n 1988, Steve Damron began his teaching career in the Oklahoma State University Department of Animal Science.
“I started teaching introduction to animal science, principles of nutrition and agricultural animals of the world,” Damron said.
In July 2016, Damron will leave OSU to serve as dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at Tarleton State University.
During his nearly three decades at OSU, he influenced students and faculty members on campus, including Amy Gazaway, career coordinator in CASNR.
“He was a faculty member I connected with,” Gazaway said. “His openness and welcoming attitude of people from diverse backgrounds made me feel like I had a place.
“I had high expectations for myself, and I liked that he had high expectations for me,” Gazaway said. “He also has a genuine care for the students.”
Gazaway has worked with Damron as a student and a colleague, she said.
“He is a faculty champion,” she said. “He is able to see faculty members’ and students’ goals and is always a supporter of
those efforts. He understands what it takes to graduate the highest quality students and wants to provide them with the best opportunity for success.”
Damron has helped students transition into college and worked to build relationships once they arrived on campus, Gazaway said.
“As a teacher, he didn’t make you feel awkward because you didn’t know the difference between a heifer and cow,” Gazaway said.
Damron said students are his favorite part of the university.
“I like their openness,” he said. “I like the fact that we have students from such varied backgrounds and states. There is no such thing as a typical CASNR student.”
Damron has impacted CASNR for the better, Gazaway said.
“From an external perspective, I think about the work he has done as a faculty member and as an assistant dean,” she said. “He has nurtured relationships with donors and alumni and sees the importance of those relationships.
“From an internal standpoint, he has focused on student success and setting a firm foundation for helping students be successful,” she said.
Gazaway said she is sad to see Damron leave OSU.
“He has been such a big part of my experience,” she said. “He is a part of our family, and it is hard to see a family member go.”
Damron leaves a strong legacy at OSU, Gazaway said.
“Dr. Damron’s career in animal science and as an administrator for CASNR is exemplary,” said Tom Coon, vice president for agricultural programs. “He is an outstanding scholar and leader, and Tarleton State is fortunate to benefit from his vision and leadership.”
Although leaving, Damron said he will cherish his time as an OSU Cowboy.
“My family is a total OSU family,” Damron said. “My wife directs the OSU Writing Center and is a professor in the English department. Our children grew up in Stillwater and graduated from OSU. Our lives for the past 28 years have revolved around OSU.
“I will stay forever orange,” Damron said, “but don’t tell the people in Texas.”
Dr. Damron: Thanks for dedicating yourself to CASNR. Best wishes in Texas.
— The Cowboy Journal Staff
Steve Damron has dedicated the past 28 years to educating students at OSU. Photo by Todd Johnson.
As the spring semester comes to a close and we make final edits to send the latest issue of Cowboy Journal off to print, we express our deepest gratitude to the Cowboy Journal staff and to everyone who committed time and effort to this issue.
To the Cowboy Journal staff, thank you for your hard work and perseverance this semester. It has been a privilege to help put this magazine together, and it would not have been possible without your incredible work ethic and constant willingness to help.
We also would like to thank Melissa Mourer, Ruth Inman, Jacy Bradford, Todd Johnson, Dustin Mielke, Mandy Gross, Robert Banayote, Derinda Blakeney, Angel Riggs, Dwayne Cartmell and Traci Naile. Without all of you, our magazine would not be possible.
Finally, we would like to thank our second mom and our rock in times of crisis, Shelly Sitton. You have taught us more than we ever thought possible, both in communications and in life, and for that, we are forever grateful.
— Kaylen, Melanie and Rachel
EDITORS
Kaylen Baker | Melanie Jackson | Rachel Metzger
MANAGING EDITOR
Shelly Peper Sitton, Ph.D.
ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITORS
Dwayne Cartmell, Ph.D. | Traci Naile, Ph.D.
Angel Riggs, Ph.D.
GRAPHIC COORDINATORS
Amber McGee | Aimee Shaner
SPONSORSHIP COORDINATOR
Brianne Schwabauer
SPONSORSHIP RELATIONS
COORDINATORS
Katy Holdener | Jimmy Hutson
CIRCULATION COORDINATOR
Shannen McCroskey
LETTER FROM THE EDITORS ON
STAFF
Amanda Bacon | Brittani Baldner-Hill
Trent Cleary | Peter Cohen | Micaela Danker
Sarah Davis | Brittany Gilbert | Meg Johnson
Abbey Martin | Callie McCarthy | Jenna Murray
Sabrina Wilber
FOUNDING SPONSORS
Limousin World | Oklahoma Farm Bureau
QuadGraphics
Fields of Dreams
An Innovative Scoop
THE COVER
Whatever is happening in your life, there’s a good chance your college experience helped you get to where you are today. When you reflect on that time, you may be overwhelmed by fond memories — meeting your spouse, celebrating a big football win, pulling an all-nighter to study or laughing with people who became your lifelong friends. Today’s Oklahoma State University students are having the same experiences as they pursue bright orange futures. Visit OSUgiving.com to learn how you can be a part of their journey.
GARRISON
Two young alumni build a progressive enterprise in north central Oklahoma
An early love of farming and machinery led to the development of a legacy for Marty Williams of Red Rock, Okla.
Growing up on a wheat and cattle operation about 30 miles north of Stillwater, the Oklahoma State University alumnus knew from childhood he wanted to be a lifetime farmer, he said.
“From an early age, I wanted to be out in the field as much as I could,” Williams said. “I loved driving equipment. I loved messing with cattle. I just loved farming.”
When the time came for college, expectations from his parents and his love of farming took him to the OSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, he said.
“In a way, college was expected by my parents,” he said. “I had scholarships to go, and after I got there, I realized the value of expanding my horizons.”
Williams was a member of the President’s Leadership Council during his freshman year and a member of the Agronomy Club throughout college.
Unlike many students, Williams lived at home during college to be closer to his parents’ farm, he said.
“I thrived on working,” Williams said. “At the time, I didn’t know it, but I was building my future. I was renting farms and helping Dad. In exchange for helping him, I was able to use his equipment to farm my own farms.”
Williams managed 160 acres in high school, but he bought his first 350-acre farm when he was a junior in college.
Today, Williams and his wife, Crystal, farm several thousand acres of cropland near Red Rock.
The couple met at OSU in 2001.
“We met in biology class my sophomore year, and she had just transferred in,” he said. “We were lab partners.”
Crystal Briggs Williams grew up in Adair, Okla., but did not come from an agricultural background. Her uncle owned cows, and she had always loved the agricultural industry, she said.
“I had some friends who showed cattle, and I just thought that was the coolest thing,” she said.
She played basketball at Bacone College before transferring to OSU to pursue a degree in elementary education.
The couple married May 15, 2004, outside the OSU Student Union in the formal gardens.
“My uncle was the groundskeeper at the time, so he planted the flowers [in the gardens] for us,” he said. “We got to pick what we wanted that year.”
After graduation, Williams began farming full time, and his wife began teaching in Ponca City, Okla.
“We started with mainly wheat and cattle like I grew up doing,” Williams said. “In college, I learned a lot about no-till farming and the benefits of crop rotation. I saw it applied by other farmers in the area and decided that was the way I wanted to go.”
In the beginning, Williams rented most of the land he farmed, he said.
“It came at a time when there were a lot of older farmers getting out, so I was able to rent ground,” he said. “I took on those farms and put them in a crop rotation system.”
Williams’ no-till farming and crop rotations comprise the progressive practices that make Williams’ operation unique to his area, said Brian Arnall, OSU plant and soil sciences associate professor.
“Marty is an early adopter,” Arnall said. “He has a lot of progressive nature in what he does. He is always willing to try new and innovative things.”
Williams said success never came easily, especially in the beginning.
“At first, we were growing so fast I couldn’t pay the bills,” Williams said. “So, I went and got a job at the local power plant pushing coal.”
Today, Williams has diversified his operation to span a few thousand acres, where he plants corn, canola, soybeans, grain sorghum and barley, in addition to raising wheat and cattle.
“We continue to practice no-till and try to do a lot of soil sampling,” Williams said. “We try to be good stewards of the land we rent and buy.”
Jana Slaughter, Williams’ crop consultant and college friend, said Williams is always willing to try new things to benefit his farming operation.
“He’s had a lot of success in adapting some of the innovations to his farm,” Slaughter said. “He is a good example of how we can use the things we learned as
OSU alumni Marty (right) and Crystal Williams operate a few thousand acres of no-till farmland near Red Rock, Okla. Photo by Dustin Mielke.
scientists to help his farming practice and make him more successful.”
As Williams works toward the future, he would like to own a majority of his land, he said.
“I’ve got really good landlords, but I would rather buy land and invest in my future and my kids’ future, rather than rent all the time,” Williams said.
“I’ve had a couple of farms taken away from me that I had farmed for years, and it just hurts because you’ve put your life into that land,” he said.
Many of Williams’ landlords appreciate the work he does so much they fight for him to rent their land, Arnall said.
“Last year, Marty ended up farming a lot of acres because the landlords just wanted him,” Arnall said. “It wasn’t about the price or them making money — they wanted Marty to farm their land because he did such a good job.”
Having a good team of employees is essential to his operation’s success, Williams said.
“Our farm is only as good as the team we create,” he said. “You have to treat people really well. Every one of them has a unique part in how they fit in, from my employees to my parents.”
Williams’ family plays a big role in the farm, he said. His wife home-schools their 8-year-old daughter, Ava, and their 4-yearold son, Morgan.
She also helps directly with the farm, he said. Last summer, she helped full time and ran the combines during harvest.
“[Crystal] is not afraid to get up there and work with me,” Williams said. “She is always interested in what I do.”
In her spare time, Crystal Williams blogs about her time on the farm, she said.
“I’ve always wanted to write about my experiences on the farm because they are different than other women,” she said. “I feel like I can make a connection to other girls out there who married into it.”
Williams said he likes to give back to OSU in any way he can, including donating farm acres to OSU’s research and extension efforts.
“By the time he got established at the farm, I became a faculty member, and I needed research,” Arnall said. “Basically, from my first year on, I have been putting research plots on Marty’s place.”
Chad Webb, Noble County extension
Marty (left) and Crystal Williams make farming a family affair with their daughter, Ava (top), 8, and son, Morgan, 4. Photo by Dustin Mielke.
educator, works with Williams and the research plots on his farm.
“Marty is the first to help me with any type of research project,” Webb said. “He is one of the people who, when you come into the county, you need to meet because he has a lot of knowledge of farming and OSU in general.”
Williams received the title of OSU Plant and Soil Sciences Master Agronomist in Spring 2014.
Arnall and Webb nominated Williams for this award because of his aid to OSU’s extension and research, Arnall said.
for the sacrifices he and his family make for their farm.
“Being a farm family, they have to sacrifice a lot to be in the position they are,” Slaughter said. “Being a farmer takes a lot of risks. It is not something you do to be wealthy. You really have to have a heart in it. You really have to be driven to feed the world. Farming is a selfless occupation.”
BEING A FARMER TAKES A LOT OF RISKS. IT’S NOT SOMETHING YOU DO TO BE WEALTHY.
Jana Slaughter Crop Consultant
Williams often is asked to speak at professional conferences, where he shares his farming knowledge with others, Arnall said.
“A lot of producers in Marty’s realm don’t feel like they can get outside the farm,” Arnall said. “They get very focused on what is going on at the farm and don’t feel like they can leave. Marty is one of the few who has seen the capability of being a leader in his farming community.”
Slaughter said she admires Williams
Williams’ wife said he is one of the most influential individuals in her life.
“I’ve always had a deep respect for anyone in agriculture, and now even more so because I see what Marty does on a daily basis,” she said. “I feel like it’s our responsibility to do our best with the land and also raise our kids to appreciate it and, hopefully, have some part in it in the future.”
Although Williams’ school days at OSU are finished, he is appreciative of his education and has benefited from it in more ways than one, he said.
“The resources I gained at OSU and the relationships I built with professors really shaped and molded how I came back
Continuing the Legacy ...
In addition to Marty Williams’ day-to-day work on the farm, he and his family hosted Corey Holman, a freshman at East Central University from Asher, Okla., to teach him more about farming and machinery.
Holman did not come from a farming background, but he had an interest in agronomy and farming, Williams said.
“Corey always expressed that he wanted to farm,” Williams said. “[His parents] reached out to me, and I let him come. It has been great.”
Holman came for days or weeks at a time and helped around the farm, working alongside Williams and his crew.
Holman said he initially expected Williams to tell him a thing or two about farming and then get back to his work, but the opposite was true.
“I was there from dawn to dusk while Marty filled me full of all the information and tips he could,” Holman said. “I have been back up to visit four or five times, and each time, I leave with more knowledge about agriculture and life than when I first came.”
and applied farming techniques,” he said. “It opened my mind toward better techniques, and I am able to use [my mentors] to this day.”
Williams said he and Holman became good friends during the time they spent together.
“He asked really good questions, and he is just a smart kid,” Williams said.
Holman said he knows he can use the knowledge Williams gave him on his own operation now and in the future.
“I am extremely blessed to have Marty’s advice behind me when I make decisions on my own farm,” Holman said. “I also know I can call him with questions about farming, trucks, equipment and many other things, and he will set aside time to give me advice or talk me through a process.”
Holman said he plans to attend OSU when he finishes at ECU and wants to major in plant and soil sciences, following in Williams’ footsteps.
“I want to come to OSU because I know how much it is geared to educate the next generation of farmers and ranchers,” Holman said. “When I graduate, the education I receive at OSU will have me ready to put the latest technology, engineering and science to work for me on the farm.”
Rachel METZGER
Stillwater, Okla.
Marty Williams, plant and soil sciences alumnus, uses his OSU education in his day-to-day farm work. Photo by Dustin Mielke.
CAUGHT UP & Called Out
Agricultural leadership student inspires others with new book
Son. Friend. Former Oklahoma FFA Association officer. Student. OSU Cowboy. Leadership coach. Motivational speaker.
These titles describe Oklahoma State University agricultural leadership senior Brandon Baumgarten. Now, he can add published author to the list.
Rooted in humble beginnings in the small town of Oilton, Okla., Baumgarten has dedicated his life to empowering others to be the best they can be, and his new book, “Caught Up & Called Out,” is dedicated to helping readers discover their inner leader, he said.
“My hope is that ‘Caught Up & Called Out’ helps readers understand leadership is not a title, but a state of mind,” Baumgarten said. “Everyone has potential, a calling and a chance to lead.”
Baumgarten found his passion for leadership while participating in FFA events in high school, he said.
“My passion for FFA started when I was a freshman in high school,” Baumgarten said. “It was the first time I ever felt like I was a part of something. My agricultural education teacher motivated me to be my best and get involved early.”
After getting involved in public speaking, leadership and showing livestock, Baumgarten said he decided to run for a state FFA officer position because he wanted to give back to the organization.
“I developed a desire to get more involved in the organization and reach out to others,” Baumgarten said. “My motivation for running for state office was to reach the unreachable students and empower them to see their worth and value.”
Baumgarten ran and was elected as state FFA secretary in April 2011. After a year of traveling the state and teaching leadership material, he was elected state FFA president in April 2012.
“Brandon has a big heart and is extremely down-to-earth,” said Steven Vekony, past state FFA officer and former teammate to Baumgarten. “One trait that made him such a great leader was his mind was focused on big-picture goals. We accomplished many things as a team I feel we would not have if Brandon was not on our team.”
Baumgarten said he felt his time serving the FFA organization was not finished after his term as state FFA president, so he ran for an officer position with the National FFA Organization. After losing the national election, Baumgarten said he turned to writing.
because it took every ounce of free time I had to get it done.”
Setting aside two hours each day and designing a timeline to get the book finished helped Baumgarten reach his goal of finishing “Caught Up & Called Out” by the end of 2015, he said.
Baumgarten also said one of his greatest motivating factors in finishing the book was Rhett Laubach, owner of YourNextSpeaker, a motivational speaking and leadership training business.
I LOVE THE CHANCE TO SPEAK LIFE, VALUE AND WORTH INTO PEOPLE.
Brandon Baumgarten Author
“After I didn’t get elected to national office, I sat down and began putting together some leadership-based blogs,” Baumgarten said. “In June 2014, I started looking at getting published. I visited with some companies and landed with a company called AuthorHouse last summer.”
