Oklahoma Country Magazine Fall 2026 by Oklahoma Farm Bureau

Fall 2026 The magazine of Oklahoma Farm Bureau

Passing the torch

Tulsa County farmer, rancher and ag business owner Tommy Salisbury shares his passion for the future of agriculture as chairman of the AFBF YF&R Committee.

Building it better One Farm Bureau family creates purposebuilt trailers for farmers and ranchers

Expecting the unexpected

OKFB’s District 7 director builds on a long history of service to Farm Bureau

OKFB’s 2026 voter guide Candidates and issues appearing on the Oklahoma general election ballot

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Oklahoma Country

Volume 79 No. 3 Fall 2026 (ISSN 1544-6476)

Oklahoma Country is published two times per year in April and October by Oklahoma Farm Bureau, 2501 N. Stiles, Oklahoma City, OK 73105-3126. Telephone: (405) 523-2300. ADDRESS CORRECTIONS Postmaster: Send address corrections to: Oklahoma Country, PO Box 53332, Oklahoma City, OK 73152-3332. ON THE COVER

DIRECT ADVERTISING INQUIRIES TO: Oklahoma Country Attn: Casey McNeal (800) 798-2691, ext. 334 or email casey@iafalls.com ADVERTISING POLICY All advertising is subject to publisher’s approval. Advertisers assume all liability for content of their advertising. Publisher does not guarantee advertiser service or products, and assumes no liability for products or services advertised. TO SUBSCRIBE Oklahoma Country subscription rate is $1 per year for members as part of the dues, and $15 for non-members. WEBSITE www.okfarmbureau.org

Photo by Dustin Mielke

Tommy Salisbury stands on his farm and ranch north of Collinsville. Salisbury currently serves as the American Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee chairman. EDITORIAL TEAM Dustin Mielke Vice President of Communications and Public Relations Rachel Havens Assistant Director of Media Relations and Advocacy Communications Abby Helbach Digital Content Coordinator

ABOUT OKLAHOMA COUNTRY MAGAZINE Oklahoma Country magazine is the official magazine of Oklahoma Farm Bureau, mailed to Farm Bureau members two times a year. Oklahoma Country magazine shares the story of Oklahoma agriculture and our rural communities through the eyes of Farm Bureau members, programs and activities. ABOUT OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU Oklahoma Farm Bureau is Oklahoma’s largest general farm organization, dedicated to supporting the agriculture community to improve the lives of Oklahomans. As a grassroots, member-led organization, OKFB gives a voice to family farmers and ranchers through advocacy, outreach, leadership development and supporting the future of agriculture. Oklahoma Country

Oklahoma Country Contents Fall 2026

Featured stories

18 Building it better

One Farm Bureau family makes a better trailer for themselves and fellow farmers and ranchers.

Passing the torch

Tulsa County Farm Bureau member Tommy Salisbury builds upon the agricultural opportunities afforded to him and helps fellow young agriculturalists grow as chairman of the AFBF YF&R Committee.

2026 voter 26 OKFB’s guide Checking out OKFB-endorsed candidates and issues appearing on the November ballot.

Columns

6 8

Presidentially Speaking

Looking ahead to OKFB’s 2026 annual meeting in OKC.

Meet OKFB’s District 7 director and his passion for ag.

38 Developing success

Graduates of OKFB’s business accelerators programs share their latest achievements.

Sections

Stacy Simunek, President

Bureau 26 Farm Advocacy

Bureau 42 Farm People

Executive Outlook

Bureau 32 Farm Events

Bureau 44 Farm Outreach

Bureau 38 Farm Accelerators

Around 46 All Oklahoma

Bureau 40 Farm Counties

50 Oklahoma Gardening

Thad Doye, Executive Director

Matters 10 Insurance Gary Buckner, Executive Vice

President and General Manager

your passion 32 Ignite for ag

the 22 Expecting unexpected

Oklahoma Country

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Oklahoma Country

Presidentially Speaking Insights from Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Stacy Simunek

Shielding and protecting Oklahoma agriculture as one

Stacy Simunek President Oklahoma Farm Bureau & Affiliated Companies

“Oklahoma farmers and ranchers – no matter their size, their type or their production practices – can join together under the umbrella of agriculture and as Farm Bureau members to speak with one voice for the benefit of our entire industry.”

Oklahoma Country

s a lifelong farmer, the moments of solitude I get to have on the tractor, on the combine or driving down mile after mile of county roads is a big part of what makes agriculture and rural Oklahoma special. But no matter how good I am at being a farmer or a rancher, there are still threats and challenges that come at agriculture from all angles. From out-of-state groups that want to regulate and legislate us out of business to divisions from within when our state’s diverse agriculture industry disagrees on the best way to handle challenges, just staying on the farm and enjoying our solitude opens the door for people and groups to attack agriculture. That is why Oklahoma Farm Bureau is so important. As I have met with OKFB members, fellow agriculture groups and Oklahomans from all walks of life over the past year, I have come to realize that Farm Bureau protects our members and all of agriculture. Just like how Oklahoma Farm Bureau Insurance is a shield for our members when storms hit or when life throws a curveball, our farm organization rises up when agriculture is under attack or when issues show up at our farm or ranch gate. The fight we witnessed against our state’s poultry farmers earlier this year helped us all understand that we have an important role to play in protecting agriculture. That challenge was an opportunity for us all to wake up, realize the real danger that sometimes is lurking in the shadows and fight as one voice for agriculture – even if it is a different form of agriculture than what we do on our farms and ranches. The impact Farm Bureau made for our state’s poultry farmers was gamechanging, and we are proud to continue the work on that front. I know we will not be able to win every battle we engage in, but if we are not trying

to protect agriculture, then Farm Bureau is not serving our members, and we as agriculturalists are not protecting our own families and communities. While each of us as individuals has our own unique family history, our own way of producing commodities or livestock and our own rural way of life, we cannot let our differences divide us. Oklahoma farmers and ranchers – no matter their size, their type or their production practices – can join together under the umbrella of agriculture and as Farm Bureau members to speak with one voice for the benefit of our entire industry. We may not always realize it, but we are all part of a large, important industry that makes modern life possible for people around the world. What could be more important than banding together to ensure that our own families, and families across the planet, have a sustainable way of life today and tomorrow? Our farmers and ranchers are strong, independent people, and the difficulties that we face are not new to us or our families. From the challenging farm economy with skyrocketing input prices putting the pinch on our profitability to the impending threat of those who want to regulate and restrict our ability to produce healthy and affordable food products, family agriculturalists have plenty of challenges facing us. We have faced adversity before, we have risen to the challenge to overcome it, and we are better off today because we worked through the hard times to create better times. But that doesn’t happen alone. It happens when Farm Bureau members come together as one, find common ground and work as one voice and one family for Oklahoma agriculture. That is our Farm Bureau definition of strength, and I hope you are as ready as I am to roll up our sleeves and keep agriculture moving forward as the defenders and protectors of our industry and our way of life.

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Oklahoma Country

Executive Outlook Farm Bureau and agriculture commentary from Oklahoma Farm Bureau Executive Director Thad Doye

Stepping back, taking stock and getting an opinion from friends

ur members and our staff at Oklahoma Farm Bureau have been hard at work throughout the last several years adding programs, events and activities to our already-packed Farm Bureau calendar. From building a complete rural economic development initiative from the ground up to adding on to our impressive catalog of youth events and from developing our county Farm Bureau programs across the state to continuously updating our Women’s Leadership Committee and Young Farmers and Ranchers activities, I am proud of all the new, updated and exciting things our organization is doing for agriculture and our rural communities. However, sometimes it is good to take a moment, pause, and assess our organization’s programs, evaluate our activities and make sure Farm Bureau’s impact matches our intent. To take stock of everything we are working on, OKFB will undertake a peer review process in the coming months. We completed our last peer review back in 2018, and when I think about how much has changed in our world, our industry and our organization since then, the differences are almost mind-blowing. The peer review process is just what it sounds like: a team of our peers from across the Farm Bureau landscape will take a look at what our organization is taking on. As part of the process, staff from American Farm Bureau and fellow state Farm Bureau representatives will review and analyze how we are doing things in Oklahoma and provide feedback about what they see and what adjustments we should consider to make sure we are being as effective as possible. To relate it to the agricultural world, it is like having a mechanic friend stop by make sure you reassembled a project properly or getting a neighbor to swing by and look at a bull to help make sure he’s as good as you think he might be. The people who will be reviewing our organization’s programs, visiting with our members, chatting with our staff and reviewing our operating procedures are fellow members of the Farm Bureau family. That ensures the results of the peer review are rooted in reality and come from folks who have the same goals and values that we have.

Thad Doye Executive Director Oklahoma Farm Bureau

The feedback and input we receive will help our organization’s leaders and staff make adjustments and keep our efforts focused as we support Oklahoma agriculture, help protect our family farmers and ranchers and provide opportunities to rural residents. At the end of the day, Farm Bureau exists to serve our members and support Oklahoma’s agriculture community. As we work toward that goal, I am excited to have a fresh set of eyes on our world to help ensure that Farm Bureau is growing with purpose, direction and passion. 8

Oklahoma Country

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Insurance Matters Oklahoma Farm Bureau Insurance news and updates from Gary Buckner

Strengthening our company, increasing our impact and helping our neighbors the Farm Bureau way

klahoma’s storm season has historically begun in March and extended through the end of June. However, we all know that pattern has not held true for many years. Today, storm activity can occur at any time – from January through December – entirely at the discretion of Mother Nature. While this reality is not new to us, it has become the “new normal” since 2007. As we concluded the first quarter of 2026, our storm season had already been underway for several months. Through that time, we experienced several localized weather events including wildfires, tornadoes, winter storms and hail. The second quarter reflected what has become a typical Oklahoma storm season. During the quarter, the company responded to an EF4 tornado in April, a significant hailstorm in May with stones large enough to penetrate shingles and roof decking, and Oklahoma’s second derecho. Of these events, only the May hailstorm has exceeded our $15 million catastrophe – or CAT – retention. Despite these weather challenges, our results continue to show the effectiveness of the strategy we implemented in 2022. Through August, total incurred losses – paid and reserved – were $122 million, compared to $140 million during the same period last year. This growth reflects a combination of a less-severe storm season, an improved attritional loss ratio, continued enhancements in claims handling, disciplined underwriting and the full earning impact of rate actions taken over the past several years. 10 Oklahoma Country

Financially, the company produced a net operating gain through the second quarter and came very close to achieving a net underwriting gain. Over the past 20 years, a secondquarter net operating gain has occurred only four times. I am especially proud that three of those four occurrences have taken place during the past decade under our current leadership team. That is a direct reflection of the commitment, discipline and execution carried out by our employees every day. Our policyholder surplus also continues to strengthen, increasing by $9.1 million to $138.4 million. While this represents meaningful progress, our long-term objective remains unchanged. To fully support the company’s strategic growth and longterm financial strength, we believe our surplus should ultimately exceed $250 million. These results provide ongoing evidence that our strategy is performing as intended. Premium growth remains strong, policy exposures continue to improve and operating expenses continue to trend downward. These key performance indicators confirm that our company is moving in the right direction. As I have traveled across the state this year, however, I have become increasingly convinced that one of our greatest future challenges extends beyond underwriting, claims, or financial performance. It is the public perception of our industry. Consumers increasingly associate insurance companies with national advertising campaigns that spend millions of dollars promoting their

