• Ohio has an estimated 11.3 million residents
(U.S. Census Bureau).
• Ohio has approximately 40,953 square miles, ranking 35th in
size among the 50 states (U.S. Census Bureau).
• Ohio’s food & agricultural industry contributes
$73 billion to the state’s economic growth (1999) and employs
one in six Ohioans in areas such as wholesaling and retailing, farm
production, marketing and processing, and agribusiness (OHFOOD: An
Ohio Food Industries Input-Output Model, Thomas Sporleder, OSU, 1996).
• Ohio ranks 13th in the nation in net farm income, with $1.18
million in 2000. California was first with $5.35 million (USDA).
• Ohio has more than 1,000 food processing plants throughout
the state (1999 U.S Census Bureau). Major food processors have chosen
to locate in Ohio because of its diversity. Many of these companies
are home-based processors of fresh meats, jellies, and other specialty
foods.
• The hills of Ohio’s eastern and southern regions are
blanketed in hardwood forests. Ohio wood carries an international
reputation for its tight pattern and shape. Red and white oak and
walnut are primarily exported as the world’s finest logs, lumber,
chips, and dimension pieces for use in the veneer, furniture, and
paper industries. Ohio’s wood, paper, and furniture manufacturing
industries contribute more than $11 billion to the economy (OHFOOD:
An Ohio Food Industries Input-Output Model, Thomas Sporleder, OSU,
1996).
• One out of every 10 rows of corn is exported out of the United
States, with one out of every two rows of corn exported to different
states within the country (Ohio Corn Growers Association, 2002). Every
other row of soybeans is exported overseas (American Soybean Association,
2002).
• OHIO PROUD® is ODA’s signature marketing program,
which aids consumers in easily identifying Ohio raised, grown, and
processed products – benefiting the state’s farmers and
food processors. There are approximately 1,200 OHIO PROUD products
licensed from the program’s 192 partners (2002).
In 2001, Ohio had more than 78,000 farms, most of which are family-owned
farms. Forty-four percent of Ohio’s farmland is classified as
"prime farmland," with only four other states having a larger
portion of this rich natural resource, according to the 1997 Natural
Resources Inventory. Ohio harvested almost 11 million acres of crops
in 2001.
Ohio’s 30,000 soybean producers harvested 4.5 million acres in
2001, ranking sixth in the nation in soybean production. Every other
row of Ohio soybeans is exported (American Soybean Association, 2002).
Ohio had 1.25 million head of cattle and calves on 27,000 farms in 2001.
Beef is 27 percent leaner than a decade ago and is the meat ordered
most often in restaurants.
The Ohio pork industry ranked ninth in hogs and pig production in 2001.
For every hog raised in Ohio, $70 was invested back into the community
in the form of utilities, feed, loans, and jobs (National Pork Producers
Council, 2002).
Ohio ranked fifth in the nation in floriculture production in 2001,
with total sales of $189.9 million. Poinsettias are Ohio’s No.1
floriculture crop, with more than 3.7 million pots sold in 2001.
Sheep are raised throughout the state on approximately 3,600 farms (2001).
The total value of sheep and lambs was more than $19.8 million in 2001.
Ohio producers sell wool to domestic mills in the United States, as
well as Canada and Germany.
Thanks to the country’s successful food production and distribution
system, the average American earns enough money in 40 working days to
pay for a year’s worth of food for the entire family. By contrast,
it takes the average American 124 days to earn enough to pay federal,
state, and local taxes for one year (Farm Facts, American Farm Bureau
Federation, 2000). The agriculture and food industry sector accounts
for 16 percent of the state’s total employment (OHFOOD: An Ohio
Food Industries Input-Output Model, Thomas Sporleder, OSU, 1996).
Ohio ranked second in the U.S. in egg production, producing 7.9 billion
in 2001 or 9.2 percent of the nation’s eggs. Almost 58 million
pounds of Ohio chicken was sold in 2001.
Ohio ranked sixth in the nation for grain production of corn in 2001.
Every 10th row of corn grown is sent overseas (Ohio Corn Growers Association,
2000). One out of every two rows is exported to a different state within
the United States (Ohio Corn Growers Association, 2000). A leading by-product
from corn is ethanol, a renewable, clean-burning fuel proven to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.
Ohio ranked fifth in the nation for milk cow operations in 2001. In
2001, the average cow produced 16,612 pounds of milk, and the value
of all the milk produced in Ohio totaled $656 million. Ohio also ranked
first in the nation in Swiss cheese production.
Nationally, Ohio ranked eighth in grape production in 2001. Two thousand
acres of grapes were harvested in Ohio in 2001, with an economic value
estimated at $2.1 million.
Ohio apple production ranked 11th in the country in 2001 with 7,400
acres, or 100 million pounds, of apples harvested. The 2001 crop was
valued at $23.6 million.
Production of fresh market vegetables in Ohio increased 18 percent during
2001. Producers harvested $134.7 million worth of fresh Ohio vegetables,
up 47 percent from the previous year. Ohio ranked third in the nation
in fresh and processing tomatoes while state production of sweet corn,
cucumbers, and storage onions ranked in the top 10 states in 2001.
Swiss cheese
Egg production
Milk sherbet, hard
Laying hens
Livestock slaughter plants
Fresh and processing tomatoes
Operations with sheep
Cottage cheese curd
Creamed cottage cheese
Operations with hogs
Maple syrup
Sweet corn
Operations with milk cows
Manufactured dairy plants
Fertilizer consumption
Soybeans
Corn for grain
Winter wheat
Chickens sold
Cucumbers
Tobacco
Ice cream
Number of farms
Total processing vegetables
Processed grapes
All grapes
Oats
Hog and pig production
Milk equivalent used for manufactured dairy production
Strawberries
Milk cow inventory
Hog and pig inventory
Storage onions
All cheese excluding cottage cheese
Ohio’s food processing industry produced $6.8 billion
worth of goods in 1999, ranking fifth among the 50 states. All four
states that rank higher have larger populations.
The Frozen Specialty Food industry is one of Ohio’s
major economic success stories. Pillsbury operates the world’s
largest pizza plant in the southern Ohio community of Wellston. In nearby
Jackson, Luigino’s produces an extensive line of frozen foods.
Stouffer’s products originate from Nestle’s Solon plant
near Cleveland, and Heinz’ Weight Watchers division employs 500
in Massillon.
Campbell’s soup factory in Napoleon is the largest
in the world. Heinz’ plant in Fremont makes more ketchup than
anywhere else in the world.
Dannon operates the world’s largest yogurt plant
in Auglaize County.
Major food-related companies headquartered in Ohio include:
Bob Evans Farms, Chiquita Brands International, Kroger, Lancaster Colony,
Smuckers, Wendy’s International, and Worthington Foods.
