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Journal Vol. 17 No. 1

EDITORS Morgan Hannabass Hannah Nemecek Mary Belle Zook MANAGING EDITOR Shelly Peper Sitton, Ph.D. ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITORS Dwayne Cartmell, Ph.D. Traci Naile, Ph.D. Angel Riggs, Ph.D. GRAPHIC & PHOTO COORDINATORS Kezia Hines Cassie Laxson SPONSORSHIP COORDINATORS Kaleigh Lynch Samantha Walker CIRCULATION COORDINATOR Nicole Withey STAFF Callie Colclasure Holly Denton Shelbi Kautz Hannah McCollom Dakota Miller Brooke Powell Jacob Redway Paige Warren Kylie Watson Kristal Williams

Photo by Hannah Nemecek.

Photo by ShelbiKautz.

A Letter from the Editors In preparing this CowboyJournal, we gained a new appreciation for the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Oklahoma State University. With each story, we learned more about the outstanding faculty, students and alumni who contribute to CASNR's excellence.

This publication would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of our staff. Each individual worked tirelessly to ensure the success of this issue. We, as editors, express our gratitude for the opportunity to serve each of you. May this experience be only a stepping-stone in the success of your professional careers.

A heartfelt thank you to alumnae Holly Blakey, Kelsey Conley and Kristin Knight for their willingness to contribute their time and talent in proofreading this issue.

To our assistant managing editors - Dwayne Cartmell, Traci Naile and Angel Riggs - thank you for your support. Through your advice and wisdom, we have grown professionally as agricultural communicators.

Most importantly, to our managing editor, Shelly Peper Sitton, thank you for teaching us the two ways of accomplishing anything: Do it right, or do it again. You have instilled skills in us that will benefit us professionally, ethically and personally. Because of you, we are better writers, designers, team players and optimists.

We came to OSU to gain an education, but we leave with memories and experiences to treasure for a lifetime. We are proud to be part of the Cowboy tradition, and we will forever be indebted to the university that allowed us so many opportunities.

- Morgan, Hannah & Mary Belle

FOUNDING SPONSORS Quad Graphics Oklahoma Farm Bureau Limousin World Oklahoma State University, in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as a!Ti:cnded,Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability or starns as a veteran in any of its politics, practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid and educational services.

This publication is printed by QuadGraphics-Midland and issued two times a year by agriculrnral communications seniors in the College of Agriculrnral Sciences and Na.rural Resources. It has been prepared and distributed at no cost to the taxpayers of Oklahoma.

COWBOY JOURNAL I5

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Volume17,Number1

Photo courtesy of ChaceySchoeppel.

4 2 Keeper of Presidential Gardens OSU CASNR alumna maintains the historic gardens of Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson.

Photo courtesy of Robert Llewellyn.

4 5 An Army Bug's Life

8 Invading the State

A veteran combines two passions to pursue his career.

NREM department wages war on Oklahoma's invasive plant species.

Photo by Kristal Williams.

12 It's Not Rocket Science

2 6 Home Grown

48 Pre- Vets Prepare

14 Small-town Girl. Big Mission.

2 8 Next Generation Farmer

52 A Cultural Exchange

18 Putting on a New Hat

Picture Perfect World 31 AWorth Exploring

5 6 CASNR Outstanding Students

20 Rooted in Tradition

34 To Our Alma Mater

5 8 The Changing Face

24 Celebrating with Wheat

3 9 Quilt of Many Colors

64 One Dress at a Time

At OSU, research success just might be in the genes.

2014 Truman Scholar does public

service work in South Africa.

OSU's DASNR welcomes a new vice president, dean and director.

Family-owned store with CASNR roots serves community.

OSU celebrates the centennial year of OCES with a new wheat variety.

OSU's dining services promotes Made in Oklahoma products.

PaSS faculty member develops mobile apps for agriculture.

Students, faculty capture beauty in studying abroad.

CASNR alumni reminisce about their experiences from OSU.

OCES honors 100 years with a quilted masterpiece .

Students get ready for vet school through undergraduate research.

Eleven Africans visit OSU as Entrepreneur Fellows.

Sophomores, seniors capture multiple campuswide awards.

A new mix of students become agricultural education instructors.

OSU senior impacts lives through the simple act of sewing.

. ,111

Photo courtesy of OSUSpecialCollectionsand UniversityArchives.

COWBOY JOURNAL I7

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The OSUNREMdepartment is waging war against Oklahoma'smost invasiveplant species.

Eric Duell, NREM master's student, said all except one of the Dirty Dozen are not native to Oklahoma, but they were brought here for specific uses.

"A lot of these invasive species were planted as forage for livestock;' Duell said.

The species intended for forage have proven to be harmful to native plants, making them a burden instead of a ben efit, Duell said. Because livestock have selectively grazed more palatable plants, the invasive species have overpopulated the land, Duell added.

Other members of the Dirty Dozen were intended for ornamental purposes with the unintended consequence of spreading, Duell said.

Dennis Martin, OSU NREM professor and Oklahoma Invasive Plant Council member, said stopping the spread of seeds is the first step to preventing further encroachment of invasive species, such as the Dirty Dozen.

Hickman said the plants in the Dirty Dozen are an issue throughout Oklahoma, but management practices differ, depending on the use of the land that is being overtaken. Certain invasive species bring different kinds of threats to each type of native land, she said. For example, cropland weeds can reduce yield amounts during harvest time, Hickman said.

"Oklahoma farmers must spend money to control invasive crop species;' Hickman said. "Then, they have money lost from production:' While cropland tends to require intensive management practices, including tillage and chemical use, rangeland demands more cost-friendly options for control, such as prescribed burns, Hickman said.

Duell said he has read about the effectiveness of control methods from research conducted in Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma. The most effective method in controlling invasive species sometimes means using more than one method, he said.

"A lot of [control methods] involve burning, grazing, spraying, or a mix or combination of all three;' Duell said.

However, some of these methods can be costly to the landowner, Royer said.

One less expensive alternative to some conventional control methods is to use IPM practices, he said. IPM also is successful in slowing invasive species from spreading to other areas, he added.

"A lot of times, it seems like we have responded to a problem after it has occurred;' Royer said.

Producers should address invasive species problems as quickly as possible, he said.

"I am involved with programs using insects as biological controls;'Royer said.

"One of them for musk thistle has been well established in Oklahoma:' This IPM tactic involves controlling musk thistles with a certain breed of weevils, Royer said. A program called the "weevil roundup'' is used to transfer the weevils to areas with high concentrations of musk thistles, allowing them to assimilate into the environment and feed on the plants, he said. ''I've seen examples of fields where the weevils got established, and they did really well;' Royer said. "Within five to six years, you can almost find no musk thistles out there anymore:' Problems posed by the Dirty Dozen sometimes are found below the surface, such as through production of allelopathic chemicals, said Stephanie Grischkowsky, NREM master's student.

"Native grasses won't grow in soil that's been occupied by certain invasive species, making restoration difficult;' Grischkowsky said.

Some invasive species produce allelopathic chemicals, which change the soil chemistry, making affected areas unusable, Grischkowsky said.

Grischkowsky said invasive species can overtake entire pastures, leading to

lower land values and degradation of the native landscape. By controlling the Dirty Dozen more closely, producers may get more use of their land, Grischkowsky said.

Grischkowsky said public education and awareness is crucial for prevention of land takeovers by invasive species.

Teaching producers new ways to control invasive species is imperative to the preservation of Oklahoma's lands, Hickman said.

"Through education, we could limit their spread;' Hickman said.

To expand this education, the Oklahoma Invasive Plant Council designed and distributed the Dirty Dozen poster to in form people of the most harmful species,

COWBOY JOURNAL I9

Hickman said. Another way to educate people is to direct them to agencies, such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Hickman said. "[Producers] are encouraged to go to their local OSU Extension or NRCS office;' Hickman said. "These personnel are going to have information about how to control [invasive species J:' Duell said OSU's field days also have helped to inform producers about invasive species control strategies. However, getting the public's attention on the statewide issue is more difficult because many people do not see how the issue affects them, he said.

Although most of the Dirty Dozen do not cause health issues, they impact other important factors, such as the economy and natural resources, which indirectly affect everyone, Hickman said.

Another aspect of the problem is land owners renting their land to others instead of residing on it, Royer said.

This can hinder motivation to control invasive species because the landowner receives money for the use of the land without facing the consequences of the invasives, Royer said.

Humans are not the only ones affected by the Dirty Dozen, Duell said.

The invasive plants also drive out wildlife, interfere with cropland and rangeland, and take away resources that otherwise would be used by native plants.

"The Great Plains feeds our nation and a lot of the world;' Duell said. "The invasive species aren't just affecting the native biodiversity.

"Researchers are coming up with new information almost daily on effective control methods;' Duell said. "We don't

know everything there is to know, but the research continues:' Despite the varying methods now used to control the Dirty Dozen, only one option fully inhibits them, Hickman said.

"Prevention is key;' Hickman said. "If they are not there yet, let's find a way for them not to get there:' ti] Holly

Denton Fay,Okla.

Rangeland ecology and management majors Seth Coffey (left), Clark Roberts and Brandon Miller sample sericea lespedeza in patch-burn grazing treatments. Photo by Karen Hickman .

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Oklahoma.

Farm Credit of Enid 580-233-3489 • www.fcenid.com 1605 W. Owen K. Garriott• Enid, OK 73702 10IWINTER/SPRING 2015

2014 Outstanding CASNR Alumni Dr. Barry Pollard

Ross McKnight

Larry Shell

A dedicated surgeon, Dr. Barry

Alumni like Ross McKnight make a

As a distinguished alumnus, Larry Shell

Pollard demonstrates exceptional

difference in the lives of students

has many years of service to OSU

support for the quality of life of the

and the people of Oklahoma. Ross is

alumni and a lifelong commitment to

citizens of Oklahoma through his

a consummate leader who, through

agriculture. His legacy of serving in

medical practice as well as through

OSU's Branding Success capital

schools and in leadership positions

his support of students who desire

campaign, is leaving a lasting legacy

inspires today's students who are

to provide quality healthcare to

for OSU students today and for

preparing for careers in education,

rural communities.

generations to come.

agriculture and natural resources.

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IT'S NOT rom a tiny room in Old Central to modern labs and classrooms today, the Department of Agricultural Chemistry at Oklahoma State University has evolved into the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Quietly and with little fanfare, this department prepares students for a variety of futures, said John Gustafson, professor and department head.

A large percentage of current undergraduate biochemistry and molecular biology students study either pre-medical or pre-veterinary options, said Casey Landis, Biochemistry Club president.

According to the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 80 percent of medical school applicants from the department receive acceptance.

"Every course in biochemistry and molecular biology prepares the students for the MCAT;' Gustafson said.

The department helps students succeed through its implementation of the three-plus-one program, Landis said.

"The program allows students to gain matriculation into a medical school early;' Gustafson said.

Students participating in the program replace their senior year at OSU with their first year at any professional school.

"It allows students to get into what they really want to do faster;' Landis said.

Encouraged by her adviser, Landis enrolled in the program. She has received early admission to veterinary school and will finish her biochemistry coursework in May 2015.

"It cuts down on costs;' Landis said.

"It's one year of tuition that the student doesn't have to pay while completing their undergraduate degree:' Another way the department encourages success is through the numerous research opportunities offered.

"All of our freshmen are invited to join a research program;' Landis said.

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Graduate student Fredy Saudale studies proteins attached to the lipid droplets in fat cells of female mosquitoes. Photo by Mary BelleZook.

12IWINTER/SPRING 2015

At OSU,successjust might be in the genes.

