Andy's Angle

I grew up listening to the radio. Every morning when I got up, after breakfast and getting packed up for school, I’d ride Grandma’s school bus off to school. Yes, Grandma was my bus driver. That made me the first kid on the bus in the morning, and the last kid off the bus in the evening. Long ride aside, I had the best deal in the school district because I spent hours every day with one of the best role models any kid could have, and because I learned a lot about great radio.

As you might imagine, I had no earthly clue at the time that my career would be in communications at all, let alone in radio specifically. Nonetheless, I met two radio heroes on those long trips from Crosen Road to the Hillsboro City Schools: Ed Johnson and Paul Harvey. Both gone from the airwaves now, these two legends entertained and informed me every morning. Ed’s singularly enthusiastic delivery and Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story” are cherished memories of my youth and my first exposure to the relationship that exists between broadcaster and listener.

Many years later, fate and happenstance brought me into my first collegiate internship: a job working at Ed Johnson’s ABN Radio, the network my wife and I are now honored to own and operate. From those early days at ABN, I had the great fortune of earning a position as Farm Director at WRFD-AM in Columbus, then one of the largest and most storied farm news operations in the country. With a heritage stretching back nearly 60 years, WRFD brought literally hours’ worth of news and information to rural Ohio. I was shocked that at 20 years of age, I was offered the opportunity to host such an important broadcast.

The challenge was that I was on my own. I was offered the position as Farm Director, and basically encouraged to take ownership and work hard to make the program a success under my own leadership. In the months I had been with the station, fortunately, I had heard a name repeated early and often: Joe Cornely. Joe served as WRFD’s Farm Director for two decades, during which the programming, and Ohio agriculture, flourished. Joe, now Director of Corporate Communications for the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, agreed to take a meeting with me in my new office at the radio station. I basically told Joe he didn’t know me, and I didn’t know him, but I’d heard his name uttered with enough deference at the station to know he was somebody worth meeting.

Joe became my mentor that day, and he’s been a dear friend and trusted advisor ever since. Last Friday, Lindsay and I welcomed Joe as an Honorary ABN Farm Broadcaster.

For some reference, during the first 30 years of ABN’s history, Ed Johnson presented a “Golden Boot” award to folks in agriculture he deemed worthy of commendation for their work on behalf of the industry. I remembered seeing Earl F. “Doc” Kantner’s Golden Boot housed in a place of honor at the Ohio FFA Center Archives, and knew how important that award was to Ed and the men and women he honored over the years. To show our thanks and appreciation to the key leaders and partners in Ohio’s food and farming community, we decided to bring our own style to the concept and denote one or two outstanding individuals each year as “Honorary ABN Farm Broadcasters.”

These are people, like past recipients E. Gordon Gee, President of the Ohio State University, who’ve made a lasting and indelible impression upon us and our organization, and on the industry as a whole. Ohio Cattlemens’ Association Exec Elizabeth Harsh, Farm Science Review General Manager Chuck Gamble, and Ohio Director of Agriculture Bob Boggs are a few of the more recent recipients of this Commemorative Heritage ABN Microphone.

Joe Cornely stands tall among those peers. During his tenure as Farm Director at WRFD he spent countless hours in the cabs of pickups and combines, keeping Ohio’s farmers in the loop as they produced our food and natural resources. He is a tremendous reporter, with that amazing vocal gift that so many of us wish we had. His unique wit and humor have made him an incomparable Master of Ceremonies at agricultural events across the state, and his year as President of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters is hailed as one of the most successful in the organizations 65-year history.

A past NAFB Farm Broadcaster of the Year, Joe’s work is now on the other side of the microphone, for the most part. As Senior Director of Corporate Communications for Ohio Farm Bureau, Joe works with members of the press around the state to accurately communicate the farm story, and help “forge a partnership between producers and consumers.” He is a gifted writer, and a great storyteller. His commentaries on the television show Ohio Farm & Country are hard hitting and straight to the heart of an issue. As host of the weekly syndicated radio program Town Hall Ohio, Joe talks with newsmakers from the Governor of Ohio to the Secretary of Agriculture. The depth of guests he’s welcomed to the show speaks volumes of his credibility in our state and business.

I’m thankful for many things in my life, most notably that I married so well and that I’d had the opportunity to work in the only two radio newsrooms I ever dreamed of visiting. I’ve had some great mentors in my life: my Dad, my FFA Advisor, Dr. Steven J. Gratz of the Ohio FFA Association, and Farm Broadcaster Joe Cornely. A future NAFB and Ohio Agriculture Hall of Famer, join me in welcoming Joe as the newest Honorary ABN Farm Broadcaster. Keep up the great work old friend.

