One Oklahoma farm family's helper and canine companion, Max, receives recognition as American Farm Bureau's 2026 Farm Dog of the Year.
Leadership to the next level
Longtime Washington County leader Macy Strom joins the OKFB state board
Loads of hope
Oklahoma and Arkansas ag producers rally to deliver hay for fire relief efforts
Outpriced and outpaced
Examining the unintended consequences and impacts of proposed SQ 832
Volume 79 No. 2 Spring 2026 (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.
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OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU DIRECTORS
Stacy Simunek | President
David VonTungeln | Vice President
Gary Crawley | Secretary
Leon Richards | Treasurer
Jimmy Taylor | Director
Kerry Givens | Director
Roger Moore | Director
Terry Graham | Director
Mike Leverett | Director
Macy Strom | Director
Thad Doye | Executive Director
EDITORIAL TEAM
Dustin Mielke
Garfield County Farm Bureau member John Enns and his dog, Max, sit in a wheat field on the family’s Enid-area farm. Max was recognized as American Farm Bureau’s Farm Dog of the Year at the 2026 AFBF Convention in January.
Vice President of Communications and Public Relations
Rachel Havens
Assistant Director of Media Relations and Advocacy Communications
Mickinzi Ferguson Communications 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.
ON THE COVER
Photo by Mickinzi Ferguson
Macy Strom takes the reins as OKFB’s district nine director
Presidentially Speaking
Insights from Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Stacy Simunek
Stacy Simunek President Oklahoma Farm Bureau & Affiliated Companies
“As I have traveled across the state attending as many county Farm Bureau events as I can, I have enjoyed the chance to learn about what Farm Bureau is doing locally and how we can team up at every level of Farm Bureau to make an even bigger difference for our rural communities.”
Settling in and stepping up
If you have ever started a big, new endeavor or have taken on an exciting new opportunity, I am sure you are familiar with the feeling that you are drinking from a firehose of information, news and activities. That feeling has been my daily life since becoming Oklahoma Farm Bureau president, and while it can seem overwhelming at times, we have a great team of Farm Bureau members, staff and fellow agricultural organizations that help keep our Farm Bureau world moving.
While my first few weeks as president kicked off with meeting state and national agricultural leaders, visiting our grassroots Farm Bureau members and generally getting up to speed on our organization’s efforts to help our agriculture community, the last few months have really shown me the effort and skill our OKFB staff brings to our Farm Bureau events, activities and programs each and every day.
From our recent leadership conference to our Washington, D.C., Summit and from our involvement with the Oklahoma Youth Expo to the daily work of keeping the organization running smoothly, I have been continually impressed how their hearts are focused on serving our members as they make even difficult and complicated tasks look easy.
I know our Farm Bureau staff has made my transition into the office of president tremendously smooth, and I want to commend them for the work they take on each and every day that serves our members and Oklahoma agriculture.
I have also had the opportunity to attend our staff service awards and our OKFB Insurance agent kick-off event where I have had the chance to meet our insurance
employees and see their excitement for serving our members’ needs through our insurance products and class-leading service.
With a dedicated staff backing up the efforts of our grassroots Farm Bureau membership, our organization’s leaders continue to step up and be a voice for agriculture in our state and our nation.
As I have traveled across the state attending as many county Farm Bureau events as I can, I have enjoyed the chance to learn about what Farm Bureau is doing locally and how we can team up at every level of Farm Bureau to make an even bigger difference for our rural communities. I encourage you to continue sharing your ideas with me and my fellow board members as we look to strengthen our organization from the grassroots up.
While I have spent many late nights attending county Farm Bureau board meetings, I have also had the chance to travel to Washington, D.C., multiple times to meet with fellow state Farm Bureau presidents as I represent Oklahoma at American Farm Bureau meetings and events. I was recently elected to serve out Rodd Moesel’s unexpired term on the AFBF board, and I am looking forward to helping Farm Bureau members lead the charge as we tackle national issues including a new Farm Bill, labor challenges and an uncertain farm economy.
From our biggest national priority issues to the day-to-day business of our county organizations, I am proud of all the work our members and staff invest to keep Farm Bureau active and engaged at every level. Even when the future feels uncertain, the one thing I know we can count on is our Farm Bureau family stepping up and helping out to keep agriculture’s future bright.
For less than $1 a day, you can make sure your family will have money to pay for things like a mortgage, tuition and everyday expenses. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Contact your Farm Bureau agent today.
Farm Bureau and agriculture commentary from Oklahoma Farm Bureau Executive Director Thad Doye
Living out our Farm Bureau legacy
Pretty much everyone who knows me at Oklahoma Farm Bureau knows I got my start with our organization through my family.
My parents have been longtime Comanche County Farm Bureau members and leaders since before I can remember. Some of my earliest memories involve crawling around the floor at a Farm Bureau meeting that my parents attended. That introduction to our organization led to my own involvement as a member, which eventually connected me to an opportunity to serve families just like my own as an OKFB staff member.
The family aspect of Farm Bureau – both my own family and our extended Farm Bureau family — is part of what makes our organization so special to me.
The Doye family lost a special person and OKFB lost a longtime leader when my dad, Damon, passed away in March. In the following days and weeks, I was reminded how strong the ties are among our extended Farm Bureau family through the outpouring of phone calls, messages and in-person conversations.
My dad was a passionate advocate for agriculture, a steadfast member of our farming community in the Lawton area, and a longtime board member and leader of Comanche County Farm Bureau.
As our family has taken time to reflect on my dad’s life, his commitment to family, and his faith, I have also been reminded of his Farm Bureau legacy.
My dad was not only instrumental in getting me to become part of Farm Bureau, but he also influenced other farmers and ranchers in our area. From inviting young members from neighboring counties who did not have a Young Farmers & Ranchers program to Comanche County to participate in activities to quietly serving members of our community when he saw a need or an opportunity, I am proud of the agricultural legacy my parents created. I take it as a personal challenge to continue their legacy of service.
Thad Doye
Executive Director
Oklahoma Farm Bureau
Each of us has a Farm Bureau legacy that we are currently cultivating for future generations. We each have skills and abilities to share and opportunities through our organization to connect with others. And while it is easy to forget, especially when times get tough, what we do in our communities and for our fellow Farm Bureau members does matter and does make a difference. We never know who is watching our quiet service and ongoing leadership, and we may never know how it might change lives or impact our industry for the better.
I know those of us in agriculture are facing increasing uncertainty and difficult economic conditions, and the daily grind of trying to make a living from the Oklahoma soil presents its own challenges.
However, I have seen firsthand how our agriculture community rallies around one another, how we can band together to make a difference across our state and beyond, and how we join together with one voice to make a better future for the next generation.
As I think about the challenges my parents faced in agriculture, how they still took time to help others around them and how they took an active interest in their fellow agriculturalists, I am grateful for the legacy they created for my own family and for the future they helped shape for others.
Reflecting on my dad’s Farm Bureau involvement reminds me how vital it is that we each step up and be today’s agricultural advocates. The hard work and difficult decisions that my dad’s generation conquered created the platform we stand on today as we fight for agriculture. Not only do we need to continue to speak up for our industry today, but we also need to recruit and develop tomorrow’s leaders who will take over for us and push our organization forward towards the future.
This is our opportunity to craft our own legacy that will outlast ourselves.
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2026 American Farm Bureau Federation's Farm Dog of the Year
Story and Photos by Mickinzi Ferguson
John, Charla, Brynley and Max Enns
There is something special about a good farm dog. From morning chores right as dawn breaks to rounding up cattle on hot summer days, they are the ranch hands, livestock guardians and a source of comfort after a hard day.
People often say a dog is a man’s best friend. Yet, for Garfield County Farm Bureau member John Enns and his dog, Max, that phrase does not quite cover it. Their bond runs deeper.
Max, a five-year-old border collie, is a friendly, energetic face on the Enns family farm and ranch. Most days he can be found alongside John, rounding up and moving cattle. While John has been farming for years, Max has become an essential addition to his everyday routine.
In 2004, while John was taking care of daily chores around the farm, he jumped onto a tractor pulling a rye wicker, an implement used to eradicate grassy rye weeds sticking up above his wheat crop, just like he had done the day before. This day, however, as he was driving through a ditch, his tractor suddenly rolled over on top of him.
“The second day that I was driving the rye wicker, I was coming out of a ditch, and it flipped over on me,”
John said. “It was very light in the front end, and since I was seat belted in, I had nowhere to go. It pinned me underneath.”
