By CELESTE BAUMGARTNER
Ohio Correspondent

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The economy will be the main topic today at the upcoming annual Ohio Farm Bureau Federation’s (OFBF) annual meeting in Columbus, Dec. 3-5.

While agriculture has been at the tail end of this economic downturn, it’s been reflected in commodity prices, said Jack Fisher, OFBF’s executive vice president.

“Farmers are putting together year-end numbers and looking at financing for input and gearing up for spring of next year,” he said. “I think there will be some questions (about) the availability of money in the agricultural industry, what are input costs going to be, and right now you’re looking at a possibility of the cost of production of corn and soybeans being higher on a per-bushel basis than what the markets are yielding.”

Bob Young, chief economist with the American Farm Bureau, Robert Boggs, director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, and Bobby D. Moser, dean of The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, will all be talking about different aspects of the economy today.

Changes in the CAUV (Current Agricultural Use Value) will be discussed during the meeting, Fisher said. Because of higher prices the last couple of years, farmers’ taxes are probably going to go up in the next two years, since CAUV is based on a long-term formula. CAUV is working, but people tend to pay attention when they have to pay more taxes, he said.

Another topic for farmers will be increasing media coverage of agriculture, concerning the price and availability of food, interest in food technology items and questions about whether farmers can provide enough food for population increases.

“Agriculture is considered now as an input source for generating energy, so you continue to look at the food and energy debate – can our industry provide both?” Fisher said. “Should we emphasize one over the other? It’s our time to look at these issues.”

Also, Proposition 2, the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act – recently passed in California – will be discussed. “When will that proposition come to Ohio? That’s another major item,” Fisher said.
The meeting will promote the Farmers Meet our Needs program. This is a yearlong Farm Bureau program encouraging county farm bureaus and individual members to do community service projects and at the same time, combine those projects with information and education about agriculture.

“We’re combining education about our industry with community service projects across the state,” Fisher said. “We provide signage and branding of the project.”

This meeting will celebrate Farm Bureau’s 90th anniversary. A special display chronicling the history of the organization will be held in conjunction with the Hospitality Corner. The meeting will take place at the Hyatt Regency in Columbus. For information or to register go to www.ofbf.org or call Susan Gaughan at 614-246-8298.