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Tax policy remains top of mind for Ohio farmers
Tax policy continues to be top of mind for farmers as reconciliation talks continue in Congress.
Luke Crumley is the director of public policy and nutrient management with the Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association (OCWGA).
“Earlier this year we were hearing some concerning proposals come out of Washington,” he says. “Overnight, protecting stepped-up basis became the leading issue for our grower leaders and the staff at Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association because eliminating stepped-up basis puts the very existence of family farms on the chopping block here in Ohio.”
He tells Brownfield growers have been contacting lawmakers about the importance of tax policy on their farms.
“We gathered numbers, stories, and scenarios that could capture for the elected officials in Ohio just how dangerous those (tax) proposals could be,” he says. “We made those available to elected officials, talked through the scenarios, hosted farm visits for elected officials, and initiated a call to action with members to allow them to speak directly to representatives. It worked and thanks to the involvement of our members we helped moved the needle.”
Crumley says it has helped to have the support of Congressman Tim Ryan.
“He’s standing with Ohio’s farmers to protect stepped-up basis as negotiations continue to develop,” he says. “I’m not ready to pull out the mission accomplished banner yet…but having someone like Congressman Ryan from northeast Ohio weigh in and say this is too important for small businesses and family farming in Ohio is huge.”
Ohio farmers interesting in responding to the OCWGA’s call to action and receiving text alerts about key legislative issues should text OCW to 50457.