Gary Buckner Executive Vice President and General Manager Oklahoma Farm Bureau Insurance

brands while simultaneously announcing increased premiums. At the same time, some trial attorneys continue to reinforce the perception that insurance companies routinely deny or underpay legitimate claims. Although these messages are primarily directed at national carriers, they inevitably influence how consumers view Oklahoma Farm Bureau Insurance as well. For that reason, I believe our greatest marketing opportunity is not to compete with national companies on advertising volume, which is not financially possible. Instead, we must tell our own story more effectively. Our marketing efforts will increasingly focus on educating consumers about what makes OKFB Insurance different. We will highlight our mission, our values and the unique relationships we have built within the communities we serve. Long before we write an insurance policy, we serve our neighbors, invest in our communities and fulfill a purpose that extends well beyond insurance. Simply stated, our cause is to help people. Our strategy is working. Our financial position continues to strengthen. Employee engagement remains high, and our organization is better positioned today than it has been in many years. While meaningful work remains ahead, I am confident we are building a stronger, more resilient company – one that will serve our members and policyholders for generations to come.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETINGS

THE OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU, INC. To all members of The Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Inc., and all affiliated county Farm Bureaus of The Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Inc.: You are hereby notified that The Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Inc., will convene its regular annual meeting of the members and the delegate body on Friday, November 6, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. at the Omni Oklahoma City Hotel, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and will then recess until the first business session of The Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Inc., which will begin on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. All affiliated county Farm Bureaus should make certain that your delegates are properly certified in attendance to represent your membership. This meeting will continue until all necessary business is transacted. — Board of Directors

OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU INSURANCE OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY Notice is hereby given that the annual meeting of the Policyholders of Oklahoma Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 7, 2026, during the Oklahoma Farm Bureau annual meeting. A report will be submitted of the activities of the company during the past fiscal year, together with a report of the financial position of the company. Any and all other activities of the company may be presented and considered. — Board of Directors

Oklahoma Country

Passing torch the

First-generation farmer and rancher Tommy Salisbury is building upon the opportunities afforded to him as he helps young farmers and ranchers around the nation build a better future together as the American Farm Bureau YF&R chairman. Story and photos by Dustin Mielke

12 Oklahoma Country

Tommy Salisbury

may not have grown up on a farm or ranch, but every day as he stood on the front porch of his family’s home in a rural area north of Collinsville, his future was staring him in the face from right across the road. Today, Tommy is a first-generation farmer, rancher, agribusiness owner and chairman of the American Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee. The path he has traveled from growing up as a kid dreaming of being a farmer to representing young agriculturalists from around the nation in Washington, D.C., and beyond was lined with opportunities given to him by fellow farmers and ranchers who reached out to pass the torch of their agricultural achievement to the next generation. As Tommy himself now guides the next generation of farm, ranch and rural leaders as national YF&R chairman, he is continuing that tradition of reaching out to young and aspiring agriculturalists both locally and nationally to help them build their own futures.

“The way I got started was somebody gave me a chance. I was, you know, 10 or 11 years old and started working for a neighbor that had a ranch across the way.”

ommy was given a unique opportunity that would change the course of his life when he was just in middle school. The farmer who ran cattle and grew pecans right across the road from Tommy’s childhood home invited Tommy to come help him with chores and tasks on his operation. The farm family already had several kids Tommy’s age, and he fit in easily and quickly learned the ropes of daily farm work, building upon time he had spent on his uncle’s farm in Missouri. “I started working for the guy across the street, and they grew pecans, had a cow/calf operation and baled a decent amount of hay,” Tommy said. “I just started working for him out of school, and I learned a lot of things that I wouldn’t have gotten to learn if it had not been for him taking the time to invest in and mentor me. “He was also a good spiritual mentor in Christ. It was just a good all-around situation, and I talk to him almost every day. He still lives on our headquarters.” As Tommy worked on the farm across the road throughout high school, he said a single, random encounter in a local sandwich shop galvanized his determination to not only work in agriculture, but also to have his own farm. “I’ll never forget – I was probably 16 years old, and I was getting a sandwich at a little place near town,” Tommy

said. “And the owner asked me, ‘Tommy, what are you going to do when you grow up?’ And I said, ‘I want to be a farmer.’ “And he laughed at me and told me I was an idiot. He said, ‘You can’t – in today’s economy – you can’t just decide to be a farmer and then be a farmer.’ “And I’m one of those guys, I’m naturally a fighter. I legitimately train jiu-jitsu every week. Do not tell me I can’t do something. He’ll never know the impact he made by telling me that I couldn’t be a farmer. And that was always my drive because I enjoyed it.” As Tommy was nearing the end of his time in high school, he continued to help out on the farm in addition to working at a nearby farm equipment dealership – an opportunity that crossed Tommy’s path when a local dealership service manager came across him in the farm shop one day with a tractor split apart for repair. Encouraged by his mentor, John, Tommy attended John Deere University to be a mechanic and equipment tech while working for another farmer, then he continued on to earn his bachelor’s degree in 2014 and got married to his wife, Chalaynna, one month later. Shortly after college, Tommy’s mentor, John, approached him about not just working on the farm, but taking over the operation that Tommy had worked on while growing up. “He invested in me,” Tommy said of

John. “He went out on a limb and said, ‘You know, I want to see you succeed.’ Basically, he handed me the torch, and that’s how I got into being selfemployed and farming on the cow/calf and hay side.” A few years later, another farmer that Tommy had worked for during college approached him about taking over his row-crop farm, adding another agricultural enterprise to the cattle and pecan operation Tommy had already been stewarding. “That’s how I got into row-crop farming,” Tommy said. “Today, we grow soybeans, milo, wheat, corn and some Sudangrass. On the cattle side, we did cow/calf for years, but now we’ve moved to raising yearlings and taking in yearlings from other farmers and ranchers to raise and grow out before they go to the feed yard.” Today, Tommy’s farming and ranching endeavors have grown beyond his childhood dreams as the operation includes land spanning four counties in northeastern Oklahoma as he and his wife raise their children, Wyatt and WillaMae, just down the road from where Tommy grew up. “I wanted to do it,” Tommy said. “I wanted to be connected with the land and actually put something in the ground, grow it and know that I worked a good, long year to feed my family. I wanted to supply healthy food for others while looking out for the well-being of my animals.” Oklahoma Country 13

“How can I invest in the future leaders of agriculture through 4-H and FFA programs to help bring up these young leaders?”

hile Tommy’s hometown of Collinsville is a small, rural community, the shadow of Tulsa, the state’s second-largest metro complex located a short drive south, looms large over the area. Tommy said that during the COVID19 pandemic, people came out into the countryside looking for a slower pace and a quiet location for a getaway. The houses he watched being built were part and parcel of a growing population, but he did not envision the fallout it would have on his farming due to a humble bird: a duck. Much of Tommy’s farm ground, which he rented from local landowners, lay in a flood plain along the Caney River. With people leaving urban and suburban areas looking for the rural lifestyle, the low-lying riverbottom farm ground became a target for duck hunters wanting to find the perfect hunting location. “People came in and started paying thousands and thousands of dollars per acre on flood ground that, before 2019, wasn’t worth $1,000 an acre,” Tommy said. “So we started to lose some farm ground to duck habitats at a very rapid rate. And in the last five years, we’ve lost almost 3,500 acres to duck habitat.” With his farming reality changing quickly, Tommy decided to diversify his agricultural business by purchasing a feed store at Collinsville in 2021. Stocked with feed, farm and ranch supplies, animal care products and more, Tommy said the store is not only a way to diversify his agricultural enterprises, but it is also a chance to give back to the community and help area students who are embarking upon their own agriculture journey.

14 Oklahoma Country

“The very first thing I did when I bought the feed store was figuring out how can I help 4-H and FFA,” Tommy said. “I want it to be a feed store that is focused on investing in and helping 4-H and FFA. We reached out to the 4-H leaders and the FFA advisors and asked, ‘What can we do to help you in our community?’ “And honestly, with urbanization, that was a good opportunity because a lot of these kids’ livestock projects are now growing on school farms in town, not back home on a farm, and they’re in our community. Those ag teachers would come to us and say, ‘Hey, we need this, this and this for our school farm.’” Tommy expanded the feed store to not only serve agriculture youth, but also fellow farmers and ranchers by partnering with a local veterinarian and Farm Bureau member to provide a place for livestock owners to easily get medications that require a prescription from a veterinarian. “Our goal and our idea is to help the rancher out there who’s trying to take care of cattle or other livestock,” Tommy said. “We want them to be able to come to one place and have access to the veterinarian and the supplies they need, whether it’s just simple stuff that doesn’t require a prescription or if it’s medication that needs a veterinarian’s prescription to help treat animals.” After a couple years of running the feed store, Tommy approached the owner about purchasing the building outright, which sits on a lot south of Collinsville adjacent to a sale barn. The owner did not want to split the lot, so Tommy offered to purchase both the feed store and the sale barn. That’s how Tommy became the owner of Collinsville Livestock Sales. “So we bought a sale barn,” Tommy said. “In 2022, that sale barn was not very active. We were maybe selling 10 head of cattle each week and 100 head of sheep and goats. And now in 2026, we sell anywhere from 400 to 600 sheep and goats every week and then

anywhere from 300 to 1,000 head of cattle, depending on the week and the sale.” As a farmer, rancher, feed store and sale barn owner, and an active volunteer in his local church and community, Tommy has plenty of irons the fire at any given time. And then another opportunity came calling: Farm Bureau.

“That is one awesome thing about Farm Bureau as a whole, on the state level and on the national level, is the Farm Bureau leadership are legitimately production agriculturalists.”

ommy’s step into active involvement with Farm Bureau came after encouragement from

Photo by Mickinzi Ferguson`

Tommy Salisbury speaks to a crowd of American Farm Bureau members at the 2026 AFBF Convention in Anaheim shortly after being selected to serve as AFBF YF&R Chairman for the year.

Photo courtesy Tommy Salisbury

fellow young agriculturalists, community members and Farm Bureau staff who helped open the door for him to step into leadership roles with the organization. A longtime member, Tommy jumped into involvement with Farm Bureau in the same way he does most everything else: with both feet. He became a Tulsa County Farm Bureau board member around 2022 and joined the Oklahoma Farm Bureau YF&R state committee in 2022, serving fellow young agriculturalists through a variety of programs and events. After several years serving on the state level, he applied to be part of the national AFBF YF&R Committee and was appointed in 2025. After careful consideration, he ran to be AFBF YF&R chairman. He was elected to the position in January 2026 and began his full one-year term as

chair in March 2026. As the current AFBF YF&R chairman, Tommy has spent the year traveling across the country to promote Farm Bureau and agriculture alongside a committee of fellow young farmers and ranchers who work to solve problems they and fellow YF&R members face on their operations. “We meet quarterly in-person, but our meetings are more than just sitting down and talking about issues that are affecting us and then not doing anything about it,” Tommy said. “The AFBF YF&R Committee has created an avenue that says, ‘Hey, we want to know what our young farmers and ranchers are dealing with across the United States, and we want the White House to know about it.’” Throughout 2026, there was no shortage of issues for the AFBF YF&R Committee and Tommy to tackle.

Tommy Salisbury meets with members of youth agriculture organizations 4-H, FFA, MANRRS and Agriculture Future of America in Washington, D.C.

Oklahoma Country 15

Tommy Salisbury joined Far in mid-2026 where they dis From work on a new farm bill to addressing agricultural labor issues and from dealing with rising farm and ranch input costs to analyzing a national fertilizer price surge, Tommy has found himself in the middle of agricultural advocacy efforts at the national level. As national YF&R chairman, Tommy has a seat on the AFBF board of directors alongside OKFB President Stacy Simunek and fellow state Farm Bureau leaders. “We had an AFBF board meeting this March in Washington, D.C., and through that meeting and other meetings we have had the chance to be in front of a lot of Trump’s cabinet and be able to ask questions that are pertinent to us, whether it’s EPA Administrator Zeldin or the U.S. trade representative. We get to hear them speak, but then afterwards we get to talk to them and share how issues are affecting us. But then we also get to say, ‘Thank you for your service, thanks for what you’re doing.’” Tommy has attended two events at the White House representing AFBF and has worked alongside national leadership and staff, including AFBF President Zippy Duvall on issues that impact Oklahoma agriculture. “As chair of the AFBF Young Farmers

Tommy Salisbury addresses Wisconsin Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers members at their state conference.

