Scotty Herriman of South Coffeyville is the recipient of the Oklahoma Leopold Conservation Award. The award honors farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land. Scotty, a farmer from Nowata County, was revealed as the award recipient at the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts’ Annual Meeting on February 25. He and his wife Jo received $10,000 for being selected. Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes farmers and forestland owners who inspire others with their dedication to environmental improvement. In […]
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Thousands of farmers could unknowingly face federal fines or jail time
The following article is from the American Farm Bureau Federation. Time is running out for thousands of farmers who may face steep fines and possible jail time for failing to file their businesses with the federal government. Jan. 1, 2025, is the deadline to file Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) with the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). New analysis in a Market Intel by American Farm Bureau Federation economists shows more than 230,000 farms are required to file, but government data indicates less than 11% of all eligible businesses nationwide have done so. The Corporate Transparency Act of 2021 required businesses […]
Animal disease traceability rule changes: what producers need to know
November 5, 2024, marked the implementation date for the updated federal animal disease traceability regulations requiring electronic identification tags in certain classes of cattle and bison crossing state lines. The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service implemented the new rule to better pinpoint and respond to animal disease outbreaks in hopes to limit both the spread of disease and the economic impacts of disease on livestock producers. It is important for producers to know that the classes of cattle required to be identified have not changed. The rule applies to all dairy cattle, sexually intact […]
Comanche County member selected to serve on FCC precision ag task force
Comanche County Farm Bureau member Cody Goodknight has been appointed to serve on the Federal Communication Commission’s Precision Ag Connectivity Task Force Working Group on mapping and analyzing connectivity on agricultural lands. Goodknight, who farms and ranches in the Chattanooga area with his wife, Kara, is one of eight members of the working group and serves alongside telecommunications representatives, U.S. government employees and land-grant university leaders. Goodknight is the sole farmer member in his specific working group. Members of the task force play an advisory role in directing FCC’s efforts to deploy and enhance broadband internet access to promote precision […]
Marty Williams receives Oklahoma Leopold Conservation Award
Marty Williams of Red Rock is the recipient of the Oklahoma Leopold Conservation Award. The award honors farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land. Marty, a farmer from Noble County, was revealed as the award recipient at the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts’ Annual Meeting on February 26. He and his wife Crystal received $10,000 for being selected. Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes farmers and forestland owners who inspire others with their dedication to environmental improvement. In […]
Private applicators license recertification deadline is Dec. 31
Oklahoma Farm Bureau encourages farmers and ranchers who hold a private applicators license to recertify their licenses that may be up for renewal. Holders of private applicators licenses in the state of Oklahoma who received a renewal notification letter from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry need to recertify their licenses that are up for renewal either by mail or online process by December 31, 2023. The notification letter shows the number of continuing education units a licensee holds, how many CEUs are needed for renewal (if any) and includes instructions for renewal. For questions about the renewal […]
Consider tax implications when making business decisions during drought
As Oklahoma’s severe drought continues, many farmers and ranchers are faced with tough business decisions, especially when it comes to selling off livestock earlier than anticipated. With the withering forage growth and high cost of purchasing and transporting supplemental feed and forage, livestock sale barns around the state and country have seen exponential growth this year in sales numbers as producers are forced to sell some – if not all – of their herd. Oklahoma State University assistant professor and agriculture and food policy specialist Amy Hagerman advises producers to consider potential tax implications of these and other weather-related business […]
