Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Agricultural and Farm Services 

Farm Operations

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC) Farm Operations include 19,000 acres of ground owned or used through partnership at ten prison locations and two Ohio Penal Industries (OPI) shops.  Farm Operations include dairy, finished  beef and feeder cattle, corn, soybean, wheat, oats, rye, sorghum, hay  and garden row crops.  The Farm Operations produce raw milk and  cattle for the Ohio Penal Industries to process for use in the DRC Food Service operation. 

Holstein dairy cattle are located at five farm sites and provide over 1.6 million gallons of raw milk for the OPI Beverage Processing Center (BPC) to homogenize, pasteurize and package for the DRC offender population.  Dairy farms raise their own replacement animals.

DRC Farms have over 1000 beef cows that produce calves each year.  Twenty percent of the calves are kept to replace older beef cows while the remaining animals are placed onto the farms feedlot operations, ultimately reaching the OPI Meat Processing Center.  Finished cattle are scheduled into the OPI Meat Processing Career Center (MPCC).  DRC purchases about 2,000 head of feeder cattle per year to finish for MPCC.

All farm locations have crops and pasture to support the livestock enterprise that is at that facility.  A limited amount of production is traded for other commodities or sold if it is in surplus.

Presently the farms have partnerships with city municipalities, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio National Guard, and the federal government to add an additional 1,813 acres of land to aid in the feeding of an annual inventory in excess of 6,500 beef and dairy animals.

OPI farms also have  a partnership with the Ohio Association of Food banks to help feed Ohio’s Hungry. In 2012, DRC farms supplied 192,056 pounds of produce valued at nearly $100,000.00.

In  recent  years the DRC farms worked with groups such as the Ohio Cattlemen’s, the Ohio and National Angus Associations, the Shorthorn, Murray Gray, Simmental Associations, The Ohio State University, Ohio Extension services, and the Ohio State fair.

Farms have been showcased and toured by agricultural groups from all over the United States and numerous foreign countries, including Israel, Greenland, Canada, Mexico, Africa, Uruguay, Brazil, and several South American countries.

Farm Operations - At A Glance:

The various farm operations currently employ 68 staff and 225 inmate workers.

Allen Correctional Institution (ACI)
505 acres of farm land with a 450 head beef feedlot operation

Grafton Correctional Institution (GCI)
1,130 acres of farm ground for the production of livestock feed commodities supporting the entire DRC herds.

Lebanon Correctional Institution (LECI)
LECI has DRC’s second largest acreage with 1,746 acres of farm land with a 350 beef cow herd and a 125 cow dairy

London Correctional Institution (LOCI)
LOCI has DRC’s largest acreage with 2,800 acres of farm land supporting the dairy operation consisting of 220 cows, along with the largest beef finishing operation of 800 animals.

Marion Correctional Institution (MCI)
995 acres of farm land with a dairy herd consisting of 100 cows and a Holstein steer feedlot

Mansfield Correctional Institution (MANCI)
1,485 acres of farm ground in production through DRC ownership or partnered, with the largest beef cow herd of 350 cows and a beef finishing operation of 500 head.

Pickaway Correctional Institution (PCI)
1200 acres of farm land with 900 acres in annual production housing a 200 cow dairy and a Holstein steer feedlot

Chillicothe Correctional Institution (CCI)
1,809 acres of farm land in production through DRC ownership or partnered, with a dairy herd of 125 cows and a beef finishing operation of 550 animals.

Southeastern Correctional Complex (SCC)
578 acres of farm ground with a beef cow herd  of 200 cows and beef finishing operation consisting of 400 head.

Southern Ohio Correctional Facility (SOCF)
640 acres of farm ground for the production of livestock feed commodities supporting the entire DRC herds.

Acreage listed above with each institution is owned by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and includes land used through partnerships.

OPI Beverage Processing Center

The Beverage Processing Center (BPC) is located at the Pickaway Correctional Institution and is responsible for processing of milk for the state’s institutions.  Milk is skim, based on dietary requirements from the DRC Dietician. Milk (approximately 1.6 million gallons) is provided by the five institutional dairy farms.

The BPC is open 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, seven days a week, operating two shifts per day.  Currently, 30,000 gallons of milk are processed each week.  Products are sold in 5-gallon bladders for use in dispensing machines, or in cases of 4.5-gallons of individual serving plastic pouches (8 ounces each/72 per case).

This facility is an Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) Grade “A” liquid milk processing facility.  Plant inspections and laboratory samplings of product are monitored by ODA.

There are eight full time staff positions and twenty-eight offender positions.

OPI Meat Processing Career Center

The Meat Processing Career Center (MPCC) is located at the Pickaway Correctional Institution, and is a 37,000 square foot multi-functional operation, completing both processing and packaging of meat products.  MPCC provides the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Food Service operations over 3.2 million pounds of ground and diced meat product per year.

There are eight full time staff positions, along with three custody positions and eighty-five offender positions.  Offenders employed by MPCC have the opportunity to learn the skilled trade of butchering and meat processing from the staff at the MPCC. Most of the staff has 25-30 years experience in the meat production industry.

Offenders receive hands-on training resulting in marketable skills that lead to gainful employment opportunities in the meat processing industry upon release.  The latest data reveals it appears to be working because the recidivism rate for those employed by and released from the MPCC is 10.7%.

Food items produced at MPCC are delivered to DRC institutions.  Current items include hamburger (bulk and patty), meatloaf/seasoned patties and diced beef.  MPCC staff work closely with DRC Food Service Administration to market products and for future product development.

MPCC is pleased to be partners with the Ohio Department of Agriculture, The Ohio State University, and the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association.