PERSPECTIVE OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU
®
April 18, 2014
Farm Bureau leaders lobby in nation’s capitol The new farm bill, tax reform, regulatory overreach and immigration reform were key issues discussed by Oklahoma Farm Bureau leaders during a four-day lobbying effort in Washington, D.C., April 7-10. During the trip, the farm leaders met with U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe and U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn’s Chief of Staff Brian Treat, plus U.S. Reps. Jim Bridenstine, Markwayne Mullin, James Lankford and Frank Lucas, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. Lucas emphasized his committee’s efforts to draft a new farm bill that provides a strong safety net for farm income using a combination of crop insurance, a revenue assurance program and price protection. “We are proud to have Rep. Lucas standing up for our interests in Washington, D.C., and we greatly appreciate the time and effort he committed to the farm bill,” OKFB President Tom Buchanan said. “We look forward to working with him and his staff as the new rules are implemented.” Several congressmen applauded OKFB’s decision to join Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt’s lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for using a “sue and settle” tactic to prematurely list the lesser prairie
chicken as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The decision circumvents ESA procedures that are required by statute and harms landowners and business interests in the state. Oklahoma farm leaders also received legislative briefings from key staff at the American Farm Bureau office. The Farm Bureau makes the annual trip to Washington, D.C., each spring to engage with the nation’s leaders and then initiate conversations in their local communities. “This trip is a key step in our grassroots policy development process, and we are thankful for the opportunity to meet with our state’s delegation and AFBF staffers as we take the time to learn about the issues,” Buchanan said. “The OKFB leaders who TOP – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe speaks to members participated in the trip about governmental overreach during his will be great sources of congressional briefing, April 8. information as our counBOTTOM – Congressional Action Tour participants ties begin making policy visit the American Farm Bureau headquarters during recommendations later their trip, April 8. this year.”
OKFB members explore southwest Oklahoma BELOW – Jackson County FB board member Matt Muller explains the different equipment used in the cotton stripping process at his farm near Martha, April 1. Participants also had the chance to tour a cotton gin and storage facility in Altus.
ABOVE – Robert Forst of the Stuart Ranch gives a cutting horse demonstration for members on the first day of the tour. Located near Waurika, it is the oldest ranch in the state of Oklahoma under continuous family ownership.
ABOVE – Members enjoy a scenic view from Mt. Scott inside the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge near Lawton, April 2. More photos from the three-day event are available on OKFB’s Flickr site at www.flickr.com/okfarmbureau.
Member Benefits • Storm Safe Shelters offers OKFB members a $100 discount on the purchase of a qualifying Storm Safe inground shelter. Call (405) 204-9223 or visit the Storm Safe Shelters website at www.stormsafeshelters.com. 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 YF&R Spring Tour April 25-26 • Northeast Oklahoma Contact: Holly Carroll (405) 530-2681 YF&R Video Contest Deadline May 15 • Statewide Contact: Holly Carroll (405) 530-2681 YF&R Golf Classic May 16 • Choctaw Contact: Holly Carroll (405) 530-2681
By Tom Buchanan, OKFB President
This opinion article was originally published in the April 4 issue of The Journal Record
Oklahoma Farm Bureau members are disappointed with a March 27 announcement by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the lesser prairie chicken as a threatened species. This was done under a sueand-settle-induced deadline involving the Endangered Species Act. The premature and indefensible decision unduly harms landowners and business interests in Oklahoma and circumvents ESA procedures that are required by statute. For the past several years, the farm bureau has been working with the state, private landowners and a coalition of Oklahoma’s oil and gas, transmission, wind energy and transportation industries to protect the lesser prairie chicken and avoid an ESA listing. In March 2013, the FWS approved the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conser-
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.
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• 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.
vation’s Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances, or CCAA, for the lesser prairie chicken on agricultural lands. Farmers and ranchers have been working hard to implement best practices to protect the lesser prairie chicken on their properties. The listing will impose unnecessary federal restrictions on Tom Buchanan agricultural producers, limiting their rights to develop their private properties. We believe a partnership between private landowners and state agencies is a more appropriate avenue to not only protect the bird, but also allow Oklahomans to continue taking care of Oklahoma. We are concerned federal agencies are routinely yielding to the demands of special interest groups that increasingly use sueand-settle tactics as a means of fast-tracking the ESA listing process. Environmental organizations were involved in two closeddoor settlements with FWS in 2011. Among other things, these settlements truncated allotted time for the FWS to complete a listing decision for the lesser prairie chicken. This prevented the state and landowners from adequately implementing the CCAA and demonstrating its proven ability to protect the bird. We cannot allow sue and settle to become cliché – it’s a crime. In an effort to put an end to the abuse and reinstate the proper procedures for ESA listing decisions, the state filed a lawsuit against FWS and the U.S. Department of the Interior on March 17. On Tuesday, the farm bureau joined the lawsuit. The bureau is proud to support Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt in his fight to defend Oklahomans’ private property rights.
