It may well be one of the most significant bills for Oklahoma agriculture this session- HB 4118 passed the Oklahoma House two months ago- and it appears that Senate author Brent Howard is ready to ask leadership take the measure to the floor for a vote- perhaps as early as tomorrow(Tuesday)

This bill is strongly supported by multiple ag groups and would provide a legal firewall to be set up between farmers and activists who want to create havoc in the courts system by filing what some have called nuisance lawsuits. This measure has been referred to as the poultry bill and chicken litter is at the heart of the issue.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Vice President for Public Policy Steve Thompson told us on Friday that “it’s ready to go for a vote before the full Senate and that will happen one day this week and we're excited to see where everybody stands.” Thompson adds that while this directly is to help contract poultry growers- it also very much has implications that matter to pork and beef producers, too- “the same set of issues and rationale that are used to harass the poultry growers- we have seen it in other areas grow into the swine industry and beef industry because they are the same folks who don’t like our business- don’t like any of the livestock sectors.”

Michael Kelsey, Executive Vice President of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, told our Maci Carter that HB 4118 matters to the beef industry in our state. Kelsey believes “if you think about that from an agricultural standpoint, there are four animal rights lobbyists at the state capitol this year- four of them. They are not lobbying for the interests of animal agriculture. In fact, they are lobbying against us- they are very much against this bill because they want to put us out of business.”

Both Thompson and Kelsey are urging their members and others supportive of animal agriculture to encourage their state senator to support HB 4118.

Click on the blue button to read a lot more on HB 4118- including what the opposition is saying about this measure- and to hear from Thompson, Kelsey and Senator Brent Howard.

The Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association is the trusted voice of the Oklahoma Cattle Industry. With headquarters in Oklahoma City, the OCA has a regular presence at the State Capitol to protect and defend the interests of cattlemen and cattlewomen.

Their Vision Statement explains the highest priority of the organization- "Leadership that serves, strengthens and advocates for the Oklahoma cattle industry."

To learn more about the OCA and how you can be a part of this forward-looking group of cattle producers, click here for their website. For more information- call 405-235-4391.

Farm Director, KC Sheperd talked Friday with Oklahoma Wheat Commission’s Mike Schulte about an update on Oklahoma’s wheat crop, wheat variety trials, and upcoming events pertinent to Oklahoma wheat producers.

The lack of rain has not been favorable to the wheat crop in a few parts of the state. Schulte said conditions might improve if rain comes, but without it, yields will surely suffer.

Schulte said the 2024 OSU Wheat Variety Plot Tours will evaluate different varieties with strengths related to disease and drought resistance. To see the complete schedule with times and locations across the state, visit okwheat.org. The Plot Tour dates are also available in our calendar.

On Tuesday(tomorrow), "we have a growers meeting that is going to be held by the Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association in Kingfisher, Oklahoma,” Schulte said. “Congressman Lucas is going to be available for that meeting that is going to be taking place at the Cimarron Electric Cooperative Building. That will begin at 12 p.m. with lunch, and wrap up at 3:30 p.m.”

Regarding the Oklahoma Grain and Feed Annual Meeting on May 6-7, Schulte said the first indications of Oklahoma crop estimates will be announced before the USDA report estimates the following week.

Introducing Korbin Smith of the Hydro-Eakly FFA Chapter, Your 2024 Southwest Area Star in Ag Placement

This morning, our coverage of the 2024 Oklahoma FFA Star Award Finalists continues with Ag Placement competitor Korbin Smith of the Hydro-Eakly FFA chapter representing the Southwest Area.

Farm Director KC Sheperd interviewed all 18 Star finalists recently in Stillwater after they were judged in their respective areas- and you can hear KC talk with Korbin by clicking on the blue button at the bottom of this story.

For Smith’s project, he is employed by Smith Farms, where he takes part in a variety of work from building fence, top-dressing wheat and rye, to sewing cover crops into wheat and rye and more. Smith Farms is family owned and operated, which Smith said is one of his biggest motivators, being the next generation of his family’s farm.

Smith said the day-to-day operations vary over different seasons of the year, but currently his priorities are to maintain and keep a good eye on cattle, weed control and more. After graduating high school, Smith said he plans to compete on the shotgun sports team at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas in hopes of pursuing an Agribusiness degree.

