December 30, 2011

PERSPECTIVE OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU

®

December 30, 2011

Money, Kidd selected to lead OFB Public Policy Division Oklahoma Farm Bureau recently announced the resignation of OFB Vice President of Public Policy Tyler Norvell, effective Jan. 6, 2012.

Norvell is leaving OFB to serve as Executive Director of the Oklahoma Youth Expo, in Oklahoma City. The OYE Board of Directors named him to the new position on Dec. 19, 2011.

“I will always cherish my time at Farm Kinsey Money is the new Chris Kidd has been Bureau, especially the selected to serve as OFB opportunity to represent Director of Public Policy Director of State and for Oklahoma Farm OFB members at the National Affairs.

Capitol and work daily Bureau. with Oklahoma's farmers and ranchers to protect their way of life,” Norvell said.

Norvell began his OFB career in 2006 as a legislative specialist. He also served as director of national and state affairs before receiving a promotion to vice president of public policy in November 2010.

“While we at Farm Bureau are disappointed to see Tyler go, this is an opportunity to have another one of our leaders in an extremely important position for agriculture in our state,” said OFB Executive Director Monica Wilke. “Tyler has provided tremendous (see Public Policy, page 3)

New foundation appoints regional board members The Oklahoma FARM (Farming and Ranching Matters) Foundation recently selected five at-large board members to represent the state’s northeast, southeast, central, northwest and southwest areas. The board members were chosen from a group of applicants who are current Oklahoma Farm Bureau members. The Foundation is expected to hold its first official board meeting in the first quarter of 2012.

Foundation At-Large Board Members Northeast – Robert Rousselot Southeast – Bob Drake Central – David VonTungeln Northwest – Nelda Tucker Southwest – Tom Null

Oklahoma FARM Foundation Farming and Ranching Matters

AFBF Convention begins Jan. 8

The American Farm Bureau Federation’s 93rd Annual Meeting is just days away, and a full schedule of events are planned as FB members and leaders gather in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The agenda for Sunday, Jan. 8, includes the event’s opening session with a presidential address from AFBF President Bob Stallman and the announcement of state award winners. The YF&R Discussion Meet’s preliminary rounds, annual meeting of the FB Women and several sessions also are scheduled for Sunday.

Monday’s schedule includes the final rounds of the YF&R Discussion Meet along with the announcement of AFBF’s YF&R Achievement Award and Excellence in Ag Award winners. Monday afternoon’s closing general session will feature keynote speaker Dave Barry, a humor columnist whose works have appeared in more than 500 newspapers in the United States and abroad.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau members designated as AFBF voting delegates also will attend a delegate session on Tuesday, Jan. 10.

For a complete schedule of events, visit fb.org or for questions about OFB travel arrangements, call Melisa Neal at (405) 523-2475.

Member Benefits

Tulsa Farm Show/Cattle Sale LEFT – Oklahoma Farm Bureau field rep Robin Landrum (right) visits with Okmulgee County Farm Bureau member and state representative Steve Kouplen during the Tulsa Farm Show, Dec. 8-10.

OFB field reps and safety services division members attended the three-day event to catch up with members and promote OFB to farmers and ranchers around the state.

• Delta Dental – Offers members a 5

percent discount on its comprehensive dental care plan. Call 877-433-5821.

• Beltone Hearing Aid Centers – Offers

members a free, no obligation hearing evaluation, plus a 15 percent discount on hearing aid purchases. Call 800-BELTONE.

OFB highlights a few benefits in each issue of Perspective as a reminder of the savings available to OFB members.

Find a complete list of savings online at okfarmbureau.org.

OFB Calendar AFBF Annual Meeting January 8-11, 2012 • Honolulu, Hawaii Contact: Melisa Neal, (405) 523-2475 Oklahoma Legislature Convenes February 6, 2012 • OKC Contact: Kinsey Money, (405) 523-2539 National YF&R Leadership Conference February 17-20, 2012 • Grand Rapids, MI Contact: Chris Kidd, (580) 228-4001

RIGHT – Tulsa Farm Show visitors check out the selection of cows and bulls available for sale during the Herd Builder Private Treaty Sale, sponsored

by Oklahoma Farm Bureau. The sale is held every year during the farm show to help ranchers advertise their stock.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau Online Monitor the latest Farm Bureau and agricultural news and information online at okfarmbureau.org.

