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Zehringer discusses
first 100 days
By Bob Robinson
Ohio Agricultural
Director Jim Zehringer addresses funding, Grand Lake St. Mary’s, HSUS,
agriculture in Ohio and public perception.
GREENVILLE - “You know, you’re very fortunate to have this man serving
you in Columbus again,” said Ohio Agricultural Director Jim Zehringer
pointing to State Rep. Jim Buchy (Dist. 77).
“All I heard walking around the Statehouse was ‘we’re so happy to see
Buchy back’… uh… what about me?”
Buchy replaced Zehringer following the latter’s appointment as Ag
Director.
Zehringer told a full room of members and guests at the recent Darke
County Republican Men’s Club meeting that he appreciates Buchy’s
service because this is a difficult climate to be in any state or local
office… people are watching. Government spending has to take a
different direction.
“There is a mind-set in Columbus… cut spending. Cut everybody but us.”
It doesn’t work that way. Departments took an overall 15 percent cut,
including the Ohio Department of Agriculture. He noted, however, that
one of the responsibilities of ODA was Weights & Measures, which
had been defunded in the previous budget.
The last administration defunded the office with the expectation that
new fees would provide the funding. The Senate took out the fees but
didn’t replace the funding…
“This is an important role,” Zehringer said. “It’s their job to make
sure that you get what the supplier says you are getting.” This year’s
budget funds the office, resulting in ODA’s overall budget being cut 9
percent instead of 15.
Zehringer talked about Grand Lake St. Mary’s noting that it was a
170-year-old problem, and it’s a major problem all over Ohio, including
at Lake Erie.
“It’s just that Grand Lake was the one in the news,” he said. He added
they were “hitting” the problem hard, treating it with Alum and getting
rid of the fish that stir up the bottom (bringing the algae to the
surface, which in turn blooms in summer weather conditions).
HSUS and the Agricultural Standards Board?
“We’re going to give it to them. We are instituting most of the
standards that they want and that most farmers are doing anyway.”
Zehringer said we are doing a great job of promoting the product… “The
incredible, edible egg,” “got milk?” and “the other white meat,” but
doing a lousy job of telling people how they get it.
We’re three generations removed from the farm, he said.
“I met a lady in her 60s… she asked me what I did for a living. I told
her I was a farmer (better than saying “politician”). Her response was
that she’d never met a farmer before.”
Sixty years old and never met a farmer. He noted a common question:
“Where does the food come from?” and the often-heard answer: “Publix (a
supermarket in that area).”
He added that we are nine meals away from chaos (supermarkets typically
stock three days worth of food); and Americans are spending 10 percent
of their disposable income on food today, compared to 20 percent in the
1950s.
“That’s trillions of dollars that can be spent on other things,” he
said.
“We’ll get the standards done,” Zehringer said. “Will HSUS go away? No,
probably not, but (with a good public information program and the
implemented standards) we’ll have effectively neutralized them.”
One of the questions Zehringer was asked was about the practice of
subsidies as one of the problems created by government. Zehringer said
that they had a role in the process to ensure a dependable supply of
food at reasonable prices, but that there had to be a balance.
Another question had to do with the overlap (and consequently
duplication of service) of Ohio’s Environmental Protection Agency,
Department of Agriculture and Department of Natural Resources.
Zehringer responded there was a need – with specific duties – for all
three; what was needed was a good working relationship among them.
Zehringer started his presentation with a brief video that he and Gov.
John Kasich made noting that Ohio agriculture is a $98 billion
industry, the largest in Ohio, providing jobs to one out of seven Ohio
workers. They added that there are 1,100 food processing plants
employing 60,000 workers.
Kasich closed with the statement that Ohio doors are wide open for
agribusiness.
Following Zehringer’s presentation, statements were given by
Republicans in local offices as well those seeking office.
Mayor Mike Bowers and mayoral challenger (Greenville City Councilman)
Doug Schmidt made presentations, followed by Municipal Court candidate
Jesse Green. It was noted that while Bowers and Schmidt will be on the
May Republican ballot, Green won’t since he is unopposed in the Primary.
John Keller said a Greenville Schools renewal levy will be on the
ballot, adding that it does not involve increased taxes.
Recently appointed Juvenile Probate Judge Jason Aslinger reported on
his office. Reports were also taken from Buchy, Commissioners Diane
Delaplane and Mike Stegall, Clerk of Courts Cindy Pike, Prosecutor
Kelly Ormsby, City Councilmen Tracy Tryon and Todd Oliver, and Wayne
Lakes Mayor Gary Young.
The Darke County Republican Men’s Club meets at 8 a.m. the third
Saturday of each month in the Brethren Retirement Community Employee
Cafeteria. Next month’s meeting is on May 21. The public is invited.
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