The program, headed by Patricia Canaan, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, allows students to work in groups by collecting samples and doing lab research. At the end of the semester, students participate in a research day where they present their research to faculty and fellow students, Landis said.

Students also participate in undergraduate research award programs such as Life Science Freshman Research Scholars, the Wentz Research Project Award and Niblack Research Scholars Program, Gustafson said.

"We have numerous faculty members who greatly appreciate the opportunity to work with undergraduates on research projects;' Gustafson said.

The department does a tremendous amount of research, especially related to health, Landis said.

"The faculty is really good about getting the students who want to do research into the lab to get experience;' Landis said.

In fact, many biochemistry and mo-

lecular biology students go on to attend graduate school to conduct research and obtain advanced degrees, Gustafson said.

"The department of biochemistry at OSU prepares students to be researchers in a university, state institute or private company;' said Fredy Saudale, biochemistry and molecular biology doctoral student. "The idea is to expose the undergrads as soon as possible to research:' Students receive a variety of choices on research topics, Saudale said.

Saudale currently studies specific proteins attached to fat cells in mosquitoes.

"One of the biggest problems right now in tropical countries is the struggle with infectious disease ... like malaria, dengue and yellow fever;' Saudale said.

"The issue is the factor of how mosquitoes transmit these diseases. In the future, the implication of this research could be very good because then we will know whether this protein that I am studying can give us insight to how to block the transmission:' In addition to the courses and re-

search available, the faculty has a tremendous impact on the success of the department, Landis said.

"Our faculty members love our students;' Gustafson said.

The department's smaller staff-tostudent ratio makes for a more positive experience for students, Landis said.

"The biochemistry department here is a really close-knit group;' Landis said.

"The students, faculty and grad students are close and have a good relationship:' Saudale, who is native to Indonesia, said he appreciates how open to students the faculty and staff are compared to other institutions he has attended.

"The faculty is good about helping students do whatever they want to do;' Landis said. "Whatever dreams [students] want to chase, the faculty will help along thewaY:'til Mary Belle

Zook Waynoka, Okla.

Fredy Saudale, a doctoral student from Indonesia, studies the reproductive systems of female mosquitoes. Photos by Mary BelleZook.

COWBOY JOURNAL I13

I

magine a world where developing nations could sustain themselves through agriculture, entrepreneurship and education. Imagine U.S. dollars going toward strengthening economies across the world. One Oklahoma State University student is helping make that change happen.

Chacey Schoeppel grew up on a cattle ranch near Fairview, Okla., and said she considers herself lucky to have grown up in "quintessential small-town America:' At a young age, Schoeppel said she got involved wherever and whenever she had the chance. From American Farmers and Ranchers speech contests to FFA, Schoeppel said she enjoyed every opportunity to meet new people and to learn from those who are different from her.

Her involvement in organizations continued after high school, when FFA led her to Oklahoma State University. Schoeppel said she knew she wanted to be in a sorority for the same reasons she enjoyed being a part of student organizations in high school - the chance to meet different people - which being a Chi Omega allowed her to do.

During her freshman year, Schoeppel also was involved in Freshman Represen tative Council with the Student Govern ment Association and saw leadership opportunities on campus in a way most students are not exposed to, she said.

"I think my involvement in college was more characterized by opportunities to better myself as a person;' Schoeppel said, "but also to gain a better grasp on the tools I would need to be successful later in my career, both as an individual and as a professional:' As an executive team member for SGA her sophomore year, Schoeppel said she decided to run for SGA president.

Although she dropped from the race, she said she still made a difference by helping improve the election code where candidates can better focus on issues.

After dropping from the race, Schoeppel reconnected with Alyssa Peterson, an OSU biochemistry graduate she met during her first semester at OSU. With Peterson's help, she became involved in the Ubuntu Youth Project in South Africa.

ISSSSION. OSUstudent becomesa 2014 TrumanScholar through her public servicework in South Africa.

Chacey Schoeppel works in the community of Southern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (left).

Photo by ChaceySchoeppel.

and mentor of Schoeppel. "She was a fit does not take credit for her accomplishThe Ubuntu Youth Project is an edufor the scholarship. It was just natural:' cation-based nonprofit located in Southments because she knows credit can go ern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, that much further if given to the very person Ferrell said Schoeppel's focus on fighting every day to pick themselves up service through her efforts with Ubuntu connects local mentors in the community by their bootstraps:' Youth in South Africa made her a perfect to local high school students through Schoeppel decided to leave the college Truman Scholar candidate. tutoring, entrepreneurship ventures and environment to work with Ubuntu Youth, "You see a young person with popost-graduate opportunities. Ubuntu but through online courses from OSU, is tential and you know with just a little bit Youth's goals are to provide a college more resources you can dramatically exscholarship, a still able to work pand that potential;' Ferrell said. "I think toward her degree micro loan to start She was a fit for the scholarship. that is a really good description of Chacey at the same time. a business or the It was just natural.

"The purpose getting the Truman Scholarship. professional skills -Shannon Ferrell "She was amazing to start with, and of a college envito be competagricultural economics associate professor she has already done so much, but the ronment and being itive in the job investment of the Truman Scholarship is on campus and being involved in student market following graduation. Schoeppel said Ubuntu Youth's motto is to "provide organizations is to acquire and refine skills going to exponentially increase the things that will be used in the 'real world;" Schoshe will be able to do;' Ferrell added. opportunity to motivated youth where eppel said. "My experience with campus Ferrell said the Truman Foundation opportunity is limited:' leadership coupled with academic knowlhelps recognize people who have a talent The purpose is to help decrease the edge acquired in classes prepared me, as and desire for public service, which he youth unemployment rate and give the much as it could have, for what I am doing said he believes Schoeppel truly has. students the opportunity to be successful now. Without a doubt, I believe I made the "The whole purpose of the Truman in a dismal job market after they finish Foundation is to provide young indihigh school. Schoeppel said another goal right choice to spend a semester in South Africa while still an undergraduate:' viduals with the resources and funding for Ubuntu Youth is to "give students the necessary to pursue a life that will make With help from her nonprofit work, chance to be their own heroes and develop a difference in the lives of others;' SchoSchoeppel was named a 2014 Truman themselves as professionals to be competieppel said. '"Make a difference' is a pretty Scholar. She is OSU's 17th student to tive after high school:' cliche phrase, but it rings true for each receive the prestigious honor and earn a Through Schoeppel's connection Truman Scholar, and it also looks different with Peterson, she became a director for $30,000 scholarship toward a graduate for each:' degree to pursue a career in public service. the Ubuntu Youth Project in March 2013 "Sometimes you find people who can For Schoeppel, it means to help young and took a trip to South Africa during make themselves fit a scholarship, but that people beat the status quo and be the ones the summer of 2013 to better understand was not Chacey;' said Shannon Ferrell, the organization and how it "ran on the to break out of cyclical poverty, she said. ground;' she said. agricultural economics associate professor Schoeppel's Truman focus was on how "After coming back from South Africa, I really narrowed my focus of organizational involvement to make sure I could devote enough time to both the organizations and doing Ubuntu Youth work stateside;' Schoeppel said. "I [later] transitioned out of campus involvement and more into working with Ubuntu Youth [in spring 2014]:' Schoeppel left for South Africa in May 2014 and said she plans to return to OSU to finish her degree in spring 2015.

Peterson, executive director for Ubuntu Youth, recruited Schoeppel to be the nonprofit's third U.S. director and said doing so "changed the course of my life as well as the lives of so many others halfway across the world:' Peterson said she chose Schoeppel because she understood Ubuntu Youth was about seeing people with potential, not seeing causes and projects to help a resume. She said Schoeppel "does an Chacey Schoeppel (bottom left) has helped Ubuntu Youth in South Africa since March 2013. Photo courtesy of ChaceySchoeppel. excellent job of being a selfless leader and COWBOY JOURNAL I15

the United States and the U.S. Agency for International Development need to change their funding structure of developing nations.

"Just giving countries money makes the rich richer and the poor poorer;' Schoeppel said. "The money never actually makes it to the people who need it:' Schoeppel said she plans to use the scholarship to attend law school, though she said law school could be waiting three years or it could be waiting 10.

Her commitment is to the Ubuntu Youth and helping it become locally sustained by having the local staff completely running the project so the U.S. directors are no longer needed, she said.

"You never know how long [the progress] will take in Africa;' Schoeppel said. "The concept of'time' is extremely different [in South Africa]:' ti] Cassie

Laxson Chacey Schoeppel with her mentor, Shannon Ferrell, after he surprises her with the Truman Scholarship. Photo courtesy of ChaceySchoeppel.

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OSU'sDASNRwelcomesa new vicepresident,dean and director. on. Brother. Paperboy. Farmhand.

Athlete. Boy Scout. Scholar.

Husband. Father. Professor.

Through the years, Thomas Coon has filled many roles. Most recently, he has taken on a new role as the vice president, dean and director of Oklahoma State University's Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

Coon comes to OSU from a 25-year career at Michigan State University. He brings with him extensive experience and great enthusiasm, said Rob Terry, head of the OSU Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership. Terry served as a member of the search committee that brought the new hire to Stillwater.

Having grown up in southeast Iowa as the second youngest in a family of six children, Coon attributes much of his personality to his upbringing.

"The fifth child is usually a pretty boring person because you don't get noticed;' Coon said. "I say that jokingly, but it does have a lot to do with who I am.

"I feel fortunate to be from the family I am;' he said.

Coon said his parents are great individuals who taught him and his siblings the value of family time and hard work.

"We had to work, but it was never a burden;' he said.

He delivered newspapers, sold magazine subscriptions, worked as a farm hand, and worked at a butcher shop in his younger years. He also was involved in Boy Scouts and various sports.

Coon's wife, Rhonda, said her husband's childhood activities, experiences

S

18IWINTER/SPRING 2015

and upbringing undoubtedly contributed Coon said when he was approached to the person he is today. about the position again two years later, "I so much admire the work ethic he he felt differently about it. His younger has;' she said. "I have no doubt it came son had just completed high school, so he decided to apply, he said. from his parents. He gives 150 percent in "Tom came home everything he does:' and said, 'The time is Rhonda Coon said her husband's passion better now. What do He gives 150 percent in you think?"' his wife for his career and his everything he does. said. "We talked quite a family is unparalbit, and it seemed right. leled. She said he is so - Rhonda Coon He was so impressed dedicated to each of his wife of Thomas Coon endeavors she feels she with everything at Oklahoma State:' can barely keep up.

"Even when we first started dating, I Graduating summa cum laude, Coon couldn't keep up with him as he went from earned a Bachelor of Arts in biology from one project to the next;' she said with a Luther College and both a Master of Science and a doctorate in ecology from the laugh. "I gave up on keeping up with him a long time ago:' University of California-Davis. Coon said although he originally considered attendThe Coons have two grown sons, ing medical school, he found his calling in Charlie and Robbie. Although Coon's environmental issues. career is accompanied by a demanding Before coming to OSU, he taught at schedule, his wife said their family has Luther College, the University of Missouri never suffered.

"He was a master at being able to and Michigan State. His last position was juggle very tough schedules and still be as director of extension as well as a profesa dad;' Rhonda Coon said. "I don't think sor in the MSU Department of Fisheries our kids ever felt he wasn't there for them:' and Wildlife.

Coon gives much of the credit to his Terry said Coon's background in wife. He said she took time away from her extension made him stand out.

"Because of his background with career in fundraising and alumni work to cooperative extension, it's exciting to see stay home with their children. what his experiences in another state's "Rhonda's decision made it easier for me to take on administrative responsibili extension program could bring to ours;' Terry said. "He's very eager to learn about ties;' he said.

