75 years strong - preview - Oklahoma Farm Bureau

75 YEARS STRONG

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OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU

BY DR. BOB L. BLACKBURN FOREWORD BY CONGRESSMAN FRANK LUCAS

COTTONWOOD PUBLICATIONS

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Published by Cottonwood Publications Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Copyright Š 2017 Oklahoma Farm Bureau

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, by an information storage and retrieval system, without permission of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau.

Printed in Oklahoma by Paragon Press

Research, design and editorial contributions by Becky Samples, Dustin Mielke, Jeffrey Canton and Clarissa Walton

Errors and omissions, whether typographical, clerical or otherwise, do sometimes occur and may occur within the body of this publication.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau and all other entities and individuals associated with this publication cannot assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss or damage arising in any way from errors, omissions herein, regardless of the nature or cause of any such error or omission.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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iv

FOREWORD

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PROTECTING A WAY OF LIFE

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AUTHOR’S PREFACE

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STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

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FRONTIER FOUNDATIONS

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Dr. Bob L. Blackburn

1974 – 1991

1992 – 2003

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A VOICE FOR RURAL OKLAHOMA

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A GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION

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LEADERSHIP

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WORKING TOGETHER FOR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS

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AFTERWORD

1889 – 1941

1942 – 1957

1958 – 1973

2004 – 2016

Past to future

Monica Wilke Oklahoma Farm Bureau Executive Director

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75 years strong

FOREWORD

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By Congressman Frank Lucas

A

s Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, the

pass them on to the next. Our trade is a family endeavor. It’s woven into

process to pass the 2014 Farm Bill was

the fabric of life in our rural communities; producing the food and fiber

a long and seemingly epic journey. It

for an entire country is no small task.

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For those outside of rural America, what we produce is often taken for

do, in my opinion, what should have

granted. During the Farm Bill process, I spent an enormous amount of

taken six months. During the drawn-out

my time educating my colleagues who represented less agricultural and

process, there were moments where if

more urban parts of the country.

I lost my nerve and asked for the bill to

be pulled, we might never have had a comprehensive farm bill at all. But

I pushed on, with encouragement from fellow members of Congress and my neighbors back home, including the Oklahoma Farm Bureau.

I’m a wheat farmer by trade, so it’s probably not shocking to learn I

am an optimist at heart. I have hope every day of my life. Growing up, I didn’t know you could have a prayer that didn’t ask for rain.

Like many of us, I was raised by the same folks who survived the Great

What happens when everything goes wrong? You work for a year and

you do everything right, but in one single storm it’s all gone.

These are the stories I told my colleagues in Congress. This is why we

implemented a robust crop insurance program to support our farmers.

This is how your dinner made it all the way to your plate. And that’s how the shirt made it onto your back.

In this day of incredible partisan divide, when many consider

Congress to be dysfunctional, the passage of the 2014 Farm Bill was

Depression and the drought of the 1930s. When I was 17 years old, my

nothing short of a miracle. In the face of uncertain markets, erratic

maternal grandfather, Fred Aderholt, cosigned my first lease for an old

weather and burdensome government regulations, this legislation

farm that I was too young to sign for myself and the note at the bank to

was an important step toward providing the certainty and confidence

finance my first crop.

American agriculture needs to move forward.

It was that great generation that not only helped set me up in farming,

but also instilled in me their experiences, their knowledge and their values.

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We learn these lessons from the previous generation so that we can

One of the biggest investments in the future of our industry is

passing on our values to the next generation, just like our parents and

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grandparents did for us. Whenever I meet with Oklahoma FFA and 4-H students, I am impressed with their dedication and enthusiasm for carrying on the tradition. These organizations are doing an incredible job preparing our next generation of farmers and advocates for Oklahoma agriculture.

m a S But none of this would be possible without the work the

Oklahoma Farm Bureau does to support agriculture here at home by

staying engaged in our communities and providing farmers with tools they need to succeed.

On this 75th anniversary of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, I would like

to express my appreciation for the hard work of all those who share

a tremendous passion and dedication for Oklahoma agriculture. Our future is bright because of your efforts today.

