Kirk Kimmelshue is the 2011 summer intern in the Corporate Communications and Public Relations division at Oklahoma Farm Bureau.

Kimmelshue is a 2010 graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo where he earned his undergraduate degree in Agricultural Business with concentrations in marketing and policy from California’s cen-

tral coast university. Currently, Kim-melshue is a graduate student in the Agricultural Communications program at Oklahoma State University.

“Farmers in this country produce the safest, most abundant food sup-ply in the world, and I look forward to contributing to the communication of this message on behalf of many innova-tive and dedicated Oklahoma produc-ers,” Kimmelshue said. “The progressive mindset of Oklahoma Farm Bureau and its membership has me excited about the upcoming summer.”

Kimmelshue grew up in Northern California near Chico where his family farms almonds and walnuts and was involved in the California Junior Livestock Association and California Farm Bureau Federation.

PERSPECTIVE ®

OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU

May 20, 2011

Session nears end, 10 OFB bills now lawBy Kinsey Money, OFB Director of Research and Policy Development

California native is new summer intern

FFA members are optimistic about agricultural future

An overwhelming 80 percent of the FFA members visiting the Oklahoma Farm Bureau exhibit during the Oklahoma FFA convention, May 2-4, said they are optimistic about the future of agriculture.

“That does not surprise me as these kids tend to be a pretty opti-mistic group in general,” said Chris Kidd, south central OFB field co-ordinator and Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee coordinator.

The OFB exhibit was a project of the YF&R committee in an effort to en-courage FFA members to get more involved in agriculture leader-ship organizations.

Survey time – YF&R member LaSheil Knowles (far right) works the Oklahoma Farm Bureau YF&R booth at the State FFA Convention. FFA members answered questions about the future of agriculture.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau is beginning the end of the 2011 legis-lative session on a positive note. Currently, 10 pieces of OFB sup-

ported legislation have been signed into law. The remaining three bills have been sent to Governor Mary Fallin. Pending her signature, 13 pieces of legislation with a positive impact on agriculture, private property rights and rural Oklahoma will become law.

In an effort to clarify the wind industry’s cur-rent perception of eminent domain, SB 124 was signed by the governor on May 10. Authored

by Senator Ron Justice and Representative Tom Newell, SB 124 prohibits the power

of eminent domain for the siting or building of wind turbines on

private property. Landowners can now embrace the growing

wind industry in Oklahoma without the fear of emi-nent domain.

(See Results, page 2)

The Senate passed SB 248, reducing the groundwater permit administration fee from $50 to $25. This is exciting news for OFB members with water wells. The fee was adopted in 2010 through administrative rules without a vote from the legislature. While OFB advocated for repeal of the fee, cutting it in half was greeted with a warm welcome. SB 248 was authored by Senator Ron Jus-tice and Representative Wade Rousselot.

For landowners who have experienced property damage from trespassers, help is around the corner. SB 494 was sent to the governor for approval. Authored by Senator Don Barrington and Representative Sky McNiel, SB 494 creates the “Oklahoma Private Lands and Public Recreation Act.” The act will grant any local, county or state law enforcement agency the authority to write a citation on the spot for recreational trespass occurring on land used primarily for farming, ranching or forestry purposes. SB 494, in addition to HB 1249, should address many of the issues OFB members have had with trespassers.

Improving the quality of life in rural Oklahoma while boost-ing the state’s economic recovery lies in the language of HB 1381.

(See Session Nears End, page 3)

2

Oklahoma Farm Bureau OnlineMonitor the latest Farm Bureau and

agricultural news and information online at www.okfarmbureau.org.

Currently online:• Photo Galleries – Visit Oklahoma

Farm Bureau’s website for photos of recent events such as the YF&R Golf Classic held May 6. Photos are displayed in a slideshow format in the “News” section.