Photo courtesy Wisconsin Farm Bureau

& Ranchers Committee, Tommy has been a thoughtful advocate for young farmers and ranchers and has encouraged others to step forward and lead,” Duvall said. “He is passionate about engaging youth and helping them discover opportunities to get involved with agriculture. I’m proud of the leadership Tommy continues to provide for Farm Bureau and the great way of life we call agriculture.” Tommy said he has seen first-hand how Farm Bureau makes a difference on the national level, which included forming a member-driven committee to provide input to U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Congressman G.T. Thompson about farm labor needs and how the H-2A guestworker program could be improved – a program that Tommy himself relies upon for dependable farm labor. “It’s been unique to sit in a room with Chairman Thompson and see how much he cares about American agriculture and wants to represent us well,” Tommy said. “We get our stories told in D.C., and American Farm Bureau creates that avenue.” The need to share agriculture’s story far and wide has been a major takeaway for Tommy in his time on the AFBF YF&R committee. From sharing

the realities of farming and ranching with lawmakers and regulators in our nation’s capital to taking the time to work with news media when the opportunity arises, Tommy said sharing his agriculture story has been critically important to moving Farm Bureau policy forward. “If I need to be sitting in a tractor planting beans, I may think I don’t have time to be in D.C.,” Tommy said. “Well, if you don’t take time to be in D.C., you may not be able to make money on those beans if something’s not done about it.” Beyond his frequent travels to the nation’s capital, Tommy has spent his year racking up air miles traveling to numerous other states to visit with YF&R members and other young agriculturalists. As he has spoken at events in Wisconsin, Maryland, California and beyond, he has had a chance to visit with fellow YF&R members, hear their stories and take that information back to AFBF and Oklahoma. Through all his conversations, Tommy said a common thread he has heard is the difficulty facing farmers and ranchers of all ages across the entire country. The issues that work their way through the political and regulatory processes often create

rm Bureau presidents from around the nation at the White House scussed issues with Trump administration officials. uncertainty, stress and doubt back home on the farm. “The people I’ve talked to just want to make a sustainable living for their family and to grow healthy food for America,” Tommy said. “I’ve been able to meet and talk with other people who are struggling with the same issues like hoping the bank renews their operating loan next year so they can just have that one good crop to get out of a hole. “When you look at our input prices being higher than they’ve ever been, but our commodity prices are what we were getting in the late 70s, early 80s, it’s hard to want to continue, and it’s hard to want to have that next generation be on the farm. That’s the struggle. “And that’s not good for somebody’s mental health. It’s already stressful trying to grow a crop, raise a family, be a business owner, and then to have that weight of, ‘I can’t let this sixth- or seventh-generation farm end with me.’ “The mental health and state of mind of farmers across the nation isn’t necessarily bad for everyone, but it’s something we need to be aware of. We as farmers should reach out to others.” Throughout his time as AFBF YF&R chairman, a position from which he will retire in March 2027, Tommy has worked to help his fellow national committee members and Farm Bureau members around the nation grow and build a better future. “I saw an opportunity to not only just improve myself, but try to leave the committee better than we found it,” Tommy said. “I’m a true believer that if I borrow somebody’s piece of equipment, I’m going to clean it. I’m going to fill it up. I’m going to take it back in better condition than when I found it. “And that’s not just what I think, but we as a committee have that attitude.”

Tommy Salisbury sits in the sale ring of Collinsville Livestock Sales, the sale barn he purchased and began operating in 2022.

“I just have a heart for trying to find that next generation and help continue it on because the reality of it is there are not very many people coming back to the farm.”

hether he is out on his farm in northeastern Oklahoma or in the AFBF board room in Washington, D.C., Tommy has a passion for helping the next generation of agriculturalists get their start in farming and ranching. Having been on the receiving end of multiple people who came alongside him and handed him opportunities, Tommy said he wants to do the same for others. “A major takeaway I’ve had over the last few years is that I am excited for this next generation of leaders who are coming up,” Tommy said. Tommy said he sees a need to not only train leaders by offering

leadership programs and events, but also to create seats at the table to find a place to plug in and serve agriculture. “If I can offer some encouragement, it is for myself and my fellow agriculturalists to create a seat, create an avenue for young leaders to serve,” Tommy said. “We’ve trained them, we’re giving them professional development, education and spending financial resources to send them to events, but they need to have the chance to actually serve as a leader. “My big takeaway is that I’m excited for the next generation of leaders, but we’ve got to give them a place to serve.” As a young agriculturalist who has received opportunities from numerous agricultural leaders ranging from the farmer across the road to the president of AFBF, Tommy has dedicated his service on the AFBF YF&R Committee, through OKFB, at his feed store and even in his local church to engage and energize tomorrow’s leaders. It is all part of passing the torch.

Oklahoma Country 17

Building it

Better Born out of necessity, innovation and a quest for something better, one OKFB Member created a trailer to help farmers and ranchers get the job done. Story and Photos by Dustin Mielke

ohn Magness did not set out to start a trailer manufacturing company. All it took was a simple question that started the high school engineering and robotics teacher down a path to building trailers to help fellow farmers and ranchers: “I wonder if anything like that exists?” Magness, a Comanche County Farm Bureau member who lives near Elgin, was hauling hay to his cattle using a traditional, single-row hay trailer. That painstaking process got him thinking that there must be a better way. “We have 35 momma cows, and we haul a couple hundred bales of hay a year,” Magness said. “A few years ago, I bought some hay north of us at Carnegie, and I bought 36 bales. It took me a day and a half to haul it, and the whole time I was thinking, ‘Man, what a waste of time.’ I didn’t want to buy a double-row hay trailer because we really don’t haul enough hay to justify it, and they just sit there most of the year not doing anything.” Wishing his hay-hauling chore was quicker and easier, but not wanting to purchase a 18 Oklahoma Country

John Magness combined his engineering expertise with his on-farm ingenuity to build a trailer that helps farmers and ranchers move hay, equipment and supplies with ease.

larger hay trailer that could only be used for a single task, Magness began looking for other trailers that could haul hay, but could also be used for moving equipment, supplies and anything else that needed to be transported on a farm or ranch. “So I thought, ‘Well, let me see how economical it would be to buy one or if there’s any used ones out there,’ so I started doing some research,” Magness said. “That’s how I stumbled on the basic design of the trailer. It was being made in Canada by a company, and I called up there and got a price on one.” Magness also looked around for used options since brand-new units of the Canadian-built trailer were expensive. He found some used trailers both locally and across the nation, eventually purchasing a pre-owned unit out of Ohio. Once he had the trailer on his ranch, Magness said he started discovering some of the features were not as user-friendly as he had hoped. When the Canadian-built trailer did not

What makes the Ag Multi-Trailer

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Three-row hay trailer

Ph ot o

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meet his needs for a do-it-all hauling solution, Magness tracked down the holder of the trailer’s patent who originally devised the idea, and who happened to live a few hours north in Kansas. Through a series of conversations, Magness and the trailer’s inventor worked out an agreement for Magness to license the original patent for the remainder of its license. Next came the search to find a company to handle the manufacturing. “My plan initially was to just send bid packets to several trailer companies and get bids on building this trailer for me,” Magness said. “But I mailed them out to probably 20 manufacturers in several different states, but nobody would even talk to me. At that time, the trailer business was booming, so nobody was interested.” He eventually had the opportunity to talk to a Texas-based manufacturer that found Magness’ idea interesting, but ultimately could not take on the manufacturing. However, they connected him with a manufacturer in Mexico who was interested in the idea, and a partnership was struck to build the trailers in Mexico and ship them to Oklahoma. With a product, a plan and a partnership in place, Magness tweaked the design based on his own experience with hay trailers – and his background in engineering and design – to create a trailer that would solve the problems he himself had experienced. The Ag Multi-Trailer was born. “It’s a one-of-a-kind trailer,” Magness said. “It is a flatbed trailer, so it’ll do everything a normal flatbed will do. But it has a lot of hydraulics, and it transforms into a three-row hay trailer. So you can haul your tractor to the field and unload it, and within a minute or two you can be hauling three rows of hay bales. It’s the only double-row hay trailer on the market that can haul a third row and dump it automatically.” The trailer also enables users to unload hay on either side of the trailer thanks to its hydraulic-powered design, compared to standard hay trailers that only tip one direction to offload bales. The hydraulics can also change the size of the cradle that holds

s r te

With a

built-in Hydraulic System

and a

full-metal Deck

With a convenient

built-in, fold-down ramp Oklahoma Country 19

The Ag Multi-Trailer comes in gooseneck and drop-deck versions for use with a typical farm pickup or with a semi.

the bales, making it easy to adjust the trailer to fit a variety of bale sizes, increasing handling safety. The hay cradle mechanism can even be converted hydraulically into side rails when the trailer is in flatbed mode, adding even more utility. The Ag Multi-Trailer’s deck is made of metal tubing rather than wood, meaning hay, straw, mud and other debris does not accumulate on the bed while offering almost unlimited tiedown points for securing loads. After a prototyping process, Magness received the first delivery of finished trailers from the manufacturer in 2020 and delivered them to customers. “I never dreamed it would become what it has,” Magness said of his trailer enterprise. “The agreement that I had with the inventor, he said, ‘I want you to make 20.’” Magness said he was apprehensive about how many trailers he could sell in a year to meet the agreement’s requirement. “I thought about it and realized that if we can’t sell 20 trailers, I have more important things to do between farming and teaching and everything else. “So we went for it, and I think the first year we sold 60 trailers, and the second year we sold 68. The most we’ve sold in a single year, so far, was about 72. This year we’re on track to sell 100.” As the first batches of trailers were delivered to customers, Magness gathered feedback and made improvements to the design, including creating a flip-down ramp that deploys hydraulically, removing the need for users to lift heavy ramps by hand. While the original design patent on the trailer expired in 2021, the trailer now has two registered patents and one patent pending due to the ever-improving design. The Ag Multi-Trailer lineup includes three gooseneck trailers in 26-foot, 32-foot and 42-foot lengths in addition to 43-foot and 53-foot step-deck trailers designed to be 20 Oklahoma Country

pulled by a semi. Each trailer has a self-contained, batterypowered hydraulic system that operates the trailer’s movable bed, ramps and sides with hydraulic and electrical lines engineered to put up with the rigors of being used on farms and ranches. Magness’ unique jacks provide hydraulic convenience with a hand-crank backup option. Trailers can also be ordered with a variety of wheel, axle, tie-down and accessory options. However, each trailer has one feature that is not negotiable: the vibrant blue paint, which makes the Ag Multi-Trailer the “blue hay trailer” to Magness and his customers. “And we get asked a lot, ‘Can I buy it in black or other things?’” Magness said. “And we say that you can have any color you want as long as it’s blue.” The Ag Multi-Trailer can be found on farms and ranches across the state and across the nation. Magness has spent time traversing the country to display his trailer at farm shows and meet with customers, constantly gathering input and feedback. Every trailer is sold directly to customers with no dealer middlemen, keeping Magness and his team in close contact with the people using the trailer. The feedback that customers provide is overwhelmingly enthusiastic, according to Magness. The Ag Multi-Trailer owner base is passionate and shares their love for the trailers far and wide online, and particularly, on social media. “I would encourage anybody to visit our Facebook page, look at one of our posts and read down through the comments from other owners.” Magness said. “They post pictures of their trailers, and we get comments about what a game-changer it was, what a great investment it was or how it changed their operation or how much time it saves them.” The next step for Magness and the Ag MultiTrailer will be a game-changer for the company itself and for the nearby community

John and Julie Magness

“We’re excited about the opportunity to bring production from Mexico here to the United States and have it in southwest Oklahoma.” of Fletcher where Magness is building a stateof-the-art manufacturing plant that will allow him to bring trailer production to Oklahoma. “So what we’ve been planning since we started – or shortly after we started – was to build them ourselves,” Magness said. “We have a small facility in Fletcher, and we have added on to it. The building has a big crane in it, and we have a robotic welding system going in. We are currently in the process of putting the jigs together that we will use to put the trailer together on. We’ll set all the raw material on there, and that jig will clamp it all together so we can do a temporary weld before we back that jig trailer in beside the robot that does the welding. “We will have a positioner that will turn the jig with the trailer parts 360 degrees so the robots can do all the final welding. There will be two robots on a track, and the beauty of the robots is that they do a perfect weld every time. They use AI to monitor hundreds of factors to control all the elements of the weld to make sure the weld is as perfect as it can be. “We’re excited about the opportunity to bring production from Mexico here to the United States and have it in southwest Oklahoma.”

