Oklahoma Country Summer 2025

Summer 2025 The magazine of Oklahoma Farm Bureau

A family

pork venture

A Farm Bureau family shares their journey as they made a way for loved ones to return to agriculture while bringing home the bacon with a modern pig farm.

The call to serve A Jackson County Farm Bureau member serves wheat growers nationwide

The path to leadership

An Okmulgee FFA member shares his journey to become an FFA state officer

Sine die Three OKFB priority bills pass during the 2025 Oklahoma legislative session

Volume 78 No. 3 Summer 2025 (ISSN 1544-6476)

Oklahoma Country is published four times per year in January, April, July 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.

DIRECT ADVERTISING INQUIRIES TO: Oklahoma Country Attn: Casey McNeal (800) 798-2691, ext. 334 or email casey@iafalls.com

ON THE COVER Photo by Dustin Mielke

Angie Johnson, Seminole County Farm Bureau member, stands in front of one of the hog barns on her family’s commercial hog operation.

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.

EDITORIAL TEAM Dustin Mielke Vice President of Communications and Public Relations

Rachel Havens Assistant Director of Media Relations and Advocacy Communications

Mickinzi Ferguson Communications Specialist

Kate Jackson Publications Specialist

ABOUT OKLAHOMA COUNTRY MAGAZINE Oklahoma Country magazine is the official magazine of Oklahoma Farm Bureau, mailed to Farm Bureau members four 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.

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Oklahoma Country

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

OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU DIRECTORS Rodd Moesel | President David VonTungeln | Vice President Leon Richards | Secretary Jim Meek | Treasurer Jimmy Taylor | Director Kerry Givens | Director Gary Crawley | Director Roger Moore | Director Stacy Simunek | Director Mike Leverett | Director Thad Doye | Executive Director

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Oklahoma Country Contents Summer 2025

Featured stories

10

A family pork venture

Seminole County Farm Bureau members share their family’s journey as commercial pig farmers.

16

20 The path to leadership 24 Sine die An Okmulgee FFA member shares his journey of becoming a state FFA officer.

Columns

6 8

Presidentially Speaking

OKFB celebrates the passage of three priority bills during the 2025 legislative season.

28 Sharing the barnyard OKFB’s Farm in a Bag program connects elementary-age students with agriculture.

Sections

Rodd Moesel, President

Bureau 30 Farm Events

Around 42 All Oklahoma

Rural Development Matters

Bureau 36 Farm Grassroots

44 Oklahoma Gardening

Bureau 37 Farm People

Bureau 46 Farm Organization

Amarie Bartel, Economic Development Coordinator

Bureau 38 Farm Counties 4

The call to serve

A Jackson County Farm Bureau member steps up to serve wheat growers nationwide.

Oklahoma Country

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Oklahoma Country

5

Presidentially Speaking Insights from Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Rodd Moesel

Looking forward, moving onward

T

Rodd Moesel President Oklahoma Farm Bureau & Affiliated Companies

“No matter how fast the issues change or the realities of farming and ranching shift, I am proud that Farm Bureau continues to be on top of the challenges and opportunities family agriculture faces.”

6

Oklahoma Country

o paraphrase a famous movie quote, life sure does come at us fast. With 2025 halfway completed, Oklahoma agriculture has seen weather outlooks turn from dry and drought-ridden to almost wishing the rain would stop; the Oklahoma legislature has completed another session; and agriculture has been involved with numerous discussions on the federal level from agricultural policy to trade.

With the 2025 Oklahoma legislative session behind us and the passage of three OKFB priority bills firmly recorded in the “win” column for our organization, our Farm Bureau members will now turn their attention to refining their grassroots policy positions as we kick off our policy development season with our August Area Meetings.

I encourage my fellow Farm Bureau members to make a plan and get involved in our annual policy discussions. From brainstorming policy solutions that address the issues agriculture is facing to attending their local August Area Meeting with fellow OKFB members to writing policies to propose at the county level, member involvement is at the core of our policy creation process. You can find your local August Area Meeting on page 36, and I hope to see you in August as we meet for our policy development discussions.

One exciting element of our year-end policy and business discussions for our organization will be the election of new leaders including the selection of a new Farm Bureau president.

It has been a privilege to serve agriculture and our rural communities for nearly eight years as your president, but the time has arrived for our members to select a new leader for our beloved organization in November at our 2025 annual meeting.

Members will also be selecting leaders to

serve in three of our Farm Bureau districts – districts three, six and nine. While two of those board positions are up for re-election, fellow longtime Farm Bureau leader Jim Meek, our district nine director, will be terming out after serving nine full years as a leader on our board. While we always miss the deep perspectives of longtime leaders, each leadership change is an opportunity for new ideas from a new generation of Farm Bureau members.

Farm Bureau leaders both today and tomorrow are facing and will face challenges all across our industry, including several policy challenges we are currently working on at the national level.

No new farm bill is on the horizon, which is a process that is a full two years behind schedule. American Farm Bureau and state Farm Bureaus are currently working with Congress to include several provisions for farmers and ranchers in the federal reconciliation bill, which, as of press time, had just passed Congress on its way to the president’s desk. While not a full, long-term farm bill, Farm Bureau has still found a way through the reconciliation bill to bring support to family farmers and ranchers.

We also continue to work on several other key federal policy areas in the reconciliation bill that have deep implications for family agriculture. This included an extension of the 2017 tax cuts, which is important to agriculture with the section 199a passthrough business deduction that lets partnerships and S corporations – the business structure numerous family farms use – to be taxed at nearly the same rate as corporations. The federal budget reconciliation bill would make this provision permanent, along with the 2017 estate tax rate and continuation of stepped-up basis,

providing some important federal provisions our members can use to make long-term business plans.

Farm Bureau is even working beyond the federal level as we advocate for enhanced agricultural trade around the world. I have had the privilege to serve as chairman of the AFBF national trade committee as an AFBF board member, and that opportunity has hammered home how heavily agriculture depends on trade.

Around 1/3 of American agriculture production is currently exported around the world. 2025 marks the third year in a row – and the third year in my lifetime – where the United States is importing more agricultural products than we export. Through the first four months of 2025 alone, we imported $72.8 billion of agricultural products while only selling $58.5 billion worth to the rest of the world.

As the Trump administration has used tariffs as a starting point for trade discussions to address these trade concerns, the retaliatory actions taken by other countries have caused unease for both consumers and farmers. If American agriculture is going to retain a powerful position in the world, realigning our nation’s agricultural trade positions is critical.

No matter how fast the issues change or the realities of farming and ranching shift, I am proud that Farm Bureau continues to be on top of the challenges and opportunities family agriculture faces. As always, our members will step up the plate to make sure Oklahoma agriculture is ready to face the future.

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Oklahoma Country

7

Rural Development Matters How Oklahoma Farm Bureau is supporting rural innovation and entrepreneurs.

What we have learned through our work with rural innovators

R

ural Oklahomans are the original innovators – of this I am confident. When Oklahoma Farm Bureau stepped into the innovation space in July of 2022, folks had questions. Why was Oklahoma Farm Bureau supporting innovative entrepreneurs?

While the brand “Farm Bureau” may not have been readily associated with innovative startup companies, rural Oklahomans have always been movers and shakers, idea creators and changers of the way things have always been done by way of necessity. Think about farmers and ranchers around our state: how many farm problems have been solved with baling twine, duct tape and a bit of imagination?

Farm Bureau stands firm in our belief that entrepreneurs have solved challenges of the past.

We also assert that grassroots entrepreneurship is a key to sustaining – and growing – rural Oklahoma communities.

We have certainly found this to be true. Since OKFB launched the Oklahoma Grassroots Rural & Ag Business Accelerators in 2023, the program has supported 42 startup companies from 38 rural communities. These innovators have created 74 jobs across the state, and their companies have raised more than $11 million in capital that would not otherwise touch a rural community.

The impact of rural innovators reaches well beyond the bounds of their hometowns. For example, a small business in western Oklahoma could create five living-wage jobs in its rural community and see 0.85 outside jobs supported through indirect and induced means. Indirect impacts occur when the company purchases direct inputs from other local suppliers, while induced effects occur when employees buy goods or services with their salaries. From a $375,000 investment in salaries, a local economy could see more than $630,000 in economic stimulation created by rural entrepreneurship.

Imagine, for a moment, that every Oklahoma community had a new company like this. Does that notion sound far-fetched? Simply put, it is not. With each application cycle for our accelerators program, OKFB is learning of brilliant ideas that will change industries like agriculture, healthcare, energy and manufacturing, all of which are vital for our rural communities. Do not exclude your community as a place that could be home to one of these talented small business founders.

Furthermore, do not count yourself out, either. All too often, OKFB’s rural development staff meets bright Oklahomans who do not define themselves as an entrepreneur, a small business owner, or an innovator. However, our team broadly defines innovation in two categories: 1) those who work with revolutionary technologies, products or services – meaning something novel; or 2) those who work with evolutionary technologies, products or services – meaning an improvement to an existing process.

Innovation is everywhere. If a rural Oklahoman desires to act on their innovative idea, OKFB offers no-cost entrepreneurial support services from business strategizing to attaining funding for growth and development through the Oklahoma Grassroots Rural & Ag Business Accelerators. This includes numerous programs including OKFB’s “In the Weeds” masterclass series and through one-on-one technical assistance.

OKFB proudly stands by our tagline, “We are rural Oklahoma,” meaning our members – you – are the heart of our rural communities. As our organization has connected with entrepreneurs from around the state, we have come to understand that innovation is rural Oklahoma. And we are here to help the next generation of rural dreamers, creators and visionaries make an impact through innovation for our local communities.

8

Oklahoma Country

Amarie Bartel

Economic Development Coordinator Oklahoma Farm Bureau Federation

Want to know more about OKFB’s rural development programs?

Visit the OKFB website at okfarmbureau.org/accelerator to learn more.

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Oklahoma Country

9

pork vent

A family

One Oklahoma farm family combines a

legacy of hard work with family values as they care for a herd of pigs that brought family closer to home.

L

Story By Kate Jackson • Photos By Dustin Mielke

ocated down a winding dirt road just a few miles east of a local highway, visitors are welcomed to Ran-Mar Farms by an American flag waving behind a gate bearing the farm’s name.

Seminole County Farm Bureau members Angie Johnson and her husband, Darran, are co-owners of Ran-Mar Farms alongside their daughter Dusti and farm manager Ashton Dennie. Ran-Mar Farms is a contracted commercial farrowing hog operation located near Okemah. As pig farmers, the family cares for breeding females and raises litters of pigs that they wean before the animals are sent to another farm where they grow.

The Johnson family’s agriculture roots run deep in the area. In fact, the farm is named after two family patriarchs who Angie said set the mould for future generations as hard-working men. Ran-Mar is a combination of names from Ashton’s father, Randy, and Darran’s father, Marland.

