The Russell and Jimmi Kriz family of Lawton received the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee’s District Four Farm and Ranch Family Recognition during the organization’s 77th annual meeting on Saturday, Nov. 17 in Norman.
Russell and Jimmi farm 1,500 acres of wheat, cotton and forage in Comanche County. They also have a cow/calf herd, and they graze stocker cattle on wheat pasture as conditions allow.
Russell started out farming on his own with a few hundred acres, and with hard work and dedication modeled for him by his grandparents, the farm has grown to what it is today.
“I could have told you when I was 8 years old that’s what I was going to do,” Russell said of farming. “And that’s what we’re doing. I don’t know why, it’s just how we’re bred, I guess.
“I can remember a time when I had about 200 acres and 15 cows.”
The Kriz family farms down the road from Russell’s extended family, and they are raising the sixth generation with their four children, Mavrik, Makynzi, Rustan and Riggin.
Jimmi works off the farm as a loan processor for a mortgage company, and while she did not grow up with a farming background, she is excited to see the way her children are growing up around agriculture.
“I like to see the kids, their excitement in it,” Jimmi said of farm life. “They love the cows, and of course, the boys are obsessed with the bulls. They ask a million questions, and I like that. They’re very detailed – they want to know the specifics. They idolize their dad and they want to grow with it.”
“I’m proud that we’re still here, carrying on a family tradition,” Russell said.
Russell serves as secretary for the Comanche County Farm Bureau board and he is a member of the Flowermound Cemetery board. The family are members of the Leticia Baptist Church in Lawton.
OKFB’s Farm & Ranch Family Recognition program honors a farm and ranch family in each of OKFB’s nine districts who upholds the best traditions of Oklahoma agriculture and rural Oklahoma as they raise food and fiber for our state and beyond.
“Our farm and ranch families play a vital role in growing food, caring for the land and making our rural communities vibrant,” said Kitty Beavers, 2018 OKFB WLC Chairman. “Our Women’s Leadership Committee is proud to recognize these families’ hard work and dedication to agriculture and Oklahoma. Each of these families is a tremendous asset to Oklahoma as they continue some of the best traditions our state knows.”
As part of their recognition, the family received a cash award along with a custom sign to hang at their farm gate.
The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Annual Meeting is the organization’s largest yearly gathering of farmers and ranchers. 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 www.okfarmbureau.org.
Download a high-resolution photo of the Kriz family.
Suggested caption:
The Russell and Jimi Kriz family of Lawton was named the 2018 Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee’s Farm & Ranch Family Recognition recipients for OKFB District 4 at the organization’s awards banquet on Saturday, Nov. 17, at the 2018 OKFB annual meeting in Norman.