We're a month away from the 2nd Annual Great Buckeye Tractor Cruise hosted by ABN Radio and benefiting Camp Quality of Ohio. We've heard from several drivers in the past few days, both returning supporters from last year's inaugural cruise, and new drivers who've heard about the effort on ABN Radio stations around the state.

The Great Buckeye Tractor Cruise is our effort to raise money for Camp Quality, a unique camping and mentorship program serving children with late and terminal stage cancer. The inaugural cruise raised nearly $6,000 for Camp thanks to the generosity of numerous sponsors and our amazing drivers.

Special thanks this week to our media colleagues FarmWorld and Farm & Dairy newspapers. These two great papers each covered our cruise, and we can't thank them enough for helping spread the word. You can read the FarmWorld article here, and the Farm & Dairy piece here.

Most importantly, you can learn more about the Great Buckeye Tractor Cruise by visiting our website, where you can register, donate, or volunteer. You can also follow us via Twitter, or learn more at our Facebook page.

You can see what the Great Buckeye Tractor Cruise is all about by watching this video.

Lindsay and I couldn't be happier, or more humbled, to say we host an award-winning television program: Ohio Farm and Country, the show we host weekly on ONN-TV, was awarded a coveted national Telly Award for agricultural issues-based television programming in the 30th Annual Telly Awards announced this week. The show is produced by the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation and presented by Nationwide Insurance.

Aimed at increasing awareness of issues critical to agriculture and the farming community, Ohio Farm and Country highlights our state’s largest and most important industry.

The episode ONN submitted for consideration aired in February 2008 and featured a break down and analysis of the Farm Bill and how Ohio was involved; how farmers provide food to help reduce hunger in Ohio; and an update on biofuels in the state. Lindsay and I taped our segments of the show on-site at the Mid-Ohio Food Bank in Columbus.

“We are extremely proud that show was awarded such a prestigious honor,” said Jason Pheister, ONN’s director of programming. “Farming is such a big part of our state and it impacts everyone. This show continuously brings awareness to the issues we all should care about.”

We've had a lot of fun hosting the show because of the great production team involved. Ohio Farm and Country was produced by Chip Nelson and Debra Bacon. Chip works diligently for the Ohio Farm Bureau, covering a number of different events for members. Debbie Bacon and her organization Classic Teleproductions also produces our coverage of the Ohio State Fair Sale of Champions. ONN's Scott Brandenburg and Farm Bureau's Kurt Ely and Joe Cornely all put a great deal of time and energy in helping us host a successful program, and we can't thank them enough for the partnership.

Founded in 1978, the Telly Awards is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV programs. The Telly Awards annually showcases the best work of the most respected production companies, television stations, and cable operators in the world. The Telly Awards receives more than 13,000 entries annually from all 50 states and countries around the world.

In this week's column, I discuss the launch of an initiative to protect Ohio family farmers by creating the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, a governmental coalition that will make decisions regarding on-farm care of livestock and poultry.

Yesterday the Ohio House passed its version of the Joint Resolution by a wide margin, 83-13, and today the Senate passed the companion resolution unanimously. This will place the issue before Ohio voters this Fall.

While radical activists from HSUS and Farm Sanctuary position this issue as a "power grab" by "Big Ag," small farmers like myself (I own around a dozen Shorthorn cows) are very much in favor of this move.

While I am a small-government Conservative, this issue transcends political control. As out of state political organizations, led by HSUS, attempt to remove food choice from consumers, Ohio needs to codify the rights of farmers to feed our citizens. In what is perhaps the most important vote the legislature will make this year, Ohio's General Assembly did the right thing, joining Governor Ted Strickland in supporting this effort.

The focus will now shift to consumer education. While the radical lobbyists at HSUS are threatening a $10 million war next year to take away your choice to eat meat and eggs, Ohio lawmakers did the right thing in placing this issue before the voters. HSUS' indictment of this issue as a "power grab" undermines the very ballot initiative system they used themselves in California to put family farms out of business. The hypocrisy of this criticism is blatant, and laughable.

By creating this Livestock Care Standards Board, Ohio will take a leading role, as it did with Livestock Environmental Permitting a decade ago, in setting the definitive standard on the right way to balance the rights and needs of food producers and consumers. We know that the public overwhelmingly supports and trusts the farmers who feed our needs, and this Board will keep the decisions about that balance in the state, and out of the hands of well-funded radical activists from the Coasts.

Here in flyover country, we still value the rights of consumers, and those rights include the right to consume meat, drink milk, eat eggs, and wear leather shoes. While radical vegans at HSUS and PETA want to strip that right from you bit by bit, you have the opportunity to stand up and say "no thank you." This November, vote for farmers, vote for your rights, and vote to create the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board.

