Town Hall Ohio

Learn more about Ohio Farm Bureau's leadership and advocacy development program, AgriPOWER, from two recent graduates. Plus, find out how a new pilot project is helping to deliver a new level of service to Ohio Farm Bureau members in northwestern Ohio.

A new online farm management course offered by The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) will help Ohio’s beginning farmers qualify for the requirements of the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Beginning Farmer Tax Credit program. Learn more about it and get an update from the Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association on this Ohio Farm Bureau Podcast.

We have all heard of “farm to plate” and “field to fork”, but some of the commodities grown in Ohio are for something that comes in a glass. Ohio Liquor recently launched their Seed to Sip video series, highlighting the food chain for a bottle of Ohio bourbon. Find out more about it and learn what new election laws in Ohio mean for you next time you head to the polls.

From planting cover crops to weed control to scouting plant health, drones are becoming more of a necessity and less of a novelty each year. So much so that an Ohio implement dealer has signed an agreement with a drone manufacturer to help farmers, no matter the size and scope of the farm or drone experience, to begin using the latest technologies drones offer. Find out more about the use of drones in agriculture on this Ohio Farm Bureau Podcast. Plus, as dust begins to fly across Ohio, we will have some planting season safety tips to make sure the start of the new crop year goes off without a hitch.

Prompted by a call from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to get as many people involved in dairy as possible in one room to discuss solutions to Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) shortfalls, the American Farm Bureau Federation hosted a forum last October in Kansas City, Missouri. On this Ohio Farm Bureau Podcast, hear from Ohio Farm Bureau members who took part in the event, which resulted in some positive conversations and new policy for dairy pricing moving forward.

Years in the making, and thanks in large part to the ongoing efforts of Ohio Farm Bureau, the Beginning Farmer Tax Credit is now available to those who’ve recently entered the field, as well as those who help beginning farmers. On this Ohio Farm Bureau Podcast, Ty visits with the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Tracy Intihar, beginning farmer Katie Hodges and the co-sponsors of HB95, the bill the created the tax credit, Reps. Susan Manchester and Mary Lightbody.

Ohio soybeans have many uses. We often hear about industrial uses of soy, but many of the soybeans grown in the Buckeye State are of the non-GMO, food-grade variety. On this Ohio Farm Bureau Podcast, Ty visits with a farmer-leader with the Ohio Soybean Council to talk about his experience planting food-grade soybeans and the opportunities that exist for other Ohio farmers to do that same. Plus, get the details of Ohio State’s Farm Financial Management and Policy Institute and hear from Nationwide about attractive farm nuisances and the importance for the landowner to work with a specialist who can best identify the risks and put a protection plan in place.

Nearly 80 Ohio Farm Bureau members made the annual trip to the Nation's Capital to visit with lawmakers about issues taking shape in Washington that will impact Ohio agriculture. County Farm Bureau Presidents heard from Senators J.D. Vance and Sherrod Brown during the trip and found out where they stand on some of those issues. Hear their comments on this Ohio Farm Bureau Podcast.

Ohio had the 3rd largest outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in 2022 and that has all livestock organizations sharing even more information and resources when it comes to biosecurity. On this Ohio Farm Bureau Podcast, Ty visits with guests at the 2023 Ohio Pork Congress, including Ohio Pork Council President Nick Seger and State Veterinarian Dr. Dennis Summers, who says there were some valuable lessons learned from HPAI that can be utilized across all of Ohio's livestock sectors.

The Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation is committed to inspire and educate the next generation of farmers, ensuring the progress and prosperity of Ohio's agriculture far into the future. They carry out that mission by creating pathways for young people to learn about the variety and viability of careers in agriculture. On this Ohio Farm Bureau Podcast, we get a Foundation Update as we talk scholarship deadlines, upcoming ExploreAg camps and more. Plus, learn about a StoneX grain and oilseed outlook webinar exclusively for Farm Bureau members.

On this Ohio Farm Bureau Podcast, hear from four young entrepreneurs on how they have built their personal brands and businesses to leave a lasting legacy. They shared their insights with Ty Higgins during a panel discussion at the Young Ag Professionals Winter Leadership Experience. Expert panelists include Dr. Sarah Ison, Dr. Marissa Hake, Kristin Patterson and Rebecca Dalton.

