Country Life

The United Kingdom on was given the green light to begin the process of joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The UK formally applied to join CPTPP in February. “CPTTP membership is a huge opportunity for Britain. It will help shift our economic center of gravity away from Europe towards faster-growing parts of the world, and deepen our access to massive consumer markets in the Asia-Pacific,” said UK Trade Secretary Liz Truss.

The CPTPP includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam, some of the world’s largest pork-consuming nations. The UK government plans to publish its outline approach, scoping assessment and consultation response before negotiations start in the coming weeks, Truss noted.

One of U.S. agriculture’s top trade priorities is for the U.S to re-join CPTPP, which would provide significant, new market opportunities for U.S. exporters. In related news, the UK announced this week that it is seeking to strike a trade agreement with Australia by mid-June.… Continue reading

Speaking of young scholars, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is looking for highly motivated high school students who are driven by their passion for Ohio’s great outdoors to serve on the Conservation Teen Advisory Council (ConTAC), a statewide network of student leaders working together to enhance ODNR’s youth outreach and program efforts. 

“The students who have been part of our past two ConTAC classes have been so bright, passionate, and driven. We really valued their input. I look forward to this next group of applicants,” said Mary Mertz, ODNR Director. “This is a great opportunity for these young people to learn about and participate in the work we do preserving our state’s natural resources. The skills they acquire as part of ConTAC will help them in any future endeavors, no matter what profession they pursue.” 

ConTAC members will develop and implement innovative and practical ideas that empower young people to protect and preserve Ohio’s natural resources, according to the ODNR.… Continue reading

By Jeffrey K Lewis, Research Specialist, Ohio State University Agricultural & Resource Law Program

Texas Agriculture Commissioner, Sid Miller, announced a new tool in their war against feral hogs within the state.  HogStop, a new hog contraceptive bait enters the market this week.  HogStop is being released in hopes of curbing the growth of the feral hog population.  According to recent reports, the feral hog population in Texas has grown to over 2.6 million.  It is estimated that the feral hogs in Texas have been responsible for $52 million in damage.  

HogStop is an all-natural contraceptive bait that targets the male hog’s ability to reproduce.  HogStop is considered a 25(b) pesticide under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (“FIFRA”), which allows Texas to use it without registering the product.  Commissioner Miller thinks HogStop is a more humane way to curb the feral hog population in Texas and hopes that it is the answer to controlling the impact that feral hogs have on farmers and ranchers.  … Continue reading

By Dr. Christina Canfield, Huron County

I value my “family’’ of patients and neighbors in Huron County, where I have been practicing for more than 26 years. I love working in a small town full of caring people, and it’s been brutal to see some of those people sickened by or, worse, dead from COVID-19.

I would have done anything to save our community from the heartache and health issues we have faced for more than 15 months as a result of this pandemic. I want this health crisis to be over just as much as the rest of you do. I want to return to normal. That’s why I have gotten a COVID vaccine. And I have encouraged my family, friends and co-workers to do the same.

That’s why I am taking the time to truly listen to my patients — and anyone who asks me — who want to talk about the vaccines, who have some hesitancy or outright fear of getting one.… Continue reading

Sunrise Cooperative has announced the addition of nine team members as an extension of its RISE FFA Career Program. The new members of the Sunrise team are full-time employees and the inaugural class of Sunrise University.
Sunrise University is an expansion of the RISE FFA Career Program. In 2021, Sunrise has offered a full-time position to nine individuals. These new employees will learn all facets of the cooperative to expand their knowledge in agriculture. Their employment will allow Sunrise to grow our own team with dedicated employees that have learned from the start about Sunrise and our customer-owners. The recent graduates will build their career paths through first-hand experience in what we have coined as Sunrise University.
The inaugural class of Sunrise University includes Zach Allgyre (Seneca East FFA), Colton Boyer (Clear Fork FFA), Hannah Cleveland (Bellevue FFA), Brayden Cole (Lorain County JVS FFA), Shaun Hall (Shelby FFA), Eli Ott (Monroeville FFA), Dan Utz (Buckeye Central FFA), Jacob Walters (Van Buren FFA) and Seth Wells (Miami East FFA).… Continue reading

The Ohio AgriBusiness Association will recognize outstanding leaders in the agribusiness industry through the OABA Industry Excellence Awards.

