SALEM, Ohio — Ohio Gov. DeWine signed a bill Jan. 2 that will send $10 million in drought relief funds to Ohio farmers. The funds will be directed from the Ohio Department of Agriculture to the county soil and water conservation districts, which will distribute it directly to farmers.
The special state funding aims to fill gaps left by U.S. Department of Agriculture disaster relief programs for farmers who bought extra hay, paid to haul water and faced other unexpected costs from the historic drought that hit much of Ohio in 2024. All or parts of Guernsey, Noble, Belmont, Morgan, Muskingum, Monroe, Washington, Jefferson, Harrison, Tuscarawas and Carroll counties in southeast were still considered to be in drought on Jan. 1, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
The drought relief funding bill ran out of time to make it on its own to the governor’s desk before the end of the legislative session. Language from the drought relief bill, and other riders, was packaged with Senate Bill 54, which passed both chambers on Dec. 18.
It is not yet clear how the funds will be distributed to farmers.
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