By sheer grace, John was not alone that day. A friend witnessed the accident unfold, but out on the farm where cell service fades, there was no quick way to call 9-1-1. Unable to move the tractor himself, his friend raced to contact the local co-op, relying on others to finally get the emergency call through.
Then, as if placed there at just the right moment, two teenage boys came upon the scene. Without hesitation, they ran toward the wreckage, joining John’s friend in a desperate effort to save him.
“Those two boys shouldn’t have been there,” John said. “They were definitely sent by God.”
Together, the three of them worked against time and fear, unbuckling John and lifting the weight of the tractor off him.
“I remember one of the boys saying, ‘I’m slipping, I’m slipping, you have to hurry,’” John said. “If they had put the tractor back on me again, that would have been it.”
The accident broke John’s back at the T12 vertebrae, along with five ribs. While in the hospital for two months, doctors fused his spine back together, resulting in partial paralysis for John.
After being released from the hospital, John began rehabilitation, where he was introduced to his first outreach program, AgrAbility, a nationwide project to help enhance the quality of life for farmers, ranchers and other agricultural workers with disabilities. Then, John
Meet Max Max
BREED
Border Collie
5 years old AGE Working cattle,
HOBBIES
was introduced to his second outreach program: Max.
Max came to John through the program Pharm Dog USA, which he was introduced to during his time serving in the Oklahoma State House of Representatives for Oklahoma’s House District 41 from 2008 to 2018.
Pharm Dog USA is a program with the mission of supporting farmers with disabilities by providing highly trained farm and service dogs equipped to assist with everyday tasks. These service dogs can help manage livestock, retrieve dropped tools, open gate latches, carry buckets, provide stability for those who need it and even seek help in emergency situations.
Once John learned about Pharm Dog USA, he also discovered that receiving a farm service dog of his own would not be a quick process.
Max was donated to the program where he then began “pup” training for a year. From there, Max then needed to be trained for the specific tasks he would need to help John.
“The trainers asked me what my needs were, and I told them, ‘I have cattle that get out, and they sometimes are places I can’t go,’” John said. “So, I told them I need a dog that will get cattle in, and then also help me get them into the corral.
“They also asked me if I needed him to do anything else like pick things up for me. So, they trained him to pick things up. When I drop my phone under the pickup, Max crawls under there and gets it for me.”
After two years of dedicated pup training and specialized farm service dog preparation, Max was finally ready for the moment everyone had been working toward. With miles of experience behind him, he made the long-awaited trip to the Enns family farm and ranch near Enid.
Yet, bringing Max home was not simply the end of his training journey, it was also the beginning of a new one for the Enns family.
"It's like he can almost read my mind."
John Enns
Welcoming a service dog into their daily lives meant learning alongside Max, understanding his cues, trusting his instincts and adjusting their routines to fully embrace the partnership. It was not just about what Max could do for them, but how they could work together as a team. In many ways, the learning went both directions, building a bond rooted in patience and trust.
Along with Max came a book of his commands, which John and his family needed to learn as well.
“The trainer worked with us to make sure that we knew what Max was supposed to do,” John said.
Over the course of two years, what began as training grew into a deep bond built on trust and loyalty, with Max stepping into his role as John’s steady right-hand man.
From sunup to sundown, Max is rarely far from John’s side. Whether he is helping round up cows in the pasture, checking cattle or assisting John with feeding, he works with an instinctive understanding of what is needed from him, offering not just help, but also constant companionship along the way.
“During the winter when I have cattle out on the wheat, I’ll rotate them on and off to eat,” John said. “I’ll
just send Max out there, and he will round them up and run them all out for me.”
However, Max is not just a working dog. Beyond the long days in the field and the jobs he faithfully carries out, he is a constant presence at the Enns family home. He is there in the quiet moments, in the laughter and in the comfort that only a loyal companion can provide. Max is not defined solely by the work he does, but also by the bond he shares.
“He has bonded very well with the family,” said Charla Enns, John’s wife. “He’s become the referee with our other two dogs. He has that black-andwhite coat and typically something in his mouth that looks like a whistle, so he looks the part, too.”
Like with John, Max has also forged a deep bond with the couple’s daughter, Brynley.
“My favorite thing about Max is how he is so helpful with my dad,” Brynley said. “He also can have a side where he loves to go and play with his sisters and me and just run around and enjoy the farm.”
In mid-2025, for the eighth year, the American Farm Bureau Federation opened their application for the 2026 Farm Dog of the Year, an award that recognizes farm dogs and the many ways they support our farmers and ranchers. It is a celebration of the loyal, hardworking dogs who stand beside farmers and ranchers through it all.
“I didn’t know about the contest,” John said. “It was Max’s trainer who
sent it to us and said ‘You guys have a really smart dog. He could win.’”
Encouraged by Max’s trainer, the Enns family chose to apply for the award, confident in the difference Max had already made in their lives.
The family waited for the call from AFBF to learn if their beloved farm hand and family member had been chosen for the award. Then, out of nearly 100 contenders, the family finally got the call that Max had been selected.
“The first time they called me, they said, ‘We don’t know exactly yet, but he is one of the top dogs,’” John said. “Then, when they finally called me and said that Max had won, we were just ecstatic.”
Max had won the coveted 2026 Farm Dog of the Year, with the family
receiving $5,000, a trophy plate, a year’s supply of Purina Pro-Plan dog food and other Purina products. Yet for the Enns family, the prizes pale in comparison to the reward of having Max by their side.
“I think it is great that Max is being recognized because of the work that everyone put in along the way,” John said. “Farm dogs put in and the trainer puts in. Max is just so smart. It is like he can almost read my mind.”
Max’s recent rise to celebrity status is not anything new for the Enns family. Around town, he is more than just a farm dog, he is a familiar face who brings a little extra joy wherever he goes.
At the local Atwood’s store, he is known for his routine of resting his paws on the checkout counter,
patiently waiting for a treat. His presence is just as well-known at the local bank and pharmacy. But perhaps most special of all, Max makes his daily trip to Brynley’s elementary school, showing up to pick her up, turning what is an ordinary part of the day into something that is a little more meaningful.
Even though he works hard at his job working cattle and helping John, Max can be seen truly enjoying the time he spends with his family the most. From catching the frisbee to traveling through the “portal” Brynley made and from playing hideand-seek to running along the hay bales, Max’s true personality shines with his family.
From the fields he works in to the locals knows him by name, Max’s story is one of loyalty, purpose and heart. What began as a trained service farm dog has grown into something far greater. Whether he is by John’s side on the ranch or waiting with a wagging tail at the end of a school day, Max has proven that his impact goes far beyond the tasks he performs.
“He is definitely a big part of the family.” Charla said. “We just don’t know what we would do without him.”
Farm Dog of the Year contest, which comes with cash prizes and bragging rights. This is the eighth year of the contest, supported by Nestlé Purina PetCare, which celebrates farm dogs and the many ways they support farmers and ranchers.
The grand prize winner – Farm Bureau's Farm Dog of the Year – wins a year’s worth of Purina Pro Plan dog food and $5,000 in prize money. The winner is also recognized at the Farm Dog of the Year award ceremony at the annual American Farm Bureau Convention held every January.
SCAN THE QR CODE TO WATCH AFBF'S FARM DOG OF THE YEAR RECOGNITION VIDEO FOR THE ENNS FAMILY
You can learn more about Pharm Dog USA and how you can help support their mission at okfb.news/PHARMDogUSA
next level Leadership
to the Macy Strom has long known the power of Farm Bureau on the local level, and now she is using her grassroots county experience to promote agriculture around her region and state on the OKFB state board.
Washington County Farm Bureau member Macy Strom has spent her entire life involved in agriculture, watching hard work and dedication blossom into growth and progress.
From building her family’s ranch alongside her husband, John, and their children to investing in Oklahoma’s agriculture community through Farm Bureau, Macy’s dedication to agriculture and her fellow agriculturalists has driven her to take an active roll in her local community.
Now, Macy is once again answering the call to service as she steps into the role of OKFB’s new district nine state director.
Macy grew up in the town of Pawhuska in northeastern Oklahoma’s Osage County where her family lived on 40 acres. The childhood experience of being around cattle, horses, chickens, pigs and more – combined with her involvement in 4-H – gave Macy a strong love for agriculture and livestock.
Her time in 4-H also connected her with John when the two were teenagers. While their families had ties in the area and the two had known each other off and on throughout their early years, a 4-H dance led to dating, marriage and building a family together.
While still in college at Oklahoma State University, a parcel of land came up for sale near the location where John had grown up.
Mielke
With the help of John’s father, the couple purchased their first 360 acres and began their own agricultural journey. Throughout the years, the Stroms have added on to their ranch, which now includes pastures, hay meadows and fields. Today, the couple has a 700-head cow/calf herd that they raise in the Caney River bottom below Hulah Dam.