OABA has a distinguished history of providing educational opportunities to its member companies and their employees. The Industry Excellence Awards are OABA’s next step to recognizing stories of professionalism, stewardship and excellencewithin the agribusiness industry.

“Our industry is filled with stories of outstanding leaders who go above and beyond for their companies and customers,” said Chris Henney, president and CEO of OABA. “By recognizing and honoring these individuals, we raise the bar for theentire agribusiness industry.”

OABA member company employees can now be nominated for three award opportunities: Achievement as an Emerging Leader, Excellence in Customer Service and Excellence in Safety & Stewardship.

Nominations can be submitted by any industry professional, but the nominee must work for an OABA member company. Nominations must be submitted by July 30, 2021.

Award recipients will be recognized at the 2022 OABA Industry Conference on Jan. 26. Winners will receive complimentary registration and lodging for the conference, recognition in industry publications and a $1,000 cash award, sponsored by Assured Partners – ABIS/J.H. … Continue reading

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced earlier the availability of up to $4 million for grants to support the development of urban agriculture and innovative production projects. USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovation Production is accepting proposals for planning and innovation projects, and these grants are part of USDA’s broader efforts to support urban agriculture.  
“Urban agriculture can play an important role in food justice and equity,” said Mark VanHoose, Ohio Farm Service Agency Acting State Executive Director.

USDA will accept applications on Grants.gov until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 30, 2021.
“Such projects have the potential to educate, innovate, and unify communities to improve nutrition and food access and increase local food production in urban areas,” said John Wilson, Natural Resources Conservation Service Acting State Conservationist in Ohio.

Implementation projects
Implementation projects that accelerate existing and emerging models of urban, indoor and other agricultural practices that serve multiple farmers.… Continue reading

By Kolt Buchenroth, Ohio Ag Net

There’s been a major milestone reached in Ohio’s crusade to expand rural broadband access. Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 2 in May that provides $20 million this fiscal year to expand access and created the Ohio Broadband Expansion Program.

“Internet service providers can start connecting households that weren’t economically viable to connect previously,” said Jenna Reese, director of state policy with the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation.

The bill was passed with an emergency clause which allows for immediate implementation as opposed to the normal 90-day implementation period. 

“This will allow the Development Services Agency to start working on rules to administer this program,” Reese said. “Allowing the program to get off the ground will help us have a robust program that we can continue funding later.”

That funding will come at a sum of $200 million — including some federal funds — in the state budget to expand the program.… Continue reading

By Rick McNary, vice president of Strategic Partnerships for The Outreach Program

I didn’t think they could do it, but they proved me wrong. 

I was so sure the Belmont County Farm Bureau would not hit their goal of packaging 22,222 bags of meals for their school’s Backpack Program, that I was already scheduling a truck to pick up the unused ingredients. But I underestimated the power of one man with a vision and the power of farmers to unite a community to care for its own. 

I have spent more than 10 years engaging volunteers across America in meal-packaging events, so I know what it takes to raise money and to organize hundreds of volunteers. Therefore, when Devin Cain told me their fund-raising goal of $43,000 and the short window of time to raise the money, I was skeptical. But the real kicker was when he told me they weren’t going to have volunteer registration.… Continue reading

By Ivory Harlow

The Hocking County Farm Bureau and Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Center for Cooperatives partnered to create an innovative online experience for high school students to discover and explore careers in agricultural cooperatives. 

The virtual experience launched in May 2021. It is accessible through a website called Youth Cooperative Leadership Experience Online. The website features innovative and exciting ag co-op career content that teachers can easily build into classroom learning during the 2021 school year and beyond. The open-access format also allows students to visit the website outside of class to learn from leaders in the agricultural industry.

