Dorothy Pelanda, right, Ohio Department of Agriculture Director, hears comments from Madison County farmer Eric Rife, left. Pelanda visited Leeds Farm on Tuesday to host a roundtable discussion with local farmers regarding the poor conditions this season.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Kayleen Petrovia)
Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Dorothy Pelanda visited Leeds Farm on Tuesday to discuss the impact of poor weather conditions on farmers this season.
Pelanda began by taking a tour of the Leeds Farm pumpkin patch with owner and farmer Christy Leeds, who said she has not been able to plant any seeds yet because of the heavy rainfall. After the tour, Pelanda participated in a roundtable discussion with dozens of local farmers who have faced similar challenges.
Pelanda first commented upon Governor Mike DeWine’s June 14 letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue requesting a USDA disaster designation for Ohio. This designation would help make financial assistance available to farmers throughout the state.
The letter asks Secretary Perdue to designate the entire state as a disaster area, but Pelanda said she has been traveling throughout Ohio and talking with farmers to gather regional data in hopes of determining potential sources of relief.
“I would be hard pressed to say which part of the state is worse than the other,” she said.
Pelanda also said she is working with DeWine to draft a second, more specific letter to Secretary Perdue.
Based on her conversations with farmers, she said she believes state or federal assistance will be necessary to sustain the agricultural industry.
“Farmers have historically been smart business men that have been turned into gamblers,” she said.
Farmers from counties throughout Central Ohio voiced concern ranging from the effect on the local economy to the impact this season will have on the future.
“We have not even begun to see the ripple effect,” Pelanda agreed.
While the conditions have affected most Ohio farmers, Pelanda said this season will have an even larger impact on young farmers, who don’t necessarily have the equity buildup to take risks. Unlike more seasoned farmers, those with less than five years of experience can’t necessarily ensure their products.
Gary Davis, who has been farming for 48 seasons, echoed her comments in sharing he is most concerned about farmers younger than himself. He said he is afraid such a tough season will be a “setback” in attracting younger individuals to the agricultural industry for years to come.
Aside from the economic impact of the season, the group discussed the negative social effect it has posed for farming families. John Barker, OSU Agriculture Extension Educator for Knox County, said the emotional effects of the season are equally important.
“The elephant in the room, the thing we don’t talk about, is the stress,” Barker said. “That’s something as farmers, we don’t really like to talk about.”
However, David Black, a farmer who has been harvesting in Pickaway and Franklin Counties since 1978, elaborated on the psychological toll the poor season has had on him.
“This has been the worst year we’ve ever had, just from the mental standpoint.
“It’s hard to sleep at night… every time you hear the wind blow, you envision another stalk of corn going down,” Black said.
Others commented on the agricultural industry’s impact on other businesses. For instance, Ron Burns, a member of the Union County Farm Bureau said the inability to harvest crops or feed livestock will translate to lower consumption of diesel fuel by farmers.
“It’s not just the individual farm, it’s the entire community with less work at the moment,” he said.
Pelanda agreed that challenges in the agricultural community will affect all Ohioans. Doug Dawson, a member of the Delaware County Farm Bureau, said the heavy rains have affected farmers directly, but the resulting price increase will be felt by the entire community.
“Everybody’s going to feel this by the time it’s over,” he said.
Pelanda said DeWine, as a farmer himself, is committed to finding assistance for farmers during this season and in the years to come.
She said on Monday, after meeting with DeWine, she will know how much of the state budget will be used to assist farmers, but many farmers voiced concern that help will not come soon enough.
“We’re just running out of time,” Black said.