The now-retired engineering and robotics teacher is always looking for ways to improve the trailers for their customers, and he has a team of fellow southwestern Oklahomans who help him with design ideas, engineering advice, welding and manufacturing assistance and more. His wife, Julie, a retired accountant, helps with the business along with his daughter and son-in-law, making Ag MultiTrailer a family passion project. With hundreds of trailers on farms and ranches around the country and a growing order list, the Magness family is excited about the opportunity to open their manufacturing facility in southwest Oklahoma. And as John reflects on his time, effort and energy put into bring the blue Ag MultiTrailers to life, he said building the company has been more than an endeavor or an enterprise – it has been a calling. “I ask myself every day, you know, I ask God, why did he hand this to me?” Magness said. “He could have handed this opportunity to anybody who probably would have had more knowledge and more ability to do it than I do, but he somehow handed this deal to me to bless somebody or to use it for something positive. We’ve just tried to do all we can do.”

Learn more about the Ag Multi-Trailer, see it in action and learn about all the options available at

agmultitrailer.com. Oklahoma Country 21

Expectin theUnexpect

22 Oklahoma Country

ng cted Terry Graham serves Farm Bureau members as the District 7 director after years of local advocacy at the county Farm Bureau level. Story and photos by Dustin Mielke

ometimes the changes that come your way in life are the result of carefully designed plans that you carry to fruition. Other times, the plans we make take a back seat to the realities that are thrown our way. For Alfalfa County Farm Bureau member and Oklahoma Farm Bureau District 7 Director Terry Graham, the path he has taken to serve on the OKFB state board is a combination of both the planned and the unforeseen. Graham grew up on his family’s wheat and alfalfa farm near Byron in northwest Oklahoma. He got his start driving tractor in fifth grade as he helped the family bale hay, and he spent years raising cattle, sheep and show steers. He left to attend college at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater where he earned his bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics and accounting. He then went on get his master’s degree in agricultural education and spent time as a graduate assistant working in the dean’s office in the OSU college of agriculture. Everything was going according to plan as he embarked upon a teaching career in Covington, spending two years in the classroom before an unexpected change drew him home to the farm. Terry’s dad decided to retire from

farming, thrusting Terry into a decision to return home and work to save the family farm. The sudden transition from teaching to farming was not an easy one to make. Terry found himself facing a difficult year with no one but himself to do the work with no equipment. Help came in the form of Terry’s high school agricultural education teacher from Burlington and fellow Alfalfa County farmer Keith Kisling, who proposed a situation that would benefit both farmers. “Keith called me up when I first came back and said, ‘You know, I will help you do your farming if you want to come and help me do mine,’” Terry said. “So for 40 years he and I worked together. I helped him do all of his farm work, and in exchange I got to use his equipment to farm my ground, and he even provided my seed wheat every year.” The arrangement between the two farmers helped Terry, his wife, Cathy, and their two young children carry on farming the family’s land. During that time, Terry also started his tax preparation company in nearby Cherokee, which helped him use his accounting degree and experience to help other farmers and ranchers prepare and file their taxes. The analyzing and calculating he used in his tax preparation business

“Agriculture has always been my number-one thing, which is why I still live on the farm and chose to come back here.” – Terry Graham

24 Oklahoma Country

carried into farming as he carefully assessed and made adjustments. Terry said his methodical approach came in handy as he and the Kisling family seeded their wheat crop each fall. “I became the main person sowing wheat for many, many years,” Terry said. “I would keep track of the fields; I’d know exactly when we needed the trucks filled. I even had calculated a factor for every time one of the drills would break down, and I would time how long that drill was down, and then know exactly what time we were going be finished to know when we would move to the next field.” As he continued farming and growing his tax preparation business, the worlds of his two professions began to merge unexpectedly as some of his clients named him as trustee of their farms. “I am trustee for several people and their families, so now I manage several thousands of acres of farm ground in Alfalfa County and some in Woods County,” Terry said. “I take care of so many things for so many people, it’s just part of who I am. That’s what I’ve always done.” From his own farm ground to his tax preparation employees and clients to the farms he manages for other people’s trusts, Terry has plenty of responsibilities and a long list of tasks that keeps him busy. When the chance to serve Farm Bureau on the state level came calling late last year, Terry’s already-full plate grew a little bit more. Terry first became aware of Farm Bureau through members of the Noble County Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers committee while he was teaching in Covington in the early 1980s. When he moved back home to farm in Alfalfa County in 1983, he was asked to compete in YF&R Discussion meet at the OKFB state convention. “They wanted me to participate in the discussion meet, but I had never been to one and had never seen one, but I was very active on campus as OSU,” Terry said. Drawing from his time participating in several on-campus leadership experiences, including officer positions in the FarmHouse fraternity

at OSU, Terry jumped in with both feet and discussed agriculture issues with fellow YF&R members. “Because of that involvement and doing so well in the discussion meet, I then got elected at that Farm Bureau convention to the YF&R state committee,” he said. “So I got on the committee, and then by my second year, I was chairman of YF&R.” After serving two years on the state YF&R Committee in the mid 1980s, Terry was chosen for yet another opportunity he had not planned: serving as chairman of a special Farm Bureau task force to analyze the organization and create recommendations for the future of OKFB leading into the 1990s. After the group spent two years meeting regularly to form recommendations, Terry served on-stage at the OKFB state convention as the task force’s findings and proposed bylaws changes were presented and discussed. Terry has also served on the Alfalfa County Farm Bureau board continuously since the 1980s, and has served fellow members from OKFB’s District 7 as their caucus chairman at the OKFB annual meeting in addition to other state-level Farm Bureau involvement over the years. But the opportunity to serve on the OKFB state board as the District 7 director was yet another opportunity that Terry did not plan. When current OKFB President Stacy Simunek ran to be at the helm of the organization in 2025, District 7 OKFB members looked for a person to potentially take Simunek’s place on the board in case he won the election. Terry found himself in the middle of discussions with fellow Farm Bureau members about who would potentially be a good District 7 board member. And everyone kept talking about one person for the job: Terry. With an already full slate of clients in his tax preparation business, positions on his local Burlington School Board and the Oklahoma State School Board Association, Terry told his fellow Farm Bureau members he already had numerous commitments. But they persisted. When Simunek was announced as

Terry and Cathy Graham

the next president of OKFB, District 7 members held a special caucus on short notice to elect a new state board member to represent them. “I had basically three-and-a-half hours to decide whether or not I was going to accept this,” Terry said. “And they all spent the rest of the afternoon trying to convince me. I’d have four or five guys visit with me, and they would leave and I’d sit down, and here would come another group of guys.” When the dust settled, Terry was named the new District 7 OKFB director, serving the remaining year of Stacy Simunek’s unexpired term. It was also a position that his friend and mentor, Keith Kisling, had previously held. As someone who already had numerous responsibilities and held service positions, Terry said the call of Farm Bureau was worth answering because of the importance of helping rural Oklahoma prosper. “I’ve spent my lifetime really trying to save rural Oklahoma, save the Burlington community, save Burlington School and to save all of rural Oklahoma,” Terry said. “I think it’s important that people be involved in agriculture, be involved in the

politics and be involved in their community to keep our communities going. Otherwise, we’re going to lose all the small, rural communities.” As the OKFB District 7 director, Terry spends his time using his Farm Bureau background to help fellow members take on the important work of supporting their local communities and family farmers and ranchers. He also continues to serve in numerous leadership positions including his local and state school board offices and as president of the OSU FarmHouse Fraternity Alumni Association. From his agriculture background to his time helping his tax preparation clients around the region to his Farm Bureau service and beyond, Terry has been committed to serving fellow Oklahomans through the opportunities that came his way – both the expected and the unexpected. “I grew up on a farm,” Terry said. “I am just a farm boy. I mean, agriculture and farming is in my blood. That is who I am. That’s who I’ve always been. Agriculture has always been my number-one thing, which is why I still live on the farm and chose to come back here.” Oklahoma Country 25

Farm Bureau Advocacy

2026 VOTER GUIDE

The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Ag Fund is OKFB’s grassroots political action committee that endorses and financially supports candidates for statewide and legislative public office in the state of Oklahoma who understand the important role agriculture and rural communities play in keeping our entire state vibrant. Below are the candidates appearing on the Nov. 3 ballot who have been endorsed by the OKFB Ag Fund.

STATEWIDE CANDIDATES

Mike Mazzei Governor

T.W. Shannon Lieutenant Governor

Kevin West Labor Commissioner 26 Oklahoma Country

Jon Echols Attorney General

Brad Boles Corporation Commissioner

Cindy Byrd State Treasurer

Bob Sullivan Insurance Commissioner

OKLAHOMA SENATE CANDIDATES Ally Seifried | SD 2

Bill Coleman | SD 10

Kristen Thompson | SD 22

John Haste | SD 36

Rogers & Tulsa Counties

Kay, Osage & Tulsa Counties

Canadian & Oklahoma Counties

Tulsa & Wagoner Counties

Tom Woods | SD 4

Todd Gollihare | SD 12

Adair, Cherokee, Delaware & Sequoyah Counties

David Bullard | SD 6 Atoka, Bryan, Choctaw, Johnston & Pushmataha Counties

Creek & Tulsa Counties

Justin Freeland-Wood | SD 17 Cleveland, Oklahoma & Pottawatomie Counties

Bryan Logan | SD 8

Tyler Herring | SD 18

Creek, McIntosh, Muskogee,

Canadian & Oklahoma Counties

Okfuskee & Okmulgee Counties

Brenda Stanley | SD 42 Jon Painter | SD 24

Oklahoma County

Cleveland County

Grant Green | SD 28 Lincoln, Logan, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie & Seminole Counties

