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Healthy Ohio Economy Nourished by Agriculture
By Dennis LaRueCANFIELD, Ohio -- The business of agriculture affects the cities and suburbs of Mahoning County and Ohio to a far greater extent than their residents realize, Keith Stimpert told the Farm/City Breakfast Monday. And the health of the state's farm economy has a greater impact on the economic health of the other sectors than is generally appreciated.Stimpert is vice president of government affairs for the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, Columbus. For urban dwellers and suburbanites, agriculture involves much more than eating the food farmers produce, he said, although that's where it begins. Erosion and surface runoff, the disposal of animal wastes and use of pesticides, the encroachment of housing developments on farmlands -- these issues affect all Ohioans, not just farmers and their immediate families. Likewise issues such as the loss of jobs on Ohio, especially in the manufacturing sector, and funding public schools, affect farmers as well. So does Ohio's structural budget deficit.The role farmers can play in improving diet, especially in children grades K-12, is a major one, Stimpert said, and noted he was pleased at the increase in the number of schools where vending machines dispense milk as well as soft drinks.The need to reform Medicaid also affects farmers, Stimpert said. More than "$10 billion in Medicaid is spent on two million people. If we had it to do over again, would we do it the way we do now?" he asked. "How can we do it better?"Working with the Farm Bureau to define the debate and act on these issues are Mahoning County Agricultural Society, Mahoning County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Mahoning County Extension of The Ohio State University, and Mill Creek MetroParks Agriculture and Education Farm. These five groups were represented at yesterday's breakfast, which also was attended by state Rep. Ken Carano, D-Austintown, Tony Trevina, an aide to U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland, D-6th Ohio, Mahoning County Treasurer John Reardon, Auditor George Tablack, Recorder Ron Gerberry, and several school superintendents. Trevina and Carano presented a joint proclamation saluting the farmers. Often overlooked when state policies are made, Stimpert said, is that Ohio's soybean crop contributes $1 billion to the state economy each year, as does corn (Ohio is the sixth largest producer of corn in the United States) and No. 2 in egg production. While only 2% of the population is directly engaged in agriculture, 17% of the work force is engaged in the processing, production and delivery of the state's bounty.Agribusiness has made huge inroads into farm ownership, accounting for 25% of farm revenues, Stimpert estimates. Regardless, 99% of all U.S. farms today are family-owned andoperated, he emphasized.Nor do most Americans realize how efficient their farmers are, he continued. Americans spend less than 10% of their disposable income on food -- both at home and in restaurants -- compared to double and triple that 25% in western Europe. And the public is just beginning to be aware of potential raspberries may hold in preventing cancer."Food is hot!" Stimpert punned. The Food Network and Home & Garden channel on cable television are attracting ever-growing audiences, he added. That in turn is reflected by a healthy attendance at food exhibits such as the one in Cleveland two weeks ago. People want to eat healthful diets and learn to prepare foods that make up those diets, Stimpert noted. Farmers stand ready to help them eat better.Visit the Ohio Farm Bureau at www.ofbf.orgContact Dennis LaRue at [email protected]"