Oklahoma agriculture:' However, Coon emphasized the Coon impressed the committee importance he places on family involveduring the interview process, Terry said. ment. In fact, he said his younger son was The dean's position is possibly the thirdthe reason he did not apply initially for the position at OSU when it opened in 2012. most visible academic position in the state

behind the presidents of OSU and the University of Oklahoma, and his presence is seen in every county, making people skills of utmost importance, Terry said.

"He was engaging and dynamic both with the committee and during his seminar;' Terry said. "He clearly meets and interacts with people extremely well, which is a huge part of the job:' Terry said Coon's natural resources background will benefit the university.

"Agriculture is diversifying;' Terry said. "It's important to begin recognizing other products our state could produce:' Coon said he hopes to continue the division's excellence in teaching and advising while placing greater emphasis on making DASNR's resources more widely available across the state.

Terry said Coon can help ensure the division serves the people of Oklahoma as it will need to in the future.

'Tm excited about him being here;' Terry said. "It's a positive and exciting time for DASNR:' Rhonda Coon said she and her husband are excited to be in Oklahoma.

"Tom is very, very happy with his new job;' Rhonda Coon said. "The people of Oklahoma are so warm!"

Coon said DASNR has strong programs in teaching, research and extension.

'Tm thrilled to be affiliated with the division;' he said. Cil

Morgan

Hannabass Indiahoma, Okla.

Thomas Coon was a Luther College Norse, University of Missouri Tiger and Michigan State University Spartan before joining OSU as a Cowboy. Photo by Todd Johnson.

COWBOY JOURNAL I19

A family-owned company usesits CASNRroots to serve its customersand its community. nacking on hot, buttery popcorn while shopping for feed, seed, tools or other household items may seem a little strange. However at Ross Seed Co., customers expect the tradition.

The nearly 100-year-old feed, seed and hardware store has given fresh popcorn to customers daily since the 1970s.

On Wednesdays, customers enjoy the special treat of caramel popcorn.

"Popcorn is a huge part of Ross Seed;' said Richelle Yost, store employee.

At this hometown hardware store, tradition runs deep.

The Rosses have kept the company in the family since the beginning. Henry Ross established Ross Seed Co. in Chickasha, Okla., in 1918. After returning from World War II and graduating from Oklahoma State University, two of his six children, Joe Ross and Walter Ross, continued to work in the store.

His son Joe Ross stayed in Chickasha, raised his family of 10 children, and operated the store.

However, in 1949, Walter Ross moved to El Reno, Okla., purchased a feed store, and raised a family of four children.

Today, Walter Ross' children, OSU graduates Tom Ross and Julie Ross Martin, own and operate both locations.

"We bleed orange;' Martin said. "OSU gets a lot of our money every year:' Currently, more than 18 family members have degrees from OSU. As the tradition of attending OSU

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Ross Seed Co., a 96-year-old business with locations in Chickasha, Okla., and El Reno, Okla., is owned and operated by two OSU graduates.

The store has been in the family since its establishment. Photo by Mary BelleZook.

20IWINTER/SPRING 2015

continues, Ross said he hopes the tradition of a family business remains.

"We would like to see the Ross name stay with a family member in business;' Ross said.

While a few Ross children have shown interest in returning to the business, none have committed yet, Martin said.

The company sells a wide range of feed and seed to a wide variety of customers. Seed varieties include alfalfa, wheat, rye, oats, Bermuda grasses, field grasses, turf grasses, millets, sorghums and more, Tom Ross said.

"We've kind of developed a trademark for the quality of our seed;' Ross said.

During the last 10 years, the company also has been successful with its wildlife seed mix for hunters, he said.

"We've created an excellent reputation for having a good mix to sell to hunters

who are wanting to keep their prize bucks on their property;' Ross said.

The company sells seed across Oklahoma and throughout the United States, said Steve Calhoun, seed manager at the Chickasha location.

Calhoun began working part time at Ross Seed Co. in the fall of 1973 while he was still attending class at Murray State College. He said he started by operating the seed cleaner and is now in charge of the seed at the Chickasha location.

While the store traditionally has sold feed and seed, the family added True Value Hardware in 1974 to increase its ability to compete with other stores, Ross said.

"True Value helps you buy competitively;' Ross said. "They help you compete, and they help you market your merchan dise. They can help you in pricing, too:' True Value serves as a buying cooper-

ative for nearly 4,000 stores, which in turn allows those stores to receive better prices and market merchandise at lower costs, Martin said.

Ross Seed Co. not only provides competitive prices to its customers, but also more importantly, it ensures satisfaction, Martin said.

"We offer personal service you can't get at Wal-Mart, Lowe's or Home Depot;' Ross said.

The company continually has evolved and adapted to fill its customers' needs, Ross said.

Ross said customers do not come to Ross Seed Co. for its products alone. They come for specialized advice.

"For every department, we have experts in the field;' Martin said.

Ross, his father and Calhoun consult with customers about seed fertility, soil preparation and more.

"It's just another service we offer;' Ross said.

The company also has a full-service paint department with a full-time consultant, Martin said.

"Our paint specialist will come out and do a consultation for you;' Martin said. "She will look at your house and your

carpet and help you come up with a color scheme that looks good:' The company enjoys serving the customer, Calhoun said.

"I like selling customers something and, come to find out six months to a year later, see that it worked;' Calhoun said.

Ross Seed Co. also has added a gift department complete with dishes, home accessories, jewelry and other items.

"Very few stores allow customers to

COWBOY JOURNAL I21

come in, buy a dip of garden seed, and then go over and pick out some nice dishes;' Martin said.

The store also has a bridal registry.

When the bridal store in town went out of business, the company saw a unique opportunity, she said.

"We thought, 'There is a need for the community to have a place where brides can come and buy dishes, home decor and other items;" Martin said. "We decided to fill that niche:' Grooms also can register for grills and lawn equipment, she said.

Ross Seed Co. serves its customers in other ways, as well. The company is involved in the community with athletics, homecoming, FFA and other organizations, Martin said.

"When you're in a small town like this, there are lots of needs;' she said.

"With fewer businesses, you are called on quite a bit to step up:' Recently, the company donated paint to an organization restoring homes for El

22IWINTER/SPRING 2015

Reno residents who were not able to do so alone, Martin said.

Calhoun said the store also values programs for young people.

"We're a big supporter of youth;' Calhoun said.

Ross Seed Co. helps sponsor local 4-H and FFA projects throughout Grady County, he said.

"We're glad to be a partner with our communities;' Martin said. "Our custom ers are very loyal. We've been here a long time, so it all just kind of works together:' Because of Ross Seed Co:s success, the business owners said they are considering a third location.

"Our people make the difference;' Martin said. "We have a great group of employees at both locations.

"It is important to find a good team to head up the new location;' she said. "But finding the right people to carry out our philosophies is not always easy:' Employees are treated as family, as most have been with the company for

several decades. Ross Seed Co. quickly becomes a part of them, Ross said.

"They're family;' he said. "When things are good, everyone shares in the reward. They feel like it's a part of them:' Ross said customers would be thrilled to see another location.

"So many people come in from out of town and say, 'Golly, have you thought about opening another store? We'd sure love to have a store like this!"' Ross said.

Ross Seed Co:s long-time tradition of personal customer service keeps custom ers coming back, Calhoun said.

"We're not fancy;' Calhoun said.

"We're just an old-time-y hardware, feed and seed store:' Ross Seed Co. is a store with roots in the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources that carries on a strong family tradition. Ci] Hannah

Nemecek

Skiatook, Okla.

148 FAPC, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, 405.744.6071 www.fapc.biz fapc@okstate.edu I

I

OK 74078 (l~mll!

COWBOY JOURNAL I23

rom Boise City to Altus and everywhere in between, more than 5.5 million acres of wheat grow in western Oklahoma each year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

To serve this vital industry, Oklahoma State University's wheat improvement team strives to improve Oklahoma's wheat by breeding and testing thousands of wheat experimentals, said Jeff Edwards, small grain extension specialist. The team is led by Brett Carver, Regents' professor of wheat breeding and genetics.

OSU usually releases one new wheat variety per year, said Mark Hodges, Oklahoma Genetics executive director.

Two wheat varieties OSU developed and released, Duster and Endurance, make up almost one-third of total wheat planted in Oklahoma, Edwards said.

He said the next OSU wheat variety will celebrate the centennial year of the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service.

"OSU has had one of the largest and most extensive celebrations of any cooperative extension program;' Edwards said.

Along with an old-fashioned field day and train rides at Wellston, Okla., last spring and centennial half-time recognition during an OSU football game, the centennial committee decided to name a wheat variety in honor of the centennial celebration, Edwards said.

"We wanted to do something that would bring light to the anniversary and make it more widely known;' Carver said.

"What better way to do that than name a wheat variety, which could possibly be planted on millions of acres in Oklahoma, to be a connection to that celebration?"

Edwards said the new variety, to be named Bentley [see sidebar on right], has not been released yet because it needs another year of testing.

f

Brett Carver studies wheat variety OK09125 near Stillwater, Okla. Photo by Todd Johnson.

24IWINTER/SPRING 2015

OSU celebrates the centennial year of OCES with a new wheat variety.

"We had some good [variety] candidates, but last year was not the best year to evaluate those;' Edwards said.

Carver said differences in wheat become compressed in drought conditions and it becomes difficult to see which variety excels above the rest. The next year of testing will compare the wheat varieties to each other in real-world environments, Carver said.

Edwards said testing includes measuring grain yield, forage yield and tolerance to grazing and low soil pH. He said resistance to insects, resistance to numerous diseases and viruses, tolerance to shattering, milling and baking characteristics, and winter hardiness also are tested.

"A variety doesn't have to be a stand out in all areas;' Edwards said, "but if it has some of those traits, and doesn't have a critical trait, like tolerance to shattering, it is going to get cut:' Carver said approximately 30 test-plot stations, each about three or four acres, are in western Oklahoma. The team tests wheat at nine main stations, and the OCES conducts trials at about 20 stations.

Each station has thousands of 40-square-foot test plots on each acre, and the wheat improvement team collects data on each test plot to total 300,000 data points per variety released, he said.

Edwards said a wheat variety trial and testing program takes 12 years before it gets released. The last five years is when

wheat is tested in the field in addition to the laboratory, Carver said.

"You hope to see every possible environmental condition Oklahoma can throw at you;' Carver said.

In perfect circumstances, the next variety to be released would be well adapted to western Oklahoma's drought situations, Edwards said.

"We have varieties that are more drought-resistant than others;' Edwards said. "A drought-tolerant variety might make 17 to 20 bushels per acre. That is still not a great yield, but in a drought year, every bushel counts:' Don Scheiber, Oklahoma Wheat Commission board of directors chairman and wheat farmer from Ponca City, Okla., said a more drought-resistant variety would benefit him immensely.

"Last year, I had one of the best yields I ever had;' Scheiber said. "This year, I had one of the worst:' He said his yield was reduced by 90 percent in 2014.

"My grandpa always told me, 'Tell me what the weather is going to be, and I'll tell you how to farm;" he said. "That is still true today. We do the best we can to produce good yields, but if the weather doesn't cooperate, we won't get anything:' Edwards said the wheat improvement team does its best to anticipate weather conditions. The challenges for the next 1O years are hard to predict, he said.

Carver said one experimental line that could be released as Bentley is OK09125, which has done well under the unexpected April freezes Oklahoma has experienced the last several years.

"A freeze in April can be catastrophic to our crop;' Carver said. "This line has performed well under those conditions:' He said OK09125 surpassed other varieties in the freeze events Oklahomans have experienced in the last 1O years.

OSU anticipates to release Bentley in 2015, Carver said.