Currently online: • About Us – It’s a new year and time to catch up with all of OFB’s leaders for 2012. See the list of OFB district directors and YF&R committee members under the About tab.

• AFBF News – Press releases from the American Farm Bureau Federation are linked to OFB’s home page every week. Also, check OFB’s site for news from the AFBF Annual Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii.

www.okfarmbureau.org

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Winter farmers’ markets are growing trend The USDA recently announced that more farmers’ markets are operating during the winter. According to the National Farmers’ Market Directory, the number of winter farmers’ markets has increased 38 percent since 2010, from 886 to 1,225.

Winter farmers’ markets account for 17 percent of the nation’s 7,222 farmers’ markets.

The states with the most winter farmers’ markets are New York (180), California (153), Pennsylvania (78), North Carolina (73), Ohio (50), Maryland (48), Florida (46), Massachusetts (43), Virginia (40) and Michigan (33).

The USDA said a factor in the growth of winter farmers’ markets is the adoption of hoop house technology, which allows produce to be grown in colder weather.

Visit okgrown.com for a list of Oklahoma farmers’ markets.

Comanche County FB hosts annual essay contest Comanche County Farm Bureau recently hosted its annual agriculture essay contest for middle school students. The contest, held for more than 20 years in Comanche County, was open to 6th, 7th and 8th grade students in all Comanche County and Lawton area schools.

Comanche County Women’s Committee chairwoman Georgia Doye said the students are given a specific agriculture-related topic to write sbout every year in 200 words or less.

The topic for 2011 was Oklahoma’ s drought, and the overall winner was 8th grade student Claude Garoute of St. Mary’s Catholic School in Lawton. The following essay is Garoute’s winning entry from the fall of 2011.

The Drought

By Claude Garoute The drought affected everyone in many ways even if some do not realize it. The unbearable heat made it impossible to stay outside without water. The aridness forced all to flock inside in search of cool air, shelter from the sun’s harsh rays, or anything to escape the unfathomable mugginess of the rain-deprived atmosphere outside.

The lack of rain is too much to think about. I have spent countless days with a dyad of thoughts running through my mind. “I wonder if it’s actually going to rain today!” “I hope it is going to get cooler soon!”

Yet time went on and the land continued to become drier still. The sun would rise and set and I would say to myself less enthusiastically as the days passed, “Oh well, perhaps tomorrow we’ll see some rain,” only to step outside the next morning and hear the unpleasant crunch of the desiccated grass under my feet as I step outside.

This is the Drought, the relentless creature that restricts you from growing vegetation, that deprives you of your energy, that creeps up on you when you least expect it to, and refuses to go away until a time no one can predict.

Campaign to stop DOL child labor proposal continues The deadline has passed for interested parties to submit comments to the U.S. Department of Labor, regarding its farm youth labor proposal. However, the campaign to block the DOL’s possible rule changes is ongoing.

A total of 153 members of the U.S. House of Representatives recently signed a letter to Labor Secretary Hilda Solis objecting to the proposed DOL rule on agricultural youth employment. State Farm Bureaus, including Oklahoma Farm Bureau, were instrumental in obtaining such a Katy (left) and large number of sigKody Leonard of natures. The letter Afton take a soil was spear-headed sample in their

by Rep. Denny Rehfather’s harvested berg (R-Mont.), and corn field.

Sens. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) also plan to send the DOL a document signed by members of the U.S. Senate.

More than 20 senators have agreed to sign the letter.

(Public Policy, continued from page 1) leadership and vision for Oklahoma Farm Bureau and we wish him the very best in this new endeavor.”

Moving forward, OFB has named Kinsey Money, Esq., as Director of Public Policy for the organization. Kinsey previously served as OFB Director of Research and Policy Development and counsel to the OFB Legal Foundation. Also, OFB has selected field representative and Young Farmers and Ranchers coordinator Chris Kidd to serve as Director of State and National Affairs.

