-
1 week ago | 
farmanddairy.com | Paul Rowley
COLUMBUS — O-H? I-O! The 97th Ohio FFA Convention kicked off with pride and purpose as thousands of young agricultural leaders gathered to celebrate the impact of the 96-year-old organization that is as dedicated as ever to preparing them for leadership, personal growth and career success.
-
1 week ago | 
farmanddairy.com | Paul Rowley
SALEM, Ohio — Federal agencies continue to slog upstream through the murky legal and regulatory deluge surrounding a key component of the Clean Water Act as they work to clarify language used in the law governing water pollution once and for all. Just what is Waters of the United States, or WOTUS, referring to, anyway?
-
2 weeks ago | 
farmanddairy.com | Paul Rowley
ALLIANCE, Ohio — Barns have long stood as iconic markers of Ohio’s agricultural tradition, officially recognized as a state symbol in 2019. But they’ve always attracted keen-eyed admirers who study their craftsmanship with the same fervor that storm chasers reserve for swirling skies.
-
3 weeks ago | 
farmanddairy.com | Paul Rowley
LISBON, Ohio — If state Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel and her Republican colleagues have their way, Ohio’s next biannual budget will be lean, mean and $4 billion short of what Gov. Mike DeWine had in mind. She shared the House’s no-frills approach to state spending at the Columbiana County Farm Bureau Legislative Breakfast on April 18, where elected officials offered updates on legislation and key issues facing Ohio’s farming communities.
-
3 weeks ago | 
farmanddairy.com | Paul Rowley
SALEM, Ohio — A new era of “unprecedented prosperity” for agriculture is set to begin now that Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, the Biden administration’s slush fund for serving the interests of non-governmental organizations over American farmers, is dead. At least that’s how the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins put it in a press release issued April 14.
-
1 month ago | 
farmanddairy.com | Paul Rowley
WASHINGTON — The curtain is coming down on another Biden-era program that funded projects across the country aimed at reducing the environmental impact of farming. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced on April 14 the cancellation of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, a program that incentivized farmers to adopt climate-smart practices and mitigate the environmental impact of farming. The funds came from President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
-
1 month ago | 
farmanddairy.com | Paul Rowley
RUSHVILLE, Ohio — When Gina Orr and her family joined Ohio’s Community + Agriculture + Nutrition (CAN) program in 2023, it felt like a natural fit. The family-run operation, FreshOrr Family Farms, has long been passionate about sustainable farming. Through CAN, they found an avenue to use that passion to support neighbors in need, providing hundreds of pasture-raised chickens for local food banks.
-
1 month ago | 
farmanddairy.com | Paul Rowley
FRESNO, Ohio — Last April, Wooly Pig Farm Brewery received $143,000 through the Rural Energy for America Program to purchase and install a 99.91-kilowatt ground-mounted solar array — enough electricity to power nine homes — enabling owners Jael Malenke and Kevin Ely to make beer using the power of sunlight.
-
1 month ago | 
farmanddairy.com | Paul Rowley
SALEM, Ohio — Whether you’re seeking more efficiency and lower power costs in your family home or you’re a doomsday prepper leaving the world behind to live completely off-grid, alternative energy presents new possibilities for the places we call home. In recent years, solar power has emerged as a leading choice for homeowners looking to reduce their reliance on traditional energy sources.
-
1 month ago | 
farmanddairy.com | Paul Rowley
MARSHALLVILLE, Ohio — There’s a baby on the way at L&R Dairy in Wayne County, Ohio. Wren Grande, a co-owner of the family farm, is expecting any day now. Her sister-in-law, Abby Hostetler, a nurse at Wooster Community Hospital, has learned all of Wren’s duties and will tend to the cows in her absence while she is on maternity leave.
