PERSPECTIVE OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU
®
October 4, 2013
Pederson to lead Oklahoma Farm Bureau Alfalfa County farmer and rancher Roland Pederson has been named president of Oklahoma Farm Bureau. Pederson will serve in the position until the presidential election at the OKFB Annual Meeting in November. “Roland’s experience as a farmer and rancher and his dedication to strengthening rural Oklahoma make him an ideal individual to lead the state’s largest agricultural organization,” said Monica Wilke, executive director of Oklahoma Farm Bureau and Affiliated Companies. Pederson has been actively involved in Farm Bureau for 20 years and has held various offices on the county and state level. He has been a state director for eight years and has served as a delegate to state and national conventions, as well as the state resolutions committee. “I am strongly committed to representing Oklahoma Farm Bureau and Affiliated Companies as I serve the remainder of this
term as president of this great organization,” Pederson said. Pederson and his wife, Terry, began their transition into farming and ranching full time with a custom harvesting business. Currently, they produce wheat, milo, corn, soybeans, canola and alfalfa. They also run a cow-calf herd and stockers on wheat pasture. Pederson is an active member in several state and community organizations. Gov. Mary Fallin appointed him to the Agriculture Diversification Enhancement Board in 2012, and he is a member of the Alfalfa Electric Round-up Board. He also serves as a board member at Driftwood Christian Church and as a member of the Burlington Lions Club. He is a graduate of the third class of the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Program. Pederson earned his bachelors and masters degrees in natural sciences from Northwestern Oklahoma State University.
Roland Pederson
Farm Bureau partners with governor’s food drive Drive, Oct. 1-31. In addition, the farm group is encouraging its members and the public to help pick sweet potatoes Oct. 25, at a farm near Albert, Okla., in Caddo County. OKFB hopes to harvest as much as 10,000 pounds of sweet potatoes to donate to the food drive. More information about Governor Mary Fallin meets with OKFB District 3 Director Rodd Moesel during a press conference to kick the pick is available on the OKFB off the fourth annual Feeding Oklahoma Food Drive, website. Oct. 1, in Oklahoma City. “The farming County Farm Bureau offices across and ranching families of Oklahoma Farm Oklahoma are once again serving as food Bureau are proud to support Gov. Fallin’s donation drop off locations for Gov. Fallin’s Feeding Oklahoma Food Drive,” said OKFB fourth annual Feeding Oklahoma Food President Roland Pederson. “We strongly
believe no one should go to bed hungry in a state that is blessed with abundant food production, and this is our way of reinforcing the connection between those who grow the food and those who need it the most.” During an Oct. 1 press conference announcing the food drive, Gov. Fallin said the campaign’s goal is to provide enough food for 1.4 million meals. The food drive is conducted in partnership with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, which serve community soup kitchens, food banks and shelters in all 77 counties. OKFB will continue its ongoing efforts to help end hunger through the Farmers Fighting Hunger campaign. Each year, members bring non-perishable food items to the annual Farm Bureau convention in November. Farm Bureau is also a partner in the Beef for Backpacks program where nutritional beef sticks are added to hungry children’s backpacks for use on weekends and holidays.