Frank Lucas represents Oklahoma’s third congressional district. The fifth-generation Oklahoman, and Oklahoma Farm Bureau member, farms and ranches in Roger Mills County. Lucas and his wife, Lynda, have three children and two grandchildren.

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AUTHOR’S PREFACE

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By Dr. Bob L. Blackburn

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he heart and soul of Oklahoma is

together to build a better home for our children, grandchildren and their

and always has been farming and

grandchildren. To do less would not be the Oklahoma way. I want to thank

ranching. This rural culture can be seen

the leadership at OKFB for giving me the chance to create a window to the

in our shared values, in our hopes and

past, present and future of our farming and ranching pioneers. I hope

aspirations and at every level of our

you enjoy this visual stroll through our shared history.

government. Farming and ranching

is the lifeblood of what people call the Oklahoma Standard.

The Oklahoma Farm Bureau

has been a champion of that farming and ranching legacy since 1942.

Through its members and county organizations, OKFB has been the voice of agriculture and the catalyst for analyzing problems and formulating

action to achieve educational improvement, economic opportunity and social advancement for everyone. This book is an attempt to capture the spirit of OKFB’s impact over the past 75 years.

This is not a comprehensive history of the OKFB. It is not a history of

farming and ranching. Other books have captured both stories. Rather, this is a visual celebration of our farming and ranching culture today, captured through the beautiful photographs of OKFB staff members,

with historic photographs and text connecting those images to the roots of farm and ranch culture planted deep in the rich soil of Oklahoma.

Hopefully, this book will remind all of us that we share a glorious

history of facing challenges, searching for solutions and working vi

Dr. Bob L. Blackburn, grandson of cotton farmers in Grady County

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Dedication

This book represents a history in words and pictures of the farming and ranching families who tirelessly, yet humbly,

serve as the last frontier of stewards to our land and animals in order to feed a nation. Oklahoma Farm Bureau is 75 years strong because of the vision a handful of intrepid individuals had and the legacy of those who succeeded them. Today, OKFB is a grassroots organization with members across the state in all 77 counties. Some of the faces

you will see are no longer with us, while others are those who continue to carry the banner for Oklahoma agriculture.

It is with profound gratitude that we dedicate this survey of our history to all our members past, present and future.

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FRONTIER FOUNDATIONS 1889 – 1941

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or the past 75 years, the grassroots leadership of the Oklahoma Farm

to overproduction and low prices. Compounding fickle weather, boll

Bureau has come from farm and ranch families attracted to America’s

weevils and gyrating prices on world markets were man-made problems

last frontier.

They came for a variety of reasons. Some arrived at the tip of a bayonet, forced from their ancient homelands and encouraged to plant

such as the financial panic of 1893 and the full-blown depression of 1911.

Each generation had to find new solutions.

Some used tractors and larger farms to increase production, while

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new tribal roots in what would become Oklahoma soil. Others came by land run and lottery, hoping to claim a piece of

the Promised Land. For most of those pioneers,

whether white, Indian, black or Hispanic, the best chance for a better future was through farming and ranching.

From the land run of 1889 to statehood in 1907,

most of what is now Oklahoma passed from public to private land at a time when a family could claim middle-class status with 160 acres and a mule.

Access to distant markets, which was needed to

provide the demand in supply and demand, was

paved with steel rails as an exploding network of

others experimented with improved grasslands and new breeds of

livestock. Then came the Great Depression of the 1930s with 3-cent cotton and 25-cent wheat.

This calamitous decade drove many

sharecroppers and tenant farmers to towns and cities. Filling the gaps left behind were farmers

and ranchers who expanded their land holdings and increased their productivity through

technology, whether it was a tractor in the field or a truck on the highway. Oklahoma farmers

and ranchers were ready for something new. It had to be built on the foundations of rugged

individualism, but it had to tap into the power

railroads gave farmers and ranchers a way to export crops and livestock

of working together for a common cause. They needed a voice in an

and import goods and services to improve their quality of life.

increasingly complex world.

Fresh, free land was just the beginning. Oklahoma farmers and

ranchers faced challenges that ranged from drought and dust storms

That voice would be found in the Oklahoma Farm Bureau.

