The twenty-first century has new things in store for Ohio’s
agriculture industry, a vital competitor in today’s world of globalization.
Today, Ohio’s agriculture industry is capable of affecting —
and is more vulnerable to — every day events around the world.
Today’s modern farmers, food processors, and other agribusinesses
keep competitive in this ever-changing landscape by aggressively marketing
to sell Ohio’s agricultural products in the Buckeye State, across
the nation, and around the world.
Ohio Agriculture at Home
Ohio farmers produce more than just the food we eat. Our
location at the eastern edge of the Corn Belt allows for substantial
grain production (such as corn and soybeans) for food for both humans
and animals. Ohio is also a world leader in nursery stock production,
particularly bedding plants and poinsettias. Ohio is the largest sheep
producing state east of the Mississippi River. Providing among the finest
quality wool products, the state also supplies lumber and wood that
is used in furniture, construction, and housing.
Every dollar spent on OHIO PROUD® (Ohio’s signature
agricultural marketing program) reinvests in the state’s economy
and allows Ohio consumers to find locally grown products. Research shows
that more than 75 percent of Ohio consumers prefer to buy Ohio food
and agricultural goods. Some say they would even pay a bit more for
items made in Ohio, with good reason: besides getting homegrown goods,
they are supporting Ohio's family farms and local economy.
For more information about the OHIO PROUD program, visit
www.ohioproud.org.
Around the Globe
Food and agriculture exports are an important ingredient
in any recipe for Ohio’s economic success, one that helps insure
continued prosperity, stability, and vitality for the entire state.
Ohio’s products have shown up all over the world, thanks to public
and private efforts that take advantage of marketing opportunities in
foreign lands. People buy our popcorn in Gabon, Africa; salad dressing
in Western Europe; beef and dairy cattle genetics in Brazil; hardwood
veneer logs in China; ice cream in Korea; soy proteins in Canada; ketchup
in Mexico; mayonnaise in Israel; and tofu soybeans in Japan.
In 2000, Ohio ranked 14th among states in exports, sending
abroad an estimated $1.1 billion of agricultural goods (USDA). The revenue
from exports, plus sales in Ohio and throughout the U.S., combined with
large purchases of supplies and services by the agricultural industry
from allied industries and local businesses, further strengthens Ohio’s
economy. Farming causes a ripple effect that contributes more than $73
billion a year to the state’s economy and one in six Ohio jobs,
and increased personal income (Sporleder, OSU 1999.)
