September 21, 2012

PERSPECTIVE OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU

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YF&R Committee hosts livestock judging contest during OK State Fair

September 21, 2012

In This Issue • State Fair livestock judging • OK AgFund Committee • Payne County bucket calf show • Farm Bill Now! • MyAmericanFarm.org

OFB still accepting trade show registration

Students evaluate a class of breeding ewes during the 2012 YF&R State Fair Livestock Judging Contest on Sept. 14. Nearly 700 Oklahoma 4-H and FFA members judged eight classes of cattle, hogs, sheep and goats during the event. A photo gallery of the winning teams and individuals is available on the OFB website at okfarmbureau.org.

Registration is still available 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.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s OK AgFund Committee meets Members of the OK AgFund Committee discuss the senate and house races that will be decided during the upcoming November election.

The committee met Sept. 14 in Oklahoma City to determine which candidates the OK AgFund would support.

Representatives from each of OFB’s nine districts attended the meeting to ensure that every area of the state had a voice in the selections. The OK AgFund Committee will meet again in November at the 71st Annual Meeting to discuss further action after the election.

Member Benefits • M. Rhodes Company gives members a 33 percent discount from nationally published prices on an applied basis on ALCOA steel or vinyl siding. For more information, call the M. Rhodes Company at (405) 721-2807.

OFB highlights a benefit 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.

Payne County YF&R sponsors local bucket calf show RIGHT – Exhibitors lead their calves during the annual Payne County YF&R Bucket Calf Show Aug. 31 at the Payne County Fair. Seventeen youth participated in the event, which teaches skills in responsibility, livestock management, basic record keeping and interviewing.

OFB Calendar

LEFT – Payne County Farm Bureau members Paul and Stephanie Weckler present the David Weckler Memorial Scholarship to this year’s recipient, Lillie Snider of Glencoe (left). The scholarship is given each year to a deserving participant in the Payne County Bucket Calf Show to honor the memory of David Weckler, who was very active in the bucket calf show and particularly excelled in the interview portion.

Convention Awards Deadline October 5 • Oklahoma City Contact: Marcia Irvin, (405) 523-2405 County Resolutions Due to State Office October 5 • Oklahoma City Contact: Karolyn Bolay, (405) 523-2320 OFB Annual Meeting November 9-11 • Oklahoma City Contact: Monica Wilke, (405) 523-2303

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

Currently online: • Agricultural News – Oklahoma Farm Bureau features a new agriculturerelated story every day on its site. Read about both AFBF and state Farm Bureau news by visiting the 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.

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OFB annual meeting award deadline is Oct. 5 Friday, Oct. 5 is the final day to submit applications for the Meritorious Service Award and the CHAMPION Achievement Award, which will both be presented during the 71st Annual Convention.

The Meritorious Service Award is given to legislators or other state elected officials whose philosophies or records demonstrate their commitment to the policies supported

by OFB members.

The CHAMPION Program is designed to reward and recognize those members who are working at the local, state, and national level to achieve Farm Bureau policy objectives through various activities.

For more information about the awards, please contact the OFB Public Policy Division at (405) 523.2320.

Farm Bureau members rally for a “Farm Bill Now” With the expiration of the current farm bill quickly approaching, and in the midst of the worst drought in a generation, Farm Bureau members, along with farmers and ranchers from across the nation, rallied at the nation’s capitol on Sept. 12. American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman emceed the “Farm Bill Now!” rally on Capitol Hill.

The event drew hundreds of participants from across the country, including farmers, congressional members and leaders from agriculture, conservation, energy, consumer and nutrition organizations. The group urged Congress to pass a new, comprehensive, five-year farm bill before current farm programs expire at the end of September.

“Perhaps never in the history of farm legislation have so many diverse farmer and rancher voices joined together for such a common call for action on a farm bill,” said Stallman during the event.

“We gather here under a banner adorned with three words. FARM. BILL. NOW. And we are here to raise our voices toward Capitol Hill…for a shared purpose.”

The farm bill isn’t just a bill for farmers.

The USDA says one in every 12 American jobs is directly related back to the farm.

The farm bill has a broad impact on all citizens and the U.S. economy, according to the Farm Bill Now coalition. It provides healthy foods to millions of schoolchildren and nutritious options to families in need, as well as develops and expands trade with valuable foreign markets. By reducing spending significantly compared to prior farm bills, the proposals pending right now in Congress address the need to get the nation’s fiscal house in order.