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Above: By the 1890s and early 20th century, farmers in Oklahoma were already increasing production through mechanization.

Here, a work team is cutting wheat with machinery pulled by old-fashioned horse power.

Left: Clarence Roberts, editor of The Oklahoma Farmer-Stockman, was one of several strong proponents for the formation of a Farm Bureau in Oklahoma. His efforts to spark interest in such an organization began as early as 1936 with the formation of the Oklahoma Farmers Emergency Association, which later was dissolved to invite members to join Farm Bureau. In December 1938, Roberts led an unofficial delegation of observers to the American Farm Bureau Federation convention in New Orleans.

Opposite page left: Oklahoma’s early farmers and ranchers relied on corn for both food and fodder. While a later generation would use diesel and gasoline to run their trucks and tractors, pioneers used corn to feed their mules and horses.

Opposite page right: Half of the 50,000 people who made the land run of 1889 claimed 160-acre homesteads in the Unassigned Lands. This concrete silo is a sign of success, probably built during the Golden Age of Farming from 1898 to 1918.

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Above: In 1890, the Oklahoma Territorial government selected Stillwater as the site of a new land-grant college named Oklahoma Agricultural & Mechanical College.

The institution would serve the farm and ranch community through agricultural experiment stations and county agents.

Opposite page: The first agricultural fair in Oklahoma was sponsored by the Five Civilized Tribes in Muskogee in 1875. The State Fair of Oklahoma, located on the North Canadian River east of Oklahoma City, was founded in 1907.

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e l p Above: Corn might feed livestock and families, but King Cotton was the cash crop in Oklahoma until the 1930s. Picking cotton, especially with a bumper crop, was always a challenge. Here, a family of men, women, and children dragged their cotton sacks through the fields. Migrant pickers earned two to two-and-a-half cents a pound to do the picking, but that took cash off the family table.

Left: Cotton had been planted in the Indian Territory since the 1820s when the first cotton gin was assembled in the Choctaw Nation. By the 1920s, cotton was the top cash crop in the state, planted from the Red River on the south to Osage County on the north. Cotton culture reached its peak in 1925 when the price hit 25 cents a pound, and bumper crops kept the gins and cottonseed oil presses working overtime.

Opposite page: Every fall, towns throughout Oklahoma were crowded with farmers waiting to sell their cotton to gin operators. A good crop would average a bale, or about 500 pounds, per acre.

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A GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION 1942 – 1957

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armers and ranchers were at a crossroads in 1941. Behind them

Oklahoma City to adopt bylaws and elect officers. From the first day, the

were historically low prices for their crops and livestock, the pain

mission of the new Oklahoma Farm Bureau was clear.

of drought and depression, and the end of an era when small operators

“The Bureau’s program,” wrote Roberts, “is an economic program,

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could make a decent living with 160 acres and a mule. Ahead were the

concerned with prices, savings, dividends — everything that makes up,

sacrifices of war, a shift of population to cities and a federal government

or deals in, the economic well-being of farmers on the farm.”

growing in size and activism. Farmers and ranchers needed a voice to fight for their rights.

Although there were several farm organizations

scattered across the land, most served as either

social networks or cooperative marketing services.

Clarence Roberts, editor of The Oklahoma FarmerStockman magazine, articulated the need for

something new: “We need an organization that

will provide farmers and ranchers with a means of

exchanging ideas, formulating policies and uniting in action.” He suggested a grassroots movement affiliated with the American Farm Bureau

Federation, which had been organized in 1919 as a conservative farm organization.

The first exploratory meeting was held in Ponca City on November

5, 1941, followed by an organization meeting on February 2-3, 1942, in

Just as importantly, the Farm Bureau from the

very beginning was a grassroots organization with real authority grounded at the county level where the voices of individual farmers and ranchers

could be heard. Lead by locally elected officers who made a majority of their income from farming or ranching, each county unit was

individually organized and affiliated with the Oklahoma Farm Bureau.

By the end of the year, Oklahoma farmers and

ranchers had a growing, conservative Farm Bureau dedicated to protecting their traditional way of

life through organization, legislation and constant research in the battle to get fair prices for their

products and reduce the costs of operation. It was just the beginning.

