Sept. 4, 2015

Perspective Oklahoma Farm Bureau

www.okfarmbureau.org

Sept. 4, 2015

Three county Farm Bureaus donate to State Question 777 campaign omanche County Farm Bureau, Cotton County Farm Bureau and Stephens County Farm Bureau each recently donated $10,000 to the State Question 777 campaign. The Cotton County Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee also contributed $500 to the campaign.

At August Area Meetings during the past few weeks, county Farm Bureaus across Oklahoma were challenged to donate $10,000 to the SQ777 campaign.

Although it will not appear on the ballot until November 2016, it is important to raise money early as out-of-state interests such as the Humane Society of the United States, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and other anti-agriculture activists will pour money into Oklahoma to prevent the measure from passing.

“We are proud of the Comanche County, Cotton County and Stephens County Farm Bureaus for investing in the future of agriculture in Oklahoma,” said John Collison, OKFB vice president of public policy and media relations. “To

Cotton County Farm Bureau board members present OKFB District 4 Director Jimmy Kinder with a $10,000 donation to the SQ 777 campaign. be successful, the State Question 777 campaign must have support from Farm Bureau members and agriculturalists across the state.”

If approved by voters, SQ 777, or the Right to Farm, will protect Oklahoma’s

family farmers and ranchers from unreasonable government interference and attacks by out-of-state interests.

To learn more about the SQ 777 campaign, visit www.

OklahomaRightToFarm.com.

Wilke selected for Woman of the Year program

Monica Wilke

onica Wilke, executive director of Oklahoma Farm Bureau and Affiliated Companies, has been selected as one of The Journal Record’s “50 Making a Difference” for 2015. This is part of The Journal Record’s Woman of the Year program, which recognizes Oklahoma’s leading women excelling in professional leadership and community activities.

Wilke will receive her honor at an Oct. 1 gala event at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

Wilke is a member of several legal and community organizations. She has served as president of the Oklahoma Diamond Hats, a women’s leadership group that

provides scholarships to agriculture youth, and she received that organization’s highest honor of Agriculture Woman of the Year for 2010.

She also serves her community through membership in the Junior League of Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma FFA Foundation Board and Women’s Leadership Exchange.

Agriculture and rural Oklahoma have been a part of Wilke’s life since childhood.

Having grown up on a farm in the southwestern Oklahoma town of Grandfield, she was actively involved in 4-H and FFA. Wilke attributes most of her success to having grown up in a rural Oklahoma town where agriculture was “the way of life”.

District 4

District 5

August Area Meetings begin grassroots policy development process

District 8

ver the last few weeks, Oklahoma Farm Bureau members met across the state to engage in the first step of the organization’s grassroots policy development process – August Area Meetings.

At the meetings, members heard from various Farm Bureau leaders about this year’s legislative session, and voiced concerns and ideas about issues in agriculture.

Popular topics included water, feral hogs, GMO labeling and the State Question 777, or Right to Farm, campaign.

Members now will take policy ideas

discussed at August Area Meetings to county resolution meetings. Once drafted, potential policies approved by the counties will be sent to the state resolutions meeting in October, where approved resolutions will be put before the delegates at OKFB’s annual meeting in November.

OKFB would like to thank its members for their active involvement in the grassroots development process. The dedication of OKFB members allows the organization to continually be a leader in the state in agricultural policy.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau Online EPA is most hated federal agency

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U.S. Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma said the EPA is the most hated federal agency in his district, which includes parts of the Oklahoma City metro and rural areas in southern and southwest Oklahoma. Listen to his interview by visiting our SoundCloud page.

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Do you love agriculture and pretty photos? Follow Oklahoma Farm Bureau on Instagram to view the latest photos of agriculture and rural life from across the state. Are you posting your own photos? Use the hashtag #okfb15.

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District 6

District 1

OKFB President Tom Buchanan issues statement on EPA WOTUS rule klahoma Farm Bureau President Tom Buchanan issued this statement following the ruling by a federal judge in North Dakota that blocked the implementation of the EPA’s Waters of the U.S. rule, which went to effect Aug. 28.

“As federal courts wrangle with the EPA over which states should be included in the Waters of the U.S. rules, it is becoming more obvious the EPA is a federal agency that feels responsible to no one.

“In late May, Congress told the EPA not to implement WOTUS. The EPA thumbed its nose at Congress and

pushed ahead on WOTUS, saying it would be enforced on Aug. 28.

“Even when a federal judge in North Dakota said WOTUS should not be implemented, the EPA said it would continue in those states outside the judge’s jurisdiction. Now, it has basically told a federal judge he cannot stop them.

