Several Oklahoma youth recently competed for $9,500 in savings bonds and scholarships during the Tenth Annual Young Farmers and Ranchers Speech Contest, sponsored by the Oklahoma Farm Bureau. The contest was held March 14 at the OSU-OKC campus in Oklahoma City. The YF&R Speech Contest was broken up into three age divisions: Junior, nine-12 years old; Intermediate, 13-15 years old; and Senior, 16-18 years old. The youth gave speeches in three division categories, including Agricultural Production, Agriculture Policy and Environment & Natural Resources. Speeches for the Junior Division were three to five minutes in length; five to seven minutes for […]

A delegation of Oklahoma Young Farmers & Ranchers honed their leadership skills and networked with young producers from across the nation during the recent YF&R Leadership Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. The conference was held Feb. 12-14 in conjunction with AFBF’s National Leadership Conference. The Oklahoma group, more than 20 strong, joined Farm Bureau leaders and young producers nationwide Feb. 12 to hear from AFBF staffers on tax and energy legislation as well as the 2007 farm bill. The attendees also gained valuable tips in working with news media before lining up for a police-escorted parade down famous Bourbon Street […]

It takes less than 40 days for the average American to earn enough income to buy 12 months of groceries, according to statistics compiled by the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women’s Committee. The women labeled the milestone ‘Food Check-Out Day’ and celebrated Feb. 7 by donating $1,500 worth of food to the Ronald McDonald Houses in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. “We wanted to highlight the fact farmers produce the safest, most affordable and abundant food supply in the world,” said Clara Wichert, committee chairperson. Americans spend just 10 percent of their disposable income on food compared with consumers in France, 18 […]

Oklahoma’s cattle producers are pointing to Japan’s refusal to lift the beef import ban as another good reason to keep Canadian cattle out of the United States. Citing continued concerns about bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), Japanese officials said moving too quickly to end the ban on U.S. beef could cause consumers to lose confidence in U.S. beef. “That is exactly why we are concerned about prematurely reopening our border with Canada,” said Steve Kouplen, Oklahoma Farm Bureau president. “BSE has been found in Canadian cattle but has not shown up in an American-born cow,” Kouplen said. The USDA plans to […]

Threatened litigation by Oklahoma’s Attorney General’s office against the poultry industry is the focus of a public relations campaign launched Jan. 3 by the Oklahoma Farm Bureau. At issue is the state wanting to make the industry pay for alleged water quality infractions in Oklahoma. In a series of television and newspaper ads poultry grower Randy Allen, Jay, and a member of the Delaware County Farm Bureau, states the industry has not broken any laws. "My family and I have been poultry farmers here in eastern Oklahoma for years,” Allen said. “We do everything we can to see that our […]

Threatened litigation by Oklahoma’s Attorney General’s office against the poultry industry is the focus of a public relations campaign launched Jan. 3 by the Oklahoma Farm Bureau. At issue is the state wanting to make the industry pay for alleged water quality infractions in Oklahoma. In a series of television and newspaper ads poultry grower Randy Allen, Jay, and a member of the Delaware County Farm Bureau, states the industry has not broken any laws. "My family and I have been poultry farmers here in eastern Oklahoma for years,” Allen said. “We do everything we can to see that our […]

The sanctity of private property rights was reaffirmed when the Oklahoma Supreme Court overruled a petition by the city of Seminole to rehear a case on municipal annexation of land without a reasonable purpose. Seminole originally lost the case in a July, 2004 decision by the court. This latest court ruling could be the final chapter in the case of local landowners versus the city of Seminole. Seminole wanted to "strip" annex an area 3 feet wide and 10 miles long to gain access property near I-40. The annexation would have increased the city’s municipal tax base without providing additional […]

Logan County young farmer Tim Bartram survived three preliminary rounds plus a final to win the 2005 Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet during the 63rd annual meeting in Oklahoma City Nov. 13. The Discussion Meet contest is designed to simulate a committee meeting where discussion and active participation are expected from each committee member. The strength of Farm Bureau is in its ability to involve members in analyzing their agricultural problems and deciding on solutions which best meet their needs. During the four Discussion Meet rounds, contestants discussed issues such as Country of Origin Labeling (COOL), […]

Alfalfa County’s Ryan and Hope Pjesky were named Oklahoma Farm Bureau YF&R Achievement Award winners Nov. 14 at the 63rd annual convention in Oklahoma City. The YF&R Achievement Award honors the state’s top young farmer or farm family for their achievements in the farming business and their leadership in the agricultural community. A panel of judges selected the Goltry couple for the award. They received an expense-paid trip to the 2005 American Farm Bureau convention in Charlotte, N.C., to represent Oklahoma in the national contest where they will compete for Dodge pickups and Arctic Cat four-wheelers. As the Oklahoma winner, […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau honored two well-known agricultural leaders with Distinguished Service Awards during its 63rd annual meeting Nov. 14 in Oklahoma City. The pair of awards is designed to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to agriculture and to Oklahoma Farm Bureau, according to Matt Wilson, executive director. Stillwater’s Dr. Robert Totusek and Mangum’s Jack Givens were honored in ceremonies before the convention body. Totusek was presented with the Distinguished Service to Oklahoma Agriculture Award while Givens received the Distinguished Service to Oklahoma Farm Bureau Award. The 77-year-old Totusek has been involved in agriculture for more than half a […]