AFBF is encouraging Congress to reach an agreement on the House Agriculture Committee and Senate-passed bills.

Congressional members who spoke at the event included Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), chairwoman of the Agriculture Committee; Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.); Rep. Collin Peterson, (D-Minn.), ranking member of the Agriculture Committee; and Rep. Kristi Noem, (R-S.D.).

The event was endorsed by 88 organizations representing a broad range of commodity and specialty crops, livestock, dairy, state and local governments, energy and biobased products, farm cooperatives and financial groups.

For more information, visit www.FarmBillNow.com.

Farm bill update: extension likely but not supported

by Farm Bureau members The U.S. House of Representatives voted to recess during the month of October, so House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) has asked for a three-month extension of the current farm bill on Sept. 14. The food stamp program, crop insurance and the vast majority of conservation programs do not expire on Sept. 30, and the commodity programs cover 2012 crops.

Essentially the only program that will suffer on Sept. 30 is the Milk Income Loss Contract program. A three-month extension would extend the program, but at the lower payment limit level and the lower feed cost ratio level.

Farm Bureau does not support a threemonth extension or a one-year extension, but instead supports providing farmers certainty by considering a five-year bill.

‘We want to get a farm bill in place to help our farmers and ranchers plan for the next growing season,” said OFB President Mike Spradling.

Noble County YF&R hosts annual Farmhand Olympics

A team competes in the relay race at the Noble County Young Farmers and Rancher’s Farmhand Olympics competition on Sept. 10.

A few of the relay activities included a gunny sack race, a stick horse race and a square bale stacking race. The event is held annually during the Noble County Fair.

A Farmhand Olympics participant hurries as she matches up nuts and bolts during one of the contests.

Other events included a corn cob toss, steer dummy roping and water pumping.

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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

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

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

Oklahoma Forestry Services conducting inventory in local areas What type of forest or woodland is present in our county? What tree species? Is our forest healthy?

These and many other questions will be answered as a Forest Inventory and Analysis crew from Oklahoma Forestry Services begins collecting data on plots in 14 western Oklahoma counties. Foresters began this important data collection in 2009. Each subsequent year, foresters continue gathering information about the amount of land under forest cover, the type of forests and tree species that are present, tree size, invasive species and forest health issues.

“Healthy forests and woodlands provide Oklahoma with many valuable goods and services,” said State Forester George Geissler.

“We are collecting information about our

forests in all 77 counties, which will improve our planning and management strategies and ensure our citizens receive the greatest benefit possible.”

The analysis is conducted on randomly located plots across private, industrial and public lands and includes both forested and non-forested areas. Private landowners are contacted directly if a plot falls on their land.

The information gathered from this analysis is used to determine status and trends of forests in Oklahoma, and contributes data for similar nationwide efforts of the USDA Forest Service.

“The information we collect is added to the national database to give policy-makers the data they need to make informed decisions for the future of our forest resources,” said FIA

Coordinator Carri Abner. “We appreciate landowners allowing us access to their land so we will have an accurate assessment of Oklahoma’s trees and forests.”

Crews will be traveling in marked Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry vehicles and will be carrying proper identification with them. Landowners and lessees can assist in this endeavor by granting crews access to property if an FIA plot falls on their land, as well as telling others about the program. They are also welcome to be present when the crew is conducting the measurements on their property.

If you would like more information, contact Abner at 918-290-9208 or carri.abner@ ag.ok.gov.

Youth can explore farmers’ markets online The popular agricultural education gaming site MyAmericanFarm.org now includes an updated version of the Farmers’ Market Challenge, a game that helps students in kindergarten through fifth grade practice essential math skills while learning about food and healthy choices. After correctly answering math questions, such as how much change do you get back if you buy $2.50 worth of squash and pay the farmer $3, the player gets to read agricultural facts, such as vegetables that are high in potassium—sweet potatoes, white beans and tomatoes—are nutritious.

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As with all of the games available at MyAmericanFarm.org, the Farmers’ Market Challenge is aligned to educational standards. The game also now includes an “Easy Reader” e-Comic book that takes young readers on a virtual trip to a farmers’ market with their friends. Both the game and e-Comic can be found at http://www. myamericanfarm.org/games/farmers_market_challenge/.

My American Farm is a project of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. It is made possible through the support of title sponsor DuPont Pioneer.