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SPRING 2005

THE MAGAZINE OF THE OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU

INSIDE:

From The Country To The Capitol An Ounce Of Prevention Oklahoma Horizon

Oklahoma Country

Contents

8

Features 8 – From the Country to the Capitol Considered new kids on the block, these freshmen legislatiors have deep roots in agriculture and Oklahoma Farm Bureau. — BY NICOLA FREEMAN

14 14 – An Ounce of Prevention Two Oologah grandmas are firm believers that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Their belief in that old adage influenced their response to the question of what they could do to save teenage drivers. — BY MIKE NICHOLS

18

18 – Oklahoma HORIZON Agriculture reaches a broad audience on this new television show devoted to rural life and economic development in Oklahoma. — BY TRACI MORGAN

Columns

Departments

2 – Presidentially Speaking 4 – Country Gardening

22 – All Around Oklahoma 33 – Country Classifieds 36 – Country Kitchen

Hidden number worth $50 ne member family’s Oklahoma Farm Bureau membership number is hidden somewhere in this issue of OKLAHOMA COUNTRY, and could earn that member family $50.

To claim the cash prize, the member family must find its hidden membership number and contact Mike Nichols before the last day of the month Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 405-523-2300.

O

The OFB membership number is hidden somewhere in OKLAHOMA COUNTRY. It must match the number on the face of your OFB membership card for you to claim the cash prize.

The membership number that appears on your magazine’s mailing label is not the hidden number, but must match the hidden number for you to claim the cash prize.

Cover Image Rookie Reps. Jeff Hickman, Wade Rousselot and Jerry Shoemake are excited about their first terms in office.

Oklahoma Country • Spring 2005 • 1

Presidentially

Speaking

BY STEVE KOUPLEN President, Oklahoma Farm Bureau

A

s another year begins to fly by it seems to me that this old world is spinning faster and faster all the time. Summer is upon us; we’ve paid our taxes (maybe not all of us), we’ve almost endured another session of our legislature; we’ve begun planting and spring working of our livestock and yet we find the more things change the more they stay the same.

Our society seems to create an atmosphere where one of our most precious commodities other than our children and grandchildren is our time. It’s enough to make me long for the time when I was a child and the pace of life seemed to be much slower and less stressful.

Even though I was not really fond of working in my mother’s garden after school, I sure can remember how wonderful the meals prepared from fresh picked produce from the garden were.

Of course, I know a lot of that had to do with her cooking abilities – abilities to make do with what she had and make it taste so delicious.

The faster we race headlong into the future the more I long for that past, when the menu was dictated more by the season and what was ripe in the garden and not by the time required in the microwave.

When the finest compliment was having someone ask for the recipe, and kneading your own dough had nothing to do with an allowance.

Remember when biscuits where made from scratch without the help of the Pillsbury Doughboy and gravy didn’t come out of a pouch, can or jar? When canned green beans, peaches and other garden produce stored on the shelves lasted just like today’s chemically preserved items and tasted so much better. Remember when green beans were fully cooked when you ate them and not crunchy?

In an era when the majority of meals are consumed through the fast food drive-thru window or outside the home, most people today confuse thawing with cooking and their watching of chefs cooking on the Food Network channel is as close to baking as many will get.

Along with these changes we also see a trend in our society of consumers taking their food supply for granted, believing that it’s been there in the past and will always be there in the future.

Day after day, week after week, year after year, Americans are supplied the cheapest, safest, most varied, most abundant food supply in the world. And as every year passes, fewer and fewer Americans realize what it takes to produce the food that they consume daily. And as more and more generations are removed from the farm, we find a growing number of people who view those of us involved in production agriculture as more of a nuisance than a necessity.

Fewer and fewer understand that we as producers have a special bond with the land, the water and the air. How conservation, nutrient management, quality and quantity of water is so very important to us not only as producers but also as consumers.

Recently, I heard the statement that it is easy to complain about a multitude of problems when one has all they want to eat but when they are hungry there is really only one.

The fact is communication and cooperation between producers and our urban cousins is the answer to both of our futures.

I guess that truly the more things change, the more they stay the same. Have a great summer!

2 • Oklahoma Country • Spring 2005

Spring 2005 Volume 57 No. 2 Oklahoma Country (ISSN 1544-6476) Published four times per year in April, July, October and January by Oklahoma Farm Bureau, 2501 N. Stiles, Oklahoma City, OK 73105-3126, Telephone 405-523-2300.

Periodicals postage paid at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Additional Mailing Offices.

Postmaster: Send address corrections to: OKLAHOMA COUNTRY, P.O.B. 53332, Oklahoma City, OK 73152-3332.

