The Lake Erie Bill of Rights, or LEBOR ballot initiative didn’t get very far after it was passed by Toledo voters in 2019, thanks to the fast action of Wood County farmers Mark Drewes. Drewes filed a lawsuit to thwart the attempt to give legal rights to Lake Erie and give Toledoans authority to sue farmers on behalf of the lake. The result of Drewes’ lawsuit was a U.S. District Court judge ruling, decisively, that LEBOR was invalid. On this Our Ohio Weekly we will get a behind the scenes look at...
Feb 28, 2021•48 min
Barnwood Builders follows five fun-loving West Virginians who salvage antique log cabins and barns. The show celebrates the American pioneer spirit, and pays tribute to the hard work and craftsmanship that built our nation. They have even made quite a few trips through rural Ohio. On this Our Ohio Weekly, meet the foreman of DIY Network’s Barnwood Builders, Mark Bowe, as he talks about the show, his work crew and why Ohio barns have become some of his favorites. 00:00 - Barnwood Builders star Ma...
Feb 21, 2021•48 min
With a new administration in the White House, comes a new cabinet of leaders in all major departments of the U.S., including Transportation, Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency and Agriculture. The man tapped to lead the farm and food sector has some experience in that area. Tom Vilsack actually served as the Secretary of Agriculture under the Obama Administration. On this Our Ohio Weekly, hear some of Secretary Vilsack’s ideas for his return to USDA and learn about a ...
Feb 14, 2021•48 min
While net cash farm income in 2020 was above the average net cash farm income for the 2013–2019 period, increased government payments to farmers accounted for a substantial portion of that rise. Although that certainly helped alleviate the immediate need for relief due to the pandemic, the future remains uncertain. As you might imagine, those in the farm banking world are keeping a close eye how their customers are fairing. On this Our Ohio Weekly, we get a near and long-term outlook for agricul...
Jan 31, 2021•48 min
Often a vision for retiring from a career in agriculture may be a bit different than most. Options can range from staying on the farm and helping during harvest and planting, just tinkering around the shop, or selling and moving to Florida. Whatever the vision and whatever the profession, having the financial resources to live their best lives during this time is something everyone would agree is important. On this Our Ohio Weekly, hear from one expert who is helping to prepare farmers, agribusi...
Jan 24, 2021•48 min
We have finally turned the calendar to 2021 and although the challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic all still with us, this new year will be a time to look back at those challenges and make changes that will alleviate the problems we faced should something like a global pandemic ever happen again. One of those challenges on the minds of Ohio Farm Bureau and its members has to do with the food supply system, which saw issues on both the production and processing sides in 2020. On the next Our Ohio...
Jan 17, 2021•48 min
COVID-19 has, without a doubt, fundamentally changed the food system and consumer attitudes but what we can expect in 2021. What shifts are happening in purchasing behaviors? How is the food industry evolving to adjust? What’s ahead in the new year? On this Our Ohio Weekly, hear from industry experts and members of the Center for Food Integrity’s Consumer Trust Insights Council to find out if how we get, prepare or even order our food will ever be the same on the other side of a global pandemic....
Jan 10, 2021•48 min
Earlier this summer, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) pegged the severity of the 2020 algal blooms on Lake Erie at a 4.5 on a scale of 10, one of the smaller forecasts in recent years. Final data concluded that the actual bloom came in at a 3. What goes into these forecasts? What does water quality research look like in Northwest Ohio and how will initiatives like H2Ohio impact the future severity of algal blooms? Take an in-depth dive into Ohio’s water quality on this ...
Jan 03, 2021•48 min
In 2019, Governor Mike DeWine introduced his H2Ohio water quality initiative. The plan, which farmers in the Maumee River Watershed were able to sign up for earlier this year, is an investment in targeted solutions to help reduce phosphorus runoff and prevent algal blooms through a number of ways, including increased implementation of agricultural best practices and the creation of wetlands, improve wastewater infrastructure and replacing failing home septic systems. Despite a global pandemic, t...
Dec 20, 2020•48 min
For the first time in its more than 100 year history, Ohio Farm Bureau’s annual meeting was largely held remotely across the state this past week. The yearly face-to-face gathering of members from all around Ohio was prohibited by orders from the Ohio Department of Health limiting indoor gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this first-of-its-kind annual meeting allowed members to get involved as much as they chose from the comfort of their home, physically together with other delega...
