Attractive displays of wine adorn the tasting room at Parsons Vineyard & Winery. Joe Rick and Joyce are ready for visitors at Parsons Vineyard & Winery. The couple met and married while attending East Central University in Ada, where both earned teaching degrees. Joe Rick taught and coached, but now is in the oil business. Joyce has been a biology teacher for the past 23 years. Visitors will be welcomed to the tasting room to sample any of nine Parsons wines. Parsons Vineyard & Winery outside of Shawnee truly is a family venture. While Joyce and Joe Rick own and operate the new business, their sons, Josh, second from left, and Jeff, help out when possible. Josh is an attorney and Jeff is a Farm Bureau Insurance agent in Seminole County. The family is pictured at the entrance of the 4,000 square feet building which houses the winery, tasting room and conference room. The operation is located at 15401 Gaddy Road. Phone 405395-9178 for the hours of operation.
They planted 2,000 vines, trained them to trellises, irrigated and generally pampered them to supply the fruit for the winery. Some 1,400 vines produced their first usable crop this year. The 600 vines planted a year earlier were harvested last year, allowing the first bottles bearing the Parsons Vineyard & Winery label to go in the cooling room. “Last year we made wine and it was our first harvest. The first two years we pulled all the grapes off the vines. It is expensive,” said Joe Rick, estimating a $15,000 per acre input cost for the vineyard. “I just kept wondering when will we get to sell something!” While Joe Rick’s golf game suffered, Joyce sacrificed her free time to learn about growing grapes, pest management and making wine. Joyce, a biology teacher for 23 years, went back to school. She took classes covering all aspects of the family’s new business. Many of the classes were at Oklahoma State University, which receives funding from the state grape growers association to help educate its members. She completed a prestigious Internet course for vintners presented by the University of California, Davis. Only 40 people worldwide are accepted in the class each semester. Joyce was one of only 18 to successfully complete the course, and the only Oklahoman to earn the impressive certification. “We’re still new and learning to make wine,” said Joyce. “Every year that goes by, our wine gets better.” The Parsons’ wine list includes five whites and four reds. It could be expanded if they decide to someday make blended wines. Visitors to the 4,000 square feet winery now can go to the tasting room and sample varieties ranging from Chardonnay to Cabernet Sauvignon. This year’s grape harvest, with the help of friends and family, produced a bumper crop. “Our friends really helped us out. We worked from daylight to dark,” said Joe Rick. “Then they all came back two weeks later for the reds. It’s all by hand.” The dry weather that preceded the August harvest actually improved the quality of the grapes. “Drier weather for a few weeks prior to harvest helped the grapes get sweeter. They take the nutrients from the vines. All of the energy left in the vines goes to the grapes,” said Joe Rick.
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The quality of the grapes is critical. “You cannot make good wine out of bad grapes,” said Joyce. “That’s what makes what happens in the vineyard really important.” With harvest behind them, the task of producing their red and white wines began. “We don’t crush the grapes with our feet,” laughs Joe Rick, remembering an old episode of I Love Lucy where the comical redhead and cohort Ethel Mertz shed their shoes to stomp grapes. The Parsons have shiny new mechanical crushers and destemmers to do the work. The 2,000 square feet of space devoted to the winery operation is filled with large stainless machines and vats. Oklahoma Country • Fall 2005 • 19
Joe Rick waits to fill a bottle with a 2005 crop vintage. Each bottle is filled by hand, labeled by hand and corked by hand, making the job of vinting a labor-intensive one that relies on family and friends for assistance. Some of the equipment in the Parsons Winery includes an auger which is a crusher and de-stemmer. Grapes are dumped there for their first leg in the journey to becoming wine. The large vat holds virgin wine while the product ages in another part of its journey before being bottled.
Processing the grapes when they go inside the winery takes different routes depending on the variety. Both whites and reds pass through the crushers and de-stemmers. It takes about 11 pounds of grapes – red or white – to produce one gallon of wine. When the whites are crushed, the Parsons are left with a mixture containing skins and juice. That mixture is pumped into a press, which uses water pressure to complete the process of removing the skins. 20 • Oklahoma Country • Fall 2005
The reds are crushed and the stems are removed. But, the skins of the reds are left in the mixture that is transferred to the fermentation tanks. “You leave them for a week to 10 days for the color, and then transfer the juice out and do a second fermentation,” said Joe Rick. The white wines will sit in tanks for about six months before being bottled. After the reds obtain their color, the secondary fermentation process takes two to three weeks. Reds usually can be bottled in 30 to 45 days. “You can’t do it too soon, because if you do the wine will still be working and will shoot out the corks,” said Joe Rick. Red wines improve with aging. The Parsons have a cooling room kept at 72 degrees where their red wines are allowed to age. The temperature is critical, he says, so the reds “won’t start up again.” It can take one to five years before red wines develop a really good flavor. That lengthy aging process is one reason why some wines carry hefty price tags.
