Summer 2011 by Matrix Digital Media Inc

Summer 2011

The Magazine Of The Oklahoma Farm Bureau

Inside:

Bucking The Trend For The Birds

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Oklahoma Country

Contents

Features 8 – Bucking the Trend Kerry and Keaton Givens of Cache have found their niche in the world of raising and training bucking stock. By Dustin Mielke

16 – For the Birds

Farmers and ranchers are struggling with what to

Cover Image Keaton Givens of Cache perches on a panel of the arena he uses to train bucking bulls that he and his father raise on their southwest Oklahoma ranch.

do with thousands of Canada geese that are overtaking their land. The federally protected birds are quickly multiplying while damaging crops and costing producers money.

By Candace Krebs

Columns

Departments

2 – Presidentially Speaking 4 – Insurance Matters 6 – Country Gardening

20 – YF&R Profile 22 – All Around Oklahoma 38 – Country Classifieds 40 – Country Kitchen

Hidden number worth $50!

ne member family’s Oklahoma Farm Bureau membership number is hidden somewhere in this issue of OKLAHOMA COUNTRY, and could earn that member family $50. To claim the cash prize, the member family must find its own hidden membership number and contact Staci Armstrong before the last day of the month Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m. at 405-523-2320. The OFB membership number hidden somewhere in OKLAHOMA COUNTRY must match the number on the face of your individual OFB membership card for you to claim the cash prize. The membership number that appears on your magazine’s mailing label is not the hidden number, but also must match the hidden number for you to claim the cash prize.

Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011 • 1

Presidentially

Speaking By Mike Spradling President, Oklahoma Farm Bureau & Affiliated Companies

Summer 2011 Volume 64 No. 3 Oklahoma Country (ISSN 1544-6476)

United We Stand

am sure each of you have heard the phrase “united we stand, divided we fall.” Well I guess this phrase can relate to many situations in life. Oklahoma Farm Bureau has always had the reputation of being one of the most successful organizations at the capitol when it comes to passing, or as the case may be, defeating legislation that falls within our policy. One of the main reasons we are so successful is a result of the way in which we are structured. When it comes to grassroots, no one does it better than Oklahoma Farm Bureau. When an organization has a network of 77 county offices, a well informed county board of directors, an active women’s committee, and a very energetic Young Farmers & Ranchers committee, you have enough letters to spell the word SUCCESS in all caps. This has been our formula for success since our beginning back in 1942. Through the years, most of the issues have been successfully addressed within our own organization. A majority of the time, most issues can be classified as partisan issues or in other words either supported by one party or the other – most often Democrat or Republican. But in today’s political environment, more and more issues are considered rural verses urban. When issues are considered in this light, agriculture must work harder and smarter just because of the numbers represented. If it comes down to sheer numbers, or in our case votes, Tulsa and Oklahoma City win every time. Many of the issues Farm Bureau has taken on in the last several years seem to affect more than just agriculture. Some of the organizations we have formed collaborations with, such as the State Chamber, the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives and the Oklahoma Public Employees Association, are far from being considered agriculture-related. Last year, Oklahoma Farm Bureau was asked to be part of the One Oklahoma 2 • Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011

Coalition, a coalition formed to deal with SQ 744. This coalition was comprised of more than 100 groups and organizations with one purpose in mind – defeat SQ 744. Before being asked, we already had a plan of action in place. We knew exactly what we were going to do and how we would be going about it. Going into this campaign, knowing 80 percent of the voting public would vote in favor of the initiative, we knew as a single organization we had our work cut out for us. This issue was not only important to agriculture but to every citizen in Oklahoma, so why not combine resources, both manpower and financial, to better assure our objective and defeat SQ744? We provided much of the know-how (public policy division), much of the manpower (grassroots – you our members) and a substantial portion of financial support (voluntary dues) in order to assure the success of our endeavors.

his year was a very successful year at the legislature with 12 Oklahoma Farm Bureau bills signed into law by Governor Fallin, but 2011 was not the first time we teamed up with others. Through the years, much of our success has been due to the efforts of a collation with organizations including Right to Work, Workman’s Comp., Tort Reform, and just recently HB 1381 – the hospital provider bill. Who knows – could we have been victorious on our own? Probably. But there are times when standing with a group out-weighs standing alone. Regardless, we know one thing for sure; when we can come together with like-minded organizations and with like causes for the right reasons, after the battle as the beginning phrase states “United We Stand, Divided We Fall,” Oklahoma Farm Bureau was left standing, standing tall.

Published four times per year in April, July, October and January by Oklahoma Farm Bureau, 2501 N. Stiles, Oklahoma City, OK 73105-3126, Telephone 405-523-2300. Periodicals postage paid at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Additional Mailing Offices. Postmaster: Send address corrections to: Oklahoma Country, P.O.B. 53332, Oklahoma City, OK 73152-3332. EDITORIAL TEAM Sam Knipp Vice President of Corporate Communications / Public Relations Dustin Mielke Multi-media Producer / Writer Gail Banzet Publications & Online News Coordinator Carter Campbell Marketing & Advertising Coordinator Staci Armstrong Office Administrator DIRECT YOUR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES TO: Oklahoma Country Attn: Carter Campbell 2501 N. Stiles Oklahoma City, OK 73105 405-530-2618 ADVERTISING POLICY All advertising is subject to publisher’s approval. Advertisers assume all liability for content of their advertising. Publisher maintains right to cancel advertising. Publisher does not guarantee advertiser service or products, and assumes no liability for products or services advertised. TO SUBSCRIBE Oklahoma Country subscription rate is $1 per year for members as part of the dues, $15 for non-members. WEBSITE www.okfarmbureau.org Oklahoma Farm Bureau DIRECTORS Mike Spradling, President Tom Buchanan, Vice President Roland Pederson, Treasurer Charles Sloan, Secretary Ervin Mitchell, Director Rodd Moesel, Director Bob Drake, Director Larry Boggs, Director Billy Gibson, Director Phyllis Holcomb, Director Monica Wilke, Executive Director

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Matters

Insurance

By Richard Newberry Executive Vice President & General Manager Oklahoma Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company

Local Service When You Need It Most

pril and May in Oklahoma were very tragic and turbulent months. First and foremost our hearts and prayers go out to the families and friends who mourn the loss of life. We also understand that along with the loss of life, that of which can never be replaced, hundreds of families lost their entire home, contents, and automobiles. That loss of property can cause a tremendous amount of anxiety, fear, hard work, and frustration. Within the tragedy and turmoil, we truly strive as your local company to provide fast, fair, and compassionate service when you need it most. Being the largest domestic mutual insurance company does not make us the best, but we believe our local sales and claim staff set us apart from others. A team of 226 professional local agents in all of Oklahoma’s 77 counties work in concert with our claim staff to ensure you have the excellent, local service you deserve when you need it most.

4 • Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011

Oklahoma Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company incurred losses of $37 million and $56 million respectively in April and May. During those months of storm losses, our agents went to work taking information on claims, supporting our members, and even using their own chainsaws to clear debris for their local neighbors and communities. Our Farm Bureau agents live just down the road from many of our customers, and when disaster strikes you should find comfort in knowing that they will be dealing with the disaster first-hand with a “hands on” attitude.

long with our sales staff, the local claim representatives joined in the charge to inspect the damage of more than 9,500 claims and provide the much-needed monetary support that each member’s policy provided. The claim support was prompt and continued through weekends that included Mother’s Day and

Memorial Day. Why? Because losses do not always happen during the week, and we are devoted to offering our timely support whether it is day or night, weekday or weekend. We have been very pleased with the positive feedback received from our stormaffected members over the past few months. Many have complimented us on the outstanding service along with the timeliness of their Farm Bureau claim experience. Please drop by and see a Farm Bureau Agent for a complete review of our products and services, and rest assured that in the unfortunate event of a loss, your local agent and adjuster will assist you when you need it most.

Members of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company claim staff gather outside the Atoka County office in preparation to meet with customers affected by spring tornados in Tushka, Atoka and parts of central Oklahoma.

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6/3/11 1:44 PM Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011 • 5

Country

Gardening By Joe Benton

Extension Education, Ag & CED Pottawatomie County OSU Extension Service

Fall Planting of Trees and Shrubs

all is around the corner and for many trees and shrubs it’s a great time to plant. But is it really wise to plant all trees and shrubs at the end of a growing season and so close to winter? The answer to this question is a qualified yes. Fall planting can be successful as long as the planting season is not extended too late into the fall, if difficult-to-establish species are avoided, and if proper care (watering, mulching, staking if needed, etc.) is administered after planting. For good reason, most people think of spring as the preferred planting season. Landscape plants installed in March, April and May benefit from generous rains and the long growing season that stretches ahead. But more often than not, we receive too much precipitation that makes planting difficult especially on poorly drained sites. Furthermore, the sudden onset of hot, dry weather that typically displaces an often tooshort spring can injure tender new plantings. Because of these difficulties, increasing attention has been given to fall planting. During the period from mid-September through October, moderate and relatively stable air temperatures prevail, and soil temperatures and moisture levels are usually in ranges that promote rapid root development. But if the fall planting season is extended too far into November and December or if slow-toestablish species are chosen, root growth may be poor and planting failures can occur. Most container-grown and balled and burlapped deciduous trees and shrubs sold at garden centers are excellent candidates for fall planting. Because these plants usually possess well-developed root systems, and because the roots of many landscape plants are capable of growing even when soil temperatures cool to 45 degrees Fahrenheit, the prospects for 6 • Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011

successful plant establishment are quite high throughout the fall season. Conifers, such as pine, benefit from a slightly earlier start, preferring the warmer soil temperatures common in late summer to early fall. If plants from a nursery can be planted in the fall, what about moving or transplanting established trees and shrubs from one locale to another? As you might suspect, severing the roots of a plant (up to 95 percent in some cases), hauling it out of the ground, and moving it to a completely new site is a stressful operation, regardless of the season. Still, transplanting can be successfully carried out if it is restricted to those plants with a proven track record of surviving such a move in the fall.

hy is it that some plants can be planted at almost any time of the year while others are saddled with much narrower windows of opportunity? Reasons for these differences are a subject for debate, but the commonly held belief is that plants with shallow, fibrous roots can usually be planted with greater ease than those with fewer, larger roots. Prime examples of difficult-to-plant trees are magnolia and tulip tree; both have thick, fleshy roots. Other slowto-establish species that are better planted in spring include ginkgo, sweetgum, oak, willow and bald cypress. Notable tree species that can be successfully planted in the fall include maple, buckeye, catalpa, hackberry, hawthorn, ash, honeylocust, Kentucky coffeetree, crabapple, pine, sycamore and elm. Most deciduous shrubs are easily planted in fall; however, broad-leaved evergreens like rhododendron and narrowleaved evergreens such as yew prefer to be planted in the spring. Fall planting takes advantage of favorable

soil temperatures and moisture conditions that promote the root growth needed to sustain plants through their critical first year in the landscape. Unfortunately, our climate is unpredictable and even the toughest plants may die if fall or early winter weather is severe or erratic. But if healthy, vigorous plants are chosen, proper post-planting care is given, and slow-to-establish species are avoided, fall planting of trees and shrubs can be as successful as spring planting.

f you are looking for fall color in a tree, purchasing that tree in the fall will give you an idea of what its fall color will look like in the future. Remember though, moisture, temperature and general health of the tree also will play a big part in fall leaf color. Proper planting is also very important to plant survival. A planting hole should be two to three times the width of the root-ball and the same depth of the bottom of the root-ball. When done, we want to replant the tree at the same grade or depth that it was in the container. Beyond the actual hole, loosen the soil a number of inches deep and a couple feet out to help with root penetration, then backfill the hole with the original soil. There is no need to add anything except possibly phosphorus and potassium applied according to soil sample test results. Proper selection, care and planting of new trees can lead to a wonderful part of the landscape to be enjoyed by all for generations.

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Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011 • 7

Keaton Givens stands in a pasture with one- and two-year-old bulls that Keaton and his father, Kerry, will handle and train with hopes to produce bucking bulls. Kerry said approximately 50 percent of the bulls Crazy G and E produces will go on to participate in rodeos at some level. However, approximately 10 percent will make it to the top level of competition, the Professional Bull Riders circuit.

he cowboy nods. The chute opens. The muscle-bound bull explodes into the arena, bucking, spinning, turning as the crowd cheers and the cowbell clangs. In this moment, all the training, preparation and upbringing come together to make the athlete a prime example of raw power and ability. And “athlete” is exactly the word Keaton Givens uses to describe the bucking bulls he and his father, Kerry, raise on their ranch south of Cache. Their bulls go on to buck at events from high school rodeos all the way up to the big leagues of the Professional Bull Riders circuit. The bull that rodeo-goers cheer both for and against is the result of hard work and dedication to raising an animal that is primed and ready to give a cowboy the shortest – or longest – eight seconds of his life. “It’s just like a human athlete,” Keaton said. “A human athlete can run fast, he can jump far, and he can do it all day long. It’s the same way with a bucking bull. You have to have the quickness, you have to be able

to explode up off of the ground and really extend and kick – and do all that while a cowboy is on your back and put the spin with it.” Keaton and Kerry Givens raise bucking bulls alongside their 75-head herd of commercial cows on 1,000 acres in southwest Oklahoma. Along with partner Haskell Evans, the Givens raise their bucking stock under the Crazy G and E name. The Givens raise bucking bulls the same way that most Oklahomans raise beef or dairy cattle - on their family farm. Their ranch is unassuming; there’s no huge sign to direct you to their place, nor is there an expensive trailer sitting in their driveway. Their bucking stock occupies the same green pastures dotted with mesquite upon which they graze beef cattle. The Givens take a family, home-grown attitude toward raising bucking stock that belies the success they have achieved. That success started at a livestock sale in Grandfield, Okla., with a bull that just happened to catch Kerry’s eye.

