August 22 2025

PERSPECTIVE

August 22, 2025

OKFB YF&R

Shotgun Shoot raises more than $12,000 for OKFB Foundation for Agriculture

he Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers held their annual shotgun shoot fundraiser Friday, Aug. 15, at Silverleaf Shooting Sports in Guthrie. More than $12,000 was raised for the OKFB Foundation for Agriculture to continue to support Oklahoma agriculture and promote agriculture throughout the state.

More than 50 teams with a total of 200 shooters participated in the sporting-clay-style tournament across 12 stations that tested their skills with real-world hunting scenarios.

Awards were given to top shooters in youth, collegiate and open divisions.

The winning team in the open division received $100 for each shooter and a shotgun shell pouch. The winning junior division team also won $100 for each shooter and a shotgun shell pouch. The top shooters in both divisions received a soft gun case and $100. The second-place team received $50 for each shooter and the third-place team received $25 for each shooter.

The top team in the junior division was the Farm Credit Dusters from Beckham County 4-H with Landon Lohberger earning the top shooter award in the junior division. The top team in the collegiate division was

Murray State College with Dakota Sliser earning the top shooter award in the collegiate division. The open division was won by the Cardiovascular Health Clinic team with Holden Brown from the Collinsville Team One receiving the top shooter award in the open division. Proceeds from the event were donated to the OKFB Foundation for Agriculture, which supports Oklahoma’s farming and ranching community through philanthropic eforts while providing educational resources and opportunities to increase awareness and knowledge of Oklahoma agriculture.

OKFB names Knight as Women’s Leadership Committee and membership engagement coordinator

klahoma Farm Bureau recently named Megan Knight as the organization’s new Women’s Leadership Committee and membership engagement coordinator.

Knight will coordinate OKFB WLC events, activities and membership activities.

“I’m honored to step into this role and build on the strong foundation of the Women’s Leadership Committee,” Knight said. “I am excited to support and engage women in agriculture across the state.”

Knight joins OKFB from AgHires agriculture recruiting with a background in community engagement. She also served as a feld representative for Congressman Frank Lucas, serving the western part of the state.

Knight is no stranger to OKFB. As a former Oklahoma Youth Leading Agriculture participant, she has had a full-circle experience with the organization.

“I’m deeply passionate about the agriculture industry and am committed to amplifying the voices of women in agriculture as well as strengthening member connections and supporting the growth of our rural communities across the state,” she said.

Originally from Boise City, Knight earned her bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications and agricultural business from Oklahoma State University. She and her husband, Cody, have one son, Kohler, and they reside in Edmond.

OKFB continues to host August Area Meetings across the state during the grassroots policy development season

klahoma Farm Bureau members are gathering across the state for August Area Meetings. Members continue to discuss issues, challenges and opportunities facing agriculture and rural Oklahoma.

OKFB members have also been receiving organizational updates and reports from district Young Farmers & Ranchers representatives, Women’s Leadership Committee district representatives, various OKFB department staf and organizational leaders. Check out the list below for the schedule of remaining August Area Meetings.

Remaining August Area Meetings:

District 6 – Pryor

Monday, August 25 • 6 p.m.

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

District 3 – El Reno

Thursday, August 28 • 6 p.m.

Redlands Community College

1300 S. Country Club Rd, El Reno

OKFB announces “Pitch the Plains” innovation competition to be held at OKFB annual meeting

klahoma Farm Bureau has teamed up with Launch Rural OK to host the inaugural Pitch the Plains innovation competition during the 2025 Oklahoma Farm Bureau Annual Meeting.

The competition is designed to celebrate bold ideas and spark entrepreneurship in both adults and youth across rural Oklahoma.

The competition features two separate categories, including an adult category and a youth category that is broken out into two divisions. The two youth divisions range from frst- through seventh-grade and eighth- through 12th-grade.

In the adult category, participants must have an idea, a prototype or be in the early revenue stage for a startup.

The frst through seventh grade youth division participants must give a one-minute pitch regarding a business idea or new technology.

In the eighth- through 12th-grade division, competitors must give a oneand-a-half to three-minute pitch about a business idea or new technology.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the frst and second place winners in each category. In the adult category, frst place receives $3,500 and second place receives $1,500. In the frstthrough seventh-grade youth division, frst place receives a $150 Best Buy gift card and banner and second place receives a $50 Best Buy gift card. The eighth- through 12th-grade division frst-place winner will receive $500 and a banner, and second place will receive $250.

Applications for the adult division are open now until August 31, and the youth application is open until September 12.