Wheat varieties are licensed to farm ers and agriculturist groups, like Oklahoma Genetics, when released to allow them to plant the new variety. OSU's wheat varieties are in high demand when released, Hodges said.

"These wheat varieties are superior and highly adaptable, not only to Oklahoma, but also to surrounding states;' Hodges added.

Carver said OCES is the team's biggest asset in making a new wheat variety known to producers.

"The cooperative extension service gets that message out;' Carver said. "We want to continue to rely on that because it is very effective and highly trustworthy:' Cil Kristal

Williams Fitzhugh, Okla.

When trying to create a name for the new wheat variety, the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service centennial committee created a contest, and Oklahoma State University employees were asked to submit wheat name ideas.

Jeff Edwards, small grain extension specialist, said 561 suggestions were submitted.

Brian Arnall, Todd Baughman and Andrea Graves nominated Bentley, named after W.D. Bentley, who was the first cooperative extension agent in Oklahoma, Edwards said.

Brett Carver, OSU Regents' professor of wheat breeding and genetics announced the new name to farmers at the annual Oklahoma Crop Improvement Association meeting in February, said Don Scheiber, Oklahoma Wheat Commission board of directors chairman. "[W.D. Bentley] is the guy who got extension started in this state;' Carver said. "He is the one we are going to honor and celebrate with this wheat variety:' COWBOY JOURNAL I25

• OSU'sdining servicespromotes Made in Oklahoma productson campus.

0

klahoma prides itself on its unique, locally made products. Now, an Oklahoma State University program increases awareness among students about Made in Oklahoma products.

OSU's dining services created an MIO program on campus to bring more local products to OSU and promote sustainability, said Terry Baker, director of University Dining Services.

"In 2009, we had an idea of having an MIO program on campus;' Baker said.

"We learned students were really focused on sustainability, and we wanted MIO to be a part of our sustainability initiative on OSU's campus:' Local vendors, such as those in the MIO program, have a smaller carbon footprint from travel and transportation and provide a way to support the local economy, both of which improve sustainability, Baker said.

University Dining Services partners with OSU's Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center to find MIO products. FAPC finds appropriate products for UDS to review and check for an application in dining, Baker said.

"We found a lot of vendors in Oklahoma sell some amazing products;' Baker said. "We wanted to bring those vendors to campus, introduce them to the stu dents, and add them to the campus dining experience, which started the MIO Day each month:' 26IWINTER/SPRING 2015

UDS picks a vendor and invites them Beef Bars. The products can be purchased in various locations across the OSU camto a specific MIO Day on campus. UDS provides a display table at the Student pus, including Union Express, Red Earth Kitchen and Twenty Something.

Union to allow students to meet the vendor, hear how the business started or "The MIO Day experience has always been great;' said Pam Russ of Stonegate how the vendor brought it to market, and Gourmet, producer of Red Dirt Pretzels. sample the product. Those students who "It's fun to introduce the choose to can get new students to our prodto know the vendor Vendorsin Oklahoma sell ucts while the returning personally and make some amazing products. that connection, students are always ex- TerryBaker Baker said. cited to tell us how much OSUDining Services "It's sort of a fun they love our pretzels:' thing because the Russ worked with FAPC student gets to try a new product before in the production of Red Dirt Pretzels they purchase it;' Baker said. and said FAPC has been a large part of the product's success.

Allowing students to try something "We are appreciative of the relation new makes them more likely to purchase it in the future, Baker said. ship that we have with osu;' Russ said.

Kinsey Cranford, director of sales, "Having the program on campus is operations and marketing for Kratos, said a great way to spread awareness;' said working with UDS and participating in Joshua Conaway, an agribusiness pre-law student at OSU. "As a student, I want to MIO Day was a wonderful opportunity.

"Kratos Beef Bars are a totally new know what my university has helped proconcept, so every time we get the opporduce, and in turn, I want to support those companies and buy their products:' tunity to share samples of the product, we see an increase in sales for our retailers;' Conaway said he appreciates the vari Cranford said. "Being a Made in Oklahoety of MIO products UDS offers.

"We have probably over 40 MIO ma company, we are proud OSU is the first companies now, and it's about $2 million university in the nation to sell Kratos Beef Bars on campus:' of what we purchase for campus dining;' Many of the vendors, like Kratos, Baker said. who participate in the monthly MIO Some available products include Red Day events are FAPC clients, said Mandy Dirt Pretzels, Ralph's BeefJerky, Merna's Gross, FAPC communications services Authentic Salsa and Kratos High Protein

manager, especially the multiple vendors who attend a special MIO month event.

April is designated as MIO Month, and UDS understands the importance of educating students by hosting an MIO event, said Andrea Graves, business plan ning and marketing specialist for FAPC. "During the month of April, instead of having one client come and do sampling, UDS gets multiple clients;' Gross said. "Most of the vendors who come are members of the MIO Coalition:' UDS works with the MIO Coalition to organize the MIO event and locate the vendors who come, Gross said.

The MIO Coalition allows vendors across the state to promote their unique-to-Oklahoma products through a membership-only coalition.

With products unique to Oklahoma, the MIO program on OSU's campus familiarizes students with locally produced products, Gross said. ril Callie

Colclasure Adair, Okla.

OSU sells or uses more than 300 Made in Oklahoma products from 20 vendors in campus stores or in food preparation, according to University Dining Services. Photo by Callie Colclasure.

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NEXT GENERATION FARM he days of the almanac have transpired into computer technology in the palm of a farmer's hand.

Today, smartphones and tablets are commonplace in agriculture, said Brian Arnall, precision nutrient management extension specialist and associate professor at Oklahoma State University.

He has developed specialized iOS and Android mobile apps to help make farmers more efficient.

"Mobile apps are important because tablets are the future of agriculture;' Arnall said.

For years, Arnall has used electronic technology in the field to help producers, but the expense of acquiring or replacing such equipment prevented some farmers from using the technology, he said.

The apps he has created and other farming apps are free to download on

T

28IWINTER/SPRING 2015

the iTunes App Store or from the Google Store. These apps collect data more efficiently than older devices, he said.

"In general, producers can purchase an operating device as inexpensively as $200;' Arnall said. "That makes it easier to get one or to replace it when needed:' Arnall said one of the nice aspects of apps, especially in Oklahoma, is you can use them anywhere.

"Most app calculators are internal on a tablet so they don't need connectivity to the Internet;' Arnall said. "You can go anywhere, to the lowest hollow or the highest point, and be able to access what you need on the app:' Arnall said individuals, including farmers, of all ages use smartphone and tablet apps.

"One of my best mobile app researchers is a 65-year-old farmer who calls me

when he finds an app he likes;' Arnall said.

Arnall started researching mobile apps for agriculture in March 2013 when a friend of his asked if he would talk about agricultural apps at the Info Ag Conference in June 2013 in Springfield, Ill. Precision agriculture researchers and agribusiness innovators gather at the Info Ag Conference annually to discuss new opportunities and technologies in precision agriculture.

"I only had two or three agricultural apps on my iPad at the time;' Arnall said.

After researching the different agricultural apps, Arnall said his presentation became an editor's pick of about 55 different agricultural apps he discovered during his research.

"I have gone from having 55 apps in my presentation to 202 apps;' Arnall said.

"That list is only cereal, fiber and grain

Above: Brian Arnall, precision nutrient management extension specialist and associate professor at Oklahoma State University, overlooks a sorghum field with his iPad. Brian Arnall uses his iPad and apps he has developed to calculate fertilizer rates and other various crop calculations. Photo by Nicole Withey. Above Left: A farmer prepares a field with mule-pulled plow (circa 1920s). Photo courtesyofOSU Collections and University Archives.

Plant and soilsciencesfaculty member developsmobile apps for agriculture.

apps. That doesn't count the hundreds of animal agriculture apps:' Arnall said his list inspired him to create apps that have not been developed yet. He said he wanted to develop beneficial apps for Oklahoma producers.

"I am nothing more than just the idea person;' Arnall said. "I provide the data [for the developers]:' Arnall and other OSU Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources faculty hire students to build these apps. This helps the students build their resumes and we get the products we need, he said.

Arnall said he occasionally uses an outside source to create the actual design of the apps to make them look appealing to users.

Meera Gangakhedkar, an OSU electrical and computer engineering master's

student, started working with Arnall in mid-August and said she has enjoyed developing Arnall's apps.

"I get to learn new things each day I work on the apps;' Gangakhedkar said.

Arnall has launched two of his farm ing apps for iOS and Android devices.

One of the apps, the Canola Starter app, is geared toward Oklahoma canola producers, he said.

Since canola is a relatively new crop to Oklahoma, Arnall said the app determines the proper or safe rate of starter fertilizer to apply with canola seed when planting.

On Sept. 30, Arnall released the Nutrient Field Guide app, his second agricultural app for iOS devices.

Arnall said extension employees from land-grant universities provide field guide books. Arnall's field guide provides different calculations as well as fertilizer tips.

"We've been working on this app the longest;' Arnall said. "It's more complex:' With the field guide app, farmers can type in specific aspects of what they are farming and the app calculates the rates for them, Arnall said.

"We spent months plugging in numbers and making sure the calculations were right;' Arnall said.

Arnall is working with Dwayne Elmore, natural resources ecology and management associate professor at OSU, and Heath Herje, former Oklahoma County extension educator, to create a food plot app for deer, turkey, ducks and quail.

"We wanted to create an app that would help landowners in the field make decisions about whether to plant a food plot for wildlife and, if so, how and what to plant;' Elmore said.

The app will show options for each COWBOY JOURNAL I29

wildlife species as well as information about the plant, such as planting dates and rates, Elmore said.

Arnall said they used an off-campus business to create the app's layout and design but students wrote the iOS and Android code for the app.

The wildlife app will let the user pick a specific animal and season to plant the feed plots. The app will suggest what plants and soil conditions to use, given the specific criteria. Arnall said this app provides tips on how to plant the food plot and what nutrients to use. He said he would like to have the food plot app available by spring 2015.

Arnall said he plans to continue creating and researching different apps to help farmers do their job more efficiently.

Arnall said mobile apps for agriculture are convenient and user friendly, making it easy for producers to get answers at their fingertips. til Nicole

Withev Stillwater, Okla.

30IWINTER/SPRING 2015

Brian Arnall, OSU precision nutrient management extension specialist and associate professor, uses his iPad for various farming apps to make farming more efficient. Photo by Nicole Withey.

A Picture

r

Worth Exp Students and faculty capture beauty in studying abroad.

ome students dream of the day they will step off a plane onto different soil to study another culture.

For Oklahoma State University College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources students, this dream can become a reality.

"Last year, there were 11 faculty-led study-abroad trips through CASNR;' said Katy Kemp, CASNR study-abroad graduate assistant.

The 2013-14 trips included Spain, Australia and New Zealand, Ireland, Italy, Czech Republic and Central Europe, Guatemala, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Taiwan, Japan and China, and South Africa and Uganda.

Kemp said learning about another culture, especially its agricultural practices, is the best part of traveling abroad.

"The CASNR trips are more agriculturally based;' she said.

On average, 10 to 20 students attend each trip. The trips allow students to earn three credit hours.

"The average length for CASNR faculty-led study-abroad trips is two weeks;' Kemp said.

McCandren Lewis, an animal science junior who traveled to Czech Republic, said multiple benefits exist from going on a study-abroad trip.

"I chose to go to the Czech Republic because I learned that traveling abroad can

S

potentially help you land a better job;' she said. "I also was intrigued by the fact that I would be about 5,000 miles from home in a new environment:' Lewis said during the two weeks the group was abroad, she learned not only about the culture but also gained a deeper understanding about herself.