Buck B u i c n k g Bucking the Trend

A Cache farm family finds success in raising bucking bulls the home-grown way. Photos and Words by Dustin Mielke Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011 • 9

A Chance Encounter

erry’s side job as a cattle order buyer takes him to livestock sales around southwest Oklahoma. And it was through this that he came across the bull that would launch the Givens’ foray into the bucking bull industry. “Keaton always wanted me to keep my eyes out for potential bulls that looked like they might buck,” Kerry said. “The first one we found was just by coincidence down at the Grandfield stockyards in 1999. He was a bull that we called Jersey Joe.” Jersey Joe went on to have a career in the PBR, being ridden only five times for the full eight seconds, according to the PBR. Aaron Semas and bull riding superstars Ty Murray and Ednei Caminhas were the three cowboys lucky enough to do so. Kerry admits finding a PBR-class bucking bull at a stockyard perhaps makes chances of winning the lottery jackpot seem sane. “Even though we know most of the good bucking bulls come from proven females that have produced before, there’s always a chance that there’s one that just has that look of athleticism and the attitude that might go on and make one,” Kerry said. The Givens’ experience with Jersey Joe sparked their interest in bucking bulls and compelled them to look for cattle to form their own bucking stock operation. “From there, we started looking out for females that we might have an opportunity of buying,” Kerry said. “We started out with four. Now there are 21 females in the operation.” Those cows, along with two breeding bulls, comprise the core of their bucking bull genetics, which have their base in the Plummer bloodlines of the 1960s. 10 • Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011

While there are certain similarities between their bucking stock and their commercial cowcalf herd, the Givens admit raising bucking stock is a bit of a different … animal.

“Watch yourself, now.”

Right: One of the the Givens’ two breeding bulls, a bull Keaton Givens calls Scat Cat, peers over a fence on the Givens’ ranch near Cache. Scat Cat is the son of the first breeding bull with which the Givens started their bucking stock operation.

here is no caution quite like Kerry’s warning before setting foot in a pasture with cattle that go on to give seasoned Above: One of the Givens’ rodeo cowboys the ride of their lives. top-producing cows stands with her calf in But therein lies just the beginning of an introduction to raising bucking stock. Basically, one of the Given’s pastures. The Givens have these aren’t those Angus-cross cattle you see 21 breeding females, all throughout Oklahoma. The differences begin of which come from the Plummer bloodline, with selecting the breeding stock required to famous for producing produce a world-class bucking bull. bucking stock. Keaton “You breed for durability, athletic ability and and Kerry work to maintain their genetics longevity, on top of the physical appearance of through thorough the animal,” Keaton said. selection of bulls and by Perhaps surprisingly, Keaton said selecting saving their best heifers breeding females is the most important part of as replacements for older cows. selecting animals that will produce bucking bulls. “A lot of people don’t realize it, but the female is more important than the male in your breeding program,” Keaton said. “I would be willing to say a good 70 percent of the buck from a bull is going to come from the female herself. The breeding bull is important for your size and to breed into the blood, but the actual bucking ability comes from the female.”

Far right: The Givens use a mechanical dummy to train young bulls and analyze their bucking potential. “They feel like they did what they were supposed to do by bucking it off,” Keaton said. Keaton Givens holds the remote with which he can release the mechanical dummy from a bull’s back. Kerry Givens said the dummy might be used six to eight times a year as part of each young bull’s training regimen.

Oklahoma OklahomaCountry Country• •Summer Spring 2011 • 11

Breeding a bovine athlete with explosive bucking potential results in animals that Keaton describes as a bit more high-strung than commercial cattle. Mothering cows can be very protective of their calves while bulls are very territorial in nature. Keaton said safety is of the utmost importance when working with bulls in tight quarters. “The bucking bulls have to be handled a completely different way from a commercial animal just for the simple fact of safety for yourself and for the animal,” Keaton said. “The bulls need to have plenty of room for them to feel like they can get away, and in the same way, you have to allow plenty of room for yourself to find a way to escape.” This requires a delicate balance of working with a bull enough so that he can be handled on the rodeo circuit where he will be loaded into trailers and run through pens to get ready for his time in the spotlight. “They need to become acquainted with people in order to be able to handle them in places where there’s crowds of people,” Keaton said. “They need to become associated with the human so they are capable of being handled in the first place.” Taking a bull to a rodeo is not as simple as plucking him directly from a pasture and hauling him to an event. It requires a guided training regimen, just like any athlete, to prepare him for his moment of glory inside a rodeo arena.

Like the gym, but with more dirt

ust down the hill from what serves as the Crazy G and E headquarters lies a small rodeo arena. The white chutes and panels are the starting point for training bucking bulls. “Facilities are a must as far as handling the animals,” Keaton said. “We use the arena for exercise and for sorting. We also use the arena for bucking. “You have to exercise, literally, take him and put him in the arena and run him,” Keaton said of time spent training the bulls. “It’s just like a normal athlete. An athlete is not going to perform if he’s not going out

and practicing and conditioning himself. “It’s the same way for a bucking bull. In order for him to perform to the best of his ability, you have to get him to that point and you do that by exercising.” The Givens exercise the bulls and train them to buck by starting with a mechanical dummy. The dummy prepares a bull to have a full-sized cowboy on his back while teaching the bull the bucking techniques that will send a cowboy to the ground. By the time a bull is two years old, he will have bucked with the device. “I carry a remote, and at any point that the bull does something right – really kicking hard or turning back – then I can take the remote and click the dummy off of him and reward him for doing what we want him to do,” Keaton said. “It’s actually a training device as well as a device to see what the potential of a bull is going to be.” Once a bull is working well with the dummy on his back, the Givens will allow cowboys to try their hand at riding the bull to continue the bull’s training. “We try to buck the bulls three to four times a year,” Kerry said. “We use the dummy as many as six or eight times a year.” “If they don’t have three characteristics – turnback, kick and power – they’re not going to make it,” Keaton said of young bulls. “They have to have those three things in one package, and if they don’t, you’ll know by the time you put the mechanical dummy on them. They’re really not going to change in the way they buck from two to five, other than the fact that they’re going to be bigger and stronger and maybe faster.” The difference between a good bull and a great one is the same as that of almost any amateur compared to a professional athlete: the ability to outlast. “There’s a lot of bulls that show a lot of potential the first two or three times you buck them, and after that, they just fizzle out,” Keaton said. “The ones that can do it day in and day out, every weekend when they’re being hauled up and down the road, those are the bulls that separate themselves from the ones that are just the wannabe bucking bulls. It’s the durability of that bull, to me, that separates them.”

Rearing and ready to go

he last step before the Givens sell a bull to a rodeo stock contractor is to haul the bull to futurity events. This provides

Kerry Givens checks bucking stock in a pasture after feeding cows and a breeding bull. Compared to commercial cattle, bucking stock have a different temperament. Cows have strong mothering instincts and will protect their calves, while bulls are territorial. Kerry said this means he has to be more cautious as he works around the cattle. 12 • Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011

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the bull additional experience as well as exposure to potential buyers. “They have futurities that start as two year olds,” Keaton said. “That’s when they can start competing. As they progress, they go into the classic level as three- and four-year-old classic bulls. From there, they enter the PBR as four- and five-year-old bulls.” In the same way that not every basketball player goes on to compete in the NBA, not every bull makes it to the PBR. And not every bull the Givens produce will even buck in a rodeo. Furthermore, not every calf will be a bull. That’s where the business of bucking bulls becomes a business: balancing the payouts against the burnouts. Once the Givens sell a bucking bull to a contractor, the bull can go into one of several different levels of competition. A bull might see action at high school rodeos, in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, the Championship Bull Riding circuit or all the way up into the PBR. “I’d say that probably 50 percent of all bucking bulls can make it in one of those levels, but as far as making it maybe all the way to the PBR, you’re probably looking at less than 10 percent,” Kerry said. Bulls that do not make the cut may be sold on the commercial cattle market. However, bulls that may not be superior athletes may still be able to give back to the bucking bull industry. “Just because one does not buck doesn’t mean that he won’t be a potential breeding bull,” Keaton said. “He may have the breeding and the bloodline, but he may not have the athletic ability that we’re looking for as a bucking bull. He may come back to the pasture to be a sire.” The Givens keep some of their bucking stock heifers as replacements for their operation. They also sell some to other bucking stock operations, such as that of Doug and Duston Hull of McAlester, with whom the Givens collaborate. The Givens sell 10 to 12 bucking bulls each year into rodeo circuits. By the time a two-year-old bull is trained and ready for competition, the Givens have spent considerable time and money to feed, condition, train and market the animal. However, the payoff for raising an upper-tier bucking bull can be

substantial. Kerry said bulls that compete in high school rodeos usually sell from $3,500 to $5,000. And prices go up from there. “As you move up, the top bulls can bring as much as $20,000 to $25,000, and every bit of that,” Kerry said. Keaton said there are currently 12 Crazy G and E bulls competing throughout the various levels of bull riding. Four of those bulls currently are working in the PBR. Once a bull gets to the upper echelon of rodeo, he can continue to compete in events for several years. “You’re doing really good if you can get a bull to last until he’s seven or eight years old,” Keaton said, noting that older bulls also are used as breeding sires or sold into the commercial cattle market.

Success on their own level

he Givens have managed to find success for themselves as a relatively small producer of bucking bulls in an ever-changing industry that Kerry said is becoming more sophisticated. Kerry admits that while Jersey Joe was the springboard for their bucking stock business, it is unlikely to find another bull in a sale barn that will go on to the same level of greatness. “It has become so sophisticated in the last 10 to 12 years that the odds of finding one at the sale barn are very, very slim,” Kerry said. “Breeding programs have improved, especially with the increasing popularity of bull riding.” Even though that chance encounter at a sale barn may never happen again for Keaton and Kerry, their hard work and dedication to developing their bloodlines and training great bucking bulls is the realization of a dream. “When you select a female and you select a sire, you want to see what the ability of that bull is,” Keaton said. “That draws you to it: seeing what you get through your hard work and your decision-making on what you have selected as a female and a sire.” The result of the Givens’ dedication to raising quality bucking bulls is the beginning of a professional cowboy’s potential payday as he climbs the chute, tightens his hand in the bull rope and nods.

Kerry (left) and Keaton Givens stand in front of one of the bucking chutes in the arena they use to train bucking bulls. The arena is used to work with and train bulls. Cowboys visit to ride the bulls as one of the final stages of the bulls’ training. Keaton said the need for facilities can be a barrier to enter the bucking stock business. 14 • Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011 14 • Oklahoma Country • Spring 2011

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Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011 • 15

he 45-acre private lake just beyond Robert Biershank’s back door in Oklahoma County creates an ideal vantage point to watch the arrivals and departures of countless geese, nonstop, throughout the year. “They look like a big ol’ airplane coming in to land,” Biershank said, standing on his property northeast of Oklahoma City. “They are pretty.” The distinctive beauty of the giant Canada goose explains why the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service went to great lengths to reintroduce them across the United States during an eight-year span in the early to mid-1980s. During that time, 2,000 geese were relocated to Oklahoma. “Back in the 1950s and ‘60s, we thought this particular subspecies of geese was extinct until we found some captive flocks in the Upper Midwest,” said Josh Richardson, a waterfowl biologist with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. “The population has really grown to the point now where they are considered a nuisance bird. Definitely, the program has been successful – almost too successful in some people’s view.” Just ask Biershank. He has seen the goose population in his area take off exponentially. “When the migratory geese fly in, these non-migratory birds serve as live decoys,” he said. “They are here saying, ‘Come on down. There’s food, there’s water.’ The geese used to land for a day and then take off again. Instead, they’ve multiplied by the thousands and all of a sudden you have a tremendous problem.” The habitat in central Oklahoma is picture perfect. Glittering below are countless small lakes created by sand mining and golf courses. Biershank estimates at least eight to 10 waterholes are located within five miles of his acreage. A restored wetlands area lies two miles south and one mile west of him and only a mile from the flight path of Tinker Air Force Base.