And, Joyce adds, “Our winery is real close to a new casino that is being built. People can’t gamble all the time, so we expect visitors from there.” Joe Mack won’t leave his oil business for the vineyard and winery, just yet. His golf game might have to suffer even more in the future if the business prospers like the Parsons feel the winery industry will in Oklahoma. “We drink all we can,” joked Joyce, parodying a popular television commercial, “and sell the rest.”
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“We’ve had a really good time doing it,” says Joyce. “It is amazing to grow something and make it into a product that is good.” The couple has convinced some package stores to carry the Parsons label. However, Joe Rick says “our big deal will be selling right here.” While there are several variables – including the cost of bottles, labels and corks – that must be considered when setting a price, most Parsons wines will go for $12.50 per bottle. As the volume of grapes harvested increases with the maturity of the vines, they hope to reduce costs and perhaps sell a bottle for as little as $10. The winery will be open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from noon until dark. “Most Oklahomans seem to want a sweet wine. Real wine drinkers (connoisseurs) want a dry wine, which is less sweet. When you go to buy wine, buy the wine you like,” recommends Joe Mack. “Certain wines really do compliment certain foods. Joyce told me if you get the right wine with the right food, both are better and she was right.” If everything goes according to plan, Joyce will retire from her teaching job after the 2005-06 school year to devote full time to the winery. Parsons Vineyard & Winery is located just six miles off Interstate 40. The couple believes the proximity to the busy highway will provide an influx of visitors and customers.
WISCONSIN CHEESE!
A Wisconsin Farm Bureau Service Quantity Ordered
Wisconsin Cheese Variety Sharp Cheddar – 4-1 lb./box Medium Cheddar – 4-1 lb./box Colby Cheese – 4-1 lb./box Co-Jack – 4 –1 lb./box Variety Pack (1 each of the above) Aged Cheddar – 5 lb. wheel Cheddar Spread (Sharp) – 4-1 lb. tubs Variety of Spreads: 1 lb. each of Sharp Cheddar, Bacon Cheddar, Horseradish and Port Wine Gift Box: (10 oz. Med Cheddar, 10 oz. Colby, 10 oz. Brick, & 2-12 oz. packages, all-Beef Summer Sausage)
Delivered Cost/Box $24.95 $24.35 $24.00 $24.35 $25.50 $26.25 $22.75
Total Cost
$23.25 $29.75 Total Order
$
Shipped Direct by UPS to the Address Provided Below. (Allow 10-14 days for shipping.) Please make check payable to Wisconsin Farm Bureau Service Cooperative, and Mail to: PO Box 5550, Madison, WI 53705, Attn. Direct Sales. First-time Customer names will be added to our mailing list and you will receive our “complete line” order form each time an order is placed. Name: _ _ _ _ ____________________________________________________________________ Street:(No PO Box) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________________________________________________________________________________ City: State: Zip Code: ______________________________________________________________ Telephone Number:______________________________ County:___________________________ Order by Dec. 5, 2005 for Christmas Delivery • Offer expires April 28, 2006
Oklahoma Country • Fall 2005 • 21
All Around
Oklahoma
Area Meetings Area Meetings
klahoma Farm Bureau hosted 12 area meetings across the state to brief members on the issues expected to come to the legislative forefront on state and national levels to help county leaders with the policy development process. Executive Director Matt Wilson manned the flip chart to write down members’ thoughts on the current issues in the picture (top left). Public Policy Director Jeramy Rich (top right) went over the highlights of a policy development book passed out during the meetings. While the meetings were devoted to the policy development process, there were other developments as well. During the district 5 meeting in McAlester, State Director Larry Boggs (bottom right) took the opportunity to recognize longtime Pittsburg County Farm Bureau secretary Loretta Tripp upon her retirement. Loretta’s career with the county spanned some four decades.
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uring the district 4 meeting at Lake Murray State Lodge, State Director Bob Drake (left) was interviewed by an Ardmore television station about Farm Bureau’s stand against State Question 723. Hughes County Farm Bureau President Bill Cates “paid” his way to the district 8 area meeting at Ada with a truckload of watermelons (bottom). Bill had only a few melons left after delivering a truckload to a vendor in Pontotoc County.