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Above: By 1945, Oklahoma Farm Bureau had grown too much for their small office in the Oklahoma City Livestock Exchange Building. This second office was located at 716 West Grand (later renamed to Sheridan Avenue) in Oklahoma City.

Right: John I. Taylor, the first president of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, was a native of Kansas who settled near Elk City before moving to a ranch in Comanche County in 1933. He was a Grand Master of the Masonic Lodge and an expert in parliamentary procedure. He served as president of OKFB from 1942 to 1953.

Opposite page: During the first meeting on February 2, 1942, delegates elected the first Oklahoma Farm Bureau Board (left to right): Ray Howard, Harper County; Buster Brown, Tulsa County; Lewis H. Munn, Alfalfa County; E.G. Jeffrey, Treasurer, Canadian County; Frank B. Trimmer, Vice President, Bryan County; John I. Taylor, President, Comanche County; and Clyde Newberry, Secretary, Kiowa County.

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Above: Even early in Oklahoma Farm Bureau history, members were active on the national level. In this photo, OKFB members pose for a photo in Salt Lake City during a trip back from the 1946 American Farm Bureau Federation Convention held in San Francisco, California. With more than 200 members attending, OKFB offered an all-expense-paid trip on a special Oklahoma-based, air conditioned train with comfort “deluxe,� including side trips to the Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park, and this return trip through Salt Lake City.

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Above: Oklahoma Farm Bureau annual conventions have been among the most successful events for the organization. Beyond the primary purpose of voting on proposed policy changes from county Farm Bureaus, convention provided a wide variety of educational opportunities and entertainment. Annual awards for community service, membership, contests and more were presented to recognize outstanding county programs or individuals who went above and beyond to represent OKFB and agriculture. Members also enjoyed the social gatherings that allowed them to interact with people from different backgrounds who shared their love and passion for agriculture. Shown above is the Annual Family Party at the 1951 OKFB Convention held at Oklahoma State University’s Student Union. Dr. Kenneth McFarland, an educational consultant and public speaker for General Motors Corporation and a guest lecturer for Reader’s Digest, delivered the after-dinner speech.

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Above: At the 1952 Oklahoma Farm Bureau Convention, two new Farm Bureau districts were created to increase membership, size and potential, bringing the total number of districts to nine. Pictured above is the first nine-member OKFB Board during their January meeting. Seated are (left to right) J.Y. Victor, Secretary; John I. Taylor, President; Lewis H. Munn, Vice President; and Darrell McNutt, Treasurer. Standing are (left to right) Mart Fowler, Harold Davis, F.W. Kannady, C.E. Weller and Glen Johnson.

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Above: Membership grew rapidly during the early years of Oklahoma Farm Bureau. By 1952, only one county was without a Farm Bureau. Members across the state donated countless hours to membership drives and personal discussions with fellow farmers and ranchers. Scenes like this photo were common as Farm Bureau representatives visited prospective members. Here, W.A. Cassell of Elmore City (left) signs up for his Garvin County Farm Bureau membership with A.J. Chapman, Membership Committee Co-chairman. Cassell was the first new member to be added in the county during in the organization’s 1953 campaign.

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WORKING TOGETHER FOR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS 1958 – 1973

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t seemed like deja vu. In the 1950s, after a brief post-war reprieve when

pushed paper value well beyond the ability of the land to return a profit.

America was feeding and clothing the world, Oklahoma farmers and

Just as egregious on the front end were sales taxes, originally conceived

ranchers once again faced an uncertain future

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as drought, low prices and rising taxes were

compounded by governmental activism that

increasingly reflected an urban agenda. Members of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau fought back.

For a base of operations, the Farm Bureau

funded and constructed its own building within walking distance of the Oklahoma State Capitol, where the battle lines were drawn. There were

fundamental issues that affected the land, such as water resources and conservation, which

could be managed only through community action that included farmers and ranchers.

as a tax on consumption, that were applied to farmers and ranchers as a tax on production.

In effect, the ability to provide food and fiber was double-taxed, first on the farm and then in the store.

