Applauded by farmers and ranchers, the Environmental Protection Agency announced in late June its decision to rescind the Waters of the U.S. rule. The agency also said it will look carefully at the definition of waters of the United States and propose a new rule. Farmers and ranchers support clean water and work hard to protect natural resources. But the WOTUS rule had more to do with land than water. It was a land grab, pure and simple, that: Created a huge regulatory burden for farmers, ranchers and others who depend on their ability to work the land; Increased costs […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau has announced the details for its upcoming August Area Meetings, which serve as the kickoff for the organization’s grassroots policy development process. “August is one of the most exciting times of the year because it signals the beginning of another year of fighting for agriculture and rural Oklahoma,” said Tom Buchanan, OKFB president. “I look forward to hearing from our members as they cultivate ideas to lead agriculture into the future.”  All OKFB members are encouraged to attend their area meeting, which provides an opportunity to discuss organizational policy with fellow members and OKFB leaders. Members also […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Tom Buchanan issued the following statement in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement to repeal the Waters of the U.S. rule.  June 27, 2017—“After years of battling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Waters of the U.S. rule, Oklahoma farmers and ranchers today applaud the agency’s decision to rescind the rule.  “Clean water is crucial to farmers and ranchers because our very livelihoods depend on it. The WOTUS rule had nothing to do with clean water, but instead was an enormous land grab that created great confusion for farmers and ranchers.  “Where the previous EPA blatantly ignored […]

More than 80 members of the Oklahoma Legislature have been named members of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau 100 Percent Club for a 100-percent voting record with the organization during the 2017 legislative session. “Oklahoma Farm Bureau is thankful to have excellent representation as we continue to fight for our members at the state Capitol,” said Tom Buchanan, OKFB president. “We applaud these lawmakers for their efforts to protect agriculture and rural Oklahoma.” Legislators were scored on three measures including SB 147, SB 326 and SB 593. Authored by Senate Pro Tem Mike Schulz and Rep. Casey Murdock, SB 147 allows […]