Steve and Mindi Clark of Byron, Okla., represented Oklahoma Farm Bureau in the Young Farmers & Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture contest at the 203 American Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tenn.

OFB's Sam Knippp visited with the Clarks about their experience in the contest and their hopes for the future.

Direct link to Steve & Mindi Clark talking about their experience in the 2013 AFBF Excellence in Agriculture Contest

AFBF's description of the Excellence in Agriculture contest:

The Farm Bureau Excellence in Agriculture Award Program is designed as an opportunity for Young Farmers & Ranchers, while actively contributing and growing through their involvement in Farm Bureau and agriculture, to earn recognition. Participants will be judged on their involvement in agriculture, leadership ability, involvement and participation in Farm Bureau and other organizations (i.e., civic, service and community).

Oklahoma Farm Bureau members are attending American Farm Bureau's 2013 Annual Meeting in Nashville.

OFB's Sam Knipp visited with OFB President Mike Spradling about the convention and his thoughts on the direction of agriculture in the United States.

Direct link to OFB President Mike Spradling's thoughts on the 2013 AFBF Annual Meeting (mp3 file)

Sam Knipp also visited with Adam and Nicole Martens of Fairview, who represented Oklahoma in the Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award. The Martens shared their views of the convention and their thoughts of being young agriculturalists.

Direct link to Adam & Nicole Martens thoughts on the 2013 AFBF Annual Meeting (mp3 file)

We had a chance to visit with Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmer & Rancher Travis Schnaithman at the KNID Agrifest farm show in Enid, Okla., on January 11. Travis told us about the recent moisture his family received on their Garber-area farm, and how their 2013 is shaping up in the early days of the new year.

Direct link to our farm update with Travis Schnaithman (mp3 file)

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today designated all 77 counties in Oklahoma as primary natural disaster areas due to drought and heat, making all qualified farm operations in the areas eligible for low-interest emergency loans. This is the first disaster declaration made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2013. All 77 counties were similarly designated in 2012. This new designation will cover growing 2013 crops.

“The drought situation here in our state is proving to be challenging for all sectors of agriculture,” said Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Jim Reese. “While we are starting 2013 with drought conditions, we are hoping for more favorable weather this year.”

The Oklahoma counties that have been included in this designation have shown a drought intensity value of at least D2 for eight consecutive weeks based on the U.S. Drought Monitor. The Drought Monitor scale ranges from D1 to D4 with D1 being moderate drought and D4 being exceptional drought. Oklahoma has had a majority of counties designated as D4 during both 2011 and 2012.

The emergency loans that are available through the USDA have a 2.15 percent interest rate and allow producers to access funding resources that will hopefully assist with production and physical losses. Producers can visit their local county Farm Service Agency office to learn more about the programs and eligibility. Thirteen other states in the U.S. had counties designated as disaster areas including Texas, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico and Arkansas.

“This designation will assist our producers in making critical operating decisions as we head into the new year,” said Secretary Reese. “I understand the challenges that Mother Nature can bring to the agriculture industry and I hope for more rain in 2013. I continue to express my thankfulness to those in the ag sector for their fortitude and ingenuity to fight through tough weather conditions to continue to provide the safest, most affordable food supply in the world.”

Oklahoma Senator Eddie Fields, chairman of the state senate agriculture committee, visited with Oklahoma Farm Bureau's Sam Knipp about his legislative priorities for the 2013 Oklahoma legislative session.

Fields talks about issues such as water, sales tax exemptions, and more.

Direct link to the interview with Sen. Eddie Fields (mp3 file)