The loss of farmland, rising costs and lawmakers failure to pass a Farm Bill are among the top concerns Ohio farmers cited during a recent meeting with federal lawmakers.
Farmers from across Ohio gathered at Cherrybend Pheasant Farm in Wilmington last week to speak with U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Cincinnati) and U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Michigan).
"We're all in the trenches here and we're also in the front line and it's very important to stay engaged," said Beth Ellis, co-owner of Cherrybend Pheasant Farm. "It's very important to be educated on what's going on and really dive down into it, to understand the deep rooted causes and long-term causes."
Representatives from the Ohio Farm Bureau, the Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association and the Ohio Pork Council also attended.
Many of those representatives expressed concerns that have been shared throughout their organizations, including land use.
"Here in Ohio, I mean, the loss of farmland, the numbers are staggering," said Brad Bales, senior director of state and national policy at the Ohio Farm Bureau. "It's been a million acres over the past 20 years. It's been 500,000 acres since 2017 to 2023. A lot of it is placed on solar, but now we're also seeing data center development."
Other concerns included propositions in recent drafts of the Farm Bill, E15 fuel utilization, the closure of Dayton's Cargill plant and the amount of work that still needs to be done in Washington to address agriculture issues across the nation.
A push for E15
Rising fertilizer costs and trade uncertainty have strained the agriculture sector, pushing some legislators and farmers to seek expanded access for E15 fuel nationwide.
E15 is a gasoline alternative blended with 15% ethanol produced by fermenting corn starch.
The fuel alternative has been credited as a promising opportunity for corn growers to regain ground in an unstable market.
Slotkin said these concerns should be held across the board.
"What you all do, farming, should be thought of as part of our national security infrastructure," she said. "We should always be able to feed ourselves by ourselves."
With an abundance of external stressors and delays on an updated Farm Bill, corn farmers said they’re vulnerable.
That’s why Landsman and Slotkin said they’re pushing for bipartisan support of a national market for E15.
“This is the time to get this done, because frankly more Republicans are supportive of it than Democrats," Slotkin said. "I do not give a crap how we get it done, I just want it done.”
E15 received strong support at the event, but it does have some critics.
Researchers from the University of Minnesota have said the corn used to produce E15 comes from carbon-intensive farming practices.
The magazine Consumer Reports also pointed to lower fuel economy and incompatibility with some vehicles.
But as trade markets continue to create uncertainty for Midwest farmers, Landsman said he will continue to “be loud” in his support of the alternative fuel.
“Ultimately, when people show up, it does make a big difference," he said. "The fact that you all showed up here makes a big difference because there will be pictures of a room full of farmers and they'll be like, ‘Oh, OK. We can't ignore this.'”
Fighting for a Farm Bill
Both lawmakers also pressed the importance of finding a way to pass a bipartisan Farm Bill.
The Federal Farm Bill expired in September 2023, so farmers have operated on pricing and rules designed for markets in 2018.
"In what universe are you dealing with anything on your farm that is based on (that)," Slotkin said.
Typically the bipartisan legislation is renewed every five years, setting parameters for food and farm policies across the nation. But the House and Senate have stalled votes on new legislation.
Legislators are hesitant to vote on a Farm Bill after the inclusion last year of some food policies in the the Big Beautiful Bill, Slotkin said.
"A bunch of the folks who would normally be ready to vote for a Farm Bill were like, 'Well, why am I voting for a Farm Bill now,' right?" she said.
Some states like California have also crafted their own farm policies to fill the gaps typically addressed in the Farm Bill. But Slotkin said those state policies can create unrealistic expectations for other states like Ohio that rely on different practices, markets and weather.
“Until we get Washington acting like adults again, we're going to have these pop-up problems from all these different states and all these different industries," she said.
The House has drafted a bill, but lawmakers have faced delays due to the speaker’s office stopping a vote on the House floor. In response, Landsman said he is pushing for a super majority vote to bypass the speaker’s office.
“It should have immediately gone to the floor and we would have voted on it, which would have put pressure on the Senate to do the same," he said.
While the bill waits in limbo, Landsman said he will continue to push for the passage of a new Farm Bill, prioritizing E-15 fuel, trade policies, fertilizer costs and land access.
