There is no better learning opportunity than experience and brainstorming ideas from those with similar experiences. That is the thought process behind the first Oklahoma Irrigation Conference, slated Aug. 19 at the Caddo-Kiowa Technology Center, Building 400, in Fort Cobb, Oklahoma. Registration beings at 9 a.m. and the conference follows at 9:30 a.m. “David Nowlin, the Extension educator from Caddo County, came up with the idea of organizing such a conference to fill the gap and provide producers with an opportunity to learn from their peers’ experience, interact with irrigation dealers and consulting companies, and find out about research and […]

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), senior member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, introduced two bills today to address the listings of the American Burying Beetle (ABB) and the Lesser Prairie Chicken (LPC) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The American Burying Beetle Relief Act of 2014, S. 2678, would remove ABB from the list of endangered species under ESA. The ABB population has grown significantly and appears to exist in far more areas than it did prior to its listing in 1989, yet the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has not changed or removed ABB from its listing. […]

The American Farm Bureau Federation together with Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business Global Social Enterprise Initiative and the Georgetown Entrepreneurship Initiative’s StartupHoyas today announced the Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge. The first-of-its-kind challenge provides an opportunity for individuals to showcase ideas and business innovations being cultivated in rural regions of the United States. The Farm Bureau Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge is a key component of the Rural Entrepreneurship Initiative, a joint effort between AFBF and Georgetown. The inaugural challenge is accepting applications beginning July 24 until Sept.15. Semi-finalists will be announced at the National Summit on Rural Entrepreneurship at Georgetown University’s McDonough […]

An intensive two-day workshop will take place on the Oklahoma State University campus in Stillwater Aug. 15-16. The workshop is geared toward family farmers and ranchers interested in learning how to develop and implement a successful farm transition. Following a successful series of five one-day workshops held throughout Oklahoma in March and April, the two-day event will include in-depth coverage of business and personal goal-setting, financial analysis, human resources, family communications, estate planning, estate taxes and retirement planning. Expert panels featuring attorneys, tax professionals and mediators also will be available to help families who choose to have their first transition […]

The American Farm Bureau Federation, together with the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business Global Social Enterprise Initiative, today announced a new online business training resource for rural entrepreneurs and Farm Bureau members. The series, launching with five webinars in 2014, is a key component of the Rural Entrepreneurship Initiative, a joint effort between AFBF and GSEI. “The webinar series has been developed to meet the needs of our members who are already involved in rural entrepreneurship enterprises as well as those preparing to launch a business in their local communities,” said Dr. Lisa Benson, AFBF’s director of rural development. […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau Executive Director Monica Wilke has been selected to participate in the next class of Leadership Oklahoma, a statewide organization of leaders who help shape the state’s future. “I am honored to serve with such a respected group of individuals who are all interested in making Oklahoma the best it can be,” Wilke said. “I am looking forward to learning about the many aspects of our state and to sharing information about our strong agricultural industry with my peers.” Prior to becoming executive director of the state’s largest farm organization in 2009, Wilke served as OKFB’s general counsel, […]

Producers interested in learning how to maximize their canola crop should plan now to attend one of two Oklahoma-Kansas Winter Canola Conferences taking place July 29 in Enid and July 30 in Altus. “Think of the conferences as one-stop shopping, wherein a participant can get the latest science-proven information about what it takes to raise the most successful canola crop possible relative to local conditions,” said Rick Nelson, Garfield County Extension agricultural educator. There is no charge to attend either of the conferences being put on by cooperating partners Oklahoma State University Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Kansas […]

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and senior member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) committee, today praised the agreement reached by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Defense (DOD) that will allow local fire and law enforcement agencies to continue receiving surplus military equipment: “I applaud the DOD and EPA for coming to an agreement on a 25-year-old rule that the Department of Defense (DOD) recently decided to start enforcing to the detriment of a program supporting Oklahoma’s local fire departments and their ability to fight wildfires. […]