Tulsa County farmer-rancher Mike Spradling was elected as the eighth president of Oklahoma Farm Bureau Nov. 10, 2007, at the organization’s 66th annual meeting in Oklahoma City. Spradling won a two-year term as the president of the state’s largest general farm organization. He succeeds Steve Kouplen of Beggs, who had served four consecutive two-year terms as president and was prohibited from seeking another by term limits. The 58-year-old farmer-rancher along with his wife, Lotsee, own and operate the Flying G Ranch near Sand Springs. Cattle and pecans are the primary agricultural enterprises. They also have a retail pecan operation and […]

Donna VonTungeln of Calumet was re-elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of Oklahoma Farm Bureau Nov. 10, 2007. VonTungeln won re-election to the state director’s position in a caucus held during the 66th annual Oklahoma Farm Bureau meeting at Oklahoma City’s Cox Convention Center. Delegates from a seven-county area picked VonTungeln. She will represent Farm Bureau members from Blaine, Caddo, Canadian, Grady, Kingfisher, Logan and Oklahoma counties as the district three state director. VonTungeln, 75, runs a 1,000-acre farm with her children. Wheat, cattle, alfalfa and soybeans are the primary enterprises on the operation. The family […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau employees collected 1,367 pounds of nonperishable goods during their Halloween Harvest Feast food drive. In addition, $510 in cash was donated to purchas food. “Our employees are a caring group of people who are always willing to help those in need,” said Angie Christopher, OFB vice president of Human Resources. The employee food drive is part of Farm Bureau’s “Farmers Fighting Hunger” campaign launched last month. Farm Bureau members are asked to bring nonperishable items to the annual convention this weekend at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City. “We want to make that connection between those […]

The countdown to the state’s largest annual farm convention continues as Farm Bureau’s Resolutions Committee whittled down the long list of issues proposed for discussion during the committee’s Oct. 23-24 meeting in Oklahoma City. Over 500 issues or resolutions were submitted by the state’s 77 county Farm Bureaus. Among the 95 issues making the final cut are proposals to eliminate estate taxes, enhance protection for private property rights and continue income protection under the new federal farm law. “This is an important step in our policy development process,” said Steve Kouplen, OFB President. “We truly have a grassroots structure that […]

Oklahoma’s farmers and ranchers are launching a major campaign to stop hunger in the state because “no one should go to bed hungry in a land blessed with agriculture abundance,” said Steve Kouplen, Oklahoma Farm Bureau president. The “Farmers Fighting Hunger” campaign is in cooperation with the Regional Food Banks of Oklahoma. Farm Bureau members are collecting donations that will be gathered during their annual convention Nov. 9-11 in Oklahoma City. “More than 500,000 Oklahomans are at risk of going hungry every day,” said Rodney W. Bivens, executive director of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. “Promotions like Farm Bureau’s […]

In keeping with the state’s Centennial theme, more than 1,000 Oklahoma agricultural leaders will join Oklahoma Farm Bureau in "Celebrating 100 Years of Oklahoma Agriculture" during the organization’s annual convention Nov. 9-11 at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City. “This has been a challenging year, but just like Oklahoma farmers and ranchers have always done, we’ve found a way to succeed,” said Steve Kouplen, Oklahoma Farm Bureau president. The Beggs rancher is finishing his eighth and final year leading the state’s largest farm organization. Farm Bureau by-laws limit the president to four, two-year terms. Voting delegates will select a […]

Oklahoma State University international students will view Oklahoma agriculture up close and personal during a farm and ranch tour hosted by Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee October 8-9. The annual event highlights specific aspects of the industry in various parts of the state. This year’s tour will focus on north central and northeast Oklahoma. State YF&R Committee Member Will Cubbage, who also is Osage County’s OSU Extension agriculture educator and owns registered Angus cattle on native and improved pastures in Rogers County, said the tour will give students the opportunity to learn about the state’s agriculture industry […]

With the October 1 deadline for insuring fall-planted crops fast approaching, farmers are faced with some major questions, not the least of which is “can I afford not to purchase crop insurance?” Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s crop insurance manager advises the risk is too high to go without protection. “We’re in such a risky area of the country, in terms of producing crops, it’s definitely beneficial for farmers to have crop insurance,” said Scott Bulling. “Over the last 15 years, for every 42 cents farmers paid for crop insurance they received $1.25. This shows crop insurance is a good investment and […]

Government officials need a paradigm shift when it comes to animal manure. They should consider it a valuable asset and not a waste, according to comments made Sept. 6 by Payne County Farm Bureau leader and Oklahoma State University agricultural economist Michael Dicks. He testified before the U.S. Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee. “By treating animal manure as a waste we have employed all efforts and resources to contain and eliminate rather than collect and utilize,” Dicks told the committee. “There are many systems around the world that use manure to efficiently produce food and energy products. Until we […]

When the U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the 2007 farm bill, members gave Oklahoma farmers and ranchers a chance to prosper. That’s the assessment from the leader of the state’s largest farm organization. “I believe this legislation provides farmers the opportunity to succeed while providing an economic safety net,” said Steve Kouplen, Beggs, president of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau. Commonly referred to as the 2007 farm bill, the official title of the farm legislation is the Farm, Nutrition and Bioenergy Act. Despite at times strong opposition from reform-minded politicians, Congressional leaders stood firm in supporting commodity-based programs […]