Being a full-time college student and writing a book did pose some difficulties, Baumgarten said.
“The biggest challenge in writing the book was being a college student while trying to become a published author,” Baumgarten said. “It took over two years to write ‘Caught Up & Called Out’
“As I was putting the book together, Rhett was very instrumental in motivating me to get the book finished and distributed,” Baumgarten said. “He also was really great about helping me get the word out about the book to youth across the state.” Laubach said he knew how important it was for Baumgarten’s career to finish the book and wanted to help him along the way.
“I knew he wanted to do it, and it is something that can be easily delayed because writing a book is tedious work,” Laubach said. “This book is a way for Brandon to shout even louder and reach more people with his message, and I really wanted him to have that tool in his professional toolkit.”
For those who know Baumgarten, hearing about his success is no surprise, Laubach said.
“Brandon is real,” Laubach said. “He listens, asks questions, and is genuinely interested in other people. He makes a point
since
1,000
More than
copies of “Caught Up and Called Out” have been sold
the book’s release in November 2015. Photo by Kaylen Baker.
to lift others up with encouragement, and people are drawn to him because of that.”
Laubach wrote the foreword for “Caught Up & Called Out.”
“When Brandon called me and asked me to write the foreword, I said ‘Yeah, send it to me!’” Laubach said. “I wanted to read it, get involved, and help in any way I could.”
Laubach said he felt the book was something of which Baumgarten should be proud.
“He really put together a piece that will challenge anyone who spends time reading it,” Laubach said. “It’s a great read because he tells personal stories throughout the book, and he explains common ideas in an uncommon way.”
Baumgarten said his goal for each person who reads “Caught Up & Called Out” is to walk away with a new outlook on servant leadership.
Laubach said a message that will stick with readers is about availability to serve.
“There’s a line in the book asking the readers if they are available to serve, and if they are, are they making it a priority,” Laubach said. “It is powerful and really
makes the readers stop and think, and it is a moment in the book that really stuck out to me.”
Vekony said he believes adding “author” to Baumgarten’s résumé is unique.
“To my knowledge, very few past state FFA officers from Oklahoma have written a book,” Vekony said. “Brandon’s book has already reached a large number of people. It is doing big work in FFA and in other organizations by inspiring current, past and future members.”
Since the release of the book in November 2015, “Caught Up & Called Out” has sold more than 1,000 copies nationwide, Baumgarten said.
Aside from writing a book and going to school, Baumgarten also runs a successful motivational speaking and leadership training business, Brandon Baumgarten: Engage. Encourage. Empower.
“I love the chance to speak life, value and worth into people,” Baumgarten said. “There’s a thrill that comes with motivating people of all ages. Seeing them want to make an impact, and then doing it, is why I do what I do.”
Laubach said he believes Baumgarten
will continue to be successful in the motivational speaking and coaching business.
“Brandon is real, and he doesn’t have a pretense,” Laubach said. “That authenticity is necessary for everyday life, but especially in the motivational speaking and leadership training business. It’s easy to talk the talk, but he also walks the walk.”
Baumgarten said another book may be in his future, but for now, he plans to continue his motivational speaking business and finishing his agricultural leadership degree in May 2016.
“I’ve been to a lot of college campuses doing leadership training, and nothing compares to the family environment we have here at OSU,” Baumgarten said. “I’m definitely thankful for my agricultural leadership training from OSU. It has helped me get far!”
A May 2016 graduate, Brandon Baumgarten spent more than two years of his college career writing “Caught Up & Called Out.” Photo by Kaylen Baker.
Kaylen BAKER
Yukon, Okla.
Black cutworms can cause divots in the turf, making a golf ball veer off course. Photo illustration by Brittani Baldner-Hill and Abbey Martin.
ou line up the perfect putt at the 18th hole. You tap the golf ball straight toward the hole. Then, for no apparent reason, your ball rolls off course. You add an unwanted stroke to your game.
Why did the ball detour? Black cutworms might be the culprit.
“Cutworms are the larvae of certain moth species that behave in a destructive manner,” said Eric Rebek, associate professor and state extension specialist of horticultural insects in the Oklahoma State University Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology. “Cutworms cut down a host plant and drag it into subterranean tunnels where they feed on the plant material.”
This feeding and tunneling behavior damages the turf and interferes with ball roll, Rebek said.
“Black cutworms are among the worst pests on putting greens,” he said.
Rebek conducts research funded by the Oklahoma Turfgrass Research Foundation on a microbial control for the insects, he said.
The research began in the spring of 2014. The initial step was surveying for naturally occurring insect pathogens in Oklahoma soil, which was done by Jose Rodriguez-Contreras, a former student of Sergio Sanchez-Pena, Rebek’s collaborator at Universidad Autonoma Agraria Antonio Narro in Saltillo, Mexico.
Rodriguez-Contreras’ work led to Rebek and Stephen Marek, associate professor in the OSU Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, choosing to work with entomopathogenic fungi, Rebek said.
“Ento means insect,” Marek said. “Pathogen means microbe that can cause a disease, so entomopathogenic means causing disease to insects.”
Before molecular methods, all fungi were classified by the morphology of fruiting spores and bodies, Rebek said.
Black cutworm research offers alternative control
The only way scientists could differentiate among species was to look at them. This was a problem because many strains of fungi look identical, so two or more species were classified as being one, he said.
“Today, fungi and other organisms are more reliably distinguished genetically by comparing various regions of their DNA across taxa,” Rebek said.
The internal transcribed spacer region is the section of DNA used to differentiate the species of fungi, Rebek said.
“The ITS region is commonly called the DNA barcode of fungi,” Marek said.
Scientists use different regions of DNA to distinguish among individual species, Marek said.
“We tested the efficacy of the five most pathogenic isolates against black cutworm,” Rebek said. “These isolates show promise for biological control of black cutworms infesting turfgrass, and results will be used to determine the optimal concentration of viable spores for effective management of black cutworms at field-realistic application rates.”
efficient and cheap,” Rebek said.
The DIY application would allow golf course superintendents and homeowners to eliminate the problem on their own without spending a ton of money on professional pesticide application, Rebek said.
“Because black cutworms are so prolific, golf courses spend a lot of money managing them,” Rebek said.
Lakeside Memorial Golf Course in Stillwater spends $500 to $600 annually controlling cutworms but would have to spend a lot more for turf replacement, said Mike Buxton, golf course superintendent.
BLACK CUTWORMS ARE AMONG THE WORST PESTS ON PUTTING GREENS.
Eric Rebek Associate Professor
These five isolates were tested at OSU’s Turfgrass Research Center during summer 2015, Rebek said. The fungi’s effectiveness against black cutworms was compared to the effectiveness of insecticides used against the pest.
In summer 2016, the most effective rates will be re-evaluated, Rebek said.
“We are looking for something as or more effective than current commercial products,” Rebek said.
The end goal of the research is to commercialize the fungi as a biological control, Rebek said.
“The pie-in-the-sky idea is to create a do-it-yourself application that is simple,
Most of the cost associated with controlling black cutworms is spent on pesticide application, but if the cutworms take over, golf courses may have to replace entire sections of turf, Rebek said. Also, creating a biological control would be much safer for golfers and more environmentally friendly, he said. When golfers are on the course, they sometimes put their golf balls into their mouths while setting up shots, Rebek said. This means they put pesticide-covered golf balls into their mouths, giving them a much greater exposure to the chemicals, Rebek added.
“Even if they don’t put the golf balls in their mouths, golfers are still exposed to a lot of pesticides,” Rebek said.
Much work must be done before a fungus could be commercialized to decrease pesticide use, but so far, the results are favorable, Rebek said.
Brittani BALDNER-HILL
Jeromesville, Ohio
Preserving
OSU student plans to start food-processing center in West Africa
hile some entrepreneurs are driven by hobbies or money, Korotoumou Sidibe, Oklahoma State University agribusiness senior, said she is driven by the hunger of her fellow countrymen.
In 2015, Nescafé awarded $30,000 to one finalist as part of its Get Africa Started small business initiative. The finalist was 21-year-old Sidibe.
Nescafé’s Get Africa Started program is a competition for young people from West Africa to fund a business idea benefiting the people of their countries.
During her internship last summer in Mali with the Food and Agriculture Organization, Sidibe developed an idea to reduce post-harvest loss as a way to address her country’s hunger issue, she said.
“In Africa, not everyone can afford to have a fridge or cold storage,” Sidibe said.
Many produce farmers see their products go bad in just three days, she said. In Mali, this has become a large-scale issue.
Many factors plague Mali’s agricultural sector, said Assoumane Maiga, business adviser at the Wes Watkins Center for International Trade and Development and a native Malian. Post-harvest loss is at the forefront of those issues, he said.
Mali’s weather patterns differ from the United States in that they have a rainy sea-
son and dry season. From June to October, Mali experiences rain. But from October to the next June, Mali has a dry climate that creates challenges for maintaining a suitable food supply, Maiga said. Sidibe’s business will play a key role in addressing these issues, he said.
Sidibe said she wants to create a facility so she can buy farmers’ products and create something better. Through a food-processing center, she will take the raw goods she buys from farmers to create value-added products, she said.
Fruits could be converted to jellies, jams or juice, Sidibe said. Even products, which in any other circumstance would be deemed unusable, can be used through her business, she said.
Sidibe said her strategy does not stop with the business.
The second part of the model is to build an educational institute to complement her food-processing facility. She said she plans to teach improved food production and preservation techniques to local farmers and hopes this will create higher profits for them and their families when they go to market.
Sidibe does not have an extensive background in food processing, she said. However, she is developing her knowledge and skills while at OSU.
OR COLD STORAGE.
IN AFRICA, NOT EVERYONE CAN AFFORD TO HAVE A FRIDGE
Korotoumou Sidibe OSU Agribusiness Senior
“I can still purchase spoiled products and make compost for agricultural use and, in some cases, make feed for cattle,” Sidibe said.
Sidibe’s facility has the potential to bring employment opportunities to Mali, Maiga said.
“A main focus of the Malian government is job creation,” Maiga said.
Sidibe currently works with Timothy Bowser, professor and food process engineer at OSU’s Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center. Together, the two of them are developing value-added products in FAPC for Sidibe to replicate at her future facility in Mali, Bowser said.
“Jams and jellies are a great way to preserve fruits because you can take advantage of the naturally high acid content of the fruit,” Bowser said.
Sidibe has learned how to use the FAPC equipment to create a jelly made
Korotoumou Sidibe, an agribusiness senior from Mali, plans to start her own food-processing business in her home country. Photo by Peter Cohen. COWBOY
from grapes. The next step was deciding how to package the product, Bowser said.
“At first, she was considering glass jars, but I encouraged her to look at inexpensive lightweight plastic pouches, which are rugged and easy to fill,” Bowser said.
Dehydration was among the other possible technologies they explored to implement in Sidibe’s facility, Bowser said. She showcased her newly developed products as part of her Get Africa Started proposal presentation.
As Sidibe waits to receive her prize money, she knows her facility will not start overnight. Constructing the building, buying equipment, and hiring employees requires more investment, Sidibe said.
Bowser said Sidibe’s goal of developing a food-processing center is attainable as long as she can find access to a suitable workforce, clean water and energy.
Sidibe has explored bioenergy as well as propane to power her machines. Much of the other work can be done by hand, Bowser said.
For the food-processing center to reach its full potential, Sidibe said she plans to pursue a master’s degree in food science at OSU.
Drive is not something she lacks, said Rodney Jones, agricultural economics professor and Sidibe’s academic adviser.
“Korotoumou is a very hardworking,
very driven student who performs very well academically,” Jones said.
Sidibe said her biggest concern is receiving enough scholarship funds to allow her to stay at OSU to complete an advanced degree.
“I’m trying to find a scholarship, but it’s not really easy for international students,” she said.
The oldest of eight sisters, Sidibe said she has always felt pressure to succeed to be a role model for her younger siblings. As the daughter of the architect who built one of the first greenhouses in Mali, agriculture has played a foundational role in Sidibe’s dreams, she said.
Mali and many other African countries need projects like Sidibe’s, Maiga said. The high demand for this type of facility will help Sidibe to succeed.
“Post-harvest loss is an issue in almost every African country,” Maiga said. “Since she has technologies, initiative and proposals for this issue, I believe that she has something good.”
Opportunities to Improve
According to the CIA World Factbook, 34 percent of Mali’s land is for agricultural use and 80 percent of the country’s labor force is involved with the agricultural industry. Malians produce corn and other vegetables, rice, cotton, millet and peanuts as well as livestock, including sheep, goats and cattle.
While many citizens are involved in agriculture, as recent as 2012, 75 percent of northern Malian households were food insecure, according to the U.S. Agency of International Development.
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Walt Garrison, former OSU and Dallas Cowboys football player, earned his honorary doctoral degree in 2015. Photo by Todd Johnson.
Honorary
Garrison accepts honorary doctoral degree from OSU
ften called a true “cowboy’s cowboy” and a genuine friend, Walt Garrison is a “small-town boy made good.”
Born in July 1944, Garrison grew up in Lewisville, Texas. He spent his childhood helping on his uncle’s farm and breaking horses for a local cowboy.
When Garrison was not working in the agricultural industry, he was playing football for his high school’s team.
Garrison said he was not a superstar during his high school football career, but as a senior, Garrison accepted a scholarship from Oklahoma State University to play for the Cowboys.
“I started at linebacker my freshman year,” Garrison said. “Then, they moved me to running back.”
A student with a love for rodeo, Garrison was an animal husbandry major and received an Academic All-Star award through the college football program.
As an OSU senior, Garrison lived across the breezeway from fellow Texan Bob Kropp, a freshman, who later became an OSU animal science professor.
Kropp said he and Garrison enjoyed their time together.
“Walt was just a regular guy made famous,” Kropp said. “Although he was a football superstar, he would walk down the halls like any other student.”
I TRY TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN FOR OSU BECAUSE THEY GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT I DID.
Walt Garrison Former Dallas Cowboys Fullback
Garrison said the running back position proved to be a good spot for him. He earned multiple honors in this position during his college career, including being chosen for multiple All-Star games and as an All-American.
Longtime friend and OSU teammate Jerry Gill said he and Garrison were survivors of Coach Phil Cutchin’s tough football regime. Today, they call themselves the Cutchin Cowboys.
“During Walt’s freshman year, about 100 boys went out for the team,” Gill said. “At the end of the season, 30 finished, and my freshman year, 10 or 11 finished.”
Today, the Cutchin Cowboys remain a tight-knit group, Gill said. It’s nice to see how successful each of the team members has been off the field, he added.
“He was all lean, all mean on the field and a funny guy off the field,” Gill said.
Garrison not only excelled on the football field, but also in the classroom.
In the spring of 1966, which would have been Garrison’s final semester at OSU, the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL drafted Garrison in the fifth round.
“Most signing bonuses in the NFL involve money,” Kropp said. “Walt’s signing bonus was a Grand Prix and a two-horse in-line trailer.”
When Garrison accepted the offer from the Dallas Cowboys, he planned to return to school the next semester to finish his degree because he “knew he wasn’t going to make the team in Dallas.”
Nine years, a Super Bowl ring and a successful career later, Garrison did not return to Stillwater to complete his bachelor’s degree.
After his tenure with the National Football League, Garrison worked as the vice president of promotions for U.S. Tobacco for 30 years before his retirement.
Along with football and rodeo, Garrison is passionate about OSU. He said he continues to be loyal to the university, especially its rodeo program. Each year, Garrison donates money as well as his hand-crafted wood carvings to the OSU Rodeo Team.
“I try to do everything I can for OSU,” Garrison said, “because they gave me the opportunity to do what I did.”
Garrison said he knows the students on the rodeo team have numerous expenses related to entry fees and travel and wants to help as much as possible.
“Walt is a wonderful individual,” said Cody Hollingsworth, OSU rodeo program and facilities coordinator. “He attracts support for OSU. When alumni know Walt is behind it, they want to support it, too.”
Although Garrison has seen much success in his lifetime, he said if he could change one thing about his college experience, it would be to earn an OSU degree.
Knowing Garrison’s desire, the OSU Department of Animal Science worked to secure an honorary doctorate for him, said Clint Rusk, department head.
“Honoring Walt Garrison with the honorary doctoral degree seems only fitting for a man who set records while attending OSU, excelled in his professional career, and has given back to the university again and again,” Rusk said.
