Agricultural News
AFR Working to Develop the Next Generation of Leaders in Oklahoma Agriculture by Example
Mon, 10 Oct 2016 16:18:56 CDT
Farm Director Ron Hays recently caught up with Terry Detrick, president of American Farmers & Ranchers, at the Tulsa State Fair prior to the fair's livestock show premium sale where Detrick, representing AFR, planned to support the kids participating. Detrick, his board members and staff are all busy right now and seems like they will be for a while, working on AFR's youth activities. Working with youth, is something Detrick says is very important. Especially, with legislation like State Question 777 - Right to Farm coming up these days, he says it is important to keep kids engaged in agriculture.
"That's our future and we need to train them and we have that responsibility," Detrick said. "We start with 5th and 6th graders and go all the way through high school. We've got passed speakers that today are congressmen, they're leaders in the state. We're just very proud of that. We had a part in helping them get a start."
According to Detrick, getting our youth involved and engaged in agriculture will help to prepare them in the future, to be informed and knowledgeable when it comes to voting on issues, much like SQ777.
"This is a very important thing. I look at it as a preventative measure," Detrick said. "It's a consumer issue, it' a preventative measure and even our legislature sees what's happening in other states and our legislature today sees the need for this."
Detrick says the opposition claims that passing SQ777 will negatively affect our water resources and open the way for corporate ownership among other things. He says these matters have already been resolved in previous legislation with water already deemed a compelling state interest (an exception mentioned in the question) and legislation was passed back in the '90s to prevent corporate ownership.
"We already have a constitutional amendment against that," Detrick said. "In 1990-92, in that area, we made two exceptions - pork and poultry. Other than that, it's still unconstitutional for foreign ownership of land in the state of Oklahoma."
Detrick's extensive knowledge and wisdom on agriculture in Oklahoma is something treasured by the agriculture community here in the state. Earlier this year, Detrick announced he would be stepping down from his position with AFR to pursue a board seat with the organization, only to reverse his decision shortly after in response to the outcry of his members and agents that strongly expressed their desire for him to stay in his position of leadership.
"I did make a three-year commitment and if there's anything that I want to always do its be a man of my word,' Detrick said. "I thought well I was still planning to serve but if this is the way they would rather me serve - we'll finish out this term."
You can listen to Ron's full conversation with Terry Detrick on topics including youth activities, State Question 777 and his future with AFR, by clicking or tapping on the LISTEN BAR below.
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