Dec 13, 2020•48 min
Creating opportunities and increasing demand for soybeans means farmers that grow the commodity will get more money for every bushel. That is the task for the Ohio Soybean Council, more commonly known as the Soybean Checkoff. Promoting effective policies and legislation at the state and national levels for those same farmers falls in the purview of the Ohio Soybean Association. Hear from leaders from both organizations on this Our Ohio Weekly. 00:00 - Kirk Merritt, Executive Director of the Ohio...
Dec 06, 2020•48 min
00:00 - Meet the Field Work Podcast crew 23:50 - An extremely challenging childhood yields a fruitful life for Matt Niswander. Learn about this Tennessean's mental health story "To the Beat of Agriculture". 32:20 - Ohio Farm Bureau's Dr. Larry Antosch discusses his new role on EPA's Great Lakes Advisory Board. 42:20 - Hear how Northeast Ohio county Farm Bureaus are part of a 9,000 pound pork donation.
Dec 02, 2020•48 min
The Agribusiness industry in Ohio includes the entire crop and livestock supply chain, from production through distribution to final sale, as well as industries such as landscaping, parks, and golf courses. A new study looked at the career opportunities in this space and the data is promising for those looking for a career in agribusiness with jobs spanning far beyond barns and fields. What types of career opportunities does the state's #1 industry hold for Ohio’s up and coming workforce and wil...
Nov 15, 2020•48 min
Over five decades and five continents, Dr. Rattan Lal, a Distinguished University Professor in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), has reduced hunger by pioneering agricultural methods across the globe that not only restore degraded soil but also reduce global warming. His research recently paid off in a big way as he won the 2020 World Food Prize and $500,000. On this Our Ohio Weekly, host Ty Higgins visits with Dr. Lal from some of his research plots on Ohio ...
Nov 09, 2020•48 min
From chops to loins, ham to bacon, pork is the most consumed meat in the world. Pork production in the U.S. is worth an estimated $23.4 billion per year, with around 26% of the nearly 2.2 million metric tons of pork and pork products exported to other countries. Pigs consume billions of bushels of grain and oilseeds, giving a steady market to row crop farmers and they provide income for more than 60,000 pork producers, primarily in the Midwest. This week, learn more about Ohio pork production an...
Nov 02, 2020•48 min
The Supreme Court of Ohio was founded in 1802, established in the state constitution as a three-member court, holding courts in each county every year. The constitution was also approved that year, one year before Ohio officially became a state. The court now has seven members, a chief justice and six associate justices, each serving six-year terms and a total of 1550 other employees. On this Our Ohio Weekly, meet two of the Justices, Judi French and Sharon Kennedy, and learn about Ohio’s judici...
Oct 26, 2020•48 min
International trade has a major impact on U.S. agriculture. Exports are crucial in providing a market for a major share of crop production and a growing share of meat production. Efforts are underway to find new global partners that have a demand for U.S. ag products, deemed the safest, most abundant and affordable in the world. These new markets could lead to higher farm prices and greater returns to producers. Leading those efforts is Ted McKinney, USDA undersecretary for trade and foreign agr...
Oct 19, 2020•48 min
One of the sessions of the 2020 Virtual Farm Science Review was held by Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, as their team focused on the Value Chains in Food and Agriculture. Our Ohio Weekly host Ty Higgins moderated that session as the panel talked about how corn, cattle, pork, milk and other sectors have adjusted to reduced ethanol production, lower prices and supply chain logistics due to ...
Oct 05, 2020•48 min
Ohio Farm Bureau is the textbook definition of a grassroots organization. Policies and issues that the state’s largest farm organization takes up on the behalf of agriculture are developed and voted on by their members. The process for putting future policies together started last month when Twenty Ohio Farm Bureau leaders began serving on the 2020 Ohio Farm Bureau Federation Policy Development Committee. Meet 2 of the committee members and hear about some of the issues they are considering. 00:...
Sep 28, 2020•48 min
Little data exists on the millions of Americans who own and lease agricultural land but do not farm it themselves. That segment is known as non-operator landowners, or NOLs and many of them are women. In 2018 American Farmland Trust began surveying NOLs across the country to gain knowledge and understanding of who these non-landowner operators are, their thinking and the philosophy about agriculture and how they interact with the farmers they work with as far as agreements, conservation other fa...
