By Wayne Gates
Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Dorothy Pelanda visited the Brown County Fairgrounds on April 8.
Her visit was part of a statewide “meet and greet” tour and was hosted in conjuction with the Brown County Soil and Water Conservation District.
About 100 people, including FFA students from Eastern, Georgetown and Peebles, turned out to hear Pelanda talk about agriculture issues facing the state and local farmers.
Following the meeting, Pelanda spoke to The News Democrat.
“Issues include water quality, soil management and other issues affecting farmers are at the heart of the Governor’s agenda. We want to hear their stories, perspectives and ideas moving forward so we can address them,” she said.
When asked what her priorities were while serving as director, she said “Taking the 30.3 million dollars that ODA has been given in this first part of the budget to decide how best to use it to help farmers in Brown County and the surrounding areas manage their water issues, their nutrient issues and other issues relative to farming.”
When asked about how recent rains have affected farmers in the past year or so, Pelanda said that her department was focused on solutions.
“How can we incentivize farmers to consider barrier crops, barrier strips, cover crops that will have a root system in that ground year-round and other measures to contain the water on their property. Runoff is clearly an issue, erosion is clearly an issue, keeping their animals dry and healthy during all this rain is clearly an issue,” she said.
Pelanda said that another large impact of all the rain was a decrease in availability and quality of hay as well as other issues.
She added that Governor Mike DeWine also viewed the issues facing the agriculture community in the state as a priority.
“I think people left today excited about new opportunities, excited that the Governor has an understanding of the issues and wants to move forward with them at the table,” Pelanda said. “It is very clear that farmers are excited to be part of the solution.”
She also noted the presence of local FFA students and said she enjoyed hearing about their future career plans.
OSU Extension Educator James Morris said that he enjoyed meeting Pelanda in person.
“It helps a lot to have that face to face conversation with anyone you are working with. You can read about her online or in the papers, but it really helps to get a chance to speak with her one on one,” Morris said. “It was a great opportunity to get some answers about water quality. It was great to have that direct contact on what’s happening and what the outlook is.”
State Senator Joe Uecker and State Representative Doug Green were part of the audience for the gathering.
“It’s clear they have the right person for the job. Dorothy Pelanda is a former legislator, so she understands the process and the people. She also grew up on a farm, so she understands the industry,” Uecker said.
Green also had high praise for Pelanda.
“She has a passion for the farming community. I have the utmost confidence that she will do an excellent job protecting the interests of farmers,” he said.
Dorothy Pelanda was sworn in as the 39th Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture by Governor Mike DeWine on January 14, 2019. She is the first woman to serve as Director in the Department’s history.