"Being away from everything and everyone you are familiar with is hard;' she said. "It allowed me to open my eyes and see what the world has to offer:' Joe Schatzer, an agricultural economics professor who led a trip to Scotland and England, said students traveling abroad experience a new culture that allows them to gain an appreciation for things that may be different or similar to what they are used to at home.

"Students figure out that they can travel internationally with the proper planning and gain a whole new outlook on the world around them;' Schatzer said.

Kemp said the price of each trip varies based on the location.

Lewis said her trip to the Czech Republic cost around $3,000, including tuition, airfare, lodging and meals.

"Some destinations require more travel and that increases the cost, but CASNR offers several study-abroad courses in different price ranges;' Kemp said.

"There are many different ways to get financial help, including scholarships

offered through the college as well as the university;' she said.

The College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Study-abroad Scholarship is offered each year to undergraduate students. The scholarship varies in amount depending on how many students apply for it, Kemp said. Students must be enrolled in a CASNR studyabroad trip to apply for the scholarship.

Kemp said obtaining a student loan to pay for the trip is common.

"A student loan for a study-abroad trip is a smaller loan and can be seen as an investment of international exposure for future job applications;' she said.

Kemp said the CASNR international programs office is planning trips for spring 2015 to Ecuador, Argentina, New Zealand and Europe.

Lewis said she is saving money to go on another study-abroad trip before she graduates next May. Cil Brooke

Powell Guthrie, Okla.

To celebrate the study-abroad program, the Cowboy Journal collected photos provided by students and faculty who traveled on CASNR study-abroad trips in 2014.

For information about studying abroad, visit internationalagprograms.okstate.edu.

COWBOY JOURNAL I31

2014 Study-abroad Photos 1.

Wishes for blessings on wooden model gates in Japan.

Photo by Daniel Jordan.

2.

Elephants abound in Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park. Photo by Jacob Sitton.

3.

Students overlooking villages in the Czech Republic.

Photo by Rob Terry.

A rainbow over the Agradome in Rotaroura, New Zealand.

Photo by Kristal Williams.

A hiker near Arequipa, Peru. Photo by Rita Woodson.

Students ride horses on the coast of Nicaragua. Photo by Corbin Dewitt.

A 12th century wall in Avila, Spain, encloses the ancient city. Photo by Hannah Nemecek.

The Sydney Opera House from the Sydney, Australia, harbor. Photo by Macy Griswold.

COWBOY JOURNAL I33

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okPORK Pork Oklahoma

Council

OCEScelebrates 100 years of extension with a quilted masterpiece. s a tradition that has been around for hundreds of years, quilting celebrates special occasions, highlights important times in life, and brings people together for a cause.

A quilt is not just pieces of fabric or colorful designs. It represents the love and precious time someone takes just to show they care.

Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service supporters came together to create a 12-foot masterpiece quilt to honor a 100-year-old program.

In 2014, OCES celebrated 100 years of serving Oklahomans. To commemorate such an accomplishment, supporters helped create a quilt to honor the program's century of service.

"Quilts have been used to mark milestones in life for hundreds of years;' said Recia Garcia, co-chair of the OCES

centennial committee. "It just made sense number of people to display the centennial theme in one picture, Trapp said. to me to be an appropriate project:' "I learned extension employees get Garcia proposed the quilt as one of excited to promote extension when they the ideas to celebrate the program's 100 years of existence. get any opportunity to "People assodo it;' Trapp said.

Lotsof hands and hearts The OCES Centenciate quilting with were engaged in the process. nial Quilt Block Chalhistory and the past;' The time and talent they said James Trapp, lenge had entries from sharedwas amazing. associate director for quilters as young as 12 - ReciaGarcia OCES. "It's someto the age of 94. OCES OCEScentennial committee co-chair thing that our forefasold 170 quilt block kits thers did and maybe and received 152 entries it's somewhat of a dying art today:' from 116 people.

With 48 counties in Oklahoma parTrapp said he gave the centennial ticipating as well as entries from Missouri committee two objectives: Create activities and Texas, the event was a success and to raise exposure and awareness of exraised more than $2,600 for the Oklahoma tension and enhance morale of extension employees by giving them things to get 4-H Advanced Family Consumer Sciences excited about.

Scholarship endowment, Garcia said.

"The quilt idea provided a neat link;' The quilt provided a way to get a large COWBOY JOURNAL I39

Top Left: OCESdisplays the quilt blocks at a recent event for attendees to select their favorite blocks. Photo by Recia Garcia. Top Right: OCESexhibits quilt block awards in Agricultural Hall. Photo courtesyofRecia Garcia.

Trapp said. "It was a great way to link the you walk in and all of those squares are past to today:' laying on tables and hanging on walls is, 'Wow, it's quite an array of colors and Individuals who entered purchased a kit for $15 that included fabric pieces just a large number of items;" Trapp said.

"How can you just pick one? You're imcalled the fat quarter, one each of orange, black and white to represent Oklahoma pressed by almost every one you see. They State University's colors. Some of each fat are all good:' quarter was required to be used in the 12.5 Once the quilt blocks were chosen, inch quilt-block defive committee memberssign. Every block was The centennial celebration has unique and representGarcia, Cindy exceeded my expectations ... in ed the individual who Connor, Jessica raising our visibility and creating made it, Garcia said.

Nickels, Rhonda excitement about extension.

Because a signifDeVor and Ranel -James Trapp icant number of the Lasley - spent OCESassociate director quilters were not fatwo days working miliar with extension on the aesthetics before the project, it helped to increase the as well as sewing the quilt top together.

Charlotte Tucker, a quilter from Fairvisibility of extension, Trapp said.

Quilters won prizes for their block view, Okla., was hired to quilt the pieced designs and a chance to be chosen as top, batting and backing together.

"I felt very special;' Tucker said. "I felt one of the 42 blocks that make up the 12-foot quilt. The quilting blocks were very honored that they chose me to quilt it. It gave me a lot of inspiration:' viewed in three locations: Oklahoma State Tucker said she was committed to doUniversity's Agricultural Hall; during the state conference for Oklahoma Home ing a good job. Using a freehand long-arm and Community Education in OKC; and quilting machine, Tucker applied unique during an event that hosted 13 states from quilting designs to each block. the Southern Region Council for AgriculGarcia finished the quilt by applying tural Research, Extension and Teaching. edge binding and attaching a patch to the OCES collected more than 400 ballots back to show the ownership and the purwhile the blocks were on display. Trapp pose of the quilt project. A second patch described what it was like to walk into identifies all OCES state directors and Agricultural Hall on voting day. their years of service from 1914 to 2014.

"The first thing that hits you when "Lots of hands and hearts were en 40IWINTER/SPRING 2015

gaged in the process;' Garcia said. "The time and talent they shared was amazing:' The unique thing about the quilt project versus the other suggested topics was the different set of people that it reached, Trapp said.

"The centennial celebration has exceeded my expectations of what I wanted to accomplish in raising our visibility and creating excitement about extension;' Trapp said.

Now finished, the quilt can be cherished as a tribute to OCES and to the individuals who spend countless hours serving within Oklahoma communities.

This quilt represents acts oflove and a state coming together to celebrate 100 years of teaching, research and extension.

This quilt of many colors brings Oklahomans together. Cil Shelbi

Kauu Kingsburg, Calif.

Opposite Page Top: OCES displays the quilt at its annual administrative support staff conference in October. Photo by Shelbi Kautz.

Bottom Left: Centennial committee members Cindy Connor, Jessica Nickels and Ranel Lasley contemplate the placement of the 42 quilt blocks before the quilt top is pieced together.

Photo by Recia Garcia. Bottom Right: OCES displays the quilt as part of its float in the 2014 OSU Seaof Orange Homecoming Parade as Ray Campbell, former associate dean of extension, shows his OSU spirit. Photo by Shelly Sitton.

COWBOY JOURNAL I41

OSUCASNRalumna maintains the historic gardens of Monticello, home of ThomasJefferson.

P

or Amy Jeffries, a love of horticulture started in her grandmother's garden. This love led her to Oklahoma State University, and now Jeffries lives out her dream at Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, Jeffries said.

"My dad always told me to find something I love to do and then figure out a way to get paid for it;' said Amy Jeffries, OSU horticulture alumna and superinten dent of gardening at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. "Gardening with my grandmother was the base foundation behind the career path I chose:' Jeffries said the idea of pursuing a degree in horticulture and landscape architecture was more than just a hobby in high school. It blossomed into a new and exciting passion, she said.

"My second semester of college is when I realized I liked the idea of sharing gardening and plants with other people;' Jeffries said. "So, I switched my concentration to public horticulture:' Jeffries said Doug Needham, former OSU horticulture professor, influenced her throughout the time she spent at OSU. His class helped her decide she could pursue a career in horticulture, she said.

"Amy was a very sharp student;' said Doug Needham, now head of the education department at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. "She has a great passion for horticulture and public gardens:' Needham said Jeffries is a great role model for students interested in pursuing a career in horticulture.

While at OSU, she was an active member of the President's Leadership Council and a member of the OSU Symphony Orchestra.

She also designed and maintained gardens at private homes and estates at

42IWINTER/SPRING 2015

the Oklahoma City Zoological Park and Botanic Garden.

Needham encouraged her to pursue an internship with Longwood Gardens to gain some real-world experience and understanding, Jeffries said.

Needham said he felt Jeffries was highly qualified for an internship at Longwood Gardens based on her experience.

"She sought experience and likely that is what set her above the other candidates;' Needham said.

Needham was a Longwood Gardens advocate during his tenure at OSU and during the time Jeffries interned with Longwood Gardens.

As an advocate, he informed students about the great opportunities Longwood Gardens had to offer.

"Horticulture is such a unique field of study and practice, as it touches both the art and science of plants;' Needham said.

Needham said he continues to en courage students to look at the diversity of occupations under horticulture and pursue the one that speaks to their passion and career goals.

"Interning at Longwood Gardens was the stepping stone for a solid foundation that in turn helped me get where I am today;' Jeffries said.

While serving as an intern at Longwood Gardens, Jeffries worked in the outdoor displays.

She was responsible for the main tenance of the display beds, including planting, watering, deadheading, weeding, and changing bed displays as well as some supervision of volunteers, Needham said.

"What I didn't realize is that when you get to the East Coast, Longwood Gardens is a name that people recognize;' Jeffries said. "When you say 'I studied horticulture at Oklahoma State' and 'I did an

internship at Longwood Gardens; it will open doors.

"I completed a really stellar internship at an entry-level position in horticulture and just continued to expand my knowledge;' she said.

Monticello hired Jeffries in 2009 and promoted her to superintendent of gardening in July 2013. She manages the gardeners in the fruit, flower, vegetable and visitor center gardens.

"Amy didn't waste any time when I met her, and that is what I liked about her;' said Gabriele Rausse, director of gardens and grounds for the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello.

Today, Jeffries manages the new Monticello Visitor Center that is home to many different plants native to Virginia landscapes. She is a part of the team resp on sible for the Revolutionary Garden Tours and the Sequential Vegetable Planting, Rausse said.

The Revolutionary Garden Tours, led by a Monticello professional staff member, take visitors on a journey through Thomas Jefferson's vegetable and fruit gardens followed by a Meet the Gardener segment.

Guests participate in seasonal gardening activities, including planting, harvesting, and sampling crops ranging from asparagus to baby root vegetables.

Additionally, Monticello highlights the Sequential Vegetable Planting, a threepart series that educates people who are planting gardens at their homes. Visitors participate in a hands-on workshop, learning useful gardening tips to help their gardens reach full potential even late in the season.

"The fact that Amy was willing to get straight to the point and work hard was something a person who was applying for a job at Monticello needed;' Rausse said.