Honorary doctoral degrees are presented in “recognition of a career of extraordinary accomplishment that has benefited society through intellectual, artistic, scientific, professional, or public service contributions,” according to OSU.
Once the OSU/A&M Board of Regents approved Garrison’s honorary degree, OSU honored him at the Fall 2015 commencement ceremony.
From American cowboy to OSU Cowboy to Dallas Cowboy, Garrison has come full circle and continues to influence those who share his passion.
Kylie WATSON
Marysville, Calif.
Did you know WALT GARRISON
… appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in September 1972?
… was a member of the 1972 Super Bowl Champion Dallas Cowboys?
… published an autobiography in 1988, titled “Once a Cowboy”?
… displays his ranch and rodeo equipment in the Walt Garrison Bar & Grill in Dallas?
… has a line of dipping sauce, salsa, barbecue sauce and meat rub?
… loves wood carving and carves every day?
… was a bulldogger on the OSU Rodeo Team?
… was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2012?
… is a member of the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame?
Top: Ernie Roberts (left), Walt Garrison and Doug Hicks at a 1976 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association event. Photo by Bern Gregory/Dickinson Research Center. Middle and Bottom Right: Walt Garrison wore No. 32. Photos courtesy of OSU Athletics. Bottom Left: Walt Garrison admires Boone Pickens Stadium after the December 2015 commencement ceremonies. Photo by Todd Johnson.
Thirty years ago, 171 new freshmen students enrolled in Oklahoma State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Last fall, 518 new freshmen students enrolled in the college. With this growth has come a change in the typical CASNR student.
CASNR’s student body demographics today are much different than in the 1980s, said Scott Carter, who received a Bachelor of Science in animal science from OSU in December 1989 and returned to OSU in 1997 as an animal science assistant professor.
“When I was in school, typical students were small-town, rural, country boys and a few country girls who had a knowledge of animal agriculture,” Carter said.
Today, CASNR’s 1,450 women students outnumber the men, whose enrollment in the college last year stood at 1,085, according to CASNR.
Increasingly, the students are from a variety of backgrounds, said Cynda Clary, CASNR associate dean.
Joe Schatzer, OSU agricultural economics professor and CASNR faculty member since 1983, said he has noticed a change in the number of students from farming backgrounds.
“My perception is we have more nonfarm students in the college today than we did when I first started teaching at OSU,” Schatzer said.
Clary said the trends in student demographics at OSU are similar to changes happening at other land-grant institutions across the nation.
As fewer people have firsthand knowl-
CASNR YEARS OF
Student demographics change across decades
edge of agriculture, fewer students come to CASNR with traditional agricultural backgrounds or experiences. This changing demographic brings unique perspectives to the classroom and to student organizations, Clary said.
“The more diversity we can get in an undergraduate population, the more experiences and knowledge our students can gain,” Carter said.
“As faculty, we need to adapt to the changes but still hold true to what our department was founded on as we reach the changing demographics,” he added.
In the past four years, CASNR has set new records for the largest freshman class each fall and is on target to set another record in Fall 2016, Clary said.
In the middle of record-setting enrollment, Clary said the college must keep in mind why students choose an education in CASNR at OSU.
“The strength of our programs is that we still have a very hands-on approach to education,” Clary said.
While other land-grant universities have dealt with increasing student enrollment by providing fewer applied-learning classes, OSU has kept its hands-on approach, she said.
Clary said CASNR is fortunate to have animal and plant teaching units as well as the biosystems and agricultural engineering labs.
“We have facilities close enough to campus that students can be on those facilities as part of their regular class time,” she said.
Clary said faculty who are committed
to being excellent in the classroom are a major draw to prospective students.
In fact, CASNR has two faculty members, Shida Henneberry and Garey Fox, who have won the national U.S. Department of Agriculture Excellence in College and University Teaching Award for Food and Agricultural Sciences in the last two years, Clary said.
“That says a lot about the quality of faculty we have in the college and how committed they are to connecting with students inside and outside of the classroom,” Clary said. “That is why we see growth in enrollment.”
Students also use their CASNR education in an assortment of jobs, both in and out of the agricultural industry, Clary said.
“People have an image they associate with what they think agriculture involves,” Clary said. “While there are career paths that are in the things they associate with agriculture, a lot of other career paths exist for CASNR graduates.”
Clary said CASNR educates students about what their career paths can be, showcasing the many options for majors and even more options for potential jobs.
“The pride the students have in the education they get at OSU is exciting,” Clary said. “That has not changed.”
Amanda BACON
Siloam Springs, Ark.
Horticulture and landscape architecture students designed the pebble garden in front of the new Charles and Linda Cline Equine Teaching Center. Photo by Sabrina Wilber.
CASNR students design landscape for new equine center
Horses grazing. Flowers blooming. Grasses growing. Seasons changing. These scenes are created by landscape architecture students helping other students the Cowboy way.
The Charles and Linda Cline Equine Teaching Center’s grand opening was Feb. 16, showcasing facilities and recognizing those involved in creating the new facility.
Eight landscape architecture students aided in the aesthetics of the Charles and Linda Cline Equine Teaching Center by designing a low-maintenance landscape.
“It is a student place,” said Cheryl Mihalko, assistant professor of horticulture and landscape architecture. “Dr. Cynda Clary, associate dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, wanted students to be involved in developing the landscape setting.”
Mihalko coordinated with Janna Beck-Williams, facilities and project manager for the OSU Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, to arrange for students to design the landscape.
“Don’t fall into analysis paralysis and just stare at the problem,” Jordan said. “Keep moving the pen on the paper, and eventually, you will have a solution.”
Capturing ideas down on paper and running with them is a takeaway for students and a life lesson in any career path, Jordan said.
“Because this was a real-world opportunity and students would get to see their design ideas incorporated into the new setting, it was not difficult to get participation,” Mihalko said.
At the time of the charrette, introduction to landscape architecture and landscape management classes were offered.
WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM THAT HAS A BROAD SPECTRUM OF KNOWLEDGE THAT HELPS US GET THERE.
Dave Brown Landscape Design Coordinator
As a co-adviser of OSU’s student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, Mihalko told students of the opportunity to help at the new center.
“My role was participating in a design charette,” said Daniel Jordan, landscape architecture senior, “which is basically a brainstorming session where any ideas go on the paper to keep refining them until you have a couple concepts.”
Landscape architecture students’ class assignments are mostly theoretical projects, but they always appreciate a real site and actual client, Mihalko said.
They started the project with the creativity and a yearning for hands-on experience for their career paths, she said.
A challenge for many students is the creativity brain block, Jordan said.
“I encouraged them to attend even though they had not yet taken design or the graphic presentation course,” Mihalko said. “I told them they would be put on a team with more advanced students who would take the lead.
“This project let them be a part of something that was actually going to be built,” Mihalko said. “They viewed it as an opportunity to make a legacy on campus.”
Mihalko provided the base map material and site photographs for students as they worked in groups of four to complete a preliminary plan.
They offered ideas on how to create a functional area for students to make the most of the landscaping, she said.
“A couple of teams proposed pulling the outdoor seating space slightly away from the building to capture more sunlight and have higher visibility,” said Dave Brown, landscape design coordinator for the department. “There was a proposal to have a hitching post or two.”
Brown often is asked to take part in assisting in the program’s projects, including working with students, he said.
“My group worked to come up with
a design and plant list that we felt met the needs of the users while increasing the outdoor aesthetic value,” Jordan said.
Students developed design plans with low-maintenance materials and high-quality visuals, Jordan said.
Jordan said the biggest challenge the group faced was choosing drought-tolerant plant material that was maintained easily and fit with the design vision.
collected and students had explained their concepts, Brown consolidated the ideas into one plan.
DON’T FALL INTO ANALYSIS PARALYSIS AND STARE AT THE PROBLEM.
Daniel Jordan Landscape Architecture Senior
“We used several native grasses,” Jordan said. “My favorite plant we used is Salvia greggii, a small perennial shrub that has bright blooms. We used it for the color and texture change.”
The design charrette produced ideas and plans that could be taken to the next level of design, Brown said.
The final design incorporated a seating area centered in the front of the building with hitching posts framing the pebble garden, Brown said.
When the preliminary drawings were
“I took elements of some of the designs and began to develop the final plans for the area,” Brown said. “I did the planning under the direction of leadership from the equine center and the college to make sure there was a good marriage between the student concepts, the developing plan and the needs of the school.
“The best results come from an open mind, taking input and advice from others, and remaining fluid throughout the process,” Brown said.
With proposals for an outdoor seating space, students had different initial concepts, but with compromise, the final design came together, he said.
“The final design has the seating area connecting three building entrances and centered in the crook of the building,”
Brown said. “We used the hitching posts similar to ornamental fencing to help us frame the area.”
Challenges of designing an outdoor space for the new center included working in the budget and creating a simple but enhancing outdoor design for the facility. The price and function, hardscape and plant material choices were vital, he said.
“We have a great team that has a broad spectrum of knowledge that helps us get there,” Brown said.
To assist in the budget, facilities management donated items such as benches and flowerpots, Beck-Williams said.
“This was a great experience and success that we will repeat in future DASNR projects,” Beck-Williams said.
Sabrina WILBER
Cherokee, Okla.
Landscape architecture senior Daniel Jordan works at the classroom design studio to finalize details on design layouts. Photo by Sabrina Wilber.
OSU graduates develop unique ice cream product
Ahot summer day and cold, sweet ice cream. The treat is the perfect taste combination to make any day better. In 2015, Stillwater became home to a unique version of the tasty treat — goat milk ice cream.
RaShaun Robinson and his business
partner, Caleb Neil, founded Billy Goat Ice Cream Co. in April 2015. It began with a simple idea for an Oklahoma State University class project and turned into one of Stillwater’s newest businesses.
Robinson and Neil each graduated with a master’s degree in entrepreneurship
Billy Goat Ice Cream is low in fat and low in lactose, allowing individuals with a lactose intolerance to consume the sweet treat. Photo by Brianne Schwabauer.
from OSU in May 2015. During one of their classes, Robinson came up with the goat milk ice cream idea in hopes of helping local agriculture, he said.
Robinson and Neil met during a class in Fall 2013. Their job in the class was to work together to create a business plan and market a product.
Luckily for them, Robinson said, he had thought of a unique idea almost four years prior during his undergraduate program at Langston University. Robinson had no idea a simple class project could turn into his career, he said.
“We were kind of just doing it for the sake of the class,” Robinson said. “To our surprise, we ended up winning that competition and received an award to help start our business.”
It took more than six months for the duo to come up with a formula for ice cream to meet their requirements, Robinson said.
“We spent many hours testing everything from sugar to eggs,” Robinson said. “We had to find the right combination while sticking to our product goal of remaining all natural and preservative free.”
Starting a business has more to it than one would think, especially when developing a food product, Robinson said.
“We spent a lot of hours in and around supermarkets asking customers why they were choosing the ice cream they bought,” Robinson said. “We also would ask
clients if goat milk ice cream would be something they would be interested in. It was a lot of work, but we gained a lot from it.”
The pair wanted to create goat milk ice cream because of the health benefits. They wanted to create a product that was not only healthy but also was something people could enjoy, Robinson said.
“Thirty-three percent of Americans are lactose intolerant or have some form of digestive sensitivities,” Robinson said. “Many of that 33 percent can consume goat milk because it is low in lactose and low in fat.”
Robinson said he and Neil knew they could not do this alone. They both knew they needed help from other entities if they actually wanted to create a product people would want, he said.
Cream Co. is located in the Meridian Technology Center’s small-business development center.
“It has been really great to be in this facility,” Robinson said. “Meridian has been very supportive during this process. They are even able to focus group new products as we develop new flavors.”
FAPC has been a great resource, as well, Robinson said.
“We have been able to ask any questions we may have,” Robinson said. “For guys who don’t have a background in food science, we wouldn’t be able to make it without the people at FAPC.”
THEY HAVE AN ATTRACTIVELY PRICED PRODUCT THAT WILL CAPTURE THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION.
Barbara
Charlet Made in Oklahoma Market Development Coordinator
They contacted three different agencies for help during the process: the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center in the OSU Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, and Meridian Technology Center in Stillwater, Okla.
Now, Billy Goat Ice
Erin Johnson, FAPC client coordinator, serves on the advisory board for Billy Goat Ice Cream Co.
“I have the opportunity to assist with all entrepreneur students who come through,” Johnson said. “I have been able to help Billy Goat Ice Cream specifically with their operations and the policies they need to follow.”
FAPC has worked with Billy Goat Ice Cream Co. for almost two years, Johnson said. They assist with anything from label requirements to testing new flavor combinations such as roasted strawberry balsamic, coffee cacao chip and garden mint.
Owners RaShaun Robinson (left) and Caleb Neil had the idea for Billy Goat Ice Cream Co. while at OSU.
Photo illustration by Jimmy Hutson.
The purpose of FAPC is to help develop successful value-added enterprises in Oklahoma — to bring the products, the jobs and the dollars home, Johnson said.
“We offer many different types of services to help businesses get a jump start,” Johnson said. “Our goal is to help food businesses put the best product out there for the consumers to enjoy.”
The Made in Oklahoma Coalition has played an important role during the last year, as well, Robinson said.
MIO is a marketing cooperative whose mission is to create brand awareness and consumer loyalty for locally sourced and produced food products, said Barbara Charlet, market development coordinator for the cooperative.
“We work with Oklahoma food manufacturers, helping them with everything from marketing to distribution,” Charlet said. “Our goal is to help them achieve sales growth within the state as well as the surrounding region. The Dallas-Fort Worth market, for example, has a greater population than all of Oklahoma, so it is a natural target market.”
Along with all members of MIO, Billy Goat Ice Cream Co. receives a multitude
of marketing opportunities, everything from in-store promotional events to participation in retail and food service shows, Charlet said.
In addition, they receive timely industry information and the expertise of their fellow MIO members, some of whom have 20 to 40 years of experience in the food industry, she said.
“The coalition has enabled Billy Goat to gain access to distribution channels and retail and food service accounts that would be difficult to approach on their own,” Charlet said. “The coalition, operating as a marketing cooperative, continues to mentor emerging companies as they navigate the inhibiting process of securing shelf space in warehouse distribution centers and retail stores.”
Billy Goat Ice Cream slowly is making its way into stores around Oklahoma and surrounding states. Food Pyramid in Stillwater, Okla., Reasor’s Foods in Tulsa, Okla., and the Green Acres Market in Wichita, Kan., are just some of the places people can find Billy Goat Ice Cream.
Recently, the Odyssey newspaper for OSU featured Billy Goat Ice Cream. The article described 11 rules all OSU students
broke at least once, and No. 8 was eating an entire pint of Billy Goat Ice Cream in one sitting.
“We couldn’t believe we got added to that list,” Robinson said. “We have seen an increase in brand awareness on campus because of it, so we are definitely thankful.”
Both Johnson and Charlet said they believe the buzz about the Billy Goat Ice Cream should result in continued success.
Johnson said she believes Billy Goat Ice Cream will become a nationally known product sold throughout the country in the next 10 years.
“With their uniqueness and taste profile, it appears they have unlimited potential to grow and expand their operations,” Charlet said. “They have an attractively priced product that will capture the millennial generation, a market segment with the resources and interest in non-traditional products.”
Billy Goat Ice Cream Co. offers unique all-natural flavors, including roasted strawberry balsamic and coffee cacao chip. Photo by Brianne Schwabauer.
Jimmy HUTSON
Burns Flat, Okla.
CREAM
DRIVEN WITH A
Afifth-generation rancher from Wyandotte, Okla., with a passion for production agriculture, Kalyn McKibben has spent time in orange and black to help define who she is both personally and professionally.
“People may not remember your title, but they will never forget the impact you had on them,” she said.
To recognize McKibben’s accomplishments in academics and research as well as her involvement with Oklahoma State University, McKibben received the 2016 College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Louis and Betty Gardner Outstanding Senior Award.
“Beginning my undergraduate career at OSU, I wanted to challenge myself,” McKibben said. “I realized the only thing keeping us from accomplishing our wildest dreams is ourselves.”
Dan Stein, animal science associate professor and McKibben’s academic adviser, said McKibben is passionate, energetic and driven.
“She is a gal who has a mission in life
McKibben receives top senior award
to be the next spokesperson for the beef industry,” Stein said.