John and Macy raised two children in and around agriculture. Their daughter, April, now lives in Tulsa and continues to be a Farm Bureau member. Their son, Judd, ranches nearby, living in the house where John himself grew up, in addition to serving in the Oklahoma House of Representatives representing Oklahoma’s 10th house district, which spans portions of Nowata, Osage and Washington counties.
The call to become a Farm Bureau leader came in the late 1990s when Macy was asked to join the Washington County Farm Bureau board. The family had been Farm Bureau members in Washington County since the 1970s, and Macy stepped into a leadership role as a county Farm Bureau board member where she discovered an opportunity help connect fellow farmers and ranchers with opportunities to be a voice for agriculture.
“There were all these avenues for getting involved, serving in leadership positions and promoting agriculture in the state along with
Story and photos by Dustin
Macy and John Strom
the opportunity to have some some legislative involvement,” Macy said.
A spot on the county Farm Bureau board turned into an opportunity to serve as president of Washington County Farm Bureau, a position she has held for more than 20 years.
“To me it is worth it because I can travel around the state and bring ideas back,” Macy said. “That’s the first thing we do when I get back, John and I sit down and talk about what I learned or what is happening that he might be interested in. I feel like it is worth that trip to keep the information flow coming to our counties up in this area.”
After decades of promoting agriculture and Farm Bureau both in Washington and Osage counties and at numerous Farm Bureau events around the state, Macy decided to run for a seat on the OKFB state board to represent the nine county Farm Bureaus that comprise OKFB’s 9th district.
She was elected to serve on the state board by fellow district OKFB members at OKFB’s 2025 annual meeting in Oklahoma City.
As a state Farm Bureau director, Macy said her aim to foster involvement in the organization and connect members of the agriculture community will not change, but will expand to the entire district and beyond.
“I want to make sure that everyone is informed about all the programs and leadership opportunities that Farm Bureau has to offer,” Macy said. “I also want everybody to know that they have a voice and that you are as much of a member with five cows and a garden tractor, as long as you’re involved in production agriculture.
“You have a voice, and it’s a very important voice. I want to make sure people know they can get involved and help Farm Bureau and agriculture grow.”
Macy said the power of Farm Bureau comes from working together as farmers and ranchers to speak up for agriculture and rural Oklahoma. Her involvement has taught Macy that the opportunity to be an advocate comes from taking an active role in the organization.
“If you are in ag, you need to be involved in Farm Bureau because Farm Bureau is the largest voice for agriculture in the state of Oklahoma,” Macy said. “There are great people at our state office who are working both for us and with us to offer programs that advocate for agriculture. The opportunities to meet your legislators and meet your government officials combined with the programs you can get involved in can all help you with your operation and help agriculture as a whole.”
For the Strom family, the importance of involvement in Farm Bureau centers on their love for agriculture and the desire to build something better for the future.
“There is so much you can accomplish and grow, like how we started with 360 acres, then transformed our place into what it is today,” Macy said. “It’s just the growth potential and the part that you feel like you are doing something for others when really you’re getting a lot of enjoyment, and you get to live out here like we do.
“I just encourage everybody to find what you love doing, and you’ll love doing it every day. That’s agriculture for us.”
“You have a voice, and it’s a very important voice. I want to make sure people know they can get involved and help Farm Bureau and agriculture grow.”
— Macy Strom
Loads of
Oklahoma's agricultural community rushes in to help fellow farmers and ranchers after catastrophic fires.
hope
In the wee morning hours of Feb.
26, Dustin Butler and a crew of fellow farmers, ranchers and truck drivers gathered near the OklahomaArkansas border to fire up their diesel engines and head westward with a precious load.
The convoy of 10 semis rolled onto the highway in eastern Oklahoma’s Adair County headed west to deliver hope and relief in the form of more than 300 round bales of hay.
“We had heard and seen footage about these fires, and my brother and my uncle started asking what might be able to be done,” Dustin said. “There was some discussion about trying to help out and bring some hay this direction for our ranching neighbors. And then people started coming out of the woodwork donating hay, donating equipment and trying to help in any way possible. We get to be the beneficiaries here to do the trucking and bring it out here to help these folks in some way.”
The delivery was just one of numerous journeys made by farmers, ranchers and caring distant neighbors who brought hay and supplies to agricultural producers and local communities affected by the Ranger
Road fire. The fire swept across portions of Beaver, Harper and Woods counties in Oklahoma and into southwestern Kansas after the first flames ignited on Feb. 17.
By the time the fire was fully contained on Feb. 24, it had burned 283,283 acres and reduced what previously had been rolling grazing land covered with waving grass to charred sticks and bare soil.
Fourth-generation rancher and Beaver County Farm Bureau board member Meridith Lemaster’s Maple YL ranch was in the middle of the fire. Lemaster said she lost livestock and several structures, including a building that housed calving cattle when the fire came through. She said that the ranch also lost around 90% of its grazable acres.
Butler and several other trucks from the convoy delivered the much-needed hay to Lemaster’s ranch. As load after load of donated hay was lined up along the barren, wind-swept ground, each bale brought with it a little bit of hope for Lemaster and other area ranchers.
“I can’t thank these people enough,” Lemaster said. “They’ve come from everywhere. I have talked to people from Ohio. I have talked to people
from Indiana and Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas. People have donated hay, people donate their trucks and people are donating their time to drive here. It’s just a tremendous outpouring of love, and we really appreciate it.”
Dustin Butler’s uncle, Steve, traveled to the area impacted by fire on Feb. 23 when the fire was around 90% contained to provide immediate relief by dropping off not only hay, but also a truck and trailer for area ranchers to use in the days following the fire.
Steve spent a few days working with area ranchers and community leaders delivering hay from drop-off points to ranches where the hay was needed. He said that he was shocked to see the bleak reality the fire had left behind as he drove across vast ranches that had almost no grazable grass left.
“I was just shocked to see the devastation,” Steve said. “We would drive through the middle of a 15,000acre ranch and felt like we were on the moon – it wiped everything out. It was a humbling experience for us.”
In a region where grazing cattle on vast grasslands is the longtime ranching tradition, Lemaster said the
Story and photos by Dustin Mielke
hay donations will the be main — if not the only — source of feed that will sustain the ranch’s herd until the grass returns to the sand hills that surround the ranch headquarters. She said the time needed to grow grass suitable for grazing will be measured in months rather than days or weeks.
“It will take a significant length of time,” Lemaster said of the recovery. “Even though it will turn green with rains and we will get grass, it will be new grass, and we would be damaging ourselves if we put cattle on that grass right away. We have to let it get established.
“I would say it will take six to nine months before we can even consider (grazing).”
Both Dustin and Steve said the hay donations from eastern Oklahoma were the result of numerous farmers and ranchers banding together to help their neighbors in need.
“The bottom line is that eastern Oklahoma cares,” Steve said. “That’s the kind of people we are. The culture here is if the neighbor needs you, you help. It just so happens that the neighbors are in western Oklahoma.”
“Farming and ranching is a community, even if it is nationwide,”
Dustin said. “We just hope the hay we are bringing today can help in some way bring a little breath of fresh air, maybe lift spirits a little bit for these people who have been affected by this and in some way just be a little bit of help for them.
“We pray for them. We feel like it is the right thing to do, it’s the scriptural way. We are called to help our neighbors, to love our neighbors, and we want to do that. We want to help in any way possible.”
With the smoke cleared and the seasons changing, the road to full recovery will take time, good rains and an ongoing community effort.
Even in mid-March, Steve Butler still had the fire victims on his mind as he planned to organize additional loads of hay to be delivered into April to ensure the fire-affected ranchers can sustain their cattle herds until the growing season provides the moisture, sunlight and time to grow the vegetation necessary for grazing.
“We’re chicken farmers, but we’re also ranchers,” Steve said. “You just don’t want to see fellow Oklahomans hurting. It’s not just us, it’s a whole community, and our whole community wants to help when we see disaster.”
Donate to Oklahoma Fire Relief Efforts
The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture is collecting donations to help rural Oklahomans affected by devastating wildfires that swept across parts of Oklahoma in early 2026. Donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar with the foundation, OKFB and OKFB Insurance each matching up to $10,000 for a total donation match of up to $30,000.
Scan this QR code or follow the link below to learn how to donate
(Above) Meridith LeMaster (center) stands in front of the Historic Maple YL Ranch Barn with ranch hands Brian Watts (Left) and Carrie Watts (right) who worked tirelessly through the fire.
