News Stories

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum announces a symposium focusing on rural issues to be held in March. The program titled Surviving the Elements: Land & Water Issues of the West aims to increase awareness of drought and rural issues in the American West, by focusing on stewardship and conservation of land and water. Ranching and the iconic cowboy are both important aspects of the West and of the National Cowboy Museum’s permanent collections, exhibitions and educational programming. The two intertwined play an important role in building a better connection to the past, present and future of western resources. […]

Agricultural producers interested in learning how to maximize their canola production should register now to attend the Feb. 13 Canola College in Enid. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to learn from and speak with leading experts in the field, and interact with more than 300 new or veteran canola producers and industry members,” said Ron Sholar, Great Plains Canola Association (GPCA) executive director. “This will be the premier canola education and training event in the region for 2014.” Canola College is a joint effort of GPCA, Oklahoma State University’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Kansas State University and cooperating […]

Voting delegates to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 95th annual meeting approved resolutions that will provide the organization with authority from its grassroots members to push Congress toward the goal line on unfinished issues like the farm bill and ag labor. “Securing victories on those issues is critical to our competitiveness as individual farmers and ranchers, and to our nation’s success as a food producer,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman, who was re-elected to his eighth two-year term as the organization’s president. “Farm Bureau made progress on our priorities this past year, more so than most other organizations, and this […]

The American Farm Bureau’s 95th Annual Convention starts this weekend, Jan. 12, in San Antonio, Texas. The convention will offer a variety of speakers and workshops for those attending. The convention starts with the opening general session on Sunday morning with AFBF President Bob Stallman. Other speakers will be Alan Robertson, a brother and star from the popular show “Duck Dynasty”, Gen. Stan McChrystal, and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. There will also be more than 25 educational workshops offered during the convention. The workshops are organized into five tracks:  Building Better Advocates. Just talking about the issues is not enough […]

Oklahoma has a rich agricultural history thanks to dedicated farmers. In 1998, the Governor’s Outstanding Achievement Award in Agriculture was created to recognize those who have helped lead the industry while demonstrating exemplary personal values and pursuing agricultural achievements in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry is accepting nominations for this award through Feb. 7. The award winner will be inducted into the Oklahoma Agricultural Hall of Fame located at the agency headquarters in Oklahoma City. Examples of eligible agriculture enterprises are: livestock and crop production, agribusiness, forestry, horticulture and nursery management. In addition to considering the […]

For farmers with a new year’s resolution to save money on operating costs, an agricultural energy management plan (AgEMP), commonly called a farm energy audit, is a good place to start. Funding is available for AgEMPs, through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Farm energy audits generally identify opportunities to reduce between 10% and 35% of total farm energy use, which enables farmers to take greater control of their energy use and increase their energy independence. Funding is limited for 2014, with several states facing funding deadlines early in the new year. Application deadlines vary from state to state, […]