PERSPECTIVE May 15, 2026
Ron Justice
Ron Justice named 2026 Oklahoma Agriculture Hall of Fame inductee rady County Farm Bureau member Ron Justice became the 29th inductee into the Oklahoma Agriculture Hall of Fame as he received Gov. Stitt’s Outstanding Achievement in Agriculture Award on April 29. Justice is a former Oklahoma State Senator and past OKFB Vice President of Public Policy who has built a strong reputation for his dedication to agriculture, rural development and public service. Justice spent 33 years in various roles in Oklahoma State University Extension at the county level, where he worked to promote agriculture best practices. He continued his public service as Oklahoma state senator for district 23. During his 12-year tenure, he held key positions including vice chairman of appropriations and vice chairman of agriculture and rural development. He also advocated for Oklahoma’s rural communities and agriculture as the chair of the republican rural Caucus. “Ron Justice has spent his life serving as an advocate for Oklahoma agriculture,” said Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur. “The work he put into our state throughout his career has helped put agriculture on the path we are on today. We are thankful for his
years of service to the state and to the agriculture community.” After his legislative career, he served Farm Bureau members as an employee in OKFB’s public policy department. “Ron Justice is a true servant leader who has dedicated his life to supporting farmers, ranchers and our agricultural community, and rural Oklahoma is a better place because of his steadfast commitment,” said Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Stacy Simunek. “From his long career in extension to his storied service in the Oklahoma Senate to his time as a staff member at Farm Bureau and beyond, Ron is the definition of statesman, and Oklahoma Farm Bureau is proud to call him a friend.” His service also extends to state-level leadership roles, including membership on the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, the USDA Farm Service Agency State Committee and past service on the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation Board. Justice has been actively involved in numerous agricultural and community organizations, including the Grady County Farm Bureau board. Watch the video honoring Ron Justice:
okfb.news/aghof26
Meyer named 2026 Oklahoma AITC teacher of the year ennifer Meyer of Shawnee was honored as the Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year during the 2026 Oklahoma Ag Day at the Capitol April 29. Meyer is a first-grade teacher at Grove Elementary School District in Shawnee. She has been teaching for 14 years, and has taught at her current school for five years. “I strive to make every day the best day ever for my students, and AITC resources make it easy to plan handson, high-impact lessons,” Meyer said. Meyer incorporated “Fun Ag Fridays” into her first-grade classroom. Every Friday, she focuses on teaching her students a crosscurricular lesson built around an agricultural topic. Meyer will receive an all-expensepaid trip to the National Ag in the Classroom Conference this June in Rhode Island. Sponsors of the Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year include the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee and the Oklahoma Soybean Board.