Oklahoma Farm Bureau Treasurer and District 9 Director Jim Meek was recently elected to serve as chair of the Oklahoma Broadband Governing Board at the group’s regular meeting Tuesday, Oct. 10. The Okmulgee County rancher was elected by unanimous vote after having served as vice chair since the governing board’s inception in 2022, when he was appointed to the board by Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall. Meek and newly elected vice chair Amanda Mullins will lead the charge in the effort to expand access to reliable, affordable high-speed internet service in the state of Oklahoma. “The future of rural Oklahoma […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau members are invited to attend the Oklahoma Water Resources Board’s second round of stakeholder input meetings in December. As the largest user of water in Oklahoma, it is crucial for agriculture to have a voice in these meetings. The stakeholder meetings will center on the impending updates to Oklahoma’s Comprehensive Water Plan with discussions on water policy, future water supply and demand, water challenges and more. For more information on the stakeholder input meetings and OCWP changes, visit the OWRB website. OCWP Public Survey on Water The OWRB is also asking the public to submit comments about […]

The Oklahoma Broadband Office is ready to hit the road once again for another round of listening stops around the state of Oklahoma. Coming on the heels of OBO’s Let’s Get Digital tour earlier this year, the Oklahoma’s Digital Promise tour will visit 10 Oklahoma towns in October and November to gather more information and collect public input as they continue their work to expand high-speed broadband internet access to Oklahomans in every corner of the state. Oklahoma Farm Bureau members are encouraged to attend a meeting to amplify the voice of rural Oklahoma and the need for rural broadband […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau members gathered for a series of 11 August Area Meetings to discuss issues, challenges and opportunities facing agriculture and rural Oklahoma in preparation for the organization’s grassroots policy development process. More than 400 Farm Bureau members and guests attended the meetings where top issues surfaced by OKFB members included the upcoming farm bill, water rights and water infrastructure, the state’s marijuana industry, electric vehicle incentives and taxation, foreign ownership of land, EPA pesticide rules, native American tribal jurisdiction and more. OKFB members also heard organizational updates and reports from district Young Farmers & Ranchers representatives, Women’s Leadership […]

Farm Bureau members from Oklahoma’s Fifth Congressional District had the opportunity to hear a congressional update from Rep. Stephanie Bice on Tuesday, Aug. 29 at the Oklahoma Farm Bureau home office in Oklahoma City. Bice shared with members the latest activity in Washington, D.C. and discussed several of her priority focus areas, including the 2023 farm bill, budget appropriations and the FAA reauthorization. She also visited with Farm Bureau members about the crisis at the southern border, including the prevalence of drug abuse and human trafficking. Bice explained the challenges in finding border agents and noted that several states, including […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau is teaming up with the Oklahoma State Chamber Research Foundation to host an informal luncheon on Tuesday, Aug. 22 to dissect the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s proposed rule on temperature regulations for outdoor and indoor occupations. OSHA’s Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings seeks to establish heat-specific workplace standards for all industries, including agricultural occupations. Farm Bureau members are encouraged to attend the Aug. 22 “Legal Lunchbox” featuring employment attorney Courtney Warmington to learn more about the ruling and how it would impact agriculture. The luncheon is set for noon on […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau members are invited to attend the Oklahoma Water Resources Board’s upcoming stakeholder input meetings this month. As the largest user of water in Oklahoma, it is crucial for agriculture to have a voice in these meetings. The stakeholder meetings will center on the impending updates to Oklahoma’s Comprehensive Water Plan with discussions on water policy, future water supply and demand, water challenges and more. Two virtual meetings will be offered on Aug. 18 and Aug. 31 for participants who are unable to attend an in-person meeting. More details will be shared on these virtual meetings soon. For […]

The first regular session of the 59th Oklahoma legislature adjourned sine die on Friday, May 26, and the halls of the state Capitol have once again grown quiet. Throughout the nearly four-month legislative session, Oklahoma Farm Bureau members and staff worked hard to make the voice of rural Oklahoma heard at 23rd and Lincoln. In a session overtaken largely by education funding discussions, OKFB members still saw success in several key agricultural areas. Landowner Advocacy OKFB was pleased to see the passage of HB 1962 by Rep. Carl Newton and Sen. Darcy Jech. This bill allows persons between the ages […]