Pottawatomie County’s Jeff and Sarah Weeks were recognized with Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s YF&R Excellence in Agriculture Award Nov. 20 at the 69th annual convention in Oklahoma City.
The award recognizes successful young people 35 or younger who are involved in farming but whose primary occupations are not farming or owning an agricultural business. The award is based on their involvement in agriculture and participation in Oklahoma Farm Bureau and other community organizations.
The couple received a four-wheeler ATV courtesy of Farm Credit, plus a trip to the American Farm Bureau Federation convention in Atlanta, Ga., to represent Oklahoma in the national contest.
Jeff, 32, and Sarah, 32, reside northeast of Shawnee on her great grandmother’s farm they purchased in 2003. They also lease an additional 350 acres for pasture. They have two young children.
Jeff is a graduate of Oklahoma State University, and currently serves as eastern region coordinator for the Oklahoma Agritourism program. Sarah, who also is a graduate of OSU, currently works as the 4-H Youth Development educator for the Pottawatomie County Extension Service.
“The majority of the U.S. population does not make a connection between a meal at their favorite diner and the center pivots you can see from an airplane. By becoming agriculture advocates, producers can form that mental picture and help more consumers understand that agriculture is one of the largest industries in the United States,” they said.
The couple has been members of Farm Bureau for the past seven years. Jeff serves on the Pottawatomie County board and they are chairmen of the county YF&R Committee. They also currently serve on the state YF&R Committee.
