Ohio Farmers Union

Serving Family Farmers and Consumers Since 1934



United to Grow Family Agriculture Since 1934

  • About
    • The Farmers Union Triangle
    • Vision
    • OFU Leadership
  • Issues
    • 2020 Virtual Lobby Days
    • OFU Policy & NFU Policy
    • 2019 Lobby Day Registration
    • Get Involved!
    • NFU Climate Leaders
  • Education
    • 2019 OFU Essay Contest
    • Ohio Farmers Union Scholarships
    • Farm Safety
    • Renewable Energy Curriculum
  • Insurance
    • Hastings Mutual Insurance Co.
    • Health & Other Offerings
    • Ohio BWC Group Coverage
  • Join Us
    • Online Sign-Up
    • Member Benefits
    • Insurance
  • Blog
  • Events

Wise, Zumbrink speak out on Farm Bill & drought

July 30, 2012 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Ohio Farmers Union President Roger Wise and longtime member James Zumbrink were quoted in the Columbus Dispatch today regarding the drought and Congress’ inattention to the Farm Bill.

This year’s drought, affecting a huge swath of the United States is severely disrupting agriculture from corn to livestock grazing. Here’s a bit of the Dispatch coverage – click the link at the end to read the whole story at their website:

WASHINGTON — In a Congress that is arguably the most broken in years, if not decades, the farm bill stands out as a symbol of its inability to agree on, well, almost anything.

Farmers this year have faced a devastating drought — so far, the federal government has named 1,369 counties across 31 states disaster areas — and traditionally would rely on the farm bill to provide a crucial safety net.

But the current farm bill, authorized in 2008, runs out on Sept. 30, and some elements of the 2008 bill already have expired. While a new bill passed the Senate in June, and a House committee approved a different bill earlier this month, the full House has been unable to agree on a measure.

The holdup: An unlikely coalition of members has kept House leadership from bringing it to the floor for a vote. It includes members on the left concerned that the bill doesn’t do enough to provide food to the poor and those on the right concerned it spends too much.

It’s a caucus of intractability, and it is spurring increased worry as the deadline approaches.

“We need farm bills and farm legislation in times of catastrophe,” said Roger Wise, a northwestern Ohio farmer who is also president of the Ohio Farmers Union. Wise said he’s not crazy about the Senate bill or the House bill, but “the critical thing is we have a farm bill.”

Farmers affected by this year’s drought will be able to receive federally subsidized crop insurance, assuming they’ve signed up. Still, the drought has presented a stark reminder to many of the importance of federally subsidized crop insurance, and it has lent a level of uncertainty to future years.

In Ohio, only five counties in the northwest have been named disaster areas, but that’s only because they border counties in Michigan or Indiana that have been formally declared drought areas. Ohio Gov. John Kasich has urged the federal government to declare an emergency for Ohio farmers affected by the drought.

Ohio farmers have definitely been affected.

Jim Zumbrink, a farmer from Rossburg in Darke County, expects his corn crop to be paltry this fall. He said he’s always a year behind in marketing, and will bring last year’s grain to market this year. But “next year, we won’t have anything to market. And that’s when it will really hurt me.”

He said he’d be OK with an extension of the farm bill. He would not be OK, he said, with the farm bill expiring.

“Something’s better than nothing,” he said.

Read the rest at the Columbus Dispatch

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 2012 Farm Bill, Columbus Dispatch, Drought, James Zumbrink, Roger Wise

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • YouTube

Latest News from the Ohio & National Farmers Union

OFU Replaces In-Person Convention with Teleconference

Due to COVID-19 risk and restrictions, the Ohio Farmers Union's 87th Annual Convention will be held as a teleconference and full Board of Directors … Read More

Despite concerns from small farmers, Vilsack may be well-suited to withstand agribusiness influence

In a sprawling, diverse U.S. family farm community, questions are being asked about President-elect Joe Biden’s choice of Tom Vilsack to lead the USDA … Read More

Farmers Affected by the Pandemic Should Look at USDA Coronavirus Food Assistance Program

The USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program provides direct relief to certain farmers who have experienced price declines and additional marketing … Read More

Black Farmers: Beyond 40 Acres and a Mule

Sponsored in part by the Ohio Farmers Union, this event is FREE and open to the public. People of African descent have a long … Read More

Check Out the Entire Blog

NATIONAL FARMERS UNION

Click to Take Action



Contact

Ohio Farmers Union
P.O. Box 363
1011 N. Defiance Street
Ottawa, Ohio 45875
Phone: (419) 523-5300
Toll Free: (800) 321-3671

Copyright Ohio Farmers Union© 2021 | Site by: RCS Communications