Town Hall Ohio

The methods for farmers getting information that pertains to their industry and lifestyle have changed in many ways over the generations. What used to be appointment listening over an AM radio is now On Demand content available anytime, anywhere. This week on Our Ohio Weekly, Ty covers the many facets of Farm Broadcasting with the Ohio Ag Net’s Dale Minyo and Tom Brand, Executive Director of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting.

Our food, water and energy systems all have challenges, known as wicked problems, that need to be solved. Ohio State recently hosted Great Plains Institute CEO Rolf Nordstrom to share his ideas. Plus, find out what is being learned on Ohio’s demo farms about water quality efforts, how an Ohio Farm Bureau member made donating scholarship money a work of art and learn why a caravan of Ohio Farm Bureau members from Henry County loaded up and headed west.

Just about everything that could go wrong did when it came to crop production in 2019. How did a rough growing season and a tough trade year impact Ohio farmers? Ty Higgins visits with two farmer leaders to find out. OSU Economist Ben Brown talks about important Farm Bill program decisions that need to be made soon. Plus, Gov. Mike DeWine lays out his strategy for cleaner water, Legal with Leah deals with ag sales tax and Belmont County Farm Bureau fights hunger in their community one backpack at a time.

On the latest Our Ohio Weekly, Ty Higgins visits with Heartland Bank to find out what it's been like to be an ag banker in a down farm economy. He also sits down with an economist with Farmer Mac for an outlook for 2020. Meet the Ohio Farm Bureau "Excellence in Ag" winners, Kyle and Ashton Walls, get details about the upcoming Young Agricultural Professionals Winter Leadership Experience and the Lorain County Farm Bureau Brunch with a Farmer event.

Joe Cornely's Retirement - Episode 675 by Town Hall Ohio

Best of 2019 - Episode 674 by Town Hall Ohio

Normally, you’re hearing about Nationwide from the likes of Peyton Manning or Brad Paisley. Today though, you’ll hear things right from the top. Kirt Walker is Nationwide’s brand new Chief Executive Officer. Which means he’s at the helm of one of the largest insurance and financial service companies in the world. Today, Mr. Walker and Farm Bureau’s Adam Sharp talk about the shared history of their two organizations, and how Nationwide intends to remain “on your side.”

If you drink water, use it for recreation, or are a farmer, environmentalist, reporter or politician, you’re paying attention to Ohio’s water quality problems and efforts to fix them. Much of the knowledge we have or need, both on understanding what’s happening and how to make it better, will come from a lot of smart folks at Ohio State University. Heather Raymond has recently taken on the job of maximizing the university’s efforts. She joins Farm Bureau’s Yvonne Lesicko, today, on Town Hall Ohio.

It has been a tough year on farmers. Horrible weather, market disrupting trade disputes and a sixth consecutive year of below-break-even prices were piled on the normal economic challenges that farmers faced. But, when you look at the farm economy as a whole, especially from a national perspective, things may not be as bad as the worrisome headlines might lead you to believe. Today, we talk farm economy, and other hot topics from the 2019 national agricultural bankers conference.

We all want clean air and clean water. At the same time, we want to make use of many of our planet’s resources. Which is where the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency comes in. To ensure a safe and healthy environment for all Ohioans. Laurie Stevenson is the director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. She’s in today with Farm Bureau’s Adam Sharp, and one of our first topics is the governor’s recently announced H2Ohio plan.

There’s a lot of excitement over industrial hemp. You’ll hear that it’s a miracle health aid and a superfood. The next raw material for everything from clothing to concrete. Now that it’s legal to grow hemp in Ohio, you’ll hear projections that for farmers, the crop is either going to make them rich, or bankrupt their farm. Today, we take a broad overview of Ohio’s burgeoning hemp industry as we’re joined by a farmer, regulator, educator and entrepreneur. This week, on Town Hall Ohio.

Do you know any homeowner or businessperson who would spend 40 dollars to save 25 cents? Hundreds or thousands of times? That’s the essence of society’s expectations for farmers when it comes to reducing farm nutrient loss in order to clean up Ohio’s waters. The interesting part is, farmers aren’t saying no, they’re learning how. The Blanchard River Farms Demonstration Network is finding environmental and economic solutions. On this episode of Town Hall Ohio, we do a deep dive into how farmers can protect water quality.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources was created by the Ohio legislature in 1949. Its mission today: to ensure a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. That balance can, at times, be challenging, when you’re considering ODNR’s vast portfolio of water resources, forests, state parks, energy development and much more. The person Governor DeWine asked to keep everyone happy is Mary Mertz, Director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. She visits with Ohio Farm Bureau’s Adam Sharp on this episode of Town Hall Ohio.

Regular listeners know Town Hall Ohio isn’t only about food and farming. We try to reflect a broad range of subjects that Farm Bureau members find interesting, and hope you do too. We’re lucky - we have about an hour each week to drill down on topics. But imagine trying to explore complex subjects inside a window of about 3 minutes. That’s the goal of Ohio Wesleyan University’s i-Cubed Lectures. On this episode of Town Hall Ohio, we’ll spend an hour on OWU’s three minute lecture series.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture is very familiar to most Ohio farmers, with its role in nearly every facet of Ohio's important food industry. Consumers should be familiar, too, because ODA is at the forefront of assuring food safety. Dorothy Pelanda is Ohio's 39th director of agriculture. She and Ohio Farm Bureau Executive Vice President Adam Sharp talk about water quality, food safety, farmer mental health and a variety of other current topics.

Mike DeWine is the 70th governor of the state of Ohio. With 11.5 million constituents, he’s the CEO of a state that’s as diverse as they come. From cornbelt flatlands to appalachian foothills, cities to rural crossroads, an electorate often described as purple, and a mix of economic and social opportunities and challenges. Today, he made time to visit with Ohio Farm Bureau’s Adam Sharp and all of you. Governor Mike DeWine, our very special guest, on Town Hall Ohio.

Ohio is a big food state. Lots of farmers, processors and manufacturers. And, lots and lots of hungry consumers. A sizable share of Ohio’s very diverse food chain is made up by what’s identified as local foods. What is local? How do folks all along the food chain benefit from it? What do the economics look like? Can it grow? Today, we talk with an Ohio State economist and a local foods advocate and entrepreneur to learn more, on Town Hall Ohio.

As far as resumes for public servants go, Rob Portman’s is pretty impressive. A member of the U.S. House, a cabinet level job as U.S. Trade Representative, another cabinet post as Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and in 2010, elected to serve as a United States Senator. Senator Rob Portman joins Farm Bureau’s Adam Sharp to talk about the economy, the environment and many other issues of the day on Town Hall Ohio.

One of our greatest privileges, and some would say responsibilities, is to vote. From local to national candidates or measures of local or state interest, a system that’s accessible, convenient, fair and secure helps us all exercise that basic right. The gentlemen who oversees Ohio’s elections is Secretary of State Frank LaRose. He joins Farm Bureau’s Adam Sharp to talk about elections and other responsibilities of his office, as well as one of his big causes, civility in politics, on this episode of Town Hall Ohio.

In 1902, Ohio State University formed the Department of Animal Husbandry, which later evolved into Animal Sciences. Farmers know the value the department provides to Ohio’s Livestock Industry, helping them efficiently produce animal protein. In reality, all of us are impacted by Animal Sciences, whether our interests are food safety, environmental quality or human health. The chairman of Ohio State’s Department of Animal Sciences, Dr. John Foltz, joins Ohio Farm Bureau Executive Vice President, Adam Sharp to talk all things animals, on this episode of Town Hall Ohio.