Darran was raised around cattle, and Angie spent her formative years as an FFA member. The couple started their own cattle and custom haying business in 1995 as Diamond J Cattle and Custom Hay. Besides their agricultural enterprises, Darran and Angie have each had full-time careers off the farm. Angie currently serves fellow rural residents in the local community of Wewoka as the President of the First United Bank, and Darran had a long-term career with OG&E, a position from which he retired a handful of years ago.

Although Angie and her husband, Darran, had been involved in agriculture with cattle and custom hay baling throughout their marriage, pig farming was a new

10 Oklahoma Country

ture

Angie Johnson of Ran-Mar Farms near Okemah

Ashton climbs to the top of the grain bin to check feed levels.

Piglets nurse from their mother in the farrowing barn.

venture the couple embarked upon to provide an opportunity to allow family members to return to agriculture near Okemah.

Angie credits the idea of starting their own pig farm to her husband, Darran. The venture tapped into his entrepreneurial mindset while providing an opportunity for their daughter Dusti, and then son-in-law, Ashton, and grandkids to move closer to home.

“We partnered with my daughter and Ashton in order to move them back home so my husband and I could be around to watch the grandkids grow up,” Angie said.

In 2010 Ran-Mar Farms was established by the Johnsons with help from Dusti and Ashton. The farm was purchased in 2010, which at the time included 240 acres and six barns with a capacity to house 1,200 sows.

After their first five years of raising pigs, the Johnsons added a new barn, which allowed them to raise 2,400 pigs on the farm.

The Johnson family prides themselves as being a familyoriented operation. When their daughter moved back with her family, they lived on the farm. Darran began working on the weekends and during holidays in addition to working a full-time job, and since retiring, he has continued to work alongside family members in the pig barns. Angie keeps the financial records for Ran-Mar Farms, and Ashton continues to work as farm manager, overseeing the daily care of 2,400 sows and supervising seven employees.

12 Oklahoma Country

Ashton holds a piglet to check health, size and weight.

Angie said not just anybody can purchase a pig farm and get their start in commercial pork production. All four family members were required to complete an interview process with their contractor in order to be allowed to sign their own contract to raise pigs for the company. The purchase of the land with the facilities came shortly after the interview process.

“The contractor owns the pigs,” Angie said. “Our job is to provide the facilities, labor and care for the animals.”

With the Johnson family providing the facilities, labor and care, the contractor provides the animals, the feed, supplies for medical care, veterinarians needed to keep the herd healthy and thriving, and a certain level of expertise to raise the pigs.

The contractor also has managers who conduct regular inspections to ensure the pigs are being raised properly with the highest standards of care.

“Animal welfare is our top priority,” Angie said. “These animals are cared for with kindness, and we have a zerotolerance policy for animal abuse.”

Animal care is a crucial part of pig farming and a central focus for the Johnson family. As contract growers, RanMar Farms sets and maintains their own high standards for animal care in addition to the standards set by their contractor. Each employee is required to get their Pork Quality Assurance certification, which is an industry program that helps pig farmers and their employees constantly improve production practices.

Oklahoma PORK FACTS As of December 2022, there were 74.8 million pigs in the state The Oklahoma pig crop for 2022 was 8.54 million Oklahoma produces 40.6 billion pounds of pork on average Oklahoma is ranked in the top 10 for U.S. pork production The average market hog weighs 295 pounds As the manager at the pig farm, Ashton’s main priority is animal care. In fact, when Ashton talks about the sows that are in the family’s care, he refers to them as “his girls.”

“Every one of these girls is worth money,” Ashton said.

“We can’t go out to the farm and put unnecessary stress on any animal because that could cause them to lose their litter or get someone hurt.”

To keep “his girls” healthy and safe, the pigs are kept inside purpose-built barns that shelter them from the elements, predators and insects. The barns are temperature controlled to keep the animals comfortable no matter the weather outside. In the summer, cooling cells and misters installed above each pen cool the animals while the barns are kept warm in the winter by the body heat produced from the pigs.

Angie said that when the weather is nice outside, curtains installed on the side of the barns are rolled up to allow fresh air and sunshine in for the pigs.

The health of the pigs is also a crucial focus for Ran-Mar Farms. Biosecurity is a step all pig farms have to take when it comes to animal health. Not just anyone can go up the driveway to see the pigs. Vehicles have to be cleaned, including semi trucks used for hauling pigs and feed, and visitors who wish to enter the barns cannot be around pigs for at least three days prior to entering the farm and must shower in and out to prevent the spread of any disease.

Keeping track of 2,400 sows may seem like a daunting task, but the family gets some assistance from modern

Pork production is Oklahoma’s second-largest agricultural enterprise by value behind beef cattle In 2020, Oklahoma exported $369.8 million worth of pork products Oklahoma exports more than 2 billion pounds of pork to other countries Oklahoma pork exports go to Mexico, China and Japan Pork Facts courtesy of: • The Oklahoma Pork Council • Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry • The 2023 USDA Oklahoma Pork Review

Oklahoma Country 13

PORK GLOSSARY A guide to terms commonly used in Oklahoma pig farms.

gilt...

a young female pig that has not given birth

barrow...

a male pig that has been castrated

sow...

a female pig that has given birth

boar...

an intact male pig used for breeding

piglet... a baby pig

farrowing...

the act of a sow giving birth

litter...

the group of piglets a sow has given birth to at one time

parity...

the number of times a sow has given birth

ration...

formulated daily feed portion per animal

biosecurity...

protocols that keep pathogens off the farm and contain any outbreaks

14 Oklahoma Country

technology. Each pig on the farm has an electronic RFID tag that is specific to that animal. When a pig eats from an automated feeder, that animal’s RFID tag is read, and the feeder then provides the animal with a specific amount of feed. This electronic logging allows Ashton to track individual animal health and trends to provide an even more individualized level of care. The pigs also have unlimited access to clean fresh water by the on-demand water spouts installed in each pen.

The heart of Ran-Mar Farms is the farrowing area where each pregnant female pigs have litters averaging 13 piglets each. The sows have individualized pens where the piglets are born and cared for, helping keep the piglets safe.

Without the stalls, baby pigs could be easily crushed or injured, but by using the protective pens, heat lamps and individualized feed and watering systems for the mothers in each pen, Ashton and his team are able to monitor and care for each newborn.

Once the piglets have been weaned from their mothers at three weeks old, they are transported to a nursery until six to eight weeks of age, and from there are transported to a finishing barn to facilitate their continued growth.

While raising pigs is a whole-family operation, Angie takes time away from the farm and her day job to help

“Agriculture is not for the faint of heart. It is all day and every day, if that is in your core, it becomes a passion for you. You either have a love for agriculture and the work that goes with it, or you don’t.”

advocate for fellow pig farmers through involvement with the Oklahoma Pork Council. She has served on the Oklahoma Pork Council board of directors for the past eight years. During her tenure on the board, Angie has served as a director, treasurer and even president of the council.

She said being on the Oklahoma Pork Council board has been an eye-opening experience for her, whether it is learning about foreign animal disease preparedness, educating the public about pork products or the advocacy work the Oklahoma Pork Council staff takes on with the state legislature.

“My tenure serving on the board is coming to an end in August,” Angie said. “I have enjoyed my time on the board working with the Pork Council team and seeing the incredible things they have done for our industry.”

Whether she is on the farm, at the bank or in a Pork Council meeting somewhere across the state, Angie said that the agriculture way of life is important to her and her family.

“Agriculture is not for the faint of heart,” Angie said.” It is all day and every day if that is in your core — it becomes a passion for you. You either have a love for agriculture and the work that goes with it, or you don’t.”

Take a virtual tour of the inside of a farrowing barn by scanning the code below

Oklahoma Country 15

Keeff Felty

Jackson County Farm Bureau member

16 Oklahoma Country

CALL SERVE

The

to

One oklahoma wheat farmer answers the call to serve on the board of the national association of wheat growers.

Story by Rianna Chaney • Photos by Dustin Mielke

A

s you travel through the state, you are likely to drive past numerous fields of gold … wheat.

While the fields may be in various stages of growth from the green wheat pastures that cattle feed on through the winter to the golden fields waving in the wind before harvest time, the crop is a longtime stalwart of Oklahoma agriculture as the number one crop grown in Oklahoma and is a major economic driver for the state.

Keeff Felty, Jackson County Farm Bureau member, has spent years growing wheat alongside cotton as a fourth-generation farmer in southwest Oklahoma. His agricultural background, combined with a call to service, led him to represent fellow wheat farmers on the National Association of Wheat Growers board.

Like many farmers, Felty focuses daily on growing quality crops. When he received a phone call from a longtime family friend and neighbor, he did not realize it would turn into a call to serve fellow wheat farmers around the state and nation.

“One day I got a call from Bob Howard, and he asked, ‘Felty, are you busy?,’” Felty said. “I told him, ‘Well, I’m not terribly busy, we are doing this and that.’ That is when he asked me, ‘Do you have time to serve?’”

Felty said “yes,” and began serving on the Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association board, which evolved into an opportunity to serve on the NAWG board.

Felty has been a NAWG board member for five years, and he is headed into his sixth year in leadership with the organization as he currently serves in the position of past president.

Oklahoma Country 17

“ It is much more than wheat. There is a lot of overlapping in agriculture and we all know that we are better together.”

– Keeff Felty

“In NAWG, we start at the secretary position then go to treasurer, vice president, president and finally past president,” Felty said.

“However, due to COVID-19, I was able to serve another year as secretary.”

Felty said it is by design that leaders work their way through all the leadership positions, constantly learning and preparing for the role to be president and past president. This exposure to numerous facets of the organization and the wheat industry provides a full view of the important role wheat plays around the nation.

“Wheat is unique,” Felty said. “It is grown in nearly all 50 states reaching coast to coast.

There are six different classes, and they are all distinct and unique. We represent them all.”

NAWG serves as an advocacy group for wheat farmers and the industry with 20 members states involved. It is a voluntary dues-based organization that advocates for positive policies for farmers and the wheat industry, Felty said.

“Anything that deals with lobbying, legislation or rules that touches wheat production, we are the advocacy group and voice,” Felty said of NAWG. “The lobbying and 18 Oklahoma Country

interactions are to make sure legislation rules that impact wheat are administered properly.”

Felty said another important role the organization plays is to make sure rules and legislation are not too egregious or detrimental to production agriculture, and to wheat in particular, he added.

“We basically have two functions committees: domestic trade and policy and then environmental and research,” Felty said.

“It is much more than wheat. There is a lot of overlapping in agriculture, and we all know that we are better together.”

As a NAWG leader, Felty represented the wheat industry in a multitude of ways, from attending a wide array of meetings to representin the industry by participating in functions across the agriculture spectrum.

One highlight for Felty was the once-in-alifetime opportunity to testify on the farm bill in front of a U.S. Senate ag subcommittee with fellow producer groups.