For the

Then there are the crops. Geese are particularly interested in pulling up the young roots of winter wheat, and they also enjoy munching on new corn seedlings as well as alfalfa and Bermuda grass. In the early months of the year, some fields are literally covered by them, turning the scene monochromatic. “You can’t see any green,” Biershank said. In early June, when the soybeans are just coming up, he has watched geese devour 10 to 15 acres in a day. “In that case, you’re looking at a loss of $2,000 to $3,000,” Biershank said. “It costs $150 an acre to put the beans in, and then you are giving the crop away.” Those figures are consistent with others who share the nuisance. Keith Kisling, who farms near Burlington, Okla., estimated geese in one spot forced him to reduce stocking rates by 25 head, each representing a profit margin of roughly $100. Instead, that money went to feeding the birds. “What I want to know is whose are they?” Kisling said. “If they belong to Fish and Wildlife, they owe me $2,500 for feeding them. If they belong to me, I’d like to take care of the problem.” Resident geese compound the impacts of migratory geese, but sorting one from the other is largely irrelevant. “They both wear the same uniform,” said Philip Robinson, a wildlife biologist at the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Division. Plus, the Wildlife Conservation Department’s Richardson said they both enjoy federal protection despite a relatively low mortality rate. “Even though the resident geese don’t migrate in the true sense, they are still considered migratory birds under the migratory bird treaty act,” Richardson said. “Geese take a couple of years to reach sexual maturity, and during that time, they do some traveling around to see what’s out there. But when it’s time to breed, the females in particular, come back to

Birds

Farmers seek remedies to combat a soaring goose population. By Candace Krebs

16 • Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011

Robert Biershank looks out over his 45-acre lake in northeast Oklahoma City, which provides a perfect habitat for Canada geese. “They’ve multiplied by the thousands and all of a sudden you have a tremendous problem,” he said.

Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011 • 17

Farm Bureau supports migrating bird control permits

or combating nuisance geese, Robert Biershank recommends obtaining a depredation permit, a measure wildlife officials consider a means of last resort. He said the two-page application for the permit, which includes a legal description of the property and the signature of a local game warden, takes about five minutes to fill out and can be filed without a fee. Biershank is the only person in Oklahoma who has been granted a depredation permit in recent years. “It’s a very, very limited number and something we avoid doing,” explained the Wildlife Conservation Department’s Josh Richardson. The permit is granted from March 15 through August 31 – goose nesting season – and has to be renewed annually. It allows 25 geese to be shot during a time period when the birds tend to be in scattered pairs rather than “flushed up.” Biershank is discouraged that he has been alone in requesting the permit and said if more people went through the process it might send a message. “If the wildlife department was inundated with more requests, it might make a difference,” he said. “Some of these problems they’ve helped create, and they need to help solve them.” Oklahoma Farm Bureau member policy calls on the Wildlife Conservation Department to reimburse farmers for losses due to regulated wildlife and asks that farmers be free to shoot migratory birds in order to defend their crops and livestock. OFB supports the state instead of federal government being able to issue permits to control damaging populations of migrating birds.

Giant Canada geese were believed to be nearly extinct in the 1960s. Now as they return to their native range, they are becoming a nuisance bird in many parts of the country.

18 • Oklahoma Country • Spring 2011

where they were raised. It’s a continuous cycle.” Both the state agriculture and wildlife departments know geese are a festering problem, but farmers rank low on the pecking order. As with other rural issues, the problem must work its way into a more urban area before attracting serious attention. he infamous “Miracle on the Hudson” incident in which a passenger jet was forced to make an emergency landing on New York’s Hudson River in January 2009 brought a national focus to bird strikes. Birds disabled the plane’s engines, and now everyone is more aware of the consequences of a surging goose population. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the number of geese increased four-fold from 1 million in 1990 to 3.9 million in 2008. The FAA cites 1,180 bird strikes during that same time period, resulting in losses of $50 million and 18 injuries or fatalities. Robinson said the U.S. Department of Agriculture employs roughly 300 wildlife biologists nationwide, including a half-dozen in Oklahoma, to keep the birds away from airstrips. Also, getting the attention of homeowners associations, towns and cities is a growing and serious sanitation issue; droppings are tracked into homes, businesses, assisted living facilities, medical facilities, food processing plants and more with what Robinson said are potentially disastrous results. The litter can also ratchet up the level of nitrates in water to the point that recreational activities and beaches have to be shut down. “Having these birds around is not a fun thing anymore,” he said. “The problem is continuing to grow. We don’t have a good handle on it yet, and I know some farmers are getting really discouraged. You can only plant so much cotton. We’d like to be able to come out and take care of the problem, but we don’t have the manpower to do that.” Wildlife officials are slowly beginning to make some concessions to the soaring goose population. Oklahoma officials have introduced a special ten-day hunting season in early September that relaxes the daily bag limit from the normal three to eight birds per day. “We’re trying to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to relax the restrictions during regular season as well,” the Wildlife Conservation Department’s Richardson said. Oklahoma is among ten states and four Canadian provinces that make up the Central Flyway, which collectively has been pressing wildlife officials to expand hunting seasons and relax bag limits. Federal officials are extremely reluctant to ease protections out of fear the restored population will crash again and even stricter measures will be required in the future, Richardson said. For Biershank’s part, he would like to see an open season on the birds. He worries that fewer hunters seem to be interested in shooting geese compared to ten years ago, maybe due in part to the numbers. “It doesn’t seem to be the thrill it used to be,” Biershank said. Farmers are authorized to scare the birds using a variety of methods, but these forms of self-defense are labor intensive and often cost prohibitive. “Those things are not realistic,” Biershank said. “I’m 73 years old, and I can’t go out and move barrels around in my field everyday.” Richardson admitted “making the birds feel uncomfortable in a field” was likely to simply relocate the problem to someone else’s property. Farmers also can use several methods to sterilize goose eggs before they hatch, such as coating them with cooking oil or puncturing them with a needle. In Biershank’s estimation, all of the authorized remedies combined still are not enough. “Farm Bureau has had a resolution on the books for several years stating it’s a problem, but we haven’t been able to take the bull by the horns, so to speak,” he said.

For the last couple years, Robert Biershank has been the only person to request a depredation permit from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, which allows him to shoot the birds during their traditional nesting period. The Wildlife Conservation department grants the permits only as a last resort. Biershank marvels that the restored wetlands area is located near the runways of Tinker Air Force Base. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Agriculture employs hundreds of wildlife control specialists to keep geese away from landing and departing planes.

Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011 • 19

Zac & Amy Harris Kiowa County

YF&R Profile

Q & A with full-time farmers Zac and Amy Harris

Zac and Amy met in college at Oklahoma State University and were married in 2003. They have three children and manage a full-time farm and ranch outside Hobart consisting of wheat, cotton, alfalfa, soybeans, corn and show cattle.

There is so much diversity in today’s world of young agriculturalists, but there are still those couples out there who day in and day out work to earn every dollar strictly from the farm. Job opportunities to move and work away from the family operation can be tempting, but for 30-year-olds Zac and Amy Harris, their hearts are at home in Hobart raising crops, kids and cattle. They met in the spring of 2003 while attending Oklahoma State University and were married later that same year. Zac is the softer-spoken of the two, but both he and Amy are adamant about promoting the future of agriculture and the livelihood of a family farm. While the couple is relatively new to the Young Farmers & Ranchers program, they have wasted no time getting involved. OFB: You are strictly production agriculture. Tell me about your current operation. ZH: I farm with my father and grandfather, and we grow 5,500 to 20 • Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011

6,000 acres of wheat, cotton and alfalfa. We also run about 300 momma cows and sell some show cattle on the side. AH: Our entire income is farm! Zac is a fourth-generation farmer. OFB: What attracted you to YF&R? Why did you want to join? ZH: It’s an untapped resource for 90 percent of people who are in this category. It involves a program with young people who are most likely going through the same challenges we are today and trying to put the right kind of face on agriculture and having a voice in that future. AH: In the past, we felt Farm Bureau was just insurance, but quickly you realize that it not only gives you networking abilities within the ag and business sector, but it also allows anyone to have a VERY large voice politically.

OFB: You are still somewhat new to the YF&R program. What activities have you participated in? ZH: We have been to several YF&R state conferences and hold a local YF&R meeting about five times a year. AH: Zac and I were privileged enough to be chosen by our county to go on the Farm Bureau Washington, D.C., trip in February 2008. We were enlightened to say the least about all that Farm Bureau offers and knew this was something that was well worth our time. OFB: How does your YF&R involvement help with your farming operation and relationships in the business? ZH: We’ve met new people that have fresh ideas on the same problem, and overall it’s made us more aware of issues we are currently facing or will be facing some day. AH: Zac and I, with all of our agricultural background, feel like we have a good networking base. We’ve realized so many of our past contacts are involved, and it makes it easier to keep up on those relationships that might have otherwise fallen by the wayside. Plus, it allows Zac to really talk details about farming practices or form partnerships that will help our sustainability. OFB: What challenges do you face with your operation today? ZH: The general public lack an understanding of production agriculture. Also, there’s the challenge of some outside markets controlling agricultural markets more than they ever have. AH: As with most farming operations, we are price takers and not price makers. Whether that is selling at harvest time or buying our inputs such as diesel and fertilizer. Also, conditions that are beyond our control, such as the significant drought we are facing, can make things tough. OFB: Despite the everyday challenges of farming, what do you enjoy most about it? Why do you stick with it? ZH: It’s what America was built on – it’s something to be proud of.

Zac is a fourthgeneration farmer who works with his father and brother near Hobart. Good and bad years may come and go in farming, but the young rancher says he’s proud to be a part of the industry.

The Harris’ three young children Rylan, 5, Trale’, 1, and Kenda, 7, are very involved in their parents’ farming operation – a tradition Zac and Amy hope to continue. We’re feeding the world. We’re being a part of God’s creation. It’s what my family has always done. AH: Zac has said since he was three years old that he would be a farmer. It was not a decision for us. It is a lifestyle. The passion it requires to plan, protect, and wait for a crop – to know that the whole year lies in those 14 days of harvest. The anticipation and suspense are all keys for us. OFB: With kids, farming and everything else, how do you find the time to say involved in YF&R? AH: We make a decision to! It’s that simple. If we want to sustain agriculture as a future for our kids and grandkids, it is a must. OFB: Are there any other benefits you see that come from YF&R involvement? What would you want other young farmers and ranchers to know about the group? AH: As I said earlier, I want a voice. I want to be able to say I made a difference not by just going to the polls, but actually having the contacts to know the laws and a lobbying body that supports my decisions. As busy as our lives are, I can’t imagine trying to stay current on legislation with all the contacts at the capitol both here in Oklahoma and in D.C. Farm Bureau allows me to do both successfully and in minimal time. OFB: What do you envision for the future regarding your YF&R involvement? ZH: We plan to always be involved. I’m currently our local YF&R president and serve on the county board. We would like to serve on a state level too at some point.

OFB’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Program is open to both men and women, ages 18 to 35, who hold a membership in his or her county Farm Bureau. For more information about YF&R, contact YF&R Coordinator Chris Kidd at (580) 228-4001 or Chris.Kidd@okfb.org. Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011 • 21

All Around

Oklahoma 2011 State Legislative Session Wrap-Up By Tyler Norvell, Vice President of Public Policy, Oklahoma Farm Bureau

he 2011 legislature adjourned a week early this year after completing the budget and redistricting. This year, legislators had to fill a $500 million budget shortfall with state agencies taking anywhere from a 1% to 9% cut. However, cuts to education were mitigated as the Commission of Land Office distributed record amounts of money to schools with more than $112 million in FY 2010. Redistricting also went as well as could be expected for the rural interest, considering the population loss for some rural areas. The session was extremely successful for the OFB with 12 bills off the priority program being signed into law, as well as several other pieces of legislation supported by the OFB.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau Supported Legislation Signed Into Law Reforming the Administrative Procedures Act On April 14, HB 1044 was signed into law. Rep. George Faught and Sen. Anthony Sykes authored HB 1044, which requires any agency 22 • Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011

rule that 1) increases a fee, 2) has a fiscal impact, or 3) comes from a board that gets their jurisdiction from Title 59 to be approved by the legislature before the end of each legislative session.

enforcement agency to issue a ticket for recreational trespass violations similar to how speeding tickets are issued. Sen. Don Barrington and Rep. Skye McNiel authored this legislation, which was signed into law May 13, 2011.

Eminent Domain Reform SB 124 prohibits the power of eminent domain for siting or building wind turbines on private property. This legislation was signed into law May 10 and was authored by Sen. Ron Justice and Rep. Tom Newell.

Annexation Reform Signed by the governor on April 14, HB 1296 requires municipalities to obtain consent of a majority of the acres before annexing property. This has been a priority piece of legislation for OFB for several years, and we applaud its passage. It was authored by Rep. David Derby and Sen. Anthony Sykes. SB 147 changes the requirements for incorporating a town, requiring more involvement from agricultural landowners and establishing a more accountable petition process. SB 147 was authored by Sen. Don Barrington and Rep. Corey Holland. It was signed by the governor on April 25.

