Farm Director KC Sheperd visited with National Farmer’s Union President Rob Larew about his tour across Oklahoma and the Farm Bill probability.
American Farmers & Ranchers (AFR) Cooperative hosted National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew on a tour of Southeastern Oklahoma on July 24 – 25. The tour showcased the area’s agriculture and provided an opportunity for AFR leadership and Larew to discuss regional industry issues.
“One of my favorite parts of my job is getting out of Washington D.C., and on the ground in the real world,” Larew said. “Getting the chance to see a lot more detail about operations in the southeastern part of Oklahoma was fantastic. The weather cooperated. We put a lot of miles on the road, but we had a lot of great conversations and it was a lot of good education for me.”
On day one, they toured the Three Rivers Meat Company, a new locally-owned meat processing facility near Smithville. Next, the AFR group visited the Forest Heritage Center at Beavers Bend State Park. The Center’s Museum includes an in-depth look at the logging industry in southeastern Oklahoma, including information on logging communities and the people who worked to make early logging companies economic powerhouses.
Next on the agenda was a meeting with Jarred Campbell, a longtime AFR member, district manager of the Little River Conservation District and member of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.
Terry and Stephanie Miller, AFR Insurance agents from Antlers, hosted the last stop of the day’s tour. The AFR group saw the Miller homeplace near Finley and toured the Tucker Ranch with longtime AFR Member Todd Tucker as a guide. The Tucker Ranch produces highly prized performance and show quarter horses.
Day two began at Marty and Hope Hutchings’s place at Hendrix. The Hutchings are longtime AFR members; their family operation includes beef production and custom hay cutting. Hope is also a crop insurance agent.
In Colbert, the AFR group talked with AFR members Rusty Brigman and Brent Hicks at Brigman Sod Farm. The group learned about the area’s shift from peanut farming to sod far
From Colbert, the AFR group traveled to Tishomingo, where a centennial marker recounts the origins and mission of Oklahoma Farmers Union, now known as AFR. While in Tishomingo, the group also saw the Chickasaw National Capitol Building and learned about the town’s relatively recent celebrity presence and economic revival.ming and the challenges they face in the sod industry.
The AFR group spent the afternoon in the Wapanucka area. Their first stop was at the Albrecht Ranch, where AFR members Kelly and Laura Albrecht raise high-performance purebred Angus cattle.
Next in the Wapanucka area was a visit with AFR members Jesse Wommack and Tammy Dunegan. They own a new backgrounding yard where they prepare stocker cattle for pasture through vaccinations, deworming and more.
The final stop was at Bill’s Custom Processing outside Wapanucka. AFR members Bill and Gena Johnston have owned the custom-exempt processing facility for about seven years.
“It’s what we all know, but when we get to see Ma and Pop operations, and families making it work, whether it is a cow calf operation or a backgrounding operation or even a small meat locker, understanding what these families are doing to make these businesses work, everybody chipping in, dealing with a lot of uncertainty – whether it is the weather, the marketplace, or all kinds of disruptions – but in so many cases, these families do whatever they possibly can to be successful. It’s a huge contribution to these small-town communities.”
The AFR Youth Conference was going on during his tour, and it was a stop well worth his time. “There isn’t another organization [besides the AFR and Oklahoma Farmers Union Youth Program] that does a better job of setting our youth up for future success. It was really my distinct honor to get to see the end of the leadership camp and all of those amazing emerging leaders run the camp in many ways and grow their peers’ leadership as well.”
Larew was impressed with the overall hospitality of Oklahomans as their plans had to change with short notice, and Connors State College stepped up to offer an impromptu tour and arranged for him to meet OSU President Kayse Shrum.
Next week, Larew will be back on the road to visit with producers in Washington state, before traveling to Minnesota to sit on a panel with Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall midweek, before going to Illinois later in the week.
“Part of the reward of the job is getting out to visit as many farmers and ranchers as possible,” Larew said. “We are excited to bring the National Farmers Union Convention next year in March to Oklahoma City. It’s a really vibrant city, and there are so many farms and agricultural sites to see in the surrounding area, so a lot of our members from across the country are super excited about getting the chance to come and enjoy a little taste of what I got to experience last week, and that is that fantastic Oklahoma hospitality.”
Farm Bill Probability
Larew laughed as he assured Sheperd that a Farm Bill would eventually be seen to fruition, but could not say when. “The fact is that we already knew when we had to roll into this year after things didn’t get done on time last year that this election year was going to be tough in the best of times,” he said. “I wouldn’t call this the best of times, and we already know that that’s the big dilemma right now.”
He remains hopeful that the Farm Bill will be passed by the end of the year and maintains that the powers that be are pushing for that. After hearing and learning from growers and producers in Oklahoma, Larew said that the current message is for them to help their House and Senate leaders understand why they need the certainty of the Farm Bill.
Although political divisiveness is an issue, Larew says that leaders in the agricultural sector understand the need for bipartisan cooperation to find common ground. “Even as we are looking at some of those differences in a farm bill, I think a lot of us see the real possibility of finding a compromise.”
With the compromise, the heart of the farm bill must have certain attributes such as a strong safety net for producers. Larew commented, “Whatever we can do in this farm bill to set us up for greater certainty. We need to make sure that farmers and ranchers have the best chance possible to be successful in the marketplace so that those families can stay on the land and in the communities.”
He said that if they could get the key players in a room, a lot of creativity will happen, and while they won’t all get everything they come up with, it is the ultimate compromise needed to get the farm bill across the finish line.
He cautioned that with the election so close, forcing the farm bill through without allowing it the care and attention it is due, could do more harm than good.
