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Oklahoma Country
Contents
Features
6
6 – Spiro to Seattle It’s about 2,000 miles from the southeastern Oklahoma town of Spiro to the Pacific Northwest hub of Seattle, Washington. But Ryan Franklin’s journey from his LeFlore County home in the quiet community of 2,300 to the rainy northwest’s largest city of more than 560,000 took about nine years and thousands upon thousands of miles. BY MIKE NICHOLS
12
12 – The Power of Wind Greg Adams has been interested in wind energy potential since he was a little boy hanging on to a barbed wire fence to keep the wind from sweeping him off a hill in northwest Oklahoma. He’s now looking at wind differently as new opportunities emerge to harvest one of the state’s biggest resources. BY TRACI MORGAN
Columns
Departments
2 – Presidentially Speaking 4 – Country Gardening 17 – Insurance Matters
5 – Country Kitchen 18 – All Around Oklahoma 24 – Convention Roundup 34 – Country Classifieds
Find Your Hidden Number!
ne member family’s Oklahoma Farm O Bureau membership number is hidden somewhere in this issue of OKLAHOMA COUNTRY, and could earn that member family $80 $120since sincethe thenumber numberininthe thesumsummer issue and fall wasissues not found. was not found. To To claim claim the the cash cash prize, prize, the the member member
Cover Image Oklahoma Farm Bureau member Ryan Franklin is on the mound for the Seattle Mariners. Photo courtesy of Ben VanHouten of the Seattle Mariners.
family must find its hidden membership number and contact Mike Nichols before the last day of the month Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 405-523-2300. The The OFB OFB membership membership number number isis hidhidden somewhere in OKLAHOMA COUNTRY. It must match the number on the face of
your OFB membership card for you to claim the cash prize. The The membership number numberthat that appears appearson onyour yourmagazine’s magazine’smailing mailinglabel label isis not notthe thehidden hiddennumber, number,but butmust mustmatch the match hidden the number hidden number for you toforclaim you the to cash claimprize. the cash prize. Oklahoma Country • Winter 2004 • 1
Presidentially
Speaking BY STEVE KOUPLEN President, Oklahoma Farm Bureau
W
inter has been another challenge; holidays and New Years are a recent memory; and if you’re like me you’ve already broken all your resolutions for the New Year. So, we’re off to the beginning of 2004 with basically the normal opportunities and challenges that face us every New Year. Oklahoma Farm Bureau, being the largest organization in Oklahoma with more than 156,000 members, begins each year with priority issues that are voted on and approved by delegates at our annual meeting every November. These issues are ones that either have been directed to be priority issues, or have been chosen by the state board of directors from resolutions passed at our convention. Unlike the resolutions I made on New Year’s Day, Farm Bureau doesn’t break its resolutions. We work to ensure our policy book is our road map which we follow until our members change our destination. This distinction is one we are extremely proud of because it guarantees our policy comes from our grassroots members in every county in our state. Because our state – like every other state in the union – is facing very tight budget issues, we know that we must be ever diligent in working with our elected officials to find solutions without enacting additional burdensome taxes or fees on our members and citizens of our state. Recent data does show that our economy is showing signs of rebounding and hopefully those trends will continue to improve and strengthen into our new year. Our agricultural economy, too, has shown steady improvement in some areas, but as usual, our producers face issues of weather, input costs, and uncertain trade concerns with our biggest importers. As a state that exports as much as two-thirds of the commodities we produce, we must continue to work to add value to those products in our state and export them as higher valued items. This will not only help our state, but will help to add jobs in rural Oklahoma where we are seeing a slow, but steady, exodus to the urban areas of our state. Nationally we must work in D.C. to achieve the passage of an energy bill that will include a renewable energy component. Renewables such as ethanol, bio-fuels, wind generation of electricity, and soy-diesel cannot only reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy, but also can help improve and strengthen our rural agricultural economy. As you can see some things never change even if it is a new year. There is no shortage of challenges or issues of concern, but as usual your staff and board will work to ensure that our policies are worked on until they are achieved. Have a wonderful new year and if your staff or I can be of any assistance, don’t hesitate to contact us.
