January 24, 2014

PERSPECTIVE OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU

®

January 24, 2014

Oklahoma Farm Bureau members attend AFBF convention LEFT – OKFB Director Rodd Moesel (left) visits with Sen. Richard Lugar, recipient of the AFBF Distinguished Service Award, during the AFBF Convention in San Antonio. More than 80 OKFB members and staff attended the convention, Jan. 11-15.

RIGHT – Comanche County’s Adam and Rachel Bohl get a signed copy of the AFBF Foundation for Agriculture's book of the year, The Beeman, during the AFBF convention tradeshow. More photos are available at flickr.com/okfarmbureau

2014 Congressional Action Tour Washington, D.C. April 6-10

Visit www.okfarmbureau.org or contact the OKFB Public Policy Division at (405) 530-2681 for more information.

Registration deadline – March 3

Buchanan elected to American Farm Bureau board Delegates at the 95th AFBF Convention elected OKFB President Tom Buchanan to represent the southern region on the AFBF board of directors, Jan. 15, in San Antonio.

Two other state Farm Bureau presidents Tom Buchanan were newly elected to the board, and 13 other state Farm Bureau presidents were re-elected to represent their regions on the AFBF board of directors.

Bob Stallman was re-elected as president for an eighth two-year term. He is a cattle and rice farmer from Columbus, Texas. In addition, Barry Bushue was re-elected to a third two-year term as AFBF vice president.

Bushue is a berry and nursery plant producer from Boring, Ore., and also serves as Oregon Farm Bureau president.

Newspaper ads available to promote 2014 Farm Bureau Week Farm Bureau Week is Feb. 17-21, 2014. Newspaper ads are available for counties to use in local media. The ads promote OKFB membership and involvement. For more information, contact Kelli Beall, OKFB Field Services Division, at (405) 523-2470.

Member Benefits • QualSight LASIK offers OKFB members discounts of up to 40-50 percent below the national average cost of LASIK. Call (866) 979-8797 for more info and to obtain preferred pricing.

OKFB highlights a benefit in each issue of Perspective as a reminder of the savings available to OKFB members.

Find a complete list of savings online at www.okfarmbureau.org/benefits.

OKFB Calendar Oklahoma Legislature Convenes Feb. 3 • Oklahoma City Contact: John Collison (405) 523-2539 OKFB Women’s Leadership Team Our Food Link Day Feb. 11 • Oklahoma City Feb. 12 • Tulsa Contact: Marcia Irvin (405) 523-2405 OKFB Leadership Conference Feb. 17-18 • Oklahoma City Contact: Sara Drozdowski (405) 530-2681

By John Collison OKFB Vice President of Public Policy and Media Relations As January melts into February, it can mean only one thing … we are quickly upon another legislative session. Last year’s successes are behind us, and new issues lay ahead. This will be the last session for some legislative members, as term limits have caught up with them. We wish them God’s speed and good luck as they embark on a new chapter in their lives. We also want to thank them for their service to the state of Oklahoma. It’s not always easy to do what these members do on a day-to-day basis, and for that we say thanks!

This session we face the prospect of changing our state’s constitution to protect farming and ranching into the future. We continue to see on a federal level – and now even on a state level – no end to the activists who want to tell you how to farm and ranch.

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 agriculture-related story every day on its site. Read about both AFBF and state Farm Bureau news by visiting the homepage.

www.okfarmbureau.org 2

• OKFB Harvest Watch Blog – The second annual OKFB Harvest Watch blog season is underway. Visit www.okfarmbureau.org and click on the OKFB Harvest Watch link to follow families from the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee.

Frankly it would be nice if people just said “thanks for feeding and clothing me” and moved on, but that’s not how it works today. This year we hope to have a “Right to Farm” state question if legislators will send it to a vote of the people. This constituJohn Collison tional change protects OKFB members well into the future and ensures the Oklahoma agriculture sector will remain strong and vibrant.

As always, there will be no end to the legislative bills that deal with raising taxes in some form of a fee or new tax, and there will even be a few that will try to cover people trespassing with some sort of fancy deal.

We will see a few bills that deal with wind energy and how we deal with windmills.

As always, we stand ready to make sure the body is well educated on behalf of our 100,000-member organization.

We will also face the prospect that all of the house members and a handful of senators will be up for reelection. We will need to make sure the folks who have decided to run for office reflect the vision and ideas that make up Oklahoma Farm Bureau. We will also have a few statewide races including governor and two U.S. senate seats. Gov. Fallin and Sen. Inhofe have both been great friends, and we look forward to their reelection in 2014.

This year will probably shape up to be one of the most important election cycles we have seen in a long time. We stand ready in the public policy division to face these battles head on. If we can be of service to our membership or the members of the legislature and Congress, please do not hesitate to ask. We look forward to moving Oklahoma agriculture forward again this year.

AFBF delegates set 2014 public policy positions

Voting delegates to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 95th annual meeting, Jan. 15, approved resolutions that will provide the organization with authority from its grassroots members to push Congress toward the goal line on unfinished issues like the farm bill and ag labor.

