Ohio Farm Bureau Podcast

Farming often is listed as one of the most stressful occupations, yet most farmers say they wouldn’t trade it for any other job. However, stress that goes unrecognized and is not managed well can play havoc with the farm family and the farm operation. On this Our Ohio Weekly, find out how to recognize the common symptoms of stress, effective ways to manage it and learn about resources like the Rur...

The air we breath, the water we drink and the ground we walk on are some things that many of us take for granted. Clear air, clean water and food are vital for life. For farmers, clean air, adequate water and healthy soils are vital to make a living. On this Our Ohio Weekly, learn how government agencies, private industries and farmers are helping to strike a balance between growing the food we ea...

What changes may have to happen so a derailment of our food supply never happens again? The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences recently hosted a webinar to cover the recent woes of America’s Food Supply System. 00:00 - Sustaining Our Food Supply Chain - Kurt Loudenback, CEO and owner of Grand Prairie Foods, Dr. Sally Rockey, Executive Director of the Fou...

Things are far from normal as the COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of going away, but as the spread slowed and restrictions eased, Ohio began to open back up. Businesses are getting back to business and some of us will be able to enjoy a county fair this year, in one way, shape or form. On this Our Ohio Weekly, learn how county fairs are going about making their decisions for a 2020 event. Plus, a...

On this Our Ohio Weekly, learn about an amazing group with a mission of introducing veterans to agriculture. The Farmer Veteran Coalition was founded by Michael O’Gorman in 2008 with a handful of veterans looking to begin their farming careers. Today, there are 20,000 members and the organization is paving the way for more and more returning veterans to make the transition from the battlefield to...

Conversations about cover crops, conservation tillage, and water management are just some of the topics you will hear about when you tune in to the Field Work Podcast, which is now in its 2nd season. Field Work is dedicated to new discussions about agriculture, sustainability and the experiences of those on farming’s front lines. On this episode of Our Ohio Weekly, Ty chats with the podcast's co-h...

Venture capital, technology and innovation are all pretty common words used in places like Silicon Valley, but you can also see them put to work in rural America. On this Our Ohio Weekly, hear about how current innovations are being delivered to farmers of all types and how future inventions will make their way from a startup’s idea all the way to the farm. 00:00 - USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue 23:5...

Millions of acres of America’s agricultural land were developed or converted to uses that threaten farming between 2001 and 2016, according to “Farms Under Threat: The State of the States,” a new report by American Farmland Trust. How is Ohio being impacted? Get details of the report on Our Ohio Weekly. 00:00 - American Farmland Trust CEO John Piotti 16:50 - American Farmland Trust Midwest Directo...

Inspiring the less than 2% of those in agriculture to keep fighting for what the industry believes in. That is ag influencer Jay Hill’s goal. His story started with 10 acres and one tractor and is now over 17,000 acres with 120 employees. Now, he takes his phone all around the farm to share the good and the bad with his over 40,000 Instagram followers. Hear his message for farmers of all types on...

Over the past 2 months, as farmers and those all along Ohio’s food supply system have continued their essential work, Ohio Farm Bureau has been hard at work as well. Advocating and educating to help members and everyone involved in agriculture navigate through the many challenges brought on by COVID-19. On this Our Ohio Weekly, here from two leaders of Ohio’s largest farm organization about the ef...

There have been countless stories about the devastating blow that COVID-19 has landed on many industries, businesses and individuals. Millions of Ohioans are seeing their professional and personal situations becoming more challenging with every day that goes by. The Global Coronavirus pandemic has even wreaked havoc on those trying to help those in need, like food banks – who continue to feed as m...

A new study titled Eating 2020: How COVID-19 Will Change Consumer Engagement With Food, surveyed more than 1,800 participants and looked at purchasing trends before, during and after the COVID-19 stay-at-home restrictions. 00:00 - Learn about Ohio State University Extension's new local producer resource. 4:15 - Inspire PR Group's Hinda Mitchell gives insights from their Eating 2020: How COVID-19 W...

