COLUMBUS, Ohio — On Monday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 109 into law, allotting nearly $5 million to the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA).
SB109, first sponsored by Senator Nathan Manning and Senator Michael Rulli, will provide funding to local fairs, child care providers, businesses and Ohio Veterans Homes, according to a release sent out Monday afternoon from ODA.
All 94 of Ohio's county and independent fairs will receive $50,000 each and can be used on operating expenses, projects, or any other agriculture-related costs.
“Ohio’s fairs not only provide us fond memories of our childhood, they are also important to our local communities and provide a valuable forum for the next generation of responsible food producers,” said Dorothy Pelanda, Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. “We sincerely thank Governor DeWine and the General Assembly for this generous support of our fairs that have lost significant revenue and have struggled over the past year. It is my hope that this funding can help breathe new life into our fairs as they move toward a successful 2021 season.”
All fairs are expected to receive funding within the next four weeks.
Editor's note: The video in the player below is from a story published on May 12, 2021.
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