This past week, I had a very informative meeting with Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur and her team from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF). We discussed a wide range of issues faced by producers in Oklahoma.

One of the biggest issues we touched on is the allocation of $10 million in federal CARES Act dollars for meat processing plants in the state. When COVID-19 quickly spread across Oklahoma, many found that the meat they were looking for at the grocery store was not in stock. The pandemic caused a supply shortage across the country due to packing and processing plants closing down from COVID outbreaks and breaks in the supply and transportation chain.

Meat Supply Boost

It became evident that we needed to bolster our state’s beef and animal protein supply chain so Oklahoma families could buy their proteins from Oklahoma farmers and ranchers. The $10 million in CARES Act funding will be distributed as grants to meat processors to renovate and expand their facilities to increase processing capacity. Grant applications are due to ODAFF by Aug. 14, and each applicant could receive up to $1 million. For more information about the grant program and to apply, please visit www. oda.state.ok.us.

You’ve probably seen the social media posts relating to Americans opening their mailboxes to find unmarked packages from China containing unsolicited seeds. If you receive a package like this, it is imperative that you DO NOT plant the seeds. While they may appear harmless, we don’t know what they are and they could introduce disease into our soil or be fatal to other plants and animals. If you do receive these seeds in the mail, please contact ODAFF at 405-522-5971.

Although coordinating the state’s agriculture COVID response has been busy, Secretary Arthur took time out of her busy schedule in July to come tour across District 26 and see many of our impressive agricultural operations. We stopped by the Carnegie Cotton Gin, Horn Canna Farm in Carnegie, Lasley Family Farms Spanish Peanuts in Eakly and the Acadian Family Farm in Fort Cobb. I’d like to thank Sadie Hileman, Nikki and Dustin Horn, Lloyd Lasley and Rod and Nanette Ardoin for their hospitality and time to show us around. Agriculture is one of our state’s most important and impressive industries, and it’s all because of the passionate people behind the operations.

Complete Census Forms

Finally, I’d like to encourage each of you to stop what you’re doing and complete the 2020 census. Time to fill out the questionnaire is quickly running out, and if we don’t get a complete and accurate count of our population, we’ll miss out on crucial federal funding that is allocated for schools, hospitals, roads and more. Each person not accurately counted by the census can cost the state nearly $17,000 over the next decade, so we must all make it a personal responsibility to complete the census and encourage our family, friends and neighbors to do the same.

In addition to federal funding, population data also determines state legislative districts and federal representation. The Senate will begin the process of redistricting during the 2021 session, so it’s extremely important that all rural Oklahoma residents are counted so we maintain our representation.

You’ve probably received numerous invitations to complete the questionnaire at this point, but the easiest way to return it is by visiting 2020census.gov and completing it online. You can also call 844- 330-2020 and complete it by phone. If you’ve yet to respond to the census invitations, you’ll more than likely receive a visit to your home by a Census Bureau employee over the next few months. If you’d like to avoid that knock on the door, please complete the census as soon as possible.

Thank you for allowing me to be your voice at the State Capitol. I welcome your comments and concerns, and if there is anything I can do to help you, please reach out. You can contact me by email at Darcy.Jech@oksenate.gov or by phone at 405-521-5545.