Legal with Leah

Recent state and federal actions have brought changes and relief to fuel taxes and dyed diesel regulations during Ohio’s harvest season. On this Legal with Leah, Ohio Farm Bureau Associate General Counsel Leah Curtis breaks down the changes to Ohio's fuel tax, recent guidance on dyed diesel and what farm families need to know.

Eminent domain can have a major impact on farmers, farmland and private property rights. On this Legal with Leah, Ohio Farm Bureau Associate General Counsel Leah Curtis explains how the eminent domain process works in Ohio, what “quick take” means and when it can be used. She also discusses Ohio Farm Bureau policy opposing the expansion of quick take and why maintaining a fair process for landowners remains important as development and infrastructure projects continue across the state.

The 2026 Current Agricultural Use Value (CAUV) update brings lower values in many reappraisal counties and a significant policy win on permanent pasture. Leah Curtis, associate general counsel for Ohio Farm Bureau, joins this Legal with Leah to break it all down and shares what farmers should expect.

A recent meteorite in northeast Ohio has sparked fascination and a few legal questions. If a meteorite lands on private property, who owns it? Can people search for fragments on someone else's land? And what should landowners know about trespassing? On this Legal with Leah, Leah Curtis, associate general counsel for Ohio Farm Bureau discusses these questions and what this rare event can teach us about property rights.

A recent case in North Carolina has reached the Federal Circuit Appellate Court, addressing property rights and the proper compensation for when former rail lines are "banked" and converted into public trails. On this Legal with Leah, Ohio Farm Bureau Associate General Counsel, Leah Curtis discusses "rails to trails" projects, potential impact on farmland when these conversions happen, and Farm Bureau's current litigation efforts on the case.