“Oklahoma Farm Bureau has always been blessed with talent at all levels within our organization, and Kinsey Money and Chris Kidd are shining examples of that,” Wilke said. “I am excited about this team and have the utmost confidence in their ability to lead the public policy division and Oklahoma Farm Bureau into the future.”

DOL plans H-2A webinar for employers The U.S. Department of Labor recently held two webinars for employers who anticipate filing an H-2A application for the coming season. The next webinar is scheduled for Jan. 5, from 2:30 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. EST. To view the link to the webinar on Jan. 5, visit Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s home page at www.okfarmbureau.org.

If a security information message appears when viewing the link, click “Run” or “Yes”. Enter your name and email address and if prompted for a meeting password, enter “Webinar#12”. Then click “Join.”

According to the DOL, participants will have an opportunity to email questions during the webinar. If participants wish to submit questions ahead of time, they can email H2Aquestions2012@dol.gov.

Also, stakeholders can dial a toll-free number to hear the conversation. The number is 888-1286 and the passcode is 4514878. (Due to the large number of participants, callers will not have the ability to ask questions over the phone line.)

To view the DOL’s H-2A Small Business Guide, visit this website, http://www. foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov/h-2a.cfm. For more details on the H-2A application, contact the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Public Policy Division at (405) 530-2681.

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Published by Oklahoma Farm Bureau Postmaster: address corrections to: Published bySend Oklahoma Farm Bureau

Perspective, P.O. B. 53332, OKC, OK 73152-3332 Postmaster: Send address corrections to: Perspective, P.O. B. 53332, OKC, OK 73152-3332

STAFF DIRECTORY STAFF DIRECTORY Gail Banzet, 523-2346

Oklahoma Farm Bureau 2501 N. Stiles Oklahoma City, OK 73105-3126

Non-Profit U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 131 Okla. City, OK.

Perspective/Online News Editor Traci Morgan, 523-2346 Monica Wilke, 523-2303 Perspective/Online News Editor Executive Director Sam Sam Knipp, Knipp, 523-2347 523-2347 Vice Vice President President of of Communications/PR Communications/PR Tyler Norvell, 523-2402 Vice Norvell, President of Public Policy Tyler 523-2402

Marla Peek, 523-2437 Vice President of Public Policy Director of Regulatory Affairs Marla Peek, 523-2437 Kinsey Money, 523-2539 Directorofof Regulatory Affairs Director Research & Policy Development

Legislation passes to prevent EPA dust regulations

Planning Ahead – The 2012 Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers State Committee met in early December to plan its annual conference and other activities. Pictured from bottom left clockwise: LaSheil Knowles, Crystal Williams, Marty Williams, Ashley Parks, Sheila Taylor, Tim Taylor, Chris Kidd, Brent Straub, Amie Straub, Mason Bolay, Zac Harris, Amy Harris, Chad Selman, Derek Crain and Mary Crain.

LEFT – Caddo County Farm Bureau member Karen Krehbiel accepts the Mr. Wheat Award from Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association President J.T. Winters. The presentation was made Dec. 10, at the at the Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association Convention. Krehbiel accepted the award on behalf of her late husband, Jeff, who passed away earlier this year.

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Oklahoma farmers are applauding the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act, which seeks to limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate naturally occurring dust.

The legislation’s passage came after more than a year of concern among farmers and ranchers.

“We are extremely pleased that Congress supports our efforts in this common-sense approach to regulations,” said Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Mike Spradling.

The entire Oklahoma delegation voted for the legislation.

“The proposal to regulate farm dust is one of the most absurd ideas to come out of the EPA in a long time,” said Oklahoma Fourth District Congressman Tom Cole.

“Dust is a naturally occurring substance that is impossible to control, especially when the wind blows,” Spradling said. “We were concerned the EPA was attempting to enforce excessive regulations and circumvent Congressional action. This appeared to be just another obstacle to food and fiber production at a time when the world needs everything we can produce.”

The EPA-proposed regulations could have required farmers not to work their fields on windy days and to spray water to keep the dust down as they drive through fields.

“In a state where adequate rainfall is always a concern, these regulations don’t make sense,” Spradling said. “The EPA cannot control Mother Nature.”