August 10. 2012

PERSPECTIVE OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU

®

August 10, 2012

OFB Women’s Committee debuts educational video at Ag in the Classroom summer conference The OFB Women’s Committee collaborated with nationally-known humorist and columnist Trent Loos to create an educational video aimed at explaining pork production to elementary school children.

“From Pig to Plate” premiered at the Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom summer conference Friday, Aug. 3 in Norman. More than 300 educators gathered to learn about incorporating agricultural literacy curriculum in their classrooms.

The video features Loos discussing the humane care of animals and the many nutritional benefits of pork. Loos, a Nebraska farmer and rancher, was the keynote speaker for the conference. He hosts a daily radio show, Loos Tales, and is founder of Faces of Agriculture, a non-profit organization putting the human element back into the production of food.

Copies of the video will be distributed without charge to every school district in the state. If you are interested in making sure your local district receives a DVD, please contact FBW Coordinator Marcia Irvin at 405-523-2405.

OFB Women’s Committee Chairman Kitty Beavers (left) hands a copy of the “Pig to Plate” DVD to a teacher during the Ag in the Classroom summer conference.

In This Issue • Ag in the Classroom Conference • Australian Farmers Visit OK • OYLA Conference • OCA Convention • August Area Meetings

OFB accepting trade show registration Exhibitors can now begin registering for the 2012 trade show held in conjunction with the OFB annual meeting.

Tentative times for the trade show are Friday, Nov. 9 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 10 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

All trade show booths will be located inside Oklahoma City’s Cox Convention Center. For booth pricing and other information, contact Thad Doye at (405) 523-2470 or thad.doye@okfb.org, or Kelli Beall at kellibeall@okfb.org.

Western Oklahoma Farm Bureau leaders host visiting Australian farmers LEFT – Allen Entz (right), Hydro, explains his peanut and cotton fields to a group of Australian farmers. The Australians made a brief stop in Oklahoma on Aug. 1 during a 30-day tour of American agriculture.

RIGHT – Custer County Farm Bureau President Bill Sawatzky (left) and his wife Cynthia (right) visit with Australian farm couple Richard and Mary Ramsay during lunch at Lucille’s Roadhouse in Weatherford on Aug. 1. The Ramsays were part of an Australian group of farmers touring American agriculture. The Ramsays grow large acreages of poppy flowers for medicinal purposes. Their farm is located near Bothwell, in the Australian state of Tasmania. The Custer County Farm Bureau leaders, along with FB leaders from nearby counties, were invited to join the Australians during their brief stop in Oklahoma.

“It was interesting to learn what they grow and how they grow it,” Sawatzky said. “They definitely have some of the same issues that we have with weather, price and government regulations.”

Member Benefits • Fast Track Airport Parking near Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City offers 10% off parking and auto services to members. Please tell the attendant you plan to use your OFB membership discount before departing for the airport.

Oklahoma youth attend OFB agriculture leadership conference

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

August Area Meeting - District 2 August 13 • Hobart Contact: Thad Doye, (405) 523-2307 August Area Meetings - Districts 3, 5 and 8 August 14 • El Reno, McAlester and Seminole Contact: Thad Doye, (405) 523-2307 August Area Meeting - District 9 August 16 • Tulsa Contact: Thad Doye, (405) 523-2307 August Area Meetings - District 4 August 23 • Madill and Duncan Contact: Thad Doye, (405) 523-2307

OFB President Mike Spadling welcomes the OYLA participants to the state office July 23 and encourages them to continue learning all they can about agriculture in Oklahoma.

Sam Knipp (left), OFB vice-president of corporate communications and public relations, interviews Jamie Carey of Webbers Falls during a workshop focused on working with the media.

Twenty Oklahoma high school seniors participated in the inaugural Oklahoma Youth Leading Agriculture conference July 23-26 in Oklahoma City. OYLA participants were selected on the basis of academics, extracurricular activities, agricultural experience and leadership abilities.

The conference, hosted by Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee, included sessions on communication development and media training, team building skills, business

principles and agriculture in the classroom training. The students learned about the latest research at the Noble Foundation and Oklahoma State University. The group also toured Oklahoma City area businesses including Chesapeake Energy, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, OKC Stockyards and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture.

“We wanted to expose our brightest and best high school students to Oklahoma agriculture,” said conference coordinator Holly Carroll. “Most of these students are ranked in the top 10 in their class so these youths are definitely the cream of the crop.”

The busy, fast-paced, four-day schedule was by design.

“We kept them busy all the time,” Carroll said. “We wanted to challenge and stretch them to their maximum potential.”

Carroll said she hopes the conference allowed the students the opportunity to improve themselves, while learning more about Oklahoma agriculture.

“Our main goal is for the students to stay involved in the Oklahoma agriculture industry,” Carroll said. “We often see some of our best students leave the state and we want them to know there are excellent opportunities right here in Oklahoma.”

Each student’s county Farm Bureau helped sponsor the conference. Other event sponsors included Chisholm Trail Farm Credit, Mid West Wrecking Company, Lugert-Altus Water District, OFB Women’s Committee, OFB Board of Directors, OFB Mutual Insurance Company and Tulsa County Farm Bureau.

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

Currently online: • August Area Meetings – Farm Bureau’s August Area Meetings give members the opportunity to help set OFB public policy for the next year through a grassroots process. The 2012 meeting schedule is featured on the OFB homepage.

• Harvest Watch – OFB’s four farming families are reviewing harvest and planning for other summer activities on the OFB Harvest Watch blog. See our OFB homepage to click on the logo.

www.okfarmbureau.org

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OFB leader grateful for drought relief legislation Passage of a federal disaster bill is good news for drought-stressed farmers and ranchers, according to a statement released Aug. 2 by Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Mike Spradling.

