Tagged: Agriculture

Governor John Kasich has signed an executive order he says will help farmers affected financially by Ohio's recent drought conditions.

The order signed Wednesday instructs state agencies to help farmers seeking federal assistance on loans. That includes emergency low-interest loans for crop losses, relief payments for non-insurable losses and temporary deferral payments on federal loans.

The order also gives farmers permission to cut hay for livestock from land set aside for conservation.

With the ongoing East African drought crisis, the persisting threat of global climate change, and the world population now estimated at 7 billion, global concerns about food insecurity are again in the news. Little mentioned, however, is the continuing loss of genetic diversity of the foods we eat today—a trend that has rapidly accelerated since the twentieth century and that raises troubling questions about the vulnerability of the world’s food supply.

Clinton County has the highest unemployment rate in Ohio. A local agriculture program called Grow Food Grow Hope in Wilmington is helping during the worst economic crisis the town has seen since the Great Depression. Yesterday, WYSO's Emily McCord reported on how the program is feeding families as they learn how to garden for food. She continues her series "Wilmington's Homegrown Hope" at the local farmers market where selling produce and goods is more important than ever.

"For Some, It's Their Livelihood"