“It was really an exciting experience,” Felty said. “Not everyone gets to do something like this, which makes it more unique.”

Since being on the NAWG board, Felty said he has become more knowledgeable

“ Being involved is important especially when telling our ag story. If we are not telling our story, then someone else is.”

and aware of what is going on in the wheat industry. He said that while it is impossible to know everything happening in the industry, agricultural producers need to have insight into the areas of agriculture that are important to them.

“You need to have a functional knowledge of the industry and be able to communicate your concerns and solutions,” Felty said. “It is crucial to be able to navigate these things in a way for the industry to understand.”

Through his time on the NAWG board, Felty gained a new understanding of the unique and distinct differences amongst wheat production in different states. Felty has gained a deeper understanding of the commonalities that unite all wheat producers. Felty said that is why NAWG is so beneficial for farmers as it connects wheat producers to make sure their crop – and the industry – is the best it possibly can be.

“That is why NAWG is so important,” Felty said. “Somebody may be having an issue somewhere that is going to turn into everyone’s problem. If you can get on top of the problem, then you can avoid it becoming everyone’s problem down the road.”

NAWG is not the only organization that benefits the wheat industry, Felty explained.

Alongside NAWG is U.S. Wheat Associates, which primarily focuses on the marketing, trade and development side of the industry.

The National Wheat Foundation forms another critical piece of the industry and focuses on research and education.

“We are the ultimate environmentalists,” Felty said of farmers. “If we do not take care of the environment, then we lose our greatest tool and asset.

“There are people out there not wanting us doing what we are doing. They are telling our story to their satisfaction, and we need to take it upon ourselves to tell it correctly for everyone’s benefit.”

Having answered a call to serve years ago – a decision that has since provided opportunities for him to serve farmers across the nation – Felty now encourages fellow agriculturalists to find the time and commit themselves to serving the industry to pave the way for the next generation of leaders.

“Being involved is important especially when telling our ag story,” Felty said. “If we are not telling our story, then someone else is.”

Oklahoma Country 19

T

Lea Photo cou rtesy of Ava, Neat Media House.

A nn a Jo resident, P e ic V rea e Delonia theast A oduces LeAundr r o N 5 2 tr esident 2024phone), in st Area Vice Pr o r ic m t ay.

Helling (a -2026 Northea Convention in M 5 A 02 o m a FF . a s the 2 25 Oklah eat Media House 0 2 e h t N l, ie r during fA urtesy o Photo co

20 Oklahoma Country

THE PATH TO

adership

one young farm bureau leader discovers his passion for agriculture and his calling to lead.

Story and photos by Mickinzi Ferguson

F

or tens of thousands of Oklahoma students, the opportunity to join FFA as agricultural education students in junior high through high school is a tradition and a rite of passage. From the legendary blue corduroy jacket to the vast array of programs and activities, the opportunity to grow their agricultural knowledge through leadership, personal growth into career success is a dream come true.

However, for LeAundre Delonia it was a step into uncharted territory.

While the town of Okmulgee is located in rural eastern Oklahoma, Delonia wasn’t brought up as a farm kid with dreams of reaching eighth grade to begin his journey as an FFA member. However, a decision made when enrolling for classes placed him on a path to join Okmulgee FFA and develop a passion for agriculture and leadership while becoming part of a second family through his involvement in the organization.

Delonia was tasked with selecting a school elective course at the start of his eighth-grade year. The options were sports or FFA, and he chose FFA. He had the opportunity to choose his first supervised agricultural experience his first year of FFA. SAEs allow students to take what they learn in the classroom and apply those skills in real-world projects. While he wanted to start with sheep, Delonia’s agricultural education instructor, Tim Taylor, explained that Okmulgee did not have the facilities to raise and care for sheep. Delonia decided to chose a species that he could raise and care for at his home: rabbits.

By his sophmore year of high school, Delonia expanded his animal care experience and began exhibiting chickens.

and had convinced Taylor to let him purchase his first set of sheep to exhibit.

“A lot of the friends I had made in FFA showed livestock, and I felt like showing was my connection to them,” Delonia said.

With his hands full in the barn, Delonia still pushed himself to find additional ways to be involved in FFA both in and out of the classroom through agriscience fairs and other youth programs.

Delonia participated in the agriscience fair through out all four years of high school after being inspired as he witnessed a fellow classmate succeed with her project.

Those first three years were focused on research with his chickens as he tested different feeds, examined how lighting effects growth and researched the optimal water temperature for processing.

By his senior year, he wanted to shift his focus to conducting agriscience research using wool from his sheep. Delonia’s project aimed to discover if sheep wool would be as effective as either shop towels or oil absorbent.

This project earned him two state titles in the oil and gas and natural resources SAE areas, through which he earned the opportunity to represent Oklahoma during the 2025 National FFA Agriscience Fair.

Delonias success inside and outside of the classroom did not fill his cup completley. His passion for agriculture pushed him to pursue even more ways to learn about agriculture and build his leadership skills beyond FFA. With Taylor’s involvement with Okmulgee County Farm Bureau and the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers program, he encouraged Delonia to participate in several county and youth Farm Bureau activities.

Oklahoma Country 21

“I hope FFA members learn to be authentic and genuine this year, and I hope to represent that.”

“My first introduction to Farm Bureau – other than when Mr. Taylor talked about it in the classroom – was the Farm Bureau county ag tour,” Delonia said. “We toured the meat processing plant in Okmulgee, and I got to see a lot of things in the county that I did not know were here.”

Taylor also encouraged Delonia to participate in several of OKFB’s statelevel youth events.

Delonia participated twice in the OKFB high school discussion meet, placing in the top four each year. He also attended OKFB’s Capitol Camp, a handson mock legislative experience for ag youth, where he had to the opportunity to write and present his bill, “SEEDS: Support Equity and Economic Development for Smallholders,” during the mock legislature.

“I got to talk about getting surplus material for minority agriculturalists,” Delonia said. “That was er after b m e really fun to see how m A F lahoma F theast Area k O w both the o ll e f or e h ugs a 2026 N a FFA bill process and the LeAundr d as the 2025om cte 25 Oklah Media House. le 0 e 2 s e g legislative h in t e b g t ent durin tesy of Ava, Nea id s e r process works.”

P e ur Vic Photo co . n io t Delonia also n e Conv attended OKFB’s Communications Conference where 22 Oklahoma Country

FFA student had the opportunity to learn about social media, photography and videography, graphic design and writing taught by industry professionals to support their chapters communication skills.

“I never ended up serving as our chapter reporter, but it is really cool to have that knowledge in the back of my head,” Delonia said.

As Delonia attended numerous OKFB youth events and programs, one stood out to him above all the others: OKFB’s Oklahoma Youth Leading Agriculture conference.

“My biggest takeaway from OYLA is that they made sure you were connected,” Delonia said. “It was a moment for everyone to be able to be themselves and realize that they don’t have to change for anyone.”

Being a part of OYLA gave Delonia the opportunity to tour several agriculture and food-industry businesses, visit the Oklahoma State University Food and Agricultural Products Center and the Student Research Center, and develop leadership and communication skills.

As he sought out opportunity after opportunity to be involved in agriculture, Delonia found his place inside Okmulgee FFA and Farm Bureau. His involvement gave him a desire to give back to the organization that had provided him with a place to plug in.

e back ee o n th s , lg u m k O year earing After w et the past five Oklahoma ck of his ja w represents the officer. o Delonia n iation as a state c o FFA ass

LeAundre holds on chickens while shar e of his SAE project Okmulgee agriculturing a laugh with his al education instru Tim Taylor. ctor,

Delonia served as an Okmulgee FFA officer all five years of his FFA experience, including serving as the chapter president from his sophomore year through his senior year.

As he dedicated his time and committed his efforts to FFA, the organization also gave him a place and a second family in his times of struggle. Delonia said that is what inspired him to run for an Oklahoma FFA state office. He wanted to serve as a voice and a leader to inspire fellow FFA members.

“I just want to be a person who can represent them,” Delonia said. “And also to remind them that if things don’t go as planned, as long as you remain patient and keep pushing, the finish line will be greater than you ever imagined.”

Delonia prayed about the opportunity to run for a state office during his senior year of high school, and he felt called to serve as the Oklahoma FFA Northeast Area Vice President. He campaigned throughout the school year and was selected through the nomination committee, a student-led group that is responsible for selecting the state FFA officer finalists, to advance to the final round of candidates at the 2025 Oklahoma FFA Convention and Expo in May.

low LeAundre discusses bills with felts on the Oklahoma FFA and 4-H studen ves floor Oklahoma House of Representati Camp. during the 2023 OKFB Capitol

Delonia prepared to give his presentation to the voting delegates in hopes to secure the officer position.

“The biggest thing I told to the delegates is that I wanted to be the person they can come to if they had a problem,” Delonia said. “I told them to be authentic and be genuine because the organization needs the real you.”

During the last moments of the closing general session of the 2025 Oklahoma FFA Convention and Expo, retiring Oklahoma FFA Northeast Area Vice President, Anna Jo Helling, read Delonia’s name on stage to announce his selection as the 20252026 Oklahoma FFA Northeast Area Vice President.

As Delonia embarks upon the next chapter of his life as an Oklahoma FFA state officer, he also begins another: college. Delonia will begin attending Oklahoma State University this fall, majoring in agricultural education, a decision inspired by his agricultural instructor, Mr. Taylor.

“I saw how much he did for Okmulgee and how much he poured into me and saw something in me when I didn’t,” Delonia said.

“That’s why I want to go into agricultural education.”

Delonia is looking forward to his next chapter of life now serving as an

agricultural leader as he steps from an Okmulgee FFA member to serving as an Oklahoma FFA state officer and begining his college experience.

“I just want to be present and in the moment this year,” Delonia said. “I hope FFA members learn to be authentic and genuine this year, and I hope to represent that.”

Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Youth Leadership Alliance serves as an avenue to connect young ag leaders with OKFB and learn about opportunities to grow in agriculture.

Scan the code below to become a member of OKFB’s Youth Leadership Alliance!

Oklahoma Country 23

The first regular session of the 60th Oklahoma Legislature adjourned sine die on Friday, May 30, after four months of heated debates, long nights and three major victories for Oklahoma Farm Bureau priority bills.

By Rachel Havens

he halls of the state Capitol are once again empty after a busy 2025 legislative session. Of the thousands of bills filed at the first of the year, Oklahoma Farm Bureau monitored nearly 400 pieces of legislation over the course of the four-month session.

While the 2025 session was fraught with dissent between the legislature and Gov. Kevin Stitt, OKFB members and public policy staff kept their noses to the grindstone and secured passage of several bills relating to the organization’s priority issues in an effort to ensure Oklahoma’s farmers and ranchers can continue producing food, fuel and fiber for their neighbors, fellow Americans and people around the world.

PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS

The protection of private property rights has been a top priority for Farm Bureau members since the organization’s inception in 1942.

OKFB believes farmers and ranchers know best when it comes to making decisions on how to care for their land and livestock, and protecting private property rights ensures farmers and ranchers can continue to produce a safe, affordable and abundant food supply for years to come.

OKFB saw three of the organization’s priority bills pass during the 2025 legislative session, each of which dealt with private property rights. The three OKFB priority bills were either signed by Gov. Stitt or became law without the governor’s signature.

24 Oklahoma Country

Sine Die

[sigh-nee dye] Adverb Without any future date being designated (as for resumption) : indefinitely OKFB priority bill HB 1166 by Rep. Mike Kelley and Sen. Brent Howard requires a majority of landowners to consent before a municipality can annex property.

It also includes a provision for forced annexation via a court action when the municipality can prove the landowners would be better off in the municipal limit and prohibits adding property taxes for a sinking fund because of a lawsuit settlement or ruling if the property was not part of the municipality at the time of the settlement.

OKFB members have traditionally opposed municipal annexation as it often comes with additional restrictions that could ultimately limit what farmers and ranchers can produce on their land. HB 1166 was signed by the governor and will take effect Nov. 1.

OKFB also saw the passage of another priority bill for the organization, HB 2752, which prohibits the use of eminent domain for renewable energy projects and facilities. The legislation, authored by Rep. Trey Caldwell and Sen. Todd Gollihare, provides another level of protection to Oklahoma’s landowners from losing their land through eminent domain.

The final OKFB priority bill passed into law for 2025 was HB 2756 by Rep. Trey Caldwell and Sen. Grant Green, which became law without the governor’s signature.

HB 2756 requires utilities to obtain a certificate of authority from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission before the construction of high-voltage transmission lines.

This will require energy companies to declare the proposed location of the lines, notify the affected county commissioners, host a public meeting and assemble a financial impact report. OKFB strongly supported this legislation to ensure improved transparency between energy companies and landowners.

Conversely, OKFB opposed the passage of HB 2036 by Rep. Nick Archer and Sen. Casey Murdock, which eases the process by which the state or a business can take property via eminent domain without paying attorney fees and court costs. OKFB actively opposed the bill throughout session, but it ultimately was approved by the governor in late May. Lawmakers also passed HB 1103 by Rep. Tom Gann and Sen. Ally Seifried, which requires the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to notify the previous owner of real property taken via eminent domain if it is going to be offered for sale. The previous owner would be offered the real property for no more than the original price, so long as the previous owner did not use federal funds to purchase the property. This OKFB-supported legislation amends existing law that originally applied only to property within five years of the initial taking.

ENERGY

OKFB hosted numerous town halls last fall in areas of the state where communities were discussing new renewable energy installations.

During the town hall meetings, OKFB heard from rural residents about the impact the proposed facilities could have, and Farm Bureau staff presented legal information and resources to help landowners and local communities make beneficial decisions regarding proposed renewable energy installations.

Throughout this process, OKFB gathered feedback from both Farm Bureau members and non-member rural residents that helped set the stage for both OKFB’s grassroots policy development season and the 2025 legislative session where numerous renewable energyrelated bills were introduced, discussed and voted upon.

One such bill was HB 1373 by Rep. Brad Boles and Sen. Grant Green, which creates the Commercial Solar Facility Decommissioning Act. This bill requires solar leases to include a provision guaranteeing the removal of the solar equipment from the landowner’s property and requires the solar facility to maintain financial assurance to cover the removal costs. This act will take effect on Nov. 1 after the governor approved the measure in early May. Oklahomans are no strangers to wind, and Farm Bureau was pleased to see the passage of a handful of bills concerning wind energy, including HB 1205 by Rep. Cody Maynard and Sen. David Bullard, which repeals the tax credit for small wind turbine manufacturers.

Sen. Darcy Jech and Rep. Carl Newton authored SB 713, which requires wind facilities built after Jan. 1, 2026, to apply to the Federal Aviation Administration for approval of the installation of light-mitigating technology on wind turbines that only illuminates turbine-mounted beacon lights when an aircraft is approaching. Wind facilities installed before Jan. 1, 2026, must apply for approval if the facility is repowered or if the facility enters or renews a power offtake agreement. The bill was vetoed by the governor but was subsequently overridden by both chambers of the legislature.

Oklahoma Country 25

HB 1438 by Rep. Kenton Patzkowsky and Sen. Spencer Kern raises the amount the OWRB Rural Economic Action Plan grant program and the REAP Water Projects Fund can give to a single entity from $150,000 to $350,000. All three measures are backed by OKFB members’ policy on supporting the improvement of water infrastructure in the state of Oklahoma.

TRANSPORTATION

WATER

The 2024 legislative session ended with many questions unanswered when it came to groundwater usage, and OKFB entered the 2025 session with eyes on several water bills. Groundwater usage is a complex and often heated topic of conversation in Oklahoma with many stakeholders at the table, each with different water usage needs and opinions on groundwater metering.

To ensure Farm Bureau maintained an active seat at the table, the OKFB board of directors established a water working group consisting of two Farm Bureau members from each district. The group met throughout the spring to learn more about the state’s water usage through firsthand accounts and expertise from OKFB’s grassroots members in order to make recommendations to the OKFB state board on what water-related actions the organization should pursue in 2025.

The unresolved groundwater metering issues of 2024 did not gain any more traction during the 2025 legislative session, but the legislature did pass several additional water measures, including HB 1588 by Rep. David Hardin and Sen. Tom Woods. The measure creates the Spring Creek Watershed Study Act, which seeks to improve and protect water quality and the aquatic habitat in the Spring Creek watershed in northeast Oklahoma through voluntary, incentive-based programs as part of a comprehensive water quality plan under the direction of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission.

SB 940 by Sen. Darcy Jech and Rep. Mike Dobrinski also requires the Oklahoma Conservation Commission to implement a plan for the control, removal and eradication of harmful and invasive plants on land owned and operated by the state.

The legislature also passed a few bills concerning the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, including SB 1151 by Sen. Chuck Hall and Rep. Trey Caldwell, which appropriates $2 million to the OWRB for water infrastructure funding to a rural water sewer and waste management district, $2 million to construct water lines, and $2 million for the establishment of a grant program for water and wastewater infrastructure and dam improvement.

Caldwell and Hall also teamed up on HB 2766, which provides for $5.9 million in funding for the Terry Peach North Canadian Watershed Restoration Act. 26 Oklahoma Country

As modern farming and ranching practices have evolved, so have many producers’ means of transportation. Using all-terrain and utility-terrain vehicles in place of traveling on horseback has become an increasingly common practice, but farmers and ranchers have historically faced legal barriers to traversing rural roads in ATVs and UTVs. HB 1419 by Rep. Josh West and Sen. Tom Woods changes the definition of “street legal utility vehicles” to allow maintained speeds of 50 miles per hour. The bill also allows ATVs and UTVs to be used on U.S. highways in counties with a population of less than 75,000 if properly registered, and it permits their usage on U.S. highways in counties with a population of more than 75,000 if the posted speed limit is less than 50 miles per hour.

Oklahoma’s road conditions can be questionable even in the most populous areas of the state, but many roads in rural areas quickly fall into disrepair. These roads are crucial for rural Oklahomans to travel to and from their homes, their places of work and to easily transport goods in and out of Oklahoma’s rural towns.

Rep. Trey Caldwell and Sen. John Haste authored HB 2758, which creates the Preserving and Advancing County Transportation Fund to construct and maintain Oklahoma’s county highway system by allocating some of the gross production tax on natural gas to the PACT Fund.

EDUCATION

OKFB members have placed a high priority on the education of future veterinarians who plan to practice in rural Oklahoma, and the 2025 legislative session brought an enormous victory to the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine through HB 2773. The measure authored by Rep. Trey Caldwell and Sen. Chuck Hall appropriates $250 million from the Legacy Capital Financing Fund to build a new animal teaching hospital on the OSU campus.

CONSUMER PROTECTION

OKFB was pleased to see the passage of HB 1126 by Rep. Jim Grego and Sen. Roland Pederson, which prohibits the false advertisement, misbranding or distribution of any manufactured-protein food product that is labeled with an identifying meat term.

EASEMENTS

OKFB saw two major bills concerning easements throughout the legislative session, including the creation of the Uniform Easement Relocation Act through HB 1060

by Rep. Jonathan Wilk and Sen. Lisa Standridge. This act

will allow property owners to relocate easements that are located in inconvenient places, excluding public utility and conservation easements.

Additionally, the legislature passed HB 1356 by Rep. David Hardin and Sen. Tom Woods, which establishes grounds for a misdemeanor if an individual entering through gates used for ingress or egress to a property designated as an easement does not maintain the original position of the gate. The individual responsible will be subject to fines and/or jail time in addition to bearing the responsibility for any damages incurred.

to the individuals who helped guide Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s priority bills through the legislative process. OKFB members appreciate your support of agriculture and rural Oklahoma.

HEALTH

The availability of quality rural healthcare is paramount to ensure the continued vibrance of rural Oklahoma, and lawmakers took steps to improve the health of all Oklahomans through a number of health-focused bills, including HB 2584 by House Speaker Kyle Hilbert and Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, which expands the definition of “licensed practitioner” to include physician assistants. This allows certain physician assistants to practice and prescribe certain drugs independently of physician supervision.

Lawmakers also established the Food is Medicine Act through SB 806 by Sen. Adam Pugh and Rep. Anthony Moore. This act is designed to improve outcomes for Medicaid members through nutrition, case management, nutrition counseling, meals or pantry stocking, nutrition prescriptions and grocery provisions. It also requires the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to prioritize community-based organizations and local growers to support the purchase of locally grown food in nutrition prescriptions. Furthermore, it requires the State Department of Education to provide technical assistance to schools who apply for grants under the Oklahoma Farm to School Program Act.

TAXES

Two bills of note were passed in 2025 that deal with taxation, including HB 1183 by Rep. Jim Grego and Sen. Avery Frix, which requires motor vehicle excise tax be calculated on the actual sales price and eliminates the 20% adjustment above and below the average retail price when determining the taxable value.

Oklahomans can also expect some changes to their income tax structure with the passage of HB 2764 by Rep. Trey Caldwell and Sen. Chuck Hall, which reduces income tax rates by 0.25% to the top marginal personal income tax rate and restructures the income tax brackets. Beginning in 2026, the top rate will be lowered from 4.75% to 4.5% and the number of tax brackets will be reduced from six to four. A trigger is then in place to gradually phase out the personal income tax by quarter-percent increments.

WORKER’S COMPENSATION

Sen. Casey Murdock and Rep. Carl Newton authored SB 1076, which increases the gross annual payroll limit for agriculture, ranching and horticulture employers from $100,000 to $150,000 before workers fall under the Administrative Workers’ Compensation Act. However, the exemption from the act does not exempt agricultural employers from liability.

