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The Chairman of the House Ag Committee, Oklahoma Third District Congressman Frank Lucas, has cruised to an easy win for another two years representing the northwestern half of the state of Oklahoma- winning 75% of the vote by the end of the evening.

Lucas maintains his Chairmanship with the Republicans hanging onto control of the US House. It means that whether we get a farm bill in the lame duck or not- the key leadership remains in place if a new bill must be quickly constructed as the new Congress organizes in 2013.  

We caught up with Congressman Lucas at the Oklahoma Statewide GOP Watch Party in Oklahoma City- and you can hear our conversation with the Chairman about his victory, the GOP  controlling the House and the Farm Bill's possible fate during the Lame Duck- click here to check it out.

The ranking member of the House Ag Committee, Collin Peterson of Minnesota, also won reelection with little effort- garnering 59% of the vote in a district that is becoming more Republican year by year- the Blue Dog Democrat continues to be well liked back home. However, besides Peterson, three of the next four Democrats(based on Seniority) will not be back in Congress in 2013- Joe Baca of California and Tim Holden of Pennsylvania retiring and Leonard Boswell losing to Tom Latham in a redrawn district that threw two incumbents into the same territory.  The lawmaker that could become the number two Democrat on the Ag Committee, Mike McIntyre of North Carolina, is fighting for his political life as he leads by 372 votes in his race- with a recount very likely in the 7th District of North Carolina.  

On the Republican side of the aisle in the House Ag Committee, Tim Johnson of Illinois has retired- former Chairman Bob Goodlatte easily won reelection last night and the man whp could be the next Chairman of the Committee in a couple of years- Steve King of Iowa defeated the wife of Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack- Christie Vilsack by 53% to 45% margin.   

President Obama Wins the Swing States and Wins Second Term- What's the Impact on Ag?  

It was not as close as most experts were expecting- with President Barack Obama able to fashion together several groups in different states to plow under Mitt Romney on Tuesday- with most of the swing states all swinging Democrat- at least at the top of the ticket.  

Ethanol advocate Growth Energy was quick to praise Obama for his win- CEO Tom Buis of the group saying "the ethanol industry appreciates the support of President Obama and his administration over the last four years and we look forward to furthering our work with them, continuing to produce a cleaner burning, home-grown renewable fuel."

We reported before election day that most folks in rural America were supporting Mitt Romney- so the question may become- will President Obama hold that against agricultural interests?  There are a lot of worries about regulatory efforts that may come from the EPA in a second Obama term- we now will see if those fears are justified or not.  

We are not certain if Secretary Tom Vilsack will stay for the second term or not- he has expressed interest in staying around- but that is by no means a certainty.  If Vilsack leaves, traditional agricultural interests will be holding their breath, waiting to see if the number two person now at USDA- Kathleen Merrigan might become USDA Secretary.  She's a major proponent of organic and locavore interests- and not so much a fan of conventional agricultural production.  

One positive that could come from the Obama win is that we won't see months and months of transition in early 2013 from one administration to another- which hopefully will mean USDA will be able to quickly implement new farm policy once a new Farm Bill is passed by Congress- either late this year or early next. 

Senate Stays Democrat- Stabenow Wins Easily in Michigan- Will Stay as Key Player with Lucas in Farm Bill

The Chairlady of the Senate Ag Committee, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, easily won her reelection bid with 58% of the final vote- which means she stays as the Chair of the Committee if the Farm Bill process is not concluded in the Lame Duck.  

It also appears that Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe can tear up the list of races he has been carrying around in his shirt pocket- and make a new one to think about in 2014.  Inhofe was predicting that the GOP would pick up enough seats to return him to the Chairmanship of the EPW- Environment and Public Works Committee- but he will have to settle for working as the ranking member to Barbara Boxer of California for at least a couple of more years.  In fact, it's likely the Republicans will lose one or two votes in 2013  versus 2012 in the US Senate- HOWEVER- the Democrats are still short of the magic 60 votes they would need to totally control the tempo and agenda of the work flow in the more deliberative body of our Congress.  

One Republican seat that was held came in Arizona, where Congressman Jeff Flake becomes Senator Jeff Flake.  He is no fan of Farm Policy- having been a constant critic of previous farm bills that have moved through Congress.  He will now have a chance to add his voice to Oklahoma's Junior Senator Tom Coburn, who has been the conscience of the Senate when it has come to reckless spending- Flake has a similar reputation that he brings from the US House.  

