OEFFA News

Columbus, OH—The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA), a statewide organization promoting sustainable and organic agriculture, is raising serious questions about the state of Ohio’s coal mine permitting and remediation funding processes, following news that Westmoreland Coal Company, which has 64 mines in Ohio, has filed for bankruptcy. . “It’s unbelievable that the state could issue permits to a mining company currently in bankruptcy proceedings,” said OEFFA Policy Program Coordinator Amalie Lipstreu. “We shouldn’t be gambling Ohio taxpayer money and our rural communities on a collapsing industry.” . Westmoreland, and its local subsidiary Oxford Mining Company, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on October 9. Despite being financially insolvent, the…

For Immediate Release: June 13, 2018 Contact: Amalie Lipstreu, OEFFA Policy Program Coordinator (614) 421-2022, amalie@oeffa.org Lauren Ketcham, OEFFA Communications Coordinator (614) 421-2022, lauren@oeffa.org Columbus, OH–Today, in the process of passing a 2018 Farm Bill, the Senate Committee on Agriculture Nutrition and Forestry passed a strong draft farm bill by a vote of 20 to 1. “The Senate Agriculture Committee worked across party lines and produced a comprehensive bill correcting many of the shortfalls in the failed House bill,” said Amalie Lipstreu, Policy Program Coordinator for the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA). The Senate bill scales up investments in local and regional food and farm markets which provide…

For Immediate Release: May 3, 2018  . Contact: Lauren Ketcham, Communications Coordinator, (614) 421-2022 Ext. 203, lauren@oeffa.org Eric Pawlowski, Sustainable Agriculture Educator, (614) 421-2022 Ext. 209, eric@oeffa.org   Columbus, OH—The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) and its partners invite you to stroll through organic fields, learn about pastured livestock production and forest farming, consider a career in farming, discover how to grow and prepare nutrient-dense food, learn how to scale up vegetable production and improve marketing strategies, or take advantage of other learning opportunities during the 2018 Sustainable Farm Tour and Workshop Series. In addition to OEFFA’s 20 summer farm tours, workshops, and special events, five urban agriculture-focused…

For Immediate Release: April 16, 2018 .  Contact: Amalie Lipstreu, OEFFA Policy Program Coordinator, (614) 421-2022, amalie@oeffa.org Lauren Ketcham, OEFFA Communications Coordinator, (614) 421-2022, lauren@oeffa.org   .  COLUMBUS, OH—The draft farm bill released last week by House Agriculture Chairman Conaway (R-TX) does not adequately address farmers’ needs or protect natural resources, according to the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA). While the 2014 Farm Bill included mandatory funding for the Farmers’ Market and Local Food Promotion Program, the current House draft eliminates all mandatory funding, necessitating a yearly battle to secure resources for programs that provide local communities with healthy food and provide high value markets for many beginning…

For Immediate Release: February 19, 2018 . Contact: Carol Goland, OEFFA Executive Director—(614) 421-2022 Ext. 202, cgoland@oeffa.org Lauren Ketcham, OEFFA Communications Coordinator—(614) 421-2022 Ext. 203, lauren@oeffa.org  . Press Release    . COLUMBUS, OH—The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) has named the 2018 recipients for the Stewardship and Service awards. . Larry and Cynthia Ringer of Stark County received the Stewardship Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the sustainable agriculture community, and Sean McGovern of Franklin County received the Service Award, which recognizes extraordinary service in support of sustainable agriculture. . The announcements were made on Saturday, February 17 in Dayton as part of OEFFA’s 39th annual conference, A…

Contact: Amalie Lipstreu, OEFFA Policy Program Coordinator, (614) 947-1607, amalie@oeffa.org Lauren Ketcham, OEFFA Communications Coordinator, (614) 947-1643, lauren@oeffa.org   Media Advisory  . What: Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) will provide remarks and receive the OEFFA Food and Farm Champion Award from the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, as part of OEFFA’s 39th annual conference, A Taste for Change. The award will recognize Senator Brown’s commitment to sustainable agriculture and his leadership in making positive investments in local food systems, community economic development, and public health. When: Friday, February 16—3:45 p.m. If you would like to attend to see the award presentation and remarks, please contact lauren@oeffa.org by February 9 to…

For Immediate Release: January 22, 2018 Contact: Amalie Lipstreu, OEFFA Policy Program Coordinator, (614) 421-2022, amalie@oeffa.org Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association Urges Farmers to Apply Before the March 2018 Deadline Columbus, Ohio—On January 19, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced that farmers have until March 2, 2018 to submit an initial FY 2018 application for the nation’s largest working lands program, the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). More than 72 million acres across the country—roughly 8 percent of all agricultural land—and more than 300,000 acres in Ohio are currently enrolled in whole-farm conservation contracts. The significant amount of working lands already enrolled in CSP,…

For Immediate Release: January 3, 2018 Contact: Lauren Ketcham, Communications Coordinator, (614) 421-2022, lauren@oeffa.org Sabrina Pritchett, CSU Associate Director of Public Relations and Marketing, (937) 376-6323, spritchett@centralstate.edu . Urban agriculture offers accessible opportunities for individuals to make a living farming, gain practical educational and job training, and provide communities with healthy, local food. Empowering urban farmers to take advantage of these opportunities and helping them succeed in urban agriculture is the focus of a six-part workshop track presented by Ohio’s newest 1890 land-grant institution, Central State University Extension (CSUE). The workshop track is part of the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association’s (OEFFA) 39th annual conference, A Taste for Change,…