Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays, is talking with the President of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Rodd Moesel, about the 2024 American Farm Bureau Federation Convention coming up on January 19-24 in in Salt Lake City, Utah.
This year will mark the 105th year of the annual AFBF Convention. The convention will give members the chance to help set the agenda for the leading voice of agriculture in Washington, D.C., and more.
Attendees can participate in workshops, visit the trade show, fellowship with farmers and ranchers, and more.
Moesel said Oklahoma will be represented by a delegation of about 75 members who are making the trip to Salt Lake City.
Oklahoma will also be bringing some competitors for the Young Farmers and Ranchers program who will have the chance to receive national awards. Moesel said it is exciting to see the number of young farmers and ranchers who are actively participating in the OKFB.
“Now that we know we are going to be hosting the 2028 convention, we will all be trying to be observant for ideas and things we want to do to make the Oklahoma City experience special in a few years,” Moesel said.
On Sunday of the convention, AFBF will be honoring Congressman Frank Lucas of Oklahoma’s 3rd district with the Distinguished Service Award.
“That will probably be our highlight,” Moesel said.
The AFBF Distinguished Service Award is awarded to one person each year.
“We are so blessed to have a congressman who understands agricultural policy and actually lives by agricultural policy since he is still an active farmer and rancher,” Moesel said. “There just aren’t many of those left in Congress.”
At the OKFB state convention in November, Moesel said a number of new policies were voted on by Oklahoma members. Many of those policies from Oklahoma will make it to the floor on Tuesday of the annual AFBF convention.
“I would say this year, the issues are more general all across the board,” Moesel said. “There is a number that relate to the farm bill, a number that relate to a lot of labor issues, there is a lot of concern about the agriculture labor force across the country, so that will maybe be the hottest subject, I think, besides the general farm bill issues.”
