PERSPECTIVE OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU
®
June 27, 2014
New OKFB member benefit available Smith joins OKFB communications Oklahoma Farm Bureau for a minimum of Oklahoma Farm Bureau is pleased to 30 days and must provide a valid authoriza- team announce a new utility vehicle incentive tion certificate to the Polaris dealer prior to program with Polaris beginning July 1. Members will receive the following discounts: • $300 off full-size utility and sport vehicles • $300 off GEM electric vehicles • $200 off full-size all-terrain vehicles The discounts are available in addition to any other discounts, promotions, rebates or offers that may be provided from time-totime by Polaris or a Polaris dealer. Discounts do not apply to youth models. To qualify for discounts under the program, the purchaser must be a member of
the date of delivery of product. Certificates may be obtained at www.fbverify.com/polaris and are valid for 60 days after issuance. The certificate must include the member’s name and address, state of membership, date of issuance of the certificate and Farm Bureau membership number. Members providing a certificate after the date of delivery will not be eligible for discounts under the program. For more information, contact OKFB’s Jennie Bruning at (405) 530-2696 or jennie.bruning@okfb.org.
OKFB communications division wins national awards The OKFB corporate communications and public relations team received national recognition during the American Farm Bureau Public Relations Conference in Kansas City, June 17-19. The awards recognize excellence in communicating agriculture and Farm Bureau’s message. Oklahoma Farm Bureau competed against other state Farm Bureaus in the large-state (over 80,000 members) category. Director of Communications Sam Knipp won Best Audio Commentary/Editorial.
His editorial about the courage needed to stand up for what’s right and to be an effective legislator can be heard on the OKFB website at www.okfarmbureau.org. Director of Communications Dustin Mielke won Best Advertising Campaign or Spot. Check out the “We Are Rural Oklahoma” video on the OKFB YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/okfarmbureau. OKFB also received Honorable Mentions for Best Video Feature Story and Best Audio Program. Staff members from the Oklahoma House of Representatives enjoy a cookout hosted by OKFB, June 11. OKFB would like to thank all staff members at the Capitol for their hard work during the legislative session.
Burlington, Oklahoma, native Samantha Smith recently joined Oklahoma Farm Bureau as a communications specialist. Smith is an agricultural communications graduate from Oklahoma Samantha Smith State University. After interning with the OKFB communications team in the summer of 2013, Smith said the organization was a perfect fit. “I am so excited to continue my work with Oklahoma Farm Bureau,” Smith said. “I feel very fortunate to be working for an organization that has the interests of rural Oklahomans at heart.” Smith grew up on a primarily wheatproducing farm in Amorita, Oklahoma. Her passion for agriculture stemmed from her first-hand experience on the farm, and she plans to use her skills in communications to further the mission of OKFB. “I want to advocate for agriculture and the farmers and ranchers in rural Oklahoma,” Smith said. “Oklahoma Farm Bureau is allowing me to find creative ways to do that.”
Have a happy
Fourth of July
Stephens County
Member Benefits • KJD Enterprises offers a $150 dollar cash rebate to all OKFB members who are the end users of a new K/D front end loader. Call 1-888-641-0420 toll free for instructions and a rebate voucher. 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 Summer Conference July 11-12 • Midwest City Contact: Marcia Irvin (405) 523-2405 OKFB Women’s Leadership Team Nursing Scholarship Deadline July 15 • Oklahoma City Contact: Marcia Irvin, (405) 523-2405 OSU Big 3 Field Days July 15-17 • Stillwater Contact: Holly Carroll (405) 530-2681
Rep. Dennis Johnson talks to Stephens County Farm Bureau members about the recent legislative session, June 12, during the county’s legislative dinner in Duncan. Johnson also expressed his interest in an interim study regarding water requested by Rep. Mark McBride and Rep. Jon Echols.
Nursing scholarships available Members of the OKFB Women’s Leadership Team understand the importance of the nursing profession and how any and all financial support contributes to a student’s future. To assist Farm Bureau members with the cost associated with nurse’s training,
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.
the Women’s Leadership Team offers three $500 scholarships every year to qualifying students. The scholarship application and details are available on the OKFB website at www.okfarmbureau.org. Applications are due July 15.
OKFB Commodity Conference approaching The OKFB Commodity Committee will host an organizational meeting, July 7, at the home office in Oklahoma City. Members are invited to attend the program to learn more about the role of Farm Bureau commodity committees and to discuss ideas for the future of the OKFB Commodity Committee. Program topics on Monday afternoon will include overviews on how commodity committees are utilized in other states and on the national level. Members will also have the chance to learn more about how unmanned aerial systems are improving precision agriculture. For more information about the conference or to RSVP, contact Honer at (405) 523-2391 or todd.honer@okfb.org.
USFRA searches OKFB Commodity Trailer travels to Waurika for summer reading program for Faces of Farming and LEFT – OKFB’s Ranching Cheyenne Simmons introduces Waurika Summer Reading Program students to the interactive games and displays inside the OKFB Commodity Trailer. Fifty students participated in the event, June 13.
RIGHT – Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Chris Kidd and Cheyenne Simmons teach pre-kindergarten through fifthgrade students about Oklahoma agriculture at the 2014 Waurika Summer Reading Program, June 13, at the Waurika Library. Students learned about wheat, cotton and dairy farms and had the opportunity to make butter during the event.