The virtual program is free and available to all educators and students, but was designed to speak the unique challenges students face in rural Appalachian counties. According to the Appalachian Regional Commission, only 9.8% of Appalachian residents age 25 to 64 obtain an associate’s degree and 21.8% of residents in central Appalachia obtain a bachelor’s degree.… Continue reading

Farm life can be demanding and stressful, and the mental health challenges that come with it is an ongoing problem. Ohio Farm Bureau has been a part of many initiatives to raise mental health awareness and reduce stigma surrounding the issue in rural communities. Yvonne Lesicko, former Ohio Farm Bureau vice president of public policy who died unexpectedly in June 2020, was one of the leaders who helped to create the state’s “Got Your Back” farm stress coalition.

The Yvonne Lesicko Memorial Fund was created last year to recognize her life and career. The fund, within the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation, was established to support the causes and initiatives that she cared so deeply about, including farmer mental health. To date, due to the generosity of more than 300 donors, the fund has raised more than $80,000.

The Yvonne Lesicko Perseverance Prize, the “Y Prize” for short, is a new award created by the fund.… Continue reading

By Jim Noel, NOAA

The climate has been on a wild roller coaster. After a cool early May, late May was really warm bringing temperatures for May to near normal. Rainfall has also been on a roller coaster.

For June we expect the roller coaster to continue with the trend being your friend. Confidence is not high in the outlooks as our models have struggled a little. The soil moisture you have in the ground is a great predictor (30-50% of the total weight) of your potential outcome for rainfall in the summer. Dry areas tend to stay drier and wet areas tend to stay wetter. 

The June outlook calls for slightly warmer than normal temperatures (with some big swings still). It may start off a little cooler before turning warmer than normal again.  Rainfall favors not far from normal north and wetter than normal far south. Confidence is low in the northwest area of the state where it could also end a bit drier as storms keep missing that area.… Continue reading

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced an initiative to quantify the climate benefits of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts. This multi-year effort will enable USDA to better target CRP toward climate outcomes and improve existing models and conservation planning tools while supporting USDA’s goal of putting American agriculture and forestry at the center of climate-smart solutions to address climate change.

“CRP is a powerful tool for implementing voluntary, measurable conservation outcomes to mitigate the impacts of climate change,” said Zach Ducheneaux, FSA Administrator. “Nearly 21 million acres currently enrolled in the program prevent the equivalent of more than 12 million tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. Further quantifying program benefits will allow us to better target CRP to achieve continued climate wins across environmentally sensitive lands while strengthening our modeling and conservation planning resources for all producers.”

 FSA has historically worked with partners to identify Monitoring, Assessment and Evaluation (MAE) projects to quantify CRP environmental benefits to water quality and quantity, wildlife and rural economies.… Continue reading

By Leisa Boley Hellwarth

Missouri was the first state to pass a truth in labeling law. And Missouri was the first state to have the constitutionality of the law challenged.

            On Aug. 28, 2018, Missouri Rev. Code Sec. 265.494(7) became law. This Statute prohibits the misrepresentation of a product as meat if the product does not come from harvested production livestock or poultry. Producers that violate the law could face up to one year in prison as well as a fine of $1,000, as a violation is deemed a class A misdemeanor.

            To date, the following states have enacted similar laws: Nebraska, Wyoming, Virginia, Montana, South Dakota; Alabama; Georgia; South Carolina; Maine; Arkansas; Mississippi; Louisiana and Oklahoma. The laws seek to prohibit companies selling alternative protein sources, such as plant-based or cell-cultured products, from advertising and marketing them as meat.

            The day before the Statute took effect, Plaintiffs brought a civil rights action in the U.S.… Continue reading

By Karen Mancl

Every day in the news we hear a lot about testing. COVID-19 tests give us assurance that we are not sick and passing on the virus. School testing is looking at student progress in the wake of virtual learning. But what about the water we use in the home? If you pay a water bill, the water company must test the water and send you a report once a year in the water bill. They must also notify you if the water exceeds safe limits. However, if your home is served by a private well, no tests are required. It is up to the property owner to test the water to ensure that it is safe to use for their family and visitors.

