Agricultural News
OCA's Michael Kelsey says this Years OCA's Convention is a one-stop-shop for Cattle Producers
Tue, 07 Jun 2022 13:30:37 CDT
KC Sheperd, Farm Director, caught up with Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association Executive Vice President, Michael Kelsey, to talk about the upcoming OCA Convention, OCA Ranch Rodeo, and the 2023 Farm Bill.
"We are so excited about our convention, and we are really working hard every year to improve it to make it better," Kelsey said. "We want to make it the one-stop shop for cattle producers across the state of Oklahoma."
If cattle producers can only choose one event to attend in Oklahoma, Kelsey said the OCA Convention is the one to go to.
"There is policy, there is networking, there is education, and there is a trade show," Kelsey said. "There is an opportunity just to socialize with fellow cattlemen and women."
Kelsey said the OCA has received some great sponsorships and the trade show will be full. There will also be opportunities for youth, he added, such as the Junior Cattlewomen meeting."
"There are a lot of different opportunities from an educational standpoint," Kelsey said.
What Kelsey is most excited about, he said, is that we are right in the middle of the primary and the runoff.
"We are going to extend an invitation to the two senate candidates, the Republican candidates, who make the runoff for the unexpired seat of Mr. Inhofe," Kelsey said. "Whoever those two people are, we want them to come and have a forum, not a debate, but a forum and introduce them to our members."
Kelsey said the forum will also be open to agricultural entities such as the Oklahoma Farm Bureau and American Farmers and Ranchers. The forum, he added, will be one of the lynchpins of the entire convention.
The 70th Annual OCA Annual Convention and Trade Show will be held on July 22-23 at the Embassy Suites and convention center in Norman, Okla.
"Registration is open, so you can go to our website and get registered," Kelsey said.
Preregistration is encouraged, Kelsey said, and doing so will be less costly.
Kelsey also talked about NCBA's recent listening session on the 2023 Farm Bill.
"The things that we talked about were things such as the current farm bill programs that are disaster aid as well as some of the farm programs that are available to us like crop insurance, forage insurance, and some of those types of things and how we can improve them," Kelsey said.
During the listening session, Kelsey said a priority mentioned was improving the accuracy of weather data on a grid-by-grid basis. Producers in the past have not qualified for payment, he added, because of inaccurate rainfall monitor data.
"We also talked about the EQUIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) program and how we make it broader, as well as some of the other conservation-type programs such as CRP and CSP and some of those types of things," Kelsey said.
The election will determine who is in the Chairmen's seat, Kelsey said, so that will shape things. Because of this, he added, it is important for people to talk about the programs in the Farm Bill that are important for cattle producers.
Kelsey mentioned to upcoming OCA Ranch Rodeo and said they are excited.
"Summer is a busy time for us in the cattle industry and we are excited," Kelsey said. "We released the teams here about a couple of weeks ago."
The OCA Ranch Rodeo, Kelsey said, continues to be the marquee event for the legacy of ranching in the state of Oklahoma.
"We have got 3 new teams that are coming in," Kelsey said. "We have got the good ole tried and true teams that have been there for a long time and that just shows the legacy of this event."
Another bonus of the ranch rodeo, Kelsey said, is the philanthropic opportunity with the Children's Hospital Foundation.
"I have often said, if you have never been to that children's hospital, you need to go, because it is one of those we are so thankful we have that we pray we never have to use," Kelsey said. "But if we do, it is here, it is so fantastic, and it is just an honor for us to be able to connect with them and support them."
The OCA Ranch Rodeo will be held on August 19-20 at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Okla.
"Ticket sales will be out pretty quick," Kelsey said. "It is a great family event to get away for the weekend."
Click the LISTEN BAR below to listen to KC and Michael Kelsey talk about upcoming events for the OCA and the 2023 Farm Bill.
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