Comments from the CEO

If you haven’t heard about the Toledo water quality crisis by now, then you’ve probably been living under a rock! The events of Aug. 2–4 in Toledo have kept OABA staff pretty busy over the last several months. The hard work the association and its members have been engaged in for years on nutrient management and water quality has suddenly been stepped up in terms of breadth and speed of activity. OABA is actively engaging legislators, regulators and the media to tell the 4R Nutrient Stewardship story, including the early success of the new, voluntary 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification program for agricultural retailers. To date, we’ve had just over 50 retailers commit to participate in the program, and we’re set to announce our first certified retail facilities later this month.

Water Quality

Lara Moody, of The Fertilizer Institute and a board member of the Nutrient Stewardship Council, invited me to the 2014 4R Summit in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in mid-July to speak to an international audience on the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification program. I presented to over 50 individuals from all over the world. Gauging by the questions I received, there is a lot of interest in what we are doing in the Lake Erie Watershed. I also had the opportunity recently to present to the U.S. EPA’s Office of Water during an agricultural stakeholders’ meeting. My talk covered OABA's proactive engagement on water quality through work with a diverse group of stakeholders in Ohio and beyond.

In other water news, Doug Busdeker of The Andersons, Inc. has been representing OABA and the industry on the Ohio EPA Technical Advisory Group to propose new nutrient criteria standards to the U.S. EPA for Ohio. Doug and others in the agricultural industry on the committee have done a great job. Ohio’s proposal is original and meets the needs of our diverse state and the agricultural industry. Let’s hope U.S. EPA agrees! Thank you, Doug, for your service!

Advocacy Efforts

In July, I traveled to Washington, D.C., along with many other state agribusiness association executives, to lobby Congress on a variety of issues including GMO labeling, U.S. EPA’s rules to expand the Waters of the U.S., surface transportation needs and more. I also took the opportunity to discuss our industry’s commitment to water quality.

The last several months were filled with activities reflecting the breadth of issues impacting our industry. OABA participated in The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences Dean Bruce McPheron’s Forum on Trends and Issues Impacting Ohioans, a long term re-envisioning process for OSU Extension. Along those same lines, past OABA Board chairman Herb Mayer, of Trupointe Cooperative, Inc., is representing the

association on Ohio Farm Bureau Federation’s “Advancing Agriculture & Envisioning the Future: Stakeholders Vision for Ohio State University and the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences” advisory team. This is a large undertaking, and we appreciate Herb’s service! OABA also is engaged in the new Healthy Water Ohio Coalition, of which I serve on the steering committee.

OABA Happenings

The Educational Trust held their second summer golf outing at Shelby Oaks Golf Club to raise money for collegiate scholarships. Jerry Ward of OHIGRO was this year’s honoree. We also welcomed our new student intern, Sarah Peterson, at the beginning of September. Sarah is a senior at The Ohio State University and is majoring in agribusiness and applied economics with a minor in international studies. She will graduate in May 2015.

In mid-September, we held a Food Safety Modernization Act Regional Training in partnership with the American Feed Industry Association and the Agribusiness Council of Indiana. The training was well attended, and we plan to hold additional update meetings and trainings next year.

Organization Recognition

In closing, I am pleased to share that I was recognized in September by my agribusiness association executive colleagues around the country on behalf of the work OABA has been doing in the area of water quality. Specifically the recognition is related to our industry communication following the Toledo water crisis, and also our long-term work building and engaging in coalitions to improve water quality, such as the 4R Retailer Certification program, SB 150, Healthy Water Ohio, etc.

The recognition occurred at the 35th Annual “Out-of-Focus” conference in Coeur D'Aline, Idaho with two awards:

• The Bill Gordon “Excellence in Communications” Award

• The Donna Kenna “Excellence in Coalition Building and Public Relations” Award

While I received the plaques, the recognition belongs to the membership for your commitment and support to our mission of “Advocating for Ohio Agribusiness!”

As always, if you have ideas, concerns or issues, please don’t hesitate to contact me. You can reach me at 614-326-7520 or chenney@oaba.net. We are here for you!

-Chris