The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) is made up of 4,000 farmers and supporters of sustainable agriculture. They work to ensure that organic family farm production remains viable in Ohio and beyond.
A demonstration on Mick Luber’s farm.
One thing OEFFA is focusing on in Ohio is protecting family farms from the impacts of fracking and pipeline installment. Producers who use the organic label, must meet high standards like contamination avoidance. If chemicals used in the fracking process are found in a farm’s soil, the farm will have its certification revoked for a minimum of three years. That’s why, when an energy company approached farmer, Mick Luber, about putting a pipeline on his farm, he was justifiably wary.
Farmer fracking activists pose for billboards.
OEFFA gives a voice to the unique risks that pipelines have on organic farmers. Farm Aid champions this work by supporting OEFFA’s policy office, giving them funding to develop strategies for combatting pipelines and helping farmers like Mick. OEFFA has done a lot to keep pipelines and contamination away from farmers: they’ve presented their organic agriculture impact mitigation plan to the Ohio Department of Agriculture; they’ve brought complaints to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; and they’ve sponsored days of action, one of which took place on Mick’s farm.
With help from OEFFA, the energy company eventually decided to circumvent Mick’s farm!
