Okfbfall07 21 30

All Around

Oklahoma

OFB introduces voluntary cattle ID program klahoma cattlemen now have a tool to more effectively manage their herds following an agreement between Oklahoma Farm Bureau and Agriculture Solutions to expand the Beef Verification Solution (BVS) program to the Sooner State.

“It’s exciting to bring the benefits of animal age and source verification, data management and voluntary animal identification to Oklahoma ranchers,” said OFB President Steve Kouplen, referring to the agreement.

BVS is a Farm Bureau member-driven, confidential and comprehensive livestock information program. Developed by Agriculture Solutions, a division of Kansas Farm Bureau, the program already operates in Kansas, Nebraska and Mississippi.

“Consumers are demanding more information to assure themselves that the beef they are buying is safe and wholesome,” said Todd Honer, OFB Field Representative who is directing the new program in the state. “The cost is small, but the program is a huge way to build consumer confidence in beef.”

The program is designed to provide practical, ranch-level identification solutions for data collection, management and communication. Information that can be collected includes source and age verification.

The program also offers producers an opportunity to manage and analyze data such as weight gain and carcass information, plus it complies with requirements of the National Animal Identification System (which currently is voluntary).

“This system adds value to our members’ herds and gives them a great tool to efficiently manage their herds,” said Kouplen.

Honer said the program uses International Organization for Standardization (ISO) established Radio Frequency Identification

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Oklahoma Farm Bureau is making a voluntary cattle identification program available to its members.

(RFI) technology incorporated into inexpensive cattle ear tags.

“The tags are passive because they have no battery power of their own,” he said. “The tags are activated within the transmission field of a reader. The tag then absorbs power from the reader and returns its unique number to the reader.”

More than 100 million of the tags have been in place over the last 10 years, using a proven technology.

“With prices starting at as little as $3.35 per animal for the ear tags, producers can afford to use the program,” said Honer. “Field staff members have been trained, and can input information for those who don’t have their own computer system.”

A cattle card for animals is available for those without computers. Producers fill out the appropriate information on the cards and then forward that to the OFB Field Services Division. Staff will input the data and provide the producer with management reports.

For producers who own computers, data may be entered electronically with computer software. The software allows the producer to automatically record animal numbers, weights and other data without touching a key using the RFID reader available through OFB. “The way to ensure that animal identification pays instead of costs is to use the data collected to help make better herd and individual animal management decisions,” said Honer. “Data collected can be compiled and downloaded into either Microsoft- or Excel-based spreadsheets that can be customized to fit the individual’s operation and management needs.”

Honer said more marketing programs today are demanding that livestock be part of an auditable and verifiable program in order to better guarantee quality or attribute claims.

“We need to build the relationship between producers and consumers. With electronic ear tags, you can show ranchers their animals’ performance and they’re also a trace back tool.

There’s going to be a continued need for information, and information in the form of animal ID will have value,” he said.

Monetary incentives already are available for producers using the tags on the animals.

McDonald’s pay a premium for U.S. beef it purchases from suppliers who can provide birth-to-slaughter traceability.

Some packers also are paying premiums along with some selected feedlots. Honer said National Beef, a Kansas packer, offers a premium. Suthers Feeders, a large feedlot with Oklahoma and Kansas locations, also offers a premium for the cattle.

For more information about the program, contact the OFB Field Services office at 405523-2300. Staff members also are available to provide assistance to producers. 000549818

MIAMI FLOODING – Left: Ottawa County Farm Bureau agents Mike Lillie, left, and Stacey Satterwhite are shown with one of the pallets of water given to Miami-area residents victimized by flooding in July. An entire semi-trailer loaded with bottled water was transported to the Ottawa County city. Some 144 pallets of water, which amounted to 2,166 cases, were purchased through a disaster program offered by Walgreens. Oklahoma Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company donated $5,000 for the water. Ottawa and Craig County Farm Bureaus and agents donated $1,000 each. The county donations were used to purchase about 750 pairs of gloves to give to area residents trying to clean up their property after being deluged with flood waters from the Neosho River. Tulsa County Farm Bureau also provided about 400 cans of bug spray.

Satterwhite estimates the river was five miles wide in some places. He said there are about 6,500 homes in Miami, and some 630 to 640 were flooded. There were 780 in the entire county.

People in 300 homes will not be able to return.