(Above) one of the 10 loads of hay delivered on Feb. 26 winds its way through fire-scarred pastures on the Maple YL Ranch near Beaver.
(Above) The convoy that delivered hay to the Oklahoma panhandle and southwest Kansas pauses for a moment along the route.
helping Offering a hand
A Q&A with
Mark Martens Agri Placements
Agri Placements is Oklahoma Farm Bureau's newest member benefit, providing members with access to international options for critical labor needs through the H-2A guest worker visa program.
From recruiting workers to navigating the governmental program and meeting all compliance requirements, Agri Placements is an Oklahoma-based company helping meet agriculture's labor needs.
Oklahoma Farm Bureau's newest member benefit partner helps members find temporary, seasonal labor through the H-2A guest worker program.
Q:
What is Agri Placements?
We are a company that assists America’s agricultural employers in processing through the H-2A temporary work visa program in an effort to obtain temporary workers from other countries for their operation.
Q:
What types of farms, ranches and agricultural operations do you serve as clients?
While we are located here in Fairview, Oklahoma, we have customers in about 45 states spanning from Oregon to California, from Florida to Maine, and essentially everywhere in between.
We help provide guest worker labor solutions to a wide array of agricultural operations including row-crop farms, livestock producers, specialty-crop farms, cotton gins, custom harvesters and even beekeepers.
The farmers, ranchers and agricultural businesses we help range from the typical types of farms and ranches we have here in Oklahoma to very unique operations.
Q:
Why does agriculture need access to guest workers from other countries?
The key to the H-2A process is that if there are qualified U.S. workers available, businesses
have to hire them. There is an obligation to try to find domestic workers first, if possible, but the reality is that a sufficient supply of able U.S. workers does not exist, which is why operators turn to H-2A.
It is really critical to identify that in order to use H-2A, there are three non-negotiables. One is that the need has to be seasonal or temporary. Next, it has to be agricultural work as defined by the internal revenue code or the Fair Labor Standards Act, and then there has to be a lack of available U.S. workers.
If you do not meet those three criteria, you cannot use H-2A workers. For every H-2A job order, the U.S. Department of Labor requires the employer to solicit and advertise for U.S. workers, which are processes we assist with. It is well documented that there are not U.S. workers available to do these jobs, and that is why the H-2A program is the labor solution that agriculture relies upon in the first place.
Q:
How does Agri Placements help agricultural operations and businesses looking to hire workers?
There are basically five governmental a gencies involved in the H-2A process, so there is a lot of potential for confusion and delay. Ultimately, we help people get through that process because we know how it is done.
I think of it like filing taxes: you can file your own taxes if you want to, but unless you are
Some of the Agri Placements team members
experienced
specialized in that area, it probably makes sense to partner with a service provider.
That’s what we are for H-2A; we know how to get the job done. We have connections to recruiting partners, and we currently have around 30 recruiters we work with. Getting through the process is one thing, but getting access to workers is another thing.
Once someone finds the right kind of worker or workers, we assist with compliance. H-2A is a governmental program, and it comes with many compliance requirements, and we assist with that. We also have access to technology and tools that can enable an H-2A employer to make the process as seamless as possible.
OKFB member and Agri Placements customer Clint Wilcox (right) discusses the H-2A program at the Agri Placements office in Fairview.
federal minimum wage, the agreed-upon collective bargaining wage or the adverse effect wage rate.
You also have to provide housing at no cost to the workers, and it has to be free and convenient housing.
You must provide transportation from the worker’s home in their home country to your operation and then back to their home once they complete the contract with you.
And then you have to have workers' compensation insurance for not only the H-2A employees you contract, but also for all your domestic employees.
There are numerous other obligations in addition to those, but those are the ones that have a financial impact.
The H-2A guest worker visa program provides seasonal, temporary labor to farms, ranches and other agricultural operations when domestic workers are not available.
If someone is looking for a specific type of worker for a specialized type of operation or farm, can Agri Placements help with those needs?
Our recruiter partners that we work with have specialized areas that they focus in. We will look at what a customer’s need is and then connect them with a recruiter that will be able to assist them in sourcing workers not only from the right country, but also workers with the right kind of skills or background the customer needs.
Q:
What sort of requirements exist for t he H-2A program that farmers, ranchers or other agricultural operations need to be aware of? Q:
Being a governmental program with regulations and compliance requirements, there are numerous obligations that H-2A employers have. However, there are four main obligations that impact you financially.
One is that when you participate in the H-2A program as an employer, you agree to pay minimum wages. You agree to pay at least the highest minimum wage of either the state or
Q:
What member benefit does Agri Placements offer to our Oklahoma Farm Bureau members?
Farm Bureau members receive $100 off every H-2A job filing they place with us with no limit on the number of filings they place. From there, they get access to all our services from recruitment to compliance to our software package that helps employers stay in compliance and have complete transparency.
Q:
How can Farm Bureau members get started with Agri Placements?
We are passionate about being easy to get a hold of, and we are passionate about customers always getting a response from us. We have one phone number and one email address to get in touch with us. Farm Bureau members can call us at (580) 227-4747 or email us at office@agri-placements.com . Members can also visit our website, which is agri-placements.com , to learn more about our services and how we can help them with their labor needs.
315,328
1 Mexico
Agri Placements has an
staff who can help navitage agricultural producers through the multi-faceted H-2A guest worker program.
Merrit Martens helps sort files at the familyfocused business.
Our mission
The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Foundation for agriculture works to connect consumers with accurate information about their food and Oklahoma’s agriculture community while supporting our fellow agriculturalists in times of need.
Directed by grassroots Farm Bureau leaders and supporters from around Oklahoma's agriculture community, we share the positive story of agriculture with Oklahomans from all walks of life to ensure that both current and future generations of our state’s residents understand the critically important role that farmers and ranchers play in our everyday lives.
AGRICULTURE
The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture year in 2025. From our new large-animal veterinarian scholarship to our sustained dedication to teaching students about agriculture, we are proud of the work we have accomplished with the help of our donors, supporters and partner organizations. These pages contain just a sample of the numerous projects, eforts and initiatives the foundation took on to promote agriculture and build connections with consumers during 2025.
Bushels for BooksWatermelon contest
Bushels for Books places accurate agriculture books in Oklahoma classrooms. A collaborative efort with the OKFB Women’s Leadership Committee, Bushels for Books awarded 11 Oklahoma educators with baskets full of books and classroom resources focusing on agriculture. In addition, each educator who applied for the program received an accurate agriculture book to enhance the program’s reach.
100 schools
received a total of
385 books
Our annual watermelon growing contest is a fun, hands-on way for Oklahoma second-grade students to learn how their food is grown while experiencing the ups and downs of food production. The program provides packets of watermelon seeds for students to plant, encouraging them to get their hands in the soil and become active participants in the food value system as they learn gardening and agricultural basics.
200+
schools
reached with the agricultural experience
New in 2025: Large-animal veterinarian scholarship
The foundation awarded its inaugural large-animal veterinarian scholarship to Jacob Fuller, an Oklahoma State University veterinary medicine alumnus who is now serving the agriculture community in the Hugo area as a veterinarian at River Valley Vet Clinic.
The foundation ofers one $15,000 scholarship to a student studying veterinary medicine at OSU, the state’s only school of veterinary medicine, and who has intentions of working as a large-animal veterinarian in Oklahoma. The aim of the scholarship is to support veterinary medicine students who will support farmers, ranchers and rural communities as veterinarians, while addressing a shortage of the critically important practitioners.
Hunger Challenge
The FFA Hunger Challenge helps provide critically important protein sticks for Oklahoma children facing food insecurity while encouraging the next generation of Oklahoma agriculturalists to share our state’s agricultural bounty with our neighbors in need. The program challenges FFA members to make cash and animal donations to sustain the Pork for Packs and Beef for Backpacks programs throughout the year.
320,000
protein sticks created
221$9,965
hogs donateddonated by schools
“I began shadowing a
rural
mixed-animal veterinarian and learned what large-animal medicine was and what all it entailed, and I fell in love with it.”
The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture is funded by donations from across Oklahoma’s agriculture community and beyond. Help us extend our reach for the good of agriculture, our rural communities and the future of all Oklahomans.
2025 grant programs
The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture provides a wide array of grants to community organizations, schools and county Farm Bureaus to help accomplish our mission of connecting consumers with Oklahoma’s agriculture community.
No SQ On Outpriced& 832
Outpaced
Oklahoma’s farmers and ranchers are used to working long hours and putting in extra effort during critical times of the year.