“This will offer immediate drought assistance for our producers while we wait on Congress to pass a new farm bill,” Spradling said.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed HR 6233, the Supplemental Agricultural Disaster Assistance bill, Thursday, Aug. 2.

The legislation includes reauthorization of disaster assistance programs, specifically, Livestock Indemnity Payments; Livestock Forage Disaster Programs; Emergency As-

sistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farmraised Fish; and the Tree Assistance Program.

To pay for this disaster assistance program, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program is capped at $1.4 billion in fiscal year 2013 and the Conservation Stewardship Program is limited to 11 million acres in fiscal year 2013.

“We appreciate Congressman Lucas for getting this immediate relief to our producers,” Spradling said. “We know his priority is to get a new farm bill passed, but until that happens, this will greatly ease our burden. The challenges our producers are facing with this drought underscores how important it is that Congress complete a new farm bill this year.”

Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Convention Jeff Balentine (left), Ron Balentine (center) and Jimmy Taylor visit the OFB booth during the recent Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Convention at the Reed Center in Midwest City. The Balentines are a father and son team operating the Buckle Ranches near Willow, Okla. Taylor owns Taylor Ranch near Elk City and is the grandson of OFB’s first president, John I. Taylor.

Farm Bureau Board of Directors request Senator Coburn’s support The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Board of Directors sent a letter to U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, R-Okla., July 20 requesting his support of the Market Access Program. The MAP is directed by the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service to provide funds for international marketing and promotional activities.

“This is a good progr am that provides assistance on a cost-share basis, targeting small businesses, farmer cooperatives and Sen. Tom Coburn non-profit trade organizations,” the OFB board said.

The board urged Sen. Coburn to cease his efforts to cut funds for the program.

MAP provides an economic return to taxpayers by bringing in $35 for every $1 invested, according to a study by IHS Global Insight.

“This return on investment puts dollars in farmers’ pockets, their local economies, Oklahoma’s economy and the gross domestic product,” the OFB board said.

The OFB leaders said MAP is a publicprivate partnership that has greatly benefited Oklahoma agriculture.

Garvin County hosts dinner to meet area candidates

ABOVE – Garvin County President Dale Schauer (left) and Rusty Appleton, of U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe’s office, discuss Sen. Inhofe’s agenda in Washington.

BELOW – Raymond and Mary Temple visit with Sen. Susan Paddack (right) after listening to her speak about issues in her district on July 26 at the Garvin County Farm Bureau office in Pauls Valley. More than 50 Farm Bureau members, area citizens and community leaders attended the event to meet with candidates running for election this fall.

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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

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

Macey Panach, 523-2346 Traci Morgan, 523-2346 Perspective/Online News Editor Perspective/Online News Editor Monica Wilke, 523-2303 Executive Director Sam Knipp, 523-2347 Sam 523-2347 ViceKnipp, President of Communications/PR Vice President of Communications/PR Marla Peek, 523-2437 Tyler Norvell, 523-2402 Director of Regulatory Vice President of PublicAffairs Policy

Chris Kidd, 523-2539 Director of State and National Affairs Marla Peek, 523-2437 Director of Regulatory Affairs

Farm leaders urge congressional leaders to push farm bill forward In a July 23 letter to congressional leaders, Oklahoma’s agriculture groups voiced their support for U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, ROkla., and Ranking Member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., for the success in passing the FARRM Act through the committee with a strong bipartisan vote. The farm groups requested House leaders to continue pushing the legislation forward.

“We request immediate consideration (of the farm bill) by the full House,” the agricultural groups wrote in the letter.

In the letter, sent to Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the farm groups praised the Agriculture Committee’s legislation as it provides a balanced safety net for all commodities and regions. Action must be taken now because producers nationwide need to make cropping, financing and marketing decisions.

Specifically, the group pointed out: • The American public needs a safe and healthy food and fiber supply. The swift passage of this bill will ensure access to these needs. Especially at risk today are nutrition authorizations.

• Additional programs nationwide face authorization risks, including conservation and disaster programs. This is especially important as the nation deals with severe drought.

The farm groups believe a lack of certainty and direction caused by a delayed farm bill will have widespread economic impact, such as impaired financial deci-

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sions for lenders and borrowers, including renewal of operating capital.

In the face of the growing widespread drought and possible food shortages, the farm groups believe passage of the farm bill will reduce risk and ease tension.

“While representing a wide range of interests,” the groups said, “we are united in our view that the bill should receive floor time and be finalized this year.”

The groups that signed the letter are: • Oklahoma Secretary and Commissioner of Agriculture, Jim Reese • Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry • American Farmers & Ranchers • Great Plains Canola Association • Oklahoma Agribusiness Retailers Association • Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association • Oklahoma Conservation Commission • Oklahoma Agricultural Cooperative Council • Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts • Oklahoma Cotton Council • Oklahoma Farm Bureau • Oklahoma Grain and Feed Association • Oklahoma Livestock Marketing Association • Oklahoma Peanut Commission • Oklahoma Pork Council • Oklahoma Poultry Federation • Oklahoma Sorghum Association • Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association • Producers Cooperative Oil Mill • Whitetails of Oklahoma

August Area Meetings begin Texas County member Ted Fields (right) participates in a discussion about water policy during the District 1 Area Meeting held Aug. 2 in Beaver.

State board member Roland Pederson welcomes attendees of the District 7 Area Meeting Aug. 2 in Enid.

Marla Peek, OFB director of regulatory affairs, visits with Cherokee County board member Johnnie Carlile about upcoming policy issues during the District 6 Area Meeting Aug. 2 in Muskogee.