Protecting Private Property Rights HB 1249 authored by Rep. Wade Rousselot and Sen. Kim David, was signed into law by the governor on April 12. HB 1249 removes the exemption under current trespass law that allows owners to retrieve animals by entering the property of another without permission. This legislation clears up the argument: If it’s not yours, don’t go onto it without permission! SB 494 creates the “Oklahoma Private Lands and Public Recreation Act” which allows any law

Protecting Livestock Owner’s SB 530 has two key provisions to protect

those in the livestock industry. First, it provides a non-judicial process for foreclosing on agistor liens. Second, it contains measures to protect the future rights of Oklahoma livestock owners by granting an owner’s lien that will secure payment of the sales price. The intent of this provision is to protect livestock owners from situations similar to those experienced when Eastern Livestock failed. SB 530 was authored by Sen. Sean Burrage and Rep. Don Armes. It was signed by the governor on April 26. Reducing the Goundwater Permit Fee SB 248 reduces the current groundwater permit administration fee from $50 per permit to $25 per permit. Signed into law on May 18, the bill was authored by Sen. Ron Justice and Rep. Wade Rousselot. Lowering Ad Valorem Taxes HJR 1002 authored by Rep. David Dank and Sen. Jim Reynolds sends to a vote of the people a constitutional amendment that reduces the cap on ad valorem valuation from 5% to 3%. This has been a longtime OFB priority and will be SQ 758 in the November 2012 general election. Requiring Vehicles to Display “Not for Hire” Current law requires the words “NOT FOR HIRE” to be displayed on both sides of a noncommercial vehicle transporting horses or livestock. SB 95 repeals this language. SB 95 was authored by Sen. Eddie Fields and Rep. Skye McNiel. The governor signed the bill into law on April 20. Reforming Continuing Education Requirements The governor signed SB 92 into law on April 13. Authored by Sen. Ron Justice and Rep. Steve Kouplen, SB 92 reforms continuing education requirements for poultry growers. Instead of having to obtain three hours of continuing education each year on poultry waste handling, poultry growers now only have to obtain two hours every three years after completing the initial 19 hours of required education. Protecting Traditional Animal Husbandry Practices HB 1310 contains the comprise language between OFB and the veterinary community. HB 1310 protects animal husbandry practices by establishing a certification process for those performing “for hire” reproductive services in

SB 272, authored by Oklahoma Senator Cliff Aldridge, was signed in to law May 26 by Governor Mary Fallin. The measure better known as the “No Pay, No Play” law states that the maximum amount an uninsured driver could receive through a lawsuit following an automobile accident would be limited to the amount of medical costs, property damage and lost income. Oklahoma Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company strongly supported the measure and was pleased to see it finally signed into law after supporting it for several years. The “No Pay, No Play” law will go into effect Nov. 1, 2011. Pictured left to right are Rep. Jason Nelson, Rick Farmer of the Oklahoma Insurance Department, insurance lobbyist Jeramy Rich, Sen. Cliff Aldridge, General Counsel Ericka McPherson of Oklahoma Farm Bureau & Affiliated Companies, Gov. Mary Fallin, Rep. David Dank, Rep. George Faught, Kim Decker of Farmers Insurance and Dan Ramsey of Independent Insurance Agents.

ruminant animals. Additionally, the bill creates an Animal Technology Advisory Committee. Composed of individuals from both the veterinarian and livestock community, the committee is charged with classifying new technology as animal husbandry or veterinary medicine. HB 1310 was authored by Rep. Phil Richardson and Sen. Eddie Fields. It was signed by Gov. Mary Fallin on April 20.

Other Legislation Supported By OFB Protecting Rural Hospitals HB 1381 creates an assessment to be paid by qualifying hospitals and will in turn be used to gain a 2 to 1 match in federal dollars. This legislation will help keep our rural hospitals viable. OFB worked with the OK Hospital Association and the Oklahoma State Chamber to pass this legislation. Protecting Property Rights HB 1821 was compromise language between the wind companies and the oil & gas industry.

This bill is a reasonable solution and ensures no landowner will lose a property right. HB 1821 allows all parties, wind and solar companies, oil companies, surface owners, and mineral owners to work together and enjoy each of their respective rights. OFB worked with mineral owners, wind companies, and the oil & gas sector in crafting this legislation. Tort Reform HB 2128 provides for a $350,000 cap on awards for non-economic damages in any civil action arising from a claimed bodily injury. This legislation will help keep premiums down for all insured in the state. OFB worked with the State Chamber and the medical community in passing HB 2128. Wheat Check-Off HB 1472 increases the check-off fee per bushel to two cents on all wheat sold by producers in the state. HB 1472 was authored by Rep. Don Armes and Sen. David Myers and signed by the governor on April 20. Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011 • 23

OFB contributes to Youth Expo’s annual Sale of Champions

klahoma Farm Bureau participated again this year in the 2011 Oklahoma Youth Expo Sale of Champions held March 21, in Oklahoma City. Prior to the sale, OFB President Mike Spradling was in attendance to receive the sale’s Volume Buyer Award. The recognition is in honor of the organization, business or inividual that purchases the most animals during the auction. Each year’s Sale of Champions marks the end of the 11-day Oklahoma Youth Expo known as the largest junior livestock show in the world. More than 7,000 students participated in the cattle, sheep or hog shows, and a select 205 top exhibitors were chosen to sell their animals in the premium sale. This year’s sale totaled just under $800,000. Oklahoma Farm Bureau teamed up with Central States Trailers and a group of add-on premium supporters to purchase the Grand Champion Barrow from Brianna Robinson of El Reno for an overall total of $20,432. OFB also contributed premium money to the following exhibitors and their animals: • Reserve Grand Champion barrow exhibited by Tyler Frailey of Mannford FFA.

24 • Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011

• Reserve Champion Hampshire barrow exhibited by Shyann McWhirter of Maysville 4-H. • Reserve Champion Yorkshire barrow exhibited by Brooke Nation of Alva FFA. • Reserve Champion Maine steer exhibited by Shay Hurta of Tecumsah FFA. • Reserve Champion Simmental steer exhibited by Sheldon Rounds of Leedey FFA. • Reserve Champion Natural wether lamb exhibited by Ashley Rhoads of Indiahoma FFA. • Reserve Champion Dorset wether lamb exhibited by Brenna Morris of Fairview FFA. • Bronze Medallion wether goat exhibited by Rylee Lawson of Newcastle FFA. • Sixth place wether goat exhibited by Chelsea Head of Waynoka FFA. • Third place Angus steer exhibited by Bryce Bulling of Mulhall-Orlando FFA. • Fourth place Chianina steer exhibited by Kody Baker of Altus FFA. • Third place Crossbred wether lamb exhibited by Chase McGolden of Fairview FFA. • Third place Natural Colored wether lamb exhibited by Carson Vinyard of Altus FFA. • Third place Chester White barrow exhibited by Cole West of Stickler 4-H.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Mike Spradling (left) accepts the Oklahoma Youth Expo volume buyer award from OYE Chairman of the Board, Bob Funk (right). The award was presented during the OYE Sale of Champions on March 21, at the State Fairgrounds Arena. This made for OFB’s tenth consecutive volume buyer award, which honors the organization, business or individual that purchases the most animals during the Sale of Champions. Oklahoma Farm Bureau representatives stand with the grand champion barrow at the 2011 Oklahoma Youth Expo in Oklahoma City. OFB along with Central States Trailers and a group of add-on premium supporters paid a grand total of $20,432 for the 279-pound crossbred barrow, which was exhibited by Brianna Robinson of the El Reno FFA chapter.

• Sixth place Chianina steer exhibited by Garrett Starks of Cherokee FFA. • Sixth place Yorkshire barrow exhibited by Delainna Beard of El Reno 4-H. • Sixth place Crossbred wether lamb exhibited by Maria Goodwin of Ponca City FFA. • Sixth place Hampshire wether lamb exhibited by Brock Hill of Sapulpa FFA. • Seventh place Angus steer exhibited by Logan Holt of Alva 4-H. • Eighth place Crossbred steer exhibited by Chauncey Beckner of Altus 4-H. • Thirteenth place Crossbred barrow exhibited by Brooke Robinson of El Reno FFA. • Twelfth place Crossbred wether lamb exhibited by William Maltbie of Burlington FFA. • Tenth place Crossbred steer exhibited by Whitney Andras of Checotah FFA. • Eighteenth place Crossbred barrow exhibited by Tanner Schuermann of Pond Creek-Hunter 4-H. • Sixteenth place Crossbred wether lamb exhibited by Garrett Goodwin of Tonkawa FFA. • Seventeenth place Crossbred wether lamb exhibited by Lane Newlin of Burlington FFA.

ideas that we address with everyone that attends our event.” In addition to safety protocol that surrounds new technology, youth at the camp participated in activities and simulations related to team building, leadership, ATV and farm equipment safety, DUI prevention, vehicle rollover and electrical safety. Participants also had the chance to experience a ropes course at Camp Redlands near Stillwater. “With the leadership skills we’ve learned this week and the safety tips we’ve been taught, we can all take information back to our peers at our home counties,” said first-time camp attendee Jack Hudgins of Adair County. A total of 29 students attended the three-day event. A student participating in the 43rd annual Oklahoma Farm Bureau Safety Seminar prepares to ride the zip line at the Camp Redlands ropes course near Stillwater. Oklahoma Farm Bureau safety specialist David Turner rides co-pilot as a camp attendee tries to drive a go-kart while wearing “drunk goggles.” Safety seminar participants each took a turn with the goggles and go-kart to learn the dangers of drunk driving.

OFB hosts annual safety seminar

klahoma Farm Bureau held its 43rd annual Summer Safety Seminar June 6-8, at the Tatanka Ranch in Stroud. Hosted by Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Safety Services division, the summer camp teaches young people ages 13 to 17 about the importance of rural safety, youth leadership and teamwork. Aiming to protect and educate rural youth, this year’s seminar adapted its agenda to address new issues they encounter by including texting and driving and other changes in vehicle and equipment safety. “Our main mission is to teach the kids about rural safety, but we also want to discuss issues that young people face now more than ever,” said Oklahoma Farm Bureau Safety Services Director Justin Grego. “New safety issues that exist, including the risks of texting while driving or while operating farm equipment are major Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011 • 25

YF&R members attend annual conference

Ryan Taylor tries his hand at starting a siphon tube from a concrete ditch during the 2011 YF&R conference. Ryan is the son of Tim and Sheila Taylor of Payne County.

YF&R members attending the 2011 conference toured irrigation facilities throughout the Lugert-Altus Irrigation District, including the dam at Lake Altus-Lugert. Jackson County Farm Bureau Vice President Matt Muller shows the group of young farmers and ranchers a cotton stripper on his farm near Martha. The group had the chance to see Muller’s cotton production equipment up close.

26 • Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011

oung agricultural producers and profes sionals from around the state gathered at Quartz Mountain Lodge near Lone Wolf for the 2011 Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers conference, March 31 - April 3. Approximately 60 farmers, ranchers, professionals and their families made the trip to southwest Oklahoma for the event. During the four-day conference, YF&R members toured agricultural operations and businesses, learned from speakers from around the state and nation, and networked with each other. Events kicked off on Thursday, March 31, with a cookout allowing YF&R members time to visit and become acquainted with other young agriculture enthusiasts from around the state. On Friday, April 1, the group was given an in-depth look into cotton production and the Lugert-Altus irrigation district in the Altus area led by District Two State Director and Manager of the Lugert-Altus Irrigation District Tom Buchanan. After getting up-close and personal with the Lake Lugert-Altus Dam, YF&R members followed the path of irrigation water as they toured farms utilizing both flood and drip irrigation practices. YF&R members toured the Cotton Growers Cooperative cotton gin and the Plains Cotton

Cooperative Association warehouses before heading to the farm of Jackson County Farm Bureau members Matt and Kellie Muller. At the Muller’s, YF&R members had a chance to try their hand at starting a siphon hose from an irrigation ditch. They also met with Matt Muller and learned about his experiences growing cotton and the specialized farm equipment cotton production requires. “We are going to put in a circle of cotton this year, so this was great for us,” said Pat Long, a young farmer from the panhandle town of Optima, who attended the conference for the first time with his wife, Gina. “We got to come down here, where cotton country really is, and find out how labor-intensive it really is.” Saturday, April 2, started with a spirit-building speech by keynote speaker Andrew McCrea, a Missouri-based farmer and rancher, speaker and broadcaster. McCrea challenged YF&R members to connect with people to educate them about agriculture while they focus on agriculture’s purpose of feeding a growing nation. “We have to look at those folks who may be telling us to change, and we certainly need to say, ‘Hey, is this really the right move?’” McCrea said. “But I think one of the worst things we can do is dig in our heels and say, ‘Well, I know what I’m doing, I’m not going to change’ because we must change to grow 70 percent more food.” The group toured the Premium Beef feedlot near Hobart learning about the Premium Natural Beef program and the company’s cattle production system. Later in the day, attendees had the opportunity to learn about firearm safety while testing their aim at a skeet shoot conducted by Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation game wardens. The day’s activities wrapped up at the Kiowa County Fairgrounds in Hobart with a dinner provided by AgPreference of Altus. OFB President Mike Spradling provided a keynote message stressing the importance of working together for leadership. On Sunday, April 3, conference organizers provided a vespers program for YF&R members followed by a state legislation/public policy update by OFB Vice President of Public Policy Tyler Norvell. “I thought it was great,” said Josh Emerson, a first-time YF&R state conference attendee from Checotah. “I think it’s a great experience to meet and socialize with a lot of people our age. “It’s kind of like a big family, really.”