NEXT STEPS

As elected officials return home to their constituents, work for Farm Bureau members has just begun with the start of the organization’s policy development season. Throughout the rest of the summer and early fall, Farm Bureau members will gather across the state for August Area Meetings and county annual meetings to develop new grassroots policy to guide the organization in 2026. A full list of upcoming August Area Meetings is available on page 36 of this issue.

Sen. Grant Green HB 2756

Brought federal authority over the construction of highvoltage transmission lines back to the state

Sen. Todd Gollihare HB 2752

Prevented the use of eminent domain for renewable energy projects

Sen. Brent HOward HB 1166

Made the process more difficult for municipalities to annex property

Rep. Trey Caldwell

HB 2752 and HB 2756 Prevented the use of eminent domain for renewable energy projects and brought federal authority over the construction of high-voltage transmission lines back to the state

Rep. Mike Dobrinski

HB 2155 (Did not pass) Sought to require renewable energy projects to obtain a permit and have a bond and decommission plan in place

Rep. Mike Kelley HB 1166

Made the process more difficult for municipalities to annex property

For a full list of OKFB-monitored legislation, visit okfb.news/legislativereview25.

Oklahoma Country 27

Sharing The Barnyard

Oklahoma Farm Bureau's new “Farm in a Bag” pr members spread the word about agriculture wit

28 Oklahoma Country

Each Farm in a Bag package comes stuffed with farmthemed squeeze toys, an agriculture-accurate book and agriculture facts.

rogram helps Farm Bureau th Elementary-age students.

W

hat came first: the chicken or the egg?

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? How many licks does it take to get to the center of a candy-centered lollipop?

Life is full of many mysteries that children ponder – but where our food comes from should not be one of them.

To help Farm Bureau members share the positive story of farming, ranching and Oklahoma’s agriculture community, Oklahoma Farm Bureau has created a new program to take the mystery out of sharing agriculture with elementary-aged school children.

OKFB’s “Farm in a Bag” program combines a wide array of agriculture- and food-themed plush squeeze toys, an agriculture-accurate book and facts about our agriculture industry – all squeezed into a bag – for Farm Bureau members, leaders and other agriculturalists to share with children.

From classroom presentations to library story hours and from community events to

time with family and friends, there are numerous ways that Oklahomans involved in agriculture can share the importance of agriculture, and Farm in a Bag provides a fun, colorful way to do just that.

Each Farm in a Bag package includes an assortment of 25 squeeze toys emblazoned with the OKFB logo, an agriculture-accurate book and an assortment of farm and agriculture facts to spur on sharing.

Each complete package can be purchased for $100 by contacting your OKFB field representative or by calling Burton Harmon at (405) 523-2300.

As Farm Bureau members share agriculture with children by using Farm in a Bag, Oklahoma agriculturalists can make sure our future community members and state leaders understand the importance of agriculture in our everyday lives.

Now as far as that woodchuck conundrum we mentioned, we will keep on trying to figure that one out.

Each Farm in a Bag contains an assortment of 25 plush toys, including: • Tractor • Tomato • Pig • Peanut

• Lettuce • Beef Cow • Carrot • Corn • Dairy cow

• Barn • Soybean • Hamburger • Potato • Sheep

• Onion • Broccoli • Chicken • Egg

Oklahoma Country 29

Farm Bureau Events

Above | Jimmy Clark of Sayre shows members the high tunnel he grows his tomatoes in and how he cares for them.

Above | OKFB member Mike Bolay shoots trap with Monte Tucker at the Red Dirt Shooting Range near Sayre.

Above | OKFB members visit the Power Plus feed yard and sale facilities owned by the Duff family in Western Oklahoma.

OKFB members learn about western Oklahoma agriculture durin Oklahoma Farm Bureau members experience western Oklahoma agriculture as they traveled down Interstate 40 towards the Elk City area for the 2025 OKFB Ag Tour.

O

klahoma Farm Bureau members traveled to the plains of western Oklahoma where they learned about the region’s diverse agriculture industry during the 2025 OKFB Ag Tour May 6-8 in the Elk City area.

Members started the tour by heading west to Hydro to visit Entz Auction and Realty where they were welcomed with a customized OKFB Ag Tour billboard. Allen and Jackie Entz hosted the group as they learned about the auction business. Members had the opportunity to watch the quarterly equipment auction, which is held on the first Tuesday in May. The next stop west on Interstate 40 was Cudd Pressure Control, an RPC, Inc., company providing oilfield services based in Elk City. Members learned about coiled tubing, the tubing instillation process and nitrogen pumps. The group also toured one of Cudd’s control offices located on a semi.

Members next visited Thru Tubing Solutions, an RPC, Inc., company that specializes in downhole oilfield solutions, such as fishing. Vince 30 Oklahoma Country

Morris from TTS gave members a tour of their operation and explained to members how the equipment is used in fishing the wells.

OKFB members visited Smith Farms and heard from Spencer Smith, Beckham County Farm Bureau member, about their family’s farming operation. Smith also owns 4 Ag Farming Supplies where he developed a specialized planter gauge tire that is made to last.

The end of the first day featured one of western Oklahoma’s hidden gems, Simon’s Catch, where members enjoyed fresh catfish with all the fixings.

Wednesday, May 7, kicked off with Jimmy Taylor, OKFB District Two state director, as he shared with members about his family’s beef cattle operation. Taylor shared how he has used DNA testing and genomic information to build a quality herd of cattle that produces high-quality beef for consumers.

Members had the opportunity to visit Jimmy Clark on his farm near Sayre where he grows tomatoes and

other vegetables in a high tunnel production system.

Clark is known for his radio show “Today in Ag,” and his homegrown high-tunnel tomatoes that sell out each year.

Wednesday’s lunch featured a taco bar and door prizes at the Elk City Country Club sponsored by Farm Credit of Western Oklahoma.

The afternoon featured a tour of the Route 66 Museum where members saw antique tractors and farm equipment and memorabilia from Beutler Brothers Rodeo Stock Producers.

Members also learned about the North Fork Red River Conservation District’s outdoor classroom hosted by Nelda Tucker, Roger Mills County Farm Bureau member.

The Wednesday evening meal was held at the Activity Barn in Sayre with a barbeque meal sponsored by Beckham County Farm Bureau.

The evening wrapped up at the Red Dirt Shooting Club with dessert sponsored by Roger Mills County Farm Bureau. Roger Mills County

Above | OKFB members tour the hanging freezer inside Keith's Butcher Shop in Burns Flat.

Above | OKFB member Spencer Smith shares his planter gauge tire that is built to last.

in Hobart as their last stop during the 2025 Ag Tour

ng 2025 OKFB Ag Tour Farm Bureau member Monte Tucker gave members the opportunity to shoot trap with the area’s awardwinning 4-H and FFA shooting team captains.

The final day of the tour began with a stop at Keith’s Butcher Shop in Burns Flat. Members saw inside the smokers filled with hams and bacon, saw beef sticks being packaged, went inside the hanging freezer and toured the butcher shop’s production floor.

Members traveled south to Power Plus Feeders in Hobart where they met with Kirk Duff, a Kiowa County Farm Bureau member. He shared with members how the feeders are contracted with Whole Foods to provide prime and choice quality beef from the cattle in their feed lot.

The tour concluded with lunch sponsored by the OKFB Foundation for Agriculture at Lucille’s Roadhouse in Clinton.

The OKFB Ag Tour is an annual bus tour for OKFB members that helps expand their agricultural horizons and experience through tours and cultural experiences.

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CLINTON BROS. INC.** • Farmall N series used under license by Case IH. ® ** Offer available through December 31, 2025. Available on new Case IH Farmall tractors. This offer may be combined with other offers, but is not valid on prior purchases. A valid Farm Bureau DISCOUNT †on A current Farmnew Bureau membership verification certificate must be presented to the Case IH dealer in advance of product delivery to receive the incentive discount. • Farmall V series all Farmall series tractors ROTHER BROS. INC. 405-375-5349 Membership Certificate is required, which may be obtained at fbverify.com/case. See your participating Case IH dealer for details and eligibility requirements. Not available in all states. Offer CNH Industrial America LLC.FARM All rights reserved.

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Oklahoma Country 31

Above | OKFB members pose on the rooftop of the American Farm Bureau office before starting their tour of the AFBF office in Washington ,D.C., during OKFB's annual Washington, D.C., Summit.

Above | (From L to R) Rep. Stephanie Bice, Rep. Kevin Hern and Rep. Frank Lucas share legislative updates from the national level with Washington D.C. Summit attendees.

Above | AFBF President Zippy Duvall speaks to OKFB members about AFBF’s efforts to help agriculture across the nation.

OKFB members take on Washington, D.C., for the organization’s

M

ore than 60 OKFB members and guests traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate for Oklahoma agriculture during OKFB’s annual Washington, D.C., Summit April 7-11.

Members kicked off the trip at the International Spy Museum with a reception in the “Bond in Motion” exhibit featuring vehicles and memorabilia from several Bond movies as they visited with Oklahoma’s congressional staff and guests.

Tuesday morning kicked off industry briefings with T.W. Shannon, director of rural prosperity at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, who discussed the changes in the USDA since Brooke Rollins became the U.S. secretary of agriculture.

Members also heard from Emma Alexander, field representative for 32 Oklahoma Country

Sen. Markwayne Mullin; Victoria Tran, principal deputy assistant administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s office of international and tribal affairs; Sam Kieffer, vice president of public policy for American Farm Bureau, who shared updates of the ongoing trade and tariff discussions; and Samantha Ayoub, associate economist with AFBF, who shared updates on the expiring 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. South Carolina Farm Bureau Executive Director Gary Spires shared with members how South Carolina Farm Bureau created a land trust for farmers and ranchers to allow their land to be protected from urban development.

Members also took a deep dive into ongoing trade and tariff news with Dave Salmonson, senior director of

government affairs with AFBF. OKFB members headed to Capitol Hill on Wednesday afternoon to visit with Oklahoma’s congressional delegation including Rep. Stephanie Bice, Rep. Josh Brecheen, Rep. Frank Lucas, Rep. Kevin Hern and Sen. James Lankford.

Topics that Oklahoma’s congressional delegation discussed with members included the importance of trade, with a focus on agricultural trade, even as President Trump put a 90-day hold on tariffs his administration had levied on goods from many countries around the globe. The group also discussed the budget continuing resolution to extend the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act for five years to protect farmers and ranchers from increased taxes on inputs.

Thursday morning featured a group

Above | (From L to R) District 3 Director David VonTungeln and his wife Maribeth, OKFB President Rodd Moesel and his wife, Dona listen to Oklahoma’s Congressional delegation speak.

Above | OKFB members enjoy testing out James Bond’s snowmobile at the Bond in Motion exhibit during the Monday evening reception at the International Spy Museum.