L DENS "We needed a person who had a degree in horticulture that was willing to adventure herself into the unknown:' When Monticello hired Jeffries, one of her primary responsibilities was to

Above: The sun sets over one of Monticello's gardens. Photo by Robert Llewellyn. Below: Amy Jeffries plants vegetables in a Monticello garden. Photo by EleanorGould.

COWBOY JOURNAL I43

manage the new native plant garden at the Visitor Center.

Although she had no experience caring for native plants, she was the perfect candidate for this position because she was unafraid of challenges, Rausse said.

"She is the 'curator' of every problem that arises;' Rausse said. "She has been indispensable to me.

"Coming to work and knowing that she is here is the warranty that everything will be done;' he said.

Students interested in pursuing a career in horticulture need to know the field is really hard but rewarding, Jeffries said.

"If you are interested in making an impact on the changing global environment- whether through research or production of foods, ornamentals, or turfgrass; through landscape design, installation and maintenance; or through public horticulture - then you should investigate the many opportunities under horticulture;' Needham said.

He said the need for well-trained and educated students is increasing.

Horticulture can be exciting, if taught in way to appeal to the senses, Jeffries said.

44I WINTER/SPRING 2015

Mountaintops were demolished in 1768 to make room for Thomas Jefferson's Monticello that stands to this day. Photo by Leonard Phillips.

"Jefferson leaves us a great legacy;' Jeffries said. "I didn't realize I would be growing plants Jefferson grew or had access to when he was alive:' Jeffries said working at Monticello is a humbling experience and each day brings on a new exciting challenge.

Great people work at Monticello and being able to work at the home of Thomas

Jefferson is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, she said.

"I love my job;' Jeffries said. "I am grateful for the opportunity I have been given at Monticello:' Cil Kezia

Hines Cordell, Okla.

6ug'5Life A veteran combines two passions to pursue his career.

0

Dave Bradt teaches kids about insects at OSU'sInsect Adventure. Photo by Holly Denton.

n campus, Dave Bradt looks like a typical college student. But when this 22-year-old veteran graduates, he plans to apply his entomology degree in the U.S. Army.

Currently a junior at Oklahoma State University, Dave Bradt said he felt a calling to serve in the military before earning his degree. He served in the Army for three years, first at Fort Lewis, Wash., then in Afghanistan for nine months, before completing his active duty service.

His parents, David and Loretta Bradt, said they remember their son coming home during his senior year in high school and telling them he wanted to join the military following his graduation.

"His mom was initially upset out of concern and because we had made so many college plans with him;' David Bradt said. "I was concerned at first but proud of him for wanting to serve our country:' His mom said her concern eventually turned into pride because of his noble decision to serve his country.

Dave Bradt said his home is in Oxford, Conn., so he is asked frequently why he chose OSU. His answer is because the university had a great program and offered him a scholarship. OSU held the scholarship for him until after his active service.

He said he knew he wanted to pursue his degree in something involving insects. ''I've always been interested in in sects;' Dave Bradt said. "Insects are the one group in the animal kingdom you deal with every daY:' He originally majored in zoology, but because of his love for insects, he switched to entomology.

He said he learned about becoming an Army medical entomologist last year. After doing more research, he found only 60 soldiers are Army medical entomologists.

"When I decided to major in entomology and go through the ROTC;' Dave Bradt said, "I found that no one has graduated with an entomology degree through ROTC in about 20 years:' COWBOY JOURNAL I45

Tarantulas are one of the species visitors see at OSU's Insect Adventure. Photo

by Holly Denton.

He said the low number could be because of the career requirements, in eluding relocation.

In the nearly 30 years Phil Mulder, head of the OSU Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, has been with OSU, he said the department has occa sionally had a graduate who plans to be a medical entomologist.

Dave Bradt said a medical entomologist studies insects and how they spread diseases. He said medical entomologists also look for ways to prevent the insects from spreading those diseases.

"The military medical entomologists work in hospitals;' Dave Bradt said. "They also do field work to assess methods of insect control:' Military medical entomologists also deal with rodents and venomous snakes, he added.

"Dave could make a career out of this;' Mulder said.

Since his transition to entomology, Dave Bradt has excelled, Mulder said.

"Dave is intelligent and very knowledgeable about entomology;' said Mulder.

Mulder said Dave Bradt is a great student in the classroom and a wonderful volunteer for the department's Insect Adventure program.

The Insect Adventure is open the first and third Saturday of every month 46IWINTER/SPRING 2015

for children to hold the critters available would say, 'as long as we don't have to see at the insect zoo, and learn more about them and you can pay for them, you can all arthropods. Bradt's volunteerism helps have whatever you want:" give kids a chance to learn about creatures David and Loretta Bradt said they they may never encounter outside of the did not know their son's bedroom would Insect Adventure, Mulder said. become a home to many creatures.

"Dave kept researching to see how he "One whole wall of his room had could do what he's passionate about, make shelves of insects, tarantulas, lizards, snakes and different types of frogs;' his a living out of it, and be able to support his family;' David Bradt said. "This is mom said. "My true test was when he right up his alley:' wanted to breed his own special kind of Mulder said for Dave cockroaches, and we let him do it.

Bradt to become an Army "We just enjoyed watching Dave;' she medical entomologist with an officer's said. "He was just so into insects and was commission, he will need to obtain his so passionate about nature:' master's degree.

Dave Bradt said he can deal with anyDave Bradt plans to graduate thing except rats. in May 2016. After graduation, While growing up, Dave Bradt was in he will serve as an Army officer. volved with 4-H and the high school FFA While serving, he plans to work conservation and poultry judging teams. on his master's degree, so he "He even had his own little business called the Critter Keeper;' his mother said. can become a medical entomologist.

"He would gather up his creatures and Mulder said the Army, Navy and Air Force have entomology divisions. He said travel to birthday parties, Boy Scout events Army recruiters regularly visit the OSU and other after-school activities to showcampus to inform case his collection:' entomology Dave Bradt said he Insectsare the one group in students about is fortunate to have a the animal kingdom you deal opportunities family that supports with every day. available through what he does.

"My dad is an electhe military.

-Dave Bradt David Bradt trical engineer, and I'm OSUentomology student said he supports sure he would like for me to do that;' Dave his son's career Bradt said, "but he knows I have a passion choice as long as the younger Bradt is for entomology:' passionate about his work and can provide for his family.

He has additional support besides his Loretta Bradt said even though the parents. Dave Bradt also receives support idea seemed unusual, it did not surprise from his wife, Michaela, and 2-year-old her that he wanted to pursue it. son, Emmitt.

Dave Bradt said his passion for insects "My wife is a big supporter;' Dave and animals started at a young age, Bradt said, "or I guess I should say she puts While growing up, he made sure to up with a husband who is eccentric:' never kill spiders, beetles or other kinds of David and Loretta Bradt said they will insects, he said. be relieved and excited when he graduates.

"It's not easy for Dave now;' his father "When he was about 5 years old and we were moving into our new house;' his said. "He works part time in the Army, is father said, "Dave's biggest concern was involved in a work study, attends school full time, and has a family:' leaving our frogs, which were located at the old house:' Dave Bradt said he looks forward to In the end, some of the frogs ended the next couple of years and is excited to up moving with the Bradt family to their combine his passions for entomology and new property. the military to do what he loves. Iii Through the years, Dave Bradt moved Paige from caring for a couple of frogs to a large collection of critters.

"I always had creepy, crawly pets Binger, Okla. growing up;' Dave Bradt said. "My parents

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4 f you are a freshman at Oklahoma State University in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, chances are you want to be a veterinarian when you grow up.

Of the 450-plus students who enroll in CASNR each summer, more than half begin with a pre-veterinary science option paired with a major in animal science, biochemistry and molecular biology, entomology, agricultural economics, or natural resource ecology and management.

Regardless of major, these students can gain relevant experiences by participating in one of OSU's undergraduate research scholars programs.

The OSU Department of Animal Science's program offers its students unique experiences both in and out of the lab, said Jennifer Hernandez Gifford, assistant professor and one of the department's undergraduate research scholars program coordinators. Although not all students in the program want to be veterinarians, all can benefit in multiple ways, she said.

Pre-veterinary students Catherine Horsley and Nick Elroy have limited animal agriculture backgrounds. To gain experience, they participate as animal science undergraduate research scholars.

"This program will be something that will be able to set me apart in the future from other vet school applicants;' Horsley said. "It also gives me this opportunity to 'test the waters' for research in case I decide to go into research later:' A sophomore, Horsley is an Oklahoma native who spent a large part of her life growing up in Chicago. She said living in Chicago limited her experiences with animals to mostly companion animals.

I

Animal science undergraduate research program provides hands-on experience.

"This program allows me to get hands-on experience with large animals, which I would never have really done if I didn't have this job;' Horsley said.

During one ofHorsley's first times running cattle through a chute, a calf became stuck, Horsley said.

"I don't know what happened, but somehow the calf got turned around in the chute and his leg was sticking out;' Horsley said. "Apparently, it was a big problem and I was kind of freaking out, but with how the faculty and the other workers at the feedlot handled the situation, I thought 'OK, I probably shouldn't have been as scared as I was:" Horsley said when she enrolled at OSU as an animal science major, she knew she would learn about and work with large and small animals. She said she never expected to be as involved as she is now as an underclassman.

Horsley said she learned about the animal science undergraduate research scholars program after one of her friends applied and was accepted. Soon after, Horsley applied, not really knowing what to expect, she said.

"When I started, I had no idea what I wanted;' Horsley said. "I liked genetics and reproduction, so when talking to Dr. Hernandez Gifford about doing research, I specifically mentioned this to her, even though I had no idea what it was about nor had any background knowledge on it:' Hernandez Gifford said one of the purposes of the program is to expose students to real-world applications of the scientific method.

Hernandez Gifford said program participants have the opportunity to work

in any of the major animal science disciplines, including nutrition, physiology, reproductive physiology, genetics and genomics, meat science, food safety, animal well-being and sustainability. Beyond the lab opportunities, some faculty members mentor students in extension, teaching assessment and animal advocacy programs.

"Experiences in the program can range from basic benchtop- type research to more applied type of experiences where students get hands-on work with animals;' Hernandez Gifford said.

Students participating in the animal

science undergraduate research scholars program must be full-time students with a major in animal science or food science, maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA, and work in the lab for at least four hours each week.

"They don't have to be a 4.0 student or have the highest ACT score;' Hernan dez Gifford said. "What leads to a successful research scholar is a true desire to get something from the experience:' Some animal science undergraduate research scholars, like Elroy, consider conducting research beyond their undergraduate degrees.

Above: Nick Elroy processes data collected from a spectrophotometer for his meat coloration research. Left: Catherine Horsley uses a tank containing liquid nitrogen to keep research materials frozen. Photos by Samantha Walker.

COWBOY JOURNAL I49

"I haven't exactly decided yet, but there's a part of me that wants to do a dual DVM- Ph.D. degree in vet school;' said Elroy, an animal science pre-veterinary junior who joined the undergraduate research program his freshman year. "If I did that, it would help me greatly, just being able to write scientifically and knowing how to conduct research in general:' Elroy said even ifhe chooses not to conduct research after receiving his undergraduate degree, he will still benefit from his experiences with the program because he is quite adept at reading and interpreting scientific articles.

"As students become more exposed to the experiences and surrounded by what science means;' Hernandez Gifford said, "it really puts them on track for being successful either in graduate school, vet school or anything they do because it demonstrates an ability to think critically:' Elroy said he finds his undergraduate research scholar work makes some of his other classes less stressful.

