WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today applauded passage of The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 (H.R. 1105). The bill includes $4,013,000 in funds to targeted programs and services that support Ohio farmers.

“As Ohio’s largest industry, agriculture plays an important role in meeting our state’s nutritional needs and furthering scientific research,” said Brown “By investing in agricultural research and innovation, we help foster Ohio’s strong legacy of farming and empower the next generation of leaders in Ohio’s rural communities.”

Brown is the first Senator in more than 40 years to represent Ohio on the Senate Agriculture Committee. After holding a series of roundtables with Ohio farmers he successfully secured six major provisions in the 2008 Farm Act. Brown’s Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program initiated in the farm bill allows farmers to utilize a new program that protects against drops in yield or prices.

Brown secured federal funding for the following projects:

BROWN ANNOUNCES $2,401,000 IN AGRICULTURE FUNDING FOR
NORTHWEST OHIO

• $502, 000 for the partnership between Greenhouse Nurseries and researchers from the University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University, Indiana State University, and The Ohio State University: These funds will help promote northwest Ohio greenhouse growers’ competitiveness through a collaborative business strategy. The funds, which will come from the Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service at the Department of Agriculture, were secured by Brown.

• $2,192,000 for the University of Toledo Greenhouse and Hydroponic Research Complex: These funds will support the construction of agricultural research building that will bridge University of Toledo scientists, faculty, and students to advance the horticulture industry. The funds, which will come from the Agriculture Research Service at the Department of Agriculture, were secured by Brown, Sen. George V. Voinovich, and Rep. Marcy Kaptur.

• $209,000 to the University of Toledo to combat viral hemorrhagic septicemia: These funds will support geospatial Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology combined with advanced Environmental and Public Health statistics to research a new strain of a Lake Erie virus epidemic that threatened fisheries, economic development, and tourism in the region in 2006. The funds, which will come from the Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service at the Department of Agriculture, were secured by Brown, Voinovich, and Kaptur.


BROWN ANNOUNCES $1,110,000 IN AGRICULTURE FUNDING FOR
CENTRAL OHIO

• $623,000 for the Ohio Aquaculture Research and Development Program at The Ohio State University: These funds will go towards promoting Ohio Aquaculture Research and Development Integration Program, which aims to expand Ohio’s profitability in aquaculture operations. The funds, which will come from the Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service at the Department of Agriculture, were secured by Brown, Voinovich, Kaptur, and Rep. Zack Space.

• $105,000 for the Farmland Preservation at The Ohio State University: These funds will contribute to the Farmland Preservation’s mission to empower local communities to address farmland protection through local government and policy work. The funds, which will come from the Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service at the Department of Agriculture, were secured by Brown and Voinovich.

• $382,000 to the Agriculture Science-Emergency Detection and Response Research Program on Emerging Animal and Plant Diseases at The Ohio State University: These funds will invest in studies to research the evolutionary changes of SARS and other animal coronaviruses to better understand their potential to cross species barriers. The funds, which will come from the Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service at the Department of Agriculture, were secured by Brown and Kaptur.

The funds were included in The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 (H.R. 1105) which passed the Senate last night and the House last month. It is now headed to President Barack Obama’s desk for signature to become law. 

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