House Ag Chair Thompson Admits More Work to Do After CBO Score of His 2024 Farm Bill

U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania said the release of the Congressional Budget Office’s score of the proposed Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 shows more needs to be done to bring that bill to completion — including cooperation from Senate Democrats.

“Bringing about a five-year farm bill is a long process, one filled with multiple steps and a lot of hard work,” Thompson said Friday. “Today’s score from CBO is part of that process, but shows me there is still more to be done to make certain the bill - one that has been consistently praised by those across the agriculture value chain - can be brought across the finish line.”

Thompson said of how the Budget Office computed their estimate “Unfortunately, the score relies on the same methodology that has led CBO to underestimate Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) outlays by more than $60 billion over the past seven fiscal years. I will continue to work with the Budget Committee and CBO to bring about a clear-eyed, defensible interpretation of restricting Section 5 discretionary authority.”

He also criticized the Farm Bill process going on in the Senate.

Senate Ag Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow has released a “framework” listing dozens of proposals offered by lawmakers that are related to the farm bill discussion- but has yet to craft an actual bill that her Committee could consider. She quickly criticized Thompson and the House Ag Committee passed bill when news of the CBO Score was released. “Today’s score from CBO shows once again that the House Republican proposal is not paid for and relies on magic math and wishful thinking. 



Oklahoma AgCredit supports rural Oklahoma with reliable and consistent credit, today and tomorrow. We offer loans for land, livestock, equipment, operating costs and country homes (NMLSR #809962) to farmers, ranchers and rural businesses across 60 counties. As a cooperative, we are owned by the members we serve. Through our Patronage Program, we have returned more than $74 million to our members since 1997.

For more information on our services or to find a location near you, visit our website here.



Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays spoke with Dr. Barry Whitworth, DVM, Senior Extension Specialist, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service and currently the statewide coordinator for the Beef Quality Assurance Program (BQA) about the BQA program.

The BQA Program began in the eighties to eliminate chemical and drug residue, and later turned its focus to injection site lesions. Currently, its view broadly covers a variety of possible quality control issues in beef.

“Certification is a three-year deal, and now, there are continuing education courses you can take to get recertified. I think they are trying to make it easier for producers to get their certification,” Dr. Whitworth said.

In response to people who have already been certified wondering if they should get recertified, Dr. Whitworth said, “Things change over time, so it is important to constantly be updated on the different aspects as far as production of beef goes. Looking at beef quality audits, go back and look at the original one and the most recent one that came out in 2016. Emphasis on different things change over time. We don’t have injection site lesion problems the way we did when we initially started. Now, there are other quality issues that we are focusing on so it does change over time.”

NFU President Rob Larew Tours Southeastern Oklahoma and Talks Farm Bill Chances

Farm Director KC Sheperd visited with National Farmer’s Union President Rob Larew about his tour across Oklahoma and the Farm Bill probability.

American Farmers & Ranchers (AFR) Cooperative hosted National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew on a tour of Southeastern Oklahoma on July 24 – 25. The tour showcased the area’s agriculture and provided an opportunity for AFR leadership and Larew to discuss regional industry issues.

“One of my favorite parts of my job is getting out of Washington D.C., and on the ground in the real world,” Larew said. “Getting the chance to see a lot more detail about operations in the southeastern part of Oklahoma was fantastic. The weather cooperated. We put a lot of miles on the road, but we had a lot of great conversations and it was a lot of good education for me.”

Larew laughed as he assured Sheperd that a Farm Bill would eventually be seen to fruition, but could not say when. “The fact is that we already knew when we had to roll into this year after things didn’t get done on time last year that this election year was going to be tough in the best of times,” he said. “I wouldn’t call this the best of times, and we already know that that’s the big dilemma right now.”

He remains hopeful that the Farm Bill will be passed by the end of the year and maintains that the powers that be are pushing for that. After hearing and learning from growers and producers in Oklahoma, Larew said that the current message is for them to help their House and Senate leaders understand why they need the certainty of the Farm Bill.

Last year students in all 77 counties heard accurate ag books. Please join us again this year as we reach even more students with a positive message about agriculture! 



