On Saturday, February 24, at the 2024 American Farmers and Ranchers convention held in Norman, Oklahoma, Farm Director KC Sheperd had the chance to talk with AFR President Scott Blubaugh about topics discussed at this year’s convention.
Blubaugh said topics of conversation in policy meetings included a focus on agricultural markets, enforcing anti-monopoly and trust laws, farm bill, and more.
“We are a general farm organization, so our policy book is rather thick, and we touch a lot on different issues throughout the state,” Blubaugh said.
One issue Blubaugh said he foresees to be discussed heavily at the state level this year is water.
“We are running out of water in the Ogallala Aquafer, and we are seeing many of our farmers out in the Panhandle there that rely on that aquifer; those wells are drying up at least around the edges of the aquifer,” Blubaugh said. “They are having to change their cropping patterns and raise different crops that require less water than corn does.”
Blubaugh said the amount of water that is being pumped out of the ground is unknown, so there is an effort in the state this year to implement metering devices on commercial water wells. According to the policy passed during this year’s AFR convention, Blubaugh said AFR members support metering of irrigation wells.
“We know in the future it is going to be more and more difficult to have adequate water,” Blubaugh said. “We are going to have to figure out how to ration it.”
AFR saw several legislative wins this past year, Blubaugh said, especially in the medical marijuana industry with regulations.
“For the last several years, there have been all kinds of crazy stuff going on out in the countryside with organized crime, moving into our rural communities, folks we are not used to seeing out there, and all of that,” Blubaugh said. “Some of the legislation that we have gotten passed really reins in medical marijuana, which we think is a good thing. The Attorney General is enforcing those laws and really starting to crack down on that illegal activity out there. It is making a difference.”
Blubaugh was also proud to announce that the National Farmers Union convention will be held in Oklahoma City in March of 2025. Dates announced by NFU are for March 9-11, 2025.
“Next March, all of the farmers union states from all over the country will be here and we will put on a nice show downtown,” Blubaugh said.
