With the October 1 deadline for insuring fall-planted crops fast approaching, farmers are faced with some major questions, not the least of which is “can I afford not to purchase crop insurance?” Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s crop insurance manager advises the risk is too high to go without protection. “We’re in such a risky area of the country, in terms of producing crops, it’s definitely beneficial for farmers to have crop insurance,” said Scott Bulling. “Over the last 15 years, for every 42 cents farmers paid for crop insurance they received $1.25. This shows crop insurance is a good investment and […]

Government officials need a paradigm shift when it comes to animal manure. They should consider it a valuable asset and not a waste, according to comments made Sept. 6 by Payne County Farm Bureau leader and Oklahoma State University agricultural economist Michael Dicks. He testified before the U.S. Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee. “By treating animal manure as a waste we have employed all efforts and resources to contain and eliminate rather than collect and utilize,” Dicks told the committee. “There are many systems around the world that use manure to efficiently produce food and energy products. Until we […]

When the U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the 2007 farm bill, members gave Oklahoma farmers and ranchers a chance to prosper. That’s the assessment from the leader of the state’s largest farm organization. “I believe this legislation provides farmers the opportunity to succeed while providing an economic safety net,” said Steve Kouplen, Beggs, president of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau. Commonly referred to as the 2007 farm bill, the official title of the farm legislation is the Farm, Nutrition and Bioenergy Act. Despite at times strong opposition from reform-minded politicians, Congressional leaders stood firm in supporting commodity-based programs […]

Oklahoma livestock producers can now manage their herd more effectively following an agreement with Oklahoma Farm Bureau and Agriculture Solutions to expand the Beef Verification Solution into Oklahoma. “It’s exciting to bring the benefits of animal age and source verification, data management and voluntary animal identification compliance to Oklahoma ranchers,” said Steve Kouplen, Beggs rancher and OFB president. The Beef Verification Solution is a Farm Bureau member-driven, confidential and comprehensive livestock information management program, utilizing international Standards Organization-compliant, U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and a privately managed database. BVS is a program developed by Agriculture Solutions, […]

An enthusiastic group of young farmers and ranchers invested a weekend of their time July 20-22 in Ardmore, learning more about their industry. Some 65 members of Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers (YF&R) and their families participated in the annual summer conference in the Ardmore area. They toured the Goddard Wildlife Farm and visited test plots and the new research facilities of the Noble Foundation. In addition to touring the facilities, the group heard from the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Dan Durheim. Durheim presented a program on leadership development that focused on organization skills and building relationships. Several […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s longtime priority of clarifying the definition of animal waste as a non-hazardous substance is one step closer to fruition after the U.S. House Agriculture Committee’s markup of the 2007 Farm Bill. During the committee meeting, Congressman Steve King of Iowa introduced a Sense of Committee Resolution that stated animal manure should not be considered a hazardous substance under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), otherwise known as the Superfund law, and Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act (EPCRA) laws. Several committee members spoke in favor of the resolution, which passed unanimously. “OFB has worked […]

In response to an initial request by the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Oklahoma Congressman Dan Boren and Congresswoman Mary Fallin, along with Alabama Congressman Robert Aderholt, have introduced legislation, H.R. 3098, which would change the definition of a commercial motor vehicle from 10,001 lbs. to 26,001 lbs. under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). “Farmers, ranchers and others who engage in interstate commerce throughout this nation need the ability to conduct their business in a fair and efficient manner,” said Ericka McPherson, OFB director of national affairs. “This change will provide much needed uniformity between state and federal law.” H.R. […]

Young farmers and ranchers from across the state will gather in Ardmore July 20-22 for the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Summer Conference. OFB’s YF&R Committee welcomes young producers, ages 18 to 35, and their families to attend the three-day conference, which will take place at Hampton Inn, 110 Railway Expressway, Ardmore, OK 73401. For reservations, call 580-223-6394. The weekend’s activities include informative sessions, insightful speakers and agricultural tours, including a visit to the Noble Foundation. Registration begins at 3 p.m. at the Hampton Inn. Childcare will be available. For more information, contact OFB’s YF&R Coordinator Marcia Irvin […]

In an effort to determine the financial health of Oklahoma farms and ranches, Oklahoma Farm Bureau joined forces with Oklahoma State University to distribute a survey to the state’s producers. “We felt like we needed to know statistically the financial shape of our farmers and ranchers,” said Steve Kouplen, Oklahoma Farm Bureau president. “This will help us formulate policy decisions as we work with Congress on developing a farm program that works for everyone.” There were no major surprises, said Michael Dicks, OSU agricultural economist, but a brief summary of the demographic results are interesting. * The average age of […]

Going into the start of the 2007 Oklahoma legislative session, farm and ranch leaders wanted a legal definition of animal manure to help them comply with environmental laws. When the session ended May 25, the so-called “manure bill” had passed and now ranks as the top victory for Farm Bureau during the session. “We needed to make sure animal manure would not be classified as hazardous waste,” said Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Steve Kouplen. “It seems obvious to us that manure is a beneficial soil nutrient, but until SB 709 was passed, we had little protection from environmental lawsuits.” Another […]