“I plan to move back home somewhere local to western Oklahoma and grow the operation and maybe call some of it my own one day,” Smith said.

Our coverage of the Stars and the 2024 State FFA Convention is powered by Hilliary Communications.

In honor of Earth Day today, April 22, the Oklahoma Pork Council proudly confirms its continued commitment to sustainable pig farming practices that nurture both the environment and the community. As stewards of the land, Oklahoma’s pork producers employ advanced agricultural techniques to ensure that pork products are produced responsibly and sustainably. 

“Our dedication to sustainability has transformed our operations significantly. We now use 75% less land and 25% less water to produce a pound of pork than half a century ago,” said Kylee Deniz, executive director of the Oklahoma Pork Council. “These advancements are a testament to our commitment to environmental stewardship and efficient farming.” 

This Earth Day, the Oklahoma Pork Council highlights its achievement in reducing carbon emissions and improving feed efficiencies, demonstrating the pork industry’s minimal environmental footprint. With pork production accounting for less than 0.3% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, Oklahoma Pork is motivated to enhance sustainable practices further. 

Looking ahead, Oklahoma Pork is dedicated to ongoing research and adopting sustainable technologies and practices that benefit the agricultural community and the environment. 

‘Forever Chemical’ Rule Creates Uncertainty for Farmers

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final rule to designate perfluorooctnoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), the two most common per- and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS), as hazardous materials under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).

“America’s farmers and ranchers share the goal of protecting the nation’s water supplies and they believe those responsible for PFAS contamination should be held accountable. Unfortunately, farmers could be unfairly targeted even though they do not create or use any PFAS in their operations, but may have passively received the chemicals. We acknowledge that EPA is saying it does not want farmers and ranchers to be penalized for a situation they did not create, but without those assurances being expressly written into the rule, future enforcement is uncertain.

“This is a problem facing all of us. Our members, like all families in America, are completely unaware of the PFAS levels on their property until it’s too late because these chemicals are coming from outside sources. As mitigation efforts move forward, it’s important that farmers are not held responsible for the presence of PFAS chemicals, which they did not produce or intentionally use.”

OCA’s Michael Kelsey Addresses Beef Industry Issues in Washington, D.C.

In this past Friday's Beef Buzz- I am talking with the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association’s Executive Vice President, Michael Kelsey. Kelsey was in Washington at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association spring legislative conference.

During this time on Capitol Hill, Kelsey said it is an important time to educate individuals about issues impacting the beef industry and share issues being faced. The first of those issues, Kelsey said, is the Farm Bill timeline.

“The House is progressing forward, and looks like they are going to try to have something out by Memorial Day and try to keep moving forward,” Kelsey said. “The Senate is a little bit different story; maybe a little slower.”

Last week, Kelsey said the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) announced the plan to discontinue several important reports to the cattle industry.

“One of those being the July Cattle Report as well as different county reports and some crops regarding row crops and so forth,” Kelsey said. “That July County report is really critical to us, especially right now as we are trying to rebuild the herd, understanding heifer numbers, those types of important data points are really critical.”

Another significant issue Kelsey brought to light is the potential threat of policy discussions in the appropriations process. In the past, Kelsey revealed, the animal rights industry has attempted to attack the livestock industry through the appropriations process by injecting policy. Kelsey is excited to have the chance to work with the new Chairman of House Appropriations, Tom Cole, on such issues.

Gov. Signs Bill to Protect Privacy of Homemade Food Producers

Gov. Kevin Stitt on Thursday signed into law legislation that amends the Homemade Food Freedom Act to protect the private information of producers.

House Bill 2975, authored by Rep. Rick West, R-Heavener, and Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, will allow producers of homemade food products to obtain a registration number to affix to their product labels instead of the current requirement that they list their name, phone number and the physical address where the food is produced on all products sold. The $15 registration fee is voluntary.

“This is for the safety of the people that make food for sale in their homes,” West said. “The government should have record of a producer’s personal information in case there needs to be some recourse for a product sold, but the general public does not need a seller’s private phone number or physical address. This also should help cut down on identity theft or fraud.”

West said the idea for the legislation came from a constituent that makes and sells homemade food products at local outlets such as farmers markets and area stores.

Homemade food products for sale or distribution must still adhere to a list of safety guidelines. The product label must still list ingredients, including common allergens, as well as notice that they were produced in a private residence that is exempt from government licensing and inspection.