PERSPECTIVE March 22, 2024
YF&R Day at the Capitol set for April 2 in OKC
Oklahoma Farm Bureau board members traveled to Ellis County Tuesday, March 5, to present one of two donations of $5,000 in fuel cards to offset truckers’ fuel costs to transport donated hay to fire-affected areas of Western Oklahoma. Pictured left to right: Bill Peetoom, Ellis County Farm Bureau president; David VonTungeln, OKFB district three director; Howard Cunningham, Chickasha-area farmer and Farm Bureau member who delivered hay to the area; Randy Holley, hay delivery coordinator; Monte Tucker, OKFB district two director, and Leon Richards, OKFB district one director.
OKFB donates $10,000 in fuel cards to support fire relief hay donations klahoma Farm Bureau donated a total of $10,000 in fuel cards to help offset fuel costs for truck drivers transporting donated hay to areas of Ellis County affected by wildfire. OKFB board members traveled to Shattuck Tuesday, March 5, to present the first $5,000 donation of cards and survey fire damage in the area. An additional donation of $5,000 worth of cards was made the following week to also help offset fuel expenses. The cards were distributed by Randy Holley, who is helping coordinate hay deliveries to affected farmers and ranchers. Holley said the outpouring of support from people far away as Alabama has been overwhelming in the best way possible.
Ellis County Farm Bureau President Bill Peetoom said the donations will be critical to carry cattle through until grass becomes viable for grazing, which will be months away. In total, more than 152,000 acres were burned in the late-February fires, according to the Oklahoma Emergency Operations Center. The OKFB Foundation for Agriculture collected donations to help with fire relief efforts, with the foundation, OKFB and OKFB Insurance each matching up to $10,000 worth of donations. Additional fire relief donations will be made by OKFB in the coming weeks and months as OKFB and the foundation work to meet ongoing needs through the recovery process.
klahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers will host their annual day of legislative advocacy for agriculturalists ages 18-35 and Collegiate Farm Bureau members during OKFB’s YF&R Day at the Capitol Tuesday, April 2, in Oklahoma City. The day will kick off in the morning with a legislative briefing from OKFB public policy staff at the Farm Bureau home office before YF&R and Collegiate Farm Bureau members visit their legislators and other elected officials at the Oklahoma State Capitol. An evening social event will be available to attendees on Monday, April 1, and a block of hotel rooms will be available at a special nightly rate for members wishing to stay overnight in Oklahoma City Monday, April 1. Complete information about the event will be available on the OKFB website as soon as details are finalized. For questions, contact Burton Harmon at (405) 523-2300.
Farm Bureau Cares food donation matching form submissions due March 31 County Farm Bureaus participating in Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Farm Bureau Cares: Community Food Donation Matching program have until March 31 to submit the online form to have their donation matched up to $100. For full program details and the online matching program form, visit okfb.news/FBCares.