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Ohio Agriculture Women of the Year

May 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Nominations for the 2013 Ohio Agriculture Women of the Year Awards are being accepted.

The awards, to be presented by Ohio’s First Lady Karen Kasich and Ohio Agriculture Director Dave Daniels will be judged based on contributions to Ohio agriculture, leadership, advocacy in the agricultural community and impact on the agricultural industry.

“Last year, I was honored to meet and introduce our first four outstanding women chosen as Ohio Agriculture Women of the Year. Each woman was an amazing testament to strength, personal integrity, and success,” said Mrs. Kasich. “In the second full year of this program, I am looking forward to hearing the stories and celebrating the achievements of more strong women in agriculture.”

Nomination information is available here.

The nomination deadline is June 21.

 

Filed Under: Events/Organizations, News Tagged With: , ,

Additional funding for poultry testing

May 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment

CIMG5222_webWhile at the Statehouse earlier this week, for the breakfast reception to celebrate May as National Egg Month, Jim Chakares, Executive Vice President of the Ohio Poultry Association (OPA) talked with Brownfield about the increase in funding for poultry testing that was included in the House budget and why it’s important.

“The food safety side is so important to us, we take pride in producing a safe product, but we need that validation process, we run several tests to make sure the consumers are receiving safe, wholesome eggs,” said Chakares. “Those costs have gone up to the state, there’s been new requirements put in place, so there’s been a need for additional funding and we were pleased that the House saw that and recognized the value of providing that food safety funding.”

Chakares says they’re now working with members of the State Senate to makes sure the additional funding remains in the state budget.

Audio: Jim Chakares, Ohio Poultry Assn. (:55 mp3)

 

Filed Under: Livestock, News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , , ,

Director Daniels pulling for Ohio’s Farm Mom

May 9, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Ohio’s Director of Agriculture, Dave Daniels is pulling for Sue Roehm, the Northeast Region Finalist for Farm Mom of the Year and for good reason, Sue’s from Highliand County, the Director’s home county.

“Absolutely, Sue’s a great lady,” said Director Daniels. “It’s nice when people get recognized and have the opportunity to show, first of all that agriculture in this state is our number one industry, that we are being recognized nationally, I feel great for Sue, I’m going to vote for her as many times as I can.”

Audio: Director Dave Daniels, Ohio Department of Agriculture (:35 mp3)

To vote for Sue Roehm, or any of the Regional Finalists, go here.

The 2013 Farm Mom of the Year will be announced on Mother’s Day.

Filed Under: Events/Organizations, News Tagged With: , ,

Opportunities galore for FFA members

May 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Speaking at the Ohio FFA Recognition Luncheon on Thursday, May 2, Ohio Director of Agriculture, Dave Daniels said for FFA members across the state there are endless opportunities and an incredible future ahead of them.

“We’re going to have young folks who are going to decide to enter into any number of sciences that are ag based, every day we continue to find new uses for the products that we raise on Ohio’s farms, and one these young folks is going to be involved in that,” Director Daniels said. “There’s an endless opportunity and an endless future for these guys.”

In an interview with Brownfield the Director also reflected back to his days in the FFA.

“It gave me my first grounding in production agriculture,” Daniels said. “And by participating in Parliamentary Procedure, Public Speaking, there are a lot of things I do now and I think back it was my participation in those leadership organizations that helped shape my abilities to do those things now.”

Audio: Dave Daniels, Director, Ohio Department of Agriculture (3:00 mp3)

 

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Specialty crop grant proposals due

April 29, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Friday, May 3rd is the deadline to submit online grant proposals to the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) for the 2013 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.

The funds, for projects to promote crops such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and nursery crops are provided by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). Grants will range from a minimum of $25,000 to a maximum of $150,000. In addition, all applicants must provide a minimum match of 25 percent of the requested grant amount.

Information, including available forms is available here.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Crops, News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , ,

Grain handler’s law should be reviewed

April 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Even as Senate Bill 66, a bill that would make changes to the state’s grain indemnity program moves through the Ohio legislature, some groups, including the Ohio Farm Bureau, would like to see a comprehensive review of the entire grain handers program.

“We’ve encouraged lawmakers and the Department of Agriculture to work with us in the future,” said Brandon Kern, Director of State Policy at the Ohio Farm Bureau. “I don’t think that conversation will be a part of this bill, but in the future we would like to see a comprehensive review of the program, to make sure fits with how the industry operates today.”

Filed Under: Crops, News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , , ,

Proposed nutrient management legislation lacks clarity

April 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment

A draft of proposed changes to the Ohio Revised Code dealing with nutrient management has been released, but not yet introduced to the state legislature.