“If you tag along behind her, you better get your tennis shoes on,” Stein said. “She is constantly on the go.”
McKibben said her most memorable experience was walking with friends in OSU’s Homecoming celebration.
“As we began to inch along in the parade procession, I stood proudly with my closest friends and fellow students as we shouted and jumped with excitement, cheering on our beloved Cowboys,” McKibben said. “In that moment, my pride was unexplainable.
“Not only was I a cattle producer promoting my family’s business, but I was also a part of the CASNR and Cowboy families,” she said. “The comradery and school spirit was incredible.”
McKibben was an OSU Senior of Significance and a Top 20 Freshmen Woman. She also served as president of the Oklahoma Collegiate Cattlewomen and as a collegiate representative on the American National Cattlewomen Board of Directors.
She was a Hagan Scholar, Hunter Stone Endowed Scholarship recipient, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society initiate and a Lloyd Noble Scholar. McKibben said she has been blessed with amazing opportunities, allowing her to share her passion for OSU with people all across the country.
“Receiving this award, I hope to set an inspiring example of what students can accomplish and achieve as a product and representative of CASNR,” she said.
“I am fortunate to have been raised in an environment that allowed me to recognize and foster my passion for beef production very early in life,” she added.
McKibben said she plans to dedicate her career to shining a positive light on production agriculture and bridging the ever-increasing gap between consumers and producers.
Meg JOHNSON Beaver, Okla.
Growing up on a commercial cattle ranch, Kalyn McKibben developed a passion to advocate for the cattle industry. Photo courtesy of Kalyn McKibben.
Childhood dreams of becoming a veterinarian quickly changed when spreading the stories of agriculture became Kaylen Baker’s true passion.
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Baker, an agricultural communications and animal science double major from Yukon, Okla., has been involved in campus clubs, national conferences and internships since she was a freshman.
“I found my passion for agriculture when I joined FFA in high school and was led to OSU when I was elected the state reporter for the Oklahoma FFA Association,” she said.
“Every year I have spent here has left a significant impact on my life,” Baker said. “I believe I have left a significant impact on the lives of others through service and pushing others to become the best version of themselves, just like OSU has pushed me.”
Baker said her career goal is to work for an industry group as a communications specialist to spread the story of agriculture to producers and consumers.
A small-town, home-schooled girl from Oakland, Neb., Lindsay King moved south to become a Cowboy.
King, an animal science and agricultural communications double major, said her involvement with the Agriculture Future of America Leaders Conference helped define who she is today.
“On a whim, I applied to attend the AFALC and was selected for sponsorship,” King said. “Little did I know what the long weekend had in store for me.
“At the first conference, I was selected as a 40 Chances Fellow, which turned out to be the single-most challenging but meaningful experience for me as an OSU student,” she said.
“The outpouring of support, encouragement and opportunities presented to me as I grew up and while at OSU inspired me to do the same for those around me,” King said. “I aspire to work as a communications specialist for an agricultural organization or publication and advocate for the industry.”
Julia Matera, an animal science and biochemistry senior from Columbia, Mo., is passionate about research.
“Research is an area that became a blossoming passion of mine because it requires not simply an education and a knowledge base but also a progression of that knowledge,” Matera said.
“Research explores, discovers, relates, and expands,” Matera said. “It pushed my preconceptions and allowed me to explore areas that are unknown to a textbook.”
Matera said as she approached the end of her undergraduate career, her experiences at OSU culminated her past, shaped her current successes, and prepared her for the future.
Matera said she plans to attend medical school with the goal of becoming a physician.
From resident to mentor, living in Stout Hall helped biochemistry and molecular biology and microbiology senior Gretchan Moore of Muldrow, Okla., make the most of her time at OSU.
“Since beginning my senior year in Stout, the residents often come to me for advice,” Moore said. “In the end, relationships and community encompass the most memorable experiences students will ever have in college.”
Moore’s interests in medicine and the human body led her to be named a Tylenol Future Care Scholar, she said.
Moore has dedicated her personal time to promoting health care careers to her peers and the community.
After graduation, she plans to attend the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine in Tulsa, she said.
Thomas Coon (back row left), vice president of the OSU Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, along with Cynda Clary (back row second from right), associate dean of the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, and Brian Vowell (back row right), CASNR Alumni Board of Directors president, congratulate the 15 recipients of the CASNR Seniors of Distinction Award: Kalyn McKibben (back row second from left), Kyle Hilbert, Lindsay King, Daniel Jordan, James “Nolan” Craun, Julia Matera, Shanlyn Hefley, Gretchan Moore (front row left), Rebekah Sook, Katherine Schwartz, Mandy Jo Schroeder, Jena Kellum and Mary Temple-Lee. Not pictured: Kaylen Baker and Andres Guerrero Criado. Photo by Todd Johnson.
20 16 CASNRAWARDS
Professor Natural resource ecology & management Award for Excellence in Teaching Thomas Kuzmic
Jerry Fitch
Professor Animal science
Excellence in
Undergraduate Student Advising and Mentoring Award
Excellence in Graduate Advising & Mentoring Award Bill Raun
Regents Professor
Plant & Soil Sciences
Assistant Professor
Plant and Soil Sciences
Department Head
Horticulture &
Landscape Architecture
Alpha Zeta
Outstanding Teacher Janet Cole
CASNR Outstanding Adviser
Early Career Award for Excellence in Teaching Sergio Abit
CASNR Outstanding Staff Award Anna Whitney
Student Services Specialist
Agricultural Economics
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Courtney Mapes, an animal science and biochemistry major from Alva, Okla., was the recipient of the Charles and Magda Browning Outstanding Freshman Award at the 2016 CASNR Scholarships and Awards Banquet. Photo by Todd Johnson.
The Nuestra Señora de los Remedios sanctuary sits upon the Great Pyramid in Cholula, Mexico. Photo by Lynn Brandenberger.
The United States of America is a melting pot for people who come from an array of cultures, ethnicities and backgrounds.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, one in eight U.S. residents is an immigrant and one in five of those immigrants are of Latino or Asian descent.
Of the 41.3 million immigrants in the country, more than a quarter originate from Mexico.
To provide the training necessary to improve extension educators’ ability to work with people stemming from different cultures, the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service began assessing cultural competency of extension personnel in 2013, said Lupita Fabregas, former Oklahoma State University clinical assistant professor and multicultural and community engagement specialist.
Fabregas said this inspired her to show extension educators “the real Mexico” to better their understanding of Hispanics residing in Oklahoma.
To build cultural awareness, the OCES sent 12 faculty and staff on an 11day trip to Puebla, Mexico, in December 2015. OSU has a long-standing partnership with Universidad Popular Autónoma Del Estado De Puebla, Fabregas said.
UPAEP hosted the 12 participants and their two coordinators during the trip. The nine family and consumer science faculty members, two horticulture and landscape architecture representatives, and one state 4-H extension specialist had an intercultural experience of a lifetime, Fabregas said.
Fabregas worked with Jorge Atiles, the associate dean for extension and engagement in the College of Human Sciences and OCES, to show participants
OCES faculty gain intercultural experience in Puebla, Mexico
the health, education, economic, cultural, agricultural and religious aspects of Mexico. The experience was funded by a grant from OCES ambassadors. The grant allowed the participants to have to pay only for a small portion of the trip, Fabregas said.
“We did a lot of different things to better understand the Mexican culture,” Atiles said. “We stayed in the city of Puebla, which is almost as big as Oklahoma in terms of population.”
the day, participants used a taxi or public bus to return to their host families.
WE ARE NEIGHBORS WITH MEXICO, AND WE ARE GOING TO BE NEIGHBORS FOREVER.
Lupita Fabregas Former OSU Multicultural and Community Engagement Specialist
Each participant stayed with an individual host family in Puebla for the entirety of the trip.
“They lived with families instead of in hotels, so they had to ride public transportation in Mexico,” Fabregas said. “They visited the real Mexico that they would have never had a chance to see as tourists.”
Most of the host families spoke little to no English, said Shelley Mitchell, assistant extension specialist in horticulture and landscape architecture.
“The language barrier was a challenge at first,” she said, “but my host family was great. You became one of their family by the end of the trip. I had a blast, and I would go back in a heartbeat.”
Each day began by attending a morning lecture at UPAEP. How to conduct business in Mexico, the health care system, the education system, the meaning of culture and ethnicity, and immigration were discussed by various Mexican faculty in the morning lectures.
The group then traveled across southern Mexico to locations corresponding with the morning lectures. At the end of
“We were all in the same city, but the city of Puebla is huge,” Atiles said. “They all had to learn how to use public transportation and how to manage money as someone who lives there. It was, overall, a very good learning experience which allowed the county educators and the faculty to come back and reflect on how they are developing programs. The trip allowed them to overcome some of the misconceptions they had about the Mexican population.”
The group visited hospitals and schools to better understand the differences in private and public education and health care systems, Atiles said.
“We also did tours in agriculture by visiting several establishments,” Atiles said. “We visited horticulture farms and a pig farm, and that was wonderful. They were one of the largest pig producers in the area. We learned a lot about how the farm was managed.”
When the group traveled to Mexico City, they witnessed the Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe pilgrimage. In addition to the 22 million already residing in Mexico City, about 9 million pilgrims from across the country travel to Mexico City on the religious holiday, Atiles said.
“We saw people on bikes traveling miles and miles to pay their respects to the [Blessed] Virgin in the City of Mexico,” Atiles said. “They would bike or walk for days to get there. We learned a
lot about their faith and what it means in their culture.”
Mitchell said one of the main lessons she learned on the trip is how to schedule cooperative extension events in relation to prominent Mexican holidays. After seeing the impact of Dia de la Virgen Guatalupe, she understands how important holidays are in their culture, she said.
Mitchell, one of a team of extension faculty who helped start a school garden at Santa Fe South schools in Oklahoma City, teaches sixth-graders about gardening and also works with teachers to integrate horticulture into the classroom.
“I’m the state Junior Master Gardener coordinator, and I am trying to build school gardens,” Mitchell said. “Most of the Santa Fe South students are Hispanic. We’re realizing there is more to it than just the language barrier. Their culture is completely different than ours.”
The school consists of 99 percent first-generation students whose parents migrated from Hispanic countries, mainly Mexico. She will apply what she learned on the trip to her work at the Santa Fe South schools, she said.
“ They are very family-centered, so we learned that anything we do with the kids needs to include the family,” Mitchell said. “I learned more about the logistics of running things geared toward Hispanics and what to expect with their culture and religion when it comes to planning.”
One of the last days of the trip was one of the most influential and eye opening, she said. Participants traveled an hour north of Puebla to La Preciosita, a migrant community, and were greeted with lunch from women in the community. The women told them about the challenge of crossing the border, the struggle to find employment and the risks it takes to even begin the task, Mitchell said.
“One woman told us she tried to get across the border 12 times,” Mitchell said. “She was caught by coyotes or caught by border patrol. The women’s husbands are trying to make money in the U.S. and return home because their family is back in Mexico.”
After hearing the stories of trial and challenge, Mitchell said she has a lot more respect for the Mexican culture, knowing the country’s financial situation, she said.
“ The best part was the participants had a chance to hear about immigration from these women,” Fabregas said. “All of the extension educators, myself included, were crying because it was such a powerful experience. Hearing the women talk about their husbands and sons was incredible.”
Horticulture and landscape architecture professor Lynn Brandenberger said the participants learned about Mexico’s social aspects and cultural organization on the excursion.
“One of the main things we learned that will help us when working with people, particularly first-generation Hispanic immigrants, is that we got a little taste of what they go through when they come to the United States,” Brandenberger said. “We weren’t fluent in the language, and then, all of a sudden, we have to navigate through cities and know how to get places and do things.
“You never really understand the frustration or fright they go through until you experience it yourself,” he said.
OCES personnel can use this immersion into the Mexican culture to better understand the society, which they then
can use to adapt programming to the growing Hispanic population in the U.S., Brandenberger said.
“ When you immerse yourself, you really begin to understand what immigrants go through when they come to this country,” Brandenberger said. “If you’re going to work with immigrant groups, no matter where in the world they came from, it really gives you an idea of what they go through when they come here. Now, we can relate better.”
OSU and UPAEP need to maintain their relationship because OCES faculty and educators will need to know how to
help people from different cultures, Fabregas said.
“I would really like other professors from the college to have the opportunity to go on this trip,” Fabregas said. “We are neighbors with Mexico, and we are going to be neighbors forever.”
EXPERIENCING THE SIGHTS OF MEXICO
Modesto, Calif.
For the OSU team traveling to Mexico, tour experiences included visits to (1) the city of Puebla, (2) the Pyramid of the Sun and (3) a statue in Cholula, Mexico; (4) Jorge Atiles sharing his Cowboy pride; (5) a skyline view of Puebla, Mexico; (6) the Nuestra Señora de los Remedios sanctuary from below the Great Pyramid; (7) a ranch tour; (8) “OSU” colored pigs; and (9) Lynn Brandenberger and Jorge Atiles ready to experience the real Mexico. Photos by Lynn Brandenberger and Shelley Mitchell.
Katy HOLDENER
BRIDGING
Sixth-grade students at Santa Fe South planted and harvested radishes and spinach among a variety of other vegetables. Photo by Micaela Danker.
learn about agriculture garden
Today’s consumers are curious about where their food and fiber comes from, not just where it is grown, but how it is grown.
Consumers look for information to make educated and healthy decisions when it comes to purchasing food, according to the Oklahoma Farm Report.
Most Americans are three generations removed from the farm, which increases the education gap between consumers and farmers, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
With the hope of bridging the gap between farmers and consumers, Santa Fe South Middle School in Oklahoma City has introduced an urban agriculture program to sixth-grade students, said Chris Brewster, Santa Fe South superintendent.
of them grew in a straight line, some were everywhere, but they were growing, Campbell said.
While students spent time learning in the garden through hands-on experiences, they also learned the science behind their practices. Oklahoma County Master Gardeners, a program of the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, provided curriculum and resources for the students.
IT’S A REALLY NEAT OPPORTUNITY ... IT EXPOSED THEM TO THE BASICS OF HORTICULTURE.
Joshua Campbell OSU Extension Associate
Through collaborative efforts between Oklahoma State University and Santa Fe South Schools, the program launched in September 2015. More than 200 students spent their fall semester learning about gardening and horticultural practices. On a three-acre plot, the students planted, grew, and harvested a variety of plants, such as radishes, spinach, kale, turnips, mustard and lettuce.
“Each kid had his or her own plot and was able to see what seeds were doing and how things were growing,” said Joshua Campbell, OSU extension associate.
“Each kid is a little different in attention span and attention to detail,” Campbell said. “Some of them were throwing seeds here, there and everywhere. Some of them were really meticulous about placing them in a straight line.”
When the plants grew last fall, some
The Master Gardener volunteers assisted Seth Stallings, the school gardener, two to three times each week. The volunteers provided technical assistance to the students and also answered any questions they had, Stallings said.
Shelley Mitchell, assistant extension specialist in horticulture and landscape architecture, taught teachers how to integrate gardening into their curriculum.
“Dr. Mitchell did some training for our sixth-grade teachers about different ways they can connect students with gardening and food,” Stallings said.
Brewster had a vision for the threeacre plot to become a vibrant learning farm as well as to partner with OSU and provide opportunities for his students.
After Brewster met with OSU representatives in February 2015, the plan was to apply for an environmental education grant through the Environmental Protection Agency, he said.
Justin Moss, horticulture and landscape architecture associate professor, and Joshua Ringer, visiting assistant professor, teamed with Mitchell to submit the grant
in March 2015. The EPA awarded the grant in March 2016, Moss said.
“It’s been a slow process,” Campbell said. “We are hoping with some grant funding we will be able to see progress and see momentum building.
“Brewster has a vision for something more than just a little school garden,” Campbell said. “His vision is for a functioning, living, learning space for students, where they could actually see agricultural production firsthand, see vegetables and flowers grow, work in the greenhouse, and perhaps work with animals.
“Brewster wanted something more for his students than just going out to a little raised-bed garden,” Campbell said.
Brewster’s goal is to build a program where students gain hands-on experience and understand agriculture and horticulture more deeply by intertwining the two into the curriculum, including math, science, English and history, Campbell said.
