DELAWARE, Ohio – Ridgedale and Ridgemont FFA were each awarded $2,000 from the Ohio Small Grains Marketing Program (OSGMP), as part of a statewide competition among FFA chapters to increase awareness about the nutritional value of a whole grain diet, among other healthy behavior changes, at their schools.

Before their peers and a judging panel, FFA chapters showcased their “Food for Thought Challenge” campaign efforts at the 85th Ohio State FFA Convention May 2 at the Ohio State Fairgrounds.

Food for Thought FFA chapters included:

Clear Fork                                                      Mt. Gilead

Benjamin Logan                                             North Union

Eaton                                                                Northwestern

Fairlawn                                                          Twin Valley South

London                                                             Ridgedale

Miami East                                                      Ridgemont

Participating chapters submitted campaign proposals to OSGMP in September and based on the originality of their ideas, were granted $500 each in October to implement their campaigns.

Campaign tactics included the use of student food logs, organizing educational fairs with health-related groups and providing healthy snacks between classes.

Because of the effectiveness of each chapter’s campaign tactics, both Ridgedale and Ridgemont FFA tied for first place and were each presented with a $2,000 check to continue campaign activities.

FFA students at Ridgedale High School worked closely with kitchen staff to introduce more whole grains into the school’s daily menu. Food diaries and health classes educated students about nutrition. And, during the Ohio Graduation Tests, students ate whole-wheat snacks and granola bars to improve their concentration.

Like Ridgedale, Ridgemont refreshed its school menus to include more whole grains, increasing students’ whole grain consumption by 100 percent. Ridgemont also initiated blind taste tests, finding that 64 percent of students could not taste the difference between foods made with whole or processed grains.

Research projects helped freshman students at Ridgemont learn about global agriculture. And, to learn about food sources third graders visited a local dairy farm. Finally, Ridgemont FFA students took their campaign on the road, championing healthy eating habits at professional conferences throughout Ohio.

About Ohio Small Grains Marketing Program
The Ohio Small Grains Marketing Program Board works to improve wheat production, wheat qualities and to strengthen markets for wheat in Ohio as well as wheat export markets. OSGMP supports educational programs in the state and funds research programs to create better crops and open new markets. For more information, visit ohiosmallgrains.org.

DELAWARE, Ohio – The Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association appreciates the dedication of Congressman Bob Gibbs as he worked to help craft a farm bill as a member of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee. The farm bill was passed out of committee and now awaits action by the full body of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association Executive Director Tadd Nicholson, released the following statement in response to the House Agriculture Committee’s farm bill passage:

“We are pleased to see the House has followed the Senate’s example and kept the important safety-net that is crop insurance, as part of the farm bill. Crop insurance remains one of the most important tools available to Ohio farmers when they face circumstances beyond their control. There is still much work to be done and improvements to be made but we appreciate this effort. We will continue to push to move this process forward for the betterment of all Ohioans and agriculture, our number one industry.”

About The Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association

The Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association represents the interests of tens of thousands of corn and wheat growers throughout the state. OCWGA works in Washington, D.C., and at the Ohio Statehouse to ensure that government participation in legislation is beneficial to advancing the profitability of Ohio grains. For more information, visit ohiocornandwheat.org

Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association Executive Director Tadd Nicholson, released the following statement in response to the Senate Agriculture Committee’s farm bill passage:

“After facing one of the most difficult seasons in decades with the drought of 2012, we are pleased to see the Senate recognized the need and importance of a safety-net for Ohio’s farmers. The crop insurance program remains one of the most important tools available to Ohio farmers when they face circumstances beyond their control and we are grateful the committee chose to support the program. We recognize this is just the beginning of getting a farm bill passed through Congress, but we applaud those on the Senate Agriculture Committee for getting the process started.”

About The Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association

The Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association represents the interests of tens of thousands of corn and wheat growers throughout the state. OCWGA works in Washington, D.C., and at the Ohio Statehouse to ensure that government participation in legislation is beneficial to advancing the profitability of Ohio grains. For more information, visit ohiocornandwheat.org

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Ohio Corn Planted = 7%

Ohio Soybeans Planted = 1%

Winter Wheat Condition= 3% Poor, 23% Fair, 60% Good, 14% Excellent

There were four days suitable for field work in Ohio during the week ending May 5 according to the USDA and NASS. Reports from central and northern Ohio see farmers spraying and planting at full speed though southern Ohio still seems to be getting inundated with significant amounts of rain.