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Annual convention is set for Nov. 12-14 klahoma Farm Bureau’s 64th annual convention, “We Belong To The Land” will attract nearly 1,000 delegates and guests to Oklahoma City’s Cox Convention Center Nov. 12-14. Taking care of the business of the state’s largest voluntary farm organization and setting policy to help mold the future of the state and nation will be the primary focus for county delegates. In addition to setting policy, delegates attending will elect three state directors and state president plus the delegates for the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting in January. Top state awards to counties and individual members also will be presented during the annual meeting and competitions, such as the Discussion Meet, will be held. An array of top-notch speakers and some of the state’s top federal lawmakers are scheduled to be on hand. U.S. Senator Jim Infofe is scheduled to appear during the convention’s opening session Nov. 12. That session also will feature a look at the farm bill, with U.S. Representative Frank Lucas and Kansas State University’s Barry Flinchbuagh scheduled to be the panelists. Two breakout sessions follow. One will provide a look at renewable fuels with an OU Energy Institute representative and AFBF’s Troy Bredenkamp scheduled to be the panelists. The second breakout session will present a forecast for 2006 livestock and grain markets with Sue Martin, senior analyst with Market to Market TV. The annual banquet will be held that evening and will feature recording artist John Conlee, whose top releases include the classics “Rose Colored Glasses” and “Back Side of Thirty.” The Grand Ole Opry member has had eight number ones on the national country charts during his career. OFB Expo, the official trade show of the convention, is back for 2005. It will host more than 25 vendors from across the state promoting agricultural businesses and
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American FB president testifies on eminent domain Aug. 25 gricultural land is extremely vulnerable to condemnation by government entities under the guise of economic development, said American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman, during testimony before an Oklahoma Senate task force Aug. 25. The U.S. Supreme Court earlier this summer ruled land can be confiscated for economic benefit, in its landmark case of Kelo v. the City of New London, Conn. AFBF is encouraging state Farm Bureaus to lead urban and rural property owners to support changes in state laws that remedy this problem. For that reason, a Stop Taking Our Property (STOP) initiative was rolled out by AFBF, Stallman said. “By holding that the U.S. Constitution does not forbid the use of eminent domain to take private property and give it to another party for its own private economic gain, the Supreme Court has essentially put all of our property up to the highest bidder,” Stallman told the senators. Agricultural lands, especially those in expanding urban areas, provide a ready source for potential shopping malls, industrial parks
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and housing complexes. Condemnation of this land also results in farmland that has been in a family for several generations simply being taken away, Stallman said. In the Supreme Court ruling, the court said the Constitution allows states and local governments to take private property for economic development projects, but the court also said that states can enact laws disallowing the taking of private property for economic benefit. Passage of a state law to limit the use of eminent domain is what the Oklahoma Farm Bureau and AFBF are supporting. Stallman said AFBF saw a major need to initiate the STOP campaign to assist Farm Bureaus to overcome the effects of Kelo. Many states are similar to Oklahoma in not currently protecting residents against use of eminent domain for economic gain by local governments. 006482800 In wrapping up his testimony, Stallman said, “The solution lies in your hands and other state legislatures around the country.” AFBF President Bob Stallman testifies before an Oklahoma Senate task force, urging that Oklahoma protect the rights of its landowners.
associations within the state, along with shopping vendors. The trade show will satisfy the interest of all participants. The trade show will be located surrounding the meeting room within the Cox Convention Center on the second floor. The OFB Expo will open Nov. 12 at 10 a.m. and will conclude after the awards and recognition program Nov. 13. The Nov. 13 morning general session features the annual vespers and memorial service with the OSU Concert Chorale, UNITY Gospel Quartet and speaker Lori Salierno. The afternoon general session that day will feature the presidential election, announcement of district caucus election results, several award presentations including Distinguished Service and Secretary of the Year before delegates begin work on resolutions. An ice cream social will be held that evening, following the awards and recognition program, to raise funds for the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Legal Foundation. The convention’s final day, Nov. 14, will feature an address by U.S. Fish & Wildlife’s Dale Hall before delegates finish the consideration of resolutions. The annual insurance policyholders meeting also will be held that day. Grand Ole Opry member and recording artist, John Conlee, will entertain at this year’s Annual Convention.