Larry Antosch, senior director of policy development and environmental policy at the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation talked with Brownfield about the changes.

“One part, under the Department of Agriculture focuses on developing a nutrient applicator certification program, similar to the restricted use pesticide applicator program,” Antosch said. “Basically if you’re going to be applying nutrients to more than 10 acres, you will have to have a certification.”

Antosch says the concern with the changes being proposed by the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) and Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is the lack of clarity.

“For example, the program that would be established to certify farmers to be able to apply nutrients, the details are all being left to a future rule making process,” Antosch said. “So, we have some general concepts, but we don’t know the details.”

The comment period on the proposed draft changes ends this Friday, April 5.

Audio: Larry Antosch, Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (9:05 mp3)

Filed Under: Crops, News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , ,

ODA inducts first Bicentennial Farm

March 12, 2013 By 1 Comment

Bob Fagan_Pickaway Co_Bicentennial Farm (1)_webDuring the kickoff of Ohio Agriculture Week on Monday, March 11, in Pickaway County, Agriculture Director Dave Daniels also inducted the Der Decker Baurenhoff Farm as the first farm in to the Ohio Bicentennial Farm Program.

“We have a Century Farm program that has about 930 farms in it,” said Director Daniels. “We thought it only fitting that we celebrate those farm families that have been in operation for 200 years and the Fagan Family here in Pickaway County is one of those farms.”

For Bob Fagan, the 6th generation to own the farm which was started by Luke Decker back in the early 1800’s, being recognized as the state’s first Bicentennial Farm is quite an honor.

“The original deed was signed by Thomas Jefferson and his Secretary of State James Madison and we have that on display here today,” said Fagan. “We have one book that takes our records back to pre-Revolutionary War times.”

Fagan says it’s kind of “spooky” walking around the house and farm, finding things that once belonged to his ancestors.

Audio: James “Bob” Fagan, Bicentennial Farm (8:00 mp3)

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Ohio Agriculture Week underway

March 12, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Director Dave Daniels_Bob and Irene Fagan (3)_webAgriculture Director Dave Daniels kicked off Ohio Agriculture Week on Monday, March 11 at the Fagan Farm in Pickaway County.

“We’ve got a lot of things planned,” Daniels said. “We’re gonna spend this week talking about agriculture and all that it means to not only to farmers, but to local communities, we’re gonna get out and make sure we shine a light on the state’s number one industry.”

Director Daniels tells Brownfield the message of Ohio Agriculture Week is that agriculture touches people’s lives in more ways than they might realize.

“We all recognize that the food on the plate came from the producer out there, but I think a lot of times we don’t realize that a lot of the fuels we use, the medical breakthroughs that happen, all those things happen as a result of agriculture,” said Daniels. “Its $105 billion annually to our Ohio economy, it represents one in every seven jobs, so there are a lot of people out there that this touches.”

Audio: Agriculture Director, Dave Daniels (3:55 mp3)

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Farmland Preservation takes new direction

January 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Ohio Farmland Preservation Ambassador Award Recipients (1)_webIn his remarks to kick-off the 13th annual Ohio Farmland Preservation Summit on Thursday, January 17, Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) Director, Dave Daniels shared with those attending a milestone reached in the state.

“As of the end of last year we have preserved our 50,000th acre of farmland,” Daniels said. “We have more in the pipeline every day that people want to see their land continue in agricultural production.”

Audio: Dave Daniels, Director, Ohio Department of Agriculture (2:20 mp3)

Also on the Summit program was Denise Franz King, Executive Director of the Office of Farmland Preservation at ODA. Franz King talked about a new farmland preservation program announced that takes the program in a new direction.

“We’re going to localize the statewide Agricultural Easement Purchase Program (AEPP), put more responsibility and more of the funding at the local level,” Franz King said.

The application process will begin February 1. More information is available by contacting the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Office of Farmland Preservation.

Audio: Denise Franz King, Office of Farmland Preservation, ODA (3:55 mp3)

During the opening session of the Ohio Farmland Preservation Summit, Director Daniels presented the Ohio Farmland Preservation Ambassador Award, the highest recognition for preservation efforts in the state to three individuals. Those recognized include Larry Frimerman, Three Valley Conservation Trust, serving Butler, Darke, Hamilton, Montgomery and Preble counties, Roger Wolfe, a Fairfield County farmer and Dan Jackson, Montgomery Soil and Water Conservation District.

Filed Under: Events/Organizations, News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , ,
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