"For me, the organic chemistry labs are easier than I expected;' Elroy said. "I accredit that to me doing research for so many years and gaining all that experience with how to go through protocol and work ahead with things in the experiment:' Hernandez Gifford said one important purpose of the program is to help students find something to motivate them. Some undergraduate scholars find research is not for them. Learning they don't like research is just as important as learning they love it, she said.

"It's important for students to find out for themselves whether research is something that interests them or not because that's what college is all about;' Hernandez Gifford said. "It's about finding out what you like as well as what you don't like.

"If they decide research is not for them, then it gives us the opportunity to say they can take a semester off or consider looking at something else that interests them;' she added.

Hernandez Gifford said about 20 undergraduate scholars are in the program each semester. The number of faculty able to oversee undergraduate research limits the number of positions in the program, she said.

"We try to place as many students who meet our minimum criteria as possible;' Hernandez Gifford said. "Even if we 50IWINTER/SPRING 2015

can't fit them in this semester, students will be graduating or rotating out. We keep applications on file and work hard to get all applicants in the program:' Interested students can download the application from the animal science department's website. Once students complete the application, they should submit it to Hernandez Gifford in ANSI 114 or by emailing it to her.

"Scholars are paid by payroll and must turn in a time card every week;' Hernan dez Gifford said. "It holds them account-

Scholars are paid by the hour and can earn up to $500, she said.

The program is not just for students hoping to stand apart in the veterinary school application process. Anyone majoring in food science or animal science can explore career opportunities through the animal science undergraduate research scholars program. til Samantha

Walker

Above: Nick Elroy retrieves myoglobin from the freezer to reconstitute into a liquid form to use for experiments dealing with meat coloration. Below: Catherine Horsley pipettes a chemical into test tubes for processing. Photos by Samantha Walker.

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COWBOY JOURNAL I51

.

The Economic Entrepreneur Fellows completed three-week internships and spent time with OSU students: (1) Raymond Ndungu; (2) Caroline Nabukonde; (3) Abraham Oliver (left), Mathai Ndungu, Daniel Aliddeki, Petso Mokhatla and Petunia Thulo; (4) Elizabeth Powell (left) and Daniel Aliddeki; (5) Beatrice Alyanata; and (6) Mathai Ndungu. Photos by Hannah McCollom,Kaleigh Lynchand BrentneyMaroney.

52IWtHER/SPRING 2015

Africansvisit OSUas a part of EmpoweringAspiringEntrepreneursfor EconomicSuccess. tudy abroad at Oklahoma State University usually means students travel to better understand other cultures. But for 11 entrepreneurs from Kenya, Uganda and South Africa, study abroad had the opposite perspective.

Through a grant project funded by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, these entrepreneurs spent five weeks learning about American culture and agriculture - Oklahoma style - as well as best practices in their entrepreneurial areas.

"They wanted to learn;' said Craig Edwards, OSU agricultural education professor and co-director of the project.

"They were like sponges, but they wanted Americans to know their countries, too, because they know we have a lot of stereotypes about other cultures:' Edwards, along with agricultural communications professors Shelly Peper Sitton and Dwayne Cartmell, coordinated the grant. Shida Henneberry, director of the Master in International Agriculture program, and Craig Watters, director of the OSU Riata Center, served as project team members.

Lisa Taylor, Brentney Maroney, Stephen Mukembo and Assoumane Maiga, graduate students in the OSU Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership, worked directly with the Fellows to enhance their experiences.

During the project's first week, the

group - referred to as Economic En trepreneur Fellows - learned about U.S. history and government, land-grant universities, and U.S. agriculture as well as the use of social media, marketing and small-business customer service in the United States.

"The week of training provided entrepreneurial background some Fellows may not have received in their home countries;' Taylor said.

The grant project focused on entrepreneurship as related to agribusiness and agriculture, Edwards said, but included cultural exchange.

The Fellows interacted specifically with OSU College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources students to discuss their countries, entrepreneurship and agricultural issues, Edwards said.

"Connecting and speaking with an other farmer from across the globe was so rewarding;' said Alison Slagell, an agricultural communications senior. "I learned about the many similarities and differences between our countries:' A difference exists in reading about another culture and being completely immersed into it, Sitton said.

"This whole project is an exchange of our thoughts, ideas, impressions and feelings among groups of people;' Edwards said. "The Fellows wanted to see if what they see on television is really America:' Mathai Ndungu, a socioeconomist for

the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, was in the United States for the first time to participate in this project.

"I have learned a lot about America;' Ndungu said. "Back home, we are told stories. Now, I experienced the real thing:' During the second phase of the Fellows' time in the United States, they participated in individual internship and job-shadowing experiences.

"The Fellows provided their professional goals and a description of their enterprises or what they aspire to do;' Edwards said. "We then found mentors to host the Fellows who were attracted to the cultural exchange and to sharing their knowledge and expertise with others:' Andrea Graves, business planning and marketing specialist at OSU's Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center, worked with Daniel Aliddeki, an agricultural engineer for St. Jude Family Projects in Uganda.

"I was so happy to work with Daniel;' Graves said. "The information I provided will not only benefit his business but also he will be able to share it with many other professionals in Uganda:' Raymond Ngeno, founder and chief executive officer of Chepkoilel Fabrication Services in Kenya, interned with P&K Equipment and with the welding and metal fabrication programs at Meridian Technology Center in Stillwater, Okla. He said he has plans to implement the innovative COWBOY JOURNAL I53

Eleven Economic Entrepreneur Fellows were on the OSU campus in October 2014: Petso Mokhatla (left), Beatrice Alyanata, Moses Kisembo, Abraham Oliver, Dimakatso Sekhoto, Daniel Aliddeki, Caroline Nabukonde, Mathai Ndungu, Petunia Thulo, Raymond Ndungu and Frank Ojwang. Photo by BrentneyMaroney.

technology he has learned about while in the United States into his business.

"The work has been simplified [in the U.S.]:' Ngeno said. "You save [money] on time and labor:' Other mentor organizations included the OSU departments of horticulture and landscape architecture, animal science, and agricultural economics; the Riata Center for Entrepreneurship; Oklahoma Cooperative Extension offices in Payne, Logan and Noble counties; the Maisha Project; Oklahoma Farm Bureau; Aspen Coffee; Martha Valley Farms in Martha, Okla.; The Samuel M. Roberts Noble Foundation; the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry; Farm Credit of Eastern Oklahoma; Farmer's Cooperative Association in Tonkawa, Okla.; Gordon Cooper Technology Center; and Lorenz Seed of Hennessey, Okla.

"The internship experiences are the 54IWINTER/SPRING 2015

cornerstone of the project;' Sitton said.

"The business and personal networking relationships among the participants and their mentors will continue long after the Fellows return to Africa:' After their internship experiences, the Fellows attended the Professional Fellows Congress in Washington, D.C., to interact through workshops and presentations with more than 200 Fellows representing 41 countries and territories from the 14 DOS grant-funded projects.

"This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring them together, to allow them to dialogue, and to learn from each other about the experiences they had while going through their various programs in the U.S.;' Cartmell said.

Faculty members and other professionals involved in the project will travel to visit the Fellows in Spring 2015.

"The project is a two-way exchange;'

Edwards said. "We try to learn more about the entrepreneurship environment in Africa, especially in the context of agriculture:' This is the third Department of State grant-funded project the OSU Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership has participated in since 2007. Their previous work was in Mali, Kenya and Uganda.

These cultural exchanges have aca demic effects and have personally affected every person involved, Cartmell said.

"I do this because I think it makes a difference;' Cartmell said. "It makes a difference in their lives, and it certainly makes a difference in our lives. Opening our eyes to the experiences through someone else's lens is really important:' ti!

Hannah

McCollom Hobart, Okla.

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THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES & NATURAL RESOURCES CONGRATULATES ITS

Eight CASNRsophomoresreceiverecognition as 2013-2014OSUTopTen FreshmenMen and Women:RickiSchroeder(back left),TylerSchnaithman, GarrettReed,LawsonThompson,TaylorKennedy(front left), EricaSummerfield, Allison Christianand Jaci Hodges.Photocourtesyof Genesee PhotoSystems.

TenCASNRseniorsreceiverecognitionas 2014-2015OSUSeniorsof Significance:Dalton Downing (top left),Ty Schoenhals,BrianHighfill, JonathanOverton, PeterStorm,Kevin Meeks(bottom left), HannahNemecek,JessicaNealand JoshuaConaway.Not pictured: ChaceySchoeppel.Photocourtesyof Genesee PhotoSystems.

COWBOY JOURNAL I57

ust weeks after Kadie Smith and Hilary Bush were hired as the new agricultural education instructors and FFA advisers at Oologah High School, the front-page headline of the Oologah Lake Leader newspaper was "Ladies Take Lead in Oologah FFA:' "I didn't realize it was going to be such a big deal;' Bush said. "We are just new teachers, not something extraordinary:' Smith and Bush make up the first female two-teacher agricultural education program in Oklahoma.

The number of female agricultural education teachers is on the rise, with nearly 15 percent of agricultural education instructors in Oklahoma being female. In 2013-2014, fewer than 10 percent were females, said Rose Bonjour, central district agricultural education program specialist for Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education.

"Looking back 1O years ago, there was only a small handful of female teachers;' said Jon Ramsey, agricultural education assistant professor at Oklahoma State University. "Maybe only 1 or 2 percent of teachers in the state were female:' One of these pioneering female teachers was Shirley [Stephens] Hufford. In 1971, she was the first female to graduate with an agricultural education degree from OSU. "My dad was an agricultural education teacher;' Hufford said. "Even though girls were not allowed in FFA back then, I had been around it for most of my life:' Hufford said she and her late husband, Mike Stephens, student-taught together at Guthrie High School in Guthrie, Okla., which had a pilot program for high school girls to enroll in agricultural education and FFA. After graduation, Hufford did not teach agricultural education for nine years, until a third teaching position opened at Guthrie High School.

"I got the job eight months pregnant 58IWINTER/SPRING 2015

J

"I never questioned what I could do;' with my second child;' Hufford said. "I Bush said. "There is nothing that I can't do only took two weeks of maternity leave just because I am a girl:' because I had to be teaching:' Most administrators realize they need Hufford continued to teach for 29 to hire a good teacher, not just base their years, six at Guthrie High School and then decisions on a person's sex, Ramsey said.

23 at Chickasha High School.

"It was a great profession to be in;' "In the past, the fence was pretty Hufford said. "We could always take our high to women;' Ramsey said. "Now, it is family, and our boys were able to grow up significantly lower for them to get a job:' in the program:' Respect was their No. 1 priority, both giving and receiving it, Smith said.

Hufford said throughout 29 years of "This really set the tone being able to teaching, she saw growth in the number of discipline all the students;' Smith said. female agricultural education teachers.

In the first couple of weeks, the stu"The change was gradual at first;' Hufford said. "Bedents had a difficult time warming up to the new cause girls were It istime for new traditions teachers, Smith said. becoming tough in agriculturaleducation as "I sat down with the competitors in career a whole. officer team;' Smith said, development events - Kadie Smith "I told them, 'Guys, I and other FFA areas, Oologah agricultural education instructor know that you question it became more pronounced over time:' whether two girls know This trend of females becoming a what we are doing, but we promise you larger part ofFFA and agricultural educathat we are going to work our hardest to make sure that you have the best experition has not slowed down.

"We see girls are a lot more willing ence possible: "I went on to tell them that we weren't to step up and take that leadership role just working hard for them but we were or participate in a contest than boys;' Hufford continued. "That plays into the working to pave the way for younger women who wanted to be agricultural fact that there are so many more female education teachers;' she continued. "We agriculture teachers than in the past:' However, skepticism about the change want this to work because we want girls to still exists, Bush said. have this opportunity in the future:' Bush said after that conversation, "While I was applying to jobs, I got a lot of questions about if I could work in students started to believe Oologah FFA the shop or if I could back a stock trailer;' needed new traditions.

