Oklahoma Farm Bureau recently named Steve Thompson as the vice president of public policy. Thompson will lead the OKFB public policy team as they work to implement the organization’s grassroots policy in Oklahoma and in Washington, D.C. in his new role. “I’m grateful for this new leadership role and the opportunity to continue engaging with Farm Bureau members from around the state,” Thompson said. “Our Public Policy team is well-positioned to uphold the OKFB tradition of vigorous advocacy for agriculture and rural Oklahoma. Although we face many challenges, I am very optimistic about the organization’s ability to positively impact the […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau members from across the state gathered Oct. 19-20 in Oklahoma City to review, discuss and amend proposed policies to the organization’s grassroots 2022 policy book. Farmers and ranchers from all 77 county organizations submitted policy resolutions, which were then sorted, amended and combined by the more than 40 members serving on the state resolutions committee. Policy proposals approved by the committee will move on to the full OKFB delegate body at the organization’s annual meeting Nov. 5-7. “This grassroots process is one of the fundamental parts of Farm Bureau,” said Rodd Moesel, OKFB president. “There used to […]

Join special guests Sen. James Lankford and Rep. Stephanie Bice at Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s first-ever Evening of Impact, a fundraising dinner supporting the OKFB Ag PAC political action committee, 6 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. In addition to hearing from Sen. Lankford and Rep. Bice, local artist Zonly Looman will be live-painting during the event, with the final art piece to be auctioned off at the end of the night. The newly formed OKFB Ag PAC supports state and federal candidates for office who share Farm Bureau members’ rural values and who understand […]

As discussions of the Build Back Better Act, a $3.5 trillion Congressional reconciliation bill, have increased within the past week, Oklahoma Farm Bureau has been closely monitoring the progression of the bill and is working to ensure farmers and ranchers are not burdened with additional taxation or other negative economic consequences. The current version of the bill could impose a significant “fee” or tax on methane emissions on the oil and gas sector but does not include a tax on agriculture. American Farm Bureau economists recently conducted an analysis on the bill to determine the potential impacts if it were […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau, along with 45 state Farm Bureaus, the American Farm Bureau Federation and 280 organizations representing family-owned farms, ranches and agribusinesses, sent a letter today to congressional leaders urging them to leave important tax policies in place as they draft legislation implementing President Biden’s “Build Back Better” agenda. The letter addresses four key tax provisions that make it possible for farmers and ranchers to survive and pass their businesses on to the next generation: estate taxes, stepped-up basis, 199A small business deduction and like-kind exchanges. “The policies Congress enacts now will determine agricultural producers’ ability to secure affordable […]

Oklahoma livestock and poultry producers who did not previously qualify for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 can now apply to receive aid. With up to $1 billion made available through the Consolidate Appropriations Act, coverage has now been expanded to include chickens, poultry eggs, turkeys, hogs and pigs, ducks, geese, pheasants and quail including eligible breeding stock and eggs of all eligible poultry types produced under contract. “We appreciate USDA recognizing the incredible losses farmers endured during the height of the pandemic,” said American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall. “When restaurants and schools closed, the demand for fresh […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau discussed Sen. Jim Inhofe’s bill protecting farmers and ranchers’ ability to use critical GPS and precision agriculture technologies with the senator’s chief of staff Luke Holland during a recent video. The Recognizing and Ensuring Taxpayer Access to Infrastructure Necessary for GPS and Satellite Communications Act would protect producers from paying for interference of and damage to GPS devices because of Ligado Networks’ satellite usage. “Farm Bureau members know the importance of GPS to precision agriculture,” Holland said. “It improves your ability to enhance yields for crops. The huge machines operated are navigated by GPS to ensure precision […]

The Texas A&M University Agricultural and Food Policy Center recently released a report over the economic impacts on agricultural producers of proposed legislation regarding the stepped-up basis and estate taxes. Based on the proposed STEP Act and the For the 99.5%, the study analyzed the potential changes for producers passing operations down from generations to generations. Oklahoma Farm Bureau does not support added taxation for farmers and ranchers. Because agriculture Is capital intensive, added taxes through the proposed stepped-up basis and estate tax changes would hinder producers from transferring operations through generations. Read the full economic report here.