The Coronavirus pandemic has put a strain on just about every business sector across the country. One of the biggest impacts has been on the restaurant industry. The restaurants that will survive most likely have had to do things much differently than their original business model would allow. Some restaurants even morphed into what are now known as grocerants. Details on this unique concept that...

It is common practice in the military to put together contingency plans for those in the service and their families. These plans are developed for three phases...before deployment, during deployment and after deployment and they focus on trouble spots that many service men and women deal with, including morale, productivity and burnout. Turns out the idea of those types of contingency plans work f...

COVID-19 has impacted almost every sector of Ohio’s food production system and the range of that impact is far reaching. This week we’ll hear from the state’s commodity groups about how their farmers are being affected directly from the global coronavirus pandemic and the steps they are taking to keep our food supply readily available. 00:00 - Dr. John Newton, Chief Economist, American Farm Bureau...

As people age, they may need a caregiver. While that role can be fulfilling, it also can be exhausting and sometimes isolating. Anyone who cares for another likely has experienced the stress and possibly the feelings of helplessness that can come with taking care of an ailing person. Those feelings may be enhanced due to the concerns of older citizens during the COVID-19 crisis. Managing caregiver...

How is Ohio’s food system holding up amid the Coronavirus pandemic? Find out in this Our Ohio Weekly as Ty visits with representatives from sectors all along the food chain. Hear from Ohio Farm Bureau executive vice president Adam Sharp about how agriculture is being impacted, Ohio Restaurant Association CEO John Barker talks about the major hit his industry is taking, small farmer Bill Brown is a...

As usual with the annual Ohio Farm Bureau County Presidents’ Trip to Washington DC, there was not a lack of things to talk about when it comes to issues impacting agriculture and rural America. From Corona Virus, to new trade deals around the globe, the rural broadband here at home, Farm Bureau representatives made their voices heard about the topics that matter to them. This week on Our Ohio Week...

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Dorothy Pelanda announced earlier this year that $30 million in H2Ohio funding will be available for Ohio farmers in more than a dozen counties. The funds will be awarded as part of Governor DeWine’s H2Ohio plan to reduce agricultural phosphorus runoff and prevent algal blooms in Lake Erie. This week on Our Ohio Weekly, find out mor...

Shortly after the 2018 Farm Bill legalized industrial hemp, many states ramped up efforts to legalize the crop within their borders. For Ohio, that opportunity came just last year when Gov. Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 57 into law, which created a hemp cultivation license to be administered by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. ODA’s Executive Director of the agency’s hemp program will give us...

To help Ohio farmers and agribusinesses finance the up-front costs of this year’s growing season, Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague opened the application period for the Ag-LINK program early. Hear more about the program and how you can apply for an interest rate reduction. 00:00 - Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague 16:50 - Ohio's Forage Woes 23:50 - To the Beat of Agriculture - Tyrone and Megan Brannon 32...

00:00 - For the first time since small towns were settled, the number of deaths in rural America now outpaces births. Vast regions of the nation are literally dying. Or are they? In the new book Total Town Makeover, author Andrew McCrea takes you on a journey to places that are very much alive! 23:50 - To the Beat of Agriculture, meet Ohio 3rd grader and award winning cabbage grower Lola Robenstin...

It is no secret that agriculture is a hazardous occupation. From large equipment to heavy loads to unpredictable livestock, there is the possibility for an accident around every corner. This week is National Grain Bin Safety Week and Ty visits with experts from Ohio State for some tips to help minimize grain entrapment situations. 00:00 - Dee Jepsen and Lisa Pfieffer with Ohio State and Jason Berk...

There are many challenges facing agriculture today, from labor shortages to consumer perceptions to mental health and opioid addiction in rural Ohio to name a few. Those are just some of the difficult issues that were taken on recently by three contestants who took part in the 2020 Ohio Farm Bureau Discussion Meet. This week on Our Ohio Weekly, hear how they would tackle those obstacles in agricul...

00:00 - Food trends are changing rapidly as more and more consumers are choosing to have their groceries and their favorite restaurant food delivered right to their door. What impact does this have on the overall food system and how is the food service industry adapting to meet consumer needs? The Ohio Restaurant Association joins Ty Higgins to answer that question. 23:50 - A small gesture went a...