Renewing Rural Oklahoma

Inaugural Rural Scholars Program kicks off in rural Oklahoma communities

Rolling hills, sweeping plains and mountainous ranges reach across rural Oklahoma.

However, among beautiful landscapes, rural Oklahomans face multiple challenges, including broadband access issues, healthcare shortages and drought, said Tyson Ochsner, a Rural Renewal Initiative team leader and a plant and soil sciences professor.

“We are the in process of creating a Rural Renewal Institute at Oklahoma State University,” Ochsner said. “When talking to other faculty members about the research needs and opportunities for OSU, addressing the challenges facing rural communities just emerged as a high-priority item.”

Rural Renewal is a Tier 1 Research Initiative, which emphasizes the efforts for “Timely, Impactful, Engaged Research.” The Rural Renewal Initiative includes three parts: the Rural Scholars Program, a seed grant program, and the Rural Renewal Symposium and Prize.

“The Rural Scholars program is one of our core activities because we really believe our students have the potential to make a difference,” Ochsner said.

The inaugural Rural Scholars program included a 16-week course and 10-week “serviceship,” which is similar to an internship.

The Spring 2020 class met once a week to discuss the history of Oklahoma communities as well as research theories and rural problems. The initial group of students worked in Harmon and Tillman counties in Summer 2020 to conduct research and provide community service.

The scholars program is modeled after a study-abroad program, said Shane Robinson, a Rural Renewal Initiative team leader and agricultural education professor.

“Before you go to a given country, you come together with the professor, and he or she explains customs of the country,” Robinson said.

“We are laying the groundwork as a class and making sure everybody understands the program,” he added.

When the students applied for the Rural Scholars program, they became a key part in the faculty’s research project, Robinson said. As scholars, students collect data in the areas they are assigned, he said.

Robinson said the students participated in community activities, as well. Whether helping in Habitat for Humanity workdays or library programs, they assisted in the communities in many ways, Robinson said.

“I grew up in a very small town, and it is thriving,” said Audrey King, a Rural Scholar and agricultural education doctoral student. “However, I have gotten to the point where I have likely over educated myself to be able to go back there. “It makes me happy to think the work I do now, and in the future, could contribute to rural life in a positive way, even if I can’t physically be there,” King said.

Ochsner said students in the 2020 program ranged from freshmen to doctoral students.

King said the different ages and perspectives in a class made it interesting.

“Often, the freshmen and sophomores are just so excited,” King said. “They are excited to be in school and excited to learn. Their excitement is so refreshing.”

Rural Scholar Luke Muller (left) and Paul Weckler, BAE professor, collect data on soil moisture levels.

Photo by Ali Meek.

Rural Scholars Caitlin Dreher (left) and Katie Webb help with drive-through meal distribution in Hollis, Oklahoma.

Photo by Katelyn Miller.

King said she hopes her more seasoned perspective has offered a more critical view on the issues and pushed the younger students to think harder about the issues.

“The graduate students almost command a higher dialogue and interaction of the undergraduates, including myself,” said Luke Muller, a Rural Scholar and an agribusiness and plant and soil sciences senior. “They make us think more outside the box and be able to apply some of these theories we’re looking into.”

Muller grew up in Jackson County, Oklahoma, which is between Harmon and Tillman counties. He said he has a unique perspective to offer from growing up in the area.

“I always thought I was going to come to OSU, get my bachelor’s degree, go straight back to the farm, and take over the operation,” Muller said.

Muller said he hoped to build community ties and become a change agent during the summer. He said in going back to his hometown he wanted to make a difference in his community.

Muller worked with Ochsner on soil moisture research this summer. Soil moisture deficits and drought are some of the greatest threats facing western Oklahomans, Muller said.

More progressive practices, such as using cutting-edge soil moisture sensors, were the focus of his research this summer, he said.

Using these technologies can have big impacts on crop production and water conservation, Muller said.

“The population of farmers and the population of Harmon and Tillman counties have very aging populations,” Muller said. “It’s hard for them to try and invest in technology, such as notill drills and big sprayers, late in their careers and having to constantly pay those bills.

“We interacted with them and tailored technologies to improve their productivity and soil health, which could be doable for them,” Muller said.

Muller said community involvement in the Rural Renewal Initiative is a key in making it successful.

“As long as people are looking for ways to give back in their communities and being open-minded to working for the betterment of the community, now and in the future, that’s the biggest thing we could ask for,” Muller said.

Robinson said people can support the cause multiple ways, but the main way is to be involved in the community. Whether participating in round-table discussions or talking at the local coffee shop, rural Oklahomans’ input matters, he said.

“We want to help in every way possible, but we are somewhat limited in terms of dollar bills,” Robinson said. “The more money we add, the more work we can potentially do.”

Robinson said funding is needed for the next round of Rural Scholars. Counties wanting to host a scholar can donate money and time, Robinson said.

The Rural Scholars received a stipend for their efforts during the summer, and the communities provided housing for the students.

“I was raised in a rural place where everybody had to work together and lock arms and do what they could for the betterment of the community for everybody,” Robinson said. “We’re all in it together.”

Opportunity to Assist in the Renewal

The concept for the Rural Renewal Initiative began in 2019 when the OSU vice president for research initiated a search for interdisciplinary research themes across the university.

Three Ferguson College of Agriculture faculty members – Tyson Ochsner, a plant and soil sciences professor; Shane Robinson, an agricultural education professor; and Paul Weckler, a biosystems and agricultural engineering professor — along with Bruce Barringer from the OSU Spears School of Business and Mark Woodring from the OSU Center for Health Sciences, created a proposal, which was presented to the council of deans and approved in September 2019.

“There’s been a huge amount of effort over many decades on trying to improve agricultural productivity to help rural development and deal with some of the issues in rural areas,” said Paul Weckler, a Rural Renewal team leader and a biosystems and agricultural engineering professor.

“There are programs at University of Nebraska, at Iowa State University and at other places to try to help rural areas,” Weckler said. “But, there are a couple of unique things about us because this is coming from the vice president for research. Research is the focus.”

The three programs of the Rural Renewal Initiative – Rural Scholars program, seed projects and Rural Renewal Symposium and Prize — are in need funding.

For more information about the Rural Renewal Initiative, visit ruralrenewal.okstate.edu. — RN

REBEKAH NASH

Story by Rebekah Nash of Shelby County Illinois