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Above | Rep. Josh Brecheen speaks to OKFB members during their Capitol visit about current legislation.

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Oklahoma Country 33

Above | Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women's Leadership Committee members and conference attendees take in the view from the top of Mt. Scott during their tour of the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge near Lawton, on April 25.

OKFB WLC holds annual women’s conference in Lawton

M

ore than 100 Oklahoma Farm Bureau women from around the state gathered for a weekend of fellowship, service and learning during the 2025 OKFB Women’s Leadership Committee’s annual statewide conference at the Hilton Garden Inn in Lawton April 25-26.

The conference featured breakout sessions, community service projects, a silent auction fundraiser and networking opportunities.

The conference began Friday, April 25, with a trip to Medicine Park, where members had lunch at The Old Plantation Restaurant and then traveled into the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge where the group visited the top of Mt. Scott, The Holy City of the Wichitas and the refuge’s visitor center.

Members participated in two community service projects later that evening, filling bags of watermelon seeds for the OKFB Foundation for Agriculture’s Watermelon Challenge program and writing thank-you cards to Oklahoma legislators in appreciation for their work to promote and protect rural Oklahoma and the state’s agriculture community.

Farm Bureau women had the opportunity to bid on a wide selection of silent auction items donated by county women’s committees and others, raising $2,407 for the OKFB Foundation for Agriculture.

34 Oklahoma Country

Featured speakers included Vincent Saylor, the incoming chairman for the Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce, who welcomed members to Lawton, and OKFB Executive Director Thad Doye.

The Saturday breakout sessions included speakers on a wide variety of topics including advocating for agriculture by using social media, agritourism programs, advocacy programs and tax regulations.

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OKFB hosts 20 high school students for annual Oklahoma Youth Leading Agriculture Conference

T

wenty high school seniors from across the state developed their leadership skills and agricultural knowledge during Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Oklahoma Youth Leading Agriculture conference May 27-30 in Oklahoma City.

Throughout the week, the group had the opportunity to tour local agricultural enterprises and more, including Lopez Foods, Whitmore Farms, the Oklahoma City Zoo, the Oklahoma State University Student Farm and the Ferguson College of Agriculture. Students also spent an evening volunteering at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma where they packaged meals to support underserved Oklahomans.

Students also received a tour of the state Capitol of Oklahoma led by the OKFB public policy team and learned about agricultural policy, the legislative process, OKFB’s grassroots issues and priority bills, the status of Oklahoma’s legislative season and about OKFB’s own Capitol Camp legislative experience.

OKFB President Rodd Moesel shared the work Farm Bureau is doing and how that helps farmers and ranchers

and agriculture in rural Oklahoma.

The students attending the conference plan to pursue a wide variety of agricultural degrees after high school, including agribusiness, agricultural communications, animal science, pre-veterinary animal science and plant and soil sciences.

The 20 students who attended OYLA were: Channing Anderson, Coweta; Kyden Archuleta, Burlington; Case Brassfield, Minco; Lauren Crosthwait, Stillwater; Avery Fisher, Okeene; Devyn Frazier, Meeker; Hailey Helmke, Ratliff City; Elizabeth Hines, Tuttle; Rance Howard, Ringling; Lilly Keenan, Davis; Zoe Linhares, Broken Arrow; Katelee Martin, Alva; Hadley Ott, Ames; Kaden Pliler Purcell; Annie Schneider, Seiling; Keaton Slover, Coleman; Carli Thomas, Lexington; Jake Vulgamore, El Reno; and Carson Whitsitt, Blackwell.

“OYLA has equipped me with the resources necessary for me to succeed in agriculture now and in the future and be a voice for agriculture in my community,” said Annie Schneider of Seiling, an OYLA participant.

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Oklahoma Country 35

Farm Bureau Grassroots

OKFB to kick off grassroots policy development season with August Area Meetings The grassroots meetings serve as the annual kickoff of OKFB's policy development season.

O

klahoma Farm Bureau members around the state are invited to gather and discuss the issues and policies impacting agriculture at the organization’s annual August Area Meetings.

The meetings serve as the beginning of Farm Bureau’s grassroots policy development season. OKFB members are encouraged to bring their ideas for potential changes and updates to the organization’s policy that will help agriculture and rural Oklahoma.

In addition to policy discussions, updates on numerous OKFB programs and events will be shared by committee members and staff.

A total of 11 meetings will be held across all nine Farm Bureau districts. Each meeting begins at 6 p.m. and will include a meal. OKFB members can attend the area meeting that is most convenient for them.

After each area meeting, OKFB members will draft grassroots policy proposals in the form of resolutions that will be presented first at county resolutions meetings held in September and October. Resolutions that pass the county level will be presented to the state resolutions committee, which will meet in October, and resolutions approved by the state committee will be passed along to the delegate body at the 2025 OKFB annual meeting in Oklahoma City in November to be considered and voted upon.

OKFB’s grassroots policy positions guide the organization’s advocacy efforts at both the state and national level as Farm Bureau works to represent family agriculture in Oklahoma City and Washington, D.C. For questions about OKFB’s August Area Meetings, members can contact their field representative or the OKFB public policy department at (405) 523-2300.

36 Oklahoma Country

Oklahoma Farm Bureau's 2025

August Area Meeting Schedule DISTRICT 1 WEST

DISTRICT 4 EAST

Monday, August 4 • 6 p.m.

Hunny’s 103 N Main • Guymon

Tuesday, August 12 • 6 p.m.

Murray Event Center 106 E Main St • Ardmore

DISTRICT 1 EAST

DISTRICT 5

DISTRICT 2

DISTRICT 6

DISTRICT 3

DISTRICT 7

DISTRICT 4 WEST

DISTRICT 8

Monday, August 18 • 6 p.m.

Red Prairie Steakhouse 3113 Williams • Woodward

Tuesday, August 19 • 6 p.m.

Quartz Mountain Lodge Caddo Room 22469 Lodge Rd • Lone Wolf

Thursday, August 28 • 6 p.m.

Redlands Community College 1300 S Country Club Rd • El Reno

Monday, August 11 • 6 p.m.

Comanche County Fairgrounds Prairie Building 920 SW Sheridan Rd • Lawton

Thursday, August 14 • 6 p.m.

Southeast Expo Center 4500 West US – 270 • McAlester

Monday, August 25 • 6 p.m.

Moore Farm’s Event Barn 9353 W 500 Rd • Pryor

Tuesday, August 5 • 6 p.m.

Crosspoint Church 2500 N Van Buren St • Enid

Thursday, August 21 • 6 p.m.

Garvin County Fairgrounds Community Building 16900 N Willow St • Pauls Valley

DISTRICT 9 Thursday, August 7 • 6 p.m.

Creek County Fairgrounds 17808 OK-66 • Kellyville

Farm Bureau People

Pfeiffer named 2025 Agriculture Hall of Fame Award winner

L

ogan County Farm Bureau member John H. Pfeiffer, Jr., was inducted into the Agriculture Hall of Fame as the 2025 recipient of Gov. Stitt’s Outstanding Achievement in Agriculture Award during Ag Day at the Capitol Tuesday, April 22.

“Mr. John Pfeiffer truly represents the values of and principles that Oklahoma farmers and ranchers hold dear,” Blayne Arthur, Oklahoma Sec. of Agriculture. “He has dedicated his life to his family, taking care of the land and his livestock, and serving his community and industry. Oklahoma agriculture flourishes because of hard work and leadership from people like Mr. Pfeiffer, and it is an honor to recognize him for his achievements.”

Pfeiffer was presented with a trophy, a letter of congratulations from Gov. Stitt and remarks from several members of the Oklahoma agriculture community.

John and his wife, Gaye, own and operate Pfeiffer Angus Farms, a purebred Angus cattle ranch near Mulhall. The couple has been recognized as pillars of excellence in the Angus breed and cattle industry.

Serving in leadership roles as both the president of the American Angus Association and chairman of Certified Angus Beef, Pfeiffer has worked to advance the beef industry through innovation and education.

The Pfeiffers actively support local youth through 4-H and FFA, earning Pfeiffer honorary degrees from the Mulhall-Orlando FFA chapter and the Oklahoma FFA Association.

The family welcomes hundreds of visitors to their farm, sharing livestock management practices and educating 4-H and FFA students and livestock judging teams.

Pfeiffer adds this honor to a long list of accomplishments that includes being named Master Breeder in 2017

by Oklahoma State University, earning CAB’s Ambassador Award in 2021 and OKFB’s District 3 Farm and Ranch Family of the year in 2023.

John H. Pfeiffer, Jr.

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Oklahoma Country 37

Farm Bureau Counties

Cherokee County Farm Bureau, OKFB, GRDA team up to provide life jackets for Illinois River float season A local coalition of Farm Bureau, the Grand River Dam Authority and the Tahlequah Area Chamber of Commerce team up to help keep floaters safe.

O

Cherokee County Farm Bureau

Watch a video of the life jacket donation presentation online at okfb.news/lifejacketdonation.

38 Oklahoma Country

klahoma Farm Bureau, Cherokee County Farm Bureau and the Grand River Dam Authority recently purchased more than 200 life jackets for the public to use free of charge as they enjoy the Illinois River during the 2025 recreation season.

The coalition, along with the Tahlequah Area Chamber of Commerce, worked to update the loaner jacket program along the popular Illinois River corridor in Cherokee County to provide quality flotation devices to help prevent accidental drownings throughout the summer recreation season.

The life jackets were delivered to the GRDA Scenic Rivers Operations headquarters near Tahlequah Thursday, May 15, with representatives from Cherokee County Farm Bureau, GRDA and the Tahlequah Area Chamber of Commerce on hand to unload the safety equipment and begin the process of distributing the loaner life jackets at stations along the river.

“We are excited every season to see so many people come out and float the Illinois River,” said Jared Skaggs, supervisor of scenic rivers and public access areas for GRDA. “It’s a really popular destination, and we’re happy to see so many families come out and friends come out.

Ultimately, our top priority is to make sure people are safe on the river.”

The new jackets are trimmed in bright orange to improve visibility on the river and are sized to ensure outdoor recreationists of all sizes have a jacket that fits properly.

A whistle is attached to each jacket in case of

an emergency situation, and the jackets are adorned with Farm Bureau and GRDA logos.

The life jackets will be made available at six different loaner stations along the Illinois River corridor near Tahlequah for river users who either do not have a life jacket of their own or may have forgotten a life jacket. The jackets are intended for day use by the public and can be returned to any station along the river after use.

“We’re proud of this partnership, and it was a need we could fill,” said Kelly Campbell, Cherokee County Farm Bureau board member.

“I want people to understand – because I’ve personally lost someone on the river – that it is not like checking in at an amusement park. I want people to come here and enjoy the river and not take home a sad story like so many of us know.”