From planting to harvesting and from calving season to shipping livestock, the “sunup to sundown” –and beyond – lifestyle is interwoven into agriculture.
For our state’s agriculturalists who employ fellow Oklahomans to help manage farms or ranches, care for livestock, run equipment or help out in other ways, having employees who can work long hours when the season or job demands is crucial to keep Oklahoma agriculture productive when timing matters.
However, a proposed state question seeking to change Oklahoma’s minimum wage and associated laws would not only affect businesses of every type, but it would also remove critical exemptions that Oklahoma’s farmers and ranchers rely upon to ensure food, fuel and fiber is planted and harvested at just the right time.
Oklahoma voters will decide the fate of State Question 832 during Oklahoma’s June 16, 2026, primary election. It will be the only state question appearing on the primary ballot alongside a long list of political office hopefuls.
minimum wage in Oklahoma would be tied to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI-W price index, aligning the state’s minimum wage with federal inflation data, taking control of future minimum wage increases out of the hands of Oklahomans.
THE IMPACT ON FAMILY FARMERS AND RANCHERS
While the surface-level effects of SQ 832 may seem plain and simple, Oklahoma family farms would lose long-standing protections that exempt them from paying overtime wages and exempt them from paying minimum wage.
“This state question is written in a way that would not only more than double the minimum wage in our state within two years of being approved, but then farmers and ranchers would have to pay overtime on that minimum wage,” said OKFB President Stacy Simunek.
OKLAHOMA SQ 832 PROPOSES A STATE MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE TO OKLAHOMA VOTERS, BUT IT COMES WITH STRINGS – AND DEVASTATING UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES – ATTACHED.
SQ 832 seeks to raise Oklahoma’s minimum wage in four phases beginning in 2027. Hiding under the promise of a higher minimum wage, however, is the removal of overtime and youth worker exemptions for agricultural operations.
The minimum wage increase that the measure proposes would raise the minimum wage in Oklahoma from the current federal minimum of $7.25 per hour to $12 per hour in 2027 with two more increases following in 2028 and 2029. From 2030 onward, the
“We are all about paying our employees fairly, but these new laws would exponentially increase farm labor costs during important times of the year when farmers and their work crews are in the field for 12 to 16 hours, or more, when a crop has to be harvested or when livestock have to be monitored. It takes away flexibility we have as ag producers along with the flexibility we can offer our employees in the off-season.”
SQ 832 would also mean that high school and college students would be entitled to the increased minimum wage and overtime pay.
“Working on a farm is a rite of passage in many rural communities where high schoolers and college students learn the value of hard work and a strong work ethic that makes them valuable as employees
throughout their entire lives,” Simunek said. “As we teach these important lessons on the farm, paying a $15 per hour – or higher – minimum wage in addition to overtime pay prices our young people out of these opportunities.
“At a time when our agricultural input costs are skyrocketing, adding huge wage increases would threaten the sustainability of our family farms and ranches.”
THE COST TO CONSUMERS
SQ 832 would raise the minimum wage in Oklahoma across the board, and the State Chamber of Oklahoma estimates the increased wage requirements would hit eight out of 10 small businesses as the minimum wage would more than double by 2028, compared to today’s current minimum wage.
The impact on small businesses could call into question whether or not
a local store or shop can stay open.
Even for businesses that can sustain the sharp increase in wages, the real cost will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices. Oklahoma families have already faced years of inflationary pressure with everything from food staples to business supplies seeing steady price increases.
While the minimum wage increase may look attractive for entry-level wage earners, the initial wage increase SQ 832 outlines will eventually transition to a steady upward march tied to a federal price index. The linking of minimum wage in Oklahoma to the federal CPI-W index raises concerns that the most vulnerable Oklahomans could stand to lose their jobs as businesses facing rising wage costs could move to simply cut positions, automate tasks or restructure their business operations in an effort to stay viable.
“We would hate to see Oklahomans once again be pinched between rising
SQ 832 as it will appear on the June ballot
“ “
costs of daily necessities such as g roceries and then face losing their jobs due to skyrocketing labor costs due to SQ 832,” Simunek said. “While SQ 832 might look like the saving grace of workers, it really stands to cut them off at the knees by pricing them out of the job market.”
THE REAL SOLUTION
OKFB leaders believe the real solution is working with the state legislature to address Oklahoma’s minimum wage to ensure it is meeting the needs of Oklahomans without tying the state’s minimum wage to a federal price index that does not take into account local and regional price differences or job markets.
OKFB encourages Oklahomans to vote “no” on SQ 832, which stands to cost the very people who it purportedly seeks to help their jobs and their ability to afford a future in the state of Oklahoma.
This measure amends the Oklahoma Minimum Wage Act ("OMWA") under the Oklahoma Statutes to increase the state minimum wage. Employers must pay employees at least $9 per hour beginning in 2025, increasing $1.50 annually for a final rate of $15 per hour in 2029. Beginning in 2030 and continuing indefinitely, the minimum wage would automatically increase annually based on the increase in the cost of living, if any, as measured by the U.S. Department of Labor's Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers; the minimum wage increase would continue with any successor agency or index. Such increase would also not require approval from Congress or the Oklahoma Legislature. This measure eliminates several exemptions in the current OMWA, including the exemptions for employers subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act; part-time employees; certain students and individuals under age 18; farm and agricultural workers; domestic service workers; newspaper vendors or carriers; and feedstore employees. Effectively, eliminating these exemptions results in current employees not covered by the OMWA now being entitled to the minimum wage. The measure also repeals title 40, section 197.5.
Federal and state employees will not be covered under the OMWA. Volunteers; employers with ten or fewer employees and grossing $100,000 or less; some employees of carriers engaged in interstate commerce; employees working in a bona fide executive, administrative, or professional capacity; outside salesmen; and reserve deputy sheriffs will remain excluded from the OMWA's coverage. Because counties, municipalities, and school districts are not excluded, a fiscal impact on the State will result, possibly necessitating in a revenue increase by new taxes or elimination of existing services. The measure will be effective the January 1 following approval and will not apply retroactively.
WHAT SQ 832 really does
Removes long-standing exemptions for agricultural producers, who will face sharp increases in labor costs
Hits small businesses all across our state with dramatic cost increases
Ties Oklahoma’s future minimum wage to a federal price index, taking control of our state’s minimum wage out of the hands of Oklahomans
Increases costs consumers will pay when already facing sharp price increases for necessities
Negatively impact the availability of jobs for entry-level workers and our youth
Oklahoma Farm Bureau urges a “NO” vote on SQ 832 in the June 16, 2026, Oklahoma primary election.
klahoma Farm Bureau hosted a variety of activities and events for the organization’s grassroots members to learn, grow and celebrate Oklahoma agriculture and Farm Bureau through a full slate of events during the 2026 Leadership Week in Oklahoma City Feb. 16-17.
YF&R Leadership Conference
The week kicked off with OKFB’s first-ever Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Conference at Innovation Hall on Monday, Feb. 16, where more than 30 YF&R and Collegiate Farm Bureau members met to develop their leadership skills through the event’s multiple breakout sessions and guest speakers.
Attendees began the day participating in ice-breaker games to learn more about each other and develop their communication skills. They also heard from OKFB’s Economic Development Coordinator, Amarie Bartel, on how to construct their own Farm Bureau elevator pitch.
The afternoon introduced members on how to use parliamentary procedure in their county Farm Bureaus with Alisen Anderson, how to navigate difficult conversation in agriculture with Oklahoma State University’s Lauren Cline and walked through media training exercises with the Oklahoma Ag Network’s Ron Hays.
Ag Defense Fundraiser
Later that evening, more than 100 OKFB members and guests gathered for the thirdannual Ag Defense Fundraiser, which raises funds for OKFB’s agricultural advocacy work to protect family farmers, ranchers and Oklahoma’s agricultural industry from challenges and attacks that seek to add unnecessary restrictions or burdens to the way farmers and ranchers grow or raise food.
OKLAHOMA FARM
The evening was highlighted by a Q&A with Gov. Kevin Stitt, moderated by OKFB President Stacy Simunek. During the Q&A, Stitt spoke about his time in office and answered questions about challenges facing the agriculture industry, notable wins from his administration, legal challenges in the state and his vision for the future of Oklahoma after he wraps up his final year in office.
Stitt shared his optimism about Oklahoma’s future, emphasizing the state’s family-centric atmosphere and reasonable cost of living, and expressed his concern for statewide challenges like the ongoing poultry lawsuit in eastern Oklahoma and the McGirt Supreme Court decision.
Members also enjoyed a cocktail hour and dinner earlier in the evening to fellowship with other Farm Bureau members and industry leaders in the state.
