Ohio Small Grains Marketing Board Members with Senator Sherrod Brown are, from left, Tadd Nicholson, Bryan Bush, Senator Brown, John Hoffman, Lyndsey Murphy, and Jack Irvin.
The National Association of Wheat Growers announced their choices for the 2012 Wheat Advocate Award this week, an award given annually to Members of Congress who have demonstrated support for the wheat industry above and beyond the norm.

Two of the recipients of the 2012 award are U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and U.S. Representative Bob Gibbs.

As chair of the Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Jobs, Rural Economic Growth, and Energy Innovation, Senator Brown fought for a sensible five-year farm package. He has continued his work to improve upon programs like ACRE and was a key supporter of developing a safety-net for farms during uncertain times like the drought that plagued the nation during 2012.

He also openly challenged his colleagues to help bring the farm bill to the floor for a vote.

Congressman Gibbs was vocal in his support of a balanced five-year farm bill and continued to push for a compromise and final passage.

The congressman was also the lead sponsor of H.R. 872, a bill that would help farmers and many other entities from facing duplicative and unnecessary financial and administrative burdens in order to comply with various federal permits.

As the 2013 year unfolds, agriculture will continue to look to leaders like Brown and Gibbs to champion important work on the farm bill and other pieces of legislation that might affect Ohio’s No.1 industry.

The Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association (OCWGA) advocates on behalf of tens of thousands of corn and wheat growers throughout the state.

OCWGA works in our state and national capitals to best represent the public-policy interests of Ohio’s grain farmers and focuses on domestic and international issues that affect the success of Ohio’s corn and wheat markets.

For more information, visit ohiocornandwheat.org.