News Stories

Oklahoma Farm Bureau members interested in learning more about the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program are invited to join a conference call on Friday, April 3 at 3 p.m. Dottie Overal of the SBA Oklahoma office and Rachel Spannagle of BancFirst will share details of the PPP loan including how and where to apply. To join the call, please dial 1-301-715-8592. When prompted, enter the meeting ID 996 469 335. The Paycheck Protection Program is an SBA loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses – including farms and ranchers – to keep their workers on the […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau this week joined 25 state Farm Bureau organizations in urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support livestock producers during the COVID-19 outbreak. In a letter, the group asked Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to search for opportunities to provide relief to cattle producers dealing with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. “Cattlemen and women have lost value on their livestock due to the dramatic market drop that occurred in response to the pandemic,” the letter states. “Since the inception of the virus, live cattle futures have been down roughly 28%, posing a major threat to our nation’s […]

Gov. Kevin Stitt this week issued a fourth amendment to Executive Order 2020-07 requiring the closure of all non-essential businesses located in Oklahoma counties that contain COVID-19 cases. The governor is adhering to federal guidelines for essential businesses, which designate food and agriculture as one of the 16 critical infrastructure sectors during emergency situations. Gov. Stitt also provided an expanded list of businesses considered essential for the food and agriculture industry which includes: Farm supply and hardware stores Groves, greenhouses, nurseries and vineyards Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting Food manufacturing Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing Manufacturing of fiber and forestry […]

The following is a release provided by the Oklahoma State University Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. By Brian Brus, OSU DASNR Health officials are warning rural communities to be just as cautious as more densely populated areas in their response to the spread of COVID-19. A lower rate of person-to-person transmission of the novel coronavirus might result in a delay of infection, but it’s still highly likely to occur regardless. “With this virus, research has shown that you might still be an asymptomatic carrier and not show any signs of sickness,” said Megan Monteith, Oklahoma State University Extension […]

Just a few weeks ago, the thought of a grocery store with empty shelves was a foreign concept to consumers around the United States. It is an idea we associate with developing nations or an Orwellian dystopia. But here we are. In the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, people have flocked to grocery stores and other food retailers to stock up on the items they see as essential to riding out the Coronavirus pandemic. And while grocery stores, at times, may appear to have been ransacked, the shelves are re-stocked, and consumers can be assured that their favorite items – […]