How ODPA Advocates For You

The mission of ODPA is simple: to serve as the unified voice of Ohio’s dairy farm on issues that impact their farms and families. Thanks to your membership, along with the support of more than 650 your fellow dairy farmers and 45 industry members, ODPA is making a difference by engaging with Ohio’s state agencies, at the Statehouse and in Congress.

So, what has OPDA been doing on your behalf?

• Educating Ohio’s legislators about the importance of requiring FDA to enforce the standards of identity for milk so that the term “milk” cannot be used on the labels of imitation dairy items which often misleads consumers. ODPA members are being activated to call upon Ohio’s congressmen for their support of the Dairy Pride Act.
• Providing dairy farmer input to the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, USDA/NRCS and state legislators regarding plans that contribute toward a 40 percent reduction of phosphorus going into Lake Erie. ODPA is working to identify solutions that will not require Lake Erie to be declared as impaired. Ohio’s dairy farmers must be at the table during this dialogue or may fall victim to regulations and policy that will negatively affect their farms.
• Representing dairy farmers on the Harmful Algae Bloom Research Initiative project to make certain that reasonable and scientifically-based methods are used to determine the projected effect of manure best management practices.
• Seeking ODA’s support to establish financial assistance for livestock farmers to fund manure storage and manure transportation equipment needed to meet compliance with the new Ohio nutrient management laws prescribed in Senate Bill 1.
• Investigating new technologies and innovative systems to manage manure.
• Addressing the attempt by Ohio EPA to identify manure as a “potential health nuisance” in the Ohio administrative code.
• Hosting meetings with Congressman Gibbs, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, and other Congressional staff regarding NAFTA and other international trade policy, immigration reform, and the 2018 Farm Bill. We are working in cooperation with National Milk Producers Association to make certain that Ohio dairy farmers’ voice is heard on what isn’t working in the current Farm Bill, identify needed improvements, and the proposal of MPP reform to be an effective safety net for dairy farmers.
• Working with American Farm Bureau to support the creation of a federal Dairy - Revenue Protection (Dairy - RP) insurance product. Dairy-RP would allow dairy farmers to purchase risk management protection against declines in quarterly revenue from milk sales, i.e. unexpected declines in milk prices, unexpected declines in milk production, or both.
• Working with ODA State Veterinarian Dr. Forshey to implement the Secure Milk Supply grant provided by USDA to raise awareness among dairy farm families to have biosecurity plans that protect dairy cattle from infectious diseases.