Attorney General Drew Edmondson’s lawsuit against the poultry industry came as no surprise to the state’s largest farm organization. “We were convinced from the very beginning of this issue that the attorney general was only interested in a lawsuit with a large monetary settlement,” Steve Kouplen, President of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, said. The lawsuit, listing 14 poultry companies including two of the nation’s largest, is attracting national media attention. “This is about large monetary settlements and not about solving environmental issues. The AG is focused on solving only one portion of the problem and not every contributing entity because […]

The National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) recently honored Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Director of Corporate Communications/Public Relations, Sam Knipp with their top award. Knipp received the Honored Professional Award June 1 at the 2005 National ACT Conference in San Antonio, Texas. He was recognized for his dedicated service to and support of agricultural communications students. Knipp is the first Farm Bureau leader to receive this award, while continuing to support young communicators in the agricultural industry. “I am very honored to receive this outstanding award,” Knipp said. “I enjoy working with students, and I really believe there is a need […]

  The Oklahoma Grazing Lands Conservation Association will host its annual “Grazing Lands Dollars and Cents” conference Aug. 5 and 6 on the Oklahoma City campus of Langston University. The opening day of the conference will be spent entirely on the Langston University campus at 4205 N. Lincoln. Participants will travel off campus the second day to the Agricultural Research Service Lab at Fort Reno. Several speakers will address the conference, including Angela Williams, the president of the Society of Range Management International. Robert Whitson, dean of the College of Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources at Oklahoma State University, also […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau recently welcomed a new member to its staff with the addition of Oklahoma State University senior, Gail Banzet. Banzet, an agricultural communications major/agricultural economics minor, will join OFB’s Corporate Communications/Public Relations Division for the summer. Banzet grew up on a cattle operation in southeast Kansas and was active in livestock judging and exhibiting throughout high school. She has served as a Farm Bureau Agricultural Ambassador for Labette County Farm Bureau in Altamont, Kan., and is OSU’s 2005-06 Collegiate Farm Bureau reporter. Banzet also is active in OSU’s Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow chapter and the College of Agricultural […]

Dewey County Farm Bureau member and inventor of the LT Groundloadâ„¢, LeRoy Stotts of Seiling, has developed an award winning a loading chute which attaches to livestock trucks that has earned him a new New Holland tractor. Stotts designed the loading chute to quickly convert from ground level to different loading dock heights. He entered it in the Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Farmer Idea Exchange last fall and won top honors along with a chance to compete against other agricultural inventor from across the United States in American Farm Bureau Federation’s Farm Idea Exchange competition. In January, at the American Farm […]

The governor’s veto of the anti-trespassing “purple paint bill” Tuesday is described as a victory “for lawbreakers over landowners” by the state’s largest farm organization. “Governor Henry’s veto of Senate Bill 430 aids and abets those lawbreakers who trespass on private property,” said Jeramy Rich, Director of Public Policy for Oklahoma Farm Bureau. “He clearly chose to protect lawbreakers and to ignore the wishes of landowners.” The purple paint bill sailed through the House easily and passed the Senate. It would have allowed landowners to use purple paint on fence posts or trees in lieu of “no trespassing” signs. The […]

  The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled the Beef Checkoff Program to be constitutional, overturning a previous decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit which found the natonional Beef Promotion and Research Act to be in violation of the First Amendment. The Beef Checkoff program provides farmers the means to advertise their products on a national scale with the program’s fee of $1 per head of cattle. Through the program, funding is also provided for education, research and issues management, in addition to beef promotion. Following is a statement from Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Steve Kouplen […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau leaders caught up on commodity issues and programs during the second annual OFB Commodity Conference held May 18 in Oklahoma City. The group heard from several industry leaders on topics such as farm policy, animal health and various commodity information. A particular interest to the group is the development of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), which is in the beginning stages of implementation. Although not mandatory until January 2008, livestock producers may begin taking necessary steps to introduce to the identification system into their own operations, said Dr. Becky Brewer-Walker, State Veterinarian. “Through the National Animal […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau has launched the newest addition to its web site, the “Commodities” page. The page was created in an effort to provide visitors with specific information on commodities produced throughout the state. The web page highlights Oklahoma’s top commodities, including beef, wheat, poultry, cotton, swine, peanuts and equine. Visitors will find interesting facts about each commodity as well as its state and national rankings, and the latest cash receipts. KIS Futures will provide weekly market outlooks for most of these commodities. The markets will be updated each Monday morning with the week’s newest activity. In addition, visitors to […]

Oklahoma farmers and ranchers are concerned the state’s Attorney General is expanding his strategy against the poultry industry to include all animal agriculture. The Attorney General has filed a Notice of Intent to sue (NOI) selected poultry companies using the citizen suit provisions of the federal Solid Waste Disposal Act. “The Attorney General is now calling poultry litter hazardous waste,” said Steve Kouplen, president of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau. “The EPA classifies poultry litter as an organic fertilizer, the same tag they put on other livestock manure. This is not a hazardous waste.” The NOI filing calls for poultry companies […]