2 • Oklahoma Country • Winter 2004
Winter 2004 Volume 56 No. 1 Oklahoma Country (ISSN 1544-6476) 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 Director of Corporate Communications/ Public Relations Mike Nichols OKLAHOMA COUNTRY Editor and Senior Writer Traci Morgan PERSPECTIVE and Online News Editor DIRECT YOUR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES TO OKLAHOMA COUNTRY Attn: Mike Nichols 2501 N. Stiles Oklahoma City, OK 73105 405-523-2300, Ext. 2345 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 in OKLAHOMA COUNTRY. TO SUBSCRIBE OKLAHOMA COUNTRY subscription rate is $1 per year for members as part of the dues, $15 for non-members. WEB SITE www.okfarmbureau.org OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU DIRECTORS Steve Kouplen, President Ervin Mitchell, District 1 Merle Atkins, District 2 Henry Jo VonTungeln, District 3 Bob Drake, District 4 Larry Boggs, District 5 Wade Rousselot, District 6 Scott Dvorak, District 7 Billy Gibson, District 8 Mike Spradling, District 9 Matt Wilson, Executive Director
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Oklahoma Country • Winter 2004 • 3
Country
Gardening BY PAUL JOHNSON Extension Horticulturist, Oklahoma County Host of the Garden Show on AM1000 KTOK Saturday mornings in Oklahoma City
House Plant Care Editor’s Note: Oklahoma Country’s Country Gardening columnist Paul Johnson is on vacation. The House Plant Care information is authored by Oklahoma Cooperative Service Horticulturist Paul J. Mitchell.
PLACEMENT: Success with house plants is governed by light, temperature, water, nutrients and humidity, along with the proper soil. Very few plants tolerate dark corners. Most house plants require the light that would be found within four to eight feet of a bright south window. Some will tolerate light some distance away. Too little light can result in tall, lanky, small-leafed plants. Too much light can cause leaf burn to sensitive species like African Violet. Do not place plants close enough for the leaves to touch the glass window. Drapes should be left open during the day where house plants are being grown. LIGHT: If the room is not naturally lighted, artificial lights should be used. A 100-watt table lamp can be used about three feet above the plants. Specially built fluorescent plant lights or flood lamps are available. The deluxe cool white fluorescent lights are just as good as the 4 • Oklahoma Country • Winter 2004
“specialized” plant lights except for germinating seeds. Either fluorescent or incandescent lights are satisfactory for growing plants. Avoid placing plants in hot spots or cold drafts. Very few plants like the top of a T.V. set. Almost none will survive the blast from a furnace vent, nor do they like to be placed near a door where cold drafts alternate. Most house plants prosper in a temperature
of 60 to 70 F. degrees, but the humidity of the average home is too low to suit them. A plant prospers in relative humidity of about 50 to 60 percent, which is more than most people like. This can be helped by using a humidifier, or by setting the pot on a tray of wet gravel. Do not allow the water to rise above the bottom of the pot. A transparent polyethylene bag can be draped over the top of plants which are excessively humidity sensitive or which are in poor condition. Set the pot on watercovered gravel as well. WATERING: More house plants succumb from improper watering than from any other single cause. Plants need to be thoroughly watered whenever they are watered. Enough water needs to be poured in the pot to force water to drain freely through the drain hole at every watering. Do not put broken pots or gravel in the bottom of a pot with a drain hole. Cover the hole itself with a small broken piece of pot or similar item to keep soil from draining through the hole. Do not include other aggregates in the bottom, since the aggregate actually slows water
Country
Kitchen