On this Ohio Farm Bureau Podcast, we have a lot to celebrate when it comes to bringing new agriculturalist into the industry and protecting those on the farm today. Jessica Parrish, Executive Director of the Ohio FFA Foundation and Ohio FFA State Vice President at Large, Luke Jennings share details about National FFA Week and Give FFA Day and how you can support the next generation of the agriculture workforce. It is also Grain Bin Safety Week and nominations are now open for the 10th annual Nominate Your Fire Department Contest from Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau. Paul Stevenson, Senior Risk Management Consultant at Nationwide shares how efforts to get more life-saving equipment to rural fire departments are making a big difference. Then, Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague joins Ty to talk about the AgLINK program and how farmers can save on their 2023 input costs with lower interest rates on their operating loans.

When it comes to Research and Development, the Ohio Soybean Council is taking matters into their own hands with a laboratory in Ohio created to specifically find new uses for soybeans and add value to the commodity for growers across the country. Learn more as Ty visits with OSC's Jerry Bambauer and United Soybean Board Vice Chair Steve Rinehart.

The technology component of agriculture is exciting but whether it is hardware, software or crop protection, it comes with some challenges. Ty visited with speakers from the OABA Industry Conference to find out more. Guests include OABA President and CEO Chris Henney, Mitch White with Raven and Syngenta's Dave Flakne.

It’s a figure that’s been tossed around a million times. Less than 2% of the population is involved in agriculture. That means over 98% of Americans don’t know much about food production, but they are becoming more and more curious. Telling the story of Ohio agriculture has been a focus for one mainstream media outlet in Ohio. This week on the Ohio Farm Bureau Podcast, Ty Higgins visits with Spectrum News 1 anchor, Chuck Ringwalt, about a weekly segment that tells the story of Ohio’s farmers and rural communities.

Every day, thousands of unassuming Americans are tricked into revealing confidential information. Savvy criminals want your information, so they can commit identity theft or fraud, which can be avoidable if you take the right precautions. Host Ty Higgins visits with the cybersecurity team from Nationwide to share what tactics are being utilized to steal your identity and your money and how you can protect yourself from these malicious attacks.

Farm Bureau members from around the country came together as “Mi Familia” for the 104th American Farm Bureau Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico, earlier this month. President Zippy Duvall opened the convention with an encouraging keynote address highlighting the good work members are doing to advocate for the farm bill and other important policies, in addition to educating students about agriculture and telling farmers’ stories. Hear his address, find out what policies were adopted by AFBF that came directly from Ohio Farm Bureau members and celebrate all of The Buckeye State's successes on this Ohio Farm Bureau Podcast.

The cost of everything is higher, but what is actually causing that? Ohio Farm Bureau's Ty Higgins talks inflation, supply chain, pandemics and Ukraine with Ohio State's Professor and Andersons Chair of Agricultural Marketing, Trade and Policy, Dr. Ian Sheldon. He also gets a long-term look at energy and the role carbon markets will play on the ag economy and in the competition for land from Ohio State professor, Brent Sohngen.

Weather and labor are two very important aspects of agriculture. What does the future of both look like? Ohio Farm Bureau's Ty Higgins talks about the weather with Ohio's state climatologist Aaron Wilson, who gives a short and long-term outlook. He also visits with Ohio State Assistant Professor Margaret Jodlowski about the outlook for ag labor and the new look of getting and maintaining a workforce.

Ohio Farm Bureau members celebrated “Our Legacy, Our Future” as the organization held its 104th annual meeting earlier this month in Columbus. Nearly 370 delegates from all 88 Ohio counties established the organization’s policy goals for the coming year, recognized county Farm Bureau and individual achievements and honored industry leaders. On this Our Ohio Weekly, we will recap this year’s annual meeting of Ohio’s largest farm organization. 00:00 - Adam Sharp, Ohio Farm Bureau’s executive vice president, addressed the organization’s members and partners at the 104th annual meeting in December. 23:50 - The Ohio Farm Bureau Young Agricultural Professionals Winter Leadership Experience is coming up next month in Sandusky. YAP State Committee member Bailey Elchinger shares some details in this To the Beat of Agriculture. 32:20 - Ohio Farm Bureau's senior director of state and national policy, Brandon Kern, talks about some of the main policies that come from Ohio Farm Bureau's 104th Annual Meeting. He also co