Okmulgee County Farm Bureau was presented with the 2023 Oklahoma Farm Bureau John I. Taylor Award on Saturday, Nov. 11 during the organization’s annual meeting in Oklahoma City.

Named after OKFB’s first president, the award serves as the organization’s highest county honor, recognizing the county Farm Bureau with the most effective programs and activities.

Okmulgee County was honored for excelling in the program areas of public policy, service to members, public relations, membership, Women’s Leadership Committee and Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee.

“To Okmulgee County, this award is a big deal,” said Jim Meek, Okmulgee County Farm Bureau president. “This is our third time to win it in six years, and it is just as special to us tonight as it was the first time we won it.”

Okmulgee County Farm Bureau was active throughout 2023, hosting a county-wide ag tour, partnering with the Morris Fire Department for fire safety events, supporting programs to assist women and children facing homelessness in Okmulgee County, visiting with lawmakers and more.

“This award reflects a lot of hard work by our members,” Meek said. “It reflects community involvement, it reflects leadership, and it is just a good feeling knowing we have made a major difference in the agriculture community in Okmulgee County and that we are also laying the groundwork for a lot of the young people in the future to be successful in agriculture.”

The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Annual Meeting is the organization’s largest gathering of farmers and ranchers every year. At the event, 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, visit okfarmbureau. org. — OKFB presents 2023 District Administrator of the Year Awards The District Administrator of the Year Award is presented to one county Farm Bureau administrator from each OKFB district for their contributions to the overall success of their county Farm Bureau organization. County administrators conduct the daily operations of the county Farm Bureau and help meet the needs of members.

The 2023 District Administrator of the Year recipients are: Joy Fitts, Beaver County, District One; Makayla Ellifritz, Greer County, District Two; Rachel Uhlenhake, Kingfisher County, District Three; Nancy Minyard, Love County, District Four; Melissa Edwards, Haskell County, District Five; Cody Morgan, Ottawa County, District Six; Laura Yunker, Grant County, District Seven; Bobbie Sneed, Seminole County, District Eight; and Kristin Story, Okmulgee County, District Nine.

OKFB also recognized 25 county Farm Bureaus for reaching their membership quotas, including Atoka, Beaver, Carter, Comanche, Creek, Custer, Garvin, Hughes, Jackson, Jefferson, Latimer, LeFlore, Logan, McClain, McIntosh, Major, Mayes, Noble, Nowata, Okmulgee, Pushmataha, Rogers, Wagoner, Washington and Woods County Farm Bureaus.

— OKFB YF&R names discussion meet winners

Leslie Lewis of Okmulgee County was named the 2023 winner of the YF&R Discussion Meet, which was held in late July during the OKFB YF&R Summer Conference, and Jacob Beck of Logan County was named the 2024 winner after the discussion meet competition during OKFB’s annual meeting on Nov. 10.

As the YF&R Discussion Meet winners, Lewis and Beck received a John Deere lawnmower, sponsored by P&K Equipment. Lewis also won a trip to the 2024 American Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Beck won a trip to the 2025 AFBF Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, where they will compete in the national discussion meet contest.