“The WOTUS rule would extend federal jurisdiction and regulate land use far beyond what Congress authorized in the Clean Water Act. It creates increased legal risk and uncertainty for farmers and ranchers in Oklahoma and nationwide.

“Oklahoma Farm Bureau supports the position of Oklahoma Attorney General

Scott Pruitt, who believes the rule cannot be lawful in some states and unlawful in others.

“We also support Pruitt in pursuing all available legal opportunities to stop the implementation of the rule.

“As stewards of the land, our state’s farmers and ranchers work daily to protect the environment and care for our natural resources, just as we have done for generations.

“We are grateful for Pruitt’s continual fight to protect agriculture and rural Oklahoma.”

Member Benefits

Calendar

TSC Security

YF&R State Fair Livestock Judging Sept. 18 Contact: Holly Carroll 405-523-2307

Oklahoma Farm Bureau members can receive peace of mind with a TSC Security home security system installed at no cost in exchange for a three-year monitoring service agreement. Members also can receive $200 to use toward the purchase of additional equipment. Call 866-3214177 or visit www.tscsecurity.com.

www.okfarmbureau.org/benefits

Resolutions Deadline Oct. 9 Contact: Tasha Duncan 405-530-2681 YF&R Awards Deadline Oct. 15 Contact: Holly Carroll 405-523-2307

oklahoma farm bureau | 3

Published by Oklahoma Farm Bureau Published Oklahoma Farm Bureau Postmaster:by Send address corrections to: Postmaster: Send address corrections to: Perspective, P.O. B. 53332, OKC, OK 73152-3332 Perspective, P.O. B. 53332, OKC, OK 73152-3332

Oklahoma Farm Bureau 2501 N. Stiles Oklahoma City, OK 73105-3126

Non-Profit U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 131 Okla. City, OK.

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 Hannah Nemecek 405-523-2346

Planting seeds of confidence

By Amanda Rosholt Oklahoma Farming and Ranching Foundation ummer is winding down, students are back in school, and we have just wrapped up our two week tour of the state for August Area meetings. It was truly a pleasure to meet so many of you and discuss common concerns and opportunities for Oklahoma agriculture and rural life. We have a lot to look forward to in the coming months!

As you begin to think about planting seeds for fall crops, keep in mind ways you can plant seeds of a different kind – seeds of confidence among consumers. Building consumer confidence in the food system has not been a traditional role farmers and ranchers. But, as Americans relocate to urban centers, their generational and geographical distance from food production continues to increase. Currently, about half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. That number is expected to grow to 80 percent by 2050.

At the same time, changes in production have transformed the way our food system

‘The Truth About Wheat’ to air on OETA 4 | perspective

operates. The growth in technology required to produce food efficiently has led to consumer questions regarding nutrition, food safety, animal welfare and affordability.

Groups with concerns over today’s food production practices seek changes through litigation, legislation, regulation, and consumer pressure. Traditionally we as an industry have responded to consumer concerns by poking holes in the attackers’ stories or using science to justify our actions. While the science is important, consumers must first trust farmers and ranchers as people who are producing for their own families, before trusting the science. Studies by the Center for Food Integrity have shown that shared values are three to five times more important than science when it comes to building trust among consumers.

Our challenge in facing anti-agriculture groups is that their message sounds really good. To someone who has no experience with food animals, the thought of limiting access to antibiotics sounds perfectly reasonable. If we do not take the

responsibility to help consumers see that healthy animals are essential to a healthy food supply, no one else will. We must help them understand that biotechnology provides us with opportunities to expand production in the face of shrinking access to land and water. It is up to us to spread the truth that we do not needlessly and recklessly spray our fields with chemicals.

Farmers and ranchers must continue to make it clear that we are providing more with less every day and we are proud of what we produce.

The best part of rural Oklahoma is you – the hard-working, honest, communityminded individuals who have devoted your lives to agriculture. Thank you for sharing your stories. Consumers are hungry to hear from you, so look for opportunities to continue to share with them. As a grassroots organization, our strength has always been lots of individuals working together to accomplish big things. Together, we will continue to make a difference.

Spearheaded by the Oklahoma Wheat Commission, “The Truth About Wheat, a health and wellness discussion about gluten and wheat” will be broadcast by OETA in early September.

The show airs Sept. 7 at 10 p.m. and Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m. on OETA-HD; it also airs Sept. 14 at 9:30 p.m. and Sept. 22 at 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. on OETA-OKLA.