Sep 21, 2020•48 min
Farming is often a family run operation. As with any business, proper business planning and estate planning ensures that future generations can carry on the job you have worked so hard to build and maintain. Do you have a transition plan in place for when it's time to hand down the farm? Waiting until you are ready to retire or not having a plan in place when you pass away can put the entire farm at risk. On this Our Ohio Weekly, learn about Land As Your Legacy, a program that was created specif...
Sep 14, 2020•48 min
The farm economy, trade and rural broadband are just some of the topics that would have been discussed as members of the Young Ag Professionals were set to travel on their Leadership Trip to Washington. As with almost everything in our world today, this Our Ohio Weekly is helping those new and beginning farmers have their concerns addressed...virtually. 00:00 - American Farm Bureau's Chief Economist Dr. John Newton and Managing Director of Advocacy and Political Affairs Cody Lyons. 16:50 - Ameri...
Sep 08, 2020•48 min
There are committees for just about everything in the US Congress. From infrastructure to finance, intelligence to ethics, these committees take a deeper look into issues that may help or hinder Americans. One committee that Farm Bureau keeps an eye on is the agriculture committee. A Representative from Ohio was recently named to that committee. On this Our Ohio Weekly, a visit with Congressman Troy Balderson about his newest role and his ambitions for it. 00:00 - Congressman Troy Balderson 23:5...
Aug 24, 2020•48 min
During the onset of COVID-19, many industries had to adjust in real time, multiple times, in order to find a way through the uncertainties of the Coronavirus Pandemic. In our nation’s capital, the American Farm Bureau Federation quickly moved to ensure continuity and effectiveness of their operations and for all of agriculture in the US. On this Our Ohio Weekly, Ty Higgins visits with AFBF President Zippy Duvall about his personal COVID-19 experience and about work being done on farmers’ behalf ...
Aug 17, 2020•48 min
Farming often is listed as one of the most stressful occupations, yet most farmers say they wouldn’t trade it for any other job. However, stress that goes unrecognized and is not managed well can play havoc with the farm family and the farm operation. On this Our Ohio Weekly, find out how to recognize the common symptoms of stress, effective ways to manage it and learn about resources like the Rural Resilience Program. 00:00 - Eric Karbowski, Community Behavioral Health Extension Educator, Michi...
Aug 03, 2020•48 min
The air we breath, the water we drink and the ground we walk on are some things that many of us take for granted. Clear air, clean water and food are vital for life. For farmers, clean air, adequate water and healthy soils are vital to make a living. On this Our Ohio Weekly, learn how government agencies, private industries and farmers are helping to strike a balance between growing the food we eat while protecting the natural resources we need. 00:00 - The growth of prescription agriculture 02:...
Jul 27, 2020•48 min
What changes may have to happen so a derailment of our food supply never happens again? The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences recently hosted a webinar to cover the recent woes of America’s Food Supply System. 00:00 - Sustaining Our Food Supply Chain - Kurt Loudenback, CEO and owner of Grand Prairie Foods, Dr. Sally Rockey, Executive Director of the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research and Mike Townsley, Chairman, Bob Evans Farms/Post Refriger...
Jul 17, 2020•48 min
Things are far from normal as the COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of going away, but as the spread slowed and restrictions eased, Ohio began to open back up. Businesses are getting back to business and some of us will be able to enjoy a county fair this year, in one way, shape or form. On this Our Ohio Weekly, learn how county fairs are going about making their decisions for a 2020 event. Plus, a check in on an industry hit extremely hard by the pandemic, the horse racing industry. 00:00 - Ohio...
Jul 13, 2020•48 min
On this Our Ohio Weekly, learn about an amazing group with a mission of introducing veterans to agriculture. The Farmer Veteran Coalition was founded by Michael O’Gorman in 2008 with a handful of veterans looking to begin their farming careers. Today, there are 20,000 members and the organization is paving the way for more and more returning veterans to make the transition from the battlefield to a field of a completely different nature. 00:00 - Farmer Veteran Coalition CEO Michael O'Gorman 23:5...
Jul 06, 2020•48 min
Conversations about cover crops, conservation tillage, and water management are just some of the topics you will hear about when you tune in to the Field Work Podcast, which is now in its 2nd season. Field Work is dedicated to new discussions about agriculture, sustainability and the experiences of those on farming’s front lines. On this episode of Our Ohio Weekly, Ty chats with the podcast's co-hosts Zach Johnson and Mitchell Hora. 00:00 - Meet the Field Work Podcast crew 23:50 - Learn about Am...
Jun 23, 2020•48 min