"It is a time for new traditions in agriBush said. cultural education as a whole;' Smith said.

Both said they were asked on numerThe OSU Department of Agricultural ous occasions during interviews about Education, Communications and Leaderhow they would handle disciplining high ship is working to make diversity a larger school boys who were not much younger part of its agricultural education program, than them.

"These questions were asked from Ramsey said.

"We try to be mindful of diversity in schools that had male teachers in the past;' everything that we present in our classes;' Bush said.

Ramsey said. "Whether it be our Future Both Smith and Bush said they do AgEd Teacher Academy presenters or not think they are at a disadvantage in any a panel of teachers we bring into the area because they are females.

classroom, we always try to make sure we maintain balance:' Ramsey also said the department sees students as potential agricultural education teachers regardless of sex.

An increasing number of females are not the only change happening in agricultural education. Students with diverse backgrounds pursue agricultural educa tion as their major, as well.

Fewer students with first-hand agricultural experiences are enrolling in agricultural education, Ramsey said.

"People are four or five generations removed from the farm," Ramsey said.

"We should not be surprised by the fact that students don't have contextual agricultural experience:' Sierra Rogers, 2014 agricultural education graduate, grew up in Owasso, Okla.

"I am a city girl;' Rogers said. "Because of my involvement with FFA and the amazing agricultural education teachers that I had, I realized this was what I wanted to do:' Most people want to go into this profession because they had an agricultural education instructor who impacted their lives, Rogers said.

"There are people who did not grow up on a farm with a strong animal agri culture background;' she said. "Because of their involvement in FFA, they realize teaching is something they want to do:' Having an agricultural education and FFA background is not a prerequisite to be an agricultural education major, however.

Cheyenne Sparks, an agricultural education senior, was not in FFA and never took a high school agricultural education class. She will graduate with an agricultural education degree in May 2015.

"I have always admired education and those who devote their lives to it;' Sparks said. "When it comes to agriculture specifically, I am drawn to it for its diverse topics and overall contribution to the world.

"Agriculture is a driving force in every

life, state, country and continent;' she added. "I want to educate students on its importance and how it impacts their lives:' Regardless of what they look like or where they come from, today's agricultural education instructors work to ensure their students have the experiences and opportunities they had, Rogers said.

"I work hard because I want to prove myself;' Smith said. "I want to give all I can for these kids:' Cil Dakota

Miller Amber, Okla.

Above: Kadie Smith (third from left) instructs students how to candle and incubate chicken and duck eggs. Below: Hillary Bush (right) helps students at the Oologah school farm. Photos by TarrynBruner.

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n a place where material possessions can be irrelevant, a 12-year-old girl's biggest concern often is caring for her siblings because she has become their only living relative.

For thousands of African children, in a world stricken by poverty and disease, an item as simple as a dress can make a world of difference, said Meagan Rhodes, Oklahoma State University agricultural economics senior.

"Little Dresses for Africa is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3), Christian organization that provides relief to the children in Africa;' Rhodes said.

Dresses similar to those Rhodes makes are distributed in 47 African countries as well as other troubled nations around the world.

Rhodes said the goal of the organization is to let the girls know they are worthy. According to the LDFA website, more than 2.5 million dresses have been distributed since the organization's founding in 2008.

"Basic dresses are made out of pillow cases and other fabrics;' Rhodes said.

"They are then distributed through the orphanages, churches and schools in Africa:' Rhodes became involved with the Little Dresses for Africa organization during her senior year of high school while looking to expand her family and consumer sciences 4-H project.

"My aunt actually told me about Little Dresses for Africa because her church was involved with it;' Rhodes said. "I looked into the project and knew it was something I wanted to do:' Rhodes said the projects she had previously been involved with focused mainly around her community.

"I was excited to be involved with something that was impacting the world;' Rhodes said.

Rhodes said she was the first 4- H

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OSUsenior impacts lives through the act of sewing.

member in Oklahoma to become involved with the LDFA organization.

Although participating in a largescale project at age 17 can be intimidating, Rhodes said she relied heavily on her family and community for support.

Together, Rhodes and her mother, Joy, worked to develop her project's timeline.

"We brainstormed ideas of who to share [the project with] and scheduled workshops with other 4-H members, Oklahoma Home and Community Education groups, a quilting guild, our church members, other churches, their youth groups, and family, career, and community science classes;' said Joy Rhodes, Blaine County cooperative extension educator.

Rhodes said much of her project success is because of her 4- H county extension educator, Jim Rhodes, who also happens to be her father and the Oklahoma northwest district extension 4-H development program specialist.

He assisted by helping locate the information on how to construct the dresses, by promoting her project to 4-H members in Major County, and by contacting local and region al newspapers.

Using these contacts, Rhodes promoted her projects through various media. Rhodes said she has been featured on the "SUNUP" TV program, in her local newspapers and in the Oklahoma 4-H newsletter.

In addition to making the colorful dresses, Rhodes also mentors 4-H members and presents workshops to continue her project's legacy.

Donna Robison, Rhodes' high school Family, Career and Community Leaders of America adviser, connected Rhodes with community groups, where Rhodes presented her LDFA project and asked for their assistance.

"Meagan explained the purpose and mission of the LDFA project;' Robison

Through Meagan Rhodes' efforts, more than 450 dresses have been donated to the Little Dresses for Africa organization. Photo by Kaleigh Lynch.

COWBOY JOURNAL I61

said. "She taught workshops to FCCLA, 4-H, church groups, and Home and Community clubs, teaching them to construct dresses and donate them to the project:' In return, Robison said, each organi zation recruited additional members to donate supplies and completed garments.

Through Rhodes' project, more than 450 dresses have been donated since 2010.

Even though her time as a 4-H and FCCLA member has come to a close, Rhodes continues to inspire and motivate 4-H members with her project, Robison said. Her influence has spread to outside groups, eager to continue making an impact in the lives of less fortunate children, she added.

"Throughout my years of teaching, many of my students have participated in community service projects, and Meagan's project was one of the most impactful;' Robison said. "The project was most successful because of its snowball effect. She motivated groups of people who, in turn, motivated others:' Some individuals contacted by Rhodes continue to create and donate dresses for the LDFA organization.

"My 4-H sewing camp this sum-

mer completed dresses to be donated;' Joy Rhodes said. "One of my Oklahoma Home and Community Education groups recently completed about 30 dresses to be shipped to Africa:' Today, Rhodes is a full-time student involved in Delta Delta Delta sorority, Order of the Omega and Collegiate 4-H as well as Student Mobilization, which is an on-campus ministry organization.

"I continued my project when I came to college;' Rhodes said. "I still collect, size and mail off dresses.

"I love that something I began years ago is still happening in Oklahoma;' Rhodes said. "I hope in years to come more 4-H members will continue to help the LDFA project:' In a world where the smallest act of kindness can create the biggest gesture, Rhodes said these efforts have generated a ripple effect felt by hundreds ofless fortunate children. Cil

AboutLittleDresses ForAfrica Why usepillowcasesfor LDFAdresses?

For many years, the pillowcase pattern has been used. This premade pattern already consists of a hem and sides, and it is easy enough for even the most novice seamstress to use. However, this pattern is only a suggestion and any dress pattern may be used.

I do not sew, but I would like to help.

What else can I do to help?

The LDFA organization appreciates help from everyone. While some people are skilled sewers, others can donate supplies or funds by either check or online to help with the cost of sending the dresses to Africa.

What about the boys?

Kaleigh

Lvnch Owasso, Okla.

While the main focus ofLDFA is on girls, boys also are part of the outreach.

LDFA collects boys' shirts in any size, new or gently used, to send along with the dresses.

What are the associatedcosts?

On average, it costs roughly $2 to make a dress. A crate of dresses can be sent to most parts of Africa for $140 each and can be sent domestically with teams for $140 per bag. Additional costs come from supplies such as boxes, tape, documents and additional materials.

Do you send dressesto countriesother than those in Africa?

Yes. LDFA has sent dresses to 47 countries in Africa. Also, in times of crisis or when asked, dresses are sent to Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, Cambodia, South Dakota and the Appalachian Mountain regions.

For more information on the LDFA organization, the pillowcase dress pattern and other sewing directions, visit littledressesforafrica.org/blog.

Information courtesyof the Little Dresses for Africa organization.

Young girls receive Little Dresses for Africa dress donations in Malawi. Photo courtesy of Little DressesFor Africa organization.

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Early Career Achievement Award Recipients Oklahoma natives Tyler Norvell and Bart Fischer have received the 2014 Early Career Achievement Award Recipients from the Oklahoma State University College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. This award, presented every year in May, recognizes former CASNR students who have found early success in their careers.

Tyler Norvell Serving as an executive director of the Oklahoma Youth Expo and owning and operating Norvell Consulting LLC keeps Tyler Norvell busy.

Norvell's role at OYE is to raise funds for and conduct the annual nonprofit livestock show in Oklahoma City each March.

"We work to raise $2 million every year for scholarships and premiums," Norvell said. "More than 7,000 Oklahoma students attend."

Norvell also works as a lobbyist and consultant at Norvell Consulting LLC. A native of Amber, Okla., Norvell earned a bachelor's degree in animal science from OSU in May 2006.

While an OSU student, he competed

on a national champion livestock judging team and was named an Outstanding Animal Science Senior.

"I have seen the people who have won this award in the past," Norvell said.

"They were people I looked up to in FFA, high school and college."

He said the most humbling part was being chosen with his friend Bart Fischer.

"Bart and I worked together on the 2014 Farm Bill with Rep. Frank Lucas," Norvell said. "Bart's done so much for the agricultural industry. I really idolize him."

Norvell and his wife, Beth, live on their cattle operation in Tuttle, Okla., with their 4-year-old daughter, Madilyn, and infant daughter, Saylor.

Bart Fischer Growing up in southwest Oklahoma and spending most of his time on a tractor, OSU alumnus Bart Fischer said he did not expect the experiences he has had so far in his career.

Fischer serves as chief economist for the House Committee on Agriculture.

Fischer was hired in 2011 to work for Rep. Frank Lucas, committee chairman, on the 2014 Farm Bill and served as one of the primary staff-level negotiators on the bill's development. He spends a majority of his time ensuring the Farm Bill is carried out the way it was intended, he said.

Fischer said he will continue as the chief economist under new committee chairman, Rep. Mike Conaway from Texas. Fischer said he owes much of his success to OS U. "OSU was really the launching pad for me," Fischer said.

64IWINTER/SPRING 2015

He earned a bachelor's degree in both agricultural economics and in business administration with majors in agricultural economics, accounting and finance. He graduated summa cum laude and was named an OSU Outstanding Senior.

Fischer currently is earning a doctoral degree in agricultural economics at Texas A&M University.

Being selected as a recipient of the CASNR Early Career Achievement Award made Fischer feel honored, he said.

"One of my closest friends and mentors, Shannon Ferrell, was a past recipient of this award," Fischer said. "I know I'm in good company."

Fischer said it was fun to be selected with his friend Norvell, as well.

Fischer and his wife, Karalyn, have a 2-year-old son, Luke. They reside in Arlington, Va.

--------Winter/Sprin92015

CASNRAlumniNews

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From the fields of rural Oklahoma to the steps of the state Capitol, Oklahoma Farm Bureau serves as the voice of agricultural producers at all levels. Our members are farmers and ranchers united to serve and protect rural Oklahoma. Together, we are committed to ...

Improving the lives of rural Oklahomans.

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Cowboy Journal Oklahoma State University Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership 448 Agricultural Hall Stillwater, OK 74078-6031