COLUMBUS – Twenty Ohio Farm Bureau leaders are serving on the 2022 Ohio Farm Bureau Federation Policy Development Committee. The committee collects and organizes public policy recommendations from county Farm Bureaus and presents the final policy suggestions to be voted on by Ohio Farm Bureau’s delegates during the state annual meeting in December.

In its initial session, the committee heard from government leaders, subject matter experts and Farm Bureau staff on topics such as farmland preservation; the farm bill; SEC climate reporting at the farm level; funding alternatives for the gas tax; biosecurity measures to protect livestock from chronic wasting disease, highly pathogenic avian influenza and swine fever; and the U.S. EPA approval process for ag technology such as Enlist, atrazine, and others.

The policy committee consists of 10 members from Ohio Farm Bureau’s board of trustees and 10 representatives of county Farm Bureaus.

The committee is chaired by Ohio Farm Bureau First Vice President Cy Prettyman of New Bloomington and includes OFBF President Bill Patterson of Chesterland and Treasurer Lane Osswald of Eldorado. State trustees on the committee are Matt Bell of Zanesville, Mike Bensman of Sidney, Nathan Brown of Hillsboro, Paul Harrison of Fostoria, Rose Hartschuh of Sycamore, Jerry Lahmers of Newcomerstown and Kyle Walls of Mount Vernon.

County Farm Bureau representatives are Steve Berk of Montgomery County, Scott Bugg of Union County, Hannah DiVencenzo of Lorain County, Charles Ellington of Stark County, David Glass of Ross County, Isaac Gray of Auglaize County, Jenna Gregorich of Coshocton County, Robert Hange of Wayne County, Richard Maxwell of Perry County and Sheldon Miller of Ottawa County.

Ohio Farm Bureau’s mission is working together for Ohio farmers to advance agriculture and strengthen our communities. Learn more at ohiofarmbureau.org.