“It’s a really neat opportunity, at least with the starting group of sixth-graders,” Campbell said. “It exposed them to the basics of horticulture.
“We hope every year to build a little
bit, so by the time these sixth-graders are seniors in high school, they have an interest in agriculture, and they’re prepared to come to OSU,” he said.
The sixth-grade program will resume in fall 2016, Stallings said. Although a plan is not finalized, the primary emphasis will be middle school students, he said.
Most students enrolled in the middle school are Hispanic, and their parents and grandparents have not had formal education past secondary education, Moss said. By teaching the students about agriculture at a young age, OCES educators can help them become informed about promising career options in agriculture, Moss said.
The garden is a collaborative effort among three groups with the focus of having a quality horticulture program at Santa Fe South Middle School, Campbell said.
“There’s a piece that OSU plays in providing opportunities for students as they go through high school,” Campbell said. “If they find that they are interested in agriculture or horticulture, there are opportunities hopefully here at OSU for those students.
“It’s going to take all of us working collaboratively to see this happen and be impactful and successful,” he said.
THE STUDENT PERSPECTIVE
WHAT DID YOU ENJOY MOST IN THE GARDEN?
JOCELYN MARTINEZ
We were able to plant stuff so we could eat in the sixth-grade center.
ALICIA GONZALEZ
We got to plant a lot of vegetables and then eat them once they were done growing.
JOSIAH MEDINA
It was really fun because we got to learn how to plant and how to pick them out. We got to learn the best times to plant, when we could and couldn’t. The best part for me was getting dirty and getting to throw dirt all around.
JOVANNA SANCHEZ
I liked it because we got to pick plants that we have never eaten before.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
JOCELYN MARTINEZ
I learned about the seasons everything could be planted in.
ALICIA GONZALEZ
I learned that dirt is not the same as soil. Dirt is something you find in the ground, and soil helps the vegetables grow and be healthy.
JOSIAH MEDINA
I learned if you put too much water on a plant then it could drown and it wouldn’t grow much. You have to be very careful with how much water you put so the plants will grow.
JOVANNA SANCHEZ
I learned you have to put [plants] at least 2 inches apart or else they wouldn’t have enough room to grow.
In Fall 2015, students spent four days each week working in the school garden. Photo by Joshua Campbell.
Micaela DANKER
Wellston, Okla.
Susanne Wasson, 1988 OSU agricultural economics alumna, is the senior-most female in the U.S. operations of Dow AgroSciences. Photo by Robert Banayote.
CASNR alumna excels in corporate agriculture
rard work, dedication and compassion helped a small-town girl from Poteau, Okla., rise toward the top of the agricultural industry.
Susanne Wasson grew up raising Santa Gertrudis cattle and showing livestock. Her father, Bob Wasson, was an alumnus of Oklahoma State University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in animal science in 1964.
“My dad told me I could go anywhere but the University of Oklahoma,” Wasson said with a laugh.
A&M University to receive a master’s degree in agricultural economics in 1990. Then, Wasson began her 26-year career with Dow AgroSciences.
“I started as an accountant, then I was in a financial analyst role,” Wasson said. “That’s when I thought, ‘I don’t want to do this for a career.’ I always tell people it is OK to take a step back to step forward in the future.”
I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE IT IS OK TO TAKE A STEP BACK TO STEP FORWARD IN THE FUTURE.
Wasson followed her father’s request and carried on the family tradition by attending OSU, originally to pursue a degree in finance, she said.
Susanne Wasson
OSU
Agricultural Economics Alumna
“Growing up, I always had an interest in numbers and math,” Wasson said. “I thought getting a business degree would be really good.”
Wasson said she soon decided she did not want a degree in finance. After talking with advisers in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Wasson changed her major to agricultural economics and accounting, she said, graduating from OSU in 1988.
She continued her education at Texas
Wasson changed roles to work as a sales representative, where she learned the fundamentals of the Dow AgroSciences crop protection business, she said. Although a great experience, this was not a long-term career, Wasson said.
Wasson eventually traveled overseas, where she served Dow AgroSciences as the sales manager for the United Kingdom and Ireland.
“It was a great opportunity,” Wasson said. “It taught me, more than anything, how good we have it here in the U.S.”
Wasson also worked as a global business leader in China, Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Mexico.
“When I was at OSU, I never imagined being a world traveler,” Wasson said. “It was a great experience.”
Wasson returned to the U.S. busi-
ness at the end of 2012 as the marketing director for crop protection. In 2014, she became the senior-most female in the U.S. operations of Dow AgroSciences as the U.S. commercial leader of crop protection in Indianapolis.
“At Dow, we’ve worked really hard on diversity, and we make conscious decisions about hiring and picking the best people,” Wasson said. “I’m proud of how far we’ve come from when I started my career. I was the only female in my work group, but that’s not the case anymore.”
Becoming the senior-most female in the U.S. branch of Dow AgroSciences was not achieved without difficulty, Wasson said.
“Given that agriculture tends to be, from our customer perspective, a male-dominated industry, I have to sell myself in terms of my capabilities and what I want to do,” Wasson said. “I probably have to work harder at that than my male colleagues. It has never been a barrier in my career, though.”
Wasson’s success can be contributed to her perseverance, said Tim Hassinger, president and CEO of Dow AgroSciences.
“She succeeded at a time when agriculture was even more male dominated than it is today and is a highly respected peer and mentor,” Hassinger said.
Trent Inman, regional account manager for Dow AgroSciences and 1997 OSU agricultural economics alumnus,
said Wasson earned the respect of her colleagues because of her ability to relate to people.
“Susanne is a great person,” Inman said. “One thing Susanne does best is she shows all of our new and existing employees that she’s a very real person.
“Her ability to listen and to relate to the sales organization really gives her a unique perspective, a unique set of skills,” Inman said. “She walked in all of our shoes. She cares deeply, too, not just for our needs, but customers’ needs.”
mater stems from her father’s love for the university and the foundation she built for professional success while in Stillwater.
“Having some of the basic ag classes, such as agronomy, prepared me to deal with the world of crop protection,” Wasson said.
WHEN I WAS AT OSU, I NEVER IMAGINED BEING A WORLD TRAVELER.
Susanne Wasson OSU Agricultural Economics Alumna
Wasson’s hard work paid off and her colleagues admire her, Inman said.
“We are all very proud of Susanne and her accomplishments within Dow AgroSciences,” Inman said. “It is awesome to see one of us on the podium in front of a large crowd saying, ‘Go Pokes!’ She’s very proud of her time at OSU.”
Wasson said her pride in her alma
Wasson also credits her success in the corporate world to her involvement in student organizations. Wasson was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority, Block and Bridle, Aggie X, Alpha Zeta and the CASNR Ambassadors, she said.
“Having good grades is always important,” Wasson said, “but having those leadership opportunities is important, too.
“Having those opportunities really helped me find a job in a time where there weren’t a lot of ag companies hiring in the late ’80s and early ’90s,” she said.
When Wasson started working with Dow AgroSciences, she never imagined she would remain there for the duration of
her career, but she would not change her experience, she said.
Exciting times also lie ahead as Dow and DuPont announced a merger of equals in late 2015.
“After transition close, the combination of Dow and DuPont’s complementary portfolios will create a new U.S.-based entity,” Wasson said, “with the scale and balance of agricultural offerings allowing us to more fully meet growers’ needs. I hope I get the opportunity to help shape the new company.
“If you find a place you really value, you can make a great career with one company,” Wasson said. “I love the people I work with. The people at Dow have always been great. If you’re passionate about what you’re working in and you like the people, it’s a great combination.”
OKLAHOMA AGRICULTURE STARTS AT
SUNUP
Still Grow
Stillwater is a long-time supporter of agriculture and the leadership it brings to our community. Let the Visit Stillwater team help you host your next agricultural industry event in Stillwater! Take advantage of our complimentary services to help you experience Stillwater to the fullest.
Melanie JACKSON Felton, Del.
DID YOU KNOW
Tom and Michele Fanning Cow-calf, Stocker and Feeder
our checkoff activities increased beef demand by 2.1 billion pounds per year?
“When we think about the national beef checkoff’s impact, the $11.20 return for every dollar invested is a tremendous feat. Our marketing efforts funded by the beef checkoff have resulted in higher prices for beef producers and importers and sales of more beef in the U.S. and foreign markets. We are really proud of our checkoff’s achievements.”
While you and the Fanning family are managing your operations, your checkoff helps build demand for beef and impact your bottom line.
To track refugees, Caleb Glennie uses WhatsApp to mark their approximate locations. Photo by Brianne Schwabauer.
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Lending a
rom desert sands to the Mediterranean heat, a former Oklahoma 4-H member is living a life uniquely different from his Cordell, Okla., roots.
After becoming involved with Oklahoma 4-H’s science and technology programs, Caleb Glennie learned extensive hands-on knowledge regarding global positioning systems and geographic information systems. He now implements his knowledge by assisting refugees located in the Middle East and Europe.
“I was not into the agricultural side of 4-H,” he said. “My family didn’t own any land or animals, so that wasn’t who I was. However, like most pre-teen boys, I loved computers, video games and technology.”
Glennie said upon moving to Cordell during the third grade, he made friends who informed him about a 4-H meeting after school. At the time, all he wanted to do was make new friends, he said. Soon enough, he joined 4-H and had a wide array of projects, and the rest was history, he said.
“I began my journey in woodworking,” Glennie said. “I have many great memories working on projects in the woodshop with my dad. We even had a couple things go to the state fair.”
Mary Peck, Glennie’s extension educator in Washita County, met Glennie soon after he became active within Oklahoma 4-H, she said.
“He was in the fifth or sixth grade when I noticed his special qualities,” said Peck, now retired from her career with the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service.
After building robots for the Washita County Fair, Glennie, a group of several
Former Oklahoma 4-H’er assists individuals on the refugee highway
other 4-H members and Peck became involved in two main projects using GPS and GIS, Peck said.
“The two major projects we worked on were mapping illegal trash sites in the county and recording unmarked veteran grave sites,” Glennie said. “We passed our data to city and county officials who used our maps to help better our community.”
At the time, Washita County was having difficulties with illegal dumping sites, Peck said. After posting fliers around the community, Peck received calls notifying her of possible locations, she said.
Using GPS and GIS, the team plotted 12 different illegal dumping sites. After collecting and mapping the information, they presented their findings to the county commissioner, which resulted in a recycling program being created, Peck said.
Upon his arrival, Glennie realized he was in close proximity to an encampment of refugees, he said. With the assistance of Charles Scheffe, associate pastor at First Baptist Edmond, Glennie contacted the non-governmental organization* with whom he works to help the refugees, Scheffe said.
Glennie worked with First Baptist Edmond in previous years, pioneering outreach programs for children from low-income families, Scheffe said.
“Caleb developed a relationship for reaching people,” Scheffe said.
TO PUT IT IN SIMPLE TERMS, I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE REFUGEES WHILE STUDYING THE LANGUAGE.
Caleb Glennie
Former Washita County 4-H Member
Glennie’s involvement with the Oklahoma 4-H led to him receiving a firstplace award in Oklahoma 4-H’s record book competition in 2008 and to being Washita County 4-H’er of the Year in 2009. Glennie also received a scholarship for his first year of college.
After completing his degree in interpersonal communication in December 2013 from the University of Central Oklahoma, Glennie packed his belongings and journeyed to the Middle East to study Arabic in January 2015.
After working alongside the refugees and hearing their stories, Glennie was recruited to join a team conducting research along the refugee highway. Their research focused on refugee location, how many were in that location, who was assisting them, how they were assisted, and what additional measures could be done to assist them, Glennie said.
“To put it in simple terms, I fell in love with the refugees while studying the language,” Glennie said. “I wanted to help them however I could, and this was the opportunity that presented itself to me.”
Prior to entering the field, the research team contacted several NGOs to lead them in the right direction. To ensure the team located as many refugees as possible, they traveled by foot through neighborhoods and asked if refugees were present.
Some countries proved to be easier than others as a refugee highway already existed, Glennie said.
Upon making contact with a refugee camp, a center helping refugees or a general location with a large population of refugees, Glennie would drop a pin on the iPhone app “maps.me.” Those locations also were recorded on his laptop on Google maps after returning to the team’s camp, he said.
Their findings now are used as a visual aid to incoming volunteers from various organizations, Glennie said.
In the short time Glennie has been in the Middle East and Europe, he has encountered men, women and children seeking refuge from multiple countries, including Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, Bangladesh, Nepal, Cameroon, Nigeria, Somalia and Eritrea.
Although many people Glennie encountered have come and gone, he remains in close contact with many of them through social media and communications apps, he said.
“We have kept in contact with many
of them using Facebook and WhatsApp,” Glennie said. “They love WhatsApp.”
Today, Glennie can be found in the Middle East, distributing food and water to passing refugees, packaging vitamins, or driving a 16-person, stick-shift van full of volunteer teams. In addition, he teaches English on Monday through Thursday in two different classes. One consists of 23 students, boys and girls, ranging in age from 13 to 17; the other is made up of men and women ranging in age from 20 to 40.
“Caleb’s experience shows Oklahoma youth we need to be more understanding of other cultures,” Peck said. “You need to take advantage of all the opportunities in 4-H because you don’t know where you will end up when you grow up.”
*For security reasons, this organization cannot be named.
The whole experience of looking for refugees was super impactful; however, one moment stands out above the rest of them.
We visited a house a friend said was full of refugees. We were taken to the house not really knowing what to expect. It was in a not-so-nice part of Istanbul, and we had to walk for at least an hour to get to the place. He pointed to the building. It was a two or three story brick building that was falling apart. The windows were covered with tarps, and the street in front was littered with trash.
As we walked in, we noticed a staircase leading to what appeared to be a basement. We found out later there were 15 to 20 single young men living down there in pretty terrible conditions. Before we could get to the door, we heard shouting above us. A young lady recognized the friend who had visited before. At once, several young women appeared at the door and ushered us up the stairs and into their apartment. [I feel the need to state that there were three ladies with us who spoke Arabic. It wasn’t just a bunch of creepy American guys walking up in the apartment.] We spent three hours with these women, learning their stories, drinking tea and enjoying each other’s company.
We learned among other things that their husbands had either been killed or were in Europe. They were paying rent for the “apartment,” which was a bunch of concrete rooms only separated by tarps. Apparently, the way they made money was sending their children out to the street to sell gum and tissues. What really made these women special was that I ran into them again while working inside of a refugee camp in Greece over a month later! They were making the journey along the highway to join their husbands and sons and happened to pass through the camp I was working in and recognized me!
Moorpark, Calif.
So, I think two things were impressed upon me in these moments. One, the horrible conditions some refugees pay to live in outside of the camps are often a better alternative, and two, thousands and thousands of people passing through are real, live people with stories and struggles who have endured some really tough things. They aren’t just numbers or a collective group of people. They are individuals.
Brianne SCHWABAUER
Former Lt. Gov. Jari Askins (left) and Celeste Nelson (right) present Caleb Glennie with his 2008 All Other Projects - Science and Technology award. Photo by Todd Johnson.
dentify. Equip. Empower.
Started at Oklahoma State University in 2011, the McKnight Scholars Leadership Program was designed to assist young scholars in becoming life-giving leaders, said Marshall Baker, program director and agricultural education assistant professor.
“The beginning intent was to not only recruit young people,” Baker said, “but also to recruit the best and brightest students from across the nation to OSU. We want to show students what OSU has to offer and how they can excel on our campus.”
are also able to participate in Camp Cowboy, different social events on campus and community service projects.”
Tayler Sullivent, an animal science junior from Graham, Texas, said her mentor helped her through her freshman year.
IT HAS ALSO HELPED ME REALIZE WHO I AM AS A LEADER, WHICH WILL HELP ME MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.
“The assigned mentors help keep track of your test grades to make sure you are progressing,” Sullivent said. “If you aren’t, your mentor works with you to identify and overcome challenges. Mentors also help keep you involved and push you out of your comfort zone.”
Tayler Sullivent Animal Science Junior
The scholarship program first benefited rural Texas students, Baker said. However, in the past few years, the program opened to rural students in other states, excluding Oklahoma, who fit the program’s qualifications, he said.
“The program is interested in a certain kind of student,” Baker said. “We are looking for academic potential, proven leadership ability, character, service, and commitment to OSU and rural America.”
The first component of the program is to identify scholar-leaders, Baker said.