• Legislative Update – Recent legislative activity on Oklahoma Farm Bureau priority legislation is updated frequently on OFB’s Web site. Public Policy staff record action on legislation of interest to keep members informed.

www.okfarmbureau.org

State Legislature AdjournsMay 27, 2011 • State Capitol

Contact: Tyler Norvell, (405) 523-2402

Farm Bureau Safety SeminarJune 6-8, 2011 • Tatanka Ranch, StroudContact: Justin Grego, (405) 523-2391

National Ag in the Classroom MeetingJune 22-23, 2011 • Ft. Lauderdale, FLContact: Marcia Irvin, (405) 523-2405

OFB Calendar

• Car Rentals – Both National Car Rental and Hertz Rent A Car offer members special discounts. Call 800-Car-Rent or 800-654-3131.

• The Sale Ring – All members may place classifieds FREE in OFB’s online classified ad section. Visit the website www.thesalering.com

OFB highlights a few benefits in each issue of Perspective as a reminder of the savings available to OFB members. Find a complete list of savings online at www.okfarmbureau.org.

Member Benefits

(Results, continued from page 1)

OFB employees earn ATV safety certification

The strong optimism was offset some-what by the 61 percent who said they plan to study agriculture or work in an agricul-ture-related field after high school. That means almost 40 percent do not consider agriculture as a valid career path.

“Although that is good, (61 percent) it indicates they may be optimistic about the future of agriculture but don’t see how they can make a career out of it,” Kidd said.

Almost 700 FFA members completed the survey which included the questions: “What challenges do you see in agriculture today?” and “What can be done to get more young people interested in agricultural careers?”

FFA members’ answers ranged from sug-gesting more agriculture-related classes to advertising the need for agriculture involve-ment to increase agriculture’s “fun factor.”

“Overall, I believe this survey shows these young FFA members are generally excited about agriculture and look forward to a bright future,” Kidd said.

ABOVE – Oklahoma State University extension specialists, medical personnel and other members of the health care industry took ATV instruction from members of the OFB safety services division in Bethany, April 29.

BELOW – Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Safety Services Director Justin Grego goes over pre-ride inspection procedures with ATV safety students in order to earn his ASI Instructor license and teach ATV safety classes.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau Safety Ser-vices members Dusty Applegate and Justin Grego recently participated in the ATV Safety Institute Instructor Preparation Course held in Bethany.

The instructor course is coordinated through the Oklahoma 4-H ATV Safety program and includes a week of training and practice course instruction. As certified ATV RiderCourse instructors, Applegate and Grego are licensed to teach students and adults ATV safety knowledge and basic

riding skills in a controlled environment.“I plan on using my new ATV instruc-

tor’s certificate to teach not only our Farm Bureau members, but also ATV riders across Oklahoma,” Applegate said.

With more than 200 ATV accidents re-ported in Oklahoma each year, Grego said it is important to bring awareness to the dangers of 4-wheelers and other all terrain vehicles. The OFB Safety Services division plans to incorporate the ATV safety course into next year’s OFB Safety Seminar.

3

Oklahoma Farm Bureau Leaders Receive Honorary State FFA Degrees

Oklahoma Farm Bureau Executive Director Monica Wilke and OFB District 7 Board Member Roland Pederson were awarded the Honorary State FFA Degree May 3, during the Oklahoma FFA Convention in Oklahoma City. The degree is the highest state honorary award presented by the FFA and recognizes those who serve their local communities and greatly contribute to the advancement of agricultural education. Wilke (left) and Pederson (right) are both pictured with 2010-2011 Oklahoma FFA State President Emily Beanland.

YF&R Golf Classic raises $15,000 for OFB Legal Foundation(Continued from page 1)

Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Young Farm-ers and Ranchers committee helped raise more than $15,000 for the OFB Legal Foundation during the annual YF&R Golf Classic held May 6, in Seminole. All proceeds benefit the OFB Legal Founda-tion’s efforts to protect the rights of farmers and ranchers and represent them regarding other agricultural issues.

“It’s heartening to see some of the same people turn out every year for the tourna-ment,” said OFB Legal Foundation Direc-tor Marla Peek. “It’s a testament to some of our members’ support of the foundation’s activities.”

More than 20 teams participated in the

annual event hosted by Seminole’s Jimmie Austin Golf Course. YF&R Coordinator Chris Kidd said he was pleased with the amount of people who showed an interest in supporting the OFB Legal Foundation.

