Lankford Visits to Gain Insight on Grains, Local Agriculture

U.S. Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford was in Watonga Thursday, spending a few hours at Wheeler Bros. Accompanied by his wife, Cindy, dressed in boots and jeans, the senator told the Lafferty brothers Austin and Todd that he wanted to learn more about their business and agriculture in general. His own family was involved in a very different way, running a dairy farm.

The group spent some time in the conference rooms, where Austin Lafferty explained most of the wheat Wheelers takes in goes to the export markets. Corn, soybeans and milo more often are sold for the U.S. feed market, but big milo crops are often sent to Mexico.

Lankford was struggling to understand the current administration’s policy of not seeking out export partnerships for American agricultural products. He said it wasn’t a political statement or a slam on the Democrats - he is a Republican - but it was just difficult for him to comprehend. “Especially when the world wants American products, especially American agriculture,” he added.

Todd Lafferty noted that Wheelers can look at grain, fuel, chemical and fertilizer prices in real time, keeping them up to date on what their costs are going to be on a project or purchase. It also helps them determine the prices they offer to local grain producers.

“It’s amazing the technology advances in agriculture,” Austin Lafferty said.

Lankford asked the brothers about crop insurance and whether it was a program he should continue to support. There are frequently mainstream media reports of giant corporate farms that abuse the system to bank big checks while not producing any crops.

Austin Lafferty, though, went through the crop insurance program in a broad-brush manner, outlining its correct usage. His own insurance agent had called earlier in the wheat season, asking whether he would be filing a claim on the rain starved crop. Lafferty said no, they would harvest the grain. In a few days, the rains began to fall, pushing the growth closer to profitable territory.

That was the summer crop.

“We’ll ave a big fall crop this year,” he said, citing the rains that have been frequent visitors to this area and other parts of Oklahoma. Todd Lafferty added that when farmers’ crops fail, the crop insurance checks keep businesses like Wheelers afloat. “Insurance allows the farmers to clear their accounts relievable,” he said. “If they didn’t have that, it would be terrible for us.” Lankford seemed to accept the counsel, adding that farmers had to be able to stay in business. “We’re talking about feeding billions of people,” he noted. Following the discussion, the group toured the Wheeler Watonga facility, which includes grain storage and purchase slips, chemical sales and custom application, as well as livestock feed and other farm necessities. It also houses the second oldest grain silo in the state and one of the few remaining short line privately owned railroads in the nation.