Satterwhite worked with Miami Parks & Recreation Superintendent/Emergency Manager Tim Wilson and Fire Chief Kevin Trease to coordinate the water give away. Both city officials are Ottawa County Farm Bureau members.

Center: This aerial photo shows some of the flood waters that engulfed Miami. The blue roofs on the left are the tops of buildings at the softball complex. The long buildings on the left are roofs of the Ottawa County Fairgrounds. In addition to flood damage at the fairgrounds, rushing water slammed another building into one at the complex to further complicate matters.

Bottom: Another aerial photo shows the extent of the raging flood waters. Much of the Northeast Oklahoma A&M College campus in Miami was inundated. The football stadium, home for the Golden Norsemen, on the campus was flooded, with only the stands and goal posts above water.

The field was covered with water and silt.

Oklahoma Country • Fall 2007 • 23

USDA opens sign up for livestock, crop disaster programs he U.S. Department of Agriculture has opened sign-up for the new Livestock Compensation Program, Livestock Indemnity Program and Crop Disaster Program. The three ad hoc disaster programs provide benefits to farmers and ranchers who suffered losses caused by natural disasters in recent years.

Eligible ranchers and other livestock producers can apply to receive benefits under the Livestock Compensation Program (LCP) and Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP).

Eligible farmers can sign-up for the Crop Disaster Program (CDP), if they suffered quantity losses to their crops.

LCP compensates livestock producers for feed losses occurring between Jan. 1, 2005, and Feb. 28, 2007, due to a natural disaster.

This can include producers who suffered losses resulting from blizzards that started in 2006 and continued into January 2007.

Livestock producers may elect to receive compensation for calendar year 2007 grazing season losses that are attributable to wildfire natural disaster occurring during the applicable period as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.

Producers in primary counties declared secretarial disaster areas or certain counties declared presidential disaster areas between Jan. 1, 2005, and Feb. 28, 2007, are eligible as are producers located in counties contiguous to those counties. Also, producers in a primary (or contiguous) county that received an Administrator’s Physical Loss Notice directly associated with a disaster declaration made by President Bush may also be eligible.

Producers incurring a loss in more than one of the 2005, 2006 or 2007 calendar years must

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choose only one year for which they want to apply for benefits.

LIP compensates livestock producers for livestock losses between Jan. 1, 2005, and Feb. 28, 2007, that resulted from natural disasters, including losses due to blizzards that started in 2006 and continued into January 2007.

Producers in primary counties declared secretarial disaster areas or certain counties declared presidential disaster areas between Jan.1, 2005, and Feb. 28, 2007, are eligible as are producers located in counties contiguous to those counties. Also, producers in a primary (or contiguous) county that received an Administrator’s Physical Loss Notice directly associated with a disaster declaration made by President Bush may also be eligible. Producers incurring eligible livestock losses in more than one of the 2005, 2006 or 2007 calendar years must choose only one year for which they want to apply for benefits.

CDP provides benefits to farmers who suffered quantity and quality losses to 2005, 2006, or 2007 crops from natural disasters if the crop was planted before Feb. 28, 2007, or, in the case of prevented plantings, for crops that would have been planted before Feb. 28, 2007.

Producers who incurred qualifying losses in 2005, 2006 or 2007 must choose only one year to apply for benefits. Producers may apply for benefits for losses to multiple commodities as long as the losses occurred in the same crop year. Only producers who obtained crop insurance coverage or coverage under the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) for the year of loss will be eligible for CDP benefits. Producers must have suffered quantity losses in excess of 35 percent to be eligible for CDP.

Annual convention is set for Nov. 9-11 Area Meetings More than 650 county Farm Bureau leaders attended the 12 different area meetings held across the state in August. The meetings to help leaders and members surface issues and develop solutions for the annual policy development process. Counties will offer resolutions on a variety of topics that will be considered by the state resolutions committee in preparation for delegates to the November annual meeting.

Counterclockwise from above: OFB Director Bob Drake listens as a member speaks out on an issue he believes should become a part of the organization’s policy development process.

Field Representative Thad Doye writes down “water” as one of the topics during the What’s On Your Mind session of an area meeting.

klahoma Farm Bureau’s 66th convention will attract nearly 1,000 delegates and guests to Oklahoma City’s Cox Convention Center Nov. 9-11.

