- Oklahoma Farm Bureau

Perspective
OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU
WWW.OKFARMBUREAU.ORG
Jan. 8, 2016
AFBF’S 2016 Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show features
workshops on regulations, technology and more
lection of a new president and vice
president to lead the American Farm
Bureau Federation, great speakers and
dynamic educational workshops will
highlight the organization’s 2016 Annual
Convention & IDEAg Trade Show in
January. The event takes place Jan. 9-12 at
the Orange County Convention Center in
Orlando, Florida.
Nearly 7,000 Farm Bureau members from
across the nation are expected to gather
to hear from distinguished leaders and
participate in a grassroots policy-setting
process that will guide AFBF through 2016.
During the annual convention’s business
session, voting delegates will select new
leaders for the nation’s largest farming and
ranching organization.
Farm Bureau members may choose from
two dozen workshops covering a variety
of topics and issues on Sunday, Jan. 10
and Monday, Jan. 11. Topics covered will
include environmental regulations, the
latest ag technology trends, trade, food
safety and transparency, economic issues
affecting today’s farmers, and skills and
ideas leaders can take home and apply at
their county and state Farm Bureaus.
Also during the convention, Oklahoma
Farm Bureau Young Farmer & Rancher
members will participate in YF&R
competitive events. Clint and Jessica
Wilcox will compete for the YF&R
Achievement Award, Tyler and Beth
Norvell for the Excellence in Agriculture
competition, and Charlie Coblentz in the
YF&R Discussion Meet.
Convention kickoff
The convention will kick off with the
opening general session on Sunday
morning, when AFBF President Bob
Stallman will share Farm Bureau’s direction
for 2016. At the closing general session on
Monday morning, acclaimed real estate
mogul and “Shark Tank” investor Barbara
Corcoran will give the closing keynote
address, providing insights on teamwork
and courage when faced with pressure-filled
situations.
Cultivation Center
On Sunday and Monday, the Cultivation
Center on the IDEAg Trade Show floor will
serve as the educational centerpiece of the
trade show. Located in the middle of the
show floor, behind the AFBF booth, the
Cultivation Center features a seating area
where exhibitors, sponsors, educators and
ag enthusiasts will present 15- to 30-minute
sessions. Topics will include exhibitors’
newest and best ideas, FRED Talks (Farmer
and Rancher Education) and previews of
upcoming convention sessions.
The Cultivation Center is also the location
for the AFBF Presidential Candidates
Forum (Jan. 9) and the Young Farmers and
Ranchers Discussion Meet “final four”
round (Jan. 11).
For more information,visit
www.annualconvention.fb.org.
Vegetarian and ‘healthy’ diets could be more harmful to environment,
researchers say
By Shilo Rea, Carnegie Mellon University
ontrary to recent headlines – and a talk
by actor Arnold Schwarzenegger at
the United Nations Paris Climate Change
Conference – eating a vegetarian diet could
contribute to climate change.
In fact, according to new research from
Carnegie Mellon University, following the
USDA recommendations to consume more
fruits, vegetables, dairy and seafood is more
harmful to the environment because those
foods have relatively high resource uses
and greenhouse gas emissions per calorie.
Published in Environment Systems and
Decisions, the study measured the changes
in energy use, blue water footprint and
GHG emissions associated with U.S. food
consumption patterns.
“Eating lettuce is over three times worse
in greenhouse gas emissions than eating
bacon,” said Paul Fischbeck, professor
of social and decisions sciences and
engineering and public policy. “Lots of
common vegetables require more resources
per calorie than you would think. Eggplant,
celery and cucumbers look particularly bad
when compared to pork or chicken.”
Fischbeck, Michelle Tom, a Ph.D. student
in civil and environmental engineering,
and Chris Hendrickson, the Hamerschlag
University Professor of Civil and
Environmental
Engineering,
studied the food
supply chain
to determine
how the obesity
epidemic in
the U.S. is
affecting the environment. Specifically, they
examined how growing, processing and
transporting food, food sales and service,
and household storage and use take a toll
on resources in the form of energy use,
water use and GHG emissions.
On one hand, the results showed
getting weight under control and eating
fewer calories has a positive effect on the
environment and reduces energy use, water
use and GHG emissions from the food
supply chain by approximately 9 percent.
However, eating the recommended
“healthier” foods – a mix of fruits,
vegetables, dairy and seafood – increased
the environmental impact in all three
categories: Energy use went up by 38
percent, water
use by 10
percent and
GHG emissions
by 6 percent.
“There’s
— Paul Fischbeck
a complex
Professor, CMU
relationship
between diet and the environment,” Tom
said. “What is good for us health-wise isn’t
always what’s best for the environment.
That’s important for public officials to
know and for them to be cognizant of these
tradeoffs as they develop or continue to
develop dietary guidelines in the future.”
CMU’s Steinbrenner Institute for
Environmental Education and Research
and the Colcom Foundation funded this
research.
Eating lettuce is over three times
worse in greenhouse gas emissions
than eating bacon.
Video highlights California farmer’s struggles with federal regulators
on water issues
A new video produced by the American Farm Bureau Federation highlights the struggles a California farm family has encountered with federal water
regulations. The video also illustrates how the climate regarding water regulations will likely become much worse and encompass the entire nation
under the widely-reviled Waters of the U.S. rule. Find the video by visiting www.fbvideos.org.
Oklahoma Farm Bureau Online
AFBF Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade
Show this week
If you’re not headed to Orlando, Florida this week, make sure to
follow Oklahoma Farm Bureau on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for
updates on convention events including policy changes, AFBF awards
and more.
