Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Agriculture topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Farm groups, urban farmers tell Senate Finance bill would expand youth agriculture pathways
Summary
Proponents testified in support of SB120, which would establish an Urban Farmer Youth Pilot Initiative to expand hands‑on agriculture education and workforce pathways; witnesses described 8 pilot sites, partnerships with land‑grant institutions, and measurable outcomes including produce distributed to families in need.
Proponents told the Senate Finance Committee that Senate Bill 120 would expand hands‑on agricultural education for youth and build workforce pathways. Michael Bailey of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation said SB120 addresses uneven early exposure to agriculture across Ohio and highlighted Farm Bureau programs such as Explore Ag and the upcoming Imagine Ag exhibit at the Ohio State Fair. "In the next 10 years, Ohio will need 470,000 new employees in our food and agribusiness sector," Bailey said, urging the committee to support the bill.
Witnesses from higher‑education extension and community farms described pilot activities and local results. Alcinda Folk of Central State University Extension summarized the Urban Farmer Youth Initiative pilot (fiscal years 2024–25), saying Central State supported eight urban learning sites across Lucas, Clark, Montgomery and Hamilton counties and integrated entrepreneurship and food‑to‑market experiences. Folk said pilot sites received funding for agricultural supplies, a part‑time farm manager and an educational manager at each site.
Sonya Flunder McNair, founder of Urban Holistics and owner of Sonya Organics Products LLC, testified about urban farm operations and program outcomes, including converting land bank parcels into roughly three acres of program land and a food distribution project she called "Snap It Forward," which she said helped harvest more than 9,000 pounds of organic food and feed over 600 families. "This transformation did not occur through short term programming... it occurred through a deliberate pivot from leasing to land ownership," McNair said.
Krista Wheeler of Infinity Harvest Farm described youth programming that serves ages 11–18 and provided participation numbers for recent programs in the Miami Valley. Committee members asked witnesses about outreach to urban areas and county fairs; Bailey and others pointed to Farm Bureau county federations, extension partnerships and online dissemination plans as ways to reach 'farm desert' communities.
The chair noted additional written testimony filed by Lisa Nunn; Cheryl Chen; Rachel Chapman; David Cividolo; Juri Novotny; and Tony Long. The committee concluded the second hearing on SB120 with proponent testimony and no formal committee vote at the session.
Proponents urged the committee to approve SB120 as a way to stabilize youth farming, expand access, and connect youth with career pathways in agriculture and related STEM fields.