“First, we want to identify the best,” he said. “Then, we want to recruit those students to OSU and show them how OSU can benefit them.”
The program then equips the students for success, Baker said.
“The students receive mentors when they arrive, and those mentors invite them to participate,” Baker said. “The students
Weston Leonard, an animal science junior from Artesia, N.M., became a McKnight Scholar Leadership Program mentor to help students transition into their first year of college, he said.
“I wanted to make a difference,” he said. “It is a rough transition your freshman year, and I wanted to be able to help others transition into the college lifestyle.”
The program also helps students develop and hone who they are as leaders, Baker said.
“The students take three, one-hour leadership courses during the program,” Baker said. “Two of the hours are Leadership I and II, where students identify who they are, build relationships, inspire a shared vision, and begin to understand how to change cultures.
“The last one-hour credit is a Heifer International experience, where students get hands-on experience with challenges faced in developing countries,” Baker said. “Students also have the opportunity to go on a free international trip as part of the scholar program.”
Kellie Baxter, an agricultural communications junior from Amarillo, Texas, said she had a life-changing experience on the Heifer International trip.
“The Heifer International trip equipped me to be a team leader,” Baxter said. “I learned and studied the leadership styles of other students, and I learned how to deal with pressured conflict. It was an incredible hands-on experience that allowed me to practice the skills I learned in the class.”
The last key to equipping students is allowing them to take an aptitude test, Baker said.
“The aptitude test allows the students to learn their own area of impact and how they can use it to make a difference,” Baker said.
The aptitude test helped Sullivent realize the dominant traits she possesses and even some she was not aware of, she said.
“It helped me understand myself better,” she said. “It also helped me realize some traits I didn’t know I possess.
“It has allowed me to understand how to work on projects and toward goals in a way that works best with the skill set I have,” she said.
The program’s third focus is to empower students, Baker said.
“In the final section of the program, students take the skills they have learned and implement them,” Baker said. “The students can take community problems and find solutions, conduct impact projects in an area they are passionate about, and help encourage career planning through internships.”
Sullivent said the opportunities she received empowered her and will help her in future endeavors.
“The program has helped me network with prominent people at OSU,” Sullivent said. “It has also helped me realize who I
am as a leader, which will help me make a difference in the world.”
To apply for the McKnight Scholars Leadership Program, students must complete an online application and receive nominations by two individuals. Students must be admitted into OSU before being selected into the McKnight Scholars Leadership program.
“We have two selection periods because we know there are students making decisions early and we want to recruit them early,” Baker said.
“When a second group applies later, we want to be able to recruit from that group, as well,” he said.
OSU
Sullivent said she would advise students to keep an open mind when applying for the program.
“It seems like a lot at first,” she said. “You have your service project and your class, but you realize what an asset they become. Students should be willing to have fun and give their all. You only benefit if you truly have the desire to be fully engaged in the program.”
To date, 250 students have benefited from the McKnight Scholars Leadership Program, Baker said. The program was made possible by donations to the OSU Foundation from Ross and Billie McKnight of Throckmorton, Texas.
During Ross McKnight’s annual visit with the program’s class, students often ask him why he invests in them, Baker said.
“Ross always says, ‘We believe you are the best and brightest students,’” he said. “Ross and Billie believe OSU is the place to equip and empower students to be life-giving leaders.”
Dover, Okla.
Amber MCGEE
The McKnight Scholars Leadership Program gives students like Tayler Sullivent (left), Weston Leonard and Kellie Baxter the opportunity to extend their leadership while attending OSU. Photo by Amber McGee.
eTwins lead OSU horse judging team to seventh world title
Threat
Growing up on a small cattle ranch near Austin, Texas, Faith and Hope Onstot, animal science sophomores, found themselves immersed in the livestock and equine industries at a young age.
“With our family’s strong ties in the livestock and equine industries, it was only a matter of time until we found ourselves marking judging cards,” Hope said.
The twins’ strong livestock and equine foundation prepared them to begin judging with the Williamson County 4-H Club at age 8, Faith said.
Lisa Onstot pushed her daughters to compete, despite their county not having a strong judging program, Hope said.
“Our mom ordered lots of the judging videos from Oklahoma State University and Texas A&M University for us to get started,” Faith said. “Slowly, it began to build, and we began to see success.”
Throughout their youth, the Onstot twins competed across Texas in both livestock and equine judging contests.
Then, in 2009, the twins lost their assistant judging coach, Kathy Newman, who died from cancer.
“We knew that would be her last year,” said Faith. “We won the Houston Livestock Show in both livestock and horse judging in her honor. We went on to win the Paint Horse Youth World Contest at the end of the summer. She passed away three days later.”
Newman’s endless support and drive pushed the twins through the season and made them want to continue to compete, Hope said.
“She always used to tell us before every competition, ‘Go judge, and go be great. You will be champions one day.’” Hope said. “To this day, we still judge for her at every competition.”
By their freshman year of high school in 2011, they grew their county judging program to a four-person team.
The team won the Fort Worth Horse Judging Contest, which
qualified them for the All-American Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, Ohio, and the American Quarter Horse Youth Association World Championship Show in Oklahoma City.
“The first year at the Congress and AQHYA world show taught us a lot,” Faith said. “Although we had some top fives and top tens at both competitions, we saw where we needed to focus to win in the future.”
In 2012, they won the state contest, returning to the Congress and AQHYA world show. They earned fourth at the Congress and reserve champion at the AQHYA world show.
“It’s funny to think the year we took reserve at the AQHYA world show we came in behind Sarah Schobert’s team, and now she coached us at OSU,” Hope said.
Their success in 2012 marked the end of their youth judging careers. The twins soon found themselves on the coaching side, Faith said.
“Since Texas has a limit on the number of years you can judge, we ended
up going back to help our mom with our local judging program,” Faith said.
In 2013, Hope and Faith helped their mother coach a team to a reserve world title at the AQHYA world show. In addition, one team member earned high individual honors at the contest.
While wrapping up their youth judging careers, Hope and Faith became more involved in the cattle showing industry, competing at Simmental shows across the United States.
“The cattle industry became an addition to the family,” Hope said. “After being focused on judging for so long, it was nice to have a change of pace while still being active in the industry.”
Their success in the show ring and judging as well as their determination to find a top school in both academics and judging led them to OSU, Faith said.
“I remember listening to Faith and Hope at various contests and being amazed by their talent in livestock and horse judging,” said Steven Cooper, OSU animal science associate professor and
horse judging coach. “Their judging abilities were extremely strong for their age.”
Once the Onstot twins visited Stillwater, they knew this was the place they would call home for their college careers, Hope said.
“I came to Stillwater and absolutely fell in love with the campus and faculty,” Faith said. “I knew that even if I didn’t end up on a judging team I would still receive a strong education.”
The twins enrolled at OSU to compete on two animal science judging teams: horse and livestock, Cooper said. For that to occur, they competed on the horse team as sophomores.
“Being on the OSU horse judging team has pushed me in so many different ways,” Faith said. “It taught me to focus on a goal and how to be a teammate. It is important to remember this is not just about myself, but the team’s success.”
Judging is team-oriented, and although individual awards are presented, students represent their school at competitions, Hope said. Team members must not lose the respect and trust of their teammates, she added.
“It was about the team and how I could help, whether it was just marking cards consistently or simply high-fiving the person with the high set for the day,” Hope said.
Schobert, OSU’s assistant horse judging coach, said a great judging team is built with members who know how to build each other up and be each other’s support system.
“Both Onstot girls do just that,” Schobert said. “They are able to be an example to their teammates in how hard you have to work and continue to strive to be better. They lead by example, but they can step in and give a good pep talk to a teammate when it is most needed.”
The twins’ past success and dedication has made them competitive and determined when it comes to reaching their goals, Schobert said.
Every person who grew up judging dreams about winning the AQHA World Show one day, but few are able to earn this title, she said.
“A couple weeks before we left for the AQHA World Show, the team members were not right mentally and emotionally,” Schobert said. “Faith was able to pull them together and gave them a much-needed
Hope (left) and Faith Onstot began judging early and are now world champions. Photo by Sabrina Wilber.
pep talk to get it together and be positive in their attitudes.”
Positive attitudes are essential for successful careers in judging as well as in life, Schobert said.
The OSU horse judging team began at the Tulsa State Fair, winning performance, halter and reasons as a team. Faith was fourth overall as an individual, and Hope won high individual, with firsts in halter, performance and reasons.
After Tulsa, the team competed at the Congress in Ohio.
“This contest showed the team why consistency among teammates is so important,” Schobert said. “Although the team did not come home with a win, individually we saw success with Hope taking second in halter and fourth in reasons.
“The let down at the Congress definitely reminded the team what they needed to work on,” Schobert said.
In November 2015, the OSU team competed at the AQHA World Show in Oklahoma City, returning to Stillwater as world champions.
“It has always been a goal of ours to earn the world champion title,” Faith said. “We had gotten close in the past, but this time it was finally real.”
The team earned first in halter and reasons as well as second in performance to win the world title. Hope was high individual with second in performance, fifth in halter and third in reasons. Faith was sixth overall individual with second both in halter and reasons.
“Hope and Faith were actually tied in the reasons room initially,” Cooper said. “They were only one point behind the first individual in reasons and with the tie-breaking class were two points apart.”
Hope and Faith both said dedication to the judging program is an essential aspect to their success. They live by the quote, “If it is to be, it is up to me.”
“That quote is written in our apartment and has been in every judging pad we have used, so we see it every day,” Faith said. “It is how we stay motivated in everything we do.”
Horse Judging Team Wins Seventh World Championship
AQHA World Championship Show
Overall – 1st High Team
Hope Onstot – 1st High Individual
Faith Onstot – 6th High Individual
Marissa Chapa – 7th High Individual
Halter – 1st High Team
Hope Onstot – 2nd High Individual
Faith Onstot – 5th High Individual
Laura Kerschen – 9th High Individual
Marissa Chapa – 10th High Individual
Tulsa State Fair
Callie MCCARTHY
Chico, Calif.
Overall – 1st High Team
Halter – 1st High Team
Performance – 1st High Team
Reasons – 1st High Team
Performance – 2nd High Team
Hope Onstot – 2nd High Individual
Reasons – 1st High Team
Hope Onstot – 2nd High Individual
Faith Onstot – 3rd High Individual
Marissa Chapa – 7th High Individual
Laura Kerschen – 8th High Individual
Overall – 4th High Team
Halter – 3rd High Team
Performance – 6th High Team
Reasons – 3rd High Team
OSU wins 2015 AQHA World Champion Senior College Judging Contest: Steven Cooper, coach; Sarah Schobert, assistant coach; Laura Kerschen; Marissa Chapa; Hope Onstot; Kathryn Rodman; Faith Onstot; Laura Winfield; Kamry Martin; Jeron Rotert; and Clint Rusk, animal science department head. Photo by KC Montgomery.
GLUTE FREE
Dozens of vendors and customers gather each Saturday for the OSU-OKC Farmers Market: Renee Montgomery (above) offers fresh greenhouse produce; Matt Gilson (far left) sells locally made glutenfree products for Healthy Cravings Superfood Snacks; Bud and Lita Leatherwood (bottom left) have sold their Oklahoma-grown products from more than 20 years; and a customer browses through floral accents. Photos by Shannen McCroskey.
to the
Local producers offer healthy food options to their communities
Light shines on colorful fruits and vegetables, and the sweet aroma of fresh flowers and baked goods fills the late February air as customers and producers welcome another Saturday morning at the local farmers market.
“Local food” is a trend sweeping the nation, said Hallie Williams, Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City Farmers Market manager. Today, people turn to sources other than the local grocery store to purchase their groceries, she said.
Farmers markets are a prime example of local food vendors with fresh-fromthe-farm products available for purchase weekly, Williams said.
Farmers markets appeal to a broad range of customers for many reasons, Williams said. Some customers have health issues, like diabetes or gluten intolerances, some want to know how their food is produced, and others want to support local businesses, she said.
“Farmers markets are all about developing relationships between farmers and their customers,” Williams said. “Here, we have a duty to provide safe and healthy foods for the community and an opportunity to explain the processes taken in getting their food ready for consumption.
Our vendors are proud of their products and stand behind what they are producing,” she said.
Everything sold in the market is fresh and has been picked within the previous week, said Brandon Crow, owner of Crow Farms in Shawnee, Okla.
“We are producing higher-quality, better-tasting foods,” said Diane Self, owner of Tall Girl Specialty Pasta in Edmond, Okla. “This is the place for health con-
scious people to find products that meet their needs.”
Consumers who are concerned about what goes in their bodies and their health should shop local and talk to producers, Williams said.
“Where else can you go purchase your dinner ingredients and talk with the producer?” Williams said. “You get to know them personally, and after a while, it feels like family here.”
and becoming a vendor at my local farmers market was the best decision I made to get my foot in the door.”
WE QUIT OUR 9-TO-5 JOBS ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO TO BECOME FARMERS.
Bud Leatherwood Co-owner of Leatherwood Farms
Donna McLaughlin, Oklahoma City resident and employee of W Bar M Sheep and Wool in Yale, Okla., said farmers markets serve communities because they allow citizens access to fresh foods grown in the area.
“I have some personal health issues, and I love it when I meet customers with similar problems,” McLaughlin said. “I can share with them recipes and certain foods that have helped to relieve some of my symptoms.”
Producers enjoy talking to customers and educating them about the health benefits of certain vegetables, said Lucy Harris, manager of W Bar M Sheep & Wool.
Other customers attend farmers markets because of the relationships they have developed with their producers and because they know where their food is coming from, said Amy Gilson, owner of Healthy Cravings in Oklahoma City.
“My products are organic, natural and loaded with superfoods,” Gilson said. “I am catering to a specific market of people,
Fresh foods and vegetables are not the only items found at farmers markets. OSU-OKC’s farmers market is home to vendors selling fresh milk, eggs, bread, meats, cheese, specialty flowers, quilts, hand-woven baskets, soaps and lotions, and other unique items.
“It’s important for the public to know the quality and variety of local items at their fingertips,” Williams said.
When people shop at farmers markets, they pour back into their communities, said Dustin Green, owner of 10 Acre Woods in Norman, Okla.
“Farmers markets are a huge economic boost to the community,” Green said. “They give small businesses the opportunities for pop-up shops without having to pay the large overhead of owning a store.”
Farmers markets give the young farmers who are just starting a chance to continue their passion of farming and growing food, said Bud Leatherwood, co-owner of Leatherwood Farms in Yukon, Okla.
“We quit our 9-to-5 jobs about 15 years ago to become farmers,” Leatherwood said. “We have been able to drop our stress levels, enjoy life, and work for ourselves. We rely on the farmers market for our livelihood. We know what we are producing, what our customers are consuming and that we are creating a better environment around us,” he said.
Some Oklahoma farmers markets now accept U.S. Department of Agriculture Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits. OSU-OKC’s farmers market makes it as easy as walking in, swiping a SNAP benefit card, and collecting tokens. Customers can take those tokens to vendors and use them like cash.
“By accepting SNAP benefits, we are insuring parents that their children are receiving the highest quality of nutrition available,” Williams said. “We also have a great opportunity to introduce kids to yummy fruits and vegetables they might not get the chance to try anywhere else.”
According to research conducted by OSU’s Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center and by the USDA, the number of farmers markets nationally rose from 1,755 in 1994 to 8,144 in 2013.
These numbers are especially evident in Oklahoma as the number of farmers markets rose from 17 in 2000 to 62 in 2014, and the numbers are growing continually, according to FAPC’s research.
Producers who want to start selling some of their goods at a local farmers market have some rules and regulations to follow first.
Local and state laws vary in each county and state, so they must check with
the local health department and county extension educators for the exact laws in their areas, Williams said.
According to research conducted through FAPC, in general, Oklahoma vendors must obtain a sales tax permit, food-service operator certification, mobile food establishment/temporary food establishment/peddler’s license and organic certification if they advertise products as organic. Individual farmers markets may require additional permits to sell products, said Rodney Holcomb, FAPC agribusiness economist.
“It’s important for potential vendors to plan ahead,” Green said. “Pay attention to your potential customers, know your business, know what you stand for, and work hard to maintain that.”
Some farmers markets require their vendors to carry liability insurance on their farms.
