This Land is Our Land

Prior to Oklahoma’s statehood, a family claimed ground in the northeast. They settled there and raised a family. Fast forward more than a century, and that same land belongs to the same family in Adair, Oklahoma.

Now raising the sixth-generation on the family ranch, the DeLozier’s have grown deep roots in Mayes County. Devin DeLozier was born and raised on his family ranch in Adair, and his wife, Becky, joined him when they married. They now raise their three boys, Dax, Dade and Dacen, on the same history-rich land.

Today, one can find the DeLozier’s raising show pigs and heifers on their 1,400 acre family ranch, as well as operating a 300-head cattle operation.

“Agriculture is kind of in our blood,” Becky DeLozier said. “It’s in our genetics to love the showing and production side of it all, and that’s why my husband and I raise our boys in the same way.”

The DeLozier’s love of livestock spans back decades, but for high school senior Dax DeLozier, his love for showing pigs dates back to when he was just four years old.

Standing on their family's land for 6 generations, the DeLozier family is proud to be involved in agriculture and the Junior Livestock Programs.

“Showing is something that’s always been my outlet,” Dax DeLozier said. “It’s allowed me to grow and be myself, inside and outside the ring.”

Similar to their oldest brother, middle brother Dade and youngest brother Dacen have also shown livestock since they were young.

“It’s our thing to do as a family,” Dade DeLozier said through a smile. “Being three brothers, we have some sibling rivalry here and there, but it’s really fun to do it all with them.”

From sunup to sundown, the DeLozier family works together to make it all happen.

Their days began at 6 a.m. with feeding pigs and heifers, Dax Delozier said. He and his brothers then go check cows and calves and head to school. When the last bell sounds, the three boys all rush home and begin evening chores of washing, brushing, blowing out, walking, and feeding their animals.

“With my family, we work together as one big team,” Dacen DeLozier said. “We help each other out when we are at home and at shows, and we listen to each other to get better, which is awesome.”

With their mom as their high school principal and dad as their ag teacher, the three DeLozier boys’ team spans far beyond their family and includes other students in their community.

“Having my dad as my ag teacher is exciting and has taught me many important lessons,” Dade DeLozier said. “When any of us finish our work, we are always there to help the next person. This has helped me learn to be happy for others when they win because I know we are all there for each other, even if we ourselves don’t do as well that time.”

This allows him and his brothers to be a part of something bigger than themselves, Dax DeLozier said.

Whether it’s being on a Career Development Event team with other students in their FFA chapter or helping another student from the area make beds at a show, the DeLozier boys have learned the importance of being involved and being a key part of a team, Becky DeLozier said.

“Watching my boys grow up in this unique situation has made me realize how much this industry has matured them and grown them,” Becky DeLozier said. “It is so much more than walking into the showring and showing a pig or competing in an FFA event. It is everything else that goes on before that moment to make it happen.”

As Dax approaches the end of his senior year, he said he would not be where he is today without the FFA and Junior Livestock Show programs.

“The most impactful lesson I’ve learned is the reason why I love agriculture to begin with: the people and their passion for this industry,” Dax DeLozier said. “We are all one big family, and that is something I am extremely thanful for.

“I would not be who I am today without my time in the barn, and I truly mean it when I say I cannot imagine a life without it,” he added.

One event the DeLozier family said they look forward to each year is the Oklahoma Youth Expo.

The 2022 OYE will be Dax’s final ride and Dacen’s first, so their family is working extra hard to prepare and enjoy it all, Devin DeLozier said.

“Some of my greatest showring moments have been at the Oklahoma Youth Expo, and I am grateful for how wonderful of a show it is and for getting to see friends there,” Dax DeLozier said.

The 2021 OYE was their family’s first time having a gilt in the Night of Stars Gilt Sale, and that spurred momentum for them to strive even farther, he added.

Some of the goals the DeLozier boys have set this year include placing in the top five in all of their classes, getting a barrow in the premium sale, and, of course, having fun as a family.

“To us, OYE is the pinnacle of all shows we go to because it presents so much glamour and prestige to kids,” Devin DeLozier said. “There is so much support behind OYE from the State of Oklahoma, and it is absolutely a driving force to the livestock industry.

“Everybody that’s anybody is sending livestock to Oklahoma to be a part of it,” he added. “As an ag teacher, it is very impressive, and you want as many kids as possible to be a part of it.”

Even after this year’s show has come and gone, the DeLozier family has big dreams when looking toward the future.

Upon his high school graduation, Dax plans on judging for a junior college for two years before transferring to Oklahoma State University and attending vet school, he said. Then, he plans on opening his own practice back in Mayes County so he can continue educating young people about the importance of agriculture and giving back to his home community, he added.

As for Dade and Dacen, they are excited to continue showing together, setting and working to achieve their goals, and staying in

the middle of all things livestock and production agriculture.

“At the end of the day, I believe the sky’s the limit for these boys and the kids involved in the agriculture industry,” Devin DeLozier said. “It’s something we are very grateful for, and we would not have it any other way.” – Written by Emile Mittelstaedt

Learn more about the DeLozier family!