“Securing victories on those issues is critical to our competitiveness as individual farmers and ranchers, and to our nation’s success as a food producer,”said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “Farm Bureau made progress on our priorities this past year, more so than most other organizations, and this year, our delegates have provided us direction to work with Congress to complete this agenda.”

On the farm labor front, delegates reaffirmed their strong support for meaningful ag labor reforms that ensure farmers and ranchers have access to workers when they are needed. Delegates also voted to support flexibility that would allow the employment of workers by more than one farmer.

“Farmers and ranchers need a reliable supply of labor,” Stallman said. “That is a simple truth. It’s about availability and flexibility –neither of which have been hallmarks of the system our farmers, ranchers and growers have operated under for many years. We must have a workable ag labor program.”

With congressional farm bill action nearing completion, delegates reaffirmed Farm Bureau’s policy, overwhelmingly determining that now is not the time to make changes.

“Congress is still haggling over dairy policy, but for the most part, they are very close to completing a five-year farm bill,” Stallman said. “It has been a long process, but substantial reforms have been made.

Crop insurance has been strengthened so that farmers can play a role in determining the level of their safety net, and how much they are willing to invest for that coverage.”

Specifically on dairy-related issues, delegates reaffirmed policy supporting changes to the dairy safety net, including margin insurance programs. ���������������������������������������� On another livestock-related issue, delegates maintained their support for country

(See AFBF, page 4)

OKFB President Tom Buchanan accepts the AFBF New Horizon award from AFBF President Bob Stallman during the AFBF Convention, Jan. 11.

OKFB received the award for its involvement in the Beef for Backpacks program, which helps feed more than 13,500 hungry children each week.

OKFB Leadership Conference set for Feb. 17-18 in Oklahoma City Join Oklahoma Farm Bureau for the annual Leadership Conference, Feb. 17-18, at the Skirvin Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City. The conference is an opportunity for OKFB members to hear from a variety of influential speakers while learning more about the issues affecting Oklahoma agriculture.

Sessions on Oklahoma’s political

outlook, a new OKFB health care product and agricultural advocacy are planned, and U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin will provide an update from Washington, D.C. The two-day conference will end with a visit to the state Capitol.

For more information, contact the OKFB Public Policy Division at (405) 530-2681.

Oklahoma County FB members present $1,000 to a Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma representative (right) to purchase seed for use in backyard gardens. Also pictured are OKFB’s Justin Whitmore (left), Robert Bierschenk and Dennis Lambring.

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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 Monica Wilke, 523-2303

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

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

Executive Director

Traci Morgan, 523-2346 John Collison, 523-2539 Perspective/Online News Editor

VP of Public Policy and Media Relations

Macey Hedges, 523-2346 Sam Knipp, 523-2347 Director of Corporate Communications Vice President of Communications/PR Sam Knipp, 523-2347 Director of Corporate Communications Tyler Norvell, 523-2402

Dustin Mielke, 530-2640 Vice President of Public Policy

Director of Corporate Communications

Karolyn Marla Peek, Bolay, 523-2437 523-2320 Communications SpecialistAffairs Director of Regulatory

(AFBF, from page 3) of origin labeling and reiterated that it needs to be compliant with World Trade Organization rules. They also voted to support efforts to lengthen the term of grazing permits from 10 years to 20 years.

On other issues, delegates adopted new policy that supports the use of unmanned aircraft systems for commercial agricultural, forestry and other natural resource purposes. They also supported the requirement for drone users to gain the consent of the landowners, if operating below navigable airspace However, delegates opposed federal agencies’ use of drones for regulatory enforcement, litigation or natural resource inventory surveys.

Delegates approved new policy supporting the protection of proprietary data collected from farmers and maintaining that such data should remain their property.

Delegates also voted to support efforts to educate farmers regarding the benefits and risks of collaborative data collection systems.

They also approved policy stating that farmers should be compensated if companies market their propriety information, and that farmers should have the right to sell their proprietary data to another producer, such as in the case of a land sale. Delegates voted to oppose farmers’ data being held in a clearinghouse or database by any entity subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

Delegates also reaffirmed their support for the renewable fuels standard and approved a policy supporting renewable fuels tax incentives for the production of biodiesel and cellulosic ethanol and installation of blender pumps.

At the AFBF Annual Meeting, 357 voting delegates, representing every crop and livestock sector in the United States, deliberated on policies affecting farmers’ and ranchers’ productivity and profitability.

The policies approved at the annual meeting will guide the nation’s largest general farm organization throughout 2014.

Dates set for annual OKFB Commodity Tour Mark your calendars for an insightful look at agriculture in southwestern Oklahoma during the “Wagons West” 2014 OKFB Commodity Tour, Mar. 31 - Apr. 2.

The deadline to register is Mar. 15. If you signed up to attend the tour during the annual meeting tradeshow, please confirm your reservation with Marcia Irvin at (405) 523-2405 or mirvin@okfb.org.

KNID Agrifest OKFB Women’s Leadership Team member Desi Milacek (center) encourages visitors to sign up for door prizes at the OKFB booth during the 2014 KNID Agrifest, Jan. 10, in Enid.

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