My wife and I are the fourth generation to care for our family farm.
We have this privilege through the efforts of my parents and their parents.
There have been many misconceptions that Issue 2 is solely being pushed by big agriculture.
This is just not true.
Over 90% of the farms in Ohio are family farms just like ours.
We run our farm as a business, but it is also our way of life and we want to hand it down to the next
generation.
Our farm is not large, in comparison to many corn belt operations, but my father and I are constantly
working to create the most sustainable farm we possibly can.
Every farm is unique-requiring farmers to understand their own soil, water, facilities and animals.
It requires an understanding of when to adjust animals’ diets for age, weather conditions, and available
feeds.
All the farmers I know want to do right by their animals and their land, no matter the size of their
operation.
And just like any other business, what is most important is how you manage your farm and those resources
you are responsible for. Our democracy has favored economies of scale in all business.
And our government oversees the strictest food inspection from farm to plate.
This is how we have the cheapest and safest food available globally.
Issue 2 will ensure a safe, quality food supply and support for our family farms.
This will be done through an amendment to Ohio’s Constitution to create the Ohio Livestock Care Standards
Board.
This makes complete sense to have agriculture, Ohio’s largest industry, addressed in the Constitution
like so many other equally important issues.
Over the past several years, we have seen many of the US industries leave our borders.
Do we want our food production to leave too?
It would be extremely hard to convince me that if our animal proteins (meat, milk, eggs) are removed from
our soils, that we would have a safe food supply like we do now.
How many believe that our agricultural production will drop the current technology and go back to the
production practices of the ’50s?
Our technology will not go away, it will just relocate-and most likely not within our borders.
The world’s population is due to expand by 31/2 billion people in the next 40 years.
We need to adopt the best science and humane based technologies in agriculture to meet these needs.
Vote yes on Issue 2 to protect family farms.
Shawn and Chellie Davies
Bowling Green