REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Agriculture suspended all operations at Vista Grain in Washington Court House after discovering it was unable to cover its outstanding obligations to farmers.
Vista Grain is at 5738 Greenfield Sabina Road, Washington Court House, Ohio, with branch locations in Buena Vista and Lyndon. The grain handlers’ license, #6721, was suspended Jan. 28 in order to prevent more outstanding obligations to be incurred and to facilitate a possible remedy via the Grain Indemnity Fund.
If you believe you have outstanding grain obligations with Vista Grain, LLC, call the ODA at 614-728-6410 or toll free at 800-282-1955.
Ohio’s Grain Indemnity Fund was created in 1983 to reimburse farmers when a licensed handler becomes insolvent. Since the fund was established, it has reimbursed farmers more than $16 million and is funded through a half-cent per bushel assessment on grain marketed at licensed elevators.
Claims to the indemnity fund are handled through ODA’s Grain Feed and Seed Section in conjunction with the recommendation of the Ohio Commodity Advisory Commission. The grain indemnity fund currently holds $18.1 million in assets.
The law also now gives priority to the automatic lien established and held by the department in the event of a grain handler’s failure or insolvency. The department’s liens will now have priority over all competing lien claims asserted against the handler, ensuring that the indemnity fund receives maximum reimbursement in the asset liquidation process.