Curtis Erwin | SD 32 Comanche County

OKLAHOMA HOUSE CANDIDATES Rick West | HD 3

Danny Sterling | HD 27

Carl Newton | HD 58

Stan May | HD 80

LeFlore County

Cleveland & Pottawatomie Counties

Alfalfa, Garfield, Major, Woods & Woodward Counties

Tulsa County

Mark Lawson | HD 30

Mike Kelley | HD 60

Creek & Tulsa Counties

Canadian County

Trish Ranson | HD 34

Daniel Pae | HD 62

Bob Ed Culver | HD 4 Cherokee & Wagoner Counties

Scotty Stokes | HD 9 Rogers & Tulsa Counties

Judd Strom | HD 10 Nowata, Osage & Washington Counties

Mark Chapman | HD 12 Wagoner County

Chris Sneed | HD 14 Cherokee, Muskogee & Wagoner Counties

David Nelson | HD 16 Muskogee, Okmulgee & Tulsa Counties

Jonathan Wilk | HD 20 Cleveland & McClain Counties

Nicole Miller | HD 82

Eric Roberts | HD 83

Payne County

John George | HD 36

Trey Caldwell | HD 63

Oklahoma County

Comanche, Cotton, Kiowa & Tillman Counties

David Hardin | HD 86

Louis Jackson | HD 64

Adair, Cherokee, Delaware & Mayes Counties

Cleveland & Oklahoma Counties

Madison Bolay | HD 38 Garfield, Grant, Kay, Logan & Noble Counties

Denise Crosswhite Hader | HD 41 Canadian, Kingfisher, Logan & Oklahoma Counties

Annie Menz | HD 45 Cleveland County

Josh Cantrell | HD 49

Chris Banning | HD 24

Jason Blair | HD 53

Carter, Love & Marshall Counties

Cleveland County

Tammy West | HD 84

Comanche County

Ellyn Hefner | HD 87 Clay Staires | HD 66

Emily Gise | HD 90 Mike Lay | HD 68 Creek & Tulsa Counties

Cleveland & Oklahoma Counties

Sheila Dills | HD 69

Max Wolfley | HD 95

Tulsa County

Cleveland & Oklahoma Counties

Kevin Norwood | HD 74 Rogers & Tulsa Counties

Pottawatomie County

Preston Stinson | HD 96 Oklahoma County

TJ Marti | HD 75 Tulsa County

Gabe Woolley | HD 98 Tulsa & Wagoner Counties

Ross Ford | HD 76 Tulsa County

Caddo, Canadian & Grady Counties

Oklahoma County

Osage & Tulsa Counties

Dick Lowe | HD 56 Leah Longest | HD 26

Oklahoma County

Comanche County

Derrick R. Hildebrant | HD 23 Rogers, Tulsa & Wagoner Counties

Creek, Okmulgee & Tulsa Counties

Oklahoma County

Marilyn Stark | HD 100 Oklahoma County

Melissa Provenzano | HD 79 Tulsa County Oklahoma Country 27

STATE QUESTIONS State Question 847 SQ 847 would change the Oklahoma constitution by reducing the cap on the maximum annual valuation increase for real property from 5% to 4%. However, homesteads and agricultural property annual increases would have their cap reduced from 3% to 1.75%. SQ 847 would also set new, lower property tax growth limits for Oklahomans ages 65 and older, based on a sliding scale. This means some elderly Oklahomans would see their property taxes freeze while others would see much slower growth based on their income. OKFB supports SQ 847 and encourages a “yes” vote because it decreases the amount that property taxes can increase each year on agricultural land. Property tax increases affect farmers and ranchers directly because taxes must be paid independent of profitability. Factors like drought, input costs and more can mean that farmers and ranchers could actually lose money on a piece of land while property taxes on that land continue to steadily climb. State Question 845 SQ 845 would make changes to Oklahoma’s judicial nominating commission, which is a 15-member commission that nominates candidates for state judges and justices for consideration by Oklahoma’s governor. SQ 845 would change the commission in several ways, including: » Changing the area in which commission members must reside to Oklahoma congressional districts that exist when nominations are made instead of the districts that existed in 1967 » Allows commissioners to serve a total of 12 consecutive years » Allow certain commission members to be licensed attorneys (current language excludes certain members who are attorneys) » Allow certain commission members to serve even if they have a family member who is an attorney (currently restricted) » Remove certain political party requirements that are currently placed on the individuals the governor appoints OKFB does not have an official stance on SQ 845. 28 Oklahoma Country

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American Farm Bureau Federation® (AFBF) Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) Find Success in Anaheim, California! The YF&R program helps young Farm Bureau members shape their future and American agriculture through leadership development and personal growth opportunities. In January, 81 competitors competed in three competitions for over $205,000 cash and prizes. These competitions enable members to showcase their leadership experience, communication skills and successful business plans as they competed against the best of the best from each state Farm Bureau. As part of the YF&R competitions, the top four competitors in the Achievement Award, Discussion Meet and Excellence in Ag areas received: Thank you to all of our outstanding sponsors. The 2027 competitions will take place January 8-11 during the AFBF Annual Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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EPA Administrator Zeldin visits with Oklahoma farmers and ranchers during on-farm roundtable The Trump administration official discussed a wide array of issues that EPA regulates including diesel exhaust fluid, the clean water act, right to repair and more.

klahoma Farm Bureau hosted U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin for a roundtable forum with Oklahoma farmers and ranchers to discuss the agency’s work that affects production agriculture Saturday, May 30, at Pfeiffer Angus Farm near Mulhall. The discussion was moderated by OKFB President Stacy Simunek with more than 60 Farm Bureau members, guests and dignitaries attending. OKFB members had the chance to ask Zeldin about a variety of topics that impact their day-to-day agricultural operations and rural communities including diesel exhaust fluid regulations, the clean air and clean water acts, right to repair, environmental permitting and more. Zeldin shared the progress the Trump administration has made in reworking diesel exhaust fluid, or DEF, regulations to help ensure that 30 Oklahoma Country

emissions systems do not shut down or limit farm equipment during critically important times of the growing seasons. “You can see you are inside of a room filled with men and women who feel very passionately about all the flaws of the diesel exhaust fluid system,” Zeldin said. “And when a tractor goes down in the middle of a harvest, it results in lost time and lost money, great frustration and a lot of these farmers are working to survive – working very hard to survive – on extremely low margins. “We have heard the calls loud and clear from across the country, including right here in Oklahoma. EPA will state it privately, we will state it publicly: it is our full intention, desire, intent to do the maximum amount possible, pursuant to the law.” “For Administrator Zeldin to come to us and get information right from

the core of ag – what an opportunity for both of us,” said OKFB President Stacy Simunek. “It was an opportunity for both agriculture and for the EPA. If you want to get something right, come to the source. And that’s where he was today: at the source.” The forum also featured special guests including Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas, U.S. Sen. Alan Armstrong and EPA Regional Administrator for District 6 Scott Mason, each of whom shared comments with the group. Additional special guests in attendance at the event included Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur, Oklahoma DEQ Executive Director Rob Singletary, USDA FSA State Director Eddie Fields, USDA Rural Development State Director Zac Swartz and Oklahoma Conservation Commission Executive Director Trey Lam.

OKFB makes an impact for agriculture on the federal level

KFB members have actively engaged in federal issues on numerous levels through a wide array meetings with members of our congressional delegation, federal administrators and their staff over the past several months. Here are just a few examples of how OKFB engages at all levels, including with our federal delegation serving in Washington, D.C., to advocate for agriculture and rural Oklahoma.

Sen. James Lankford

Rep. Kevin Hern

White House visit

U.S. Sen. James Lankford stopped by the OKFB home office on Tuesday, Aug. 11, to visit with a group of Farm Bureau leaders and share updates on issues important to Oklahoma family farmers and ranchers.

Congressman Kevin Hern of Oklahoma’s first congressional district made a special election-day visit on Tuesday, June 16, to the OKFB home office to visit with Farm Bureau members about issues facing production agriculture.

OKFB President Stacy Simunek and Tulsa County Farm Bureau member Tommy Salisbury joined fellow state Farm Bureau presidents and leaders from around the country at the White House on Thursday, July 9.

The group had the opportunity to openly discuss the policies that they felt would make the biggest impact on agriculture and rural communities. The topics of discussion ranged from the current situation of the farm bill to U.S. foreign policy and from the country’s energy policies to the rapid increase in artificial intelligence adoption and data center construction.

Nearly 30 OKFB members and guests discussed a wide array of agricultural issues and topics facing rural communities during the hour-long roundtable discussion, which was led by OKFB President Stacy Simunek.

The state Farm Bureau leaders had the opportunity to meet directly with Trump administration officials including U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin during the 2026 AFBF board of directors’ meeting.

The group of Farm Bureau members also thanked Lankford for his attention to rural issues and for the opportunity to share agricultural policy priorities with the senator.

National issues that Farm Bureau members discussed with Rep. Hern included the need for a new farm bill; the strain on agricultural producers as input costs rise and commodity prices are depressed; USDA’s New World screwworm response; international trade and diplomacy; and Oklahoma farmers’ and ranchers’ need for black vulture control options.

The group discussed issues that impact agriculture and local communities around the nation. As they met, the farm bill was working its way through the federal legislative process, making it a critical time for farmers and ranchers to advocate for ag in Washington.

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Farm Bureau Events

Ignite your passion for ag Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s 2026 Annual Meeting • November 6-8 • Oklahoma City Get ready for convention! Oklahoma Farm Bureau members are set to gather Nov. 6-8 for the organization’s 85th Annual Meeting at the Omni Hotel in Oklahoma City. The meeting is the largest annual gathering of Farm Bureau members and is jam-packed with general sessions, policy discussions, speakers, award presentations and fellowship.

32 Oklahoma Country

Grassroots business meetings

The culmination of OKFB’s grassroots policy development season and the perennial centerpiece of convention, OKFB members will gather for two business meetings during the weekend to consider and vote upon membercreated policy proposals. The policy proposals presented at the annual meeting originate at the county level and make their way through the state resolutions committee throughout the fall, culminating at the OKFB annual convention. These policies serve to guide the organization’s advocacy efforts in 2027 at the state Capitol and beyond.

Elections

OKFB members from Districts 1, 4 and 7 will convene to elect new grassroots Farm Bureau leaders to represent their respective districts on the OKFB state board of directors. The OKFB Women’s Leadership Committee will meet to select a new chair to lead the committee in addition to casting votes for committee representatives for Districts 1, 4 and 7. OKFB Young Farmers and Ranchers members will caucus to elect leaders from Districts 1, 4 and 7, as well as a committee

chair, an at-large representative and a Collegiate Farm Bureau representative.

Speakers, guests and breakouts

Farm Bureau members will have the opportunity to hear from a variety of speakers and guests throughout the weekend, including Larry Weaver, who will kick off the opening session on Friday, Nov. 6. Weaver combines comedy and inspiration to challenge groups to embrace change, conquer stress and build lasting resilience. Other guests include Ron Hays and KC Sheperd of Radio Oklahoma Ag Network, who will provide members with market updates and agricultural news; and Southern gospel duo Jeff and Sheri Easter, who will lead music at the Sunday worship service. Several breakout sessions covering a variety of agricultural topics will be held throughout the meeting for members to expand their knowledge on industry issues.

Rural Economic Development’s new SAE CEO Challenge

OKFB and Oklahoma FFA have teamed up to launch the SAE CEO Challenge, a brand-new program designed for students who have a current entrepreneurship SAE.

Annual Meeting Schedule Schedule subject to change

Thursday, November 5 5 p.m. ..........................................................................................WLC Committee Meeting 5 p.m. ............................................................................. YF&R Discussion Meet Round 1 6 p.m...............................................................................YF&R Discussion Meet Round 2 7 p.m .....................................................................................YF&R Discussion Meet Finals

Friday, November 6

The program starts in the classroom, where students will develop a business plan, learn about financial statements and build a pitch deck to share their business story. After completing the course, students will compete in a pitch contest at the meeting on Friday, Nov. 6, where the winner will receive a cash prize to reinvest back into their business.

YF&R competitive events

New for 2026, the OKFB YF&R Discussion Meet will move to the evening of Thursday, Nov. 5, and the Collegiate Discussion Meet will be held on Friday, Nov. 6. Winners of each division will be recognized on stage throughout the weekend.

Awards and recognition

OKFB will celebrate the year’s achievements by presenting awards to grassroots Farm Bureau members, county Farm Bureau organizations and legislators in addition to recognizing our nine district Farm and Ranch Family Recognition recipients.

OKFB Expo

Vendors from across the state will be on-hand for the annual OKFB Expo trade show. The Expo opens at 9 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 6, and again at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7.

Entertainment

Farm Bureau members will enjoy an evening of fellowship during the OKFB game night on Friday, Nov. 6, featuring rounds of Bingo called by OKFB staff members. Music will be performed by Tyse Buck and the Okies.