Skaggs said that 80% of drownings occur when life jackets are not worn and that wearing a life jacket while out on the water is a simple way to stay safe during the summer outdoor recreation season. He said Oklahoma state law requires children who are 12 years old or younger to wear a life jacket while on the water, and adults must each have access to a life jacket while on the water.

“For us to have a loaner program to help facilitate life jacket awareness is fantastic,” Skaggs said. “Having a life jacket available is the best way we can make sure that when people bring their families to the river that they’re able to go home at the end of the day.”

Payne County Farm Bureau hosts second-annual block party to connect local community with agriculture

T

he Payne County Farm Bureau county office parking lot was filled with friends, neighbors and fun as the county hosted their second-annual block party Saturday, May 31, in Stillwater.

The event drew more than 1,400 attendees to the county office located on the west side of town and featured booths showcasing more than 20 local vendors and small businesses along with carnival-style games and food trucks for the whole family to enjoy.

Local Farm Bureau members had the opportunity to connect with attendees as they shared the Farm Bureau story along with the important role agriculture plays in daily life.

The block party is a free event that Payne County Farm Bureau hosts for the Stillwaterarea community and local businesses.

Payne County Farm Bureau

Rogers County Farm Bureau donates $10,000 for international ag leadership program

R Rogers County Farm Bureau

ogers County Farm Bureau donated $10,000 to sponsor the first International Agriculture Leadership Experience for the Oologah FFA chapter.

The educational experience is for FFA students in grades 10 through 12, and the inaugural program will kick off during the upcoming school year.

Oologah FFA members will apply for an opportunity to participate in the program, which will include an application and an interview process.

Eighteen students will be selected for the program. Chosen students will prepare for the international trip through a class held during the 2025-2026 school year featuring structured coursework about international agriculture, agribusiness and personal finance.

Students will then travel to the Dominican Republic for a nine-day tour in June 2026.

During the trip, students will participate in hands-on learning experiences and a STEMbased tour focused on enhancing understanding of global agriculture, environment, sustainability and cultural exchange.

The donations from Rogers County and other sponsors will provide each student with $1,000 to help with trip costs. Students will also engage in fundraising activities for the trip.

Above | Rogers County Farm Bureau board members present Oologah FFA members with a check for $10,000 to support students' international agriculture experience through a new leadership program available to Oologah agriculture students.

Oklahoma Country 39

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Oklahoma Country 41

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

OKFB WLC celebrates Ag Day the Capitol with Oklahoma ag community

YF&R, Collegiate Farm Bureau members visit state Capitol

Members of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women's Leadership Committee represented Oklahoma Farm Bureau during Ag Day at the Capitol Wednesday, April 2 at the state Capitol.

The OKFB WLC hosted a booth in the Capitol rotunda along with other agriculture groups from around the state.

Members had the opportunity to share the agriculture story with event attendees.

More than 60 Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers and Collegiate Farm Bureau members attended YF&R and Collegiate Farm Bureau Day at the Oklahoma state Capitol Tuesday, April 1.

The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry hosted the annual Ag Day at the Capitol event at the Oklahoma State Capitol for agriculture groups from around the state to showcase the impact agriculture has in Oklahoma while highlighting the many commodities grown across the state.

The OKFB WLC also sponsored the Ag in the Classroom awards and the Teacher of the Year award, which was presented to Jacey Duncan, a sixth-grade science and middle school STEM teacher at Oklahoma Union Public Schools, during the Ag in the Classroom awards ceremony at the Capitol.

The event kicked off Monday, March 31, with an evening of fellowship at Top Golf in Oklahoma City, where they heard from guest speaker HJ Reed as he discussed the fundamentals of the legislative process to prepare members for their trip to the Capitol to meet with their state legislators.

The legislative day began with a briefing from OKFB’s public policy staff at the OKFB home office. The public policy team shared how OKFB’s priority legislation was developed, why it is important to Farm Bureau members and how bills were moving through the legislative process.

Attendees visited the Capitol and visited with their lawmakers and elected officials to discuss OKFB’s priority issues, along with other issues members were facing in their rural communities.

OKFB names 10 Oklahoma businesses to 2025 accelerators program Oklahoma Farm Bureau has selected 10 Oklahoma businesses to be part of the Oklahoma Grassroots Rural and Ag Business Accelerators program for 2025.

The 10 founders were selected through an application and interview process and were assigned to one of two cohorts with individualized tracks based on their business innovation.

AgCelerate Oklahoma AgCelerate Oklahoma focuses on innovations and technologies that have an on-farm or production agriculture application in an 42 Oklahoma Country

effort to diversify opportunities for farmers with a farmer-focused and farmerled development program.

The members of AgCelerate Oklahoma are: • WeCanna, a hemp seed and fiber manufacturing firm • 4Ag Manufacturing, an agricultural company from Elk City that specializes in no-till farming equipment • Hay Wrap Recycled Products of Tahlequah, which turns hay net wrap into high-end flower pots • A startup from Skiatook that is developing a variable no-till drill for two-wheeled tractors

Activate Oklahoma The Activate Oklahoma track is designed for any ruralbased business with an innovation or product that will bring economic opportunities to Oklahoma’s rural communities.

The members of Activate Oklahoma are: • Foviio of Bartlesville, a client management platform for professional photographers • Stinger Jugheads, a Wagoner-based company that specializes in fish harvesting using jugline methods • Ransom’s BBQ of Tuttle,

which has developed a line of signature BBQ sauces and rubs • Gimel Holdings of Holdenville, a company that developed a platform to connect rural residents with housing and maintenance services • Sober Sally’s of Choctaw, a rideshare service that transports impaired drivers and their vehicles • SkyReach of Spencer, which flies drones for local emergency services The 10 businesses, all from rural Oklahoma communities, will complete intense training and other programming in the coming months.

Two OKFB members to serve on governor’s wildland fire response working group

OKFB business accelerators program honored with economic impact award from Oklahoma Venture Forum The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Grassroots Rural & Ag Business Accelerators program was recently recognized by the Oklahoma Venture Forum with the forum’s 2025 Economic Impact Award.

Adam Bohl

Burton Harmon

Two Oklahoma Farm Bureau members have been appointed to Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt’s Wildland Fire Response working group, which will develop a full set of recommendations to enhance Oklahoma’s wildlife mitigation and response efforts.

Comanche County Farm Bureau Member Adam Bohl and OKFB Senior Director of Young Farmers & Ranchers and Noble County Farm Bureau member Burton Harmon will both serve on the governor’s fire working group.

Working group members include Oklahoma Sec. of Agriculture Blayne Arthur, Sec. of Public Safety Tricia Everest and other representatives from stakeholder groups around the state.

The award, sponsored by the Chickasaw Nation, recognized the OKFB accelerators program for “significant contributions to the state’s economy,” and was presented Thursday, May 15, during the OVF Awards Luncheon in Oklahoma City.

The OKFB accelerators program is a collaborative rural development effort between OKFB and state and national partners. The program creates economic

Ten students awarded $1,000 OKFB YF&R scholarships The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers committee awarded nine $1,000 scholarships to one high school senior from each OKFB district and a $1,000 scholarship to one Collegiate Farm Bureau member.

The scholarships were awarded to students who plan to pursue a degree in an agriculture-related field at an Oklahoma college or university and who desire to contribute to agriculture and rural Oklahoma.

“The Young Farmers and Ranchers committee is proud to support these 10 students in achieving their highereducation goals,” said Jacob Beck, OKFB YF&R chair. “The agriculture industry is in good hands with this outstanding group of young leaders.”

The high school seniors plan to attend a wide variety of Oklahoma colleges and universities including Oklahoma State University, Western Oklahoma State University, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and more, with plans to study ag business, soil science, animal science, ag education and more.

District Four Kylie Whitley Love County District Five Kyree Donaldson McCurtain County

opportunities for rural Oklahomans and supports Oklahoma agriculture through innovation and business development for rural entrepreneurs. The program features two unique pipelines for both rural and agricultural innovators along with business planning workshops and programs for established rural businesses.

The Oklahoma Venture Forum supports entrepreneurs and investors through networking, education, and advocacy, fostering a thriving business community in Oklahoma. The forum’s awards program celebrates the state’s most visionary companies, recognizing achievements in innovation, market potential, and economic impact.

OKFB connects with FFA members at state FFA convention

District Six Lynlee McCurry Mayes County

The 2025 YF&R scholarship recipients are:

District Seven Zander Peeper Garfield County

District One Heath Laubach Woodward County

District Eight Hudson Andrews McClain County

District Two Brayden Buchwald Tillman County

District Nine Kale Robison Payne County

District Three Kynseth Zubrod Logan County

Collegiate Cora Sullivan Cameron University

Above | OKFB Executive Director Thad Doye (center) receives OKFB’s platinumsponsorship recognition during the Tuesday general session of the 2025 Oklahoma FFA Convention in Tulsa. OKFB also visited with FFA members at the OKFB booth in the convention expo.

Oklahoma Country 43

Oklahoma Gardening

Above | Mulch is a great way to beat the heat when gardeners are planting seeds for a fall garden. (Photo by Mitchell Alcala)

Above | Green beans are a fast-growing crop and a perfect choice for fall gardens.

(Photo by Mitchell Alcala)

Above | Gardeners must keep an eye out for insect damage in their fall garden, as pests can cause vegetable production issues. (Photo by Mitchell Alcala)

Hot tips for cool-season gardening

By Trisha Gedon Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

O

klahomans are still in the heat of summer, but it is not too early to start thinking about a fall garden.

Gardeners are accustomed to having fresh produce available and have developed an appreciation for – and in some cases, a desire for – nutritious vegetables.

Fortunately, that fresh taste can be a reality for a while longer.

Some of the best quality garden vegetables in Oklahoma are grown and harvested during the fall season. Warm, sunny days followed by cool, humid nights provide the perfect conditions for optimal garden production. During this time, plant soil metabolism is low, which means more of the food manufactured by the plant becomes a highquality vegetable product.

Gardeners can grow crops such as carrots, beets and green beans well into the fall. Another option is to do a second planting of fast-maturing summer vegetables such as cucumber, green onion, zucchini, radish, or turnip.

Different varieties of lettuce are another good choice.

David Hillock, Oklahoma State University consumer horticulturist, said gardeners need to be aware of soil temperatures when planning fall gardens.

“Fall gardening starts much earlier than when the calendar indicates fall has arrived,” Hillock said. “As gardeners in Oklahoma know, the climatic conditions of late July and into August involve high soil temperature, high light intensity and rapid drying of the soil, all of which increase the problem of obtaining a uniform stand of plants.”

Achieving a full stand of plants when the temperature is at or near triple digits may require special treatments such as shade over rows when seeded, or supplemental watering to reduce soil temperature and to help encourage germination.

