108th Annual AFR State Convention Kicks Off February 22nd 

American Farmers & Ranchers (AFR) will host the organization's 108th annual state convention at the Embassy Suites & Conference Center - Norman Feb. 22-23. This year's convention theme is "Serving and Protecting: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow."

"This year's convention theme represents who we are as a company and as an organization," said AFR President Terry Detrick. "We were founded not as an insurance company, but as a membership services organization. We later added insurance as a benefit to our membership. Today, we continue to stand strong in our original mission area and we plan to put our membership first as we move forward together toward a bright future."

The two-day event features educational speakers such as Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Jim Reese, Oklahoma Secretary of Environment Gary Sherrer and National Farmers Union Vice President of Government Relations Chandler Goule. Convention attendees will learn about controversial legislative issues, the present and future use of water and other environmental topics, new transportation changes that impact agriculture and commerce in Oklahoma, and much more.

At the top of mind for the delegates to the 2013 meeting is the challenge to incumbent Terry Detrick to remain as President for another two years.  State Secretary Bobbie Green is challenging Detrick for the right to lead the farm organization. During the event, the organization will also hold elections for secretary/treasurer and one at-large board seat.

Click here for more information on the AFR Convention.

 

Horse Slaughter Given Thumbs Up in Oklahoma House and Senate on Busy Day for Ag Related Votes 

Both the Oklahoma House and the Oklahoma Senate approved bills

on Wednesday that would allow for the processing of horses in the state of Oklahoma, but would prohibit the sale of horsemeat for human consumption in the state.
 

The House measure, HB1999, authored by Representative Skye McNeil of Bristow- passed on the House floor Wednesday afternoon

by a 82 to 14 vote. A similar measure that was authored by State Senator Mark Allen cleared that body by a 38 to 6 margin.

Both measures will now go to the other body for consideration. 
 

To read more about what both sides are saying in the lobbying battle over these measures- and where the Governor currently stands on whether to sign or not to sign- click here.

Meanwhile, a pair of other bills aimed at assisting Oklahoma farmers and ranchers with the drought and with the freedom to farm as they

see fit advance at the state capitol.

Sen. Ron Justice filed legislation to provide financial assistance in emergency drought conditions. Senate Bill 996, which was approved Wednesday by the Senate Appropriations Committee, would create

the Emergency Drought Protection Special Fund.             
          
Monies would be used for drought response activities including, among others, pond clean out and construction, water conservation methods in production agriculture, and providing water for livestock.  (Click here to read more.) 

In the House, legislation intending to protect the rights of Oklahoma farmers and ranchers to engage in and utilize modern and traditional agriculture practices has passed out of the House Rules Committee.

House Joint Resolution 1006, by Rep. Scott Biggs, would amend the constitution to protect "the rights of farmers and ranchers to engage in modern farming and ranching practices" and would prevent any state law or regulation that would " the right of farmers and ranchers to employ agricultural technology and modern livestock production and ranching practices."   You can read more by clicking here.

J.D. Alexander Calls EPA Release of Private Information on CAFOs Irresponsible 

Earlier this week the National Cattlemen's Beef Association was notified by the Environmental Protection Agency that the EPA had been collecting information from the states on concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs. This information was requested by several extremist groups including Earth Justice, the Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Natural Resource Defense Council through a Freedom of Information Act request. And EPA granted that request yesterday.

EPA in early February released raw data from farms in 30 states, including, in some instances, farmers' home addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses as well as information on employees of operations.

According to the past president of the NCBA, J.D. Alexander, who is a feedlot operator from the state of Nebraska, this is incredible.

"This action by the EPA is actually almost unbelievable. I just can't comprehend their irresponsibility in releasing this information to known ag opposition groups that could pose some very terroristic attacks on our industry." 

National Pork Producers Council President, R.C. Hunt said, "The release of data containing personal and confidential information is extremely troubling; we feel betrayed." (Click here for more of his statement.)

According to Alexander, the EPA is, in effect, aiding and abetting those who do not like animal agriculture and would, basically, cause harm to CAFO operations.

You can read more and hear from J.D. Alexander by clicking here.

