Agricultural News
Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Tom Buchanan Reflects on Lessons Learned Over the Past Year
Thu, 22 Dec 2016 17:24:06 CST
Most everyone in the rural community would agree that 2016 was a fairly rough year for agriculture. Tom Buchanan, president of Oklahoma Farm Bureau, sat down with Farm Director Ron Hays this week to reflect on this past year's accomplishments and what goals he and his organization are setting for the coming year in 2017. While he agrees that there have been better years in the past for our industry, he also is quick to point out that it's not all bad in 2016.
"In the rearview mirror, '16 certainly had some challenges, absolutely did," Buchanan said. "Overall though it was a good year. Production wise - yields were up across the state, regardless of commodity."
One surprise for Buchanan, he confides, is the progress made this year in the rebuilding of the cattle herd. He says it has happened much faster than he would have expected it to. But beyond production, one thing Buchanan has taken away from 2016 are some lessons learned.
"Sixteen again, showed us some of the challenges that we will face moving forward and that's continuing to educate and discuss with our fellow Oklahomans about who we are and what we do and why what we do is good for them," Buchanan said. "I don't think that will ever go away and it probably never should."
Buchanan says that priorities for Oklahoma Farm Bureau in the coming year will most likely be a continuation of their normal agenda founded on their base concern - protecting private property rights. In addition though, he says there will most likely be some taxation issues arise, as well as some discussions to be had regarding the feral hog situation, water rights and even the state's budget.
However, two specific issues that Buchanan says are not fully developed yet but are starting to bubble up in conversations everywhere around the state, are education and medical care in our rural communities.
"Those are issues that are beginning to impact quality of life and daily life in rural Oklahoma, especially in western Oklahoma where our population is getting small," Buchanan said.
He contends that rural communities are finding it harder and harder to attract and retain talent in both education and medical fields to their towns. Buchanan reports that he is beginning to hear complaints that the impact of this situation is starting to be felt around the state. However, he says the scenario is not all doom and gloom.
"Every problem has a solution and we will be there working and helping achieve the solution to those problems," Buchanan concludes.
Buchanan will join Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays for his weekly In the Field segment on KWTV News9 in the Oklahoma City area on Saturday morning at 6:40 a.m.
You can listen to the entire conversation between Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays and Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Tom Buchanan over his reflections of Oklahoma's agriculture industry during 2016, by clicking or tapping on the LISTEN BAR below.
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