GM offers new, stackable bonus cash for members Oklahoma Farm Bureau is pleased to announce a new FB Member Advantage! “Bonus Cash” program with General Motors is available to members, effective immediately. While the $500 discount on the purchase or lease of a new GM car or truck is the same, the ability to stack the offer with one other private offer is new, and demonstrates Farm Bureau’s commitment to exceed member expectations. “Farm Bureau members in Oklahoma are accustomed to having exclusive access to superior, high-quality brands, programs and products,” said OKFB President Tom Buchanan. “GM’s generous offer to Farm Bureau members that includes the ability to stack the current GM ‘Bonus Cash’ offer with another private offer means our members may now purchase a General Motors
vehicle and experience more savings than ever before. This is just one more example of how why it pays to be a member of Farm Bureau.” The new Bonus Cash offer can be stacked with all other offers available to eligible Farm Bureau members, such as Owner Loyalty (discounted employee, dealership employee and supplier pricing is excluded). Additionally, members are eligible 30 days after becoming a member – a reduction from the previous 60-day eligibility requirement. The $500 “Bonus Cash” offer can be used on the purchase or lease of all 2013, 2014 and 2015 Chevrolet, Buick and GMC models without exclusions in states that participate in the GM program. To take advantage of the GM program discounts through FB Member Advan-
tage!, members should log on to fbverify.com/gm where eligibility will be confirmed once a members enters his/her membership number and zip code. A certificate will be made available online that must be printed and taken to the dealership of choice for presentation to the sales person. There is no limit to the number of certificates that a member may print or use. Certificates expire after 60 days. General Motors is the official vehicle sponsor of the American Farm Bureau Federation.
YF&R Golf Classic is May 16 Register now for the 12th annual YF&R Golf Classic, May 16, at the Choctaw Creek Golf Course in Choctaw. All proceeds will benefit the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Legal Foundation, which protects private property rights and production agriculture. To register or to become a sponsor, contact YF&R Coordinator Holly Carroll at (405) 530-2681 or holly.carroll@okfb.org. The registration deadline is Tuesday, May 6.
OKC Farm Show
Legislative Breakfast Rep. Steve Martin (second from left) visits with OKFB President Tom Buchanan, OKFB Director Phyllis Holcomb, Sen. Eddie Fields and Washington Co. President Macy Strom during a legislative breakfast hosted by Washington, Nowata and Osage Counties in Bartlesville, April 4.
U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas speaks to producers during a town hall meeting at the OKC Farm Show, April 5. Lucas discussed many agricultural issues including the new farm bill, the lesser prairie chicken and EPA regulations. Visit www.soundcloud.com/ okfarmbureau to hear an All Around Oklahoma Agriculture podcast with Lucas.
OKAgFund action begins soon Oklahoma’s candidate filing period ended April 11, which means it is now time for counties to begin scheduling OKAgFund meetings, April 28 - May 2, to discuss area elections and select a county representative to serve on the OKAgFund district committee. For a list of district OKAgFund meetings, visit the OKFb Public Policy webpage.
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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
Payne County YF&R hosts scholarship fundraiser Payne County YF&R Chairman Brent Haken prepares for the group’s annual pancake breakfast, March 29, in Stillwater. Donations raised at the event were used to award two $500 scholarships to area seniors pursuing careers in agriculture.
Bake and Take Month Creek County Women's Committee members Wendie Powell, Linda Wells and Phyllis Holcomb recognize reporter John Brock (center) as an OKFB Journalist of the Year, March 28, at the Sapulpa Daily Herald newspaper office. The Kellyville FFA officer team joined the women to celebrate National Bake and Take Month by delivering cookies to the newspaper staff.
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April is Made in Oklahoma Month Made in Oklahoma Coalition, a division of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, is kicking off Made in Oklahoma month with a flurry of advertising. Promotions include television commercials, the launch of a new website and various M.I.O. events throughout the state. The television commercials airing throughout the state feature some of Oklahoma’s top processors, including Lopez Foods, Field’s Pies, Ozarka and Shawnee Mills. Many other partners are showcased in the commercials bringing to light the diversity of locally processed Oklahoma products. “We strive to bring Oklahoma brands to the forefront of public knowledge,” said M.I.O. Marketing Coordinator Kerry Barrick. “Our hope is that local businesses, no matter their size, are featured in the Oklahoma market, as well as national and international markets.” M.I.O. has coupled its launch of the television spots with a new website. The new site boasts a variety of Made in Oklahoma recipes and upcoming events, as well as a comprehensive list of all M.I.O. retail and food service partners. “We wanted to make the M.I.O. website a place to showcase all of the wonderful things local companies are processing in the state,” said Barrick. “The site is much more user friendly than the previous site and really does a good job of capturing the essence of the Made in Oklahoma brand. “We have a lot of events and promotions in store for M.I.O. this April, and we are excited to bring Oklahoma brands to the attention of the state.”