“Good intentions mean nothing if your customers get sick,” Holcomb said. Rules and regulations are in place to protect everyone involved, Williams said.
“This is not a hobby — it’s a business,” Green said. “It may have started as something fun you do in your spare time, but once you start selling your products, you have to look at this as a business ven-
ture. You are feeding your customers, and they expect you to take that seriously.”
Getting involved in a local farmers market is one of the best business decisions a producer can make, said George Christian, owner of Christian Cheese from Kingfisher, Okla.
“This is the best place for me to share my passion with others,” said Lynette LaMascus, owner of Ms. Nettie’s Herbs, Teas and Spices in Norman, Okla. “It gives me something social to do in my retirement.”
Farmers markets are community events, but the success and survival of the market is dependent on the community, customers and suppliers, Williams said. The entire production is a balancing act requiring everyone to do his or her part, resulting in an asset to the entire community, Williams said.
For information about Oklahoma farmers markets, visit okgrown.com/markets. For a U.S. farmers markets list, see ams.usda.gov/ local-food-directories/farmersmarkets.
Poteau, Okla.
Right: Daphne Clara Cross, 17-month-old daughter of Oklahoma City residents Tucker and Tran Cross, enjoys a beautiful Saturday morning at the farmers market with her grandmother, Lisa Cross. Photos by Shannen McCroskey.
Shannen MCCROSKEY
TheOCES, 4-H prepare for future applications of drones is the Limit
Jeff Sallee’s Phantom Professional 3 drone waits to take flight. Photo by Brittany Gilbert.
hile most Oklahoma 4-H members focus on livestock and leadership, their extension educators work to find ways to teach about new technology, as well.
In 1902, Oklahoma 4-H began as a way to teach agriculture, including science, technology, engineering and math to youth through the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service.
Jeff Sallee, Oklahoma State University 4-H youth development specialist in science, technology, engineering and math, has learned about using unmanned aerial systems, commonly known as drones, and now has plans to share that knowledge with OCES educators and eventually with 4-H members.
Drones currently are used for recreation, such as flying and aerial photography, as well as commercial applications, including inspecting bridges, water towers and the outside of buildings, Sallee said.
The Unmanned Systems Research Institute at OSU works with departments across OSU’s campus to help develop applications for the technology and teach faculty and staff how to put it to use, said Jamey Jacob, the John Hendrix Chair in aerospace engineering and USRI director.
Sallee said he plans to conduct future trainings about drones to teach the state’s 4-H extension educators. These hands-on classes will allow the educators to gain skills to share with the 4-H members.
Emerging technology, like UAS, is analyzed to see if a way exists to teach 4-H members about it, Sallee said.
“I want to be able to teach the kids in a way that interests them,” said David Adams, Muskogee County extension
educator. “STEM is not about crazy experiments. It is applied science technology. I want the 4-H members I teach to be willing to learn the new technology.
“My goal is to get the students interested in technology and science using handson learning, rather than reading about how it can be used,” Adams said. “I want to teach about the drones’ power and limitations.”
operators in the future, Sallee said. Employers would need a steady stream of interested people to fulfill potential jobs, he said, and teaching aerial photography or videography will spike the 4-H members’ interest to learn about drone technology.
MY GOAL IS TO GET THE STUDENTS INTERESTED IN TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE USING HANDS-ON LEARNING.
David
Adams
Muskogee County Extension Educator
In today’s classrooms, students learn using virtual games, books and videos, Adams said. Through these teaching methods, youth may think science is boring, but when they finish a hands-on technology lesson, they tend to learn more and enjoy it, he said.
“To me, this opportunity is not just about the drones,” Adams said. “I want the kids to leave a workshop I have taught with the desire to study math and science with a new appreciation, realizing there could be a future career if they are willing to learn.”
Teaching 4-H members about drones will involve hands-on activities and education about the drone design. To meet Federal Aviation Administration regulations, one has to know how the drone is operated and the materials used to make it.
In Spring 2016, Sallee took a class in OSU’s aviation education department, which was the program’s first class about UAS and how to fly them.
A potential demand exists for drone
Drone technology has become popular because of its capability, Jacob said. Drone operators can do things they could not do five years ago, he said. The use of drones for agriculture is expanding, including for determining crop health.
Oklahoma 4-H and the OSU Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering are applying drone technology to their programs, Jacob said.
However, to teach 4-H’ers to use drones, FAA regulations will have to change, Sallee said. The current rules prevent the teaching of drones unless the teacher and students have pilot’s licenses.
Sallee said he anticipates the regulations will change soon but is uncertain about how they will change. But when they do, Sallee will be ready to pass his drone knowledge to the state’s 4-H extension educators.
Brittany GILBERT Wetumka,
Okla.
Jennifer Bryant and children in her village after the Sala Day Celebration in Dipali, Ghana. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Bryant.
MIAP student takes second trip to Africa
oving to Africa, trading in the comfort of central air conditioning, running water and family for months at a time, takes a special kind of person. Jennifer Bryant would know. She has done it twice.
Bryant, a natural resource ecology and management graduate from OSU, grew up in Oklahoma City where she attended Putnam City High School. If someone had asked her as a college freshman where she would be in 15 years, her answer would not have been Africa, she said; however, a series of events led her to the continent, she said.
Bryant’s first trip to Africa came when she served as a volunteer in Ghana in the Peace Corps from 2011 to 2013. Two years later, she returned to the continent working in the sustainability division of Watoto Child Care Ministries in Uganda from September to December 2015.
However, neither experience would have happened if not for a statistics class, Bryant said.
“I had my stat class in the forestry section of Ag Hall and saw these beautiful posters of trees and forests,” Bryant said. “I decided to take a forestry class and absolutely fell in love with it.”
An animal science major at the time, Bryant switched her studies to focus on forestry with a minor in wildlife ecology, she said.
Bryant’s interest for international work began while she was enrolled in an undergraduate course with NREM professor Thomas Kuzmic. The class studied abroad in Honduras. Bryant first traveled as a student and later served as a teaching assistant for the course, she said.
“The Honduras trip got me interested in international agricultural practices,”
Bryant said. “I saw firsthand how natural resources affect people worldwide.”
On Bryant’s first trip to Africa, she and her husband, Scott Robertson, served as volunteers in the agricultural sector of the Peace Corps. During their time in the Peace Corps, the couple aided in establishing a garden, which supplemented four primary schools in Northern Ghana, Bryant said.
After the Peace Corps, Bryant returned to OSU to pursue a Master of Science in international agriculture with a specialty in food and water security. The program requires, at minimum, a four-week international experience, said Pam Bay, MIAP coordinator.
WATOTO
IS RAISING KIDS TO BE THE FUTURE LEADERS OF UGANDA.
“When I served in the Peace Corps, my husband and I worked with a non-governmental organization trying to produce fresh vegetables,” Bryant said. “The ultimate goal was sustainability.”
Through the NGO, she and Robertson worked to improve the local Ghanaian schools. The schools also had a hard time finding teachers to come work for them due to living conditions, she said, including no running water or electricity.
People got an education so they would not end up back in the same situation they started in, Bryant said. Because of this, the organization improved housing and provided stipends to get teachers in the schools, she said.
“The food program Scott and I worked with was a way to get the kids to school,” Bryant said. “The idea was that the kids might come if they knew they would be fed and would be able to eat at least once that day.”
The Peace Corps, which was a twoyear commitment, allowed time for Bryant to make connections with the local people, learn from their culture and language, and immerse herself in the experience while she was abroad, she said.
Bryant’s Watoto experience was made possible through a fellowship funded by MIAP, the OSU Humphrey’s endowment and The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation. The program sends students like Bryant to Uganda to help in Watoto’s agricultural division, Bay said.
“I am proud of our MIAP students, their level of preparation, and their passion for helping the underprivileged through agricultural and educational development,” said Shida Henneberry, Regents professor and MIAP director. “I have heard many positive comments from the members of the local communities about our MIAP/Noble Foundation interns’ agricultural projects and their measurable impact in Uganda.”
Bryant was selected for the fellowship through a recommendation from Henneberry and a follow-up interview with The Noble Foundation.
“The Watoto Fellowship is a competitive process,” Bay said. “We’re proud of Jennifer and the work she’s done.”
The first fellowship participant arrived in Uganda in summer 2013, but the Noble Foundation has provided support for Watoto since 2011, said Steve Swigert, Bryant’s Watoto Fellowship supervisor.
“The part of Watoto that Jennifer
Jennifer Bryant Former Watoto Fellow
worked for — the agricultural division — is responsible for producing food for a 3,000-child orphanage,” Swigert said.
Bryant spent three months in Uganda working with sustainable agriculture for Watoto. While there, she kept a detailed blog on the Noble Foundation’s website, called “A Noble Journey,” about her time in Uganda.
“Watoto is raising kids to be the future leaders of Uganda,” Bryant said.
The biggest endeavor Bryant faced during her time at Watoto was the mango seedling project she spent the majority of her trip helping with, she said.
“Watoto started the project as a way to make a profit,” Bryant said. “I helped
them set up a pest management system for the plants.
“They’re not only producing food for their orphanages,” Bryant said. “They’re doing it to make income to support their programs. I learned a lot about how their agricultural projects make a difference.”
While the trip provided many memorable experiences, Bryant said her favorite experience at Watoto was seeing the use of goat milk come full circle.
“I got to go out to the goat farm with the farmers in the morning to collect the milk then bring it back home to the babies in the orphanage,” Bryant said. “It really showed me how important agriculture is for children globally.”
Today, Bryant works for the Chickasaw National Recreational Area as a park guide, but she said Africa is still on her mind. She said she hopes to return to work with farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.
“Being away from your family is really tough,” Bryant said, “but seeing all the efforts a group has made result in success is worth it.”
Fletcher, Okla.
Top Left: Jennifer Bryant conducts a meeting of teachers, cooks and garden staff of the Child to School Project in Ghana. Top Right: Jennifer Bryant helps a baby at Watoto Child Care Ministries. Bottom Left: Jennifer Bryant and a woman wash carrots at the Lubbe farm. Bottom Right: Jennifer Bryant and the farm crew at the Lubbe farm. Photos courtesy of Jennifer Bryant.
Jenna MURRAY
The
Mendelian genetics. For some, this term may evoke memories of Punnett squares in high school biology or animal science genetics courses. For Robert Walton, an Oklahoma A&M College alumnus and retired geneticist, the term reminds him of his “learnings” and his ultimate career path.
Raised in Shattuck, Okla., and now a resident of Deforest, Wis., Walton, 85, said his interest in animal genetics started at a young age with some big goals.
“My dream was to breed a herd of cattle that were homozygous for all the good genes,” Walton said.
In other words, he wanted to breed cattle to have all of the same desirable traits, he said.
Even though Walton knew his dream was an impossible reality, it led him to Oklahoma A&M to pursue a bachelor’s degree in dairy science in 1948, he said.
Dream
1952 alumnus creates system to advance animal breeding
While visiting a fellow exchange student in May 1953 at WestHide Farms near Hereford, England, Walton learned the dairyman who took care of the 20-cow Jersey herd to supply milk to the manor had broken his hand.
“A few days visit turned into a year and a half stay,” Walton said.
Walton volunteered to stay and take care of the herd while the dairyman healed, he said.
MY DREAM WAS TO BREED A HERD OF CATTLE THAT WERE HOMOZYGOUS FOR ALL THE GOOD GENES.
Robert Walton
Oklahoma A&M Alumnus and Retired Geneticist
“In September 1949, I moved into the new dairy a couple miles northwest of campus,” Walton said. “We students lived in the dormitory above the milking parlor, which was one of the first in the country at that time.”
Walton was a prankster while at the dairy barn, said Curtis Richardson, a former classmate of Walton’s who later served the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service as a dairy specialist. Walton was “smarter than most of us country boys at the barn,” Richardson said.
Upon finishing his undergraduate degree in 1952, Walton participated as an exchange student for one year at the Royal Agricultural College of Sweden.
“They found out I knew something about dairying and decided they would really like to expand their dairy to a truly commercial enterprise,” Walton said. “I told them I would help, but we would need to build an elevated milking parlor if we were to expand and develop the herd.”
At the time, Europe, including England, did not have any parlors of that type. However, Walton knew the system from working at the OSU dairy, he said.
Walton ultimately became general manager of the 2,000-acre WestHide Farms, expanded the dairy herd to more than 100 cows and bought a milk delivery route to market the product.
In October 1954, Walton traveled back to the United States to serve as a U.S. Army ROTC second lieutenant.
“I got a free ride back to the U.S. by escorting a 4-year-old Here-
ford bull on a four-engine prop plane from England to the U.S. Quarantine Station in New Jersey,” Walton said.
When Walton arrived to check in with the Army, he was told he would not have to do any active duty, he said. He then visited Stillwater and learned of a fellowship available to work on a master’s degree in animal breeding and genetics, which he accepted.
Walton earned his master’s degree in 1956 and then chose to pursue his doctorate at Iowa State University.
At ISU, he studied under Jay Lush, the man who Walton said “pioneered and developed animal breeding and genetic concepts the whole world now utilizes.”
From 1958 to 1962, Walton taught animal breeding and genetics courses at the University of Kentucky. Walton also did extension work and coached the dairy judging team while at UK.
In 1962, Walton joined American Breeder Service as the first professional geneticist in the industry and served as ABS president from 1968 to 1989.
“I began to realize the cattle industry hadn’t made much progress in genetic advancements,” Walton said.
Using an indexed mathematical formula to evaluate all the bulls in the industry, Walton developed and implemented a system he originally called Estimated Daughter Superiority.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture adopted and renamed the system to Predicted Difference in 1965.
“It is now used worldwide with faster computers, more traits, and more bells and whistles,” Walton said.
Sara Place, OSU assistant professor of animal science, said Predicted Difference, or Predicted Transmitting Ability as known today in the dairy industry, indicates the chances a number of offspring will inherit a specific trait from the parent.
Expected Progeny Differences are the PTAs’ equivalent in the beef industry, Place said.
“By comparing individual animals on the basis of their offspring’s performance relative to a base population, or average,
a more appropriate comparison of the genetic merit of animals can be made,” Place said.
Clint Rusk, OSU animal science department head, said when his dad first came home from learning to artificially inseminate cows in the 1960s, little was known about the genetic traits a bull might pass to his offspring.
The only info they had about the bull was his picture, he said, because genetic information to help a producer predict herd traits was not available.
“We might know the bull’s weaning weight or his yearling weight,” Rusk said. “We had a couple numbers, but we didn’t have the genetic information that would combine the record for all his progeny, his sire, his dam and related siblings.”
While developing the Estimated Daughter Superiority system, Walton started the Million Dollar Progeny Testing program, which genetically tested hundreds of bulls every year.
Because of Walton’s work, producers no longer have to rely on the physical appearance as the sole method of selecting a bull, Rusk said.
Today, progress is much quicker in the industry and bull selection is not as
difficult, Rusk said. Search criteria make it easier to find what you are looking for.
On breed association websites, one can search specific trait parameters to find a specific bull or list of bulls fitting a producer’s needs within the cowherd, he said.
“It narrows down your search,” Rusk said. “You decide which traits are important to you.”
Walton gives credit to many, as he said he took ideas from all over the industry to put into his working plan.
“I was just the one to put it all together,” Walton said.
Without Walton’s work as a geneticist, progress would have been much slower, Rusk said.
“In theory, we should continue to be able to make genetic progress faster than 50 years ago,” Rusk said.
Because of Walton’s work, one day the industry may be close to making his original dream of a homozygous herd a reality, Rusk said.
Abbey MARTIN
Rocky Ford, Colo.
Oklahoma
alumnus Robert Walton
Consumers rely on us to produce quality pork in a responsible manner, so it’s important they know the principles that guide pork producers – like our commitment to the environment. Everyone involved in pork production – from farm owners to animal caretakers – has an obligation to safeguard natural resources and protect the quality of our land.
Let’s show the world how much we care. Visit www.pork.org to learn more about best practices in environmental stewardship.
www.okpork.org
MILLION-DOLLAR DIFFERENCE
Gaylord Foundation gift advances equine care facilities
Nickering foals greet visitors as they walk through the renovated facilities at the OSU Boren Veterinary Medical Hospital.
The hospital recently renovated its facilities and updated technology through a $1 million donation from the Gaylord Foundation. Renovations included a specialized equine sports medicine department and expanded space for foals needing critical care.