FARM BUREAU
OKFB Leadership Conference
OKFB members capped off the leadership trifecta with the organization’s annual leadership conference on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
More than 150 members had the opportunity to learn from industry leaders and fellowship with other Farm Bureau members and state legislators during the one-day event as they honed their leadership skills and received updates on several top issues facing agriculture.
The conference kicked off with an update on the Make America
Healthy Again initiative with Corteva’s Warren Mayberry and John Campbell of the Southern Crop Production Association. Mayberry and Campbell explained the details of the 2025 MAHA report and the implications of restricted agricultural pesticides, including glyphosate, which are under attack by the movement.
Johnna Miller from the American Farm Bureau Federation continued the MAHA discussion with simple and practical tools that farmers and ranchers can use to come alongside the MAHA initiative and tell the agriculture story through social media and more. Miller also emphasized the importance of building trust in farmers both as individuals and neighbors.
During lunch, Sen. Casey Murdock and Rep. Kenton Patzkowsky gave a legislative update, and Rep. David Hardin gave members a briefing on the ongoing poultry lawsuit in eastern Oklahoma.
Megan Langley, a poultry producer and Adair County Farm Bureau member, also shared her story amidst the legal challenges against Oklahoma’s poultry industry.
Langley grows for Simmons Foods, a named defendant in the decades-old State of Oklahoma v. Tyson Foods, Inc., et al., lawsuit, and she and her family stand to lose their contract with the poultry integrator in May if the issue is not resolved.
Kylee Deniz of the Oklahoma Pork Council presented on a new coalition to provide accurate agriculture information to consumers, and OKFB’s Dustin Mielke conducted a communications training on how to effectively share the agriculture story and how to handle calls from the news media.
OKFB members also had the chance to hear from a panel of Oklahoma’s legislative leaders, including Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, Senate democratic leader Julia Kirt, and House minority leader Cyndi Munson.
Members rounded out an action-packed day with a legislative reception to visit with state lawmakers and thank them for their work at the state Capitol to support agriculture and rural Oklahoma.
OKFB members share the agriculture story and advocate for Farm Bureau during 2026 Washington, D.C., Summit
More than 50 Oklahoma Farm Bureau members descended on Washington, D.C., to share the story of agriculture during OKFB’s 2026 Washington, D.C., Summit March 23-26 in the nation’s capital.
Members kicked off the trip on Monday evening with a reception and a spectacular view of the Potomac River where they were joined by several legislative staffers from Oklahoma’s congressional delegation.
Tuesday included a morning of briefings from industry experts from American Farm Bureau like RJ Layher, who visited with members about several top policy issues for AFBF, including a new poultry insurance pilot program, the New World Screwworm threat and the potential impacts of California’s Proposition 12. AFBF’s Brian Glenn gave an update on the farm bill and E15 fuel, and Dave Salmonsen gave members an agricultural trade update.
Jimmy Emmons, OKFB member and
assistant chief of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, visited with members at the USDA office about his time with NRCS and some of the department’s initiatives.
The third day of the trip was highlighted by visits on Capitol Hill with all seven members of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation. Farm Bureau members heard updates from each lawmaker on top agriculture issues in Washington, including farm bill progress, government appropriations and spending, crop insurance and disaster relief, voter identification, the impacts of the conflict in Iran and more.
Members also had the pleasure of meeting Oklahoma’s newest member of the delegation, Sen. Alan Armstrong. Armstrong, who was appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt to fill Markwayne Mullin’s unexpired Senate seat after Mullin was appointed as Homeland Security secretary, spoke
with members about his top legislative priorities only hours after being sworn in to the U.S. Senate.
The day was capped off by a special evening tour of the U.S. Capitol by Sen. James Lankford. Lankford led members through the building and shared its rich history that has been a central part of America’s history for more than 200 years.
Farm Bureau members also had the opportunity to tour the AFBF office on the last day of the trip and visited with AFBF staff about the resources the national organization has to offer state and county Farm Bureaus.
OKFB’s Washington, D.C., Summit serves as the organization’s annual fly-in held each spring to provide OKFB members with the opportunity to share their agricultural perspectives with Oklahoma’s congressional delegation while learning more about agricultural issues working through congress and regulatory agencies.
Sens. Alan Armstrong and James
Rep. Tom Cole
James Lankford
Rep. Frank Lucas
Rep. Josh Brecheen
Rep. Kevin Hern
AFBF Farm Bill issue briefing
USDA visit
Rep. Stephanie Bice
Farm Bureau women from around the state connected with state legislators and their staff over a meal to share the importance of Oklahoma agriculture.
The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee served nearly 600 meals during their annual Farm City Festival at the Oklahoma state Capitol, Thursday, Feb. 12.
WLC members shared the agriculture story with legislators during the group’s annual event that connects Farm Bureau women from around the state with state legislators and their staff.
“It is an honor to serve our state lawmakers and their staff at Farm City Festival,” said Mignon Bolay, OKFB WLC chair. “We are thankful for their support of rural Oklahoma and the agriculture industry, and we appreciate the opportunity to share the story of our state’s hardworking farmers and ranchers with them.”
WLC members hosted a lunch in the second-floor rotunda of the Capitol for legislators, their staff and Capitol employees to thank them for supporting policies that enable Oklahoma farmers and ranchers to continue providing food, fuel and fiber for a growing world.
The meal featured made-inOklahoma foods, which included dozens of home-baked desserts provided by county Farm Bureau members and nearly 60 loaves of bread baked fresh by OKFB Vice President David VonTungeln.
The meal was served to legislators, staff and guests by members of the state WLC committee along with 40 county WLC members from around the state.
The Farm Bureau women took the opportunity to visit with legislators as they came through the serving line and shared the important role agriculture plays in Oklahoma and how Farm Bureau supports family farmers and ranchers.
Farm Bureau’s grassroots voice at the Capitol
Each year, county Farm Bureau members make the trek from their local communities to Oklahoma City to visit their state legislators during Oklahoma’s legislative session. Stepping away from the day-to-day work and chores on their farms and ranches, they take on an important task to advocate for agriculture as they influence the grassroots policy positions they, and fellow Farm Bureau members, create and support. We asked a handful of county Farm Bureau members why they take the time to advocate for agriculture with a county Farm Bureau Capitol visit.
Richard Donaldson
Grant County Farm Bureau
Why do you find it important for Farm Bureau members to participate in county Capitol visits?
“I think coming to the Capitol for a visit, especially with Farm Bureau, it is really important to develop a personal relationship with our representatives and to be able to talk policy, procedures and items of interest that will help our community.”
Jim Meek
Okmulgee County Farm Bureau
As someone who has been an advocate at the Capitol for years, what feedback do you hear from legislators when you come to represent Farm Bureau?
“I have had individual after individual tell me when I’m at the Capitol that Farm Bureau does the best job at lobbying because every week they have new faces of Farm Bureau members here. That makes an impression on those local legislators because our members are their constituents, and legislators take the time to listen to them.”
Dillon Johnson
Ottawa County Farm Bureau
Why do you find it important for younger members to participate in their county’s Capitol visit?
“I understand the challenges of being able to take the time to visit the Capitol when you are an early career person or have small kids, but I think it is important for our young members to not only figure out how the legislature works, but also to build relationships with our elected officials. Legislators seem to be very receptive to young people because you just don’t see a lot of young people taking the time to visit the Capitol.”
Stacy Simunek
OKFB President, Kay County Farm Bureau
If a member or a county Farm Bureau has not been on a Capitol visit, what would you say to encourage them to schedule a trip?
“Participating in county Capitol visits is like working ground. If you want to get the perfect crop, you must cultivate it. If you are not coming to the Capitol, you are not cultivating that relationship with your legislators, and you aren’t going to get the results you want. That goes across the whole state. One county can’t do it for another — each county must do it for themselves. Each member needs to do it for themselves.”
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Interested in scheduling a county Farm Bureau Capitol visit?
Contact Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Public Policy department to set up a legislative visit for your county Farm Bureau members by calling (405) 523-2300.
OKFB members attend 2026 American Farm Bureau convention in Anaheim
ore than 70 Oklahoma Farm Bureau members traveled to Anaheim, California, for six days of action-packed sessions, competitions and more during the 2026 American Farm Bureau convention Jan. 9-14.
WLC activities and YF&R competitive events
The event kicked off with the annual meeting of AFBF women where OKFB Women’s Leadership Committee members represented Oklahoma in the business session.
WLC members also attended the AFBF women’s regional caucuses and a meet-and-greet breakfast with fellow Farm Bureau women from around the nation.
