May 2, 2014 by Matrix Digital Media Inc

PERSPECTIVE OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU

May 2, 2014

Rural women leaders feed state legislators State lawmakers received a “taste of the country” April 15, during the annual Oklahoma Farm Bureau Farm City Festival at the Capitol. The event is sponsored by the OKFB Women’s Leadership Team, consisting of rural women leaders from throughout the state. The rural leaders used the Capitol’s first floor rotunda area to set out a spread of freshly prepared food, much of it home baked. There were trays of fresh vegetables, sandwiches, cheese and fruit, cookies, cupcakes and brownies. “We enjoy feeding our legislators and their staffs with fresh, homegrown food, and we want to show them our appreciation for their hard work,” said Kitty Beavers, chairman of the OKFB Women’s Leadership Team. Beavers said the event also provides a unique opportunity to connect with the legislators. “We host the event at the Capitol so when we go into the legislators’ offices, they will know where we come from and what we represent,” Beavers said. “I appreciate the hard work of the women who provided food and who traveled to Oklahoma City to serve our state lawmakers. Their effort is to be commended.”

Sharlene Lambring (left), Margaret Ann Kinder and Gaye Pfeiffer prepare food for Oklahoma legislators. More than 500 plates of food were prepared for legislators and their staff members. “This is an event we look forward to every year,” Rep. Todd Russ said. “We get to hear from rural Oklahoma on some of the issues that might concern them and get their perspective.” The importance of this event was not lost on Oklahoma’s Secretary of Agriculture Jim Reese. “These rural leaders are who the legislators represent, and legislators always appreciate people from their hometown coming to see them at the Capitol,” Reese said. The rural Farm Bureau women leaders Oklahoma Speaker of the House Jeff have been hosting the Farm City Festival Hickman gets his plate topped off by for more than 30 years. Nadine Butler and Sharla Waltrip.

YF&R members tour northeast Oklahoma agriculture LEFT – Dennis Avery discusses identifying the quality of cattle eggs and embryos at DNA Genetics in Rose, April 26, during the YF&R Spring Tour. Avery demonstrated how he flushes a cow to remove embryos and eggs, and the group viewed bovine eggs and semen under microscopes. Find more RIGHT – Casey Mote shows YF&R members pictures tilapia from the Moore Fish Farm's tanks near from the Inola as she discusses the process of raising the tour at www. warm-water-loving fish in Oklahoma. The group flickr.com/ learned about how the farm raises and sells okfarmbureau. tilapia, bluegill, catfish and largemouth bass.

Member Benefits • Wyndham Hotel Group offers OKFB members discounts for stays at their hotel properties. To book, call (800) 364-6176 or visit the Wyndham Group’s online booking website. Use discount ID number 8000002866. 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 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 OKFB Safety Camp June 10-12 • Stroud Contact: Todd Honer, (405) 523-2391

By John Collison OKFB Vice President of Public Policy and Media Relations As we enter the final few weeks of the legislative session, it will soon be time to start reflecting on what this session has brought us. Before we do that, I would like to take a larger view to look at what term limits have brought us. With term limits now in full effect, the paradigm shift that has taken place at the Capitol is in full view. Where legislators used to be older men, now we see a mix of members who are 20- and 30-somethings. Where members used to stay and serve 20, 30 and even 50 years, we now see powerful members leaving after eight years of service. This year the legislative body will turn over at least 31 new members. These are 31 new members who have never served before, and for the majority of them, it will be their first time elected to anything. My point is that with so many new members coming and going every

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 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.

few years, we have only a handful of members who have institutional knowledge. Institutional knowledge is the right hand knowing what the left hand is doing. It is making sure the ideas and policies your party has fought so long for are not abandoned overnight because you didn’t know. Institutional knowledge is not taking road funds and diverting them to education when your party spent the last 10 years trying to get them back. Institutional knowledge is making sure your political compass stays locked when you deal with educational issues and does not blow the way of the latest fad. Institutional knowledge is knowing there is a constitutional cap on property tax because there are a lot of good ideas every year that could use more tax money. It is knowing that you don’t raises taxes on oil and gas because the government has not taken in enough revenue. Most of these legislators ran and got elected on shrinking the size of government – not growing it – but from the bills we see, you could hardly tell. As we are in the heart of campaign season and people are asking for your vote, I ask you this: please ask them why they want to be elected. Don’t just take the stock answer. This person is coming to Oklahoma City to represent you for the next few years. Make sure they have a reason to be in Oklahoma City for four straight months and to pass laws that affect you. Make sure you find out what kind of person they are and if they think like you do. Once they are elected, keep your eye on them. Follow them on social media. I promise you they want to tell you what they are doing. You need to make sure the person you elect is the right person and will not forget what they ran on when they get to Lincoln Boulevard. I fear without institutional knowledge, we end up rewriting how the legislative process is done every few years. I am not advocating for removal of term limits; in some cases we are mighty thankful for them. It is up you to send legislators to the Capitol who reflect you and your ideas.

