Six Oklahoma Farm Bureau families from across the state have been nominated for the prestigious Farm Family of the Year award.
The winner will be announced during the OKFB Annual Meeting in November and will receive a plaque and an expense-paid trip to the 2015 American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting in San Diego, California.
The contest honors OKFB members who best represent farming and ranching and the spirit of Oklahoma agriculture. Each family must display excellence in strong family involvement in all phases of farm management and production, innovation of farm operation and management, use of modern agricultural techniques and active leadership in Farm Bureau and their community.
Nominated families are listed below in numerical order by district.
District 1 — The Mayer Family
Tyler and Naomi Mayer began their cow/calf operation in Texas County in 2008. They began their farming practice in Hardesty by leasing several parcels of native grass and a small amount of farmland and then began taking in yearling cattle on their wheat and grass pasture.
The family said they measure their success by the love they have for each other, for the land and for the life that it provides them.
Tyler is the Texas County Farm Bureau vice president and the couple served on the YF&R State Committee for four years.
District 3 — The Krehbiel Family
The Krehbiel family has a multi-generational farming operation in Hydro. Karen and her daughter Brittany, along with Karen’s mother- and father-in-law, run a diversified crop and livestock operation on their family farm. Karen’s husband, Jeff, also was an active member of the farm family until his death in 2011.
The Krehbiels raise dorset sheep along with wheat, grain sorghum, peanuts, canola and alfalfa. Alongside production agriculture, the Krehbiels’ business ventures include selling and servicing center-pivot hydraulic drive systems.
District 4 — The Fisher Family
Cotton County’s Roger and Kayla Fisher have been running their farming operation in Randlett for more than 24 years.
Their primary goal in their operation is beef production, but they also produce wheat, stocker cattle and run a cow/calf operation. They use minimum-till practices to reduce erosion on their land and increase productivity in their cattle to increase herd expectancy.
The Fishers have served in numerous capacities with OKFB, attending conferences and serving as county delegates. Roger currently serves as Cotton County Farm Bureau president.
District 6 — The Morris Family
Tony and Kathy Morris of Nowata County began their own dairy in 1987, but in 2005 they transitioned into running a cow/calf operation.
The family says their main goal is to maximize pounds of beef per acre of land, and they strive to achieve that by feeding higher quality forages and better utilizing their resources.
Tony has served on the Nowata County Farm Bureau board for 20 years, spending the last eight as vice president. Kathy serves on the Nowata County Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Team, and both have been voting delegates for the last 18 years.
District 8 — The Temple Family
Garvin County’s Raymond and Mary Temple have a cow/calf operation consisting of 750 mother cows and a stocker operation of 1000-plus head of steers and heifers. The family says the most important innovation they have put in place is to never quit trying to improve what they have, and their primary goal is to leave the land better for the future than how they received it.
The Temples’ OKFB involvement spans more than 50 years with Raymond serving on the Garvin County Farm Bureau board and Mary as the Garvin County Women’s Chair for more than 10 years.
District 9 — The VanCoervering Family
Gene VanCoervering began his farming operation in Coyle in 1973 and it now consists of wheat, rye and nine pairs of breeding livestock.
This Payne County farmer uses chemicals to control unwanted weeds and brush on his cropland and utilizes controlled burns for land management. His goal in his practice is to maximize profitability on his cropland and in his cow herd.
Gene has been on the Payne County board for 23 years, serving as president for four years. He was the District 9 caucus chairman for 15 years and served on the county resolutions committee for 30 years.