Oklahoma Farm Bureau leaders lobby Congress

group of 50 Oklahoma Farm Bureau leaders took time out from preparing for the spring growing season to travel to Washington, D.C., for an intense lobbying effort March 26-31. “This is a valuable trip for farm leaders,” said OFB President Mike Spradling. “It shows our Oklahoma congressional delegation we support them, and it gives our members an opportunity to see how the federal government functions.” During the trip, the farm leaders met with Senators Jim Inhofe and Tom Coburn in addition to all five U.S. House members from Oklahoma including Frank Lucas, the new chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. “Lucas will play a major role in the new farm bill and we’re glad he understands how important the farm bill is for Oklahoma agriculture,” Spradling said. Lucas laid out the timetable for the new farm bill, making sure the leaders understood the current farm bill does not expire until the end of July 2012. He told the group he expects field hearings on the farm bill to take place this summer and hopes to have the farm bill written and ready for the president to sign by next July. For Farm Bureau leader Jack Sherry of Holdenville, the trip was a good opportunity to see Congress in action.

“The big discussion going on right now in Washington is the tight budget situation,” Sherry said. “I am concerned how it will impact the farm bill and the non-farm economy as well.” In addition to the farm bill and budget discussions, the farm leaders also discussed burdensome EPA regulations with their congressional representatives. “We’ve seen a growing list of attempts by the EPA in recent years to heavily regulate the agriculture industry,” Spradling said. “We’re concerned these regulations are becoming a major obstacle to producing food and fiber in this country.”

Farm Bureau members meet with the Oklahoma congressional delegation, including Congressman Dan Boren, in Washington, D.C. A group of 50 Oklahoma Farm Bureau members participated in the 2011 Congressional Action Tour. Third district congressman and House Agriculture Committee chairman Frank Lucas visits with Farm Bureau members about the new 2012 Farm Bill. The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Congressional Action Tour was held March 26-31. Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011 • 27

Oklahoma Farm Bureau hosts African interns Oklahoma Farm Bureau member Tony Kodesh of Red Rock explains his tractor’s operations to African interns Samuel Kazibwe and Beatrice Namaloba. Pictured from left to right are Kodesh, Kazibwe and Namaloba.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s African interns talk with OFB crop insurance manager Scott Bulling at his farm near Orlando to discuss Oklahoma hay production. Pictured from left to right are Beatrice Namaloba of Kenya, Scott Bulling, Samuel Kazibwe of Uganda and April Bulling.

Ugandan radio broadcaster Samuel Kazibwe learns about the cattle operation of Oklahoma Farm Bureau crop insurance manager Scott Bulling during a visit to Bulling’s farm in April. From left to right Kazibwe, Bulling and April Bulling.

28 • Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011

klahoma Farm Bureau played host to two African interns April 11-25, as they visited America on a food securities grant made possible through key African stakeholders and Oklahoma State University. Radio broadcaster Samuel Kazibwe of Uganda and Senior Agricultural Officer in Food Security Beatrice Namaloba of Kenya were part of a 12-member team that participated in a fiveweek U.S. State Department Professional Exchange Program geared toward improving Africa’s food securities issues. The grant, titled “Improving Food Security by Catalyzing Communication Networks between Key Stakeholders: Linking Media, Policies, and Communities in Kenya and Uganda, was written to improve communication between the African interns and their U.S. counterparts in an overall effort to address food security in Sub-Saharan Africa. Kazibwe and Namaloba spent two weeks with OFB Public Policy and Corporate Communications staff members as they learned about Oklahoma agriculture, Farm Bureau and how the state’s legislative process works. They participated in Young Farmers and Ranchers Legislative Day at the state capitol, toured the farming operations of FB members Tony Kodesh and Scott Bulling, and visited the offices of media outlets such as The Oklahoman newspaper. The two interns also toured Braum’s Dairy in Tuttle, Blue and Gold Sausage Co. in Jones, the OKC Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, Crowe and Dunlevy law firm in Oklahoma City, and American Plant Products in Oklahoma City. Despite Kazibwe and Namaloba’s tight schedule, they also met with officials from the Oklahoma Pork Council, the Oklahoma Wheat Commission, the Oklahoma Conservation Commission and Farm Credit. After their visit to Oklahoma, OFB’s two interns and the rest of their team traveled to Washington D.C. to complete the U.S. exchange experience. In turn, a group of Oklahoma state agency officials and faculty from Oklahoma State University will travel to Kenya and Uganda in July to experience the people and cultures of Africa.

Farm Bureau member’s homestead recognized as Century Farm

he American Farm Bureau Federation is recognizing the Peter Alig Homestead in Okarche through the American Farm Bureau Foundation Century Farm project. The purpose of the interactive website project is to promote the value of America’s century farms while also educating the public on agriculture. Now managed by Peter Alig’s great-grandson Richard Alig, the Peter Alig Homestead was established in 1893 and currently consists of 2,500 acres of wheat, 300 head of ewes and 1,500 head of stocker cattle. Alig, a member of Oklahoma Farm Bureau, said his family has persevered through good and bad times in agriculture. He credited their love of the land and devotion to providing for others as reasons why the original homestead is still in business today.

“Well I’m kind of proud that my ancestors had the gumption to get here to where we are at,” Alig said. “It shows that a lot of the American farming population has sticking power out here.” Over the years, the Alig family has adapted to new farming techniques and changing regulations in order to remain sustainable and increase overall production. Alig said the farm has transitioned to 100 percent no-till and implemented global positioning systems to manage the farm more efficiently. The Alig family’s involvement in their local Farm Bureau also has allowed the Century Farm to prosper. Richard Alig became involved on the grassroots level in the 1980s when his farm raised hogs. He credits his participation in Farm Bureau for

Richard Alig (pictured) and his brother, Matt, manage their family’s homestead near Okarche. The brothers are great-grandsons of Peter Alig who established the farm in 1893. Today, the farm consists of wheat, sheep and stocker cattle.

helping keep regulations in check and enabling the operation to stay afloat. Alig said the time and energy he has invested in Farm Bureau has paid off, and he is proud to be a part of such an active organization that promotes America’s farmers and ranchers. To learn more about the Peter Alig Homestead, visit www. agricultureslastingheritage.org.

OFB Field Services members licensed to teach ATV safety

wo members of Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Safety Services division are now certified All Terrain Vehicle safety instructors after earning their licenses this spring. Safety Services Director Justin Grego and Safety Services specialist Dusty Applegate participated in the ATV Safety Institute Instructor Preparation Course held April 29, in Bethany. Coordinated through the Oklahoma 4-H ATV Safety program, the institute required Grego and Applegate to complete a week of training and practice course instruction. As certified ATV RiderCourse instructors, they are now licensed to teach youth and adults ATV safety and basic riding skills. Grego said he was unaware of how often ATV riders ignore safety. As ATV accidents become more common, he plans to incorporate more ATV guidelines in his future OFB safety demonstrations. “Before the course, I was unaware of how to properly ride and operate 4-wheelers and take all of the many safety precautions,” Grego said. “Working in the safety field, you can’t go

anymore without reading or hearing about an ATV accident.” According to the Oklahoma Department of Health, more than 200 ATV accidents occur in the state each year, and 24 ATVrelated deaths were reported in 2010. “We’re seeing ATV’s replace tractors and smaller equipment to pull things and do small jobs around the farm,” Grego said. “They put this extra weight on ATV’s, and it causes stability problems.” Grego said ATV’s are well-known as an affordable form of recreation, but riders, especially those who have been riding for a long time, can become careless. “We need to be on the frontline of learning and becoming ASI certified to teach this course so we can talk to farm kids and all kids in Oklahoma about this issue,” he said. “I’m going to try and stress to kids to let somebody know where you’re going when you ride or have someone go with you on a second ATV.”

ATV safety students take instruction from Oklahoma Farm Bureau Safety Services members Justin Grego and Dusty Applegate April 29, in Bethany. Grego and Applegate completed a week of training and practiced teaching other students in order to receive their ATV ASI instructor licenses. Oklahoma Farm Bureau Safety Services Director Justin Grego shows an ATV safety student basic 4-wheeler functions during his final day of course instruction. Grego completed a week of training in April to earn his ATV Safety Institute Instructor license.

Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011 • 29

Oklahoma Farm Bureau committee raises $15,000 for OFB Legal Foundation More than 20 teams participated in this year’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Golf Classic in Seminole. Pictured from left to right are Duane Simpson of Monsanto, State Representative Tom Newell and Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Jim Reese.

klahoma Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers committee helped raise more than $15,000 for the OFB Legal Foundation during the annual YF&R Golf Classic held May 6, in Seminole. All proceeds benefitted

the OFB Legal Foundation’s efforts to protect the rights of farmers and ranchers and represent them regarding other agricultural issues. “It’s heartening to see some of the same people turn out every year for the tournament,”

2011 OFB Commodity Tour

klahoma Farm Bureau leaders and staff members traveled the state March 23-24, to participate in the 2011 OFB Commodity Tour. Stops included Reasor’s in Jenks, Reproduction Enterprises Inc. in Stillwater, the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve and Sooner Cattle Company near Pawhuska, the Head Country Barbecue manufacturing plant in Ponca City, Advance Foods in Enid, and a pecan processing plant at Flying G Ranch in Sand Springs.

30 • Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011

said OFB Legal Foundation Director Marla Peek. “It’s a testament to some of our members’ support of the foundation’s activities.” More than 20 teams participated in the annual event hosted by Seminole’s Jimmie Austin Golf Course. YF&R Coordinator Chris Kidd said he was pleased with the amount of people who showed an interest in supporting the OFB Legal Foundation. “I think we had a strong turnout for the event, and I appreciate all of the hard work our YF&R committee put in to making it possible,” he said. Team results include first place - Blake Chappell, Nathan Henderson, Stefan Hunt and Tyler Norvell; second place - Marty Fuller, Dan Navaro, Kent Washburn and Freddy Wisdom; third place – Tim Cain, Tim McGraw, James Reid and David Wilson. OFB staff members and leaders tour the Head Country Barbecue manufacturing plant in Ponca City on March 24. OFB leaders and staff learn about the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve near Pawhuska. The 2011 OFB Commodity Tour stop is the world’s largest protected area of tallgrass prairie on earth spanning 39,000 acres.

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Survey shows FFA members are optimistic about future

n overwhelming 80 percent of the FFA members visiting the Oklahoma Farm Bureau exhibit during the Oklahoma FFA convention, May 2-4, said they are optimistic about the future of agriculture. “That does not surprise me as these kids tend to be a pretty optimistic group in general,” said south central OFB field coordinator and Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee coordinator Chris Kidd. The OFB exhibit was a project of the YF&R committee in an effort to encourage FFA members to get more involved in agriculture leadership organizations. The strong optimism was offset somewhat by the 61 percent who said they plan to study agriculture or work in an agriculture-related field after high school. 531182 That means almost 40 percent do not consider agriculture as a valid career path. Oklahoma Farm Bureau Vice President of Communications Sam Knipp interviews an FFA student at OFB’s booth during the Oklahoma FFA Convention, May 25-28. A majority of students who participated in OFB’s survey were optimistic about the future of agriculture.

YF&R 2011 Scholarship Winners Selected

klahoma Farm Bureau has selected nine high school seniors from throughout Oklahoma to receive the 2011 Young Farmers and Ranchers scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to a graduating high school senior who plans to enroll as a fulltime student in an agricultural program at an accredited Oklahoma institution of higher education. Students must also be members of a voting Farm Bureau Family. OFB’s YF&R group awarded a $1,000 scholarship to one high school senior from each of the nine Farm Bureau districts in the state. Hartly Carlisle of Laverne, was the district one scholarship winner. She plans on attending

32 • Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011

Oklahoma State University to study landscape design and architecture. Bailey Kliewer of Thomas, won the district two scholarship. The Thomas-Fay-Custer High School senior plans to study agricultural education at Oklahoma State University. Blayne Horn of Chickasha, received the district three scholarship. He plans to major in agricultural economics at Oklahoma State University. Sarah Coffey of Springer, was the winner of the district four scholarship. The Davis High School senior plans to attend Oklahoma State

University to study animal science. Peyton Mackey of Spiro, won the district five scholarship. He plans on studying agricultural science. Emily Baird of Stilwell, won the district six scholarship. She plans on attending Connors State College to study agricultural education. Mark Martens of Fairview, received the district seven scholarship. He plans on studying agricultural business at Oklahoma State University. Whitney Dockrey of Shawnee, was the winner

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“Although that is good, (61 percent) it indicates they may be optimistic about the future of agriculture but don’t see how they can make a career out of it,” Kidd said. Almost 700 FFA members completed the survey, which included the questions: “What challenges do you see in agriculture today” and “What can be done to get more young people interested in agricultural careers?” A popular answer to the “challenges” question was “lack of adequate financial incentives” and “no rain.” The FFA members also believed the “shrinking farm population” and “antiagriculture publicity” posed major challenges for the agriculture industry. To encourage young people’s interest in agriculture careers, the FFA members suggested offering more agriculture-related classes, advertising the need for agriculture involvement, and making agriculture more interesting by increasing the “fun factor.” “Overall, I believe this survey shows these young FFA members are generally excited about agriculture and look forward to a bright future,” Kidd said.

