Farm Director KC Sheperd sat down and talked with U.S. Senator James Lankford about a few issues directly impacting rural America and Oklahoma including the farm bill, inflation, education, daylight savings and more.

Regarding the USDA investing $14 million to help start and expand independent meat processors in the state, Lankford said this will help increase competition for some of the bigger packers. The funding will also help beef and poultry plants in Oklahoma build facilities, develop retail markets, and upgrade equipment.

“It is a very good thing for the state,” Lankford said. “It is something we have worked on for a long time, and it is giving the opportunity for more small to medium-sized processors to be able to grow, or to be able to expand or to be able to add extra hours.”

As Lankford hears firsthand the concerns of those in the ag industry, he said the farm bill is one of the biggest priorities of many ag groups.

“Everyone is absolutely panicked about the giant number that came out on the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) Program,” Lankford said. “The SNAP program before was around 700 billion dollars. This new number is 1.2 trillion dollars. It is a really big jump.”



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Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin believes the Biden administration is again guilty of overreaching in its listing of an eastern Oklahoma bat as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

He, along with Oklahoma’s Senior Senator James Lankford, and a handful of others in Congress filed a Congressional Review Act resolution disapproving of the move to protect the northern long-eared bat which is found in the Ozark highlands and Ouachita Mountains regions in eastern Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Department indicated that at least nine northern long-eared bat hibernacula are known in Oklahoma, though multiple individuals have been documented at additional cave locations.

Sen. Mullin contends the decision will have serious consequences for infrastructure projects across Oklahoma.

“There is no reason to disproportionately increase regulatory burden and hinder economic development when this rule will not affect the primary cause of decline for the northern long-eared bat. I am strongly against one-size-fits-all regulation from Washington bureaucrats, and this is no different,” said the Senator in announcing his filing of the resolution.

Ethan Lane Advocates for Beef as ESG Conversations Pick Up Speed

In this episode of Beef Buzz, I am back with the vice president of governmental affairs at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Ethan Lane, talking about government spending, cell-based meat, and more.

There are politicians on both sides of the aisle looking for more money for their particular projects. One of the big battles the cattle industry has been involved in recent years is protecting the death tax exemption.

“Whenever you start talking about large expenditures, whenever you start talking about the cost of doing business in Washington, we get into these conversations about revenue raisers,” Lane said.

Lane said those who work to lower the death tax exemption are simply looking for more money to fund their budgetary priorities.

Lane also talked about his response to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf’s comments on cell-cultured meat.

“These congressional hearings can feel a little dry sometimes, but they are incredibly helpful,” Lane said. “Every once and a while, you get somebody testifying that gives you a peak into their true thoughts on an issue, and that was certainly the case with administrator Califf from the FDA earlier this week in his budget testimony.”

In the context of sustainable agricultural production, biodiversity is important in several ways. As biodiversity increases, ecosystem functions improve, ecosystem stability improves and overall production increases.

But how do we know if these things are increasing and improving?

While it may be hard to fully understand and quantify ecosystem functions and stability, that’s not the case with production. Production is where we get all our food and fiber and is therefore the ultimate goal of agriculture in general. We’re fairly skilled at weighing, counting and otherwise measuring production.

Production, however, doesn’t tell the whole story, and is a lagging indicator — the answer comes after all the dust has settled. There may be lots of good things happening in terms of biodiversity, but they won’t necessarily be reflected in production — at least not for a while, maybe even for several years. Production may actually decline while we transition to a more sustainable production system.

Measuring production, therefore, while informative for other purposes, doesn’t tell you much about biodiversity, especially in real time. Measuring biodiversity is hard. It requires considerable effort, some training, and, if really detailed data is needed, advanced training.

Corn Grower Leaders to EPA: Maintaining Consumer Access to E15 Increases Fuel Supply

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should use its authority under the Clean Air Act to provide consumers with continued access to low-cost, low-emission E15 during the summer months, according to a letter sent today from corn grower leaders to EPA administrator Michael S. Regan.

The president of the National Corn Growers Association, joined by leaders from 18 state corn grower groups, signed the letter, which called on EPA to replicate its actions from last year and ensure uninterrupted access to E15 through the summer.

“At a time when fuel supplies remain constrained and prices remain high, consumers and retailers need all fuel choices available, especially as seasonal demand increases during the summer,” the farmer leaders stated. “Fuel market conditions that warranted EPA’s actions last summer are expected to continue this summer, and Russia’s war in Ukraine continues to disrupt global energy markets.”



EPA approved E15, or 15 percent ethanol blends, in 2011 for use in all 2001 and newer vehicles, which account for more than 96 percent of vehicles on the road today. Retailers have increased availability of E15, often marketed as Unleaded 88, to offer consumers choice and lower fuel costs, as well as increase the fuel supply. E15 has been sold year-round for the past four years, but outdated regulatory barriers continue to hinder permanent full-market access to E15.

Two Ellis County men charged in cattle theft case

Joey Lee Barnett and Heath Thomas Barton charged for stealing and selling cattle in Oklahoma.

Two Ellis County, Oklahoma, residents, Joey Lee Barnett and Heath Thomas Barton were charged with larceny of domestic animals. The charges filed are the result of an investigation led by Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger Ben Eggleston.

In February, Special Ranger Eggleston received a call from a rancher in Ellis County, Oklahoma, who was missing four heifers. The rancher said the heifers were Romagnola-Angus crossbred cattle with the rancher’s brand on the left hip.

Eggleston initiated an investigation, looking at livestock auctions in the area for the stolen cattle.

The investigation revealed heifers matching the rancher’s description had been sold at a nearby livestock auction by Barnett and Barton. Eggleston soon learned Barnett and Barton were previous caretakers of the cattle.

Eggleston, along with the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office, charged Barnett and Barton with larceny of domestic animals. Barnett was already in custody for unrelated charges and Barton surrendered to authorities March 25. He was released on $15,000 bond.

Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger team would like to thank the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture for their joint effort in the investigation.