By Shay Frank
The loss of farmland, rising costs and lawmakers failure to pass a Farm Bill are among the top concerns Ohio farmers cited during a recent meeting with federal lawmakers.
Farmers from across Ohio gathered at Cherrybend Pheasant Farm in Wilmington last week to speak with U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Cincinnati) and U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Michigan).
"We're all in the trenches here and we're also in the front line and it's very important to stay engaged," said Beth Ellis, co-owner of Cherrybend Pheasant Farm. "It's very important to be educated on what's going on and really dive down into it, to understand the deep rooted causes and long-term causes."
Representatives from the Ohio Farm Bureau, the Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association and the Ohio Pork Council also attended.
Many of those representatives expressed concerns that have been shared throughout their organizations, including land use.
"Here in Ohio, I mean, the loss of farmland, the numbers are staggering," said Brad Bales, senior director of state and national policy at the Ohio Farm Bureau. "It's been a million acres over the past 20 years. It's been 500,000 acres since 2017 to 2023. A lot of it is placed on solar, but now we're also seeing data center development."
Click here to see more...