LEMON-HERB BEEF POT ROAST 1 boneless beef chuck pot roast (3 to 3 1/2 pounds), 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 cups baby carrots 1 pound red skinned potatoes, halved, 1 medium onion cut into 6 wedges, 2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil Seasoning 2 teaspoons lemon pepper, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1 teaspoon dried basil 1. Combine seasoning ingredients; press onto beef pot roast. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Brown pot roast. Pour off drippings. 2. Add 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover tightly and simmer 2 hours. Add vegetables; continue cooking, covered, 30 to 45 minutes or until pot roast and vegetables are fork-tender. Remove pot roast and vegetables; keep warm. 3. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Stir in cornstarch mixture and 1/2 teaspoon basil. Cook and stir 1 minute or until thickened and bubbly. Carve pot roast. Serve with vegetables and sauce. Makes 6 servings. WINTER WHITE CHILI 1 pound lean ground pork, 1 medium onion, diced, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 16-ounce can white beans, drained, 1 14-ounce can corn, drained, 1 14 1/2-ounce can chicken broth, 1 4-oz. can diced green chilies In large saucepan, brown pork with onion, stir in cumin and chili powder; stir well. Stir in remaining ingredients; bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until heated through and flavors are blended. Servings: 6 Approximate Nutrient Information per Serving: Calories: 330, Sodium: 720 mg, Protein: 18 g, Cholesterol: 55 mg, Fat: 18 g, Sat. Fat: 6 g SPICY MEXICAN PEANUT SOUP This hearty peanut soup with a spicy appeal can take the chill out of any winter evening. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 onion, chopped, 3 cloves garlic, minced, 2 cups chopped, cooked chicken, 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) peeled, diced tomatoes with green chilies, 1/2 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1 cup buttermilk, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley, 1/4 cup chopped peanuts Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sautĂŠ until onion is transparent. Add chicken, tomatoes, peanut butter, salt and red pepper flakes. Heat, stirring occasionally, until peanut butter is melted. Blend in buttermilk and cook until heated through. Stir in cilantro or parsley. To serve, ladle soup in bowls and garnish with cilantro and chopped peanuts. Yield: 4 servings (1 1/2 cups per serving)
SOURCE:WHEAT FOODS COUNCIL
movement through a pot with a drain hole rather than aiding it. Research has shown that pots with the drain holes should be filled with the proper soil medium to grow the plant. Pour water in the top of pots with drain holes until it comes to the brim of the pot top. If water does not drain out the bottom, rewater until it drains freely. Use tepid water when watering house plants in the winter. A saucer will be needed to catch excess water. Dump the excess. Do not allow excess water to stand above the pot bottom. A better method of watering is to place the potted plant in a pan or basin filled with water. The water line should come to the top of the pot when placed in the basin. When water appears on the top of the soil, drain the basin and allow the pot to drain thoroughly before returning it to its location. FERTILIZERS: The easiest way to fertilize your house plants is while watering. Select a liquid fertilizer for house plants and dilute it as directed. Use it in the watering operation about once every four to six weeks. Fertilizer also frequently varies with season, amount of light, temperature, plant species and soil mix. Do not fertilize as often or as much in the winter as in the summer, or in dark rooms as in light rooms or in mixes with soil as with artificial soil mixes. Wash any liquid fertilizer off the soil promptly. Very diluted household ammonia can be used as a supplement in fertilizing. However, it applies only to nitrogen. Plants also need phosphorus and potassium, as well as other micro-elements found in commercial liquid fertilizers. Fertilizer brand is not important, but the degree of solubility is. House plant fertilizer should be completely soluble in water. Specialty fertilizers may be purchased in most variety or garden stores. Shop wisely, and compare actual ingredients and volume of fertilizer to total price. Many highly advertised fertilizers have no more fertility than less costly ones. However, certain conveniences in using the fertilizer should be considered as part of the price. Slow release tablet or pellet-type fertilizers such as Agriform tablets or Osmocote pearls can also be used. A small amount of fertilizer dissolves with every watering. Follow label directors for the amount to use for each pot size. Slow-release fertilizers are effective and convenient. TIPS: The pleasing natural gloss of leaves is enhanced more by cleaning with water or with a weak solution of a mild soap than with leaf shining products. Remove any soap residue with clear water.
