Oklahoma Farm Bureau recently announced the celebration of the organization’s 75th anniversary in 2017. To commemorate this milestone, OKFB dedicated a new plaza March 7 in a private event at their headquarters located near the State Capitol in Oklahoma City.
With 95,000 members statewide, Oklahoma Farm Bureau is connected to County Farm Bureaus in all 77 Oklahoma counties. The plaza contains 77 pillar sculptures, each one in the shape of one of the state’s counties. Each sculpture also contains soil from the county it represents.
“The new plaza is beautiful, but my favorite thing about it is the connection it makes between Oklahoma Farm Bureau and our members across all 77 counties,” said Tom Buchanan, OKFB president. “This is a tribute to their dedication to the farming and ranching lifestyle that provides the food, fiber and fuel that powers Oklahomans’ lives. We look forward to our next 75 years of serving them.”
There is an elevation change in the four planting beds containing the pillars which represents the quadrants of Oklahoma topography as seen on an elevation map.
“We wanted the design to reflect that culture of Oklahoma Farm Bureau,” said Zach Murphy, landscape designer at Studio W, the Oklahoma-based architectural design company that oversaw design of the plaza. “It was important to highlight the diversity of our geography in Oklahoma and pay homage the farmers and ranchers who can be found in all corners of our state.”
Members of the public are welcome to tour the new plaza between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily. It is located on the southeast side of the building at OKFB headquarters at 2501 N. Stiles in Oklahoma City.
OKFB will continue their anniversary celebration throughout the year, including the launch of a dedicated 75th anniversary website this spring. The website will feature stories and pictures from the organization’s past. A historical pictorial book developed in conjunction with the Oklahoma Historical Society will also be debuted.
