PERSPECTIVE OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU
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May 2, 2014
Rural women leaders feed state legislators State lawmakers received a “taste of the country” April 15, during the annual Oklahoma Farm Bureau Farm City Festival at the Capitol. The event is sponsored by the OKFB Women’s Leadership Team, consisting of rural women leaders from throughout the state. The rural leaders used the Capitol’s first floor rotunda area to set out a spread of freshly prepared food, much of it home baked. There were trays of fresh vegetables, sandwiches, cheese and fruit, cookies, cupcakes and brownies. “We enjoy feeding our legislators and their staffs with fresh, homegrown food, and we want to show them our appreciation for their hard work,” said Kitty Beavers, chairman of the OKFB Women’s Leadership Team. Beavers said the event also provides a unique opportunity to connect with the legislators. “We host the event at the Capitol so when we go into the legislators’ offices, they will know where we come from and what we represent,” Beavers said. “I appreciate the hard work of the women who provided food and who traveled to Oklahoma City to serve our state lawmakers. Their effort is to be commended.”
Sharlene Lambring (left), Margaret Ann Kinder and Gaye Pfeiffer prepare food for Oklahoma legislators. More than 500 plates of food were prepared for legislators and their staff members. “This is an event we look forward to every year,” Rep. Todd Russ said. “We get to hear from rural Oklahoma on some of the issues that might concern them and get their perspective.” The importance of this event was not lost on Oklahoma’s Secretary of Agriculture Jim Reese. “These rural leaders are who the legislators represent, and legislators always appreciate people from their hometown coming to see them at the Capitol,” Reese said. The rural Farm Bureau women leaders Oklahoma Speaker of the House Jeff have been hosting the Farm City Festival Hickman gets his plate topped off by for more than 30 years. Nadine Butler and Sharla Waltrip.
YF&R members tour northeast Oklahoma agriculture LEFT – Dennis Avery discusses identifying the quality of cattle eggs and embryos at DNA Genetics in Rose, April 26, during the YF&R Spring Tour. Avery demonstrated how he flushes a cow to remove embryos and eggs, and the group viewed bovine eggs and semen under microscopes. Find more RIGHT – Casey Mote shows YF&R members pictures tilapia from the Moore Fish Farm's tanks near from the Inola as she discusses the process of raising the tour at www. warm-water-loving fish in Oklahoma. The group flickr.com/ learned about how the farm raises and sells okfarmbureau. tilapia, bluegill, catfish and largemouth bass.