The applications can be found online at okf.news/applications. For more information and questions please contact Amarie Bartel at (405) 523-2300.

USDA announces sweeping plans to protect the U.S. from new world screwworm

he U.S. Secretary of Agriculture

Brooke Rollins announced the largest initiative yet in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s plan to combat the new world screwworm on Friday, Aug. 15. This announcement builds upon USDA’s fve-prong plan issued in June to combat the northward spread of the screwworm from Mexico into the United States.

As part of the comprehensive approach, USDA is taking the following immediate actions: providing up to $100 million to invest in innovations; constructing a sterile fy facility to protect the U.S. border; ramping up mounted patrol ofcers who are focused on border surveillance; collaborating

with Mexico to help contain the screwworm; and continuing to keep the U.S. food supply safe.

“Oklahoma’s agricultural producers appreciate the leadership of President Trump and Sec. Rollins in their eforts to aggressively combat the new world screwworm, which poses a devastating threat to our livestock industry and our nation’s food supply,” said OKFB President Rodd Moesel. “Oklahoma Farm Bureau appreciates the administration’s multi-pronged approach to prevent the spread of this pest, and our members stand with President Trump and Sec. Rollins as all of agriculture works to eradicate the threat of the new world screwworm.”

OKFB applauds lesser prairie chicken court ruling, ESA delisting

klahoma Farm Bureau applauded a recent U.S. District Court ruling removing the listing of the lesser prairie chicken as an endangered species.

The U.S. District Court for the western district of Texas issued the ruling on August 12, fnding fault with the process that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service used to list the bird as endangered according to the Endangered Species Act. The case was brought against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas.

A statement by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond stated that “the ruling immediately removes the rule’s federal restrictions on livestock grazing, energy pipeline development, oil drilling, wind farms and road construction across Western Oklahoma.”

Oklahoma Farm Bureau has worked with landowners, state Farm Bureaus from around the region and conservation groups to fnd conservation options for the lesser prairie chicken without an ESA listing.

AFBF: Farmers applaud common-sense approach to diesel engines

merican Farm Bureau Federation

President Zippy Duvall commented Tuesday, August 12, on the Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement that it will revise diesel exhaust fuid guidelines for manufacturers of heavy trucks and ofroad equipment.

Manufacturers will be directed to update software in equipment that uses DEF to prevent them from losing power.

“Farm Bureau thanks the EPA and Administrator Zeldin for their common-

sense approach to heavy trucks and of-road equipment that use Diesel Exhaust Fluid, said Zippy Duvall AFBF president. “When a vehicle runs out of DEF or there is an error in the software, it loses power, causing delays that could be the diference between getting a crop harvested or animals to their destination.

“EPA’s decision to grant a grace period to make repairs or refll DEF is the right thing to do. It keeps commerce moving and farmers in the feld.”

Postmaster:

Send address corrections to: Perspective

P.O. Box 53332, Oklahoma City, OK 73152-3332

STAFF DIRECTORY

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Thad Doye (405)523-2438

VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

Dustin Mielke (405)530-2640

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF MEDIA RELATIONS AND ADVOCACY COMMUNICATIONS

Rachel Havens (405)523-2346

PUBLICATIONS SPECIALIST

Kate Jackson (405)523-2527

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

Mickinzi Ferguson (405)523-2343

Oklahoma Farm Bureau 2501 N. Stiles

Oklahoma City, OK 73105-3126

U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 131 Okla. City, OK.

OKFB WLC awards three $500 nurse’s training scholarships

he Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee has awarded three $500 scholarships to students from Farm Bureau member families who are pursuing a career in nursing.

The scholarships were awarded to Jenny Kijac of Jay, Cheyenne Kahoe of Mooreland, and Kate Burghart of McLoud.

“The Women’s Leadership Committee understands the challenges students face when fnancing their education,” said Mignon Bolay, OKFB WLC chair.

“We are proud to support these young ladies throughout their educational journeys to provide quality healthcare across rural communities.”

Kijac, a Delaware County Farm Bureau member, is currently studying at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M to become a registered nurse. Kahoe is a Woodward County Farm Bureau member studying at Northwestern Oklahoma State University to become a registered nurse. Burghart is a Pottawatomie County Farm Bureau member studying at University

of Central Oklahoma, where she is in her third semester with the goal of becoming a registered nurse.

The OKFB WLC provides their annual nurse’s training scholarships to help Farm Bureau members complete their education in nursing so they can provide much-needed healthcare services to fellow Oklahomans. Applicants must be enrolled half-time or more in a nurse’s training program at an accredited college, university, technical school or trade school.

Jenny Kijac