Ohio’s farmers committed to clean lakes and streams

It is vital that Ohio improves the quality of its waterways and, in particular, reduces the algae blooms in areas such as the western basin of Lake Erie. Our residents deserve clean water and in the public interest, The Columbus Dispatch has taken great strides to communicate the issue to readers.

Farmers share the concern about the quality of Ohio’s waterways and enjoy taking their families fishing in Ohio’s lakes and canoeing in Ohio’s rivers. Passion for the land and environment is a value shared by all Ohioans including farmers. Farmers not only take pride in putting food on kitchen and dining room tables, but also in sharing our abundant water resources.

Water quality issues did not become a problem overnight. In fact, different phosphorus related issues were present in the 1970s and were successfully solved with the aid of Ohio’s farmers, who made voluntary improvements to how they farmed their land. So history shows that farmers have improved their farming practices to address water-quality problems and they are rising to the challenge once again.

There are many sources of phosphorus that are beyond farmers’ control. For example, industrial pollution, private septic systems, municipal waste from failed sewer systems and urban storm runoff are other, non-agricultural sources.

Research is critical because many questions remain regarding nutrients such as phosphorus getting into waterways. For example, algae blooms are occurring in areas with little to no agricultural activity and outside the state’s population centers.

Farmers are taking action and funding research to do their fair share to help keep our waterways clean. With an investment of more than $1 million, Ohio’s agricultural organizations –including the Ohio Soybean Council, Ohio Small Grains Marketing Program and the Ohio Corn Marketing Program – have partnered with The Ohio State University (OSU), OSU Extension and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service to do on-farm, edge-of-field testing to determine the best way to keep nutrients on the farm to better ensure we have healthy watersheds.

This research project, already in progress, will determine new insights into how phosphorus is used in agriculture, how it leaves farm fields and how much of it is actually entering Ohio waterways.

Equipment is being placed in strategic locations throughout the state to collect continuous and extensive data. OSU researchers and the USDA will examine previous water quality studies, collect new data and validate the best possible farming practices to keep phosphorus on the fields. The results will serve as the basis for developing farmer decision-making tools that will help to reduce the impact on the environment and help keep nutrients on the field to feed the crops as intended.

While the research will help better identify issues and lead to more definitive solutions, farmers are not sitting idle and waiting for the results. Farmers across Ohio have been and will continue to take action to contain nutrients on their farmland.

Overall, the use of phosphorus has declined in Ohio. With better crop varieties and more advanced farm equipment, farmers strive for precision when applying the right source of fertilizer at the right time, right place and right amount, thus producing more with less. This is known as 4R Stewardship. Tools and resources – from in-person classes to online seminars – assist farmers in how to implement 4R Stewardship.

To help reduce the loss of fertilizer from fields, farmers are creating customized nutrient management plans that account for different soil types, crop rotations, water flow and nutrient needs. These are just a few examples of how Ohio farmers are continuously working to manage resources efficiently and reduce waste.

Just as farmers work tirelessly to produce bountiful crops each year, we dedicate that same commitment to addressing water quality. Clean water is everyone’s business.

Respectfully submitted by:

Brent Hostetler
Farmer representative of Ohio’s corn, soybean and wheat organizations
Plain City, Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio – While many factors and sources affect water quality, Ohio corn, soybean and wheat farmers want to be part of the solution and do their part to maintain and improve the health of Ohio’s waterways. Ohio farmers share the same environmental priorities as their fellow citizens and are committed to doing the right thing for their farms, their families and all Ohioans.

As a result, farmers and other agricultural organizations are investing nearly $1 million to commission a study to investigate phosphorus use in farming. This three-year project, led by The Ohio State University (OSU), OSU Extension and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS), will determine how phosphorus is used in agriculture, how it leaves farm fields and how much of it is actually entering Ohio waterways.

How phosphorus moves from fields to waterways has never before been explored in such detail in Ohio.

“Farmers have answered the call to address water quality challenges in the past and they are committed to do so again,” said Terry McClure, Ohio farmer from Paulding County. “However, the issues we face with phosphorus today are different than those in the past. That is why research is a vital part of developing the necessary tools for every region, every farm and every watershed.”

Equipment has been placed in strategic locations at the edge of farm fields throughout the state to collect continuous and extensive data. OSU scientists will examine previous water quality studies, collect new data and provide farmers the information they need to make the right decisions for the environment and their farms.

Farmer and agricultural organizations that have provided funding for the research include Ohio Corn Marketing Program, the Ohio Soybean Council, Ohio Small Grains Marketing Program, The Andersons, Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, Luckey Farmers Cooperative, Nachurs, Paulding County Farm Bureau, Schlessman Seeds, Trupointe Cooperative and the United Soybean Board.

