Serving Family Farmers and Consumers Since 1934
A successful farmer-funded Ohio Department of Agriculture program will see its first changes in more than a decade during the first half of 2012 according to the ODA official who administers it.
The Ohio Grain Indemnity Fund, which protects producers from losing everything in grain elevator failures, is on track for a legislative overhaul sometime in the first quarter of 2012 according to the fund’s administrator, David Simmons.
David Simmons of the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture
Ohio’s grain Indemnity Fund was the chief topic of discussion at a recent Ohio Farmers Union Town Hall in Archbold.
Northwest State Community College President Thomas Stuckey, State Sen. Cliff Hite, David Simmons of the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture and Roger Wise and Bruce Yancey of the Ohio Farmers Union spoke and answered questions from the 50 to 60 meeting attendees.
The meeting was hosted by the OFU chapters in Defiance, Fulton, Henry and Williams Counties and Northwest State Community College.
Farmers in this area of northwest Ohio have been affected by the recent failure of Archbold Elevator, Inc. located at 3265 CR 24 in Archbold, Ohio. ODA has recently approved 85 claims associated with its failure submitted to the state grain Indemnity Fund. Those claims are to be paid pending approval of the Ohio
Controlling Board on July 11. The total cost to the Fund of the Archbold claims will be $3.4 million.
Simmons’ role at ODA is administrator of the section of the agency that oversees the Indemnity Fund among other programs related to grain, feed and seed. He gave a presentation about the history of grain elevator regulation in Ohio and updated farmers on the health of the Indemnity Fund.
The Ohio Farmers Union with Northwest State Community College is hosting an Ohio agricultural policy information meeting on June 30. Ohio State Sen. Cliff Hite and Agriculture Inspections Administrator David Simmons of the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture will speak and answer questions. OFU President Roger Wise will conduct the meeting and discuss OFU activities and policy concerns.
The meeting will be held at Northwest State’s George V. Voinovich Auditorium located at 22600 SR 34, Archbold and is open to the general public. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation begins at 7 p.m.
