February 7, 2014

PERSPECTIVE OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU

®

The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Legislative Leadership Conference will be held 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.

The two-day conference will feature sessions on Oklahoma’s political outlook, a new OKFB health care product

February 7, 2014

and promoting agricultural advocacy, and U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin and U.S. Rep. James Lankford will provide updates from Washington, D.C. Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt will be present to help kick off Farm Bureau Week, and 15 of the state’s top agricultural advocates – including Gov. Mary Fallin – will receive the Oklahoma Farm Bureau 2013 Champion Award during a presentation Monday evening. In ad-

dition, outgoing OKAgFund committee members will be recognized, and OKFB’s John Collison will give an Oklahoma legislative update. The event will end with lunch at the OKFB office and a visit to the state Capitol.

For more information, contact the OKFB Public Policy Division at (405) 530-2681. A complete agenda for the conference is available online at www.okfarmbureau.org.

OKFB introduces new mobile app for Apple and Android Oklahoma Farm Bureau has made it easier than ever to keep up with the latest in Oklahoma agriculture with the OKFB app. You can now listen to audio reports, read the most recent agricultural news or connect with OKFB through social media all from your Apple or Android devices.

To download the app to your mobile device, go to the Apple Store or Google Play and search for “Oklahoma Farm Bureau” or scan the QR code below to navigate directly to the app.

The app is just one way OKFB is striving to make information more accessible to members, legislators and the general public. Be sure to update the app regularly for the most recent information and features. For questions about downloading the app, please contact the OKFB Communications office at (405) 523-2320.

Member Benefits • OKFB Safety Services Division offers defensive driving courses throughout each year. Participants will receive a 5 percent savings on collision, liability and comprehensive insurance for 36 months. For more information, contact Safety Services at (405) 523-2391.

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 OKFB Women’s Leadership Team Our Food Link Day Feb. 11 • Oklahoma City Feb. 12 • Tulsa Contact: Marcia Irvin (405) 523-2405 OKFB Legislative Leadership Conference Feb. 17-18 • Oklahoma City Contact: Sara Drozdowski (405) 530-2681 Farm Bureau Week Feb. 17-18 • Statewide Contact: Kelli Beall, (405) 523-2470

By John Collison OKFB Vice President of Public Policy and Media Relations In this edition of Legislative Update, I want to talk about the one major issue that still plagues our state and the major agricultural states to our west. It is the continuance of a drought that is now growing into its third year. This drought has now locked itself into western Oklahoma, with a growing cost near $1.5 billion dollars in agricultural economic loss. Please read that again. Oklahoma agriculture has lost $1.5 billion dollars in the last three years due to the lack of rain and water planning.

In looking at the U.S. Geological Survey history of 2013 and especially the May to July time frame, we see where Oklahoma was in excess of roughly 35 million-acre feet of water. This is 35 million-acre feet or millions of gallons of water that we let out

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

• 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.

of our state through the river systems.

This number is not aimed at one specific lake or region. This was a culmination of all the excess water that we were not able to capture. The problem has never been that the state doesn’t John Collison have enough water; it just doesn’t necessarily have water when and where it needs it.

We, in Oklahoma, have been good stewards of our natural resources over the years, but when it comes to water, we have failed in recent times.

The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Board of Directors, along with the members of the OKFB family, have made a conscious decision that as the state’s leading voice for agriculture, we must come up with a solution that benefits all Oklahomans and all sectors of the state. We have begun traveling to statewide meetings with each one of you to talk and listen to your needs and the needs of your area. Through these conversations, we hope to formulate a plan we can carry to the leadership of our state and to the elected officials that have the ability to solve this pressing issue. With ever growing populations and recreation dollars driving the economy in water usage, we need to understand that with serious planning and hard work there is plenty of water to go around. There is plenty for the cities, oil and gas, recreation, irrigation, hydroelectric and agriculture. Water is the lifeblood that can make or break an area, and we need to find a way to best utilize an asset that we waste everyday. Look no farther than California where they are light-years ahead of

(See Update, page 4)

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Dates set for annual OKFB Commodity Tour

Bob Howard, Jackson Co. FB board member (left), Keeff Felty, Jackson Co. FB board member, Melinda Freundt, Logan Co. FB women's committee and Tom Null, Kiowa Co. FB board member show off the Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association’s new caps during the rescheduled annual meeting, Jan. 21, in El Reno, Okla.

Mark your calendars for an insightful look at agriculture in southwestern Oklahoma during the “Wagons West” 2014 OKFB Commodity Tour, March 31 - April 2.

The deadline to register is March 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.

Members attend crops conference OKFB President Tom Buchanan (left) and Jackson County board member Matt Muller (center) talk with Saleh Taghvaeian, assistant extension specialist in biosystems and agricultural engineering at Oklahoma State University, during the Red River Crops Conference, Jan. 29, in Altus. The conference focused on agricultural production circumstances and concerns specific to southwestern Oklahoma and the Texas Rolling Plains.

Digital edition of Oklahoma Country now available The new interactive, electronic version of Oklahoma Country is now available online at www.okfarmbureau.org. The digital magazine features stories about OKFB’s Farm Family of the Year, an Oklahoma fertilizer company and a new line of Medicare Supplement plans available for OKFB members, as well as a review of the 2013 OKFB Annual Meeting. The issue also includes the familiar columns Presidentially Speaking, Insurance Matters and Country Gardening, and the popular All Around Oklahoma section.

The digital edition allows readers to

easily share stories and content via email or social media and includes interactive links and content.

OKFB will continue to produce four issues of Oklahoma Country each year, but only the spring and fall issues will be printed. Similar to the current edition, the Summer 2014 issue will only be available online. Please call your county secretary to add an email address to your records so we can let you know when the electronic versions are available.

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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

Governor signs Farm Bureau Week proclamation Gov. Mary Fallin signs a proclamation declaring Feb. 17-21 Farm Bureau Week in Oklahoma. Don’t forget newspaper ads are available for counties to use in local media to announce Farm Bureau Week. The ads promote OKFB membership and involvement. For more information, contact Kelli Beall, OKFB Field Services Division, at (405) 523-2470.

(Update, from page 2) most states when it comes to their usage and movement of water.

They have gone through different drought cycles over the years, yet they are taking steps necessary to make sure water remains for their people. It is time we in Oklahoma step up to the plate and get serious about how agriculture and other industries are going to make sure we use our resources to the fullest potential before we send them east where most states just dump their excess into the ocean. We look forward to hearing from each of you on how to best utilize this most important resource.

The map, created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shows most of western Oklahoma is predicted to experience an intensified drought in the next three months.

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