Articles
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Agriculture, Energy
Conservatively stewarding or else
In Oklahoma, three areas in public policy—energy, environment, and agriculture—need thorough engagement by conservatives for the thriving of all Oklahomans and to prevent progressives from being able to seize them to expand government.Jonathan Small | June 16, 2023
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Education, Agriculture
Politicized teaching feared with ‘climate change’ standards
The inclusion of “climate change” material in Oklahoma’s new science standards for public schools, beginning as early as middle school, has business leaders concerned classrooms could become politicized and schools weaponized against economically foundational industries.Ray Carter | March 6, 2020
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Agriculture
Taking Oklahoma agriculture and ranching to the next level
One of Susan Bergen’s favorite mantras says that “Life is 360 degrees.” It’s a philosophy you might expect from the OCPA trustee, who’s the daughter of a Sierra Club naturalist mother and a manufacturing entrepreneur father.Staci Elder Hensley | July 16, 2018
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Agriculture
What EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt will mean for farmers
The appointment of former Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was met with predictable cheers from energy entrepreneurs and jeers from some environmental advocacy groups.Jayson Lusk | May 15, 2017
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Budget & Tax, Agriculture
How soda taxes hurt farmers
These values do highlight the fact that whatever benefits are produced by these sorts of public health initiatives, they must be weighed against the cost.Jayson Lusk | May 8, 2017
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Agriculture
For Many Oklahoma Farmers, Trade Is a Big Deal
For U.S. agriculture, trade is a big deal. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) data show that the U.S. exports about 20 percent of all agricultural output both in terms of volume and in terms of dollars.Jayson Lusk | February 1, 2017
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Agriculture
Agricultural Regulation a Serious Concern for Producers
Agricultural regulation is an important issue for rural America. The Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are the primary regulators affecting the food supply chain from farm to fork. For row crop and cattle producers that dominate the landscape of the Great Plains, the EPA’s rules have the biggest direct effects. While these regulations are designed to provide many benefits, they come at a cost. Individual regulations are evaluated on cost/benefit grounds prior to implementation, but the costs of the overall regulatory burden on agriculture are not well understood.Levi Russell | December 6, 2016
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Agriculture
‘Food Movement’ Agenda Not the Best Path Forward
The change in presidential administrations is likely to usher in a new set of policy ideas and proposals. In the case of food and agriculture, the new president does not have to look far, as prominent food writers have already been making an aggressive case to retool the way the federal government regulates food and the farm.Jayson Lusk | November 2, 2016
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Agriculture
Free Market Friday: A simple truth
Next time you go grocery shopping, take a hard look at that can of green beans. Say the shelf price is $1. Part of the cost represents the beans themselves, part the canning and shipping costs. But there’s a hidden cost as well – the cost of federal regulation. How much is it?Jonathan Small | October 14, 2016
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Agriculture
Why Industrial Farms Are Good for the Environment
Stillwater, Okla. — There is much to like about small, local farms and their influence on what we eat. But if we are to sustainably deal with problems presented by population growth and climate change, we need to look to the farmers who grow a majority of the country’s food and fiber.Jayson Lusk | September 26, 2016