8 a.m. ...............................................................................State Board Breakfast Meeting 8 a.m. ......................................................Credentials Committee Breakfast Meeting 8 a.m. .............................................................Collegiate Discussion Meet Orientation 9 a.m. ...................................Registration, Trade Show and Silent Auction Open 9 a.m. .............................................................Collegiate Discussion Meet Round One 9 a.m. ...............................................................................YF&R Excellence in Agriculture 9:30 a.m. ...................................................FFA SAE CEO Challenge Championship 10 a.m. ..........................County Administrators QuickBooks/iMIS/IRS Training 10 a.m. ............................................................... New County Board Member Training 10 a.m. ...........................................................Collegiate Discussion Meet Round Two 11 a.m. ...............................................................................................Membership Luncheon 11:30 a.m.....................................................................Discussion Meet Finals Luncheon 12:30 p.m. ................................................................ Collegiate Discussion Meet Finals 1:30 p.m. .................................................................... Opening General Session 3:15 p.m. .....................................................................................................Breakout Sessions 4:30 p.m. ........................................................................................WLC Business Meeting 4:30 p.m. ........................................................................................ YF&R Dinner & Caucus 5:30 p.m. ........................................................................................ WLC Advocacy Dinner 7 p.m. ...................................................... OKFB Game Night & Entertainment

Saturday, November 7 7 a.m. ......................................................Credentials Committee Breakfast Meeting 7:30 a.m. ....................... OKFB Foundation for Agriculture Flapjack Breakfast 7:30 a.m. .................................................... Financial Committee Breakfast Meeting 7:30 a.m. ..............................................Resolutions Committee Breakfast Meeting 8 a.m. ........................................................................................................ Registration Opens 8 a.m. .........................................................................................................Trade Show Opens 8:30 a.m. ................................................................... OKFBMIC Policyholders Meeting 9 a.m. ....................................................................................................Silent Auction Opens 9:30 a.m. .....................................................................................General Session 11:45 a.m. ..........................................................................WLC Heart Healthy Luncheon 12 p.m. ...................................................Credentials Committee Luncheon Meeting 12:50 p.m. .........................................OKFB District Caucuses (Districts 1, 4 and 7 1:30 p.m. ......................................................................................General Session 5:30 p.m. ........................................................................................Farm Family Reception 5:30 p.m. .......................................................................... County Presidents Reception 6 p.m. ........................................................................................ Ag Community Reception 7 p.m. .........................................................................Dinner & Awards Program

Sunday, November 8 7:30 a.m. . County President, WLC and Public Policy Coffee Talk Sessions 8:30 a.m. ................................................Worship Service & Group Breakfast Oklahoma Country 33

YOUTH PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT S

ummertime around Oklahoma Farm Bureau means wheat harvest, hours spent on the road crisscrossing our beautiful state and a full slate of youth conferences, events and programs. OKFB proudly supports Oklahoma agricultural youth with a wide array of activities to help our state’s future leaders grow and develop their leadership skills and agricultural understanding. From our actionpacked OYLA conference to our annual State Fair Livestock Judging contest, here is a quick look at what kept our OKFB summer calendar busy as we helped prepare the agriculturalists of tomorrow for a bright future ahead. 34 Oklahoma Country

How Oklahoma Farm Bureau spent the summer supporting, training and building up Oklahoma youth in agriculture.

Oklahoma Youth Leading Agriculture

FFA Communications Conference

May 26-29 Oklahoma City Area

July 13 Edmond

What it is

Incoming high school seniors from around Oklahoma who are active and engaged in their local FFA chapters gather each year in Oklahoma City for a four-day, intensive leadership training experience.

The sixth-annual OKFB FFA Communications Conference brings Oklahoma FFA members together to learn the important role communication plays in our everyday lives as they learn hands-on communications skills from top agricultural communications professionals.

OKFB’s Oklahoma Youth Leading Agriculture Conference is designed to help some of Oklahoma’s brightest young agricultural leaders expand their horizons and help them grow in their knowledge and skills to make an even deeper impact in their local communities. From team building to ag tours, OYLA opens doors to help these students grow.

FFA members learned how to take photos, produce videos, create eye-catching designs and develop a strong social media presence for their FFA chapters through a series of interactive breakout sessions. Students also learned how to use their skills to share their chapters’ activities with diverse audiences.

Impact

OKFB hosted its largest-ever OYLA class in 2026 with 24 incoming high school seniors taking part in the four-day event.

Nearly 100 students gathered in Edmond on July 13 for the one-day FFA Communications Conference. Students learned not only how to share their FFA activities and programs for the coming school year, but they also learned the important role communication plays in agriculture to share our farm and ranch stories.

The conference pushed students to deepen their understanding of agriculture and Farm Bureau while growing together as a team. The group was also challenged to take their agricultural knowledge and skills back to their local communities to share with others. Want to take part next year? Sign up for OKFB’s Youth Leadership Alliance for details on all our youth programs and events: okfb.news/YouthAlliance.

See more Watch the conference re-cap reel on Instagram at okfb.news/commsconf26reel.

Introducing the

SAE CEO

CHALLENGE

Capitol Camp

State Fair Livestock Judging Contest

September 2-3 Oklahoma State Capitol

September 21 Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, Oklahoma City

What it is

OKFB’s Capitol Camp is an immersive, twoday legislative experience that provides 4-H and FFA members the opportunity to learn how our state’s laws are made. Students write pieces of mock legislation that address real issues that they see around them and work with fellow students to guide policy through the legislative process.

Held each year during the Oklahoma State Fair in Oklahoma City, the OKFB Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee hosts a one-day livestock judging event that kicks off each school year’s livestock judging contest schedule.

Capitol Camp is held at the Oklahoma State Capitol where students sit in the real-life committee rooms to discuss bills and then move to the Oklahoma House and Senate chambers where they hold final debate and discussion before voting on the measures.

Students evaluate sets of cattle, sheep, pigs and goats to make their rankings and selections as they compete for prizes and bragging rights. OKFB’s State Fair Livestock Judging competition has both 4-H and FFA divisions in two categories – junior and senior – to ensure students of every experience level have an opportunity to compete against fellow students at the same skill and experience level.

Impact

More than 130 Oklahoma students attended the 2026 Capitol Camp where they worked through 85 student-written bills spanning topics from food labeling to water quality and from agricultural labor to agricultural literacy in schools.

In 2026, nearly 1,800 students participated in the annual event, judging eight classes of livestock and fielding three sets of questions to win awards banners and custom jackets.

An entrepreneurial curriculum and event for Oklahoma FFA members

OKFB’s rural economic development department has partnered with Oklahoma FFA to launch the SAE CEO Challenge to recognize the entrepreneurial spirit of students who run their own business. The challenge is an allnew, custom program for students and educators that combines a customized classroom curriculum provided to Oklahoma high school agricultural educators along with a state-level pitch contest for students held during the 2026 OKFB convention.

Students also completed a community service activity by packing food at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.

The skills students learned through the contest help prepare them for a career in agriculture as they learn how to evaluate animals based on characteristics that are important to farmers and ranchers.

The program helps students who have an existing entrepreneurship SAE program build their businesses while inspiring students who do not yet operate their own business enterprise to understand the basics of entrepreneurship while building their business skills and knowledge.

See more See more action from Capitol Camp by watching our Instagram reel at okfb.news/cc26reel.

See more See the full contest results at okfb.news/oksflivestockjudging26 or scan the QR code.

Learn more Get all the details and learn how students can participate at okfb.news/ceochallenge.

Oklahoma Country 35

OKFB members learn about Indiana agriculture during Ag Tour

early 50 Oklahoma Farm Bureau members traveled to the Hoosier state April 27-30 to learn about Indiana agriculture with OKFB’s 2026 Ag Tour. Indiana was selected as the destination for the 2026 tour after past OKFB President Rodd Moesel made a friendly wager with Indiana Farm Bureau President Randy Kron during the 2025 NBA Finals as the Oklahoma City Thunder took on the Indiana Pacers. OKC won the series, and as part of the wager, Indiana Farm Bureau agreed to host OKFB members on a tour to learn about agriculture in the state. Tour highlights included stops at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway; Beck’s Hybrids seed company; Equipment Technologies, home of Apache Sprayers; and the farm of Randy and Joyce Kron where members were treated to a down-home meal. OKFB’s Ag Tour is a yearly trip for Farm Bureau members to learn about agriculture. The tour alternates between trips to various parts of Oklahoma and other states.

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Farm Bureau women gather in Norman for state WLC conference More than 120 Farm Bureau women from across the state joined together for a weekend of leadership development, agricultural lessons and fellowship April 24-25 during the 2026 OKFB Women’s Leadership Committee’s state conference.

The conference featured group tours, breakout sessions, a silent auction and networking opportunities. Throughout the conference, Farm Bureau members learned how to connect with their communities and share the agriculture story. From tours at unique educational facilities to keynote speakers sharing the importance of Farm Bureau’s advocacy efforts, attendees built their understanding of our state’s agriculture industry along with lessons on communicating agriculture with a diverse audience.

OKFB WLC travels to Rhode Island for National Ag in the Classroom conference

OKFB WLC members celebrate the International Year of the Farm Woman at ACE Summit in Washington, D.C.

Seven members of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee traveled to Providence, Rhode Island, June 22-25 for the 2026 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference, which featured tours, workshops and agricultural lessons.

State WLC members Mignon Bolay, Cyndi Mackey and Jacey Fye gathered with 500 fellow women farmers, ranchers and agribusiness professionals from around the nation at the International Year of the Farm Woman Advocate, Cultivate, Empower – or ACE – Summit June 1-3 in Washington, D.C.

WLC members were part of a group of 35 Oklahomans who attended the conference to learn how classroom educators and agricultural leaders can help spread agricultural literacy. WLC members learned how educators can implement agricultural lessons and curriculum in their classrooms to bring farm, ranch and food lessons to life.

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The ACE Summit was an opportunity for women in agriculture to develop their leadership and advocacy skills while networking with fellow advocates. In addition to breakout sessions and addresses from keynote speakers, the OKFB WLC members wrapped up the event with a day on Capitol Hill where WLC members met with Oklahoma’s congressional delegation and their staff including visits with Sen. Alan Armstrong, Rep. Josh Brecheen and Rep. Kevin Hern.

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Farm Bureau Accelerators

DEVELOPING

SUCCESS

We check in with four graduates of Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Grassroots Rural and Ag Business Accelerators programs to see how they are moving innovation forward for agriculture and rural Oklahoma.

Updates from Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s rural development initiatives

TriPoint Innovations 2026 Activate Oklahoma graduate

TriPoint Innovations is an Oklahoma-based startup developing Hunter Radar, an off-grid communication and location-awareness system designed to improve safety for hunters and other outdoor users in areas without reliable cellular service. TriPoint Innovations received a $75,000 USDA Rural Business Development Grant to expand their in-house manufacturing capabilities, including rapid prototyping and injectionmolding equipment.

Reese Huhnke and Myles Lozano TriPoint Innovations

The company has developed multiple working Hunter Radar prototypes using GPS, bluetooth, and mesh communication technologies

to allow users to share location information and communicate without relying on cellular service while continuing development of the Hunter Radar mobile platform. TriPoint Innovations is moving toward expanded field testing and product validation with hunters and outdoor users as they prepare for the public launch of Hunter Radar.

WellFed

2025 AgCelerate Oklahoma graduate

WellFed is a smartphone application that helps cattle producers maximize their herd’s nutrition by calculating supplementation recommendations based on herd characteristics, climate, and available forage. WellFed has progressed from an idea born on an Oklahoma ranch to an in-depth data set used by Rachael Cooper’s own ranching family. And soon it will enter app development.

The company has partnered with investors and is currently working through terms to secure the capital investment needed to fully launch the feed ration calculation platform.

Since taking part in the AgCelerate Oklahoma program in early 2025, WellFed has completed its company formation and filed its trademarking application.

The smartphone app will soon enter into development, which will adapt the deep dataset WellFed has created into an easy-to-use feed calculator for cattle producers.

38 Oklahoma Country

Rachael Cooper • WellFed

Activate Oklahoma is our business accelerator program that helps rural Oklahoma innovators located in communities with a population of 50,000 or less build and develop their innovations to bring them to life.

AgCelerate Oklahoma is a business accelerator program assisting rural Oklahoma innovators who have an idea, concept or product that has a direct application on farms, ranches or in production agriculture.

