The Bart and Kelly Wiedel family of Muskogee received the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee’s District Six Farm and Ranch Family Recognition during the organization’s 77th annual meeting on Saturday, Nov. 17 in Norman.
Bart and Kelly ranch in Muskogee County where they have a cow/calf herd and focus on improving the land and caring for their animals. The couple raised three children on the family ranch, and today they work alongside their two adult sons running a haying business to supplement their ranching income. Along with their daughter, Lacy Miller, and their son- and daughters-in-law, Bart and Kelly have quite a crew with a love for agriculture.
“It means everything in the world to us to have our children work with us on the ranch,” Bart said. “They work hard, and that’s what it takes to be involved in agriculture: a lot of hard work.”
The Wiedel family puts in the hours as they care for 800 momma cows, bale thousands of round bales of hay each year and even work as fabricators as they build and repair equipment for fellow farmers and ranchers in the area.
“We try to stay as diversified as we can and do as many things as we can,” Bart said. “My dad always said, ‘You can’t just do one thing,’ because when the cattle prices go down, the haying helps us make it through when there’s tough times. Sometimes haying’s not good, but cattle prices are good.”
Bart’s commitment to caring for his cattle drove him so far as to develop a custom protein supplement for his cattle. Based on soybeans, the feed provides the protein the family’s cattle need to thrive.
“The cows love it, and they do good on it,” Bart said.
Kelly herself is a farm girl, raised in both Illinois and Oklahoma, and she takes joy in seeing her grandkids getting to grow up around agriculture.
“I like watching the grandkids get out there and be around the cows, being around the horses and wanting to go with papa to feed cows,” Kelly said.
Bart serves as Muskogee County Farm Bureau president, is a member of the Knights of Columbus and serves as a board member of the Muskogee County Cattlemen’s Association. The Wiedels are members of St. Joseph Catholic Church of Muskogee.
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 Wiedel family.
Suggested caption:
The Bart and Kelly Wiedel family of Muskogee was named the 2018 Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee’s Farm & Ranch Family Recognition recipients for OKFB District 6 at the organization’s awards banquet on Saturday, Nov. 17, at the 2018 OKFB annual meeting in Norman.