Ag in the Classroom
The U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance is looking for the new “Faces of Farming and Ranching.” To help put a real face on agriculture, later this year, USFRA will select standout farmers and ranchers who are proud of what they do, eager to share their stories of continuous improvement and who are actively involved in sharing those stories in public and on social media. Farmers and ranchers who grow and raise an assortment of foods through various methods, on differing scale and across all regions of the country are encouraged to apply, as it is important to show American agriculture and all of its diversity. To apply, visit www.fooddialogues.com to complete an application entry form and to submit a video no longer than three minutes that shows your operation and your role on the farm and/or ranch. Entries will be accepted beginning July 10 through August 10. Finalists will be announced by USFRA in early September. The general public will be able to vote for their favorite entries in late October through early November.
OKFB award deadlines nearing Application due dates for some of OKFB’s top member awards will be here soon. Visit OKFB’s website to download forms and for more information on the award programs. August 1 • District Farm Family of the Year August 15 • State Farm Family Applications
District 7
Tulsa County Farm Bureau member Chad Selman (left) gives a tour of his pecan operation to a group of teachers with the Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom program, June 12. The teachers toured a variety of agricultural businesses in the Tulsa and McAlester areas to learn about the industry and how to incorporate agricultural lessons in their curriculum.
October 1 • YF&R Excellence in Agriculture • YF&R Achievement October 10 • Other Awards Due
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Published by Oklahoma Farm Bureau Postmaster: Send address corrections to: Published by 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 Monica Wilke, 523-2303 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.
Executive Director John Traci Collison, Morgan, 523-2539 523-2346 VP of Public Policy and Media Relations Perspective/Online News Editor Macey Hedges, 523-2346 Director of Corporate Communications Sam Knipp, 523-2347 Sam Knipp, 523-2347 Vice President of Communications/PR Director of Corporate Communications Dustin Mielke, 530-2640 Tyler Norvell, 523-2402Communications Director of Corporate Vice President of Public Policy Karolyn Bolay, 523-2320 Communications Specialist Marla Peek, 523-2437 Samantha Smith, 523-2488 Director of Regulatory Affairs Communications Specialist
Lawmakers tell EPA to ditch ‘Waters of the U.S.’ rule through legislation, letters With the introduction of legislation in the Senate last week, more than 260 representatives and senators have come out against EPA’s proposed rule which could ultimately lead to the unlawful expansion of federal regulation to cover routine farming and ranching practices as well as other common private land uses, such as building homes. Led by Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), a group of 30 senators has introduced Farm Bureau-supported legislation to stop EPA from taking over all private and state water in the United States. The Protecting Water and Property Rights Act of 2014 prohibits the EPA administrator and the secretary of the Army from finalizing the “Waters of the U.S.” rule or trying a similar regulation in the future. “After already calling on the EPA and Army Corps to withdraw the proposed rule, I want to make sure that the expansion of regulatory jurisdiction over ‘Waters of the United States’ is shelved for good,” said Roberts in introducing the legislation. In May, the Senate Western and Congressional Western caucuses sent a joint letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. In the letter, the caucuses pointed out the significant costs of the proposed rule for farmers, ranchers, homeowners and businesses. The costs would come in the form of additional permit application expenses, mitigation requirements and environmental analysis-and this presumes the agencies would issue a requested permit in the first
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place. Violating these requirements could cost individual landowners thousands of dollars per day. “The threat of ruinous penalties for alleged noncompliance with the CWA is also likely to become more common given the proposed rule’s expansive approach. For example, the EPA’s disputed classification of a small, local creek as a ‘water of the United States’ could cost as much as $187,500 per day in civil penalties for Wyoming resident Andrew Johnson. Similar uncertainty established under the proposed rule will ensure that expanding federal control over intrastate waters will substantially interfere with the ability of individual landowners to use their property,” wrote the caucuses, which are led by Senate Western Caucus Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Congressional Western Caucus cochairs Steve Pearce (R-N.M.) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.). On the House side, also in May, more than 231 representatives sent a letter to EPA and the Army Corps urging them to withdraw the regulation. “The rule is flawed in a number of ways,” the Republican and Democratic lawmakers wrote. “The most problematic of these flaws concerns the significant expansion of areas defined as ‘waters of the U.S.’ by effectively removing the word ‘navigable’ from the definition of the CWA. Based on a legally and scientifically unsound view of the ‘significant nexus’ concept espoused by Justice Kennedy, the [proposed] rule would
place features such as ditches, ephemeral drainages, ponds (natural or man-made), prairie potholes, seeps, flood plains, and other occasionally or seasonally wet areas under federal control.” Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy used the term “significant nexus” in his concurring opinion to Rapanos v. United States. More recently, the House Appropriations Committee passed a bill on June 18 that funds the Energy Department and the Army Corps, and included a provision that would prohibit the Army Corps from working on the water rule. To help Farm Bureau members and others express the need for EPA to “Ditch the Rule,” Farm Bureau has launched a website at ditchtherule.fb.org. Focused on topics and analysis related to the “waters of the U.S.” proposed rule, the easy-to-navigate site includes several sections: Take Action, Go Social, Find Answers and Get Resources. Visitors may also sign up to learn more, comment on the proposed rule and send tweets using the hashtag #DitchTheRule.