OKFB’s Young Farmers and Ranchers members represented Oklahoma in three AFBF YF&R competitive events held during convention.
Jacob and Chastity Beck of Logan County shared their agriculture story with judges as part of the Excellence in Agriculture competition. Austin Jackson of Payne County competed in two rounds of the YF&R Discussion Meet, and Chasen Doye of Comanche County represented Oklahoma in the YF&R Achievement Award competition, which recognizes agriculturalists ages 18-35 who earn a majority of their income from production agriculture.
Keynotes and breakouts
OKFB members attended the three convention general sessions where they heard from AFBF President Zippy Duvall and several keynote speakers and Farm Bureau guests, including U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and keynote speaker Tim Tebow.
During the general sessions, multiple OKFB members were recognized on stage. John, Charla and Brynley Enns of Garfield County were presented as the recipients of the 2026 Farm Dog of the Year award, honoring their dog, Max, from among nearly 100 contenders.
Tommy Salisbury of Tulsa County was recognized as the newly elected 2026 AFBF YF&R chair. He began his one-year term after the 2026 AFBF YF&R conference in March in Portland, Oregon.
Numerous breakout sessions were offered to Farm Bureau members including updates on the farm bill, tips for sharing the agriculture story with consumers, member engagement and more.
Rodd Moesel, Canadian County Farm Bureau member and past OKFB president, was featured as a panelist in the “Rural Development Drives Prosperous Communities” breakout session on Saturday, Jan. 10. During the session, Moesel joined Doug Steele, vice president of the
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, and Joby Young, executive vice president of AFBF, to explore the state of rural economic and business development across the country as well as the ongoing efforts of determined leaders and innovative entrepreneurs working to ensure rural America’s main streets continue to thrive.
County Activities of Excellence
Oklahoma’s Cherokee County Farm Bureau and Payne County Farm Bureau were each recognized with County Activities of Excellence Awards and hosted booths in the trade show to showcase their award-winning programs.
The counties were two of 24 counties nationwide recognized by AFBF for their commitment to offering quality programming to their counties to promote Farm Bureau and support their local agriculture communities.
Cherokee County Farm Bureau was recognized for their hay wrap take-back program, a competition between area schools to see who could collect the most hay net wrap. This competition provided an opportunity for students to get involved in agriculture while also helping clean up pastures. The participating schools submitted the amount of hay wrap they collected and Cherokee County Farm Bureau presented the top five schools with cash prizes.
Payne County Farm Bureau earned a CAE award for their block party, an event aimed to share the story of Farm Bureau and agriculture with their local community. In their second-annual outreach event, Payne County Farm Bureau welcomed more than 1,400 attendees with vendors, games and fun for the whole family.
This free event brought in both members and Payne County residents to the county Farm Bureau office, giving them a hands-on look at agriculture and Farm Bureau.
State Awards of Excellence
OKFB was also recognized for outstanding programs and achievement in 2025 with four American Farm Bureau State Awards of Excellence.
OKFB earned SAE awards in all four program areas: Advocacy, Coalitions & Partnerships, Engagement & Outreach and Leadership & Business Development.
Business sessions
The meeting concluded with the convention business session where farmers and ranchers from around the nation considered and voted on grassroots policy proposals to set the organization’s policy for the coming year. OKFB’s five delegates represented Oklahoma agriculture during the discussions, which hit upon issues ranging from agricultural labor to tax policy and from alternative energy production to trade.
During the business meetings, OKFB President Stacy Simunek was elected to a one-year term on the AFBF board of directors.
For more information on the 2026 AFBF convention, visit annualconvention.fb.org.
OKFB Women’s Leadership Committee members
Austin Jackson
Jacob & Chastity Beck
Cherokee County Farm Bureau
Payne County Farm Bureau
County Farm Bureaus celebrate Farm Bureau Week
County Farm Bureaus celebrated Farm Bureau Week Feb. 9-13 by sharing the programs and advocacy of Farm Bureau in their local communities. From county Farm Bureau office open houses to connecting with local 4-H and FFA members and
beyond, local Farm Bureau leaders took the opportunity to spread the Farm Bureau story, and the benefits of membership, across rural Oklahoma. Below are just a few ways that local leaders celebrated Farm Bureau in their communities.
NEO Collegiate Farm Bureau
Collegiate Farm Bureau connections
The Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Collegiate Farm Bureau chapter connected with Ottawa County Farm Bureau by visiting the Ottawa County office and delivering a cookie cake to commemorate Farm Bureau week. Pictured left to right are Carrie Miller, NEO Collegiate Farm Bureau member; Jadyn McDonald, NEO Collegiate Farm Bureau member; James Pickens, OKFB Insurance subagent; and Jalynn Barenberg, NEO Collegiate Farm Bureau member.
Love County Farm Bureau
Celebrating local law enforcement
Members of south central Oklahoma’s Love County Farm Bureau connected with local law enforcement as they delivered banana bread to the Love County Sheriff’s office in Marietta to thank officers for the tireless work they invest in Love County.
Grant County Farm Bureau
Local food bank donation
Rogers County Farm Bureau
Hosted an ag Olympics event
Rogers County Farm Bureau took the opportunity to provide a fun event for local 4-H and FFA members during Farm Bureau Week. Nearly 15 ag youth from around the county took part in a wide variety of farm-themed competitive events including an egg toss, nail drive, wheelbarrow races, ear tag sorting and hay bale stacking. County Farm Bureau members also prepared a hamburger feed for the participants.
Grant County Farm Bureau members connected agriculture with fellow rural Oklahomans facing food insecurity with a donation to their local food bank during Farm Bureau Week along with a signing of a proclamation officially declaring Farm Bureau Week in Grant County.
Committee members are responsible for program planning including YF&R competitive events held during AFBF’s annual convention and the Harvest for All program.
OKFB members also attended numerous breakout sessions ranging from building relationships and tackling large-scale farming to becoming a young board member and mastering effective communication.
Salisbury hosted several breakout sessions during the conference including sessions on sharing strategies to bring teens and young adults into YF&R, and tackling the realities of large-scale farming.
OKFB Director of YF&R and Safety Burton Harmon and Ottawa County Farm Bureau member Alisen Anderson hosted a breakout session to equip YF&R members with the tools, confidence and strategic mindset needed to take on leadership roles within their county Farm Bureaus.
Attendees wrapped up the conference with a series of Oregon agriculture tours featuring the Tillamook Creamery, Organic Orchards Cider, Husum Falls, and Triskelee Farm.
(Above) OKFB member and National YF&R Chair Tommy Salisbury (second from left) speaks on a panel of past and present AFBF YF&R chairmen.
(Above) Attendees took in several agricultural tours in the Portland area during the conference.
(Above) OKFB’s Alisen Anderson speaks to attendees of the 2026 AFBF YF&R Conference.
OKFB supports ag youth at 2026 Oklahoma Youth Expo
Farm Bureau stepped up to purchase the premiums of 72 4-H and FFA member projects during the 2026 OYE Sale of Champions in addition to sponsoring the long-running event.
Oklahoma Farm Bureau supported Oklahoma’s agriculture youth at the 2026 Oklahoma Youth Expo with more than $60,000 in event sponsorships and premium sale purchases during the annual 12-day event in mid March.
OKFB proudly supported 72 4-H and FFA members at the OYE Sale of Champions held Friday, March 20, at the state fairgrounds in Oklahoma City by purchasing livestock project premiums of students who made the sale.
OKFB also purchased the chalice for the grand champion steer, which was exhibited by Maddox Shout of Piedmont 4-H.
Before the start of the sale, OKFB was recognized as the 2025 OYE Sale of Champions volume buyer for purchasing the greatest
number of animals at last year’s sale, and OKFB President Stacy Simunek was presented with a trophy recognizing the organization’s dedication to ag youth.
OKFB also served as an OYE platinum sponsor for the 2026 expo and sponsored the ag mechanics and engineering contest held during the event.
In addition to the monetary support the organization provided to the OYE event and students, the OKFB Foundation for Agriculture hosted a hog carcass contest and collected donated pigs for the foundation’s Pork for Packs program, which provides protein sticks to hungry Oklahoma children in collaboration with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.
(Right) Oklahoma Farm Bureau purchased the grand champion steer chalice. The 2026 OYE grand champion steer was exhibited by Maddox Shout of Piedmont 4-H.
(Above) OKFB helped purchase the premium of Emory Cowley’s crossbred steer. Cowley is a Morrison FFA member.
(Above) OKFB President Stacy Simunek (right) receives the 2025 OYE Volume Buyer award before the start of the 2026 Sale of Champions.