In addition, seeds need proper temperature, adequate irrigation and sufficient oxygen. Remember to soak seeds overnight before planting. This will speed up germination and seedling emergence when the seeds are most susceptible to death in the hot, dry soil.

44 Oklahoma Country

When exposed to full sun, soil temperatures can exceed 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Because vegetable seeds should not be planted any deeper than three times the diameter of the seed, small seeds such as carrot seeds would be planted at a mere quarter of an inch. Due to the soil temperature, the seeds likely wouldn’t germinate. So, what is a gardener to do?

“Apply mulch over the row following planting and watering,” Hillock said. “Gardeners can also use materials such as screen wire strips, shade cloths or boards to cover the rows. This moderates both soil temperature and soil moisture. Remove the covers when the seedlings emerge.

Another option is to sow seeds in a small seed flat, then transfer to the garden. Broccoli, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, leaf lettuce, Brussels sprouts and cabbage respond well to this method of planting.”

Insects have long been a challenge for gardeners, and it is no different with fall gardens. These pests can cause serious damage in a short amount of time. It is a good idea to examine plants regularly – at least twice weekly. Look under leaves, along stems and at the plant base or crown for the insects themselves or signs of plant damage. OSU Extension has a vegetable garden pest control fact sheet available on the OSU Extension website.

Gardeners who find themselves with a bountiful harvest of some of their cool-season crops can extend the life of the produce by storing it in a cool, moist location. Root crops such as carrots, beets, rutabagas, turnips and Irish potatoes should remain in usable condition until late winter when stored properly.

Hillock suggests storing the vegetables in ventilated plastic bags in a cool basement or cellar. Another option for storage once these veggies reach maturity is to simply leave them in the ground. They will be fine until about January. To protect them from the cold, the soil layer over the mound should be 6 to 10 inches thick.

“Fall vegetable gardening is a great way to keep the taste of fresh produce in your kitchen beyond the traditional summer garden,” Hillock said.

Farm Bureau Organization

County Farm Bureaus to host annual meetings for local Farm Bureau members Farm Bureau members are invited to gather with fellow members and learn about the numerous activities our organization takes on in local communities across the state.

E

ach fall, local Farm Bureau members in all 77 Oklahoma counties gather with fellow members from their county for fellowship and to learn about the many activities county Farm Bureaus take on to share the agriculture story with fellow residents in their local rural communities.

Farm Bureau members are encouraged to attend their county annual meeting. Many meetings include a meal, keynote speakers and updates on the activities that Oklahoma's largest general farm organization hosts to advocate for agriculture from the county level all the way up to nationwide programs.

The full slate of county Farm Bureau annual meetings that were available as of magazine press time are listed alphabetically. Counties that will vote upon proposed bylaws changes are denoted with an asterisk (*) after their name. If you do not see your county Farm Bureau annual meeting listed, please contact your local office for a meeting time and location.

You can learn more about your county Farm Bureau annual meeting by contacting your county office. For a directory of county Farm Bureau offices across the state, visit okfarmbureau.org/counties.

46 Oklahoma Country

Adair County Farm Bureau

Coal County Farm Bureau

Alfalfa County Farm Bureau

Comanche County Farm Bureau

Atoka County Farm Bureau

Cotton County Farm Bureau

Beaver County Farm Bureau

Craig County Farm Bureau

Beckham County Farm Bureau

Creek County Farm Bureau

Blaine County Farm Bureau

Custer County Farm Bureau

Bryan County Farm Bureau

Delaware County Farm Bureau

Caddo County Farm Bureau

Dewey County Farm Bureau

Canadian County Farm Bureau

Ellis County Farm Bureau

Cherokee County Farm Bureau

Garfield County Farm Bureau

Choctaw County Farm Bureau

Garvin County Farm Bureau

Cimarron County Farm Bureau

Grady County Farm Bureau

Cleveland County Farm Bureau*

Grant County Farm Bureau

September 13 • 6 p.m.

County Farm Bureau Office • Stilwell October 6 • 6 p.m.

Alfalfa County Fairgrounds • Cherokee October 7 • 6:30 p.m.

Choctaw Community Mtg. Room • Atoka October 7 • 6 p.m.

Beaver County Fairgrounds • Beaver September 25 • 6:30 p.m.

Broadway Center • Sayre

September 16 • 7 p.m.

Roman Nose Park General Store • Watonga October 8 • 11 a.m.

County Farm Bureau Office • Durant September 23 • 5:30 p.m.

County Farm Bureau Office • Anadarko October 6 • 6 p.m.

Canadian County Expo Center • El Reno September 16 • 6 p.m.

Tahlequah Community Bldg. • Tahlequah October 6 • 6 p.m.

Kiamichi Area Vo-Tech • Hugo

September 17 • 7 p.m.

County Senior Activity Center • Boise City September 16 • 6:30 p.m.

Eastlake Church • OKC

October 1 • 9 a.m.

Coalgate Methodist Church • Coalgate

September 30 • 6 p.m.

Great Plains Coliseum Annex • Lawton September 4 • 6 p.m.

Cotton Electric Civic Room • Walters October 7 • 6 p.m.

Piquet’s Prime Time • Vinita

September 11 • 6 p.m.

Creek County Fairgrounds • Kellyville September 11 • 6 p.m.

Custer County Fairgrounds • Clinton September 9 • 12:30 p.m.

County Farm Bureau Office • Jay

September 22 • 6:30 p.m.

Dewey County Fair Barn • Taloga September 23 • 6 p.m.

County Farm Bureau Office • Arnett October 6 • 6:30 p.m.

Chisholm Trail Expo Pavilion • Enid September 28 • 11 a.m.

County Farm Bureau Office • Pauls Valley

September 9 • 6 p.m.

Grady County Fairgrounds • Chickasha September 16 • 6 p.m.

St. Mary’s Catholic Church • Medford

Greer County Farm Bureau

McCurtain County Farm Bureau

Pontotoc County Farm Bureau

Harper County Farm Bureau

McIntosh County Farm Bureau

Pottawatomie County Farm Bureau

Haskell County Farm Bureau

Major County Farm Bureau

Pushmataha County Farm Bureau

Hughes County Farm Bureau

Marshall County Farm Bureau

Roger Mills County Farm Bureau

Jackson County Farm Bureau

Mayes County Farm Bureau

Rogers County Farm Bureau

Jefferson County Farm Bureau

Murray County Farm Bureau

Seminole County Farm Bureau

Kay County Farm Bureau

Muskogee County Farm Bureau

Sequoyah County Farm Bureau

Kingfisher County Farm Bureau

Noble County Farm Bureau

Stephens County Farm Bureau

Kiowa County Farm Bureau

Nowata County Farm Bureau

Texas County Farm Bureau

Latimer County Farm Bureau

Oklahoma County Farm Bureau

Tillman County Farm Bureau

LeFlore County Farm Bureau

Okmulgee County Farm Bureau

Tulsa County Farm Bureau

Lincoln County Farm Bureau

Osage County Farm Bureau

Wagoner County Farm Bureau

Logan County Farm Bureau

Ottawa County Farm Bureau

Washington County Farm Bureau

Love County Farm Bureau

Pawnee County Farm Bureau

Woods County Farm Bureau

McClain County Farm Bureau

Pittsburg County Farm Bureau

Woodward County Farm Bureau

September 17 • 1 p.m.

County Farm Bureau Office • Mangum September 29 • 6 p.m.

County Farm Bureau Office • Buffalo September 25 • 6 p.m.

County Farm Bureau Office • Stigler

September 11 • 6 p.m.

Hughes County Expo Center • Holdenville September 2 • 6 p.m.

Southwest Technology Center • Altus

October 7 • 7 p.m.

T&T Diner • Waurika

October 7 • 6:30 p.m.

Kay Electric Cooperative • Blackwell October 6 • 6 p.m.

St. Peter & Paul Catholic Church • Kingfisher

September 18 • 6 p.m.

County Farm Bureau Office • Hobart September 11 • 6:30 p.m.

County Farm Bureau Office • Wilburton

October 6 • 6 p.m.

Choctaw Nation Comm. Center • Poteau October 14 • 7:30 p.m.

County Farm Bureau Office • Chandler

September 15 • 6:30 p.m.

County Farm Bureau Office • Guthrie

September 27 • 6:30 p.m.

Love County Fairgrounds • Marietta October 7 • 6 p.m.

McClain Expo Center • Purcell

October 20 • 7 p.m.

Kiamichi Technology Center • Idabel September 18 • 6:30 p.m.

Checotah Community Center • Checotah

September 11 • 6 p.m.

Fairview Mennonite Breth. Church • Fairview September 25 • 11 a.m.

County Farm Bureau Office • Madill

September 18 • 6:30 p.m.

County Farm Bureau Office • Pryor October 16 • 11 a.m.

County Farm Bureau Office • Davis

September 4 • 6:30 p.m.

County Farm Bureau Office • Muskogee October 13 • 6:30 p.m.

Noble County Fairgrounds • Perry

September 23 • 6:30 p.m.

Nowata County Fair Building • Nowata October 6 • 6 p.m.

Oklahoma County Extension Center • OKC September 22 • 6:30 p.m.

Green Country Tech Center • Okmulgee

October 7 • 6 p.m.

County Farm Bureau Office • Hominy

September 18 • 6:30 p.m.

County Farm Bureau Office • Miami September 26 • 11:30 a.m.

County Farm Bureau Office • Pawnee September 10 • 10 a.m.

County Farm Bureau Office • McAlester

September 23 • 6 p.m.

Pontotoc County Agriplex • Ada

September 5 • 6:30 p.m.

Tecumseh Alumni Building • Tecumseh

September 11 • 7 p.m.

First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall • Antlers October 9 • 6:30 p.m.

Cheyenne First Methodist Church • Cheyenne

September 23 • 6:30 p.m.

Claremore Conference Center • Claremore September 11 • 6 p.m.

Reynolds Wellness Center • Seminole

September 25 • 12 p.m.

County Farm Bureau Office • Sallisaw October 2 • 6 p.m.

Stephens County Fairgrounds • Duncan

September 9 • 6 p.m.

Hunny’s BBQ • Guymon

September 15 • 7 p.m.

BancFirst Conference Center • Frederick

September 22 • 6:30 p.m.

County Farm Bureau Office • Tulsa

September 25 • 6:30 p.m.

Coweta Assembly of God Church • Coweta September 18 • 6 p.m.

Washington County Fair Bldg. • Dewey September 8 • 6 p.m.

Zion Lutheran Church • Alva

September 15 • 6:30 p.m.

Woodward Conference Center • Woodward

* To all members of Oklahoma Farm Bureau and all affiliated county Farm Bureaus of Oklahoma Farm Bureau: You are hereby notified that changes to the Bylaws have been proposed for all County Farm Bureau with an * beside them listed above. You should make certain that you attend your County Farm Bureau meeting(s) to represent your membership as to the proposed changes.

Oklahoma Country 47

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