Ohio Farmers Union

What Ohio Farmers Union does

Ohio Farmers Union (OFU) is a private, non-profit membership organization founded in 1934 and headquartered at 1011 N. Defiance Street in Ottawa, Ohio. It operates with 1-10 paid staff and is led by an elected executive committee and a five-district board of farmer representatives. OFU's stated mission is to protect and enhance the economic interests and quality of life of Ohio's family farmers, ranchers, and rural communities, with day-to-day activity organized around three pillars: legislative and grassroots advocacy, adult and youth education, and cooperative business and rural community development. The organization has maintained a continuous presence at the Ohio Statehouse since its founding and is one of 32 state/regional affiliates of the National Farmers Union, which provides national-level representation in Washington, D.C.

OFU's core product is an annual membership priced at $55 per year, sold to family farmers, rural residents, and consumers via the organization's website, direct phone/email outreach, and in-person events (annual state convention, summer picnics, regional gatherings). Membership is routed through the National Farmers Union portal. Beyond core advocacy, OFU bundles several add-on benefits for members, including group-rated insurance offerings (farm owners insurance through Hastings Insurance at a 9% group discount, workers' compensation through Sedgwick's group rating program, dental through DentaQuest), scholarships (Stanley Moore National Scholarships at $1,500 and the Hubert K. and JoAnn Seymour Scholarship at $2,000), farm safety training materials delivered in partnership with the Ohio State Extension Office, and access to the National Carbon Credit Program. The technology footprint is minimal — a Squarespace-hosted marketing and content site plus email — and there is no proprietary software, app, or API.

OFU's go-to-market is sales-led and grassroots, relying on direct outreach through local chapters and five regional groups across Ohio, supplemented by content marketing via website/blog, monthly email newsletter, and event-driven engagement. Revenue is generated almost entirely through recurring annual membership dues, with ancillary member-paid insurance premiums flowing to partner providers. The organization has no funding rounds, no parent-of-parent operating company, and no private equity or venture backing; it is governed by its members. Recent strategic activity includes a leadership transition (Bryn Bird elected president in 2025, then moving to VP of Internal Affairs in 2026 with Joe Logan stepping in as President Pro Tem), the addition of a Next Generation board representative, and a 2026 bylaw review aimed at modernizing the organization's structure.

Name

Ohio Farmers Union

Legal name

Ohio Farmers Union

Website

https://ohfarmersunion.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ohio Farmers Union is a non-profit membership organization founded in 1934 that advocates for Ohio family farmers, ranchers, and rural communities through legislative representation, education, and cooperative business support, bundling insurance and scholarship benefits into a $55 annual membership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Advocacy Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Professional Organizations (813920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Agricultural & Rural Cooperatives (Farm Credit/Co-op Banks) (FSABAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nature-Based Credits Trading (Forestry/REDD+, Soil Carbon, Blue Carbon) (EUAGAIAK)

Keywords

• Agricultural advocacy
• Farmer membership
• Rural development
• Cooperative business
• Farm insurance programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues provide the primary revenue stream for the organization. Members pay $55 per year to join and receive benefits including legislative advocacy, insurance discounts, educational programs, and access to cooperative business networks.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ohio Farmers Union sells an annual membership at $55 per year that bundles legislative advocacy for family farmers at the Ohio Statehouse and through the National Farmers Union in Washington D.C., access to group-discounted insurance programs (health, dental, workers' compensation, farm owners), educational resources and scholarships, farm safety training, and cooperative business support including participation in the National Carbon Credit Program. The organization is a membership-based nonprofit advocacy body, not a product manufacturer or technology vendor.

Product overview

Ohio Farmers Union is a membership-based agricultural advocacy organization offering a single core membership product ($55/year) that bundles multiple services including legislative representation, insurance programs, educational resources, scholarships, and farm safety training. The organization connects family farmers with farmers markets and restaurants, supports cooperative businesses, and advocates for family farming interests at state and national levels. Key products include membership, insurance programs (health, dental, workers' comp, farm owners), scholarships (Stanley Moore and Hubert K. Seymour), and carbon credit program participation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ohio Farmers Union Membership
• Insurance Programs
• Legislative Representation
• Education and Scholarship Programs
• Farm Safety Training
• Carbon Credit Program Participation