The Friday, Saturday and Sunday version of the annual meeting will take care of the business of the state’s largest voluntary farm organization as well as set policy to help mold the future of the state and nation.

In addition to setting policy, delegates attending will elect a new state president to succeed Steve Kouplen, who must retire due to term limits. Three state directors plus the delegates for the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting in January also will be selected.

Top state awards to counties and individual members also will be presented during the annual meeting and competitions, such as the Discussion Meet, will be held.

At the early September press time, the schedule was: The opening session begins at 1:30 p.m.

Friday with a welcome by Oklahoma City

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Mayor Mick Cornett. Cornett, first elected at age 45, is one of the youngest mayors in city history. He was re-elected in March of 2006 collecting over 87 percent of the vote, the highest percentage in Oklahoma City history.

U.S. Representative Frank Lucas takes the stage next. Lucas is serving his seventh full term as a Member of Congress, representing Oklahoma’s Third Congressional District. He serves on the Agriculture, Financial Services, and Science and Technology Committees.

Lucas serves as ranking member of the Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research. He will discuss new farm bill legislation.

Break-out sessions begin at 3:15 p.m., featuring Oklahoma State University economists. Mike Dicks will lead a session on the farm bill while Darrell Peel and Kim Anderson will chair a second session on forecasting the 2008 grain and livestock markets. The break-out sessions will be repeated at 4:15 p.m.

The annual awards and recognition

FBW Committee member Nadine Butler reviewed women’s activities for the past year at an area meeting.

Legislative Specialist Tyler Norvell summarized OFB policy on animal rights issues from the 2007 policy book at one area meeting.

Seminole County Farm Bureau President Syd Morgan looks at information in the policy development book at one area meeting.

U.S. Representative Frank Lucas

Mayor Mick Cornett Oklahoma Country • Fall 2007 • 25

Contest attracts 11 farm families amilies from 11 counties have been nominated by their county Farm Bureaus for consideration as the 2007 Oklahoma Farm Bureau Farm Family of the Year.

The winning family will be announced during the Awards and Recognition Program of the 66th annual meeting of Oklahoma Farm Bureau in Oklahoma City in November.

The winner will receive an expense-paid trip to the 2008 American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting in New Orleans, La., use of a new Dodge pickup, a set of luggage and other prizes.

The annual Oklahoma Farm Bureau contest honors the farm family who best represents farming and ranching and the spirit of Oklahoma agriculture.

Farm families nominated, listed in county alphabetical order, are: • Ronald and Barbara Crain of Alfalfa County. They have been on their farm since 1991. Their operation, Wagon Creek Creamery, processes 2,400 to 4,800 pounds of milk each week into butter, buttermilk, cream, cottage cheese, ricotta, yogurt, and dip. They also raise grass-fed beef.

• Harold and Barbara Kachel of Beaver County. They have a large dryland operation, with wheat being the primary crop. They also run 30 to 50 stockers each year, and lease most of their pasture land to cattle breeders.

• Marvin and Tricia Wyatt of Comanche County. They have been in agriculture since 1974. Cotton, wheat, hay and occasionally corn are the prime crops with a large amount of land in pasture for cattle. They also do custom farming and market sprigs.

• Bill and Kathy Fansler of Craig County.

They run about 60 head of commercial cattle, and when conditions permit, have feeders over the winter. They grow wheat, corn and soybeans, and have produced crops as diversified as sunflowers to Japanese millet.

• Dave and Brenda Wingo of Hughes County. Their operation features a 500-headplus commercial cattle herd, with 2,000 lightweight stockers purchased annually to run on winter wheat. They also have about 1,000 pecan trees and a custom pecan

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Tom Randall

program is slated for the evening of Nov. 9.

The Farm Family of the Year as well as the YF&R Achievement Award winner will be revealed along with other top county and individual awards.

An ice cream social to raise funds for the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Legal Foundation is scheduled immediately following the awards program.

OFB Expo, the official trade show of the convention, is back for 2007. It will host a variety of vendors from across the state promoting agricultural businesses and associations, along with other vendors. The trade show will satisfy the interest of all participants. he Nov. 10 morning general session features the annual policyholders meeting followed immediately by a general session. The general session will focus on setting policy for 2008. Delegates also will select delegates to the AFBF annual meeting.

