Circleville, Ohio — Megan Dresbach is one of many farmers in the state who are worried about the future of her business.
Working as a farmer for 30 years in uncertain times does not make your work easier.
“Whenever there is another factor that creates uncertainty, it stresses an already stressful occupation,” says Dresbach, vice president of WD Farms LLC.
Her specific agricultural business uses Canadian equipment to spread fertilizer fertilizer across a variety of farms.
“We use equipment that is not manufactured in the US, which is our preference. There will be an increase in parts due to customs duties,” Dresbach said.
Dresbach says farm revenues are abolished on average by 30%. And the 25% tariffs in Mexico and Canada will reduce farmers’ income by another 20%, essentially cutting their pay in half.
“How can I function by 50% reduction in my income over the past three years?” Dresbach said.
The Trump administration has imposed a 25% tariff on goods from Mexico and Canada, and an additional 10% on goods from China. Ty Higgins of the Ohio Farm Bureau said farmers are worried about retaliation from these important countries.
“When we talk about Canada, China and Mexico, they are almost all three biggest trading partners growing up in Ohio. In fact, 20% of farmer income comes from exports, so the final fifth of farmers comes from what we ship,” Higgins said.
With uncertainty looming over Ohio’s farming, many farmers are worried about the future and want to get help when the time comes. When Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine was asked how he plans to help a nervous farmer.
“As the governor of Ohio, I have authority over many areas, one of which is not customs.”
As for Megan Dresbach, she waits with concern to see the impact.
“We’ll see, unfortunately, our parts bills increase if we affect these tariffs,” she said.
And with the North American Fertilizer Expo hosting in Ohio this summer, Dresbach believes that many of the equipment is manufactured in Canada and could potentially be affected.
“I don’t know if exhibitors will decide that it is economically infeasible to defeat and present what they have produced,” Dresbach said.