Learn more about OKFB’s business accelerators program on our website at okfarmbureau.org/accelerator

American Prime

2023 AgCelerate Oklahoma graduate

American Prime helps farmers and farm teams move from simply observing various data sources including satellite and weather information into action by connecting field intelligence, weather, AI and drone operations in a single, unified platform. American Prime recently launched its DroneHub, which connects field conditions, weather, flight planning and agricultural drone operations. The company will soon launch AP Intelligence, its digital fieldscouting platform. It combines satellite imagery, weather intelligence, crop monitoring and early warnings to identify which fields need attention first.

The platform will also introduce BEN, an AI field assistant, to make interacting with data like having a conversation. American Prime is working with producers in Oklahoma and North Dakota, and has secured support from the National Science Foundation and an investment from Big Idea Ventures’ Generation Food Rural Partners Fund.

Jorge Celis • American Prime Sustainable Solutions

CASSIE

2025 Activate Oklahoma graduate

CASSIE is a risk-management platform designed to help reduce harmful microorganisms in food processing, food storage, and healthcare environments.

In a recent precooling facility study, CASSIE demonstrated an 80% reduction in bacteria recorded at one location within four hours.

Eric Garrison • CASSIE

More recent testing has demonstrated significant reductions in foodborne pathogens, including Salmonella, within minutes.

The company is currently seeking strategic validation partners in the healthcare and food industries to further demonstrate the technology’s effectiveness across real-world applications.

Oklahoma Country 39

Farm Bureau Counties

Garfield County Farm Bureau

Ag in Action

Garfield County Farm Bureau, along with Garfield County Cooperative Extension, hosted their inaugural Ag in Action program to share the agriculture story with local fourthgrade students. The two-day event was held April 28-29 at the Garfield County Fairgrounds to provide a hands-on agricultural experience for more than 630 fourthgrade students from 17 schools across Garfield County. Students learned about farming, ranching and food production at a series of informative, interactive stations on a wide array of agricultural topics including farm animals, agricultural commodities, farm equipment, cattle, horses, dog herding and more.

Payne County Farm Bureau Payne County Farm Bureau hosted their annual Block Party event in late May to share the great work their county Farm Bureau does in their local community while creating a fun, family-friendly event.

Block party

Stillwater-area community members crowded the Payne County Farm Bureau office parking lot to sample products from local vendors, enjoy the kid-friendly bounce houses, tour a fire truck with the Stillwater fire department, try their hand at some agriculturethemed activities and enjoy a Saturday with local Farm Bureau members.

Custer County Farm Bureau

Annual meeting

While every county Farm Bureau across the state hosts an annual meeting to inform members and guests about the work Farm Bureau is doing in their counties and local communities, Custer County Farm Bureau decided to step out of their normal meeting format and venue to turn their annual meeting into a special event for their members and their local community. The 2026 Custer County Farm Bureau annual meeting included a trade show, a dinner served by Weatherford FFA members, and a crowd of more than 200 members and guests that packed the Stafford Air and Space Museum events center for the evening.

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Farm Bureau People

Ron Justice named 2026 Oklahoma Agriculture Hall of Fame inductee With a long list of agricultural service including working as a county extension educator and serving as a state senator, the Grady County Farm Bureau member was recognized by Gov. Kevin Stitt for his lifelong service to Oklahoma agriculture.

rady County Farm Bureau member Ron Justice became the 29th inductee into the Oklahoma Agriculture Hall of Fame April 29 as he received Gov. Stitt’s Outstanding Achievement in Agriculture Award. Justice is a former Oklahoma state senator and past OKFB Vice President of Public Policy who has built a strong reputation for his dedication to agriculture, rural development and public service. Justice spent 33 years in various roles in Oklahoma State University Extension at the county level, where he worked to promote agricultural best practices. He continued his public service as Oklahoma state senator for District 23. During his 12-year tenure, he held key positions including vice chairman of appropriations and vice chairman

of agriculture and rural development. Justice also advocated for Oklahoma’s rural communities and agriculture as the chair of the republican rural Caucus. “Ron Justice has spent his life serving as an advocate for Oklahoma agriculture,” said Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur. “The work he put into our state throughout his career has helped put agriculture on the path we are on today. We are thankful for his years of service to the state and to the agriculture community.” After his legislative career, he served Farm Bureau members as an employee, leading OKFB’s public policy department. “Ron Justice is a true servant leader who has dedicated his life to supporting farmers, ranchers and our

Ron Justice

agricultural community, and rural Oklahoma is a better place because of his steadfast commitment,” said Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Stacy Simunek. “From his long career in extension to his storied service in the Oklahoma Senate to his time as a staff member at Farm Bureau and beyond, Ron is the definition of a statesman, and Oklahoma Farm Bureau is proud to call him a friend.” His service also extends to statelevel leadership roles, including membership on the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, the USDA Farm Service Agency State Committee and past service on the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation Board. Justice has been actively involved in numerous agricultural and community organizations, including the Grady County Farm Bureau board.

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New employee spotlight

Victoria Wiedel

Brooke Gibson

Abby Helbach

Federation Financial Assistant

Northeast Field Representative

Digital Content Coordinator

Victoria Wiedel joined the OKFB staff in May as the organization’s federation financial assistant.

Brooke Gibson is the newest member of OKFB’s field staff in northeastern Oklahoma, joining the team in June.

Wiedel will work with county Farm Bureaus to maintain accurate financial records and create financial reports and statements. She will also work with county Farm Bureau leaders and field staff to ensure the financial soundness of county Farm Bureaus to enable counties to achieve Farm Bureau’s grassroots, member-focused mission.

Gibson will work alongside local Farm Bureau members and county Farm Bureaus in 13 northeastern Oklahoma counties to promote Farm Bureau programs and activities. She will also serve as a liaison between county Farm Bureaus and the state Farm Bureau organization to ensure grassroots Farm Bureau voices are represented at every level of the organization.

Abby Helbach joined the OKFB communications and public relations department in late August as the digital content coordinator.

A Muskogee native, Wiedel was raised on a multi-generation ranch where she grew up helping manage the family’s black Angus cattle herd and horses.

In her role, she will oversee the organization’s social media and website presence while creating content for a wide array of organizational products and communications platforms in addition to covering OKFB events.

Gibson is a third-generation rancher who grew up on a cattle ranch raising Hereford cattle near Morris.

Originally from central Wisconsin, Helbach grew up on her family’s cashcrop farm, where her passion for agriculture first began. She was active in 4-H and FFA growing up and showed livestock competitively.

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Oklahoma Country 43

Farm Bureau Outreach

Eighteen Oklahoma educators receive accurate agriculture books through OKFB’s Bushels for Books program

ighteen Oklahoma teachers were recently selected to receive a basket of accurate agriculture books through Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Bushels for Books program. Bushels for Books, a collaboration between the OKFB Women’s Leadership Committee and the OKFB Foundation for Agriculture, is designed to spread agriculture literacy to children around the state through providing a selection of books that accurately portray the agriculture industry. The 18 winners, who are listed to the right, were selected from a total of 212 total applicants from across the state. Each applicant who did not receive a full bushel basket of books received one free accurate agriculture book that was tailored to each educator’s classroom grade level. “The Women’s Leadership Committee is proud to support these Oklahoma teachers and their students,” said Mignon Bolay, OKFB WLC chair. “We hope these books will be a source of learning and fun as they discover the world of agriculture.” The program is open to Pre-K through eighth-grade teachers and librarians in Oklahoma. Applications were due June 10. “As people are becoming more removed from the farm, it is increasingly important for them to know where their food comes from,” said Kerry Givens, OKFB Foundation for Agriculture president. “We hope these books will help students gain an understanding of agriculture and the families that work hard to provide food for the world.” 44 Oklahoma Country

2026 Bushels for Books winners Antoinette Trentham

Dakota Waugh

Balko Public Schools

Seiling Elementary School

Kasey Cannon

Shawnie Martin

Cheyenne Schools

Brittley Nichols

Hinton High School

Kathy Webb

Jennifer Peterson

Empire Elementary

Tommie James

Mattison Bowen

Teresa Brunnemer Morrison Elementary

Angie Cross

Eastlake Elementary

Nicki Walden

Canton Elementary

Zaneis Schools

Bryan County Extension

Stephanie Young

Burns Flatt-Dill City Elem.

Ryal Elementary

Andrea Naile

Ponca City East Middle Schools

Diana Fiddler

Caney Valley Elementary

Clayton Middle School

Laura Savio

Will Rogers Elem. School

Tamara Perry

Sante Fe Elementary

Baylee White

Tulsa County Extension

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JOINT PRIVACY NOTICE

This Joint Privacy Notice is provided on behalf of: Oklahoma Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company, AgSecurity Insurance Company, and Oklahoma Farm Bureau Insurance Agents, Inc. In this Joint Privacy Notice, the words we, us, and our refer to Oklahoma Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company, AgSecurity Insurance Company, and Oklahoma Farm Bureau Insurance Agents, Inc. Our Commitment to Safeguarding Your Privacy This Joint Privacy Notice is provided to inform you of our practices and procedures regarding the sharing of nonpublic personal information. Nonpublic personal information means personally identifiable financial information about you, your family, or your household that we may obtain directly from you, that we may obtain as a result of our business dealings with you, or that we may obtain from any other source, and not publicly available. We do not engage in the practice of disclosing your nonpublic personal information to nonaffiliated third parties other than, as necessary, to provide quality insurance services. For example, we do not sell your name, address, or telephone number to telemarketers or to direct mail solicitors. We do not engage in “listselling,” and we do not offer your nonpublic personal information to publishing houses, retailers, or coupon companies. Because federal and state laws, regulations, and business practices can change at any time, we may revise this Joint Privacy Notice accordingly. Information We May Collect & Use During the course of reviewing your application for insurance coverage and deciding whether or not to underwrite the insurance policy for which you have applied, and, if we issue a policy for you, during the course of providing services to you as required by the policy, we collect and evaluate information from the following sources: • • • •

Information we receive from you on applications or other forms; Information about your transactions with us, our affiliates, or others; Information we receive from consumer reporting agencies; and Information we receive from state or federal agencies.

It is important for us to collect and use this information to properly provide, administer, and perform services on your behalf. We could not provide optimum service to you without collecting and using this information. Information We May Disclose We regard all of your nonpublic information as confidential. Therefore, we do not disclose any nonpublic personal information to anyone except as permitted by law. The same is true of information about our former customers. We do not disclose nonpublic personal financial information about our former customers to affiliates or to nonaffiliated third parties except as permitted by law.

In the course of conducting our business dealings, we may disclose to other parties certain information we have about you. These disclosures are only made in accordance with applicable laws, and may include providers, consultants and regulatory or governmental authorities. Furthermore, certain disclosures of information will be made to our personnel authorized to have access to your nonpublic personal information for the purpose of administering your business and providing services to you. We may disclose the following categories of information to companies that perform services on our behalf or to other financial institutions with which we have joint marketing agreements: •

•

Information we received from you on applications or other forms, such as your name, address, social security number, county Farm Bureau membership number, assets, income, and beneficiaries; Information about your transactions with us, our affiliates, or others, such as your policy coverage, premium, loss history, and payment history; and Information we receive from a consumer reporting agency, such as your creditworthiness and credit history.

We may disclose nonpublic personal information about you to the following types of third parties: •

•

Financial service providers, such as life insurers, automobile insurers, mortgage bankers, securities broker-dealers, and insurance agents; Nonfinancial companies, such as retailers, direct marketers, airlines, and publishers; and Others, such as nonprofit organizations.