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of the district eight scholarship. The Tecumseh High School student plans on attending Oklahoma State University to major in agribusiness with a pre-law option. Erin Tilley of Stillwater, won the district nine scholarship. The Ripley High School senior plans to attend Oklahoma State University to study agricultural communications. The OFB YF&R program is a volunteer program for young producers and ag professionals, ages 18 to 35, who have a passion for agriculture and a desire to be part of a group engaged in leadership training, networking, promotion and influencing their industry.

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From restaurant to grocery store, FAPC entrepreneurial client realizes dream

or many who have dined at Nicoli’s Italian-American Steakhouse near Anadarko, Okla., finding a comparably good pasta sauce or Italian dressing to serve at home is nearly impossible. Or is it? Nicoli’s fine foods now can be found at the local grocery store. Scaffetta’s Gourmet Pasta Sauce, Alfredo Sauce and Italian Salad Dressing are available in more than 50 retail stores, including Whole Foods Markets in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma. In 2000, Oklahoma Farm Bureau members Nick and Cindy Scaffetta, owners of Nicoli’s, began working with Oklahoma State University’s Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center to commercialize the restaurant’s sauces, dressing and spice blends. Cindy, an OSU graduate, received information about a master canner’s class conducted by the FAPC, which she noticed a former OSU classmate, Chuck Willoughby, was involved with coordinating. The Scaffettas attended the class to learn what they needed to do to begin marketing their pasta sauce and met with Willoughby, FAPC business and marketing relations manager. “One of the first things we discussed was Nick and Cindy’s vision for marketing their famous pasta sauce,” Willoughby said. “After discussing their ideas for marketing, their business plans for the future and the brand strength that Nicoli’s had, we knew the potential to successfully launch their sauce into the retail sector was strong. The key would be to continuously promote their retail product through their network of loyal customers to take advantage of the word-of-mouth advertising they could generate.” Nick said their advertising philosophy for the restaurant was to let the food and service speak for themselves. Word of mouth has been 34 • Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011

successful, so the Scaffettas have taken the same approach with their new venture. “We do have a Scaffetta’s Gourmet Foods website, facebook page and a twitter account,” Nick said. “We keep our friends posted as to what is new with our products, and when and where we are doing tastings and demos. It is very effective.” The Scaffettas plan to introduce other products, including a meat tenderizer, tomato

Cindy and Nick Scaffeta own Nicoli’s Italian-American Steakhouse near Anadarko. They began working with Oklahoma State University’s Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center in 2000 to commercialize the restaurant’s sauces, dressing and spice blends. The Scaffettas attended a master canner’s class conducted by the FAPC at Oklahoma State University and learned what they needed to do to begin marketing their pasta sauce. Now due to such high demand, the couple works with Pepper Creek Farms to can, label and repackage their famous pasta sauce.

basil soup, hot cocoa mix, cheesecake and tiramisu. “The possibilities are endless, and we are very excited to be able to bring these foods to our customers’ tables,” Cindy said. The FAPC also provided the Scaffettas with food safety information, labeling regulations and manufacturing information to help them decide whether to pursue a food manufacturer’s license for their restaurant kitchen or to use a co-packer, as well as process evaluation and nutritional analysis to help them meet FDA regulatory compliance. Shortly after the Scaffettas introduced their pasta sauce to the public, they realized they could not make enough themselves to keep up with the demand. “One of our customers at Nicoli’s happened to work with Pepper Creek Farms, who copacks similar products,” Nick said. “We talked with them, and as it turned out, they were able to cook, can, label and repackage our pasta sauce less expensively than we could do it ourselves.” The Scaffettas have a good relationship with Pepper Creek Farms, and they look forward to working with them on new products. “Our approach to introducing new products has been to be very methodical and cautious, and we take our time to ensure that we can maintain the high quality and ‘small batch’ image our restaurant put forward,” Nick said. “We have a good reputation for consistency and quality service, and we will do whatever it takes to maintain that reputation.” Like many of the entrepreneurs FAPC works with, the Scaffettas have that persistent, never give-up attitude, Willoughby said. “Nick and Cindy have a great work ethic and their enthusiasm is contagious,” he said. “Working with the Scaffettas and folks like them inspire us to live out our mission – to add value to Oklahoma.”

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Fuel costs send farmers, ranchers into sticker shock

mericans are experiencing sticker shock at the gas pump these days, but high fuel costs are hitting America’s farmers and ranchers especially hard. According to testimony presented earlier this spring by the American Farm Bureau Federation, government figures showed farmers were expected to pay almost 85 percent more than they paid in 2000 just to plant their crops. Testifying before the House Natural Resources Committee, Colorado Farm Bureau President Don Shawcroft said America’s farmers and ranchers need reliable and reasonably priced fuels in order to maintain their ability to feed, clothe and fuel the world. Farmers and ranchers, he explained, cannot simply pass higher expenses along to their customers. “Most Ameri cans are feeling sticker shock caused by high gasoline prices when they fill their automobile’s tank,” Shawcroft said. “But there is no term in the English language to accurately describe what farmers and ranchers feel every time they put diesel in the tanks of their farm equipment.”

hawcroft cited numerous examples of the economic impact currently experienced by farmers and ranchers. He said the cost just for refueling a typical tractor can be more than $1,000. “Depending on the number of acres being covered, farmers and ranchers have to fill those tanks multiple times just to complete the work

on one field,” Shawcroft said. He also explained that the impact is far more than just higher costs for fueling tractors, harvesters and trucks. Higher natural gas and petroleum prices greatly increase the price for fertilizer and crop protection products. Shawcroft said sound public policy can help provide answers. He told members of the committee that America must renew its commitment to domestic oil and Projections from the gas production, federal government showed farmers were continue to expected to pay almost 85 develop all percent more in fuel costs sources of this spring than they paid renewable energy in 2000. and do more to make all forms of home-grown energy available to all American consumers. “Energy rich repositories such as the Outer Continental Shelf, the Bakken Oilfields and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge must be explored and opened for oil and gas production,” Shawcroft said. Shawcroft also said home-grown energy must be made more available to American consumers through implementation of the approved increase of the ethanol blend rate to 15 percent, building a biofuel infrastructure that includes blender pumps and biofuel pipelines and continuing to provide incentives, such as the tax credits currently in place, to encourage the production of biodiesel fuels. “We must continue to develop all sources of renewable energy,” Shawcroft said. “Much advancement has occurred in the production of renewable energy sources such as ethanol, biodiesel, biomass, wind and solar energy.”

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grandfather established the 11-acre-ranch in 1915. Ingersoll was honored at NatureWorks’ spring banquet with a bronze statue depicting a covey of flushing quail and an English pointer. According to their website, NatureWorks is a non-profit organization that assists in the development and conservation of wildlife preserves, introduces wildlife into new habitats, and provides education opportunities for adults and children on the values of sharing our homeland with wildlife. NatureWorks, Inc. originated and resides exclusively in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There is no national or other organization affiliation.

Producers be mindful of spray drift risk

lthough herbicide spray is used to protect crops in many instances, it also can destroy others when allowed to drift into other fields. Officials at Oklahoma State University said drifting herbicide spray can injure crops and

leave damaging residues on harvested crops. “Spray drift also can potentially damage shelterbelts, garden and ornamental plants, cause water pollution and even negatively affect generally non-susceptible crops if they are exposed during a vulnerable growth stage,” said Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension weed science specialist Joe Armstrong. “Drift also can result in non-uniform application in a field, which may lead to poor weed control and a waste of the producer’s time, energy and money invested.” OSU officials said the level of risk to nontarget plants varies among herbicides and nontarget plants. Crops such as cotton in southwestern Oklahoma must be considered according to Gary Strickland, Jackson County Extension director and agricultural educator. “For Greer, Harmon and Kiowa counties, application of 2,4D and dicamba is restricted from May 1 to Oct. 15,” he said. “For Jackson and Tillman counties, the restriction applies to those herbicides as well as picloram, triclopyr and clopyralid.” Strickland said producers are allowed to use these herbicides during the restricted periods as long as they file a notification of intent with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. “Regardless of the producer’s county of operation, it’s important to remember that the

restrictions are in place for a reason,” Strickland said. “So take all necessary precautions when using these herbicides, and always follow label directions.” Spray particle size can be increased by reducing spray pressure and increasing nozzle orifice size. Using special drift reduction nozzles and conducting sprayer cleanout as well as adjusting the boom height of sprayers also can

cut down on spray drift. Armstrong said producers need to remember that herbicides should not be applied when the wind is blowing toward an adjoining susceptible crop or a crop in a vulnerable stage of growth. “Be aware that crop injury from herbicide drift can even occur with low wind velocities, especially under conditions that result in vertically stable air,” he said.

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Country

Classifieds AUTOMOTIVE

1964 ½ Mustang Conv, 6 cyl, auto, dark blue, white top, new tires, seats and many new parts, show winner sharp, $13,500, Spiro, 918-962-2064. 2010 Dodoge Ram, ¾ ton, 4 dr, 4 w/d, black, hemi, 6300 miles, $32,000, 405-246-8066. 650cc Yamaha, windshield, saddle bags, buddy seat, 4400 mis, very good bike, great road bike, 806-2901684, $1,500. 1995 White Lincoln Town Car, signature blue cloth top, 4 dr, 116K, runs great, needs new window motor, $2,500, 918-637-5584 1984 Cadillac Seville, 88,000 mi, white with tan cabriolet top, leather interior, V-8, full power & air, body straight, paint good, interior immaculate, very nice car, must see, $3,500, Call 405-740-5562. 1981 VW Rabbit pick-up, gasoline, $1,500, 918-6527248. 1982 VW Rabbit P/U, diesel, $2,500, 918-652-7248. 1995 Freightliner Semi Truck N-14 red top cummins, flat top, 9 spd, new ft drive tires, 1,048,000 mi, good farm truck, 405-368-0680. 2004 VW Beatle convertible, OSU orange with black top, automatic, electric windows, tilt and cruise control, leather interior, new tires, 65,000 miles, new timing belt & water pump, excellent condition, $9,995.00, 30-35 miles per gallon, for info call 918-623-2451 or cell 918906-7740.

Farm Machinery/Equipment

1995 silverwheels fertilizer truck, 1,800 gal tank, 65 ft booms, raven monitor, 7,500 hr, Dt 466 engine, 643 Allison tran, $22,500, 405-590-6793. 1951 Ford Jubilee tractor and brush hog, in good condition, 580-564-5448, Kingston, OK, $2,000. Model 50 International Harvester, round bale mover, will move 5 large or 6 small bales at one time, $600, 405867-5307 or 405-640-2074. 2003 – 22.0 HP, 42” Craftsman mower @ catcher, electric start, auto transmission – model 917.272860, $400 firm, 918-487-9803. John Deere 1020 Diesel Tractor, Massey Ferguson No. 25 Hay Rake, & New Holland 489 Hay Conditioner, 580332-2468. 1956 Ford Victoria HTTO restore, not running, complete, $4,800, 2005 John Deere Loader Backhoe, 4x4 110 series, 1850 hrs, open station, 3 point power, take off option for auger hammer, $27,500, 405-672-0048. ‘84 IHC Industrial 2504 tractor, loader & vinyl cab, 40 hp gas, p/s, 3 point, pto, good rubber, new paint, ignition, etc, everything runs good, smokes-rings worn, engine still strong & smooth, can deliver, $7,500 OBO, Edmond, 405-348-4469. Kuhns 15 bale (on edge) accumulator and grapple, shedded, like new, $12,000; John Deere 3955 switch plow, excellent condition, $3,500, 405-850-1005. 6’ X 20’ Gooseneck stock trailer, 7 X 17 MF Grain Drill with fertilizer attachment, Cushman 3 wheel – Type G Industrial Truck with heated van like cab, 405-262-4805. John Deere 2355-55 PTO, 3 pt, dual hydraulic, new fluid and filters, $11,000, call 405-210-3500. 1960 560 International Diesel tractor with brush hog, $1,500, Stihl 041 chain saw, $200, Commercia sewing machines, 405-278-1544.