Various YF&R and Farm Bureau Women’s functions begin after the general session adjourns at noon. When it reconvenes at 2:15 p.m., results of caucuses in districts three, six and nine for state directors will be announced.

Kouplen will deliver his final presidential address during the session before delegates elect his successor. The general session also will be the stage for the presentation of several awards as well as the announcement of OFB’s delegates for national convention.

Delegates will finish a resolutions session before the general session adjourns.

A reception for Ag Fund donors is scheduled at 6 p.m.

The annual banquet begins at 7:30 p.m. and

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Ronnie Milsap

will be followed by a performance by the legendary Ronnie Milsap.

Milsap, who was born blind in 1946, is proficient on the violin, piano, guitar, woodwinds and percussion instruments. He has three Grammy-winning singles in his repertoire, “There’s No Getting Over Me,” “Lost In the Fifties,” and “Make No Mistake, She’s Mine,” which was a duet with Kenny Rogers.

Milsap’s impact in country music is augmented by his crossover songs, including “There’s No Getting Over Me,” and “Any Day Now,” which was number one on the adult contemporary charts.

Sunday activities begin with breakfast for county presidents, FBW chairmen and leaders in the legislative arena.

The Vespers and Memorial Session begins at 9:15 a.m. and features Thomas Randall. The two-time college basketball all star has served as a missionary in the Philippines, and now is director of World Harvest Ministries. The Edmond-based organization trains and takes building crews, medical teams and sports teams from the U.S. and Australia to areas of the Philippines that need help and shares the gospel.

Inspirational music and a memorial ceremony for Farm Bureau members will be a part of the morning’s session, which is schedule to conclude at 11:30.

The annual meeting will stand adjourned following the conclusion of the Vespers and Memorial.

Four vie for Achievement Award harvesting business as well as custom dozer business.

• Joseph and Dana Crawford of Garvin County. Their operation, which is less than 15 years old, features warm season and small grain pastures, cow-calf and stocker operations along with rye, wheat and soybeans. The also operate a custom fertilizer application business.

• Cody and April Smith of LeFlore County. Their operation, which began in 2000, consists of four large poultry houses where they produce half a million broilers each year.

They have a cattle herd and meat goat herd.

• Jack and Terry Roach of Muskogee County. Their operation, started in 1969, consists of a dairy herd and beef cattle. In addition, they double crop about 100 acres with wheat for pasture and corn for silage.

• Cody and Tiffany Frye of Pontotoc County. Their decade-old-plus-one-year operation features a cow-calf herd. They bale about 200 acres of hay and also have a backhoe and dump truck construction business.

• Rodney and Belinda Sutterfield of Seminole County. Their current operation consists of a small custom meat processing plant as well as a registered Hereford cow-calf operation. They also feed 20 head of cattle for slaughter for local customers.

• Jody and Paula Sloan of Sequoyah County. They have been in agriculture about a quarter of a century. They farm 300 acre of corn, 200 acres of soybeans and 60 acres of double-cropped wheat in Sandtown Bottoms in the Wildlife Refuge. They also farm 175 acres of wheat and 175 acres of soybeans on upland prairie ground.

our county Farm Bureaus submitted nominations for consideration as the 2007 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 66th annual meeting of Oklahoma Farm Bureau in Oklahoma City in November.

The winner receives an expense-paid trip to the 2008 American Farm Bureau Federation convention in New Orleans, La. 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 and other awards.

The nominees, listed in county alphabetical order, are: • Michael and April Clark of LeFlore County. The Clarks have a five-broiler house operation as well as cattle herd. They also grow wheat and sudan and operate a custom hay baling enterprise.

• Mason Bolay of Noble County. This recent college graduate operates 422 acres with wheat, milo, corn and soybeans being the prime crops. He also has a cow-calf herd and helps with a hay hauling and trucking service.

• Chad Selman of Osage County. He operates 2,000 acres with cattle, pecans and hay being the primary enterprises. Chad also manages a custom pecan company, and uses all of his salary from that job to help expand his operation.

• Tim and Sheila Taylor of Payne County.

The couple began with 30 acres in 1994 and now operates 1,130 acres. They have wheat, Bermuda, native grass and oats for hay as well as a 33-pair cow-calf herd. They also operate custom hay, aeration and welding and fencing enterprises.

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The FAPC is pictured at night.

