News Stories

Sequoyah County’s Jody and Paula Sloan were named Oklahoma Farm Bureau Farm Family of the Year Nov. 9 at the 66th annual state convention in Oklahoma City. A panel of judges selected the Vian family from 12 entries in the annual contest, which honors the farm family who best represents farming and ranching and the spirit of Oklahoma agriculture. The Sloans received use of a new Dodge pickup for a year, an expense-paid trip to the American Farm Bureau Federation meeting in New Orleans, La., and other gifts in recognition of their accomplishments. The couple has three children, Seth, 19, […]

Ryan Luter, Morrison, won the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Discussion Meet contest held during the OFB annual convention Nov. 9 in Oklahoma City. Luter and his wife, Marcy, operate a beef cattle herd in Noble County. Luter works off the farm as Assistant Vice President for BancFirst in Stillwater. Marcy is employed by Oklahoma State University. The Discussion Meet contest is designed to simulate a committee meeting where discussion and active participation are expected from each participant. This competition is evaluated on an exchange of ideas and information on a specific topic related to agriculture. For winning […]

Payne County’s Tim and Sheila Taylor were named Oklahoma Farm Bureau YF&R Achievement Award winner Nov. 9 at the 66th annual convention in Oklahoma City. The YF&R Achievement Award honors the state’s top young farmer or farm family for their achievements in the farming business and their leadership in the agricultural community. A panel of judges selected the Stillwater couple for the award. They received an expense-paid trip to the 2008 American Farm Bureau convention in New Orleans, La., to represent Oklahoma in the national contest where they will compete for Dodge pickups and Arctic Cat four-wheelers. As the Oklahoma […]

Sequoyah County farmer Charles Sloan was re-elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of Oklahoma Farm Bureau Nov. 10, 2007. Sloan won re-election to the state director’s position in a caucus held during the 66th annual Oklahoma Farm Bureau meeting at Oklahoma City’s Cox Convention Center. Delegates from a 12-county area in northeast Oklahoma picked Sloan. He will represent Farm Bureau members from Adair, Cherokee, Craig, Delaware, Mayes, McIntosh, Muskogee, Nowata, Ottawa, Rogers, Sequoyah and Wagoner counties as the district six state director. Sloan, 72, lives in Vian and farms corn and soybeans along with some vegetable […]

Tulsa County farmer-rancher Mike Spradling was elected as the eighth president of Oklahoma Farm Bureau Nov. 10, 2007, at the organization’s 66th annual meeting in Oklahoma City. Spradling won a two-year term as the president of the state’s largest general farm organization. He succeeds Steve Kouplen of Beggs, who had served four consecutive two-year terms as president and was prohibited from seeking another by term limits. The 58-year-old farmer-rancher along with his wife, Lotsee, own and operate the Flying G Ranch near Sand Springs. Cattle and pecans are the primary agricultural enterprises. They also have a retail pecan operation and […]

Donna VonTungeln of Calumet was re-elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of Oklahoma Farm Bureau Nov. 10, 2007. VonTungeln won re-election to the state director’s position in a caucus held during the 66th annual Oklahoma Farm Bureau meeting at Oklahoma City’s Cox Convention Center. Delegates from a seven-county area picked VonTungeln. She will represent Farm Bureau members from Blaine, Caddo, Canadian, Grady, Kingfisher, Logan and Oklahoma counties as the district three state director. VonTungeln, 75, runs a 1,000-acre farm with her children. Wheat, cattle, alfalfa and soybeans are the primary enterprises on the operation. The family […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau employees collected 1,367 pounds of nonperishable goods during their Halloween Harvest Feast food drive. In addition, $510 in cash was donated to purchas food. “Our employees are a caring group of people who are always willing to help those in need,” said Angie Christopher, OFB vice president of Human Resources. The employee food drive is part of Farm Bureau’s “Farmers Fighting Hunger” campaign launched last month. Farm Bureau members are asked to bring nonperishable items to the annual convention this weekend at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City. “We want to make that connection between those […]

The countdown to the state’s largest annual farm convention continues as Farm Bureau’s Resolutions Committee whittled down the long list of issues proposed for discussion during the committee’s Oct. 23-24 meeting in Oklahoma City. Over 500 issues or resolutions were submitted by the state’s 77 county Farm Bureaus. Among the 95 issues making the final cut are proposals to eliminate estate taxes, enhance protection for private property rights and continue income protection under the new federal farm law. “This is an important step in our policy development process,” said Steve Kouplen, OFB President. “We truly have a grassroots structure that […]

Oklahoma’s farmers and ranchers are launching a major campaign to stop hunger in the state because “no one should go to bed hungry in a land blessed with agriculture abundance,” said Steve Kouplen, Oklahoma Farm Bureau president. The “Farmers Fighting Hunger” campaign is in cooperation with the Regional Food Banks of Oklahoma. Farm Bureau members are collecting donations that will be gathered during their annual convention Nov. 9-11 in Oklahoma City. “More than 500,000 Oklahomans are at risk of going hungry every day,” said Rodney W. Bivens, executive director of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. “Promotions like Farm Bureau’s […]

In keeping with the state’s Centennial theme, more than 1,000 Oklahoma agricultural leaders will join Oklahoma Farm Bureau in "Celebrating 100 Years of Oklahoma Agriculture" during the organization’s annual convention Nov. 9-11 at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City. “This has been a challenging year, but just like Oklahoma farmers and ranchers have always done, we’ve found a way to succeed,” said Steve Kouplen, Oklahoma Farm Bureau president. The Beggs rancher is finishing his eighth and final year leading the state’s largest farm organization. Farm Bureau by-laws limit the president to four, two-year terms. Voting delegates will select a […]