News Stories

The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry is partnering with several other agricultural organizations, including Oklahoma Farm Bureau, to help prevent spray drift and crop damage to fields. State Department of Agriculture crop specialists advise farmers to be aware of certain crops grown in their area that are sensitive to herbicides such as 2,4-D. Those crops can include cotton, grapes and canola. Agency leaders say it is a good idea to know what neighbors have planted and consider wind speed, temperature, humidity and atmospheric inversion conditions when spraying herbicides. Also, they advise avoiding applications during hot or humid times […]

Gail Banzet of Stillwater is the new Publications and Online News Coordinator in the Corporate Communications/Public Relations division at Oklahoma Farm Bureau. Banzet is a 2005 OFB corporate communications intern and a 2006 graduate of Oklahoma State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Communications. For the past four years, she has worked as a news reporter/morning host for KOSU radio in Stillwater broadcasting news and weather updates as well as producing audio features on the great people, places and events of Oklahoma. While working as a reporter, Banzet’s interest in agriculture played a role in her feature […]

Earth Day is Friday, April 22, and the farm and ranch families of Oklahoma Farm Bureau are available to answer questions and help Oklahoma celebrate this annual event.  Despite the prolonged drought, today’s farmland is not blowing away. Even though it is drier than it was in the notorious “Dirty ‘30’s” or Dust Bowl days, we do not see huge piles of dirt in the ditches or large dust clouds on the horizon. Thanks to improved farming methods, more of the land’s soil is staying in place and giving farmers a chance to produce food with limited natural resources. Did […]

The state’s largest farm organization is praising Gov. Mary Fallin for appointing Rick Davis, Guthrie, to the Oklahoma State University Board of Regents. “We are pleased Governor Fallin chose such a respected and successful agricultural leader as Rick Davis,” said Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Mike Spradling. “Davis and his family are well respected in the community, across the state and nation for their leadership in agriculture.” A 1983 graduate of OSU with a degree in Agricultural Economics, Davis manages a diversified crop, beef and dairy farm. He also manages a hay production and supply company servicing stores and individuals throughout […]

A group of 50 Oklahoma Farm Bureau leaders took time out from preparing for the spring growing season to travel to Washington, D.C. for an intense lobbying effort, March 26-31. “This is a valuable trip for farm leaders,” said Mike Spradling, OFB president. “It shows our Oklahoma congressional delegation we support them and it gives our members an opportunity to see how the federal government functions.” During the trip, the farm leaders met with Senators Inhofe and Coburn, plus all five U.S. House members from Oklahoma, including Frank Lucas, the new chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. “Lucas will play […]

Fifty-seven Oklahoma youth recently competed for $8,200 in savings bonds and scholarships during the 16th Annual Young Farmers and Ranchers Speech Contest, sponsored by the Oklahoma Farm Bureau. The contest was held March 14 at the OSU-OKC campus in Oklahoma City. The YF&R Speech Contest was broken up into three age divisions: Junior, nine-12 years old; Intermediate, 13-15 years old; and Senior, 16-18 years old. The Junior Division presented speeches on the topic, “I Believe in Oklahoma Ag.” The Intermediate and Senior divisions gave speeches in three division categories, including Agricultural Production, Agriculture Policy and Environment & Natural Resources. Speeches […]

The trespassing laws in Oklahoma are about to get tougher, and that’s a good thing according the state’s largest farm organization. HB 1249 would remove the exemption under current trespass law that allows owners to retrieve animals by entering someone’s property without permission. HB 1249, authored by Rep. Wade Rousselot, passed the House March 3 with an overwhelming 80 to 11 vote. “This legislation will strengthen our no trespassing laws,” said Mike Spradling, Oklahoma Farm Bureau president. “Protecting private property rights, including strong no trespassing laws, have long been a priority of Farm Bureau members.” The bill will remedy an […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau Safety Services has added a new video to their defensive driving program describing the dangers of sending text messages while driving. The video tells the story of Dallas Hutchinson, who was killed in an automobile collision on July 18, 2010, while texting and driving. Cheryl Nichols, Hutchinson’s mother, is featured in the video as she details the collision that took her son’s life. “Dallas was 23 years old,” Nichols said of her son. “He didn’t like cell phones at first, but once he learned how to text – it was like an addiction.” OFB Safety Services shares […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau, in cooperation with WW Livestock Systems in Thomas, is sponsoring a private treaty cattle sale April 7-9 in the Carriage Hall building at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds. The sale will run concurrently with the Southern Plains Farm Show. “This sale puts buyers and sellers together in a unique setting,” said Thad Doye, OFB vice president of Field Services. “We are excited to offer this sale as another member service for Farm Bureau members.” The sale is open to all breeds. There is a $50 per head charge for heifers and $100 per head charge for bulls. A […]

Concern about the cost of a healthy diet being out of reach remains on the minds of many Americans, including Oklahoma farmers and ranchers, as the nation continues to work through serious economic woes. However, according to an Agriculture Department study, the cost of eating healthy hasn’t changed as much as some less-healthy alternatives. Farm Bureau’s Food Check-Out Week, Feb. 20-26, focuses on helping Americans learn how to stretch their grocery dollars with healthy, nutritious food. Farmers and ranchers are committed to producing safe, healthy and abundant food. And they share a common concern with consumers when it comes to […]