EDITORIAL TEAM Sam Knipp Director of Corporate Communications/ Public Relations Mike Nichols OKLAHOMA COUNTRY Editor and Senior Writer Traci Morgan PERSPECTIVE and Online News Editor Nicola Freeman Coordinator of Media Relations DIRECT YOUR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES TO: OKLAHOMA COUNTRY Attn: Mike Nichols 2501 N. Stiles Oklahoma City, OK 73105 405-523-2300, Ext. 2345 ADVERTISING POLICY All advertising is subject to publisher’s approval.

Advertisers assume all liability for content of their advertising. Publisher maintains right to cancel advertising. Publisher does not guarantee advertiser service or products, and assumes no liability for products or services advertised in OKLAHOMA COUNTRY. TO SUBSCRIBE OKLAHOMA COUNTRY subscription rate is $1 per year for members as part of the dues, $15 for non-members.

WEB SITE www.okfarmbureau.org OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU DIRECTORS Steve Kouplen, President Mike Spradling, Vice President Billy Gibson, Secretaru Bob Drake, Treasurer Scott Dvorak, Director Ervin Mitchell, Director Merle Atkins, Director Larry Boggs, Director Charles Sloan, Director Donna VonTungeln, Director Matt Wilson, Executive Director

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SPORTS TECH NEWS — 2005

New lure’s catch rate may be too high for some tournaments.

Out-fishes other bait 19 to 4 in one contest.

Uses aerospace technology to mimic a real fish.

ORLANDO, FL— A small company in Connecticut has developed a new lure that mimics the motion of a real fish so realistically eight professionals couldn’t tell the difference between it and a live shad when it “swam” toward them on retrieval. The design eliminates wobbling, angled swimming and other unnatural motions that problem other hard bait lures. It swims upright and appears to

by Charlie Allen propel itself with its tail.

Curiously, the company may have designed it too well.

Tournament fishermen who have used it said it’s possible officials will not allow it in contests where live bait is prohibited.

They claim it swims more realistically than anything they have ever seen. If so, that would hurt the company’s promotional efforts. Winning tournaments is an important part of marketing a new lure.

Fish would probably prefer to see it restricted. I watched eight veteran fishermen test the new lure (called The KickTail®) on a lake outside Orlando FL for about four hours. Four used the KickTail and four used a combination of their favorite lures and shiners (live bait). The four using the KickTail caught 41 fish versus 14 for the other four. In one boat the KickTail won 19 to 4. The KickTail also caught bigger fish, which suggests it triggers larger, less aggressive fish to strike.

You can see why the company needs to get it into tournaments.

An almost 3 to 1 advantage can mean thousands of dollars to a fisherman, and hundreds of thousands in sales to the company.

The KickTail’s magic comes from a Inventor Scott Wilson patented technology lands a 10-pounder. that breaks the tail into five segments.

As water rushes by on retrieval, a littleknown principle called aeronautical flutter causes the tail to wag left and right, as if the lure were propelling itself with its tail.

Unlike other hard baits, the head remains

Swims with its tail.

New lure swims like a real fish--nearly triples catch in Florida contest. stationary—only the tail wags. A company spokesman told me this.

“Fish attack live things, and they determine if something is alive by watching its movements. Marine biologists will tell you that the more a lure swims like a real fish, the more fish it will catch. Well, the only live thing the KickTail doesn’t do is breathe. It’s better than live bait! It lasts longer and it never hangs half-dead from a hook. It’s always swimming wild and free. Fish can’t stand it. We’ve seen fish that have just eaten go for the KickTail.

It’s like having another potato chip.

Increases catch almost 3 to 1.

“To make the KickTail even more lifelike, we gave it a natural shad color and shaped it like the most prevalent bait fish of all, the threadfin. Game fish gobble up more threadfin shad than any other baitfish.

“We knew the KickTail would outfish other lures. It had to. Other lures wobble their heads and swim on an angle. But 41 fish to 14? That’s huge! I tell you, in ten seconds anyone who has fished a day in his life knows this little swimmer’s a home run. Fishermen reserved thousands of KickTails before we produced it! Here, reel it in and watch it swim toward you. Can you tell the difference between it and a live fish?

(I said no.) Neither can the fish.

“The flutter technology also allows the KickTail to swim at the water’s surface.

Other top water lures must be worked to have any live action, or have a bill that makes them dive on retrieval. Our diver version is the only deep crank bait that let’s you do tricks like ‘walk the dog.’ Twitch it at deep levels and it gives an irresistible, lifelike action. Other lures ‘dig.’ And there’s no need for rattles. The five tail segments click together as you pull it through the water, calling fish from a distance.”

Whether you fish for fun or profit, if you want a near 3 to 1 advantage, I would order now before the KickTail becomes known. The company even guarantees a refund, if you don’t catch more fish and return the lures within 30 days. There are three versions: a floater for top water, a diver and a “dying shad” with a weed guard for fishing lily pads and other feeding spots. The company says it’s the only hard bait of its kind in existence. Each lure costs $9.95 and you must order at least two. There is also a “Super 10-Pack” with additional colors for only $79.95, a savings of almost $20.00. S/h is only $6.00 no matter how many you order.

