Oklahoma Country • Fall 2006 • 29 NSP Board votes to proceed with sorghum checkoff t their summer board meeting, the returns and profitability through a more National Sorghum Producers (NSP) focused research approach,” said Murden. ABoard of Directors voted unanimously “Profitability is certainly what drives to proceed with the process of creating a producers and what will drive the priorities of national sorghum checkoff to fund critical a national sorghum checkoff.” research for sorghum producers. NSP CEO Tim Lust said that the NSP board “Like many farmers, I need sorghum in my has been evaluating the possibility of a crop rotation,” said NSP President Greg national sorghum checkoff for quite some Shelor. “But to increase profitability, we have time. “If we can meet our most pressing needs, COMPANY’S TOP ADJUSTER – some basic needs like better grass and weed producers will continue to see expanded Shannon Tice, an adjuster at the Davis control technology. We also need to increase opportunities for sorghum. There is District Claims office, was named Oklahoma our yields.” substantial growth in the forage sorghum Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company In May, Shelor appointed NSP President- market and with the utilization of sorghum for Adjuster of the Year in August. Claims Vice Elect Dale Murden to serve as Chairman of ethanol production.” President Richard Newberry announced the National Sorghum Checkoff Committee. Lust said that there is a need to increase Tice’s selection during the annual Claims The committee, made up of producers and sorghum’s fermentable, extractable sugars to Conference at Tanglewood Resort on Lake state sorghum staff, was charged with the task compete with other feedstocks utilized in Texoma near Pottsboro, Tex. Tice received a of assessing if a national sorghum checkoff ethanol production. He also said with the special plaque, monetary award and an would help meet critical producer needs. The sorghum genome being fully sequenced soon, expense-paid trip for two to the 2007 committee was asked to offer its it will be critical to exploit this scientific Southern Region Claims Conference. Shannon recommendations at the August board breakthrough to help sorghum producers joined the company on Oct. 27,2003. Tice’s meeting held in Lubbock, Texas. become more productive and profitable in selection was based on the claims load, “After several meetings, phone calls and a the future. responses from insureds, company loyalty lot of research, our committee felt that a Directors on the NSP board are now getting and willingness to help others. national sorghum checkoff would help feedback from their sponsoring organizations producers across the country to realize better to bring recommendations forward. NEW CALENDAR – The 2007 OFB Legal Foundation calendar will feature a historical perspective on agriculture to celebrate Oklahoma’s Centennial. Enjoy 2007 with photos from across Oklahoma featuring Farm Bureau members and their agricultural operations as well as photos from Oklahoma’s agricultural history. The calendars will include important dates for OFB activities for 2007. Calendars can be ordered for $10 by contacting Sarah Snyder at 405-530-2681. 30 • Oklahoma Country • Fall 2006 Three vie for Achievement Award wo county Farm Bureaus submitted nominations for consideration as the T2006 YF&R Achievement Award. The award honors the state’s top young farm family. The winner will be announced during the Awards and Recognition Program of the 65th annual meeting of Oklahoma Farm Bureau in Tulsa in November. The winner receives an expense-paid trip to the 2007 American Farm Bureau Federation convention in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Oklahoma winner also receives a year’s use of a Dodge pickup, the use of a Kubota tractor, $500 worth of Syngentia crop protection products 53502X 9/5/06 8:33 AM Page 1 and other awards. 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Over fifty of the volunteers were wearing bright green shirts that read “Poultry Industry Does Its Part” as they represented the five poultry companies that made the donation: Tyson Inc., Simmons Foods Inc., George’s Inc., Cargill Turkey Production LLC, and Peterson Farms Inc. The goal of the clean up was to restore the condition of the river after a busy summer season. Volunteers for the cleanup were given lunch, a free T-shirt and a chance to win two “Old Town” kayaks. Clean up volunteers representing the poultry companies presented a check to Bill Blackard, chairman of the Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission at Peyton’s Place, the final stop of the cleanup trip. “We thank the poultry companies for this generous gift. This gift will help improve the facilities as well as the river itself,” Ed Fite, OSRC Administrator, said. Fite stated that the OSRC may receive as much as $5 million total because of the poultry companies’ gift, citing the federal Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) that provides $4 for every $1 the OSRC spends in specific conservation practices. “We are happy that we can help beautify the Illinois River,” Morrill Harriman, executive vice president of the Poultry Federation, said. “We care about this river, and we care about keeping it clean.” Poultry company representatives up trash along the way.At the end of the remove bags of trash picked up along day, the volunteers presented a The clean up was sponsored by Armstrong the Illinois River in a daylong clean up $275,000 check to the Oklahoma Scenic Bank, Georgia-Pacific Paper, Reasor’s Food event in September. About 200 Rivers Commission to help improve Warehouse, Poultry Community Council, volunteers floated the river and picked facilities as well as the river. Poultry Partners, STIR (Save the Illinois 32 • Oklahoma Country • Fall 2006 ATTENTION River), Hart’s LLC, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ), and the DIABETIC METER Cherokee Nation Environmental Protection Commission (CNEPC). The canoes were provided by the Illinois River Association. RECALL ALERT Key to business So far in 2006 there have been 12 Accuracy and consistency are extremely success: proper manufacturer notifications. There were important when you test your blood! financial planning over 20 different Class I High Risk Recalls If you have Medicare call now to get a NO COST to you replacement meter and for diabetic meters issued by the U.S. very business owner has high new testing supplies! Sorry, we are unable aspirations for their business. Whether Food and Drug Administration in 2005. to help you if you are in an HMO. Ethese goals involve everyday operations, A Class I recall means that there is a a new business venture or an expansion Call Discount Diabetic at project, proper financing is essential to reasonable chance that the product will 1-800-948-1486. business owners reaching their objectives. cause serious health problems or death. If you have Arthritis, Medicare will One of the biggest hurdles for small Most major diabetic meter manufactures cover a large, moist heating pad for you businesses is having enough capital to bring a at NO COST to you. *Deductible and plan to fruition. The best planning and business have had a recall in the past 2 years! management can be completely undermined if YOUR CURRENT METER MAY BE copay may apply. appropriate funding is not available. INVOLVED IN A RECALL. Call 1-800-948-1486. According to Steven Windhaus, the small business advisor for www.bankrate.com, “Having the proper financing, including working capital, is more important to a small business than developing a customer base, providing a product or even offering client services.” It is not enough to simply have a well thought out business plan.