To date, all funding partners have committed over $950,000 to support the project. In 2012, the initial research funding was matched when OSU received a Conservation Innovation Grant of $999,987 from USDA.

“While this research project will provide tools for farmers, it’s important to remember there are multiple sources that contribute to the water quality problem that are beyond farmers’ control, including private septic systems, urban storm runoff, industrial pollution and municipal waste from failed sewer systems,” said Mark Thomas, Ohio farmer from Stark County. “Ohio’s corn, soybean and wheat farmers are dedicated to doing their part to improve Ohio’s waterways because clean water is everyone’s business.”

About The Ohio Corn Marketing Program
The Ohio Corn Marketing Program was approved by an affirmative vote of Ohio’s corn producers. The voluntary, self-help program allows for the collection of a half cent-per-bushel assessment by all first purchasers of the grain. Funds from the program can only be invested for research, market development, education and promotion purposes. Visit www.ohiocorn.org for more information.

About Ohio Soybean Council
Headquartered in Worthington, the Ohio Soybean Council is governed by a volunteer farmer board, which directs the Soybean Promotion and Research Program. The program’s primary goal is to improve soybean profitability by targeting research and development, education and promotion projects through the investment of farmer-contributed funds (checkoff). www.soyohio.org

About Ohio Small Grains Marketing Program
The Ohio Small Grains Marketing Program Board works to improve wheat production, wheat qualities and to strengthen markets for wheat in Ohio as well as wheat export markets. OSGMP supports educational programs in the state and funds research programs to create better crops and open new markets. For more information, visit ohiosmallgrains.org

As chair of the Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Jobs, Rural Economic Growth, and Energy Innovation, Senator Brown fought for a sensible five-year farm package. He has continued his work to improve upon programs like ACRE and was a key supporter of developing a safety-net for farms during uncertain times like the drought that plagued the nation during 2012. He also openly challenged his colleagues to help bring the farm bill to the floor for a vote.

Congressman Gibbs was vocal in his support of a balanced five-year farm bill and continued to push for a compromise and final passage. The congressman was also the lead sponsor of H.R. 872, a bill that would help farmers and many other entities from facing duplicative and unnecessary financial and administrative burdens in order to comply with various federal permits.

As the 2013 year unfolds, agriculture will continue to look to leaders like Brown and Gibbs to champion important work on the farm bill and other pieces of legislation that might affect Ohio’s No.1 industry.

About Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association

The Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association (OCWGA) advocates on behalf of tens of thousands of corn and wheat growers throughout the state. OCWGA works in our state and national capitals to best represent the public-policy interests of Ohio’s grain farmers and focuses on domestic and international issues that affect the success of Ohio’s corn and wheat markets. For more information, visit ohiocornandwheat.org.

DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio’s corn farmers experienced extreme weather during the 2012 growing season, yet in spite of historic challenges a plentiful yield was produced, according to the Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association (OCWGA). The results of the 2012 season are borne out in the annual crop report released recently by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Facing what published reports cited as the broadest and most intense drought since 1956; corn farmers in Ohio and across the Midwest faced significant obstacles. In Ohio, the USDA declared an emergency state of drought for 85 of Ohio’s 88 counties.

“Ohio’s corn growers are resilient and work hard from planting to harvest to produce a quality, bountiful crop each year,” said OCWGA President Brent Hostetler. “Corn growers met obstacles along the way, but best farming practices and improved technology helped them contribute to our nation’s eighth-largest crop in recorded history despite the drought.”

Each year, improvements are made in agriculture, from more advanced seed varieties to more effective and efficient machinery, according to Hostetler.

While there is no doubt the drought has affected the crop and supplies are tighter than in years past, the United States will still have over 500 million bushels of unused corn. That is enough corn to fill the Empire State building 18 times. Even with the reduced amount of corn, farmers were still able to fill all the needs for consumers, livestock producers and the food industry, as well as continuing to bolster the country’s domestic fuel supply through ethanol.

Ohio’s corn farmers certainly won’t forget the drought of 2012 anytime soon, but they are already looking forward to spring and the opportunity to sow a new crop.

About Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association
The Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association (OCWGA) advocates on behalf of tens of thousands of corn and wheat growers throughout the state. OCWGA works in our state and national capitals to best represent the public-policy interests of Ohio’s grain farmers and focuses on domestic and international issues that affect the success of Ohio’s corn and wheat markets. For more information, visit ohiocornandwheat.org

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