COLUMBUS — Dairy and ag economics experts from Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences will hold meetings across Ohio as part of an effort to help farmers learn more about the 2014 farm bill and how it will impact dairy producers.
Dianne Shoemaker, an Ohio State University Extension field specialist in dairy economics, and Cameron Thraen, an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics, will present information on the Margin Protection Program for Dairy (DMPP), a new national voluntary dairy safety net program.
The USDA plans to launch the DMPP program by Sept. 1, and the Farm Service Agency has been charged with devising the rules and administering the program, Shoemaker said.
“This is a major change for dairy farmers,” she said. “Every farm is going to have to make a decision as to whether they will participate or not.
“But you can’t make a sound decision if you don’t understand how the program works and what it means for your farm under different feed and milk prices.”
Meeting schedule
The dairy producer meetings will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the following dates and locations:
Sept. 3 at Romer’s St. Henry, 321 South Eastern Ave., St. Henry, Ohio. Registration is $15 with a deadline of Aug. 29 to register.
Sept. 11 at Mahoning County Experimental Farm, 7475 Columbiana- Canfield Rd., Canfield, Ohio. Registration is $15 with a deadline of Sept. 4.
Sept. 15 at the OARDC Shisler Center, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster, Ohio. Registration is $15 with a deadline of Sept. 8.
Additional information about upcoming programs and on-line resources is available at http://dairy.osu.edu.