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All Around Oklahoma
OKFB hosts round table discussion with Rep. Stephanie Bice
Congresswoman Stephanie Bice visited with Oklahoma Farm Bureau members in a round table discussion Tuesday, March 10, at the OKFB home office in Oklahoma City.
Bice gave members an update on the latest happenings in Washington, D.C., including the progress being made on the Farm Bill as it passed the House Agriculture Committee in the first week of March.
Members shared with her the effects of the Iranian conflict that were being felt stateside by the agriculture industry, including the nearly instantaneous spike in fertilizer prices that came at a critical time in the growing season.
Farm Bureau members in attendance also shared the need for better commodity markets as farmers feel the pinch of everincreasing input prices paired with commodity prices sinking to the same levels as they were 50 years ago.
WLC Nurse’s Training Scholarship applications due July 10
Applications for the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee’s Nurse’s Scholarship are open now until July 10.
The annual scholarship program awards three $500 scholarships to students studying nursing at an accredited college, university, vo-tech or trade school in Oklahoma. Applicants must be OKFB members themselves or a member of a Farm Bureau family.
Interested students can apply for the scholarship by completing the online form available on OKFB’s website at okfb.news/NursesApp26 by July 10. The application includes contact information and several open-ended questions, and a proof of enrollment and transcript must also be submitted in either PDF or jpeg format.
Bushels for Books free accurate ag book program applications open through June 10
Oklahoma educators can apply now through June 10 for a chance to receive a package of accurate agriculture books through Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Bushels for Books program.
The program is a collaborative effort between the OKFB Women’s Leadership Committee and the OKFB Foundation for Agriculture to provide access to accurate agriculture information in schools.
The program awards Pre-K to eighth-grade teachers with books that target their class’ grade level and subject, and school librarians can apply for books that span multiple grade levels.
All books are grade-level appropriate and will be chosen from the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture’s agriculture book database.
The online application can be completed on the OKFB website at okfb.news/BushelforBooks26
OKFB YF&R committee collects more than 2,000 pounds of food with Fill the Sack food drive
The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers committee gathered more than 2,000 pounds of food plus cash donations to help feed Oklahomans facing food insecurity with their Fill the Sack food drive.
The food drive collected a total of 2,131 pounds of food items along with $1,660 in cash contributions that were donated to local food assistance programs across the state and to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City.
More than 25 county Farm Bureaus contributed donations to the food drive along with the OKFB Women’s Leadership Committee and Farm Bureau staff.
The food drive ran from January through midFebruary with the OKFB Leadership Conference on Feb. 17 serving as the main collection point for county Farm Bureau donations.
Tulsa County Farm Bureau member appointed to serve as AFBF YF&R chair
Tulsa County Farm Bureau member Tommy Salisbury was appointed to serve as the chairman of the American Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers committee on Sunday, Jan. 11, during AFBF’s 2026 convention held in Anaheim, California.
Originally appointed to the AFBF YF&R committee in early 2025, Salisbury will now serve a one-year term as chair on the 16-position body.
Salisbury farms about 3,200 acres of soybeans and milo in Tulsa County, and he also has a custom hay-baling operation,
runs more than 200 cow/calf pairs along with 500 yearlings, and owns the Collinsville Livestock auction. He also owns the Collinsville feed store to provide a resource for urban and local 4-H and FFA students.
Salisbury has served on the Tulsa County Farm Bureau board for the last five years and currently serves as the board president. Additionally, he has served as the ex-officio representative on the Oklahoma Farm Bureau YF&R committee for the last year alongside his wife, Chalaynna.
Capitol Camp applications now open for high school
juniors and seniors
Oklahoma high school juniors and seniors can apply through July 31 to participate in Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Capitol Camp September 2-3 at the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City.
Capitol Camp immerses students in a comprehensive two-day mock legislative experience at the Oklahoma State Capitol to learn how state government works and how they can be involved in government and lawmaking. Students write their own mock legislation, and then work in the Oklahoma house and senate chambers to discuss, debate and vote on the student-created legislative ideas.
Applications must be completed online by July 31 at okfb.news/CapitolCampApp26
OKFB leaders attend President Trump’s National Ag Week celebration event at White House
Three Oklahoma Farm Bureau leaders helped celebrate National Agriculture Week with President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Friday, March 27.
OKFB President Stacy Simunek; OKFB Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee Member and American Farm Bureau YF&R Chairman Tommy Salisbury; and OKFB Executive Director Thad Doye joined fellow agricultural leaders from around the nation as President Trump celebrated the nation’s farmers and ranchers and made several announcements concerning agricultural initiatives. The leaders also attended a “Celebrating Ag” breakfast held before the festivities.
Trump made several announcements during the celebration regarding reducing regulations, biofuels and the farm bill.
Schulz joins OKFB field services as southwest field representative
Ben Schulz has joined the Oklahoma Farm Bureau field services team as the new southwest field representative.
In his position, Schulz will serve as a liaison between 13 county Farm Bureaus in southwestern Oklahoma and the OKFB home office.
A native of Altus, Schulz is a third-generation family farmer who was born and raised helping his family grow cotton, wheat, milo and corn.
“As a farmer myself, I look forward to serving the counties and members in southwest Oklahoma to promote Farm Bureau, agriculture and the rural way of life in our state,” Schulz said.
Schulz is a graduate of both Western Oklahoma State College in Altus and Oklahoma State University in Stillwater where he earned degrees in agricultural science and agribusiness, respectively.
Schulz and his wife have two children and live in Altus.
OSU Extension offers valuable resources for gardeners
By Trisha Gedon, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
Just about everything a person buys comes with an instruction manual. There are directions on how to put it together, how to operate it and maybe even safety instructions. Gardening does not come with a howto manual … or does it?
Fortunately, Oklahoma State University Extension has a handy tool that can help gardeners of all experience levels be successful in their gardening endeavors.
The free app, Plant-It-OK, is available for both iOS and Android devices. The app can help gardeners make wise plant choices to help ensure gardening success, said David Hillock, OSU Extension consumer horticulturist.
“The app currently focuses on landscape plants, with a robust list of about 275 plants, including native plants and others adapted to Oklahoma’s diverse climate,” he said. “Plant-It-OK is ideal for homeowners, gardeners and landscapers.”
Even the most-seasoned poker player sometimes needs an ace in the hole, and the Plant-It-OK app helps gardeners get a winning hand. With recommendations for trees, shrubs, perennials, ornamental and turf grasses, ground covers, vines and annuals, the app comes in clutch for making informed gardening decisions.
Hillock said the app features more
than plant recommendations – it also provides links to OSU Extension’s vast trove of fact sheets.
“We have fact sheets on just about every gardening topic you can think of,” he said “These fact sheets provide detailed, research-based information on everything from soil preparation, beneficial insects and wildlife to plant care, landscape design and irrigation. If its plant related, OSU Extension has science-backed information to share.”
The app was designed by Justin Quetone Moss, head of OSU’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture; Brenda Sanders, OSU Extension assistant; Mike Schnelle, OSU Extension Floriculture Specialist; and Hillock.
The app was developed with support from a USDA specialty crop block grant administered by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. In collaboration with the OSU App Center, an on-campus resource for designing and developing web and mobile applications, the team worked closely with app designers and developers to ensure the app’s functionality while creating a userfriendly interface.
The app is available for iOS and Android devices through the app store. Consumers may also download it from the OSU Extension website.
In addition to the Plant-It-OK app,
OSU Extension has launched its first self-paced online Vegetable Gardening course. The course consists of 12 30-minute modules designed to give gardeners a deeper understanding of vegetable gardening. Taught by Brenda Sanders, module topics include assessing the garden, choosing the garden site, soil basics, crops and garden planning, garden layout, soil preparation and equipment, planting the garden, tending the garden, fall gardening and season extension, pest management, production tips and harvest hints, and resources.
“Everyone has a busy schedule, so the nice thing about this online course is that participants can work on it anytime for up to 60 days,” Hillock said. “The course features engaging learning activities and videos, along with quizzes.”
There is a $50 registration fee for the Vegetable Gardening online course. It is easy to set up an account to register.
“Gardening is both rewarding and challenging,” Hillock said. “OSU Extension’s goal is to equip gardeners with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions that lead to successful gardening experiences. Check out the Plant-It-OK app and the new online Vegetable Gardening course to help make your gardening endeavors a little easier.”
(Above) Oklahoma State University Extension offers guidance to gardeners seeking information to make their gardening efforts more effective. Information is available to novice gardeners and seasoned experts. (Photos by Mitchell Alcala, OSU Agriculture)