Registration, sponsorships still available for YF&R Golf Classic

Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doak visits the Oklahoma Farm Bureau home office, April 15, to discuss his experiences in the insurance industry.

Farmland

Garfield County YF&R Chairman Travis Schnaithman talks about his family’s farming and ranching experiences during a private screening of the documentary film Farmland, April 15, at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. The film was released May 1, and offers a glimpse into the lives of six young farmers and ranchers from across the country. Visit www. farmlandfilm.com for information and theater locations.

Registration is still available 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. Participants may register as a team or individually. The cost is $350 per team or $90 per person. Mulligans are available for purchase for $10 each (limit three per person). Check-in is at 10:30 a.m., followed by lunch at 11 a.m. Teams will tee off at noon. Several sponsorship opportunities are also available, and each includes green fees for four players. 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. Send checks payable to Oklahoma Farm Bureau to Attn: Holly Carroll, 2501 N. Stiles Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73105.

County leaders lobby legislators at state Capitol BELOW – Pottawatomie County Farm Bureau members discuss legislative issues, including HJR 1092 and HJR 1006, with Rep. Justin Wood (center), April 22, during their annual legislative visit to the state Capitol.

ABOVE – Comanche County Farm Bureau leaders meet with Rep. Ann Coody (right) during a trip to the Capitol, April 28. The group also visited with Sen. Don Barrington and Rep. Don Armes about property taxes, the state budget and the state’s water supply.

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

Extension centennial documentary to premiere on OETA The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service is marking its 100th anniversary with a special hour-long documentary premiering at 7 p.m., May 8, on OETA-TV. “One Hundred Years of Oklahoma Extension” will chronicle OCES’s remarkable century of service to the state and explore the organization’s present and future directions. “The documentary will certainly offer insight into Extension’s proud roots, as well as showcase all the ways modern Extension continues to fulfill its original mission of helping all Oklahomans live the best lives possible, even if they never step one foot inside a county office,” said James Trapp, associate director of OCES. The film blends the voices of OCES clients with those of county, state and district agents and specialists as well as dignitaries

such as Congressman Frank Lucas, Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis and National Institute of Food and Agriculture Director Sonny Ramaswamy to reflect on Extension’s history and ongoing impact on the lives of the people of Oklahoma. Though Extension is probably most well known throughout Oklahoma for its agriculture research and expertise, the organization has a much broader reach. “Whether you’re an agricultural producer trying to keep up with the latest technology and the markets, or a resident who needs help identifying a plant in your yard, setting up a household budget or eating a healthier diet, Extension can assist with all that and much, much more, and you’ll see that through the documentary,” Trapp said. “Even if you’re familiar with Extension,

tune in. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what you learn.” The documentary will re-air on OETATV at 6 a.m., May 10, and on OETA-OKLA at 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., May 14. The Smith-Lever Act formally established the national Cooperative Extension Service May 8, 1914. The legislation created a unique partnership between county, state and federal governments and provides funding through land-grant schools to expand vocational, agricultural, and home and family programs beyond the university. OSU and Langston University engage in Extension outreach activities in Oklahoma. The documentary is part of a series of local and statewide events celebrating OCES’s centennial anniversary. Check with your county Extension office for a schedule of local events.

County FBs continue to host legislative dinners

Rep. Scott Biggs addresses members during the Grady County legislative dinner, April 17, in Chickasha. Rep. Biggs discussed HJR 1006, the right to farm bill, and other issues affecting Sen. Wayne Shaw provides updates on agriculture and current legislative issues to members from rural Oklahoma. Mayes and Rogers Counties, April 24.