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Farmers Union (NFU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOhio Farmers Union is one of 32 state/regional members of the National Farmers Union. The affiliation provides national-level legislative advocacy, member benefits, educational programs, scholarships, and participation in NFU events (Legislative Fly-In, Women's Conference, Beginning Farmer Institute, College Conference on Cooperatives). OFU leadership and members are represented at the national level through this partnership.
• Hastings InsurancecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOhio Farmers Union has created an insurance partnership with Hastings Insurance (est. 1885) offering farm owners insurance. Members receive a 9% group discount on Hastings Farm Owners Insurance through this partnership.
• SedgwickcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSedgwick manages Ohio Farmers Union's workers compensation program. Formed from merger of CompManagement and CareWorks Comp, Sedgwick serves nearly 65,000 employers statewide. Since 1991, Sedgwick's group rating programs have saved over $4 billion and group retrospective programs have returned over $630 million in premium refunds. OFU members access top-tier discounts up to BWC's maximum premium off.
• DentaQuestminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDentaQuest provides dental insurance offerings to Ohio Farmers Union members through the organization's insurance partnerships.
• Methodist Theological School of Ohio (Seminary Hill Farms)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeminary Hill Farms at the Methodist Theological School of Ohio serves as the venue for OFU's annual Summer Picnic (July 11, 2026). The venue provides overnight accommodation options for attendees with registration code OFU.
• Ohio Environmental CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOhio Farmers Union works with the Ohio Environmental Council on shared advocacy interests including water quality, environmental protection, and sustainable agriculture policies.
• Ohio League of Women VotersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOFU supports anti-gerrymandering efforts alongside the Ohio League of Women Voters and Common Cause Ohio, collaborating on non-partisan efforts to change how Ohio draws legislative districts.
• Common Cause OhiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOFU supports anti-gerrymandering efforts alongside Common Cause Ohio and the Ohio League of Women Voters, collaborating on non-partisan efforts to change how Ohio draws legislative districts.
• National Carbon Credit ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOFU assists members in participation of the National Carbon Credit Program which rewards farmers who sequester carbon in soil, removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• American Farm Bureau Federation: National federation aligned with state Farm Bureaus; the primary alternative general farm-advocacy umbrella to the Farmers Union network. Comparable in policy advocacy, membership model, and insurance/service bundling for farmers.
• National Farmers Union: National parent federation of which OFU is one of 32 state/regional members. Directly comparable as a membership-based farm advocacy organization providing legislative representation, insurance programs, education, and cooperative business support to family farmers nationwide.

Emerging players

• National Young Farmers Coalition: National grassroots organization advocating for next-generation farmers through policy, land access, and training. Comparable to OFU's education and advocacy mission but focused on the demographic OFU is actively recruiting via its Next Generation board seat.
• Center for Rural Affairs: Nonprofit advocating for rural communities, small and mid-sized farms, and cooperative enterprise. Comparable to OFU's family-farmer, cooperative, and rural-community-development focus, especially on policy and federal Farm Bill advocacy.

Direct peers

• Minnesota Farmers Union: Another NFU state affiliate with similar grassroots advocacy, cooperative business development, and member-benefit model. Directly comparable to OFU in structure, mission, and programming.
• Michigan Farmers Union: NFU state affiliate serving Michigan family farmers with the same cooperative, education, and legislative advocacy framework. Directly comparable state-level Farmers Union peer.
• Wisconsin Farmers Union: Sister state Farmers Union under the NFU umbrella. Directly comparable as a state-level Farmers Union affiliate with cooperative emphasis, grassroots policy development, and member benefits for family farmers in Wisconsin.
• Ohio Farm Bureau Federation: Ohio's dominant general-purpose farm organization representing family farmers at the Statehouse. Directly comparable in mission (farmer advocacy in Columbus) and customer base (Ohio farmers), though typically aligned with commodity agriculture rather than cooperative/co-op emphasis.

Regional players

• Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA): Ohio-based nonprofit serving organic and sustainable farmers through education, certification, and policy advocacy. Comparable in Ohio-only scope, family-farmer advocacy, and education/training programs, but more focused on organic/sustainable niche.
• Farm Credit Services of Mid-America: Farm Credit cooperative lender serving Ohio and surrounding states. Comparable as a farmer-owned cooperative institution with overlapping customer base and cooperative ethos, though operating in lending rather than advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ohio Farmers Union