These entities with which we share personal information are required to maintain the confidentiality of that information. We do not authorize these parties to use or disclose your personal information for any purpose other than for the express purpose of performing work on our behalf or as required or permitted by law. How We Maintain the Confidentiality & Security of Your Information We carefully restrict access to nonpublic personal information to our employees, our independent contractor insurance agents, our service contract providers, and our affiliates and subsidiaries. The right of our employees, our independent contractor insurance agents, our service contract providers, and our affiliates and subsidiaries to further disclose and use the information is limited by our employee handbook, agent’s contract, applicable law, and nondisclosure agreements where appropriate. We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal and state law to guard your nonpublic personal information. Your Opt-Out Right We reserve the right to disclose nonpublic personal information to a nonaffiliated third party. However, if you prefer that we do not disclose nonpublic personal information about you to nonaffiliated third parties, you may opt out of those disclosures, that is, you may direct us not to make those disclosures (information sharing which is permitted by law includes sharing

information with our affiliates and nonaffiliates about our transactions or experiences with you for business, administrative, and other legal purposes). If you wish to opt-out of disclosures to nonaffiliated third parties, you may mail or fax the below Opt-Out Notice to us. You may exercise your opt-out right at any time. We will comply with your opt-out request as soon as reasonably practicable, generally within seven (7) days following receipt of your request, to allow for notification to all applicable affiliated or nonaffiliated third parties. If you share your account with another person, either of you may opt-out of disclosures (other than disclosures permitted by law) for both of you. Please indicate on the Opt-Out Notice form if you are opting-out for one or both of you. Conclusion If you have any questions or comments concerning this Joint Privacy Notice or our privacy standards and procedures, please write us at Post Office Box 53332, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73152-3332. Our functional regulator is the State of Oklahoma, Department of Insurance. If we cannot resolve your concerns or answer your questions, feel free to contact our regulator. This Joint Privacy Notice describes our privacy policy and practices in accordance with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, 15 USC §6801, et seq., and with Oklahoma laws and regulations. _____________________________ | |

Oklahoma Country 45

All Around Oklahoma Farm Bureau news, events and programs from around Oklahoma

OKFB YF&R committee raises $13,000 for foundation at annual shotgun shoot fundraiser in Guthrie

The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers raised $13,000 to support the activities of the OKFB Foundation for Agriculture through the committee’s annual shotgun shoot fundraiser held at Silverleaf Shotgun Sports near Guthrie Friday, Aug. 21.

More than 200 shooters spanning 57 registered teams participated in the annual event, which featured a sporting clays-style shoot across two unique courses that tested the competitors’ skills at hitting targets in situations that mimic real-life hunting scenarios.

Canadian County Farm Bureau member is top 10 competitor in AFBF Ag Innovation Challenge

The funds raised during the shotgun shoot will support the work of the OKFB Foundation for Agriculture, which promotes agricultural literacy and awareness in addition to supporting Oklahoma’s agriculture community through numerous programs, grants and projects.

OKFB WLC awards five nurse’s training scholarships The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee awarded five $1,000 scholarships to students from Farm Bureau member families who are pursuing a career in nursing. The scholarship winners were:

Bryce Everett Canadian County Farm Bureau member and agricultural technology startup founder Bryce Everett qualified to compete in American Farm Bureau’s Ag Innovation Challenge with URMRKT, an online agricultural marketplace. URMRKT was one of 10 national Ag Innovation Challenge finalists, which is hosted by AFBF as an opportunity for entrepreneurs to showcase their solutions to the dynamic challenges facing American agriculture. 46 Oklahoma Country

• Kiera Turner, Boise City • Makenna Dupree, Elk City • Amanda Woods, Wilburton • Macy McCrary, Tahlequah • Delaney Haley, Chandler

Everett and his team of partners and developers created URMRKT, an online marketplace to connect buyers and sellers of agricultural products and inputs through an innovative digital platform that integrates buying, selling and delivery.

The OKFB WLC offers their annual nurse’s training scholarships to help Farm Bureau members complete their education in nursing so they can provide muchneeded healthcare services to fellow Oklahomans.

URMRKT is also an OKFB member benefit partner. OKFB members can sign up for URMRKT updates, including the final launch date and OKFB member discounts, at urmrkt.com/okfb/.

Applicants must be from OKFB-member families and enrolled half-time or more in a nurse’s training program at an accredited college, university, technical school or trade school.

Shotgun Shoot Fundraiser Top Teams Open Division First place: Bird Dog Plumbing Second place: Grady County Farm Bureau Third place: 5S Clay Sports Collegiate Division First place: Murray State College Second place: Redskins Third place: Redlands Community College Youth Division First place: Farm Credit of Western Oklahoma Second Place: Pontotoc County Farm Bureau Third Place: Vici FFA

Two OKFB members selected for AFBF Women’s Communications Boot Camp American Farm Bureau has selected two Oklahoma Farm Bureau members to participate in AFBF’s 25th Women’s Communications Boot Camp class. LeFlore County member and OKFB Women’s Leadership Committee District 5 Committee Member Cyndi Mackey was selected along with Cotton County member and OKFB WLC District 4 Committee Member Jacey Fye as members of the 15-person class. The boot camp provides intensive, hands-on training to help Farm Bureau members develop the skills needed to advocate for agriculture and Farm Bureau as they share the farm and ranch story and discuss agricultural issues. The boot camp will be held Oct. 26-29 at the AFBF office in Washington, D.C.

The Cook Family

Washita County member selected to serve on EPA rural committee

OKFB WLC hosts Regional Women’s Day events across the state OKFB YF&R host summer conference

Washita County Farm Bureau member Nocona Cook of Cordell was named to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee by EPA administrator Lee Zeldin.

The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee hosted a series of Regional Women’s Day events from August through October to help develop local Farm Bureau women’s programs.

Cook was one of 21 new members appointed to the committee on July 20. The FRRCC provides independent policy advice and recommendations to the EPA administrator on crucial environmental issues that impact agriculture and America’s rural communities. Cook and his wife, Jordan, along with their two sons, farm and ranch in the Cordell and Burns Flat areas growing a diverse array of crops, tending to stocker cattle and raising Angus seedstock at Davis Angus Ranch alongside Jordan’s parents.

The events allowed members an opportunity to gather and develop their leadership skills and agricultural knowledge while discussing opportunities to build their local county women’s committees. Events were held in Woodward, Perry, Spiro, El Reno and Duncan.

Nearly 80 Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers members traveled to the Altus area for OKFB’s annual YF&R Summer Conference July 17-19. The group stayed at Quartz Mountain Loge near Lone Wolf as the conference headquarters. Highlights from the event included extensive tours of farms and irrigation infrastructure in the LugertAltus Irrigation District; a stop at Power Plus feeders near Hobart; visits to cotton farms

and processing facilities; organizational updates from OKFB staff and leaders; and an evening of entertainment with singer Tyse Buck. YF&R committee members also hosted a mock discussion meet to show members how the competitive event works and help prepare them for future competitions. The event capped off with a presentation from an Oklahoma Grassroots Rural & Ag Business Accelerators program participant, Remote Ready Startup.

OKFB Foundation for Agriculture raffling off two firearms The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture is selling raffle tickets for a chance to win one of two firearms: a Weatherby Orion I 12-gauge shotgun and a Henry Golden Boy American

Farmer Tribute Edition leveraction chambered in .22LR. The drawing will take place at the 2026 OKFB convention in November. Ticket holders do not need to be present to win.

Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased from OKFB field staff or by contacting Holly Carroll at (405) 5232300. Terms and conditions apply, see the back of each raffle ticket for full details.

OKFB Water Working Group holds roundtable forum with water stakeholders Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s water working group sat down with dozens of stakeholders from around the state of Oklahoma on Wednesday, Aug. 12. The group discussed water usage, metering and more as they work to craft policy to ensure all sectors of our state’s water users are represented and held to the

same standards of judicious use of one of Oklahoma’s most vital natural resources. The water working group is an appointed committee of Farm Bureau members representing all nine OKFB districts. The body aids in providing input to the OKFB board and membership on water rights issues in the areas of regulation and policy. Oklahoma Country 47

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Oklahoma Country 49

Oklahoma Gardening

(Above) Roots play a key role in the health of a tree. (Photos by Mitchell Alcala, OSU Agriculture)

Healthy trees start below the ground By Trisha Gedon, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

hey are out of sight, often out of mind and rarely considered when admiring a beautiful tree. But beneath the soil, a busy network of roots is working around the clock to keep that tree healthy. Roots may not offer the visual appeal of colorful leaves, interesting bark or spring blossoms, but they are the foundation of a tree’s health. Understanding how roots grow and function can help homeowners make better decisions about watering, fertilizing, mulching and caring for the trees that are often the focal point of the landscape. Because roots are hidden underground, they can be a bit of a mystery to gardeners, said David Hillock, Oklahoma State University Extension consumer horticulturist. “Due to their obscurity, there are lots of myths and misconceptions about roots,” Hillock said. “Fortunately, scientific research about roots goes back to the late 1720s. This information helps gardeners understand the importance of proper root care and helps clear up and bust those myths.” One common misconception is that a tree’s roots extend only as far as its canopy, or dripline. In reality, roots can travel well beyond the outer branches. Depending on soil conditions, they may spread up to three times as wide as the canopy. In shallow soils with clay just a few 50 Oklahoma Country

inches below the surface, roots may extend even up to five times the width of the canopy. Another misconception is that every tree has a large taproot anchoring it deep in the soil. While trees such as pecan, walnut, some pines and some oaks can develop deep, vertical taproots, most trees have a more fibrous root system concentrated in the upper 2 feet of soil. Those shallow roots do much of the heavy lifting in absorbing water and nutrients. It may seem logical that trees get most of their nourishment from deep underground, but that is not necessarily the case. Although some deeper roots provide anchorage and stability, store resources and help trees locate water during extreme drought, much of the action takes place closer to the surface. “The upper layers of soil tend to be more aerobic, allowing natural soil processes to release nutrients,” he said. “The top foot of soil typically contains the highest percentage of mineral uptake and water absorption.” That is also why “deep watering” does not mean flooding the soil several feet below the surface. For trees, deep watering means applying water slowly enough to thoroughly moisten the upper 1 to 2 feet of soil without leaving it saturated. Too much water can cause problems by

damaging the tiny root hairs that absorb water and nutrients. And this need for moisture does not disappear when temperatures drop. During winter, trees are dormant above ground, but their roots remain active as long as the soil is not frozen. In Oklahoma, where winter weather can fluctuate between cold temperatures, warm spells and dry conditions, homeowners should continue to monitor soil moisture around trees. “We often experience limited precipitation in the winter, thus the trees in the landscape will benefit from supplemental watering – especially newly planted trees and young trees that haven’t yet developed an extensive root system,” Hillock said. “Keep in mind that established trees may also need watering during prolonged periods of dry weather.” The best time to water is when the soil is not frozen and temperatures are above freezing. Apply water slowly and deeply over the root zone, extending the watering area beneath and beyond the canopy rather than concentrating water near the trunk. Allow the soil to dry somewhat between waterings, but do not let the root zone remain excessively dry for extended periods. Winter watering is especially important because dry soil combined with cold, windy conditions can lead to moisture stress. Trees that enter winter already stressed by drought may be more susceptible to injury and other problems. While excess of some things is not

bad, more water or fertilizer is not necessarily better for tree roots. “Roots aren’t programmed to seek out water or fertilizer – instead, they’re opportunistic, growing in directions where conditions are favorable,” he said. “Homeowners should distribute water and nutrients over a broader area beneath and beyond the canopy, where roots are actively growing.” As those conditions improve, the tree can produce more of the tiny root hairs that play such an important role in water and nutrient uptake. Of course, what happens above ground can also have consequences below it. Hillock cautions homeowners to take care when mowing or using string trimmers around trees and shrubs. Repeatedly nicking or damaging roots and the trunk can create wounds that provide an entry point for diseases and insects. “Be careful not to damage roots with mowers or weed eaters,” he said. “Those damaged spots can be an invitation to disease and insect damage, which can affect overall tree health for years to come. Damage to the roots can reduce growth and increase branch dieback. Trees are a big investment, so proper care is vital.” The next time you admire a mature tree in the landscape, consider what is happening beneath your feet. The sprawling, largely invisible root system is doing much of the work that keeps the tree standing, growing and thriving.

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