MIDDLEPORT — Meigs County Farm Bureau joined the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation in endorsing State Issue 2 at Tuesday night’s annual meeting.

The ballot measure, which appears on the Nov. 3 ballot, will protect animal agriculture, the organizations say, and its passage would discourage extreme animal-rights groups from passing measures prohibitive to animal farming in Ohio and other states.

The legislative proposal would create a Livestock Care Standards Board, made up of a family farmers, veterinarians, a food safety expert, a humane society representative, two statewide farm organization representatives, an agriculture professor, two consumers, and the director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

That board would set standards for livestock and poultry care, taking into account issues of food safety, local availability and affordability of food, and best farm management practices for animal well-being.

Ohio Farm Bureau’s Regional Supervisor, Tiffany Pattison, presented the state organization’s position on the measure, and Jeff Warner, a trustee of Meigs County Farm Bureau, also spoke to encourage its passage.

“Out of state activist groups have signaled they would like to bring an initiative to Ohio that would set rigid, inflexible and impractical rules for how livestock and poultry are housed,” Farm Bureau members were told.

“This would lead to higher costs for consumers, put food safety at risk, increase the amount of food imported to Ohio, cause thousands of farmers to go out of business and endanger the overall health and well-being of Ohio flocks and herds.”

In other states, such as California, where activist groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and Humane Society of the United States, have been successful in passing legislation, food prices have gone up dramatically.

The Farm Bureau also passed a number of other resolutions in support of local agriculture, law enforcement, health care and education, and environmental concerns.

Members elected the following trustees, to serve three-year terms: Charles Frecker, Racine, representing Orange, Olive and Chester townships, Delbert Smith, Racine, representing Lebanon, Letart and Sutton townships, Bob Mash, Pomeroy, representing Bedford, Scipio and Salisbury townships, and Rex Shenefield, Langsville, representing Rutland, Salem and Columbia townships.

Gary Michael, Racine, was elected delegate to the 2010 state convention, and Opal Dyer, Bidwell, was elected alternate.

Members were also recognized for milestone memberships of 50 years or more, 25, 30, 35, 40, and 45 years.