FAPC honors Kerr with name change he Oklahoma Food and Agricultural Products Research and Technology Center on the campus of Oklahoma State University has been renamed the Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center.

The name change is in honor of the late senator’s role in the conception and development of the FAPC. Sen. Kerr was the legislative champion in the two-decade effort to create the state-of-the-art research and technology center.

“Without the leadership, vision and consistent hard work of the late Sen. Kerr, the Food & Agricultural Products Center would not exist today,” said J. Roy Escoubas, FAPC director. “Sen. Kerr worked tirelessly for two decades to pass legislation for the development of a food-processing center in Oklahoma.”

In 1994, Kerr’s efforts were rewarded when his bill to develop the FAPC was unanimously approved by both houses of the legislature and signed by the governor. The FAPC opened for business in early 1997.

The announcement of the name change

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was made at the third annual FAPC Media Day, where approximately 85 media representatives and industry personnel helped the FAPC “Celebrate a Decade of Adding Value to Oklahoma.”

Rodger Kerr, son of the late Sen. Kerr, was the keynote speaker during the Media Day. Robbie Kerr, the late senator’s wife, also was in attendance to hear the name change announcement. s a result of FAPC’s 10-year existence, the center conducted an economic impact study to determine its impact to the state of Oklahoma. The results showed the FAPC has had significant economic impact in the state.

“In its 10 years, the FAPC has assisted more than 1,000 Oklahoma clients through 3,000 technical and business projects,” said Rodney Holcomb, FAPC agribusiness specialist. “This study was conducted to quantify the statewide impacts of these efforts.”

Holcomb said the study surveyed FAPC

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clients to assess the changes in employment and sales these clients attribute to FAPC assistance. In addition, respondents were asked to provide an assessment of the value they associate with various services and workshops offered by the FAPC. In 2006, the 343 responding businesses had total sales exceeding $1.9 billion and provided around 8,700 full-time and 325 part-time jobs for Oklahomans. The combined direct, indirect and induced econoIn its 10 years, mic contributions of these companies the FAPC has through other local assisted more businesses, such as the service and transthan 1,000 portation industries, were more than Oklahoma billion generated clients through $6.3 and 52,000 jobs.

Several 3,000 technical respondents also and business provided information about business projects.

operations before and after receiving assistance from the FAPC. The study indicated 2.1 percent of these companies’ full-time positions and 1.5 percent of part-time positions were created between the time the firms received assistance from the FAPC and 2006.

In that time, companies providing sales information experienced 16.95 percent sales growth. Of these job and sales increases, the firms attributed 157 total jobs and almost $93 million in sales directly to FAPC assistance.

The direct, indirect and induced impacts these companies directly attributed to FAPC assistance were $308 million and 800 jobs.

“Lawmakers such as the late Sen. Kerr, who helped create the FAPC, hoped that the tax dollars spent on the center would reap benefits for the state, Holcomb said. “It’s good to have affirmation that the state funds supporting the FAPC have generated exceptional returns for Oklahoma.”

The FAPC is a 96,000-square-foot standalone building that houses animal harvesting, food manufacturing, grain milling, sensory

profiling, food microbiology and analytical laboratory facilities, as well as conference facilities and applications laboratories for demonstration and prototype testing.

By offering large and small businesses, producers and entrepreneurs access to faculty and staff with expertise in business and technical disciplines, the FAPC strives to discover, develop and deliver information that will stimulate and support the growth of value-added food and agricultural products and processing in Oklahoma.

Buying life insurance daunting, but OFBMIC’s agents ready to help uying life insurance for the first time can be a daunting process. But securing basic and essential financial protection for the people who depend on you can be simple if you know your needs.

“Thinking about your mortality isn’t always

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easy, but avoiding it could mean financial hardship for your loved ones,” says Bill Downs, Agency vice president for Oklahoma Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company.

“And there’s no better time than now to assess your needs and learn about the two basic kinds of insurance – permanent life and term life,” he added.

Whole life is a type of permanent insurance. It provides coverage for your entire life, offers a guaranteed death benefit and grows in cash value as long as premiums are paid. Term life covers you for a specific period of time.

“Any agent on our OFBMIC sales staff in any county office can help you figure out what’s right for you,” said Downs. “All of our agents are knowledgeable professionals who want to help you secure the financial protection you and your family need.