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Ballot measure the next step in protecting
farming rights
Featuring John Collison, OKFB vice president of public policy, the High
Plains Journal last week published an article detailing State Question
777, or the Right to Farm constitutional amendment, to be voted on in
November. Find the link to the story on the OKFB Facebook page.
soundcloud
youtube
www.okfarmbureau.org
Samples named vice president of strategic corporate communications
klahoma Farm Bureau and Affiliated
Companies recently promoted Becky
Samples to vice president of strategic
corporate communications. In her new role,
Samples will work with senior leadership
and oversee communications for Oklahoma
Farm Bureau and Affiliated Companies.
“Becky is a tremendous asset to our
organization, and we look forward to her
leadership in this new role,” said Monica
Wilke, executive director, Oklahoma Farm
Bureau and Affiliated Companies. “As the
state’s largest general farm organization,
Becky will lead OKFB’s efforts to efficiently
and effectively communicate with our
membership, including policyholders of our
insurance company.”
Previously, Samples served as strategic
communications director of OKFB.
Before joining OKFB, she served as the
communications manager for Groendyke
Transport in Enid, Oklahoma and as public
relations director for the City of Enid.
She is a native of north Alabama and
earned her Bachelor of Arts in public
relations from Auburn University. Samples
is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma Class
XXVIII.
AFBF: Farmers’ year-long push results in congressional action
on tax incentives
ongress’ recent passage of legislation
making permanent or extending
several tax provisions important to
agriculture is a great example of how the
groundwork farmers and ranchers have laid
all year can pay off. Over the past 12-plus
months they have been explaining to their
lawmakers how tax provisions like section
179 small business expensing and bonus
depreciation make the difficult business of
running a farm more manageable.
In the past, Congress had approved
one- or two-year extensions—sometimes
retroactively—of these critical provisions.
Though that was helpful, not knowing from
one year to the next whether key small
business tax provisions would be available
made it extremely challenging for farmers
and ranchers to make the best decisions
about equipment purchases and other farm
and ranch improvements and investments.
This year though, lawmakers made
permanent a number of Farm Bureausupported tax incentives, including
Section 179 small business expensing,
with a maximum amount of $500,000
and indexed for inflation. Also made
permanent are provisions related to the
donations of conservation easements, food
donations (expanded for people using cash
accounting), deductions for state and local
sales taxes and charitable contributions to
ag research organizations.
Congress also provided for an additional
50 percent bonus depreciation for the
purchase of new capital assets, including
agricultural equipment, through 2017, 40
percent for 2018 and 30 percent for 2019.
Provisions for home-grown, renewable
fuels, which expired at the end of 2014, are
extended through 2016.
Alongside the package of tax provisions,
lawmakers on Capitol Hill headed off
more than $1 billion in retaliatory tariffs
from Canada and Mexico by repealing
mandatory country-of-origin labeling for
beef, chicken and pork sold in the U.S.
Looking to 2016, farmers and ranchers
will continue to build on the foundation
they’ve laid this year on issues related
to voluntary GMO labeling, Endangered
Species Act reform, agriculture’s labor
needs and more.
Member Benefits
Calendar
Farm Bureau Bank
2016 AFBF Convention
Jan. 10-13 — Orlando
Contact: Melisa Neal 405-523-2475
Start off the new year right by making sure your finances are in order!
Farm Bureau Bank offers access to a broad array of financial services for
members. Checking, loans, CDs, money markets and credit cards are
just a sampling of the services available only to members. Learn more by
calling 800-492-3276 or visiting www.farmbureaubank.com.
www.okfarmbureau.org/benefits
OKFB Campaign Management Seminar
Jan. 15-16 – Norman
Contact: Marla Peek 405-523-2437
Oklahoma Legislature Convenes
Feb. 1 – Oklahoma City
Contact: John Collison 405-530-2681
oklahoma farm bureau | 5
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Perspective, P.O. B. 53332, OKC, OK 73152-3332
STAFF DIRECTORY
Oklahoma Farm Bureau
2501 N. Stiles
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-3126
Non-Profit
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PAID
Permit No. 131
Okla. City, OK.
Executive Director
Monica Wilke 405-523-2303
VP of Strategic Corporate Communications
Becky Samples 405-523-2528
VP of Public Policy
John Collison 405-523-2539
Director of Corporate Communications
Dustin Mielke 405-530-2640
Director of Public Policy Communications
Hannah Nemecek 405-523-2346
Kislings make donation to Farming and Ranching Foundation
he Oklahoma Farming and Ranching
Foundation is proud to recognize
Keith and Marlene Kisling as Silver level
supporters.
The Kislings farm near Burlington,
Oklahoma, and are active in promoting
production agriculture across the state and
the nation.
Keith Kisling currently serves on the
board of directors for Oklahoma Farm
Bureau and has served as chairman of the
Oklahoma Wheat Commission Board and
chairman of the U.S. Wheat Associates
Board.
He has received State and American
Honorary FFA Degrees and the Kisling
Family has been honored as the Oklahoma
Farm Bureau Farm Family of the Year.
“Our generous donors are one of our
greatest sources of pride,” said Jeramy
Rich, President of the Oklahoma Farming
and Ranching Foundation. “Keith and
Marlene Kisling have devoted their lives to
producing food and fiber and supporting
production agriculture through their
state and national leadership roles. It is
encouraging for them to see the importance
of our programs and to choose to commit
their resources to this foundation.”
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the Oklahoma
Farming and Ranching Foundation is
committed to enhancing awareness and
understanding of agriculture’s importance
to the state. Through educational programs
for citizens of all ages, the Foundation
aims to help Oklahomans understand the
positive impact agriculture has on the state
and the importance of protecting it for
future generations.
For more information on the Oklahoma
Farming and Ranching Foundation
and its programs, please visit www.
okfarmingandranchingfoundation.org,
or contact Amanda Rosholt at amanda.
rosholt@aggiving.org or (405) 202-1463.