IT’S OFFICIAL – Pontotoc County Farm Bureau President Billy Gibson, who also is an OFB Director, takes scissors to the ribbon to officially mark the grand opening of the county’s remodeled office at 1027 W. Main in Ada. County
leaders welcomed members and state staff to the Sept. 9 event, which not only featured a look at the newly remodeled facility but a live remote by a local radio station and hamburgers and hot dogs served by a local bank.
LASIK eye surgery is latest member benefit klahoma Farm Bureau now has a preferred pricing plan for laser eye surgery through a managed care network of board certified ophthalmologists provided by Amerisight Inc. More than 6 percent of those individuals that need some level of vision correction can benefit from LASIK. The arrangement with Amerisight means that Oklahoma Farm Bureau members and their families can save up to 50 percent off the national average cost for LASIK surgery! The agreement includes both standard and custom LASIK procedures. LASIK is an outpatient treatment that uses a cool beam of light (Excimer laser) to reshape the cornea. Standard LASIK treats moderate to severe refractive disorders, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. A custom procedure is tailored to an individual’s unique vision; about 40 percent of all LASIK surgeries are custom. To take advantage of the vision correction plan, members must contact Amerisight at 1877-507-4448. A care manager will explain the program, answer questions and conduct a preliminary screening to determine if the
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caller is a candidate for the LASIK procedure. An appointment for a pre-operative exam will be made with a local network doctor of the member’s choosing. Arrangements also will be made to collect a $225 per eye deposit. The deposit is fully refundable if the member opts not to have the surgery or the ophthalmologist determines that the procedure is not appropriate for the specific patient seeking treatment. Full payment on the remaining balance of the cost of the surgery is required on the day of the procedure. Through the Amerisight preferred pricing program, standard LASIK surgery is $945 per eye and custom LASIK is $1,350 per eye. (Financing is available to qualified members through Farm Bureau Bank.) The cost covers a pre-operative appointment, the surgery, four postoperative appointments and a one-year retreatment warranty. To locate a provider near you and learn more about this new benefit, call Amerisight toll free at 1-877-507-4448. Additional informational can also be found on-line at www.amerisight.us/fb.html Oklahoma Country • Fall 2005 • 25
Contest attracts 19 farm families amilies from 19 counties have been nominated by their county Farm Bureaus for consideration as the 2005 Oklahoma Farm Bureau Farm Family of the Year. The winning family will be announced during the Awards and Recognition Program of the 64th annual meeting of Oklahoma Farm Bureau in Oklahoma City in November. The winner will receive an expense-paid trip to the 2006 American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting in Nashville, Tenn., use of a new Dodge pickup, a set of luggage and other prizes. The annual Oklahoma Farm Bureau contest honors the farm family who best represents farming and ranching and the spirit of Oklahoma agriculture. Farm families nominated, listed in county alphabetical order, are: • Steven and Lisa Baird of Adair County. They have been farming for more than 20 years. Their operation consists of a variety of fruit and vegetable crops along with a 70-head cow-calf herd. • Roland and Terry Pederson of Alfalfa County. They have a large diversified operation, with wheat, grain sorghum, sunflowers, alfalfa, corn and soybeans plus a cow-calf herd along with stockers. • Edward and Mary Jane Repp of Caddo County. Their farming operation includes a wide variety of crops, such as peanuts, soybeans, wheat, cotton, hay and milo along with cows and stockers. • Danny and Renee Zeller of Comanche County. They have a large operation with 3,000 acres of cropland and 1,500 of grass where they grow cotton and wheat and run cattle. • Lyman and Sharron Johnston of Craig County. They operate nearly 5,400 acres where they run a 700-head commercial Angus herd. They also harvest 500 acres of grass seed annually and bale hay from more than 1,000 acres. • Carlos and Jo Williamson of Garvin County. They have a large cattle operation encompassing nearly 1,000 acres where they graze out wheat and improved pastures. • Glenn and Mary Patterson of Haskell County. They have a 100-head Angus herd and
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GROUNDBREAKING – County and state Farm Bureau leaders and staff were joined by lawmakers and Seminole city officials July 5 to break ground for a new county office complex. The new complex will be located at 1801 W. Wrangler Blvd. in Seminole. The county is looking at a late December completion date for the 4,000-square-foot facility. Ready with their shovels, were from left, Allison
Member completes his newest novel arvin County Farm Bureau member Dr. Bret Jones has completed his newest novel, The Cowboy Culprit. Jones, a professor of communication and director of theater at East Central University in Ada, is a prolific novelist as well as playwright and radio writer. The Cowboy Culprit features Vince Gibson, an Oklahoma City private investigator who has been hired to investigate an insurance case that turns into murder. “A client of the company is suspected of burning down his own barn for the insurance money, but things get complicated and dangerous when he turns up dead,” said Jones. “Vince attempts to find the truth in a small, rural community wrapped up in a past that refuses to die. In his pursuit of the killer, Vince uncovers drug smuggling, meth dealers, and a hidden secret that brought murder to this quiet community.” The Cowboy Culprit is Jones’ fourth novel. His other novels include The Santa Claus Mysteries, The Hamlet Ruse and The Hankshaw Chronicles.