The Ohio General Assembly took the first step in securing the future of Ohio’s farm families and food production industry this week with the introduction of a cooperative effort to place a comprehensive animal care amendment on the November 2009 ballot. House Joint Resolution 2, sponsored by Representative Allan Sayre (D-Dover), and Senate Joint Resolution 6, sponsored by Senator Bob Gibbs (R-Lakeville), were introduced on June 18 in both chambers. HJR 2 is co-sponsored by Representative Margaret Ruhl (R-Mt. Vernon), and SJR 6 is co-sponsored by Senator Jason Wilson (D-Columbiana).

The joint resolutions propose a ballot measure that would create the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, a 13-member state board that would determine and enforce guidelines for the care and well being of livestock and poultry in Ohio in order to protect food safety and locally produced food for Ohioans.

Governor Ted Strickland threw his support to the proposed amendment, along with House Speaker Armond Budish, Senate President Bill Harris, House Minority Leader Bill Batchelder and Senate Minority Leader Capri Cafaro. The Governor said “This effort will help further the mission of Ohio farmers to provide high-quality, locally grown food.” Strickland also pointed out “The Board will ensure that Ohioans continue to have access to a safe and affordable local food supply and will make our state a national leader in the level of animal care and responsibility.”

The bipartisan weight behind the measure is due in no small part to agriculture’s critical importance to Ohio jobs and the economy. “This proposal is an essential step in sustaining the state’s livestock and poultry industries for generations to come,” said Sen. Gibbs. “Agriculture is the top contributor to Ohio’s economy, and this is an opportune time for Ohio to lead the way in regulating safe food production that respects animals, consumers and our farmers.”

Along with the Governor, the proposal’s sponsors found vocal support from the leaders of Ohio’s agriculture community, including representatives of Ohio’s commodity organizations, farm families and other stakeholder groups, who expressed their collective support for the Board’s creation.

“How food is produced in Ohio is a legitimate area of public interest, and we are committed to doing even more than what is expected of us,” said Jack Fisher, executive vice president of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. “It’s time for Ohio to take control of the animal care issue by supporting proactive steps to protect both our food supply and our flocks and herds, while also ensuring we can produce the amount of food necessary to feed Ohio and the world.”

Pointing out that Ohio farmers are concerned with out-of-state efforts to ban modern food production and housing methods, Fisher pointed out that activist efforts similar to Proposition 2 in California will not only reduce the availability of food produced in Ohio, but also increase the risk of animal disease while jeopardizing food safety measures. Fisher positioned this initiative as a positive common sense, Ohio-based solution, and the right response to consumer concerns over animal well being.

Reminding those consumers that farm families feel a shared responsibility to employ humane management practices on the farm, Dick Isler, executive vice president of the Ohio Pork Producers Council, added that “Ohio hog farmers recognize that they have both a moral and ethical obligation to provide for the humane treatment of their animals. That’s why we fully support the creation of the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board because it ensures that animal well-being is top-of-mind in all livestock production practices.”

Ohio ranks 2nd nationally in egg production, and the poultry industry is the segment of Ohio’s farm economy most directly impacted by activist-backed efforts to end meat and poultry production across the nation. “Ohio’s egg farmers are firmly committed to responsible animal care – it’s the right thing to do and it makes sense for our flocks,” said Jim Chakeres, executive vice president of the Ohio Poultry Association. “We look forward to working with the new board of experts to advance our common goal of caring for our hens – to ensure that they are healthy, that our food supply is safe, and that nutritious, affordable eggs are available for Ohio consumers.”

The proposed legislation would give the Board authority to draft and implement animal care rules. “This ensures that Ohio decisions affecting livestock and poultry care will be the product of the best thinking of Ohio experts, including farmers, veterinarians and the Department of Agriculture,” said Fisher.

Regulations promulgated by the Board for the livestock and poultry industries will give weight to food safety, local availability and affordability and to best farm management practices for animal well-being. Because animal care is one of several primary concerns among farmers, the Board will also consider of biosecurity on livestock farms, animal disease prevention, food safety and food production volume and price.

If enacted, thirteen members will be appointed to the Board, including 10 by the Governor and one each by the House and Senate. The Ohio Director of Agriculture will serve ex-officio as the 13th member and as chair of the Board.

According to the legislation, the Board will comprise a broad base of experts in livestock and poultry care, including three family farmers, two veterinarians (one of whom is the state veterinarian), a food safety expert, a representative of a local humane society, two members from statewide farm organizations, the dean of an Ohio agriculture college and two members representing Ohio consumers.

The Humane Society of the United States, the leading anti-farm activist organization in the California Prop 2 campaign last fall, immediately decried the effort as a “big ag power grab.” The organization’s radical vegan CEO Wayne Pacelle dismissed the effort of the legislature as an attempt to “circumvent the input of all Ohioans into the process and divert attention from serious reform.”

Quite the contrary, Ohio farmers have taken a proactive step to reward consumers for their continued faith in the hard working families who produce the safe, affordable food Americans expect and enjoy.