May 19, 2026 · Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee · 5,933 words · 16 speakers · 48 segments
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. I'd like to call the meeting to order, and will the clerk please call the roll when you're available.
Chair Schaefer.
Here.
Ranking Member Hicks-Hudson.
Vice Chair
Kaler
Senator Landis
Senator Liston
Senator Manchester
Senator Reynolds Senator Wilkin
We do not have a present We don't have five present
Oh yeah we do
How's he? Alright we do have a quorum Thank you, everybody. We have the minutes from the April 14th meeting on the iPads. If you've had a chance to review the minutes, any objections or changes to the minutes? Seeing none, the minutes will be approved as published. First up, we have Senate Bill 342, sponsored by Senator Landis and Senator Chavez, for sponsored testimony. And gentlemen, would you like to come up? And Senator Landis, you go first.
Good afternoon, Chair Schaefer, Vice Chair Kaler, Ranking Member Hicks-Hudson, members of the Ag and Natural Resource Committee. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to provide sponsored testimony on Senate Bill 342, prohibiting certain clauses from conservancy district contracts. In Ohio, conservancy districts are local political subdivisions created under the Ohio Revised Code. There are currently over 20 of them throughout the state that helps improve the quality of life in their respective communities. Their primary focus is to manage water resources around flood control, conservation, and waste treatment. Conservancy districts like the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District also offer recreational options for those in local community and visitors to the area, as well as lodging options for visitors to stay at while they enjoy their many parks and lakes. The purpose of Senate Bill 342 is to bring the conservancy districts into alignment with the legal safeguards already available to counties and municipalities under current Ohio law. It would prohibit conservancy districts from agreeing to contracts with indemnification indemnification, and other certain clauses that could expose public funds and officials to liability. Most large-larging vendors, like Vrbo and Airbnb, refuse to negotiate standard contract items, which prevents conservancy districts from promoting their lodging opportunities to a larger audience. This bill would allow the districts to access the modern advertising platforms of today, in today's world, by telling these companies they have to agree to our rules. The Bill of Alliance Conservancy District Contracts Law with County Contract Law is provided in ORC 307.901, protecting districts from indemnification clauses where one party agrees to pay for others' financial losses or legal liabilities, as well as broader contract risk around legal venues, open-ended liability waivers, contract modifications, hidden terms, and conflicts with public costs. record and limiting on the ability to recover those losses, much needed protections for districts. These changes make big strides towards defending public tax dollars and treating conservancy districts the same as a county or any other municipality. Chair Schaefer, Vice Chair Kaler, Wrecking Member Hicks-Hudson, and members of the Ag National Resource Committee, thank you for allowing me to provide sponsored testimony. At this time, I will hand it off to my co-sponsor, Senator Chavez.
thank you senator landis i'm going to largely say the same things but i'm going to stick to my script versus trying to open mic free will and i think it'll be better for all of us that way good afternoon chair schaefer vice chair kaylor ranking member hutz hudson and members of the agricultural agriculture and natural resources committee thank you for allowing senator landis and i the opportunity to provide sponsor testimony on senate bill 342 conservancy districts are economic drivers in rural Ohio. The parks, lakes, and lodging facilities they operate attract visitors, support local businesses, and bring tourism revenue into communities that depend on it. Protecting these political subdivisions from open-ended liability risk also gives these districts the ability to list their lodging on platforms like VRBO and Airbnb. This change isn't just a legal technicality, it's a practical tool for expanding their reach, filling their facilities, and putting more visitors in front of local restaurants, shops, and service providers. This bill brings Conservancy Districts contract law in line with what counties already have under ORC 307.901, protects public dollars, and allows districts to operate more effectively in today's marketplace. Importantly, by prohibiting indemnification, it sets a stage in negotiations allowing alternative contracts to be established. The result is good for the districts, good for the rural communities they serve, and good for Ohio's tourism economy. This is a straightforward fix with broad practical benefit. Chair Schaefer, Vice Chair Kaler, Ranking Member Hicks Hudson, and members of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, thank you again for allowing me to provide sponsor testimony.
And at this time, Senator Landis will be happy to answer any questions.
Thank you, gentlemen. Any questions for both senators, both sponsors? Wow. Saying none, thank you very much. Thank you. This will constitute the first hearing of Senate Bill 342. Next up, I'd like to call up Senate Concert Resolution 19, Senator Wilkin, for response to your testimony.
Welcome to committee. Thank you, Chairman.
All good, Chairman? Okay.