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and Rep. Ryan Kiesel, Sue Jarvis, Linda Snow, Sen. Harry Coates, Debbie Black, Don Henderson, Billy Gibson, Ralph Black, Cindy and Brian Sims, Toni Porter, Norita and Syd Morgan, Steve Kouplen, Jim Rider, Mark Schell, Jeff Parsons, Gary Snow, Jake Nicely, Joe Semtner, Belinda and Tyler Sutterfield, Burnus Fisher, Rodney and Jarrod Sutterfield and Mark Robertson.
Jones has written seven plays and films as well as being the writer and co-founder of The Ancient Radio Players, a radio performance troupe that produces original scripts for radio stations. For more information, visit his website site, bretjones1.tripod.com or email him at spiritwalker7@hotmail.com.
also raise registered Quarter Horses on both owned and rented land. • Gary and Nickie Straub of Kiowa County. They operate more than 3,000 acres where they raise wheat, rye, alfalfa and sudan in addition to running 150 cows. • Mike and Julia Guazdausky of Latimer County. The couple has a 400-head mother cow herd in addition to 1,000 to 1,200 yearlings. They also operate a commercial hay baling business. • Johnny and Terri Benefield of LeFlore County. Their farming operation consists of 110 acres with three 15,000-capacity poultry houses producing 245,000 broilers annually. They also have a cow-calf operation. • Vince and Jacqueline McGolden of Major County. They farm wheat and have grassland, but the primary operation is a large lambing barn for their 500-head ewe and ewe-lamb herd that produces show-quality lambs. • Bob and Linda Ross of Muskogee County. They own and rent more than 1,500 acres where they grow spinach, greens, sweet corn, watermelons and cantaloupes along with corn, soybeans, alfalfa and wheat. They also have a 150-head cow herd. • Fred and Eileen Eberhart of Payne County. Their diversified operation consists of soybeans, wheat, alfalfa and hay grazer plus pasture for the 120-head cattle herd. • Roger and Cindy Stinchcomb of Pontotoc County. They have large cattle ranch with a 350-head herd in addition to running 2,500 to 3,000 stockers annually. They also raise cutting horses, operate 20 commercial swine finishing barns and harvest 1,000 pecan trees annually. • Brian and Cindy Sims of Seminole County. Their unique operation consists of a herd of registered, foundation-pure AnkoleWatusi cattle plus a registered Limousin herd. They also have a miniature donkey herd and bring farm and ranch trucks from Japan in containers of seven each and buy and sell those vehicles. • Randy and Melodee Bowden of Sequoyah County. The operation consists of an Angus cow-calf herd plus wheat, corn, soybeans and milo. Good quality Bermuda grass is grown for grazing and baling for the cattle and horses. • Steve and Pamela Snelson of Washington County. Their operation covers 3,000-plus acres in three counties with soybeans, milo and wheat along with a cow-calf herd and
stockers. They also do some custom farming. • Dwayne and Tina Schenberger of Washita County. They have wheat, grain sorghum, alfalfa and grass and a growing commercial beef herd. • Steve and Mary Walker of Woods County. They manage and partner a 7,000-acre family ranch with about 300 cows in addition to owning some 1,000 acres of deeded land. They run about 80 cows and around 100 head of stockers on their own land.
