TGS | Championing Ag Youth

For many, December 19, 2024, was just a regular Thursday. Maybe you had a sporting event to attend, or perhaps you were working calves in the barn, soaking up the cool weather.

In an Oklahoma City office, a significant Proclamation – the sum of substantial effort and intentional thought from dozens of people – was signed and put into effect by Governor J. Kevin Stitt.

This proclamation, which would later be unveiled the coming January, deemed 2025 as the Year of Youth in Agriculture in the State of Oklahoma.

One of the key figures in transforming what was once a mere dream into an impactful reality for the state’s agricultural industry is herself a product of Oklahoma’s agriculture youth programs: Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture, Blayne Arthur.

An Oklahoma native, Arthur grew up in the southwestern Oklahoma town of Chickasha where she took part in a rather traditional “ag kid” upbringing, she said, with years of involvement in her local 4-H and FFA chapter. From 4-H demonstration contests to exhibiting calves across the state during her years as an FFA member, Arthur has deep roots and a decades-long passion for agriculture and related youth involvement programs.

In fact, it was Arthur’s years of activity in agriculture that led her to Oklahoma State University where she not only obtained her degree but continued building personal and professional skills that, she says, have helped her every day of her life.

“One of the best things about being part of agriculture as a kid and as a young adult is you learn so many things that then help you be successful in your career,” Arthur said. “From work ethic to consistently showing up, the lessons learned through ag involvement in the classroom, showring – they are beneficial to you, no matter the role or industry you work in.

“It’s why I love to hire and work with folks who come from an ag background and have that experience in 4-H and FFA,” Arthur said. “I can teach people to do a lot of things, but it’s really hard to teach them later in life some of those skills that we’ve all gotten to develop growing up in production agriculture,” she added.

Now a mom to two children who are equally involved in 4-H, FFA, and showing livestock, Arthur says it’s even more clear the importance of ag programs and time in the barn being utilized as a tool to shape the next generation.

“Nowhere else can you gain quite the community, the cheering squad, the supportive teammates, the friendly competitors, the mentors,” Arthur said. “That feeling of family and the village dynamic of it all – it’s very, very special about the livestock barn and unique to involvement in the ag industry.”

Aside from her two children, Arthur and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry also oversee a group of young people who have found their life’s passion via involvement in Oklahoma agriculture: the Agriculture Youth Council.

Since its inception in 2019, AYC is composed of high school seniors who get to spend a year with Arthur and her team at ODAFF. They take numerous industry tours, visit different agricultural operations across the state, and gain career exposure with the goal of enticing them to stay in Oklahoma and work in the state’s diverse agricultural industry.

“It’s incredible to me to see everything that these students are able to do at 17 and 18 years old,” Arthur said. “They have this wonderful awareness of things that are going on in the world; and we get to help show them how their unique skill sets might positively serve different facets of Oklahoma agriculture as a career.”

The AYC and the exceptional students who are selected to go through the program are not only students ODAFF is proud to highlight, but they provide hope and serve as a reminder that the future of Oklahoma and the United States is in good hands, Arthur added.

Because of her exposure to a plethora of Oklahoma’s agricultural youth through 4-H, FFA, the Junior Livestock Show Program, AYC, and more, Arthur said deeming 2025 the Year of Youth in Agriculture became a sort of necessary encouragement.

“Adults who witness the character of Oklahoma’s ag youth or who have had the chance to work with them in some capacity can tell you it’s a no-brainer to do whatever we can do to keep them involved in Oklahoma and our state’s most vital industry,” Arthur said. “We are always asking ourselves, ‘How can we support youth and youth programs?’, and partnering with Governor Stitt and groups across the state to make this proclamation happen was the answer.”

Arthur said the goal of the Year of Youth in Agriculture is to show the rest of the world what Oklahoma’s ag youth is doing, be it in the barn, the classroom, on the ranch, or beyond.

Whether the students have a traditional upbringing in agriculture or one that’s unique, Governor Stitt and Secretary Arthur hope to tell the thousands of stories about the good things ag students in Oklahoma are doing every day. Arthur said they also want to use this year to encourage these students to stay involved in agriculture because of the plentiful job opportunities right here in our state’s thriving agriculture industry.

“In the ag industry, we are very, very good at telling our story to ourselves and celebrating our young people within our own community, but I think there’s always an opportunity to talk that to the 98% of the population that doesn’t participate in production agriculture and show them how remarkable these students and their stories are,” Arthur said. “With this Executive Proclamation, we aspire to elevate and increase that messaging with our broader communities and do our part to make sure they really see these young people are worth investing in.”

It is paramount, now more than ever before, to truly champion and transparently tell the stories of producers, students and agricultural enthusiasts across Oklahoma, Arthur believes. Oklahoma is second-to-none in preparing students and raising them up to be productive members of society, Arthur said, so the Year of Youth in Agriculture showcases the tremendous responsibility we all have in sharing their stories.

“As we continue to advance in 2025, I want to encourage our ag youth to tell their story with whatever platforms they have,” Arthur said. “I’ve found that, especially when it comes to crafting policy, that when we have a young person who can articulate their story, their mission, their voice – it makes a big, big difference.”

Excited is the word that comes to mind when thinking about the next 5, 10, 15 years down the line for Oklahoma agriculture, and it’s because of Oklahoma’s ag youth, Arthur said with a smile. Having energized, passionate young people who are willing to continue the legacy of agriculture in their local communities ensures a bright future for us all.