Chairman Schaefer, members of the committee, Thank you for the opportunity to provide sponsored testimony on Senate Concurrent Resolution 19. This resolution urges Congress to pass the Ohio River Restoration Program Act, currently introduced as H.R. 5966 and S. 3796, to support long-term restoration and protection efforts throughout the Ohio River Basin. The Ohio River is one of the most important natural and economic resources in our state and nation. Its watershed spans 15 states and serves nearly 30 million people and covers approximately 75% of Ohio's landmass. The river supports commerce, recreation, tourism, drinking water access, wildlife habitats, and countless local communities across Ohio. At the same time, the basin faces significant challenges. Water quality degradation, harmful algae blooms, flooding, toxic contamination, and aging infrastructure continue to threaten public health, environmental quality, and economic stability throughout the region. In 2023, the nonprofit organization American Rivers designated the Ohio River as America's second most endangered river. This resolution recognizes that investments in restoration and water quality improvements are investments in Ohio's future. The Ohio River Restoration Act would support efforts to improve water quality, restore fish and wildlife habitats, strengthen flood resiliency, remediate toxic substances, and expand recreational access across the basin. The benefits of these investments would be substantial. Cleaner water and healthier ecosystems will improve public health outcomes, support economic development, strengthen infrastructure, and preserve recreational opportunities for future generations of Ohioans. SCR 19 sends a clear message that Ohio values the protection and restoration of the Ohio River and supports bipartisan federal efforts to ensure the long-term health and vitality of this critical source. Thank you again for the opportunity to provide testimony on this resolution, and I would be happy to try and answer any questions you may have.
Thank you, Senator Wilkin. Any questions for the sponsors? Very good. Thank you.
Thank you, Chairman.
And that will conclude the first hearing on Senate Concurrent Resolution 19. Now we'll move to House Bill 433, Representative Clafenstein and Representative Fowler-Arthur. For his third hearing, an opponent in interested party testimony testifying, we have Eric German, Greater Ohio Showman's Association, as an opponent. And welcome.
Thank you businesses and earn their living providing enjoyment to others. Our members primarily operate in three business categories, food concessions, games, and amusement rides. Today, we are addressing concerns on behalf of our amusement ride members. All amusement rides in the state are permitted and inspected by the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Ride Safety Division, a critically important public protection process. Our ride company members value the safety of our customers and understand the necessity of the agency's inspection role. However, a proposed HB 33 to increase inspection fees for mechanical rides will raise the cost of doing business for these Ohio family businesses. The proposed increase will cost a typical ride company 20% more in inspection fees in 2026. This comes on top of inspection fee increases our members absorbed in 2024. The 2024 increase, due to a provision allowing the Division to charge ride companies for supplemental inspections required under Tyler's law, was significant but understandable. While not ideal for our members, we recognize that the Department cannot be expected to absorb the cost of the extra inspection and inspector's time. However, these supplemental inspections amounted to a 40% increase in ride companies' annual inspection bills. The current proposed inspection fee increases will be magnified by these supplemental inspections, as companies will have to pay these higher fees twice. In total, the average ride company's annual inspection fees will have doubled between 2024 and 2026. Additionally, our members have seen increases in operating costs due to the recent changes to ride safety laws, including the additional cost of contracting with professional engineers to certify and attest to repairs and maintenance for inspectors. The proposed increases on the family rides, major rides, spectacular rides, tower rides, and large roller coasters are intended to supplement permit and inspection fee decreases for inflatable rides. This proposal is punitive to many of our members and only benefit one segment of the amusement industry over others. Ride inspections are intended to ensure amusement rides are safe as well as operated and maintained to manufacture specifications. Looking at ride accident data, accidents are exceedingly rare on mechanical rides. Incidents and injuries are more likely to occur on inflatable rides. Any fee increase or decrease should be supported by clear evidence that it will produce measurable safety improvements rather than general revenue improvements. The GSA can generally agree that it does take less time to inspect an inflatable ride than a roller coaster or other mechanical rides. But proposal HB 433 not only would decrease the inspection fee for inflatable rides, but also decrease their permitting fees. Permit fees cover fixed administrative costs. Those administrative costs are unchanged regardless of category of ride. Decreasing those costs for one category has not been justified. We ask this committee to review the proposal in HB 433 through the lens of safety. HB 433 proposes certain businesses shoulder additional expenses to give other businesses a break without demonstrating that the proposal will increase safety or consumer confidence. Without modifications, GOSA remains opposed to the proposal before you. Thank you for your consideration of this perspective. This concludes my testimony, and I'm happy to take any questions if there are.