Fortunately, in Ohio more than two dozen testing labs accept water samples from the public to test it for bacteria contamination or toxic chemicals like lead.… Continue reading

By Dusty Sonnenberg, CCA, Ohio Field Leader: a project of the Ohio Soybean Council and soybean checkoff

When COVID-19 hit, it was not uncommon for shoppers at many grocery stores to find nearly empty shelves. At the time, George Duggan had no idea how much the pandemic would also impact his business. A veteran of Internet marketing for over 20 years, specializing in registering domain names and websites, Duggan is the founder of EatFromFarms.com. 

“I always had an interest in the local food movement, and eating healthy,” Duggan said. 

Out of that interest came the idea of EatFromFarms.com. 

“Seven years ago, we launched the website and on-line farm store builder,” he said. “We currently serve over 150 farms and are still growing, helping them create websites and on-line stores.” 

Headquartered in the Albany, New York area, eatfromfarms.com is a family business that initially started helping farmers in the Northeast United States, but now has helped farms all across the country, as far away as Alaska, and also up into Canada.… Continue reading

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is investing up to $15 million to support the development of new tools, approaches, practices and technologies to further natural resource conservation on private lands through the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program.

 CIG partners use creative problem solving and innovation to address our nation’s water quality, air quality, soil health and wildlife habitat challenges, all while improving agricultural operations. This year, funded CIGs will focus on climate-smart strategies for water resources, soil health (focused on carbon sequestration and climate resilience), nutrient management, grazing lands conservation and strategies to increase conservation adoption.  

 “Through Conservation Innovation Grants, we’re able to co-invest with partners on the next generation of agricultural conservation solutions,” said NRCS Chief Terry Cosby. “Using creative problem solving and innovation, CIG partners work to address our nation’s most pressing natural resource concerns, all while helping to ensure the health and longevity of American agriculture.”… Continue reading

Researchers have identified and completed the genetic analysis of a newly discovered coronavirus — one that has evolved from a coronavirus that afflicts dogs to one that infects people and may contribute to respiratory illness.

The discovery of the first dog coronavirus found to have crossed over to infecting people underscores the treacherous nature of coronaviruses and the need to monitor animal viruses as a way of predicting possible threats to public health, researchers say. 

“At this point, we don’t see any reasons to expect another pandemic from this virus, but I can’t say that’s never going to be a concern in the future,” said Anastasia Vlasova, an assistant professor in The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).

She conducted the study with Gregory C. Gray, a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases of the Duke University School of Medicine, and Teck-Hock Toh, a professor at SEGi University in Sarawak, Malaysia.… Continue reading

By Matt Reese

A long-time haunt for agricultural students in the shadow of the downtown Columbus skyline is building upon its unique history and location on The Ohio State University campus. The Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory already has a little bit of all things agricultural and there are a number of updates and changes on the way that will allow the options and potential to grow.

“People know the tradition and history of enhancing educational opportunities, thinking about the connectivity and excitement around career paths in food, agricultural and environmental sciences, and that is a priority for the College. We achieve many of those goals through our Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory,” said Dewey Mann, director. “We want to showcase the breadth of Ohio agriculture. We see this as an exciting platform for public engagement. If you are going to have a comprehensive University where hort and crop science faculty interact with medical center faculty, you have to have a physical space for them to do their work and come together.… Continue reading

On May 17 Governor Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 109 into law, providing the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) $4.7 million in grant funding to distribute evenly to all 94 county and independent agricultural societies. As a result, ODA will be allocating $50,000 to each agricultural society to be used on their operating expenses, projects, or any other items related directly to the fair.

“Ohio’s fairs not only provide us fond memories of our childhood, they are also important to our local communities and provide a valuable forum for the next generation of responsible food producers,” said Dorothy Pelanda, Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. “We sincerely thank Governor DeWine and the General Assembly for this generous support of our fairs that have lost significant revenue and have struggled over the past year. It is my hope that this funding can help breathe new life into our fairs as they move toward a successful 2021 season.”… Continue reading