFA Policy Podcast!
We’re excited to announce the launch of our new podcast, Grassroots and Dirty Boots, which can be found on Spotify, iHeartRadio, and Apple Podcasts. In this podcast, we will talk about movements of change from the ground up and highlight stories from advocates and leaders across the food and farm system. Each episode centers on grassroots movements in the heartland and uplifts the experiences of OEFFA members and others who are part of our vibrant community of changemakers.
-
Government Shutdown and Federal Challenges: Impacts on Our Farmers
Last updated on November 13, 2025
We’re officially out of the 43-day-long government shutdown, the longest in history.
We got here because Congress did not pass its annual 12 appropriations bills by the end of the fiscal year for the government (September 30). The House passed a continuing resolution on September 19; however, the Senate has voted on this legislation 14 times, and it has continued to not pass.
The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) is a community of sustainable and organic farmers, handlers, producers, and consumers. The challenges faced by those in our network are unique to diversified and usually small or mid-scale farms. Therefore, the recent government shutdown, USDA staffing changes, future healthcare premium increases, and other events have specific implications on the businesses of these land stewards.
-
Celebrating Soil, the Foundation of it All
It’s hard to overstate the importance of what lies beneath our feet. Healthy soil is the foundation of clean water, nutritious food, strong economies, and thriving communities. It supports a farmer’s bottom line and, when cared for, it also plays a critical role in storing carbon and helping to mitigate the climate crisis.
Yet despite all that depends on it, this vital resource is being lost and degraded at alarming rates. The value of soil is often overlooked, and even those who understand its importance are left without the tools and support needed to protect it.
-
Marker Bills We Oppose
The farm bill expired for the third time on September 30, after little movement earlier last year. While the agriculture community anxiously awaits an updated version better suited to modern farm needs (not those of 2018), marker bills are still regularly being introduced.
As a reminder, marker bills do not get passed on their own. Instead, they’re introduced by members of Congress with the hopes of being included in larger legislative bills—like the farm bill. Think of them as “building blocks” to amass attention and build support for certain policy proposals.
Our team has been tracking OEFFA-endorsed marker bills here. Based on discussions with members of our Consolidation Caucus, we would also like to highlight a few marker bills that we oppose.
-
OEFFA Policy Fellow Launches New Guide: ‘Navigating the Agricultural Landscape’
Jennifer Lumpkin lives and grows in Cleveland, Ohio. Drawing from her experiences as a food systems advocate and beginning farmer, she has prepared an all-encompassing guide as our second OEFFA Policy Fellow.
Navigating the Agricultural Landscape provides a firsthand look at the processes involved in communicating with agricultural departments, better understanding farmer support programs, and advocating within various levels of government.
-
The Vital Services Provided by OEFFA’s Sustainable Agriculture Educators
Guest post written by former OEFFA Sustainable Agriculture Educator, Johnnie Speicher. Originally published in the Summer 2025 OEFFA Newsletter.
OEFFA has long been an important partner, resource, and voice for the sustainable agriculture community. One of the most frequently consulted positions at OEFFA is that of the Sustainable Agriculture Educator, or SAE. Thanks in part to greater investment in sustainable agriculture from the federal government, OEFFA has been able to expand the SAE positions and the support provided to our agricultural community.
-
Strengthening Local Food Systems: A Q&A with The Local Butcher
Farmers and food businesses alike are facing consistent setbacks resulting from recent federal actions. Multiple approaches can be taken to support local businesses, like The Local Butcher. We had the opportunity to chat with the Meeks family of the Athens, Ohio-based meat processing plant.
Read on to learn about how policy can lead to much-needed investments for The Local Butcher, our local communities, and our local food systems.
-
Unpacking the MAHA Report
In mid-May, the White House released “The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Report.” The report makes proclamations linking food and chemical corporations with our country’s health crises, particularly those impacting children. It sounds the alarm about corporate influence over our food system, the dangers of pesticides, and the increasing concerns brought about by environmental toxins, to name just a few.
Read on to learn what the MAHA Report says about agriculture and what we see as potential implications of its publication.
-
CAFOs: A Q&A with OEFFA Member Emily Kichler
We are so thankful for our vast number of policy member leaders who interact with us on a regular basis. Emily Kichler recently reached out with her research on CAFO systems that we wanted to share with our OEFFA network.
Emily Kichler is a cook, a student of environmental policy at Virginia Wesleyan, and a long-time food system reform advocate—from WWOOFing and learning about different methods of sustainable farming around the country, to work in food assistance, to composting legislation advocacy, to farm policy advocacy with OEFFA and Farm Action. Emily is an active participant in the OEFFA Policy Caucuses and joins us at the Statehouse for advocacy days.
We had the opportunity to chat with Emily about CAFOs. Read on for her take.
-
OEFFA Farmers’ Thoughts on Tariffs
Tariffs, tariffs, tariffs. They’ve been on our minds for months, as we’ve all followed the roller coaster of announcements, retaliations, negotiations, and pauses. But what exactly are tariffs? More importantly, how might the recent trade war impact our farmers?
FARM POLICY MATTERS