SOUTHWEST TORTILLA WRAPS 4 10-inch flour tortillas, 2 tablespoons low-fat salad dressing or mayonnaise, 1/2 cup chunky salsa, 4 oz. sliced turkey or roast beef, 1/3 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup thin strips red pepper, 1/4 cup sliced green onions, 2 tablespoons sliced black olives, pinch of cayenne pepper (optional) Spread salad dressing on tortilla; spread salsa over salad dressing. Top with meat, cheese, vegetables and cayenne pepper as desired. Roll and serve or heat 45 seconds in microwave on medium power. Each tortilla can be wrapped in plastic wrap after rolling and then refrigerated. Serves 4. Nutrition analysis (per serving): Calories: 140, Carbohydrate: 19 g, WHEAT FOODS COUNCIL Protein: 7 g, Fat: 4 g , Fiber: 1 g, Sodium: 390 mg
Spiro The trip for this Oklahoma Farm Bureau member to fulfill a dream has covered many years and thousands upon thousands of miles. BY MIKE NICHOLS
6 • Oklahoma Country • Winter 2004
to Seattle i
t’s about 2,000 miles from the southeastern Oklahoma town of Spiro to the Pacific Northwest hub of Seattle, Washington. But Ryan Franklin’s journey from his LeFlore County home in the quiet community of 2,300 to the rainy northwest’s largest city of more than 560,000 took about nine years and thousands upon thousands of miles. He began his odyssey in 1991 while he was a senior at Spiro High School, pitching the Bulldogs to the Class 2A state championship and earning All-State baseball honors. “We won the first state championship at Spiro in any sport. It was,” says Ryan, “a pretty special team.” He and a teammate were drafted by major league baseball teams following the 1991 season, and two other teammates signed with colleges. Ryan didn’t sign after being drafted in the 25th round in 1991, opting instead to travel State Highway 9 from Spiro to Seminole Junior College where he played for the legendary Lloyd Simmons on the perennial powerhouse Trojan baseball team. He was undefeated in his two years at Seminole. The Seattle Mariners drafted him in the 23rd round of the 1992 draft, but Ryan returned to Seminole for the 1993 season where he went 12-0 en route to earning Junior College All-American honors and tantalizing the Division 1-A college recruiters and pro baseball scouts with his 2.99 ERA (earned run average). “I had a lot of offers. I could probably have went anywhere I wanted,” Ryan remembers. “If I’d went to OU, I would have been on the national championship team.” This time the lure of a professional baseball career was strong, and the Junior College All-American pitcher accepted an offer and became a member of the Seattle Mariners organization. “I was just ready to go on to the next level.” Ryan’s first assignment with the Mariners was with the team’s Minor League A team in Bellingham, Wash. He played a “short season” there, which started in June 1993. He headed east in August 1994, when the Mariners sent him to an Appleton, Wisc., minor league team. Two months later, Ryan was off to Riverside, Calif., where he finished the 1994 season. His journey took him to Wilmington, N.C., for the 1995 and 1996 AA seasons before he finally was assigned to the Mariner’s AAA farm team in Tacoma, Wash., in 1997.