“I think we had a strong attendance for the event, and I appreciate all of the hard work our YF&R committee put in to mak-ing it possible,” he said.

Team results include first place - Blake Chappell, Nathan Henderson, Stefan Hunt and Tyler Norvell; second place - Marty Fuller, Dan Navaro, Kent Washburn and Freddy Wisdom; third place – Tim Cain, Tim McGraw, James Reid and David Wilson.

2011 marked the ninth year for the YF&R Golf Classic. Pictured from left to right are Duane Simpson of Monsanto, State Representative Tom Newell and State Secretary of Agriculture Jim Reese.

Authored by Representative Doug Cox and Senator David Myers, HB 1381 cre-ates an assessment to be paid by qualifying hospitals. The assessment cannot be passed on to the patient. In turn, it will be used to gain a 2 to 1 match in federal dollars. This will ensure hospitals in rural Oklahoma stay open,as well as enhance opportunities to train new doctors to serve Oklahoma’s communities.

Through their leadership and dedica-tion, the legislature and Governor Fallin are ensuring agriculture remains an Oklahoma tradition.

Session nears end ...

OFB President Mike Spradling (left) speaks at a state capitol press conference in support of HB 1381. Also pictured are State Chamber CEO Fred Morgan (middle) and Oklahoma Public Employees Association Director Sterling Zearly (right).

Oklahoma Farm Bureau2501 N. StilesOklahoma City, OK 73105-3126

Non-ProfitU.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No. 131Okla. City, OK.

Traci Morgan, 523-2346 Perspective/Online News Editor

Sam Knipp, 523-2347 Vice President of Communications/PR

Tyler Norvell, 523-2402 Vice President of Public Policy

Marla Peek, 523-2437 Director of Regulatory Affairs

Staff Directory

Published by Oklahoma Farm BureauPostmaster: Send address corrections to:

Perspective, P.O. B. 53332, OKC, OK 73152-3332

4

Gail Banzet, 523-2346 Perspective/Online News Editor

Sam Knipp, 523-2347 Vice President of Communications/PR

Tyler Norvell, 523-2402 Vice President of Public Policy

Marla Peek, 523-2437 Director of Regulatory Affairs

Kinsey Money, 523-2539 Director of Research & Policy Development

Staff Directory

Published by Oklahoma Farm BureauPostmaster: Send address corrections to:

Perspective, P.O. B. 53332, OKC, OK 73152-3332

Farm Bill Committee Meetings Continue

Oklahoma Farm Bureau Farm Bill Committee members met at the home office May 4, to work on FB policy for the 2012 farm bill. FB leaders meet with constituents regarding the farm bill this fall. Pictured from left are Matt Muller, Thad Doye, Kirk Kimmelshue, Tyler Norvell and Mike Spradling.

District 7 Women’s Luncheon – Members of the Farm Bureau Women’s Committee met in Perry on May 3, for a lunch and presentation. From left, Clara Wichert, Ann Fast, Jane Eitzen and FB Women’s Coordinator Marcia Irvin admire a quilt displaying Oklahoma’s FB counties.

Women’s Luncheon

Ag exports hit record for first half of fiscal year

U.S. agricultural exports set a new record high for the first half of the federal fiscal year, according to officials with the United States Department of Agriculture.

U.S. farm exports from Oct. 1, 2010, through March 31, 2011, reached $75 billion. USDA Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the export total is a 27 percent increase over the same period a year ago.

China purchased 20 percent of all U.S. agricultural exports for a total of $15.1 bil-lion. Canada ranked as the second-largest buyer.

Vilsack said March 2011 was the highest-grossing month ever for U.S. agri-cultural exports at $13.3 billion.

Women preparing for summer conference in Bartlesville

Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Women’s Committee is planning their annual sum-mer conference scheduled this year for July 8-9, in historic downtown Bartlesville.

Tulsa’s News on 6 Morning Anchor LeAnne Taylor is slated as a guest speaker for the event. Also, money raised during the conference’s silent auction will be donated to one of the committee’s favorite charities, the White-Reinhardt Fund for Education.

Registration deadline is June 15. For more information about the conference or a registration form, contact Marcia Irvin at (405) 523-7602.