In 1943, the Oklahoma Farm Bureau

launched a counter-offensive to correct that imbalance. Although it would take years to

claim total victory, the first beachhead was taken in 1957 when the Oklahoma Legislature granted an exemption to sales tax on the purchase of

feed and used machinery. With the Farm Bureau beating the drum, the legislature expanded the

Another recurring issue was rural roads at a time when state and national

exemptions to fertilizer in 1965; chicks, pullets, and poults in 1973; and

resources were focused on turnpikes and inter-city highways.

seed, pesticides, and chemicals in 1976. Two years later, the state attorney

The fiercest battle was over taxes as farmers and ranchers were

squeezed from both ends. On the back end were estate taxes, originally created to break up the vast holdings of Gilded Age industrial giants, which threatened the survival of family farms as rising land prices

general ruled that all goods used in agricultural production would thereafter have a blanket exemption from sales taxes.

By working together for individual rights, members of the Farm

Bureau proved that democracy was alive and well in Oklahoma.

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Above: Membership drives were a common practice during this time period. Each year, counties would strive to meet their county goals and reach their yearly quota.

This photo was taken at a Custer County Farm Bureau membership kickoff held at the county office on October 7, 1958. Pictured are (left to right) Roy Driscoll, Custer County Farm Bureau Board member from Clinton; Wayne Foster, county board member from Weatherford; and Con Burgtorf, Membership Chairman from Custer City.

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Above: Meet the Candidate forums began early in Oklahoma Farm Bureau history as a way for OKFB members to directly hear from candidates seeking election to public office. On July 10, 1958, members of Farm Bureau counties in western Oklahoma held this Meet the Candidate forum with two runoff candidates for the democratic nomination for congressman. Congressman Toby Morris (second from left) and challenger Victor Wickersham (second from right) were guests of 100 leaders from 17 western counties of Oklahoma’s Congressional District 6, shown here with OKFB President Lewis H. Munn (at microphone). The candidates were quizzed about their beliefs on 13 different issues and government philosophies in order to compare them against Farm Bureau policy.

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Above: Several outstanding Oklahoma farm and ranch families have been recognized through the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women’s Farm Family of the Year award, first presented in 1957. The 1960 Farm Family of the Year contest was limited to families who had lived on an Oklahoma farm for at least the last five years with at least 60 percent of their income coming directly from farming or ranching. The 1960 award was presented to the Darold Butler family of Pauls Valley. The Butlers and their five daughters lived on a highly diversified farm in Garvin County, where they raised black and red Angus cattle, alfalfa, corn, cotton, broomcorn, maize, soybeans, wheat, oats, vetch and barley.

Above left: Congressmen often attended county Farm Bureau activities to hear ideas and opinions about agriculture-related issues directly from farmers and ranchers in their districts. Congressman Carl Albert (left) met with representatives of county Farm Bureaus in his district at a Farm-Bureau-sponsored get-together in McAlester in 1959.

Albert is shown here with McCurtain County’s Hubert Nelson (center) and Pittsburg County’s Ralph Smalley.

Left: Several Oklahoma Farm Bureau leaders later joined the staff of the American Farm Bureau Federation to continue to promote agriculture on a national level. One such example is Warren Newberry, who served as the first president of the Oklahoma Junior Farm Bureau. Newberry was a guest speaker at the Town and Country Banquet for Garvin County Farm Bureau held in Pauls Valley on January 25, 1960. Here (left to right) Pierre Grimmett, President of Pauls Valley National Bank; Alvin Powell, county Farm Bureau President; and Newberry visit after the meeting had ended. Almost 500 Farm Bureau members and guests were present for the meeting.

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Above: Several Farm Bureaus hosted booths at various events, such as fairs or educational conferences, as a way to reach potential members or supporters. This booth was kept by the members of Garfield County Farm Bureau at a crop and soils clinic in Enid in 1960. Pencils, rulers and leaflets were given to all who passed by the booth. About 600 people attended the event.