To order call 1-800-873-4415 or click www.ngcsports.com anytime or day or send a check or M.O. (or cc number and exp. date) to NGC Sports (Dept. KT-893), 60 Church Street, Yalesville, CT 06492. CT add sales tax.

The KickTail is four inches long and works in salt and fresh water.

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© NGC Worldwide, Inc. 2005 Dept. KT-893

Oklahoma Country • Spring 2005 • 3

Country

Gardening

BY BILLY ROSS

TM

Station Manager Bonnie Plant Farm Howe, Oklahoma

Starting a new gardening year…

N

ow is the time to pull out all those notes you made and pictures you took at the end of the last growing season. Did you have a successful growing season? Is it time to rotate some crops? Were the tomatoes a success, but another vegetable didn’t do as well? Why? Do you want a larger garden this year? Are you thinking about growing more vegetables in pots or containers? These questions should begin your thinking and planning for this year’s garden.

If you didn’t have a garden last year and are looking to enter the world of gardening for the first time - welcome. Though it may seem early to be thinking about spring or summer gardens, actually now is the best time. First, start thinking about where you want your garden to grow. Look over old photographs of your yard or patio during spring and summer months to see how much sun your area gets.

Then start your planning.

Regardless of whether you’re a seasoned gardener or someone just getting started, use this planning time to reach out to your local Extension agent. Find out more about your area’s climate and growing seasons.

Plan your garden and make it a family project. Kids can learn so much from the growing process. From the skills they learn to use for planning and observation, to the responsibility of helping, gardening is a great way to teach about nature and life. Let your family help you in starting your new gardening year. They will learn lessons they will remember long after the last tomato has been eaten.

the country, eggplants are annuals, but in warmer climates, they can actually be a perennial plant.

These unique plants can be grown in garden beds or containers. In container gardens, you must make sure there is a depth of at least eight inches for healthy plants. Also, remember, whenever growing a garden in containers, water more often, because less soil will retain less moisture.

There are several varieties of eggplants.

Black Beauty is classic, with large egg-shaped fruits and is deep purple in color. It is perfect for dishes such as Eggplant Parmesan. Green Goddess is another variety of eggplant. The fruit are lime green in color and have a mild flavor. The plant is also a very prolific producer. Green Goddess is heat tolerant as well. The Ichiban variety is a dark purple or black slim fruit that can grow up to 10 inches long. This delightful Asian variety is slow to develop seeds. The Cloud Nine variety has tear shaped fruit that is pure white and a delicate flavor. Black Beauty and Cloud Nine are resistant to tobacco mosaic virus.

The key to successful eggplant production is harvesting the fruit when they are half of their mature size or when their skin fails to rebound after fingernail pressure. This ensures better flavor and texture. Also, make sure the soil is well fertilized and doesn’t dry out. Eggplants might have to be staked just like tomatoes, because of the weight of the fruit itself.

Try something wonderful this year in your garden – EGGPLANT… Eggplant is a versatile and beautiful fruit to grow and eat. No matter how your garden is organized, growing eggplant requires lots of sun and warm temperatures. In cooler parts of

Mama mia – GREEK OREGANO… Flourishing in warmer climates, Greek Oregano can grow to three feet tall, covered in pale lavender flowers all through the summer months. In more Northern or colder locales, it will still grow, but more as an annual herb

4 • Oklahoma Country • Spring 2005

than a perennial one, like it does in the South.

Greek Oregano, a member of the mint family, still grows in wild in the hills of Greece.

It is more commonly used here in America in Italian foods. A wonderful addition for any chef’s garden, Greek Oregano is more pungent than other types of oregano.

Whether grown in a flowerbed, container or garden, Greek Oregano prefers soil that is dry, well drained, alkaline and not too rich. To visualize the right kind of soil conditions, picture the hillsides of the Mediterranean and you will understand what these marvelous plants want. Plant some this year and make your herbal garden even more complete.

Recipe – EGGPLANT TEMPURA This is a relatively easy recipe, but something a little different for those homegrown eggplants you are harvesting.

Peel the eggplant and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Sprinkle a little salt on each slice and let them stand for about 15 minutes.

Rinse and drain, then wipe dry with paper towel, removing all excess moisture.

Using a store bought tempura batter mix, add to the batter – 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder and 1/2 tsp. of minced fresh Greek Oregano or regular oregano.

Following the instructions of the tempura batter mix, dip the slices of eggplant. Then cook in oil. Place browned tempura eggplant on paper towel to drain.

A tomato-based Italian sauce would be great to dip the eggplant slices in while warm. Serve and watch your family enjoy this great treat.

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American Farm Bureau Federation. All claims are based on the latest available competitive information at the time of printing.