“The money was donated for an equine neonatal and intensive care ward several years ago,” said Dr. Mike Schoonover, large animal surgeon at the hospital.
The original intent was to pair the Gaylord Foundation gift with an additional $2 million dollars in funding. However, an economic decline in the equine industry resulted in a refocused project.
“With the changes in the economy, it was most beneficial to make renovations that improved efficiency, safety, patient care and student learning,” said Lyndi Gilliam, large animal surgeon at the hospital.
Many original goals for the funds were accomplished, said Dr. Todd Holbrook, the hospital’s equine section chief. For example, in the critical care unit, six stalls were transformed into three larger stalls to better accommodate mares’ and foals’ treatment needs, he said.
Gilliam said the new stalls will allow veterinarians to provide round-the-clock care for neonatal foals.
“No other hospital in Oklahoma has the facilities and specialists to treat foals to this level of intensity,” she said.
The new facilities also allow for enhanced safety procedures, including an isolation room and outside entrance for equine with contagious illnesses or significant neurological conditions. The renovation also comes with technology upgrades.
“The learning environment has been enriched with large screens that display ultrasound and endoscopy images so students can always be up close and involved with the cases,” Gilliam said.
Dr. Daniel Burba, professor of equine surgery, said when he arrived in 2015 he was excited about the construction of the equine sports medicine suite.
“The Gaylord Foundation donation
has been vital to our program,” he said, adding the suite provides needed space and up-to-date technology for diagnosing and treating the animals.
“This suite will serve the hospital’s equine section for many years, not only for treatment of horses but also to train and educate veterinary students in the art of sports medicine,” he said.
Sarah DAVIS Tulsa, Okla.
Mike Schoonover (right) demonstrates an ultrasound to third-year surgery resident Darla Moser. Photo by Sarah Davis.
Scott (left), Austin, Dillon and Leroy Johnson operate their family farm near Afton, Okla. Photo by Aimee Shaner. Opposite Page Left: Leroy Johnson (right) and his wife, Connie Johnson, in 1966.
Photo courtesy of Connie Johnson. Opposite Page Center: Scott Johnson displays his campaign sign for Agriculture Student Council president. Photo courtesy of Scott Johnson. Opposite Page Right: Austin and Dillon Johnson serve in a variety of leadership roles at OSU. Photo by Aimee Shaner.
A FAMILY
Three generations of Johnsons call CASNR home
Three generations. Seven family members. One family tradition.
Dillon Johnson came to Oklahoma State University from Afton, Okla., with a long family history and multigenerational ties to the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.
Dillon’s OSU-connected family includes his twin brother, Austin; his father, Scott; his uncle, Justin; his cousin, Amy; his great-uncle, Wayne; and his grandfather, Leroy.
Dillon, who served as the 2015-16 president of the CASNR Student Council and was elected as the 2016-17 OSU Student Government Association president, is earning bachelor’s degrees in plant and soil sciences and in agribusiness. He said he was exposed to OSU growing up, hearing stories from his dad and grandpa, going to athletic events, and visiting campus for FFA activities.
“OSU has completely changed my life,” Dillon said. “It has given me a place
At OSU, Dillon followed his dad in a unique way: by serving as president of CASNR Student Council.
“My favorite part of serving was interacting with the people in the college,” Dillon said. “I met so many different people. I found mentors who have become friends and friends who have become family.”
The 21-year-old said his role as president has improved his communication and public-speaking skills. He said he values the opportunity to network with other students, faculty, staff and administration.
Dillon said he plans to go back to his family’s farm following his graduation in May 2017.
“Oklahoma State has allowed me to be a part of something much greater than myself,” Dillon said.
Austin, an OSU junior majoring in finance, said he grew up wanting to attend OSU, although he considered other colleges during high school.
“When I went on an OSU campus tour and saw it from the eyes of a student, OSU was completely different,” Austin
said. “I fell in love again and decided to come here, and I haven’t regretted it.”
The twins have a close relationship, so Austin knowing Dillon chose OSU influenced Austin’s decision, he said, although his choice did come down to where he felt most at home and comfortable.
Austin said he remembers his dad taking the twins to campus and telling them about things he did while at OSU.
“I don’t think our decisions would have been the same without seeing the long-term impacts OSU had on my dad and grandpa,” Austin said. “It’s kind of a long-standing tradition now.”
Like Dillon, Scott followed in his father’s footsteps, not only attending OSU, but also earning a degree in agronomy, which is now called plant and soil sciences.
Scott grew up farming with his dad in Afton. While in high school, Scott competed on an FFA crops judging team and competed at the state contest each year at OSU, he said.
“My dad and my uncle Wayne had gone to OSU,” Scott said, “but I had been
exposed to OSU all through high school. The chance to judge on the crops judging team sealed it.”
The OSU crops judging team coach recruited Scott and offered him a scholarship to judge on the intercollegiate crops judging team.
“My favorite professor was Kevin Donnelly,” Scott said. “He was my crops judging coach and adviser. He was just so excited about agronomy it was hard not to pick up on his enthusiasm.
Scott said he did not even look at other schools and is still involved with OSU through the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service.
I JUST FELT I WAS WHERE I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ALL ALONG.
Dillon Johnson SGA President
“I learned a lot, and school was fun,” Scott said. “My education taught me a lot and serves me well. I still use my education today as a farmer.”
Upon graduating with his bachelor’s degree, Scott stayed at OSU an additional year to get a bachelor’s degree in animal science, as well.
Scott said he always intended on being a farmer, but his time at OSU exposed him to many different things.
“The technical education I gained at OSU was very valuable,” Scott said. “Being involved in the Agriculture Student Council was good for me for leadership and to make me more outgoing.
“I remember all the friendships I made,” Scott said. “It was always neat being involved with all the different colleges on campus while being president of the Agriculture Student Council.”
Leroy, Dillon’s grandfather, was the first Johnson generation to venture to OSU. Now 72, he was the first in his family to earn a bachelor’s degree.
“I got a lot of good out of my education for what we do,” Leroy said.
the main Oklahoma college for agriculture, he said. He said he liked classes he knew he would use back on the farm.
Leroy said his advisor, JQ Linn, had the most impact on him.
“I probably got more value strictly out of my education, more of the hands-on part,” Leroy said. “I really got a lot of use out of what I went there for.”
Leroy said the Johnson tradition of attending OSU gives the family a middle ground and something to talk about.
“It’s kind of like a family tradition,” Leroy said. “We are a close family anyway, but now more things revolve around the OSU Cowboys.”
The Johnson family has been influenced by its time at OSU. The tradition of attending OSU “has just worked” for the Johnsons, Scott said.
“I just felt I was where I was supposed to be all along,” Dillon said.
“The friendships and connections I made were really important,” Scott said.
Leroy grew up on the family’s farm in Afton, which his parents started in 1940. He said he wanted to continue to farm there following graduation in 1966.
Leroy attended OSU because it was
Aimee SHANER
Fresno, Calif.
JOHN DEERE
For more than 75 years, Central Rural Electric Cooperative has served Stillwater and the neighboring areas. We are proud of our past, but more importantly, we are engaged in activities today that will provide a prosperous future. As we move forward to become The Next Generation Utility, change is taking place. A change that represents our forward thinking and dedication toward members. Our past has made us what we are today, and we will always remember that as we look forward to our future as Central Electric Cooperative.
If you build it, they will
The Oklahoma State University agricultural communications program continues to grow as it prepares students to share the stories of agriculture and natural resources. These students need a new computer lab to create the award-winning Cowboy Journal for you. Can you help make it happen?
http://tinyurl.com/CowboyJournaldonate
Email Shelly Sitton at shelly.sitton@okstate.edu for more information.
FIRING UP the
OK-FIRE helps fire professionals conduct prescribed burns and control wildfires
As you drive down the highway, you see a billow of smoke rising from a nearby field. Is it controlled? Are the landowners aware of the fire? Because of the OK-FIRE system, fewer people have to worry about grass fire dangers.
To benefit Oklahoma property owners, the Oklahoma State University Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and partners have developed a program to assess current and future fire dangers around the state.
J.D. Carlson, a meteorologist and associate researcher in OSU Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, has worked with Oklahoma Mesonet in Norman, Okla., to create a comprehensive tool called OK-FIRE to provide fire specialists with information about fire and weather conditions.
“OK-FIRE includes a suite of products for fire weather, fire danger and smoke dispersion as well as a dedicated OK-FIRE wildland fire management website to deliver the products,” Carlson said.
In 2005, OSU received a federal grant of $320,000 to develop a wildland fire management system for Oklahoma using the Oklahoma Mesonet.
“One of our main goals was to design a one-stop shop for fire control,” he said.
In August 2012, the OK-FIRE website recorded more than 18,000 unique visitors and more than 56,000 visits, Carlson said.
To have maximum accessibility, OKFIRE will be integrated into the Oklahoma Mesonet website in 2016.
This will allow more devices to access certain features of the aging site, such as animated maps that rely on a browser plug-in not supported by tablets, smart
phones and some desktop computers, Carlson said.
“OK-FIRE has existed for almost 10 years,” Carlson said. “As many people move away from desktop computers as their primary source for information, the [updated site] should allow for easier access of important information.”
Seth Coffey, a fire ecology graduate student, is a mobile user of the site when planning and performing prescribed burns.
“I have the Web link saved to my phone and use it often,” Coffey said. “Knowing the new site will work better on multiple mobile devices will keep me as an avid user.”
dispersion also are products of OK-FIRE’s forecasting capabilities.
“We have the ability to use satellite imaging to show smoke and its drift,” Carlson said. “For prescribed burning, you can input the conditions of your area and the site will show you wind speed and direction in regard to sensitive areas to smoke, such as neighborhoods and schools.”
ONE OF OUR MAIN GOALS WAS TO DESIGN A ONE-STOP SHOP FOR FIRE CONTROL.
J.D. Carlson Associate Researcher
The Oklahoma Mesonet includes 120 automated weather stations placed across the state with at least one in each county, Carlson said.
OK-FIRE uses the information gathered from the Oklahoma Mesonet and a numerical weather forecast model. It combines the information to produce past, current and forecast products for fire weather, fire danger and smoke dispersion. Products are available in map, chart and table formats for individual Mesonet sites.
“Our fire danger forecasts are based on the National Fire Danger Rating System of the U.S. Forest Service and utilize a wide range of data, including air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, as well as weekly satellite imagery,” Carlson said.
Smoke detection, prediction and
One of the most frequently used OK-FIRE products is its fire prescription planner. This allows fire managers to input values for weather and fire variables.
“This product is for individuals performing prescribed burns in their area who want to know optimal times to do so,” Carlson said.
Since the debut of OK-FIRE in 2006, Carlson has traveled across the state teaching firefighters, crisis managers and private landowners to use OK-FIRE and other Mesonet products. More than 1,000 managers have been trained.
“There are few, if any, prescribed burns we conduct before logging into OK-FIRE,” said Bob Hamilton, preserve director at The Nature Conservancy. “There’s no other tool like it as far as checking conditions and planning for a burn.”
Trent CLEARY
Lindsay, Okla.
Elizabeth Corbishly conducts a prescribed burn south of Stillwater, Okla. Photo by Trent Cleary.
Jeremy Bennett
Jeremy Bennett grew up in Yukon, Okla. He earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental science in 2011 and a master’s degree in agricultural economics in 2013.
While at OSU, Bennett received many awards for his work. He traveled abroad as a student and served as a Goodwill Ambassador in Ethiopia for three months. Bennett is a field representative and agricultural liaison for Rep. Frank Lucas. He resides in Stillwater with his wife, Blaire, also a CASNR graduate.
Charles Rohla
Charles Rohla, a native of Chester, Okla., earned his bachelor’s degree in animal science, master’s degree in agricultural education, and doctorate in crop science from OSU.
Rohla is the manager of The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation Center for Pecan and Specialty Agriculture Development and Technology Advancement.
He resides in Roff, Okla. with his wife, Andrea Bryant, a CASNR alumna, and their 2-year-old son, Clayton.
Raylon Earls
Raylon Earls resides in his hometown of Guymon, Okla. He earned a bachelor’s degree in 1987 and a master’s degree in 1989 in agricultural economics from OSU.
Earls owns Advantage Buildings LLC and farms a variety of crops as well as has a cow-calf operation. He serves on the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Program Advisory Council and is an associate in the College of Education. Earls also serves as the president of the Oklahoma Corn Growers Association.
Kirby Smith
Kirby Smith, a native of Elk City, Okla., resides in Oklahoma City. She earned a bachelor’s degree in 2008 and a master’s degree in 2011 in agricultural communications from OSU.
After graduating from OSU, Smith worked as a public information officer at the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. Following her time there, she joined Rep. Frank Lucas’ staff as a field representative.
Haley Nabors
Haley (Baumgardener) Nabors graduated with a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness and marketing in 2012.
Nabors was active in many clubs during her time at OSU and received numerous honors. She also served as a teaching assistant. After graduation, she went to work for Dow AgroSciences.
Nabors works as a field specialist for Dow. She is a native of Enid, Okla., and resides there with her husband, Tyler, who is also a CASNR alumnus.
Paige Wallace
Paige Wallace grew up on her family’s cow-calf operation in southwest Missouri, raising Angus and Simmental cattle. After completing an associate’s degree at Butler Community College, Wallace earned her bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications from OSU in May 2014.
Wallace serves as a co-host of the Angus Report on RFD-TV and is an event coordinator for OSU’s Institute for Teaching and Learning Excellence and the University Club.
Summer/Fall
CASNR Alumni Board of Directors
Brian Vowell President Stillwater, Okla. Northeast District 2010-2016
Brandon Chandler
Vice President Stratford, Okla. Southeast District 2015-2017
Lewis Cunningham Secretary Edmond, Okla.
At-large Member 2015-2017
Karen Hickman
Executive Secretary Stillwater, Okla.
Jeremy Bennett
Stillwater, Okla.
At-large Member 2016-2017
Raylon Earls
Guymon, Okla.
Northwest District 2016-2018
Coleman Hickman Sapulpa, Okla.
Northeast District 2010-2016
Haley Nabors
Enid, Okla.
At-large Member 2016-2018
Don Roberts
Enid, Okla. Northwest District 2010-2016
Kirby Smith
Oklahoma City, Okla. Southwest District 2016-2018
Ken Spady
Hinton, Okla.
Southwest District 2010-2016
Paige Wallace
Stillwater, Okla.
At-large Member 2016-2018
Thank you, sponsors!
The Bank of Kremlin • The Bank N.A. • The Stock Exchange Bank W.B. Johnston Grain Co. Gold Level Bronze Level Silver Level
Express Ranches • Gregory & Kristen Hart • Wal-Mart
American Farmers & Ranchers • BancFirst–Stillwater
Bank of Western Oklahoma • Chisholm Trail Farm Credit
Farm Credit of East Central Oklahoma Farm Credit of Western Oklahoma • Grissoms LLC
Oklahoma Farm Bureau • P&K Equipment
Persimmon Creek Investments • Shattuck National Bank
Hopeton State Bank
The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation–Agricultural Division
Brandon & Becky Chandler
Royal-Grow Products LLC
Tallgrass RC & D Project Wheatland Resource Conservation & Development
Give your all to your
The CASNR Alumni, a nonprofit organization, promotes academic excellence in the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources by providing support for the college, building scholarship programs and promoting CASNR activities.
A 12-member board of directors elected from active members of the organization directs the group’s activities. The board includes two representatives from each of the four districts throughout Oklahoma as well as four members elected at large. Throughout the year, the CASNR Alumni Board of Directors coordinates and is involved with several events, including CASNR Roundup, CASNR Alumni Annual Meeting and Reception at Homecoming, and the DASNR Access Tour. The organization also supports the recognition of the CASNR Early Career Achievement Award and the CASNR Seniors of Distinction as well as several student scholarships.
For more information, visit
The Muller family of southwest Oklahoma celebrates a rich agricultural heritage provided in part to them by the soil, the sun and the rain. It is their goal to protect these precious natural resources while growing food, fiber and fuel for our world. Cover crops protect their soil. A diverse crop rotation enriches their land. Rainwater collection systems and drip irrigation make the most out of every drop of water. Innovations implemented each and every day on their farm allow the Muller family to sustain the land that sustains them.
Oklahoma State University
Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership