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PROTECTING A WAY OF LIFE 1974 – 1991

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armers and ranchers had always been willing to take a risk. Every time

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membership, not just the leadership, rallied to the cause.

they planted a crop, replenished their herds or purchased supplies

A recurring battle in the halls of Congress during the 1970s

and machinery, they were gambling that the weather would cooperate

and 1980s focused on price supports for agricultural products.

and prices for the fruits of their labor would cover the cost of production

Some supported rigid price controls, guaranteed by federal funding,

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and carry them over one more year. All they wanted was a level playing field.

Threats to this way of life were mounting in

an increasingly complex world. Inflation,

roaring to historic double-digit heights in the

1970s, eroded purchasing power. An oil embargo, launched by hostile foreign governments, sent

the price of fuel and fertilizer through the roof.

National leaders, willing to use agricultural

products as weapons of Cold War diplomacy, shut down markets and disrupted the free

market system. The Oklahoma Farm Bureau pushed back.

Unlike many organizations claiming to represent large groups of

like-minded citizens, the Oklahoma Farm Bureau did not formulate

battle plans from the top down. Every policy decision, every resolution, had to originate and be approved at a county meeting before it could

be considered by the state organization. Once a position was taken, the

while others favored flexible price support

responsive to the forces of a free market. The

Oklahoma Farm Bureau, recognizing that total

price support would come with total production control, favored market-oriented agriculture.

Closer to home at the state Capitol, the

Oklahoma Farm Bureau focused on issues critical

to preserving the farming and ranching way of life.

Responding to a battle cry of “protect the family

farm,” legislators raised the estate tax exemption to $175,000. To limit the legal liabilities of an

urban-based workers’ compensation program, legislators granted farmers and ranchers an

exemption on payroll up to $100,000.

To improve access to resources and markets in a truck-centered era of

transportation, legislators earmarked $22 million for rural roads.

Through a grassroots network of like-minded citizens, the Oklahoma

Farm Bureau was dedicated to preserving a way of life.

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Above left: Although many legislative issues took years to resolve, some resolutions from the county Farm Bureaus moved at a rapid pace. One such example is the trailer identification law. In 1973, strong cattle prices led to increased cattle thefts. To help identify rustlers, legislators suggested livestock trailers be identified by using a mandatory state license tag. To save money and provide an easier option, Oklahoma Farm Bureau members suggested that farmers, ranchers and owners of stock trailers be required to display their drivers license number on the back of their trailers, which also allowed highway patrolmen to check the driver without even stopping the vehicle. The idea was adopted at the OKFB convention in November 1973 and signed into law by Oklahoma Gov. Dan Hall in April 1974, less than six months later.

Above right: During the early 1970s, Oklahoma Farm Bureau began the ‘Give Meat’ promotion, a positive approach to meat promotion to bolster the sagging livestock market as a joint effort of several farm organizations and grocery outlets. Under the terms of the promotion, anyone, including farmers and ranchers, could buy gift certificates, which were redeemable for beef, pork, lamb or poultry at any participating grocery store. In this 1974 photo, OKFB President Lewis H. Munn encourages people to buy the meat gift certificates for Christmas gifts during a news conference staged on the OKFB grounds with four penned steers as a backdrop. Other participants included Eldon Roscher, Oklahoma Retail Grocery Association; Billy Ray Gowdy, Agriculture Board President; and Henry Haley, a cattleman from Calumet.

The conference attracted approximately 30 news reporters.

Opposite page: As new agricultural technology was developed and people became further removed from farm life, consumers’ questions about farming practices grew.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau members stepped forward to provide answers. In this photo from 1975, OKFB member Eugene Conrad and his father, Chester, both of Bixby, spoke to a reporter from Tulsa’s KTEW-TV about the advantageous uses of agriculture pesticides and herbicides in food production.

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Above left: The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee held several training schools on a variety of topics throughout the committee’s years. On September 4, 1975, the Noble County’s WLC conducted a Ladies Tractor Driving School at the county fairgrounds. This photo shows Mrs. Ronnie Golliver, Chairman; Mrs. David Sherrard, Vice Chairman; and Mrs. John Main, Secretary, planning subject material for the school.

Above right: Sharing the personal agriculture experiences of Oklahoma Farm Bureau members has always been an important part of the organization’s history. This photo was published in a 1977 issue of Oklahoma Farm Bureau Farmer in a feature story about Jim Martin, a broiler grower from Stilwell and an Adair County Farm Bureau Board member who produced between 90,000 and 100,000 chickens annually. Martin spoke about the benefits of joining an organization designed to help growers increase their profit margins. In addition, Martin described the life of a broiler grower and the constant care that was necessary to properly care for poultry.

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e l p Left: This photo was taken during the 1978 resolutions meetings, where Oklahoma Farm Bureau members brought resolutions concerning a variety of issues, such as lack of adequate rural roads and bridges, tick eradication, school funding, a statewide water plan and the probate code. OKFB policy development remains an integral part of voicing the concerns of Oklahoma farmers and ranchers.

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LEADERSHIP 75 years strong: Oklahoma farm bureau

Past to future

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ince its birth in 1942, the Oklahoma Farm Bureau has been a grassroots

Mutual Insurance Company, a separate entity created in 1946 to improve

organization. At the heart of this broad-based partnership are the core

the quality of life and business success of farm and ranch families across

values of individual freedom and responsibility, twin beliefs reflected in

the state. From humble beginnings selling only automobile insurance

both the decision-making process and the leadership structure.

in rural areas, the mutual company has expanded with policies to

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to start at a county meeting. Local board

members from county Farm Bureaus across the state appoint delegates to serve at state

convention. County delegates from each Farm Bureau district elect a member to represent their region on the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Board. Those nine board members serve

alongside a president who is elected by the delegate body at Oklahoma Farm Bureau annual meetings.

Together, the president and the Oklahoma

Farm Bureau Board members select an

executive director who assembles a leadership team and assigns tasks to achieve the mission and goals of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau. In

cover a wide range of needs. Those policies and services include homes, farms, automobiles, mobile homes, crops,

commercial enterprises, boats, life, health,

disability, long-term care, annuities, mutual funds and estate planning.

In 2017, the Oklahoma Farm Bureau

Mutual and AgSecurity insurance companies

had 231 agents in all 77 counties, with 114 office

locations, 11 district claims offices, 55 adjusters and a staff of nearly 500 Oklahomans. Their

services to Oklahoma Farm Bureau members,

combined with their leadership roles in rural communities, have reflected the original

mission statement to include honesty, integrity and fairness in all efforts.

On the following pages are images and biographical profiles of the

2017, at the time of the 75 anniversary, the staff was organized into

presidents who have led the Oklahoma Farm Bureau since 1942. Each, in

administrative services, corporate communications, field services,

his or her own way, has provided leadership to achieve the goals of the

membership, public policy, legal foundation and safety services. Working

Oklahoma Farm Bureau.

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hand-in-hand with this leadership team is the Oklahoma Farm Bureau

Their legacy provides a firm foundation for a promising future.

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John I. Taylor: 1942 – 1953

John I. Taylor, a Comanche County rancher, was elected as the first president of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau. One of Taylor’s qualifications for serving as OKFB president was an extensive knowledge of parliamentary procedure. Taylor received an AB degree from Baker University in 1923.

During his time as president, he was also appointed to several important American Farm Bureau Federation committees. He served as a member of the Oklahoma Agricultural Advisory Council, a director of the Oklahoma Wheat Research Foundation, and a citizen-member of the Governor’s State Reorganization Committee and the Hospital Study Committee.

After Taylor resigned in 1953 due to family matters, he did not abandon his dedication to Farm Bureau. Taylor was called to Washington, D.C., by AFBF Federation President Charles Shuman in 1959 to assume responsibilities as assistant legislative director. Taylor earned a reputation as a wellinformed specialist on soil and water conservation among congressmen and associates.

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A farmer from Alfalfa County, Lewis H. Munn was elected to serve as the second president of Oklahoma Farm Bureau in 1953. Munn’s family had moved to Oklahoma in 1910, settling near Helena. Munn helped his father farm until he finished school, when he started farming on his own.

Munn was a long-standing member of the OKFB Board, starting with the first board formed in 1942. He served eight years as secretary, one year as vice president and 22 years as president. Before he was elected president, Munn also served on the Alfalfa County Farm Bureau Board as secretary, treasurer, vice president, president, special insurance agent and general insurance agent over a span of 11 years. Munn also assisted management in enlisting and training agents for the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company from its beginning.

During his term, he served as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Farm Bureau Federation for 17 years. In addition, he served as chairman of the AFBF Southern Region Presidents and Secretaries Conference for 18 years and the AFBF Resolutions Committee for 22 years.

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Billy H. Jarvis: 1975 – 1977 Billy H. Jarvis, a Seminole County farmer, became Oklahoma Farm Bureau president in 1975. Born into a family that farmed in Seminole County before statehood, Jarvis’ farming experience traced back to his grandfather, who was the first person to introduce Shorthorn cattle in Oklahoma. Although he raised wheat, oats, soybeans, peanuts, corn, silage and alfalfa hay, Jarvis spent most of his time in the dairy business.

He also started a beef herd in 1946. Jarvis studied animal husbandry and agricultural education at Oklahoma State University.

Jarvis previously served as president on the Seminole County Farm Bureau Board several years before joining the OKFB Board in 1969. He attended the inaugural meeting of OKFB in 1942, and later organized the Seminole County Farm Bureau with his father and George Foreman.

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James L. Lockett: 1977 – 1993

Osage County rancher James L. Lockett became the fourth president of Oklahoma Farm Bureau in 1977. Lockett devoted much of his time to his cattle enterprise: a 4,000-acre ranch located in the grassy, rolling hills of central Osage County that produced up to 400 steers for the feeder market annually. Lockett was a 1951 Oklahoma State University graduate who studied business administration.

During his presidency, Lockett strongly believed in the organization as a voice for farmers and ranchers across the state and encouraged members to be involved in every aspect of the grassroots policymaking process. With the second-longest term as president, Lockett led Oklahoma Farm Bureau through several farm crises and fought in support of farmers and ranchers through a variety of legislative battles at the Capitol.

Originally elected to the Osage County Farm Bureau Board in 1967, Lockett served in several capacities until his election as county president in 1972. He was first elected to the OKFB Board in 1975 and was selected to serve as vice president.

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75 years strong

AFTERWORD

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By Monica Wilke

I

continue to be honored and humbled to

serve as the Executive Director of Oklahoma

We are not just an insurance company; we are fellow Oklahomans and

m a S Farm Bureau and Affiliated Companies. I am

your neighbors here to help

focused every day on ensuring everyone in our

when you need us most. It is that

organization is firmly committed to serving

commitment that has driven our

our members and promoting and protecting

reputation as the “gold standard”

the legacy of our farming and ranching roots.

for customer service. OKFB

What began as a small, passionate grassroots

members are not only leaving a

organization has grown into an iconic brand

legacy for our organization – they

that represents all Oklahomans.

are leaving a legacy for our entire

Seven Oklahomans came together 75 years ago with the vision and

state. Representing the second-

the courage to create an organization to give the Oklahoma farming

largest industry in Oklahoma

and ranching industry a strong, united voice. They recognized the need

– agriculture – and the largest

to tell our story and take on those who wanted to attack agriculture.

domestic insurance company in

Their collective vision and goals brought about monumental change for

Oklahoma, we play a vital role in

agriculture, and their spirit of advocacy continues today. When Oklahoma

the livelihoods of Oklahomans

became the 42 state to join the American Farm Bureau Federation, the

and our nation. I am honored to share this book as a celebration of our

organization’s main objectives were to preserve the rights and promote

first 75 years with our members as well as all Oklahomans.

nd

the successes of Oklahoma agriculture. Ninety-eight percent of Oklahoma farms and ranches are still family owned and operated to this day.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau achieved these goals through early initiatives

to support agriculturalists during difficult times, including World War II. Key initiatives included creating an insurance company to provide

farmers a great, affordable option to protect their hard-earned assets.

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Today, we are the first on the scene of a loss or disaster, big or small.

Monica Wilke serves as the executive director of Oklahoma Farm Bureau and Affiliated Companies. She grew up in Grandfield, Oklahoma, where she raised stocker cattle, cotton and wheat with her father. Today, Monica is still very much a part of the family farm as her son manages a cow-calf herd with his papa.

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