Ben McCullough for State Representative

Enhancing Agriculture

Look around Northwest Ohio, and
you will see great men and women who literally feed the American dream - our farmers. These Americans have made Defiance, Fulton, and Williams counties into an agricultural powerhouse and a vital organ in the spirit of our country. When it comes to aiding these hard workers, I will be first to step to the plate.

America's farmers have had a rough time lately. I, for one, do not understand why family farmers (who form the backbone of our very people) have had to rely so heavily on government subsidies to grow our produce, poultry, and livestock. The rising prices of fuel and fertilizer are becoming so outrageous that farmers see more opportunity in selling their land than continuing to serve their crucial purpose. The competition with megafarms is fierce, and forces many locally-owned businesses to struggle to stay afloat. To existing industrial farms, I believe their value must be maximized in ways that allow competition abroad, so that our family farmers can do what they do best: feed America. In my mind, the best way to solve our agricultural issues is to level the playing field and allow the merits of all farms to shine for the good of all.

To aid the high-quality local producers, I first would suggest they turn toward devoting a portion of their yields to ethanol. By growing for this purpose, yields will gain higher market value through incentives of a new refining industry. Biomass options, such as fueling car converters with byproducts of vegetable oil, should also be encouraged as another use for their crops. Please see the environmental and economic pages for more details. In addition, I will work to expand the number and influence of locally owned and operated farmers' markets, where consumers will shop knowing they are supporting the local economy, and its hardworking farmers.

Large-scale industrial farms currently pose a number of threats for the family farmer. These conglomerates have the ability to close generations of hard work and superior quality from a fair opportunity at market. In addition, as we have seen with Buckeye Egg to our south, many so-called “megafarms” are notorious for triggering environmental damage and health risks to the local population. Recent legislation, however, has put productivity before people by taking regulating and approval authority from the township trustees, and giving it to State agencies (see HB 152 and SB 141). This has allowed new megafarms such as a multi-million unit chicken operation, to be proposed in our own backyard. First, megafarms which already exist must be held accountable to meeting or exceeding environmental standards and health- safety guidelines, because they are vital in all these ways to keeping our region clean. But let me be very clear: when deciding on proposals to bring a new megafarm to our district or Ohio as a whole, I will never let a possible economic opportunity to outweigh the health and environmental guarantees that the people of Northwest Ohio deserve.

If farms work for a diverse number of purposes, subsidy-reliance will not become the lifeline. Demand for products will grow. With the increased set of affordable options for agriculture, farmers will be able to evaluate their circumstances and make choices for their own small businesses based on a wider available palate. Offering more choices to enhance agriculture is key to Northwest Ohio's future, and I will stand behind our farmers with every legislative action.