All right. Thank you very much. Any questions for the witness? Seeing none, I just do have a general question for you. At the 30,000-foot level, I have heard the argument that the fees were too high the last few years, last several years, for inflatables, and so this is just a rebalancing of where the labor should be distributed in the Department of Agriculture on all the inspections. What's your response to that, that it's a logical rebalancing?
Senator Schaefer, in all due respect, its inflatable ride fee should come down, but what they've done is gone like this. So they've come down in a draconian fashion. That's our view.
Anything else? Very good. Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Next up, Kyle Kissel. Kissel Amusement Company as an opponent as well, and welcome. Good afternoon, Chairman Schaefer, Vice Chairman Kaler, ranking member Hicks Hudson, and members of the Senate of Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.
Thank you for the opportunity to express opposition to House Bill 433. My name is Kyle Kissel, and I represent the Greater Ohio Showman's Association as well as Kissel Amusements. I'm the general manager of Kissel Amusements. My family's an amusement ride business. I also serve on the Ohio Ride Safety Board Advisory. As the inflatable companies you heard from in proponent testimony, we're also a small business under House Bill 433. Inflatable rides are getting a major fee decrease and companies like mine will get a major increase. Not only that, they are adding five additional categories for inspections. Major mechanical rides also get supplemental inspections, which we are charged again due to Tyler's Law. We believe that the permit fee should stay the same across the board, and inspection fees of $75 to $100 for each inflatable. We know that lower fees will not generate more for the inflatables that fly underneath the radar. We definitely have the best inspection program in this country. With all that being said, we do understand that prices should go up, but definitely not to be decreased for inflatables. Inflatable companies are profitable. They do multiple events a day throughout the week. while we only have a week or weekend with no guaranteed money to rely on good weather to make our money. We also face a rising of gas prices, wages for employees, and a large cost of insurance. Additionally, we also have to pay for the privilege to be at these locations just like everyone else. I'm sure that we can find another solution on the fees and categories. Decrease in permit fees and fees for inspection will only help one small business, but could cripple other small businesses. I appreciate your consideration. Hope you will reject the current version of House Bill 433.
Any questions? Thank you very much for your testimony. Any questions for the witness? Seeing none, thank you. And I'll mention that we also have written a testimony from Howard Call, Ohio Fair Ministers Association as an opponent. Is there anyone else here who would like to testify on this legislation? Okay, seeing none, that concludes today's hearing on House Bill 433, the second hearing. And the final item of business we have is a really interesting educational presentation that I think is going to be really valuable for us by Theresa Cain, Executive Director of the Perry Behavioral Health Choices, and it's regarding Agricultural Mental Health Navigator Program. So, welcome and help yourself to the podium, and I understand you have some video.
Yes, we have a presentation, so thank you, Senator Schaefer, and thank you, committee members, for allowing us the opportunity to share a very unique program that we take a lot of pride in southeastern Ohio, recognizing the seriousness of mental health issues with farmers and the lack of resources. So I'm going to turn it over to my colleagues, and I'll give them the chance to introduce themselves. So.
Welcome, everybody. Chair Schaefer and Ranking Member, Kayler, Vice Chair Hicks and Huxley, and members of the Ag and Natural Resources Committee. I'm Sarah Reed. I'm a fourth-generation farmer in southeastern Ohio. I am also the Director of Quality Improvement and Compliance with the Mental Health Recovery Service Board that serves six different counties in southeastern Ohio. So we put together a program for you today about agricultural navigator. There's none like it in Ohio. I will say that. So we looked at gaps in areas, and we looked at data state and national-wide. And as you'll see, you can switch slides. The suicide rate among farmers is 3.5 times higher than any other population occupation. This comes straight from Ohio suicide prevention data, and that is current. We have seen a decline in the last two years of net cash income in the country history compounding stress isolation and mental health risk for farmers Let me switch slides So this is what 600-plus farmers told the state of Ohio. There was an alliance created between Department of Health, Department of Ag, and the Department of Mental Health. They created a mental health alliance. They created with OSU a survey, a farmer stress survey, which was sent out over a span of over a year. Those surveys came back, which as you can see, 600 plus farmers completed those across the state. So what we did is we saw that data. We took kind of what they did. We created our own because at the point when we wanted data, this survey was shut down. So we did boots on the ground. We went to where the farmers were at. We went to county fairs. We went to Farm Bureau meetings. We attended anything farmers were at. We attended that. We spoke about mental health. We had a survey of our own that was completed by over 900 farmers in five counties. So we took that data. We looked at it. As you can see, that is statewide data, what you're looking at from the OSU survey. But comparing that to only our five counties, 37.9% does experience loneliness. 23.7% felt that they needed mental health services. and 3.75 have considered suicide in the last 12 months. 20.6% have negative views on their mental health well-being, and this is only from Muskingum, Guernsey, Creshocton, Noble, and Morgan County. You can switch the slide. So this is what keeps farmers up at night, because they're different. We wake up in the morning, and we don't worry about, is it raining? Like, it might bother Pindar Drive to work, but if you're a farmer that's a whole different ball game for them so weather is huge for farmers it affects crops as you all know and probably everyone sitting in this room was affected by this drought that we have been fighting for the last two years so this is what the state answers were to their survey but looking at ours it's about the same cost of farmland equipment costs, weather. Secession planning, that is something that came up in southeastern Ohio as like the number two reason of things that cause the stress for them. And it's keeping those small family farms together and what to do. So our ag navigator here in a minute is going to give you her answer to that and what we're doing in southeastern Ohio to help farmers with secession planning. You can switch the sides. What are these barriers that farmers are having seeking help? Well, number one is stigma. We all know farmers are tough. They're resilient. They're problem solvers. They fix anything, but stigma keeps them from receiving services as they do not want to talk about it, their own emotions, feelings, stresses, and barriers. Access. When we look at our rural area, especially down in southeastern Ohio, a lot of us don't even have broadband service. So telehealth is out of the question. Stopping a farmer in his middle of a day to drive 45 minutes or an hour to a one way to an appointment, he don't have time for that in his day. So there's not time for those appointments. And as you can see, I took a quote straight from one of our surveys when we were in Muskingum County at the fair. I met a farmer and his name was Tom and he is a sheep farmer. He drives two hours one way just to see a counselor who understands farming and ag. In that right there, we're losing service in our counties. They're seeking services elsewhere in other counties and other areas just to receive that ag-informed counseling treatment. You can switch this slide. So what did we do? We at the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board piloted and created a grassroots outreach initiative called Check Your Finch, Check Your Neighbor. If you talk to farmers, they talk to each other. They don't talk to counselors. They don't talk to doctors. They talk to their neighbors, and they talk to their regular Farm Bureau members, 4-H, things that they feel comfortable about. So we created this program, and it's called Check Your Finch, Check Your Neighbor. The idea behind this was to reduce stigma at the source, and that source is meeting farmers where they're at, whether that be farm events, fairs, Farm Bureau meetings, 4-H meetings, FFAs, in a judgment-free area where it's farmers talking to farmers. So we wanted to gather that data, so that's why when we did our surveys, we also piloted our Check Your Fence Check Your Neighbor program at the same time. We want to connect farmers to resources, whether that be ag resources of where do I get drought assistance? What is the farm service agency? Hey, I just think I have some things financially I can't figure out. Can I, where's the ag credit? I need a counselor that specializes in a single dad who has a farm. We can link you with those services. Also, we wanted to build a culture of care. We want to empower the farmer to empower each other. So we wanted farmers to recognize the signs of stress. So when you drive by Farmer Bob's house and his grass is three feet high, something's going on with Farmer Bob because farmers take care of the land like it was their child. So we wanted them to recognize the signs in their own area and with their own neighbors. So we just want them to check on each other to build strong neighbors, build strong farmers who build strong communities. So this was the initiative we started. So from there, we took all the data. We took all the check your fins, check your neighbor. We partnered up with every county Farm Bureau agency, OSU Extension, and we said, what can we do? Well, what we can do is we can create an agricultural navigator position and program across the state. You're going to meet our ag navigator who serves three of our six counties. She serves Guernsey, Morgan, and Noble County. Based off the data, we felt that was where the highest need was. So we created this position, which is funded and piloted for two years. We are almost through with year one in those counties to meet the farmers where they're at. So I want to introduce Matea Shockling, and she's going to explain what the Agricultural Navigator Program is.
