Perspective Oklahoma Farm Bureau
OKFB’s Thad Doye loads a trailer of hogs donated by OYE participants to the Oklahoma Farming and Ranching Foundation’s Pork for Packs Program.
April 3, 2015
Oklahoma Farm Bureau is honored to receive the 2014 Volume Buyer Award at the Oklahoma youth Expo. OKFB was proud to once again support Oklahoma’s youth at the Oklahoma Youth Expo’s Sale of Champions March 20.
OYE animals donated to food banks ehind the scenes of the Oklahoma Youth Expo was an exhibition of a different kind: the generosity of youths donating their animals to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. The donated animals are actually being handled by Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Oklahoma Farming and Ranching Foundation, which processes the animals through the foundation’s Beef for Backpacks and Pork for Packs programs. The Beef for Backpacks and Pork for Packs programs use donated cattle and hogs to produce beef and pork sticks for the Food Banks’ Food for Kids program. Together, the two food banks provide backpacks with non-perishable, kid-friendly food to students in 596 schools across all of Oklahoma’s 77 counties.
www.okfarmbureau.org
More than 179 animals were donated by students participating in OYE. “The generosity of these young people is incredible,” said Amanda Rosholt, director of fundraising and public relations for the foundation. Rosholt credited Thad Doye, manager of OKFB’s crop insurance program and a longtime supporter of the foundation, for transporting the donated animals. “He has donated countless hours to the loading and hauling of these animals and we are extremely appreciative of his efforts,” Rosholt said. “Donations to the foundation allow us to help Oklahomans through our projects now and in the future,” Rosholt said. For more information, contact Rosholt at (405) 202-1463, or Amanda.Rosholt@ aggiving.org.
OYLA conference set for June 10-12 Do you know any high school juniors who want to participate in the Oklahoma Youth Leading Agriculture program? Don’t let them miss the chance to be one of 20 students to take part in the annual leadership conference sponsored by the OKFB Young Farmers and Ranchers. Registration deadline is April 20.
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Why is the Right to Farm and Ranch Resolution a big deal? By Tom Buchanan Oklahoma Farm Bureau President klahoma is a rural, agricultural state with a multi-billion dollar agriculture industry. It would seem logical for agricultural producers to have the right to produce food and fiber using the latest research-proven techniques. That is why Oklahoma Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm group, supports HJR 1012, co-authored by State Rep. Scott Biggs and State Sen. Jason Smalley. The resolution, which has already passed in the Oklahoma House, would place on the 2016 general election ballot a proposal to amend the Oklahoma Constitution guaranteeing the right to engage in certain farming and ranching practices. Makes good, common sense, right? As Will Rogers once said, “If sense was so
common, everyone would have it.” This resolution would make it more difficult for outside interests to come into Oklahoma in an attempt to dictate agricultural production practices. This is not an issue of water use and regulation as certain urban and municipal interests claim. The legislation protects our farming and ranching heritage, which is no small thing in a state where we have produced food and fiber for more than 100 years. This will also protect consumers as they stand the most to gain from a safe, secure
and affordable food supply. Don’t be confused by the professional, Washington, D.C., based anti-agriculture extremists and their antiagriculture message. Similar — Tom Buchanan proposals to protect domestic agriculture have passed in other states including Missouri and South Dakota and are being considered by several additional states. OKFB members can help ensure the Right to Farm Resolution passes the Oklahoma Senate by calling their senators and asking them to vote in favor of House Joint Resolution 1012.
The legislation protects our farming and ranching heritage, which is no small thing in a state where we have produced food and fiber for more than 100 years.
The 2015 Oklahoma Farm Bureau Commodity Tour was held March 25-27 throughout Northeast Oklahoma. More than 54 OKFB members traveled from Oklahoma City to Miami, Claremore, Bartlesville, Pawhuska and Stillwater while gaining knowledge about different commodities produced in that part of the state. The group had the opportunity to visit the Port of Catoosa, Natural Falls State Park, Pensacola Dam, Will Rogers Museum and Birthplace and the Tallgrass Prairie. More photos from the tour can be found on page 4.