Credit card choices benefit cardholders ypically, when credit card holders think of credit card options, they envision choices between lenders, the different credit card companies and even the color or picture of the cards themselves. However, cardholders should look to the various types of credit cards that companies offer in order to match the proper card to their spending habits. Credit card issuers can bombard cardholders with offers coming in the mail, on television, in person, at sporting events or even the mall. Still, many cardholders do not realize they have a variety of choices when it comes to what types of cards are issued. Consumers can benefit in many ways depending upon the type of credit card they decide to use. According to www.bankrate.com, an online banking information provider, there are three main types of credit cards, each providing advantages to a different group of cardholders. These include low-rate credit cards, no-fee credit cards and special credit cards such as reward or cash back cards. Low-rate credit cards feature a fixed annual percentage rate on purchases. This type of credit card will benefit consumers who typically carry a balance on their credit card from month to month. According to bankrate.com, a fixed low-rate credit card can help cardholders save hundreds or even thousands of dollars over the course of a year compared to a higher rate card, depending on the balance on the card and its interest rate. The benefits of the no-fee credit card revolve around not charging cardholders a monthly or yearly fee for use. Consumers who choose a no-fee credit card never incur any
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NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING
To all county Farm Bureaus of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau. <RX DUH KHUHE\ QRWLĂ&#x20AC;HG WKDW Oklahoma Farm Bureau will conYHQH LQ DQQXDO VHVVLRQ 6DWXUGD\ 1RYHPEHU DW S P in the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City. This is the annuDO PHHWLQJ RI WKH GHOHJDWH ERG\ 6HH WKDW \RXU GHOHJDWHV DUH SURSHUO\ FHUWLĂ&#x20AC;HG DQG LQ DWWHQGDQFH WR UHSUHVHQW \RXU PHPEHUVKLS This meeting will continue until DOO EXVLQHVV LV WUDQVDFWHG Board of Directors
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.
Notice is hereby given of the anQXDO PHHWLQJ RI WKH 3ROLF\KROGHUV of Oklahoma Farm Bureau MutuDO ,QVXUDQFH &RPSDQ\ WR EH KHOG in the Cox Convention Center in 2NODKRPD &LW\ RQ 0RQGD\ 1RYHPEHU FRPPHQFLQJ DW WKH KRXU RI D P DW ZKLFK WLPH D UHSRUW RI WKH DFWLYLWLHV RI RXU FRPSDQ\ GXULQJ WKH SDVW Ă&#x20AC;VFDO \HDU ZLOO EH VXEPLWWHG WRJHWKHU ZLWK D UHSRUW RI WKH Ă&#x20AC;QDQFLDO SRVLWLRQ RI WKH FRPSDQ\ DQG DW ZKLFK WLPH DQ\ DQG DOO RWKHU DFWLYLWLHV RI WKH FRPSDQ\ PD\ EH SUHVHQWHG DQG FRQVLGHUHG Board of Directors Oklahoma Country â&#x20AC;˘ Fall 2005 â&#x20AC;˘ 27
monthly or yearly fees. According to bankrate.com, this type of credit card will benefit cardholders who pay off their bill in full each month. The premise behind specialized cards is to give special rewards to cardholders based upon spending levels. Consumers who choose special cards do so to earn cash back on their purchases, reward points for merchandise, airline miles and even money for scholarship funds. Bankrate.com recommends this card type for consumers who use their credit cards for regular expenditures or for anyone looking for a credit card with a personal reward. Determining the best credit card type for your spending habits can help you choose one that can save you money and frustration. You have the opportunity to do both by asking your local Farm Bureau agent about credit card options from Farm Bureau Bank. The Farm Bureau Bank World MasterCard® is designed to provide cardholders with the benefits of each credit card type. It features an incredibly low introductory rate, no annual
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fee, an excellent rewards program and topnotch benefits. To find out more information about the Farm Bureau Bank World MasterCard, to view the terms and conditions or to apply, visit www.farmbureaubank.com or call 1-800-492-FARM (3276) to speak with a personal banker.
Two vie for Achievement Award wo county Farm Bureaus submitted nominations for consideration as the 2005 YF&R Achievement Award. The award honors the state’s top young farm family. The winner will be announced during the Awards and Recognition Program of the 64th annual meeting of Oklahoma Farm Bureau in Oklahoma City in November. The winner receives an expense-paid trip to the 2006 American Farm Bureau Federation convention. The Oklahoma winner also receives a year’s use of a Dodge pickup, the use of a Kubota tractor, $500 worth of Syngentia crop
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protection products and other awards. The nominees, listed in county alphabetical order, are: • Matt and Kellie Muller of Jackson County. The couple operates a large diversified farm, with cotton, wheat, grain sorghum, peanuts and beef and sheep. • Cindy Mackey of LeFlore County. She and her husband, Dan, own and operate five broiler houses that produce approximately 3.75 million pounds of poultry annually and also run 130 cow-calf pairs.
FB launches hurricane relief he American Farm Bureau Federation said that contributions to established charities are the best way to supply immediate aid to hurricane victims, but to provide longer-term assistance to affected farm and ranch families and rural communities AFBF has initiated a nationwide effort to raise money and collect food donations.
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