Hi. I just want to give a little bit of background. I am Matea Shockling. I'm originally from Noble County and I am a, depending on which side of my family, I'm a fourth and fifth generational farmer. I grew up in farming, so I get the background and the huge stigma that comes with farming and mental health. There's no one really wants to open up in that area because we have that mentality, oh, suck it up kind of mentality. So what I do is I have created different areas like brewing connections. I actually had one this morning. Whereas it's my open office hours, and I have it in each county that I serve. What that is, I go out to different parts of the county because not everyone wants to travel to one spot. But because we are in rural counties, it's tough to leave your farm and go about 30 or 45 minutes to go get a cup of coffee with someone. So I get to go and travel around the different counties, set up shop, and then they can come to me if they have any questions, concerns. There are different topics that I try to cover each month to help entice them to come out, or maybe it's information they didn't know. Another program that I have ran is the Back 40 Connections. That is the first farmer support group, and that's held in Morgan County. Morgan County, out of my three, does have the highest suicidal rate. So that's where I've kind of targeted that Back 40. The people that come love it. They're actually trying to get their neighbors and stuff to come, which is great. and that's what I want. I want to create a space that's comfortable and they can share any problems that they may have, whether it's mental health or problems that they're having at the farm. Because if they have problems at the farm, it can lead to mental health issues as well. It can just bug them until they don't know what to do. Another thing to address some of the survey results I have done Beyond the Barn Experience, I did beginner farmers and succession planning. So it's a three-part series, and actually this fall will be the third part of it. We had our first two earlier in the year, and what that does is address different educational pieces that young farmers or beginner farmers that may not know how to start up so we can protect our farming community because it is a dying breed. So trying to get the new ones and protect the ones that are already there, the section planning. A lot of people don't know whether or even how to bring up the topic of, okay, I'm going to be passing on. Who do I pass it on to? Does my kids really want to continue farming? Do I need to put it in a trust or a will? All that stuff. So that comes within the Beyond the Barn experience and gets in the nitty-gritty of all that stuff. So if you have any questions.
So that is our agricultural navigator, and I wanted her just to talk about some of the programs she has created to address those needs of those farmers. So what we're asking and what we're looking for across the state is to take the agricultural navigator across the state of Ohio. It is needed, it does have results, and it ensures that the farming community has a dedicated mental health liaison to help them navigate the world of mental health and ag resources Support for the telehealth health bill 709 which is the telehealth parity bill that's for private insurances to cover outpatient telehealth for mental health services as the same rate as in-person visits. As we know, those farmers, they just don't have the time of the day to stop in the middle of the day to drive to an appointment. Ag-informed mental health. So referencing back to Tom and Muskingum County, we need counselors in Ohio that are trained in ag-informed, that can speak the language, that can understand the culture. So putting in and encouraging those providers to have an ag-informed trained counselor. So strengthening farms starts with strengthening farmers. Every investment in farmer mental health is an investment in Ohio's agricultural economy and the rural communities. I do want to thank you for the time given today to educate and share this information as we feel it is a priority of our board and it is a priority for Ohio. So if you have any questions, we will answer any questions that you have.
Well, thank you so much, ladies, for coming and presenting. I know, was it three or four months ago when I was at a meeting and I met a couple of you and we talked about this. I found it amazing that the work you've done, the work you started doing in your case, and I wanted to hear more about it and share it with the committee. Committee members, questions? Yes, Senator Landis.
Thank you, Chairman, and thank you for your testimony. This is of high interest and keen interest to me and most members of the Senate. I look out and I see Todd Thatcher sitting out here, and I think back to working with him when I was in the Ohio House with then Ag Director Dorothy Polanda and being down on a farm and talking about some of these very same subjects. So it's great to see how you're in advancing and things like that. The Navigator seems like a good way to connect people. What has the success rate been across the state in your messaging and your goal? Are we seeing a large portion of the state climbing on board this?
Senator Schaefer through Senator Landis, thank you so much for your question and your encouragement. Yes, so we have met with the Department of Ag when we launched the Check Your Fence, Check Your Neighbor program. And then after we brought on the Agricultural Navigator, we two weeks ago had a meeting with, again, the Department of Ag with the Mental Health Alliance that I was talking about that was created there a couple, three years ago. As in what direction can they go? They really support this program. The alliance is looking for a direction to go with their data. It kind of stalled because they didn't know where to move from there. So we are in conversations with the Department of Ag. We are in conversations with Ohio State University and the Alliance as to where they're going to take this program. We are going to further provide more information about the Ag, was the request two weeks ago, about the Ag Navigator, to see how this can apply. The biggest thing about it is it's got to be local. So when I say that, I say it like this. Matea understands what southeastern farming looks like. Mastaya doesn't understand what Lima, Ohio farming looks like because that's a lot of crops. So we're not crop farmers down here. You need local people who understand the local culture. So that's why we're asking to take this across the state because what applies in one area probably will not apply in another. So we do have great response. We are in those conversations. Department of Behavioral Health, Valerie, has requested also a meeting to talk about it on the Department of Health, but I think she sits on the Mental Health Alliance. So, yes, very positive.
