By CELESTE BAUMGARTNER

Ohio Correspondent

COLUMBUS, Ohio — During the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation’s (OFBF) 100th annual meeting, rural infrastructure, water quality, agritourism, animal care and property rights were a few policy issues on the table.

Three hundred fifty-six delegates from 88 counties were in attendance, with lively discussions. “Property rights, making sure those are respected, is a topic that always comes up at our annual meeting and is a concern of our members,” said Leah Curtis, policy counsel.

“Also, there are struggles with paying for the repairs that are needed to keep roads and bridges up to the caliber. That is particularly necessary for farm transportation. The delegates did support a policy to increase the motor fuels tax while also looking for alternative ways to fund the roads and bridges.”

Water quality is always going to be a big topic, Curtis said. The members talked about making sure government agencies are recognizing and adhering to state law, and particularly when lawmakers are setting or looking at any new regulations that they make them within the confines of the General Assembly.

Gail Lierer, president of Butler County Farm Bureau, was good with that – but was irritated about aspects of the agritourism situation. The group’s policy supports agritourism and its viability in Ohio, she said. It also supports the Ohio Revised Code definition of agritourism in its uniform application.

“We have a gentleman in Butler County who wants to start a winery with a wedding venue,” she explained. “That throws agritourism into a whole other group. The vineyard itself and growing the grapes is fine, but when it comes to putting a building on it for weddings, then it needs to be up to code, and zoning issues come into play.”

Lierer wants OFBF to add language to its policy book to make the policy more clear, adding that this is Farm Bureau policy, not law. She and others want a clearer definition so that when people called the county office with questions, the secretary has a concise response to pass on to the caller.

“When an agritourism business starts up, my understanding is – and it is in the Ohio Revised Code – that it should be on a farm that is existing,” Lierer said. “But this gentleman is starting it in a residential area on a 4.6-acre lot.

“This situation involves the integrity of agriculture. When we allow a building lot to become a vineyard and be considered agritourism, how do you separate that to say ‘this is a business in the building we are renting, but the winery is the agritourism?’”

To her chagrin, the delegates voted the issue down, saying that Farm Bureau policy is clear enough.

Delegates also voted in support of reforming Ohio’s petition ballot initiative laws to assure a more thoughtful process, Curtis said.

The delegates debated animal care and meat inspection. They acted to clarify that agricultural zoning laws apply to all non-wild or dangerous animals a farmer may be tending, and to create a meat inspection fee system that is equitable for domestic deer producers.

Delegates also talked about historic barn preservation, dairy processing and handling and creating incentives for EMS volunteers.

Lierer was content with the other policy decisions, but said, “They always want to make this policy book smaller, and I think it always stays the same.”