President Obama today vetoed a resolution from Congress that would have nullified the Waters of the United States rule, which increased the reach of the Clean Water Act. “The president’s veto is salt in the wounds of farmers and ranchers. We remain mystified as to why he continues to support this fatally flawed rule,” said American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman. “The Government Accountability Office found the rule was issued with the help of illegal ‘covert propaganda’ by EPA. Ninety-two members of Congress, 22 states, numerous cities and counties and dozens of industry groups have all stood up and said […]

Delegates from all 50 states and Puerto Rico elected new leaders and approved policies that will help determine the future of agriculture during the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 97th Annual Convention Jan. 8-12 in Orlando, Florida. Feral hogs, governmental reform, farm policy, risk management and international trade were among the most important matters slated for action over the next 12 months. Delegates elected Zippy Duvall to serve as the new president of AFBF and Scott VanderWal as vice president.  Vincent “Zippy” Duvall is a poultry, cattle and hay producer from Greene County, Georgia, and served as president of the Georgia […]

 Congressional omnibus spending and tax extender bills will benefit agriculture greatly if passed, the American Farm Bureau said today. Farm Bureau said the bills would provide relief to America’s farmers and ranchers, but is disappointed that Congress failed to stop the Waters of the U.S. rule. “This tax extender package gives farmers and ranchers critical tools to help them reinvest in their businesses,” AFBF President Bob Stallman said. “Tax provisions like Section 179 small business expensing and bonus deprecation free up cash flow for farmers and ranchers to put their money to work. New provisions will let our members make […]

Hannah Nemecek has been named Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s director of public policy communications. In the new position, Nemecek will work alongside the public policy staff to inform OKFB members, legislators and the general public about legislation and policy affecting Oklahoma agriculture. “Most of the population doesn’t understand the importance of agriculture and how legislation and regulation affects the industry,” Nemecek said. “I’m excited to share how vital our farmers and ranchers are to the success of our economy and our lives.” Nemecek said her goal is to present the policy news in a simple, easy-to-understand manner.  “I want to provide […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau, in partnership with the State Chamber of Oklahoma, will host a campaign management seminar Jan. 15-16, 2016 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Norman, Oklahoma. Designed for candidates, spouses and campaign managers running for public office, the two-day seminar will offer important information needed to conduct a successful campaign.  The seminar will be taught by Victory Enterprises, a comprehensive political consulting and communications firm with extensive experience in the areas of fundraising, campaign and media strategy, polling and messaging.  Topics and issues covered include: habits of winning candidates; building a winning team; precinct targeting; crafting a winning […]

The Oklahoma Farm Bureau state resolutions committee met Oct. 20-21 in Oklahoma City to review, condense and organize resolutions for its 2016 policy book. The meeting served as one of the final steps in the organization’s grassroots policy development process. All 77 county Farm Bureaus submitted resolutions for review by the 39-member committee made up of OKFB farm and ranch members from across the state. “Because Farm Bureau is a grassroots organization, all of our policies come straight from our members,” said OKFB President Tom Buchanan. “The ideas and needs of our members guide the issues we focus on at […]

Today, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a temporary nationwide stay preventing implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Waters of the United States rule. Below is a statement from Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Tom Buchanan. “Oklahoma Farm Bureau today applauds the decision of a federal court to block the EPA’s burdensome Waters of the U.S. rule, which creates unnecessary regulations and burdens on our farm and ranch members across the state. “We appreciate Sen. Jim Inhofe, chairman of the U.S. Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee, who has worked tirelessly to protect farmers, ranchers and landowners across the […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau is pleased to welcome U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas to its 2015 Annual Meeting as he speaks during the opening session of convention on Friday, Nov. 13 at 1:30 p.m. With more than 20 years of experience in Congress, Lucas will discuss current issues in Washington, D.C., that affect agriculture and rural Oklahoma. Lucas is a fifth-generation Oklahoman whose family has and farmed in Oklahoma for more than 100 years. He graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in agricultural economics.  First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, Lucas currently represents Oklahoma’s Third Congressional […]