“The minor leagues are like being in boot camp,” says Ryan. “But, I think the minors helped me continue to work and keep up good work habits. It had always been my dream to pitch in the majors and I was going to stay with it until I made it.” He logged thousands of miles on buses in the minor’s system. There were no airplanes waiting for the major league prospects working their way through the “farm team” system. Instead, there were many 16-hour bus rides plus stays in motels that will never earn a single star from AAA. “You lived with two or three different guys and you just tried to make it,” says Ryan. His solid performance in the minors caught the eye of general managers, scouts and one very important selection committee. The U.S. Olympic Committee came calling and the right-hander earned a pitching spot and round trip ticket to the XXVII Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Team USA Baseball was composed of a pitching staff of high draft picks and an everyday lineup of big league castoffs under the guidance of Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda. “I wouldn’t have gotten that opportunity if I still hadn’t been in the minors. You couldn’t be on the 40-man roster of a Major League Baseball team.” Lasorda sensed he had something special with the 2000 team. “I said when this is over, everybody in the world is going to know about these players,” the ex-Dodger manager said about the team. “And by golly, they do.” Lasorda’s expectations were realized. Team USA won the Gold Medal in 2000, its first-ever gold in baseball since the sport was granted medal status in 1992. The U.S. Olympic Committee later named the baseball team its 2000 Team of the Year. “It was something special,” says Ryan, remembering that Sept. 27 day in Sydney when “we cleared the benches with them (Cuba). We got in a pretty heated game.” The USA posted a historic 4-0 A slightly younger Ryan is pictured with his Olympic Gold Medal and warm-up jacket in this photo, which is courtesy of the Oklahoma Sports Museum. The museum honored Ryan following his outstanding pitching performance in the 2000 Olympic Games. Oklahoma Country • Winter 2004 • 7
shutout over defending champion Cuba, leaving them without a gold medal for the first time in three Olympic tournaments. “The Olympic Gold Medal is the highlight of my career. It mattered. It felt to me that I was actually doing something for my country – something I never thought that I’d do.” Ryan was a relief pitcher for Lasorda in the Olympics and won three games coming out of the bullpen for Team USA. His three-win pitching performance not only helped the team to a Gold Medal but also earned him an Olympic record for the most wins by an individual pitcher. While the Gold Baseballs pitched by number 45, Ryan Franklin, will be Medal game and the an integral part of the Seattle Mariners games for at medal ceremony are least the next two years. The Associated Press reported memories he treasures, in mid-December that Franklin had signed a two-year, “meeting people from a $4.3 million deal with the American League club.
8 • Oklahoma Country • Winter 2004
lot of countries that I’d never heard of,” and getting to watch other USA teams compete in venues ranging from beach volleyball to women’s softball are important parts of his Olympic experience. “It was,” he says with a smile, “pretty special.” And Lasorda? “He’s a pretty good friend now. He’s a comical guy. There was never a quiet moment.” With about 20,000 air miles logged to and from Australia, an Olympic Gold Medal to his credit and eight successful years in the minors Ryan finally got the opportunity he had worked so hard to earn. The Mariners summoned him to the team’s 40-man roster. Now it’s charted jets to games and five-star accommodations. “I remember what it took to get here and it makes me appreciate it that much more.” He spent the first year and a half as a long reliever out of the bullpen with the Mariners, establishing himself as a dependable righthander before earning a spot in the starting rotation in the 2003 season. “I didn’t think I was going to be nervous my first pro game, but I had buddies telling me I was chewing my gum a million miles per hour. I tried not to be nervous, but I couldn’t help it.” Facing his first batter as a Mariner, Ryan remembers the pitch being hit but resulting in a routine fly ball out. “I thought to myself this is easy. The next guy hit a homerun.” After pitching his way into the starting rotation, Ryan made his debut on April 23, 2002, a memorable one. Going against Anaheim, he recorded a 1-0 victory retiring 15 of the first 16 batters he faced by throwing 51 strikes in only 68 pitches and allowing only one base runner through five innings. He finished the 2003 season with a record of 11-13 with a 3.57 ERA, good enough for ninth in the American League. “I had a real good season,” says Ryan, calling his best game a two-hit, complete game shutout over Oakland. “I really learned a lot this year. You have to accept that not every time (out) you’re going to be good. You are going to fail sometimes.” The 2003 season started with great promise for the Mariners. The team led the AL West for 134 days beginning on May 16 only to end the 162-game season in second place behind the