Payne County’s John and Kay Williams were named Oklahoma Farm Bureau Farm Family of the Year Nov. 14 at the 63rd annual state convention in Oklahoma City.
A panel of judges selected the Coyle family from 16 entries in the annual contest, which honors the farm family who best represents farming and ranching and the spirit of Oklahoma agriculture.
They received use of a new Dodge pickup for a year, an expense-paid trip to the American Farm Bureau Federation meeting in Charlotte, N.C., and other gifts in recognition of their accomplishments.
The couple has three adult sons, John III, Carl and Clark.
John, 67, made his entry in farming at the age of 9 when he took out a loan to purchase a dairy heifer. Kay took up farming in 1960, when she and John were married. On the third day of their honeymoon, they went to a farm sale and purchased a tractor and plow and began their farming operation in earnest.
They rented land, had a laying flock and sold eggs to a local grocery store, fed out pigs and milked 22 cows by hand and sold cream to a dairy company.
Today, the operation consists of 3,460 acres. Cropland covers 880 acres with 250 acres in alfalfa and other hay and the remainder is in pasture and timber. About 500 head of cows, calves and stockers make up the cow herd. They also produce seed wheat, and extra income is generated from hunting leases offered on the majority of the land.
Viability, profitability and “fit” while staying true to their commitment to be stewards of the land are family guidelines. The Williams recently have converted to no-till, and are the first in the area to use a GPS unit for fertilizer and chemical applications.
In 1972, they installed a hog confinement finishing operation designed by John. That operation has been visited by Oklahoma State University classes and Extension specialists from around the country because of its innovativeness, efficiency and profitability.
“Hogs were mortgage lifters,” they said, “enabling double loan payments to be made and farm payment debt to be greatly reduced.”
The Williams store grain and hay on the farm. They truck their grain to the Port of Catoosa; and market their hay via word of mouth across the state and nation. They also have an annual group sale of heifers and steers directly to buyers.
The family philosophy focuses on what is important for the farm as well as the needs and wants of all individuals involved. They strive to produce quality agricultural products that will allow for satisfying family living experiences now and in the future.
“We can truthfully say that we are debt free, have money in the bank and our land is more productive and viable than when we obtained it.”
They are well satisfied with their farm life and have no intention of retiring at this time. However, they are pleased that they have helped one son enter into the operation with the goal of continuing the family’s farming tradition.
John and Kay have a long history with Farm Bureau, dating back to the days when YF&R was known as Junior Farm Bureau. John was state Junior Farm Bureau chairman two terms, and both served as delegates to state and national Junior Farm Bureau conferences and were discussion meet participants.
He also is a former county Farm Bureau director and president, and Kay has served on the county board as well. She currently is chairman of the county Women’s Committee.
Both also are active in the Cattlemen’s Association, Wheat Growers and Texas and Southwest Cattle Growers as well as a plethora of community activities ranging from FFA and 4-H Boosters Clubs to their church.
“One of the earliest goals we set for our family is to make our farming operation and ourselves good examples in the use of the resources we have available to us. We continually strive to accomplish this.
“We passionately believe in the importance of production agriculture and the American farm family to the strength of our country and to our nation’s ability to retain its strong political and economic positions globally.
“We understand the struggles and hardships as well as the joys and rewards associated with farming in general,” they said. “We realize there needs to be a sensible balance between the promotion and protection of farm enterprises and the protection of the environment so that American farmers can continue to feed the world economically and abundantly.”
