Agricultural News
American Farm Bureau Convention Ready to Kick Off in Atlanta
Fri, 07 Jan 2011 4:51:47 CST
Topics ranging from environmental policy and food safety to the 2012 farm bill and use of social media by farmers and ranchers highlight a slate of conferences during the American Farm Bureau Federation's 92nd annual meeting, that is getting underway this weekend in Atlanta, Ga. Ninety two Oklahoma Farm Bureau members are going as a part of the official delegation from the Sooner State to attend the 2011 event.
"Successful farming and ranching in the 21st century involves managing a vast amount of knowledge and information on a day-to-day basis," said AFBF President Bob Stallman. "This can be a real challenge, but by attending AFBF's annual meeting in Atlanta in January, Farm Bureau members can cut through the clutter and return home with a better understanding of how all the various issues impact their lives and livelihoods."
Dealing with the vast maze of environmental regulations is something every farmer and rancher in every state must worry about, according to Stallman.
Leading the environmental issues conference will be Bryan Shaw, chairman of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Shaw is an expert on air quality and a leader in challenging the Environmental Protection Agency's efforts to impose federal mandates on states with respect to greenhouse gases. Sharing the podium with Shaw will be Charles Bronson, Florida's 10th agriculture commissioner, who as head of the nation's largest agriculture department has been in the middle of numerous water quality battles in Florida, most recently as part of EPA's efforts to establish numeric nutrient criteria.
Other featured conferences will address timely and relevant issues such as the outlook for the 2012 Farm Bill, food safety issues and the latest information regarding animal welfare from an agricultural perspective.
Starting Tuesday morning, the delegates of the Farm Bureau will hash out policy positions of the general farm organization for the next year. We talked with Mike Spradling, President of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, about several issues that are of special interest to Oklahoma and will be discussed at this year's event. Click on the LISTEN BAR below to hear that conversation.
Mike Spradling also will join us on Saturday morning during our weekly In the Field feature that is seen during the KWTV News9 Saturday morning news show at at 6:40 AM.
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