Ohio growers upset with gov’t regulations

Jul 12, 2018

Farmers say they weren’t consulted in watershed regulation conversations

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Ohio farmers are questioning the transparency of yesterday's executive order from Governor John Kasich.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture considers eight watersheds as “Watersheds in Distress” due to high levels of phosphorus runoff, the order says. Those areas include about 7,000 farms and more than two million acres in northwest Ohio.

The Ohio Soil and Water Conservation must approve the Governor’s watershed plan. Once that permission is granted, state agencies will be “directed to recommend a rules package that establishes nutrient management requirements for all nutrient sources,” the executive order says.

Lake Erie’s water quality has improved, but not enough to meet Ohio’s goal of reducing phosphorous in Lake Erie by 40 percent by 2025, a report says, Cleveland.com reported.

Producers say they were in the dark about the specific regulations and how they were agreed upon.

“Because the agricultural community was not included in the process, farmers are left with frustration, questions and uncertainty on both the process and implications of this order,” Adam Sharp, executive vice-president of the Ohio Farm Bureau, said in a statement yesterday.

The Farm Bureau is also questioning other industry-related measures Governor Kasich has taken.

The State has invested more than US$3 billion since July 2011 into Lake Erie to help with water quality issues, but it appears lawmakers only directed a small amount of money to ag related initiatives.

“Cleveland Public Broadcasting station found that only 1 percent of that money was used to address agriculture’s portion of the water quality challenge,” Sharp said in the statement. “If we weren’t a priority for state resources, why are we a priority for state regulation?”

Gov. Kasich is confident local farmers already operate with the interests of the environment at top of mind.

“We love the farmers and they’re great people,” he said yesterday, Cleveland.com reports. “And I believe that most of them do not want to engage in anything that’s going to be destructive to the environment.”

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.