Legal with Leah

What is zoning, what does it regulate and how does someone know if they have zoning in their area? In this Legal with Leah, Ohio Farm Bureau Policy Counsel, Leah Curtis, covers those questions and shares that even though there can be zoning in rural areas, there are limitations in the law when it comes to agriculture.

On the previous Legal with Leah, Ohio Farm Bureau's Policy Counsel, Leah Curtis talked all about the EPA side of open burning, now we are back to talk about one more aspect of open burning that landowners need to be aware of.

The Ohio Landowner Toolkit, a resource exclusively for Ohio Farm Bureau members, has been updated. Our experts on staff, including Policy Counsel Leah Curtis, providing members with the latest information, guidance and critical information on land ownership, use, and management. For this Legal with Leah, we kick off a series of topics covered in the Toolkit, starting with open burning.

In this Legal with Leah Podcast, Ohio Farm Bureau's Policy Counsel Leah Curtis sheds light on a case from Saskatchewan, Canada, where a farmer must follow through on a $82,000 contract for flax which was confirmed via a text message stream answered by a thumbs-up emoji.

Property taxes are one of the biggest expenses farmers face each year, and the CAUV program saves Ohio farmers millions of dollars each year. Lots of news coming out about those CAUV values this year, so that is the topic covered with Leah Curtis, Policy Counsel with Ohio Farm Bureau for this Legal with Leah.

We continue a series of Legal with Leah Podcasts on the topic of labor. We have covered minimum wage and minors in the workforce. Now we move to overtime laws with Leah Curtis, Policy Counsel for Ohio Farm Bureau. Learn all about the basic laws, exemptions and considerations you should make when it comes to overtime.

As we near the end of summer, farmers may have some high school students or other local kids working for them, but back to school time may mean some different limitations on those employees. On this Legal with Leah Podcast, Ohio Farm Bureau Policy Council Leah Curtis shares what employers need to know about minors in the workforce.

Everyone is aware of the requirements to pay minimum wage, but there are some exemptions for agriculture that are good to keep in mind if you are a farm employer. On this Legal with Leah, Ohio Farm Bureau Policy Counsel, Leah Curtis, covers minimum wage laws and how exemptions are not always what the market requires.

The Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that the EPA went too far with its enforcement of the Clean Water Act, a huge ruling for farmers and landowners that could have a major impact on the Waters of the U.S. Rule. To talk more about it is Ohio Farm Bureau Policy Counsel, Leah Curtis, for this Legal with Leah.

Direct marketing at farmers markets is a great way to sell your products and connect with your local community and we have seen a booming interest when it comes to selling and buying locally over the past 3 years. On this Legal with Leah, Ohio Farm Bureau's Policy Counsel, Leah Curtis fills us in on what we need to know as far as licensing goes for selling at a farmers market or even for goods mad...

Ohio Farm Bureau and the Union County Farm Bureau have been involved in a court case, Columbia Gas of Ohio v. Bailey Family/Arno Renner Trust, with potential impacts to farmland preservation programs. A long awaited decision in that important eminent domain case came out recently and Ohio Farm Bureau Policy Counsel, Leah Curtis, breaks in all down in this Legal with Leah.

A second U.S. District Court ruled to halt the 2023 Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule. This ruling stops implementation of the rule in 24 states, including Ohio. For this Legal with Leah, Ty Higgins visits with Ohio Farm Bureau Policy Counsel, Leah Curtis, about what this means for the rule moving forward.

Despite being around since 1975, the Current Ag Use Valuation program, or CAUV, still has some issues that pop up from time to time. On this Legal with Leah, find out about a recent issue that Farm Bureau helped to resolved at the local level. Plus, Leah gives us a heads up on the fast approaching deadline to sign up for CAUV or renew for 2023.

A request by the State of Ohio to transfer certain regulatory responsibilities covering Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to the Ohio Department of Agriculture was recently denied by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Anti-animal agriculture groups claimed this as a win but, in reality as Ohio Farm Bureau policy counsel Leah Curtis lays out...

It's a little unusual, but agricultural issues have been highlights of the opening weeks of the US Supreme Court. First was the Sackett v. US EPA case, which is questioning how we determine when a wetland is covered under the Clean Water Act. Second was a case over whether Proposition 12 in California, which is a ballot measure banning the sale of certain livestock products that are not raised und...

News out of Iowa that a private company has filed to use eminent domain to construct a carbon pipeline has raised lots of questions here in Ohio. In this Legal with Leah, Ohio Farm Bureau Policy Counsel, Leah Curtis, talks about the differences in Iowa and Ohio laws and if something like this could happen in the Buckeye State.

Weeds can certainly be annoying and problematic, but noxious weeds could be detrimental to crops and livestock. What are noxious weeds and what are the landowner's responsibility in keeping them controlled? Ohio Farm Bureau's Policy Counsel Leah Curtis covers that on this Legal with Leah.

Ohio Farm Bureau and the Union County Farm Bureau recently filed an amicus brief in a case with potential impacts to farmland preservation programs. In this Legal with Leah, Ohio Farm Bureau policy counsel, Leah Curtis, fills us in on Columbia Gas of Ohio v. Bailey Family/Arno Renner Trust.

Ohio Farm Bureau recently filed an amicus brief in the Ohio Supreme Court in an eminent domain case. In this Legal with Leah, Ohio Farm Bureau Policy Counsel Leah Curtis tells us more about Ohio Power v. Burns.

Can you trim a tree overhanging the property line? Who is liable if a tree from a neighboring property falls and damages your property? In this Legal with Leah, Ohio Farm Bureau policy counsel, Leah Curtis, answers the most common questions about Ohio laws regarding trees and property rights.

Sackett v. US EPA is a water case under review by the US Supreme Court. Ohio Farm Bureau recently joined with other state FBs to file an amicus brief with the court. Leah Curtis, policy counsel for Ohio Farm Bureau has the details in this Legal with Leah.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case against California’s Proposition 12 filed by The American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Pork Producers Council. In this Legal with Leah, Ohio Farm Bureau Policy Counsel, Leah Curtis, discusses the ramifications Prop 12 has on American agriculture and what the next steps for the case will be.

After the major news of Intel building a massive technology plant in Licking County, “progress” is making its way deeper in rural areas of Ohio. That has spurred some conversations about how future economic development projects will look and some are wondering if eminent domain will play a role in finding the land resources for those projects. For this Legal with Leah, Ohio Farm Bureau policy coun...

On this episode of Field Day with Jordan Hoewischer, we talk to Ty Higgins, Senior Director of Communications and Media Relations at the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation about the year that was 2021 and a look towards emerging topics of 2022. We were also joined by OFBF Public Policy staff Leah Curtis and Jenna Reese to talk topics in their corner of the farm policy world.

US EPA announced a new policy which requires a more robust review of agri-chemicals in relation to the Endangered Species Act, impacting farmers who had planned on using some Enlist products this year. Why was this policy created? Get answers from Ohio Farm Bureau policy counsel, Leah Curtis.