Drought Impacts Protein and Oil Levels in U.S. Soybeans

According to a recent soy-checkoff-funded study, the overall oil levels in last year's U.S. soybean crop increased over the previous year, while average protein fell. United Soybean Board (USB) Customer Focus Action Team Chair Sharon Covert says U.S. soy's biggest users pay attention to those results.

"The oil and protein levels in our soybeans are very important to our customers," says Covert, a soybean farmer from Tiskilwa, Ill. "We should take every possible course of action to improve our soy oil and meal, which will help us protect and expand our markets."

The results of the soy checkoff's annual U.S. Soybean Quality Survey found the oil level in the overall U.S. soybean crop rose by 0.3 point to 18.5 percent last year. And protein dropped a half-point to 34.3 percent. But for a crop baked by drought conditions for much of the year, that's pretty good, says the scientist in charge of the research.

You can read more of this story by clicking here.

 

Farmers Increasingly Favor Biotech Crops

Farmers around the world continue to adopt genetically engineered (GE) crops because of their tremendous environmental and economic benefits as well as their ability to contribute to food security, according to a report released today by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA).

The ISAAA report, Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2012, says a record 17.3 million farmers in 28 countries are growing biotech crops on 420 million acres.

According to the report, "such adoption represents a stunning 100-fold increase in hectares planted since 1996, making biotech crops the fastest adopted crop technology in recent history."

Click here for more on this story and a link to the full report.

 

ASA Joins Fellow Farm Groups in Opposing Lopsided Farm Program Cuts

In a letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the American Soybean Association (ASA) joined 11 other national farm groups in opposing disproportionate cuts to farm programs as part of the recently-introduced American Family Economic Protection Act advanced by Senate Democrats to avert cuts under the sequestration set to take effect March 1.

The proposal would cut $27 billion dollars from agriculture spending, however the cuts would come entirely from commodity programs under Title 1 of the farm bill, a lopsided approach opposed by ASA and other farm groups. "While we understand the goal of passing legislation to avoid budget sequestration, your proposal takes all of the budget savings from just one section of farm bill," stated the groups in the letter. "The fact that this proposal, if adopted, would simply delay sequestration until January 2014, in hopes that a larger long-term deficit reduction deal could be reached by Congress and the White House has us very concerned that agriculture is the only non-defense budget sector being cut while other sectors are not touched."

The groups pointed out the detrimental impact that cuts from only one aspect of agriculture programs could potentially have. "Your proposed legislation seriously undermines efforts to advance much needed reforms to meet the long term risk management needs of America's family farms," wrote the groups.  

You can read the rest of the story by clicking here.

This N That- Rainfall and Snow Oh My, Superior Auction Friday and Pollard Sale Saturday 

Thunderstorms, Thundersnow, Rainfall, Ice, Sleet, Snow and Blizzard conditions are all a part of the Thursday morning weather picture across the state. This is easily the most significant moisture event statewide since sometime last spring.

Rain, sleet, ice and snow continue across Oklahoma this morning- so the totals will only go up- and in many cases- it may be a couple of days or longer before we know the full precipitation totals because the frozen stuff has to melt to be collected and counted by the Mesonet stations.

We have a 5 AM snapshot of liquid rain collected by the Mesonet stations to this point- with Byars and McAlester both over 1.4 inches of the wet stuff and counting, Click here to see our graphic of that snapshot- and for links to the News9 interactive radar and the ongoing Mesonet Rainfall Counter.

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On Friday, Superior Video Auction will have their regular every other week sale to be seen on both the internet as well as on RFD-TV.  A total of 33,000 head of cattle will be offered, with about equal numbers of yearlings and calves to be sold.

The TV program, Superior Sunrise, will start the morning at 7:30 AM central time, while the auction begins promptly at 8:00 AM central.  To check out the auction lineup of cattle and to learn more about becoming a bidder- or to consign cattle next time around-click here or give Superior a call at 800-422-2117. 

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The Pollard Farms Performance Genetics 14th Annual Bull Sale is scheduled for Saturday, February 23 at 12:30pm at the ranch, Waukomis, Oklahoma.

It will feature 95 home-raised service-age Angus and Hereford Bulls, A.I. sired, including many E.T. full and half brothers from their top donor dams.

Click here for our auction listing which has links over to the Pollard Farms website as well as to the National Cattle Website where you can link onto the catalog for this 2013 offering of top notch genetics