“Life insurance is the foundation of any financial strategy, and it’s important to speak to a financial professional to get the best policy for your needs.”

Net farm income expected to set new record lthough the Agriculture Department has revised its 2007 net farm income estimate up $20 billion to a record $87.1 billion on the strength of higher livestock and crop prices, the glass is only half full for America’s farmers since farm production costs are also escalating, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

The previous net farm income record of $85.9 billion was set in 2004.

“The change in cash receipts was surprisingly balanced between livestock and crops,” said AFBF Senior Economist Terry Francl.

Livestock cash receipts are expected to increase to $140 billion, up 17.5 percent, on the strength of improved cattle, hog, poultry and dairy prices. Crop cash receipts are estimated at $136 billion, up 13.5 percent due to higher wheat, corn and soybean prices.

Total cash farm expenses rose to $222 billion, an 8.5 percent increase from 2006,

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according to USDA. Rising energy prices drove up fuel and oil prices 4.5 percent and fertilizer 17 percent in 2007.

“This is the tail end of a cumulative cost drive for energy-related inputs that over the past four years has increased fuel costs 71 percent and fertilizer costs 56 percent. And unlike income and cash receipts which fluctuate up and down over the years, most expense categories tend to compound higher year after year,” said Francl.

A significant change in the share of disposable income U.S. consumers spend on food is not anticipated, according to USDA. “Despite slightly higher retail prices, U.S. consumers still spend only about 10 percent of their disposable income on food, less than citizens anywhere else in the world,” said Francl.

The farm sector’s net value added to the national economy is forecast to be $135.4 billion in 2007, up $31.1 billion from 2006.

Eastern Red Cedar: economic liability or cash crop? sk any farmer or rancher and they will tell you eastern red cedar is much more than a pesky growth...it’s an economic liability. These fast growing junipers rob the land of water, displace wildlife, shade out

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beneficial grasses, hundreds of thousands of people are allergic to its pollen and their volatile oils make them a fire hazard. The only ways of controlling eastern red cedar are by controlled burning or removing them mechanically. But these methods are only moderately effective in that this prolific and persistent little tree can grow a foot tall and a foot wide each year. For example, in just 20 years Payne County, Oklahoma went from 500 acres of red cedar infestation in 1984 to more than 50,000 acres by 2004.

According to Oklahoma State University, eastern red cedar infestation currently costs Oklahoma farmers about $218 million each year. This loss is estimated to increase to $447 million annually by 2013 if the problem is not addressed. At present, no less than 17 states are confronted with eastern red cedar infestation.

However, the eastern red cedar’s fast growth and ability to produce aromatic oils could turn this bane of the prairie into an economic boon. Federal Recycling

Technologies, Inc. (FRT) of Norman has developed a patent pending pyrolytic process to economically harvest the trees and recover the valuable cedarwood oil which can command up to $73 per gallon as a raw material and as much as $200 per gallon in concentrated form. Partners in plant development are C.H. Guernsey, Inc. and SGS, LLC. “What we are doing is adapting proven technology to create a new, cost-efficient process,” says Dr. Robert Shapiro, president of FRT. “In this process, the trees are reduced inside a pyrolytic reactor where they are subjected to high temperatures in the absence of oxygen. The resulting vapor is condensed, allowing us to capture and refine the oil. The remaining torrefied wood also has a number of environmentally beneficial commercial applications. In essence, we are taking what is considered to be an uncontrolled noxious growth and turning it into a cash crop.”

Shapiro points out that cedarwood oil is used in a wide range of products including fragrances and cosmetics, insecticides,

fungicides and bactricides, to name a few.

“One of the more unique applications of cedarwood oil is in the prevention of schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease caused by several species of flatworm which, according to the World Health Organization, which is growing at a rate of more than 1,760,000 people worldwide each year,” says Shapiro.

“When cedarwood oil is mixed with a surface tension reduction agent and sprayed on the surface of the water, it eats away the shell of the waterborne larvae.” lthough world consumption of cedarwood oil is growing at a record pace, production of the oil in the United States is declining. This decline is due in part to the fact that American producers use a steam distillation process, which is slow and expensive. The U.S. currently imports about 750 tons of cedarwood oils from China annually.

“Cedarwood oil is an environmentally safe product,” says Shapiro. “With the exception of

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Oklahoma Country • Fall 2007 • 31