Voting delegates at the 74th Oklahoma Farm Bureau Annual Meeting re-elected Jackson County Farm Bureau member Tom Buchanan to serve as president of the organization Nov. 14 in Oklahoma City. Buchanan served as OKFB president for the past two years and previously represented District Two on the OKFB board of directors for six years.
“Agriculture, rural Oklahoma and Farm Bureau are my passions,” Buchanan said. “Over the past two years, I’ve remained committed to Farm Bureau’s mission of improving the lives of rural Oklahomans, and I’m thankful for another opportunity to serve our members.”
Buchanan raises a commercial beef herd and winter wheat on his farm near Altus. He also grows irrigated cotton, when water is available. Buchanan is the manager of the Lugert-Altus Irrigation District, and he serves on the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.
Delegates also re-elected three board members to serve three-year terms. Monte Tucker, of Sweetwater, was re-elected to represent District Two; Gary Crawley, of Savanna, will represent District Five; and John Grundmann, of Shawnee, will represent District Eight.
The OKFB Young Farmers and Ranchers selected Josh and Kim Emerson, of Checotah, to lead the state YF&R Committee in 2016.
Four other YF&R couples were selected to serve on the committee. Brent Howard and fiancé Jennifer Jensen of Altus will represent District Two; Steve and Mindy Clark of Byron, Justin and Chrissy Maxey of Delaware, and Brent and Jenny Haken of Stillwater were elected at-large.
The OKFB Women’s Leadership Committee elected three women to serve on its state board. Paula Sawatzky of Clinton will represent District Two; Brenda Nobles of Heavener will serve District Five; and Jeanette Gibson of Ada will represent District Eight.
The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Annual Meeting is the organization’s largest gathering of farmers and ranchers, where members vote on grassroots policy, elect leaders and award outstanding individuals. OKFB has a presence in all 77 Oklahoma counties and serves as the voice of agriculture and the rural way of life. To learn more about the organization, visit www.okfarmbureau.org.