Livestock Fire water Flit bred to bro. to World Champ, $3,000, Heading gelding, hauled, sound, $4,000, UTD shots, Wetumka, OK, 405-452-3267. Registered Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goat kids for sale, $50

38 • Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011

bucks, $150 does, Karla Connor, Sand Springs, 918245-6785. For sale, Jack Mule, he is about 56” tall, he will service mares, take $200, 4 years old, 918-723-5653. Serviceable Age Angus and Black Maine Bulls, J.D. Drapper, 21 ft Header, kept in barn, used sweeps and disk blades, 405-381-4307. Beefmaster bulls, females, developed on forage, bred for the essentials, foundation genetics, practical cattle w/ performance, Simon Creek Beefmaster, 580-668-2523. Double Tough Harlan, buckskin triple bred Harlan at stud, line-bred Harlan colts arrived in April, 918-762-3769, kbarger@cowboy.net. Peruvian Horses, non-trotting breed, smoothest ride in the world, beautiful, elegant for parade, show, trail or work, stallions, mares, geldings, $2,000 & up, leave message ok, 405-799-7070. Angus bulls, 7 mo to 16 mo, 1 precision bull, 30 mo old, angus business 52 years, same location, 580-456-7241. Young bred cows, mostly black, calve late summer & early fall, $1,050 each, young black pairs, $1,400 each. 580-549-6222 or 580-678-5759. 60 hd 3 year old blk cows, bred for Fall calves due to star, Sept 1 thru Dec 1, bred to Big stout reg angus bulls, cows are very gentle and very fancy, cows will weigh 1100+, 580-927-5648. Springborn steer & heifer prospects from our top donors and winning AI .... such as Heat Wave, Monopoly, Sooner, Uno Mas, Pee Wee, etc, Brower Land & cattle, Anadarko, OK, 405-831-1632. Miniature horses, 1 black stud, 1 paint gelding – blue eyes, 1 bay yearling stud colt, 580-977-4883. Cows for sale, heavy bred & some with calves, 93 Dodge diesel, ¾ ton 4x4, flatbed needs some work, 405-2586559. What a song mares, 11 yr AQHA, broke, 10 yr old APHA, barrel trained, very few left, $3,500 each, Judys Lineage Stallion, $5,000, 12 yr, 918-273-3659. Black Simmental Bulls & a few show heifer prospects, prices start at $900, 580-258-0080. APHA: We have 5 mares, 3 yearlings – all fillies – and 1 weanling colt, (5 are black/white), low prices for wellbred horses, 405-262-8499. Young heavy bred black & red angus cows, $1,050 ea, young black pairs, $1,400, home 580-549-6222, cell 580-678-5759.

MISCELLANEOUS

ATTN: OFB Travelers callme4europe.info Von Bears Travel Ph. 918-583-4141 or 888-416-4141 Ask for Linda (OFB member) Earn $60,000/yr Part-Time in the livestock or equipment appraisal business. Agricultural background required. Classroom or home study courses available. 800-4887570. www.amagappraisers.com Used Portable Sawmills! Buy/Sell. Call Sawmill Exchange 800-459-2148, http://www.sawmillexchange. Small square bales, midland 99, fertilized and sprayed for weeds, horses clean it up! Anadarko, 405-933-0956. Perkins 6 cyl. diesel engine, radiation complete, 580488-3468. For sale or trade, all types of green cheek conures, linnies, grass parakeets, red rumps, call Carla at 918242-3408. Buy groceries one time then you can qualify for free

groceries or Wal-mart gift card & cash, check it out, www.mpbtoday.com/rluper. Lincoln welder/generator 250, 175 hrs, $3,000, submersible water well pump, ¾ hp, 220v, $375, & 12-2 wire with ground $.50 ct, tankless hot water heater, 220v, $385, Bois d’arc post, $3.25, 6 ½ ft long, 3-6” diameter, 405-213-6448. Used pallet racking & shelving uprights, 4 ft to 14 ft, beams and wire mesh deck, call for pricing, 918-8698418. 900 gallon metal water tank used for storage or transporting water, excellent condition, 405-238-6958. Ramsey Termite and Pest Control, 405-598-2183 or 405-570-1562. Standing hay for sale, you cut, approximately 40 acres, 3 miles east of Blanco, OK, 918-869-2023. Books! 5 ½ boxes historical romance, over 150, these are all thick books, to be sold all together, call Anne, 405-665-1065. Mary Kay Cosmetics, free shipping, order online, www. marykay.com/asmith12, products on hand ready to ship, email order, mkpinkok@yahoo.com, 580-9165352, 100% satisfaction guaranteed. For sale, 110 year old building bricks, cleaned, you haul, 918-655-3126 after 6. Gold wedding set, size 6 ½, Gala mounting by Vellmar, center stone ¼ carat, 5 small stones each in individual leaf design, orig $900, sale $350, 405-659-0305. For sale, large round grass hay bales, 580-234-3027. For sale, quail, turkeys, pheasant, chicken, Madill, OK, call 580-795-7089 or 263-0014, chicks and eggs. Goldfish pond water fountain with 3 tiers, 4 ½ ft tall, $125, gas golf club car, 94, (nice), $1,400, couple of chainsaws, 405-878-6697. For sale, cast iron bathroom pedestal sink & claw foot bathtub, in fair condition, $200 OBO. 405-390-5053. Absolutely no charge to join and you get free money when you do, http://dld.bz/virtapay. 518-615-2720. Old meat market chopping block, $300, 405-598-1443. 15” horseman doll, black boy “bobbing head” piggy bank, 1952 doll-II, Thomas Edison Moulded record box 1900, Stigler, 918-967-3737 after 5. ‘98 Basshound 10.2 ft harbor boat, live well, padded swivel fishing chairs, fully wired, 6 hp Yamaha outboard, like new, 918-252-7536. Matched pair, 18-4-26 tractor tires mounted on 16” rims, JD, $400 for the pair, call 918-636-6443 or 918640-7947. Square bales Bermuda grass $5.00, 12 ft heavy guage steel stock tank, $500, call for John, 580-623-1188. Scentsy Escential Consultant (Dorene), www.dor. scentsy.us, 918-234-2005, Tulsa. Stanley Home Products, fuller brush cleaning products, personal items, degreasers, brooms, mops, combs, brushes, vitamins, germicides, 580-497-2249. I have a hammer mill I would like to sell, please call me at 405-350-0032. Above ground steel safe rooms, 918-629-2707. For sale, haywood wakefield round table, 44 in, cinnamon color, four chairs to match, like new, Aston Drake dolls, call 918-762-3120. Kelly’s Monuments, Henryetta, OK, 918-652-7248, biggest selection in county, best prices, won’t be undersold, check us out before you buy. Parts for 220 massey for sale, 405-899-7919. Specializing in locating family and friends, $125, Mary Carter Investigations, Lic IOUP160246, Duke, OK, 580471-8585. Antique roll top desk, full sized, H: 41 ¾ inches, W: 60 inches, depth: 30 inches, excellent condition, 405-6652323.

4371 ft, 2 7/8 pipe, $1.40/ft; 1705 ft, 2 3/8 pipe, $1.20/ ft; also want to buy used fiberglass oilfield sucker rods, 405-627-3920. 15 to 15 1/2” vega brothers saddle and circle y saddle, nice but broke in, both in excellent condition, $450 & $500 resp., 1 Australian saddle, $250, pic available, antiquecowboy@netzero.net, 918-535-2656. Gold’s gym 450 treadmill, two bar stools, set of luggis, red wagon still in box, Blanchard, OK, 405-550-9248. 10 church pews, 65 years old, hard wood, $100 each OBO, color mahogany, ckirby@wfisd.net. Year 2000 Bass Tracker Boat, 125 hp motor and trailer, excellent condition, for sale, $8,500, call 918-456-533, bought new. Set own hours – part-time, full-time – Be a simply said independent consultant, call me 580-535-4875, Ella Murray, www.mysimplysaiddesigns.com/410. Columns, antique, metal, fluted, (4) 196 1/3”, 21” base, 17” top with 4 bases, $500.00 all, 405-282-2726. 2003 Polaris Trail Boss 330, $900, Weslo 845 Treadmill, new belt, $100, full body tanning lamp, $100, 580-759-8828. $3,600, monthly income potential, 31 developed 1 ¼ acre lots, 3 miles w of Tecumseh, $155,000, 405-5906776, producing $400/mo income now. Old “Aladdin” glass lamps, 1964-”Imperial” carnival glass, all colors, rare pieces, 405-398-4580. 04 Yamaha YF2 450, blue with new holeshot tires on ss wheels, full system exhaust & full set of paddle tires, $3,500, 405-240-2177. 53’ float, would make good farm hog trailer, $2,500, 80 Int 2-ton excellent 20’ steel bed but no heist, 405-258-6569. Wheelchair lift fixed on rear vehicle of vehicle, 2” receiver hitch, $275, good shape, 405-329-1949. 1980 model 4240 JD cab & air, PS, wts, 18.4x38, 95%, 3 pt, pto 2 valve, $19,500, 8000hrs, 4230 JD OROPS, 18.4x38, wts, $10,900, 405-329-1949. 26” adult men’s bicycle with 33 cc 2 stroke engine, climbs hills, $769, 405-221-7107. Cimarron Fields Country Farm Market offers fresh vegetables March – December on Wednesday 9-7, Saturday 9-5, & Sunday 1-5; from I-40 in Oklahoma City, go west to Yukon, take the Cimarron Rd exit and go south 6.5 miles, 405-802-8135.

Mobile Homes, RVs 32’ Cavalier travel trailer, sleeps 6, central heat & air, lg icebox, bathtub – shower separate, clean, $4,400, 580467-7981.

2006 travel trailer, $7,500, 580-677-1873. Mobile Home, 94 Belmont/Premium, 16X76, 3/2, $16,500 OBO, 405-279-4569. RV – 2008 Aerolite travel trailer, 30’ with super slide, sleeps 8, bunk beds, tons of storage, lots of extras, electric & gas, everything works good, $16,500, 580748-0732. 1996 Shelby 24 ft Gooseneck, 3 horse slant load, tack room, customized living area, shower, commode, ref, micro, $11,000, 580-317-6516. Travel trailer, Trail Sport 28 ft, slide out side, nice, $5,900, shadow cruiser pickup slide in camper, A-C, heat, kitchen, $750, 580-541-2326. 22 ft pop-up camper, A/C, awning, LCD TV, microwave, new tires, stove, refrig, 405-550-0387, Tuttle. 1999 Jayco Eagle 10 SG Tent Trailer, canvas in good condition, upholstery in excellent condition, needs power converter, 3 way refrigerator works on electricity, needs minor work on propane, propane 2 burner stove with position either inside or outside, table has inside and outside positions, 580-367-2584, leave message. 1997 Fleetwood 32’ Bounder, 41K miles, everything works great, new breaks, new wipers, sleeps 6, $15,000, 405-570-2561.

Pets Parrots for sale, Quakers, Ringnecks, Goffen Cockatoo, African, Greys, Tinmuh Greys, Red Belly Parrots, 918453-0107. Galah Cockatoo (Rose breasted) with 56 inch Hi cage, talks and tame, 580-762-2252. ACA Chihuahua puppies, long and short hair, $200$250, shots, wormed, family raised, 580-363-1813, cell 580-763-2875.

Real Estate DBL Wide, 60X28 on 2 lg lots, 50X30 garage w/ 12X50 lean too, cellar, 1000 gal propane tank, $65,000, 3 sm bldgs, 918-473-2924. Keystone lake front, 12.7 acres, sandy beach with metal building, 1,200 sq ft framed in 2 bed 2 bath, has H2O & elec, finish with only heat, air & sheetrock, pictures upon request, beautiful, Ph# 580-258-8187. 240 A – all Bermuda, 5 ponds, crossed fenced, Boggy River on N. side, 80X100 ft barn, SE Atoka Co, 2 mi off hwy, 109A, 2K per A, 580-889-5609. 100 Acres available for lease to drill oil/gas well, Spaulding, OK 74848, 405-941-3879.