Prop 37 in California and Measure 5 in North Dakota Go Down to Defeat as Agricultural Interests Monitor Their Fate

California's Proposition 37, the genetically engineered food labeling initiative, continues to trail badly early this morning. With more than 70% of the California vote in- "NO" on Prop 37 has 54% of the vote.  

The initiative, backed by the organic food industry, would have required that fresh produce and packaged foods be labeled if they contain or might contain ingredients that had been genetically altered in a laboratory.

Supporters of the measure argued that consumers have a right to know what's in their food and that information should be made available on labels. About 60 countries around the world already require such labels, proponents stressed.

Opponents countered that labeling foods would cost families hundreds of dollars a year in higher grocery bills. They also accused the initiative of sowing fear that genetically engineered foods are unsafe.

MEANWHILE- Measure 5 in North Dakota, has apparently crashed and burned as well- despite a lot of money poured into the state in support of it by HSUS. A group known as the North Dakota Animal Stewards opposed the measure- click here to see their website. 

As of early this morning- the vote against Measure 5 stood at 65%.  

Measure 5 would make it a class "C" felony for cruelty to dogs, cats and horses. Jason Schmidt, North Dakota Stockmen's Association president and a fourth-generation Medina, N.D., farmer and rancher, says "It is poorly worded by design to give animal rights groups like the Humane Society of the United States a foothold in North Dakota to make more sweeping changes later, like they've done in places like Missouri, California and other states."    

In Oklahoma- Congressional Delegation Now All Red, All State Questions Get Thumbs Up and GOP Gains Seen in Statehouse Races

Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman Matt Pinnell says it was a great night for the Grand Old Party in the Sooner State- pointing to election wins in all five Oklahoma Congressional Districts as a real victory- "With the election of Markwayne Mullin in the 2nd Congressional District, Republicans will control the entire congressional delegation for the first time since 2000. In addition to winning the Senate seat formerly held by Gene Stipe, Republicans gained the Senate seat held by former Governor Brad Henry after the Republican primary runoff."
    

One Senate race that several folks in agriculture were watching was the one involving former Oklahoma Farm Bureau Board Member Larry Boggs in State Senate District 7- Boggs won this race with 54% of the total vote.

In addition, all state questions that were on the Oklahoma ballot won fairly easily- with winning percentages ranging from 57% to 68% of the vote.  

Click here to see a full listing of federal and state races- courtesy of our friends at KWTV, News9.

Dust Bowl Documentary Underscores Conservation Successes, Concerns

The new Ken Burns documentary series on the Dust Bowl airs beginning November 18 on OETA. In concert with the premiere, the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts has sponsored a series of advance screenings across Oklahoma. On Monday in Stillwater, the OACD presented another of its screenings and a roundtable discussion with guests who lived through the Dust Bowl and current policymakers.

OACD Executive Director Clay Pope says the screenings have been an opportunity to reflect on successful conservation efforts over the years while also serving as a cautionary tale about the future.

"One of the stories we're trying to tell as we've had these advance screenings of the "Dust Bowl" around the state is that while right now we're in a time period that's rivaled anything we saw during the Dust Bowl as far as the drought of the last two to three years has been as dry as some of the worst years we saw in the 1930s. And we haven't seen the return of the dust storms. And I think that's a real testimony to the good stewardship ethic of the farmers and ranchers of Oklahoma."  (You can get the full story with Clay Pope by clicking here.)

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas was also at the screening and he said the lack of a new farm bill will have an effect on conservation efforts.  In the meantime, he said, farmers are growing increasingly anxious. 

"Different provisions of the 2008 farm bill expire at different rates. Most of the conservation programs, essentially, are OK, but we need to get it done. We need the certainty. We need to be able for producers to whether it's going into the local NRCS office to discuss practices or planning at home at the dinner table next year's farming or ranching operation. They need some certainty to know where they're headed."  (Click here for more from Frank Lucas.)  

Oklahoma State University Research Strives to Keep Cotton Competitive in Modern Farming

Higher crop prices, increased production costs and rapidly-shifting weather conditions are just a few of the factors farmers must consider when choosing what crops to grow next season. While prices paid to producers for the crops they grow have increased, planting seed, fertilizer to help the crop grow and fuel to keep equipment running have increased in price at an equal pace.

Weather always plays a very important role in crop production; probably the most important factor for dryland farming. Irrigation water supply is dwindling everywhere due to continuing drought and diminishing aquifers while water demands are increasing not only for agricultural production, but for direct human consumption.

In order to survive, producers must choose crops capable of utilizing every drop of moisture while producing top yields of high-quality end products earning the highest price available at harvest.

Click here to read more.