Oklahoma Farm Bureau Online Stay up-to-date with the OKFB website The Oklahoma Farm Bureau website in constantly being updated with news about OKFB policy, legislative updates, member benefits and other county information. Be sure to visit the website daily to stay up-to-date on the latest news relevant to OKFB members. The website can be found at okfarmbureau.org.
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#okfb15 With the legislative session in full swing, the OKFB communications staff has been working hard to keep members upto-date concerning OKFB-supported and -opposed bills via Twitter. Be sure to follow the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Twitter account and use the hashtag #okfb15 when engaging with us!
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Oklahoma Farm Bureau Capitol Visits
Noble County
Seminole County
Comanche County
OKFB offers comments Farm Bureau wants ag department to stop questioning Chisholm movement of wild hogs he state’s largest farm organization that risk,” Buchanan said. and Great Western is calling upon the Oklahoma “In addition to the documented disease Department of Agriculture, Food and hazard of wild hogs to the domestic historic trails Forestry to immediately enact emergency pork industry, the same animal health rules to stop the movement of wild hogs in testing rules that FFA and 4-H members designation Oklahoma Farm Bureau submitted comments to the National Park Service regarding the Chisholm and Great Western National Historic Trails Feasibility Study and Draft Environmental Assessment. OKFB is concerned with the planning and implementation of the proposed national historic trail and the potential impacts for landowners and agriculture as well as the overall potential cost. A full PDF of comments which outline in detail OKFB’s grassroots-developed policy, our concerns with the feasibility study and the overall proposal is available on the Oklahoma Farm Bureau website.
Oklahoma. “We believe ODAFF has the regulatory authority to take immediate action today to stop movement of these feral swine,” said Tom Buchanan, president of Oklahoma Farm Bureau. “ODAFF should take action by using their emergency rulemaking power. We must stop the transportation of these wild hogs. Our multibillion-dollar agriculture industry is at risk from disease spread and damage caused by these feral hogs.” Several large agriculture groups oppose any movement of live feral swine in the state. “Feral hogs carry diseases that can be transmitted to domestic livestock and destroy property, and we simply cannot take
are required to meet should be required of anyone moving hogs in Oklahoma,” Buchanan said. “This illegal movement activity puts the ability of Oklahoma pork producers to provide a safe, consumable product, at risk.” The Farm Bureau action was prompted by an incident last week where a Broken Bow resident was arrested on complaints of moving 117 feral hogs from Texas into Oklahoma. More than 50 percent of the feral swine involved in this case tested positive for pseudorabies. The feral swine had also been treated with sustained-release oxy-tetracycline as well as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent. One of the drugs used to treat the feral hogs before transport is not approved for use in swine.
Member Benefits
Calendar
Gold Buckle Construction
Deadline for YF&R Scholarship Applications April 10 — Oklahoma City Contact: Holly Carroll (405) 530-2307
Gold Buckle Construction offers Oklahoma Farm Bureau members a 10 percent discount on construction services. OKFB highlights a benefit in each issue of Perspective as a reminder of the savings available to OKFB members. You can find a complete list of savings on the Oklahoma Farm Bureau website.
www.okfarmbureau.org/benefits
Congressional Action Tour April 12-16 — Washington D.C. Contact: Sarah Stuart (405) 530-2681 Deadline for OYLA Registration April 20 — Oklahoma City Contact: Holly Carroll (405) 530-2307
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STAFF DIRECTORY
Executive Director Monica Wilke 405-523-2303 VP of Public Policy and Media Relations John Collison 405-523-2539 Directors of Corporate Communications Sam Knipp 405-523-2347 Dustin Mielke 405-530-2640 Communications Specialist Samantha Smith 405-523-2346
Osage to the Ozarks: A Journey Through Northeast Oklahoma
Tour of the Tallgrass Prairie in Pawhuska
A visit to the Pensacola Dam in Langley
Thursday evening musical entertainment by commodity tour participants
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Will Rogers Museum in Claremore