Participate by reading to your own class: 

Reading an accurate ag book to your own class is great! In order to qualify to be entered in the drawing for the bushel of books, you will need to register at the link below AND post a picture of you reading on Facebook using hashtags #okagclass and #readagbooks2024, OR if you do not have a Facebook, please email pictures with information (which school, etc) to emily.ague@ag.ok.gov.  **Please make sure the students in your photographs have signed permission forms, on file at the school, allowing their photographs to be shared on social media. If they do not, do not include them in the photograph. Please understand all photos, even those emailed to Emily, will be shared on social media.

Participate by having a guest read to your class OR go into a classroom to read (4-H, FCCLA or FFA groups):

The U.S. farm families who produce the wheat and the industry that supplies it are committed to keeping and open and transparent market. There are many reasons why our overseas customers know they can depend on our supply chain’s integrity, the quality of U.S. wheat and our unmatched reliability as a supplier. A crucial example is the third party wheat inspection procedures that yield valuable data customers can use, with help from U.S. Wheat Associates (USW), to get even more value from their purchases.

USW has partnered with USDA’s Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) and Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) to produce an “Overview of U.S. Wheat Inspection.” This publication compiles official sampling, weighing, inspection, and certification procedures employed by FGIS, or FGIS-authorized state and private agencies, for U.S. wheat export shipments. The “Overview” provides a convenient, concise reference for U.S. wheat importers and end users about U.S. wheat standards, inspection methods, procedures, and resulting data about their purchases.

Federally Mandated Wheat Inspection

Based on two congressional acts establishing a standardized process, trained and certified officials inspect and grade all wheat exported from the United States as it is loaded onto an export vessel, whether it be a train or ship. This independent wheat inspection procedure sets the United States apart by providing a form of certainty and protection for global wheat buyers.

The supply chain follows federally regulated and uniform grain segregation and inspection procedures. U.S. country elevators and export elevators inspect and test wheat as it arrives and segregates by class and quality to meet customer requirements. FGIS independently inspects wheat at vessel loading to certify that the quality loaded matches the customer’s specifications. No wheat is loaded onto a vessel until inspection is completed.

Transitioning to Organic: Practical Advice from Harriet Behar

At the Women in Agriculture Conference held in Edmond, Oklahoma, Stevie White spoke with Harriet Behar of the Organic Farmers Association about how to get started with organic certification.

Behar said that, as with all things, the first step is to find your market. “Next, you have to make sure that everyone is on board with changing their system of production to one that includes organic management,” she said.

One such change is that organic farming is not an input substitution. “Although we have approved organic and synthetic inputs, we look at organic farming more as a management style that uses things like crop rotation and beneficial insect habitat, rather than just looking at what the organic herbicide exchange would be, because there really aren’t any,” she said.

She said that organic production can be accomplished on an acre-by-acre basis meaning that the entire farm doesn’t have to be organic. The acres that are would need to have a 30-foot buffer area protecting them from the nonorganic practices around them and also the produce would need to be stored apart from the non organic produce.

Last week, the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) cohosted the Cattle Producer’s Forum with the Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) in Billings, Montana during the Northern Livestock Video Auction Summertime Classic. The event brought together members from multiple organizations to focus on issues that all producers share and drive progress by finding common ground.

The powerful slate of speakers included agency leads from Washington D.C. down to local producers with hands on experience.  Discussion topics ranged from trade and competitive markets to the tax climate, labor challenges, beginning farming and ranching, and the Livestock Risk Protection Program. 

“Regardless of our organization affiliation, cattle producers are facing many of the same issues, so when you gather us all in the same room to have these discussions, real progress can be made,” USCA President Justin Tupper said.  “Our organization walked away with actionable steps to take to improve the Livestock Risk Protection Program and the current tax climate for family farms and ranches.”

A quick show of hands during the closing remarks found that attendees were in agreeance that the number one concern for their sustainability and succession today is the current tax climate. On the tax panel, staff from Montana Senators’ Jon Tester and Steve Daines offices were on hand to field comments to share with the Congressmen back in D.C.