3bd, 2bth, brick home, office, ex lg closets every rm, lg deck, ceramic tile, attached garage, horse barn w/ tack, additional 2 car garage, pipe arena, fenced/cross, secluded ... , 10 ac, Drumright area, $149,900, 918-352-3834. For sale – 3br, 2ba, 2000 sq ft home, vinyl siding, hay barn, cellar, 10 acres, adjoins antlers city limits, $115,000. More acres avail, 580-298-3105. Why pay for a lease when you can own 5.75 ac that borders thousands of acres of Corp of eng. public hunting, electricity & water, in SE Okla, 3 Rivers, WMA only 10 miles, $30,000, 580-876-3416. 46 acres with barn, electric and well, ready for new home, listed $197,500, Jennifer @ American Realty, 580-497-6831, Cheyenne, OK. Secluded, unique acreage (63+) with 3br/2ba home for sale in Seminole County, newly remodeled, barn, shop, pond, $229,000, see www.okscottranchforsale.com, 405-642-2250 or 580-625-4939. Have land available for cell tower sites in Stephens County, have commercial land for lease along Hwy 81 & Plato Rd in Duncan, lot for sale or lease, 5th street & Walnut in Duncan. 580-255-5335. For sale, 416 acre, 100 c/c highly improved ranch next to I-40 east of Checotah, OK, Good Earth Land Co., 918689-3166. 80 acres mol. w. of Stroud, fenced, improved pasture, scattered trees, several ponds, 3 BR M-Home, $154,900, RE/MAX Realty Plus, Darla Beeby @ 405-258-3951. 140 acres mol. off hwy 105 e. of Guthrie, fenced, mostly native pasture, some woods, 2 ponds, barn, $179,000, RE/MAX Realty Plus, Amy Miller @ 405-240-6168. Brick home, 2 bd, 1 ½ ba, fireplace/insert, H/A, 10 acres, fenced, 2 lg buildings, rural water, well, n. gas, pond, barn, on paved rd, 3 miles from Stilwell, must sell, 918696-4233. 210 ac, 3 BR, 2 BA, brick home, remodeled in ‘09, 80% cleared, hay meadow, lg pecan trees, 5 ponds, sm roping arena, steel lots, $2,100.00 pr ac, coal county, 918-424-1758. 80 A, south of Tribbey, OK, live stream, meadow, pond, trees, barn, rural water, deer, turkeys, $2,000 per acre, owner finance, OBO, 405-329-2208. Clean 2 story home on 28 acres or lush grass, large pecan trees, pond, 36x60 shop building, large barn, cellar, minutes from Shawnee mall on I-40, call 501-8277066. 80 acres, Cherokee County, pond, creek, some pasture, fenced, house, shop, barn, $299,900, Cochran &

Country

Classifieds 2501 N. Stiles • Oklahoma City, OK 73105 All information below must be completed.

Each Farm Bureau member family is limited to ONE free classified ad per issue. This form must be used. No call-in ads will be accepted. The length of the ad can not exceed the number of lines on this form. Ads run only one time. Please type or print legibly.

Name OFB Membership Number Address City Phone

State (

Area Code

)

Zip Deadline for the next issue is September 12, 2011. Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011 • 39

Country

Kitchen

Mini Bacon and Blue Burgers Serves 8

1 pound Certified Angus Beef ® ground beef 3 ounces crumbled blue cheese 3 slices bacon, cooked crisp and chopped Leaf lettuce 1 head roasted garlic (optional) Freshly ground pepper to taste Instructions: 1. Divide ground beef into 16 equal pieces and shape into flat patties. Combine blue cheese and bacon; place 1 heaping tablespoon on each of eight patties; top with remaining patties. Press edges together and reshape. 2. Preheat grill on high. When hot, reduce temperature to medium. Season burgers with pepper and grill to desired doneness (160° F recommended internal temperature). 3. Place lettuce on buns. Top with burgers, roasted garlic and a dollop of mayonnaise. Nutritional Information: Calories: 336, Fat: 24 g, Saturated Fat: 7 g, Cholesterol: 51 mg, Carbohydrate: 16 g, Dietary Fiber: 0 g, Protein: 17 g

Roast Pork Shoulder Carribean-Style Serves 8-10

4-5 pound bone-in pork shoulder 1 medium onion, thickly sliced 1 head garlic, peeled 2 tablespoons oregano 2 teaspoons cumin seeds 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon black peppercorns 2 bay leaves 1 tablespoon lard, OR oil Zest and juice of 1 orange, grated Zest and juice of 1 lemon, grated Juice of 1 bitter orange Instructions: Using a sharp knife make several shallow cuts (about 1/2-inch deep) in the pork, place in a glass or ceramic roasting pan. Spread the onion slices on the bottom of the pan. Place the rest of the ingredients a in a food processor or blender and process to make a paste. Rub the pork with the mixture on all sides, making sure it goes into the cuts. Place pork on top of the onions. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 4 hours, turning once, leaving the fat side up for cooking. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the pork in the middle rack of the oven. After 30 minutes turn down the temperature to 325 degrees and cook an additional 2 hours, basting every 30 minutes or so with its own juices. Cook 30 minutes per pound total, or until the internal temperature as measured with a meat thermometer is 160 degrees F. Remove the pork from the oven and allow to rest 15 minutes before carving, discard onions. Preparation Time: 15 minutes. Cooking Time: 170 minutes Serving suggestion: The less tender shoulder cut is given a long slow cooking time to create a tender meal. Serve with red beans and rice and a tropical fruit salad. Nutritional Information: Calories: 282 calories, Protein: 27 grams, Fat: 16 grams, Sodium: 597 milligrams, Cholesterol: 95 milligrams, Saturated Fat: 6 grams, Carbohydrates: 7 grams, Fiber: 1 gram

40 • Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011

Oklahoma Country • Summer 2010 • 40

Associates, 918-458-5888. 5 acre – 40 acre tracts near Fort Cobb Lake, some timber, highway across, 3 minutes from lake, from $1995 per acre, 405-643-2884 - home, 580-759-6038 - cell.

WANTED I BUY BLACKSMITHING TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT. MIKE GEORGE, 1227 4TH ST., ALVA, OK 73717, 580327-5235. WANTED OLDER VEHICLES, CARS, PICKUPS, VANS, WAGONS, 1900s THRU 1960s, GAS PUMPS, TAGS. 580-658-3739. ATTN! We pay cash for mineral rights, Royalty Interests and Overriding Royalty Interests. Call Mark. 817-9466983. Old timer wants hunt lease, dear and turkey, west of I-35, south of I-40, email at aaa935@cox.net. Looking for a picture of the old Dutton Cotton Gin that was destroyed by tornado about 1960, Call Betty, 405574-4602. Wanted, 48 in round maple dining table, for sale, aston dolls, 918-762-3120. Want to purchase oil gas mineral rights, producing or nonproducing, 580-223-0353 or 800-687-5882. Wanted, old items from Ada, Roff, Stonewall, Allen, Tupelo, Francis, Sasakwa, Konawa, and Stratford – Bottles, tokens, post cards, pictures and store give aways, 580-332-8220. Wanted, Garfield 850 or Rowse 700 scraper, 405-263-7205. Want to buy: good round hay baler and motorcycle with title (Goldwing or Harley preferred), running or not, for project for college student, 580-456-7616, leave message. Want to buy old visable gas pumps, oil lubsters, porcelain signs, 580-639-2776.

Feeding and clothing the world ...

one farmer at a time.

Matt Muller is doing more than simply putting cotton seeds in the ground on his farm near Martha. He is harnessing the latest in technology to help clothe the world. From the seeds he plants to the GPS system that guides his tractor and planter through the field, he is harnessing the best in agricultural advancements to keep his family farm moving forward. The world isn’t standing still, and neither is Matt.

® Oklahoma

Farm Bureau

2501 N Stiles • Oklahoma City, OK 73105 • www.okfarmbureau.org

Oklahoma Country • Summer 2011 • 41

Conserve Energy With Alcoa Siding *CUT FUEL COSTS! *CUT HEATING COSTS! *CUT COOLING COSTS!

Alcoa Steel & Vinyl Siding

Yes! Energy savings over a short period will more than pay for the new siding investment in your home.

America’s At Home With Alcoa

Insulates against cold or heat.

Does not absorb or retain moisture like wood.

Goes up easily over wood asbestos, stucco or masonry walls.

Does not support combustion.

Protect your investment in your home! Improve its value! Muffles outside noises, assures a quieter, more livable home.

Permanently protects & beautifies your home. Resists damaging effects of acids, salt, water, sun, rain, oil, etc. Stays beautiful wherever you live! Retains beauty year in, year out.

Maintenance free -- the BEST buy in today’s home covering market! Does not peel, flake, corrode or rust. Easy to clean-simply hose down.

Mars, scars, abrasions don’t show. High impact-resistant.

White & 12 decorator colors. Never needs paint-durability built in not painted on.

Completely covers split, warped, faded or peeled outside walls.

Here are the names of just a few of your Farm Bureau neighbors who are enjoying the beauty & comfort of Alcoa Siding products. Feel free to check with them. Benny Rogers P.O. Box 883 Perry, OK Bob Bolay Rt. 2, Box 119 Perry, OK Carl Windham 10404 N.W. 37th Yukon, OK Don Rainwater 5710 Willow Dr. Norman, OK Neil Roberts 1400 Charles Norman, OK O.B. Puckett 200 Elm Maysville, OK Eddie Huitt P.O. Box 101 Sterling, OK

Forest Masters 317 W. Sheridian Kingfisher, OK Beryle James 9512 W. Britton Yukon, OK Unique Coffeures 5900 N.W. 49th Oklahoma City, OK Linda Sitton P.O. Box 160 Binger, OK Delones Knupik 414 W. Birch Enid, OK Tim Cameron Rt. 1, Box 85 Orlando, OK Jack Steele 119 Thompson Kingfisher, OK

Steve Leck 116 S. Flynn Calumet, OK Jerry Benda 63125 Gregory Rd. El Reno, OK Clark Graham 213 N.W. 1st Moore, OK Carl McKinney P.O. Box 592 Eufaula, OK Greg Biggs 18600 N. Antler Way Deer Creek, OK Daniel Garrett 1909 S. Jensen El Reno, OK Mike Yousey 20502 S.E. 15th Harrah, OK

• No artificial look • No warping in summer

Al Castro 4601 Winners Circle Norman, OK Don Blain 308 E. Jarman Midwest City, OK Kenneth Azlin P.O. Box 921 Seminole, OK Gerald McDaniel 14714 Key Ridge Dr. Newalla, OK Mike Limke 201 Owen Mustang, OK Mike Lee Rt. 4, Box 193 Tuttle, OK Larry Yost 315 N. 3rd Watonga, OK

Starling Miller 912 Kansas Chickasha, OK Herschel Nichols Route 1 Prague, OK Jerry Haynes P.O. Box 208 Cashion, OK Charles Frank 1908 Brook Hollow Ct. Stillwater, OK Lynn Luker 720 W. Jackson Cresent, OK Jim Youngs 1201 Clearview Mustang, OK Tommie Richardson P.O. Box 381 Purcell, OK

Cade Boepple Rt. 1, Box 7 Covington, OK Randy Plant 18701 Garden Ridge Edmond, OK S & J Tire Co. Hwy. 81 El Reno, OK Ron Pinkenton 7521 N.W. 40th Oklahoma City, OK Leslie Bradford Rt. 3, Box 298 Watonga, OK Sharon Graham 2821 Bella Vista Midwest City, OK James Bryant 1755 N. Country Club Newcastle, OK

Check these features

• Won’t rot or peel • Won’t absorb or retain moisture

Keller Rest. 820 N. McAuther Oklahoma City, OK Larry Smith Rt. 2, Box 122 Kingfisher, OK Mickey Brown 1705 Country Club Newcastle, OK Barth Construction Lot 6 Wild Turkey Hollow Stillwater, OK Jeff Palmer 822 S. 6th Kingfisher, OK Starling Miller Rt. 3, Box 129A Perry, OK Mike Nemec Rt. 1, Box 90 Perry, OK

• No exposed nails • Won’t break up in hail

Willia Clay 1845 N.W. 23rd Newcastle, OK Don Jantz Rt. 3 Enid, OK Dawn Faust 9329 Lyric Lane Midwest City, OK Veres Zum Mullen Rt. 4 Okarche, OK Jim Nichols 4737 Crest Pl. Del City, OK Glenda Irick 2601 N.W. 118th Oklahoma City, OK Teressa Parham 128 Chickasaw Yukon, OK

Reese Wilmoth 5400 N.W. 66th Oklahoma City, OK Mark Kelley 3421 N.W. 67th Oklahoma City, OK Richard Boren Rt. 1, Box 151 Geary, OK Dawayne Smith 415 S.W. 16th Newcastle, OK Hanley Hintergardt 9100 Whitehall Ct. Oklahoma City, OK Dan Wedeman 3455 N. Red Rock Rd. Yukon, OK Mike Nichols Route 1 Prague, OK

• Won’t dent like aluminum • Static electricity attraction free.

Farm Bureau members receive a 33 1/3% discount off nationally-published retail prices.

Now in effect for Oklahoma! Call 405-721-2807 or complete coupon below. NO OBLIGATION!

Buy directly from the company owners - in the siding business since 1937! No middlemen involved. We can beat most any deal. Buy today before costs soar higher!

TERMS AVAILABLE Special discount for FB Members Only.

NOTICE

Siding materials sold on an applied basis only.

OK! I want more information, facts, figures, estimates and color pictures of completed jobs. No obligation. You be the judge! Send coupon immediately! One of the OWNERS of the company will personally contact you! No high pressure. Just the facts for your consideration! Act NOW! You’ll be glad you did!

Name__________________________________________________________ Address_____________________________City________________________ Telephone ____________________ Best Time To Call:______A.M. ______P.M. If Rural, Give Directions____________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

M. RHODES COMPANY

6408 N. Libby Oklahoma City, OK 73112