Follow-up? I'll try to keep this brief. Thank you. So it's hard for me to separate mental health from addiction. And going back to, again, my days in the Ohio House and working with different members and directors, farmers are by nature the hardest-working people out there. and they don't tend to take care of themselves physically by going to doctors. And so when they finally do, sometimes there's extreme measures that have to be taken to ease pain and things like that, like maybe formerly opioids. Are we addressing things like that to talk about, taking physical care of yourself in order to attain your mental health? Yes, Senator Schaefer through Senator Linus. Thank you for that question. I'm going to refer that to Matea because she does talk about a whole wellness program that she is certified to train in.
So I have been trained in Invest in Your Health. I go to the schools, and I go through different programs that I host, like Brewing Connections. This morning I actually hosted a Brewing Connections, and the topics were about mental health and your physical health and how to keep up on taking care of yourself and taking precautions. So we are addressing those issues with both the age groups of the younger kids and the older people. We're addressing it all in one setting pretty much. Thank you, Chairman.
Other questions? Yes.
Ranking Member Hicks-Hudson. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you ladies for being here and bringing up this very important topic. One of the things that struck me was you're constantly talking about having, you know, local folks interacting with other local folks because they understand the circumstances. So can you talk a little bit more about how you will find these local folks that will be trained? Are you talking about having, you know, individual farmers that come through the program then become trainers or able to step into that role to do the work that you're talking about doing? Yeah.
Chairman Schaefer through Vice Chair Hicks-Hudson. Great question. Yes, I can answer that. So one of the things is, and I mentioned it, that we reached out and we partnered with Farm Bures. That is another agency we talk with at the state level as well. I have conversations with them often about this program. So one of the things is farm bureaus are a great asset. They have great members. They have a great drive and passion for farmers, as you know. That is one of the outlets we do get a lot of resources and things from. So utilizing those relationships with Ohio Farm Bureau and county farm bureaus is a great way to find those applicants. And I'll just tell you how we found Matea was she actually worked for Teresa. She was an employee of Behavioral Health Choices. I knew Matea had an ag background. I also knew she had a passion for mental health and substance abuse. So we kind of just meshed the two. So I think looking at your community providers also can be a way to find those people that you might feel really will excel at this. Because it's two meshes of worlds together. So you've got to find someone that fits both backgrounds. I think they're there. I think there's people that carry this passion. So I do appreciate your question. Thank you.
Okay, thank you. Any other questions? I've got a general question about your policy recommendations slide. Yep, that's the one that's up. These one, three, and four, are these programs national programs, or did you all develop these programs? The reason I ask is they seem incredibly creative in trying to solve a very significant problem. And they're quite impressive. I'm just wondering where they came from. Are they, I don't know what the right word would be, are they nationally developed? Or is this an Ohio or a Southeast Ohio initiative? Or a mixture of all of the above? Thank you, Chairman Schaefer.
I'm going to tell you the real answer is a mixture of all of the above. So if you're really looking at one, three, and four, Agriculture Navigator was created in southeast Ohio. It was actually created out of our Miss King County office. Serves those three counties. The only other one that's even comparable in 50 states is Hawaii and its Seeds of Wellness program. I've met with Dr. Chow in Hawaii virtually to discuss her model. There's a peer model that runs off farmers only, is who does their navigation. Three, when I talk about invest in workforce training, I actually reference Tom. Tom kind of put the drive behind that when he's standing in front of me telling me it's a four-hour round-trip drive for me to get a half-hour counseling session. Four is just reduced stigma. That's across not only the state. That's the nation. So we all know mental health comes with a stigma across the nation, especially with farmers. They're so resilient, and they're so tough. So that's where those three things come from. So it's a mix of all. Thank you for your question.
Very impressive. Very impressive. Any other questions? All right. Well, thank you ladies so much. Good luck to you, and let's keep talking about legislation, budgetary issues. I definitely would like to see, my personal opinion, I would like to see an initiative like this that is Buckeye born. It is a Buckeye State program to address a very critical problem we have in our agriculture community. We don't want those folks to just be alone. We want to wrap our arms around them the best we can, so let's keep talking, and feel free to talk to the committee and our other colleagues about how we can advance your cause. And thank you for the work you do.
Thank you.
Okay, that's it for our agenda today. with no other further business before the committee. We are adjourned.