On June 28, by a vote of 96 to 1, the Ohio House passed House Bill 95, which could clear a major hurdle for the next generation of Ohio farmers and provide greater resilience to Ohio’s food system. HB 95, the Family Farm ReGeneration Act, will authorize tax credits for those who sell or rent farmland, livestock, buildings, or equipment to beginning farmers. It also provides a credit for beginning farmers who attend a financial management program. “Young farmers in Ohio are taking on the risks inherent in farming and working hard to build successful farm businesses. They are also facing significant obstacles that require creative policy solutions. Access to—and…

The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) invites you to spread your wings this summer with videos, farm tours, and workshops that will help you learn, grow, and connect. The 2021 OEFFA Sustainable Farm Tour and Workshop Series features four farm tours highlighting Ohio’s growing community of sustainable farmers and two online workshop series designed to help early career farmers build legal resilience and established farmers transfer their land to the next generation. The series also features 10 free video presentations from OEFFA’s 2021 online conference including practical production trainings, inspiring visions of a prosperous small farm future, honest reflections on 2020, and an insightful investigation of faith, food,…

Bold Climate and Agriculture Bill Introduced in Congress will Benefit Ohio Growers Today, Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA) in Congress, which outlines a farmer-focused, research-driven path to net zero agriculture. This Earth Week, the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) is proud to endorse this bill on behalf of our members as part of the solution to the climate crisis. The urgency of the climate crisis requires making U.S. agriculture resilient to climate impacts while moving the agricultural sector toward climate neutrality. Farmers and ranchers recognize the fundamental threat that the climate crisis poses to agriculture and our shared…

The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) has named the 2021 recipients of its Stewardship and Service awards. Jan Dawson and Andy Reinhart of Logan County received the Stewardship Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the sustainable agriculture community, and Steve Edwards of Warren County received the Service Award, which recognizes extraordinary service in support of sustainable agriculture. “Over the course of more than 40 years, this organization and the broader sustainable food and farm movement, have been built by the tireless efforts of farmers, conscientious consumers, educators, researchers, retailers, and others. It is breathtaking how far we’ve come, from a handful of folks with a shared vision to…

A farm vision focused on animal welfare, regenerative land practices, and rural revival will be the focus of a keynote address by fourth-generation cattleman Will Harris at the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association’s (OEFFA) 42nd annual conference, Our Time: Essential Links in a Strong Food Chain. In his Wednesday, February 10 keynote address, presented by Turner Farm, “Regenerating Land with Livestock,” Harris will describe how the farm’s holistic, polyculture production system for 10 species of livestock, zero-waste model, and on-farm meat processing have made White Oak Pastures the largest private employer in the county, while regenerating the land. “Our farm is creating more in terms of organic matter in…

Registration is now open for an interactive educational online conference for ecological farmers, backyard growers, and others committed to sustainable agriculture, local food, and green living.  The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association’s (OEFFA) 42nd annual conference, Our Time: Essential Links for a Strong Food Chain, will run Wednesday, February 10-Monday, February 15, 2021 and be accessible anywhere by phone and computer. “Through these challenging times of physical distance, more than ever, we need to be socially close,” said OEFFA Program Director Renee Hunt. “In that spirit, the online conference will be different, but with the same intent and result: sharing information so that we can all succeed, moving our food…

Columbus, Ohio—Today, the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA), the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), and farmers and ranchers from across the country delivered a letter to the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, urging Congress to support and invest in farming and rural communities to address the climate crisis. More than 2,100 independent farmers and ranchers in all 50 states— including more than 150 OEFFA farmers—signed the letter, representing farm families producing fruits and vegetables, dairy, livestock, grain, and more. The letter stresses the fundamental threat that the climate crisis poses to the viability of agriculture and the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers. “For a full month…

A coalition of statewide food and farm organizations has released a new 18 page report, Opportunity in a Time of Crisis: Recommendations for Building a More Resilient Ohio Food System. The report by the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA), Ohio Farmers Market Network (OFMN), Ohio Food Policy Network (OFPN), and Produce Perks Midwest (PPM) captures how local and regional food systems and nutrition assistance were impacted by COVID-19. It offers eight policy recommendations Ohio’s decision-makers can implement to invest in the capacity of Ohio’s farmers and farmers markets and build food security for vulnerable families. “COVID-19 paralyzed our country and broke many links in the centralized global food…