Zac and Amy Harris of Kiowa County are the 2011 recipients of Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Achievement Award. They were recognized as OFB’s top YF&R farming and ranching couple at the organization’s 70th Annual Convention Nov. 12, in Oklahoma City.

As Achievement Award winners, the Harris family received a new WW Livestock Systems squeeze chute, a Stihl Chainsaw and an all-expense-paid trip to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Annual Convention next January in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Zac and Amy farm 6,000 acres of wheat, corn, soybeans and barley near Hobart and also manage a 300-head cow/calf operation. They are graduates of Oklahoma State University and have three children: Kenda, 7, Rylan, 5 and Trale’, 1.

The Harris couple has been involved in Farm Bureau since 2008. Zac currently serves as a Kiowa County Farm Bureau board member and county YF&R chairman, while Amy volunteers as their local county YF&R’s marketing director and secretary. Both have attended several national FB events such as the National YF&R Conference and OFB’s Congressional Action Tour in Washington, DC.

OFB’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Program is open to both men and women, ages 18 to 35, who hold a membership in his or her county Farm Bureau.

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Chris Kidd (left), Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers coordinator, presents Zac and Amy Harris of Kiowa County the OFB YF&R Achievement Award on Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City. The Harrises farm and ranch near Hobart in southwestern Oklahoma. They received a Stihl chainsaw and a year's use of a W-W livestock chute for winning the award.

Zac and Amy Harris of Kiowa County won the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Achievement Award on Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City. The Harrises farm and ranch near Hobart in southwestern Oklahoma. They received a Stihl chainsaw and a year's use of a W-W livestock chute for winning the award.

Will and Jennifer Cubbage of Osage County were announced the winners of Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture Award Nov. 12, at OFB’s 70th Annual Convention in Oklahoma City.

The award recognizes successful young adults ages 35 years or younger who are involved in farming but whose primary occupations are not farming or owning an agricultural business. Winners are chosen 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 of Western Oklahoma and Chisholm Trail Farm Credit, and an all-expense-paid trip to the American Farm Bureau Federation convention in Honolulu, Hawaii, Jan. 8-11.

Will and Jennifer have one son and own and operate an Angus purebred operation near Pawhuska. Will works as the Oklahoma State University County Extension Agriculture Educator, and Jennifer is employed as an elementary school librarian in Bartlesville.

The couple served as state YF&R chairmen in 2010 and hosted close to 800 attendees at the 2010 National YF&R Leadership Conference in Tulsa.

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(Left to Right) Adam Martens, Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Chairman; Beth Norvell, Chisholm Trail Farm Credit; and John Grunewald, President and CEO of Farm Credit of Western Oklahoma present Will and Jennifer Cubbage of Osage County with the OFB YF&R Excellence in Agriculture award on Saturday, Nov. 12 in Oklahoma City. The Cubbages have a purebred Angus cattle operation near Pawhuska, in addition to off-the-farm jobs.

(Left to Right) Adam Martens, Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Chairman; Beth Norvell, Chisholm Trail Farm Credit; and John Grunewald, President and CEO of Farm Credit of Western Oklahoma present Will and Jennifer Cubbage of Osage County with the OFB YF&R Excellence in Agriculture award on Saturday, Nov. 12 in Oklahoma City. The Cubbages have a purebred Angus cattle operation near Pawhuska, in addition to off-the-farm jobs.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Payne County Young Farmers and Ranchers committee is the 2011 recipient of the Charles L. Roff Award. The award was announced in Oklahoma City at the OFB 70th Annual Convention, Nov. 12.

The Charles L. Roff Award encourages county YF&R groups to improve their local committees and activity participation while strengthening the Farm Bureau organization.

Payne County YF&R’s highlight activities for the year included a junior farm equipment operator’s contest, a bucket calf workshop and show and an ag mechanics contest. The committee also hosted a membership drive earlier this year and conducted a silent auction at the county’s annual meeting.

Payne County YF&R received a traveling plaque in recognition for their outstanding committee involvement.

Ninety-seven-year-old Christy Smith of Ada, is the recipient of Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s new Young Farmers and Ranchers Lifetime Legacy Award. The announcement was made Nov. 12, at OFB’s 70th Annual Convention in Oklahoma City.

The YF&R Lifetime Legacy Award serves as a living memorial for a member, recognizing their life achievements. It is intended to honor an individual who has spent their life enriching and inspiring rural Oklahomans’ quality of life.

Christy is originally from Ohio and worked as a nanny in the Cincinnati area before studying to become a registered nurse. After completing three years of training and passing her board exams, she enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II and was assigned to a heavy combat area in Europe. Over the course of her career, she would help care for the U.S. Army’s sickest patients, working in environments that ranged from an Army base in California to a makeshift hospital in the Philippine jungle.

Smith moved to Ada in 1946 to take a nursing job. She worked at the Valley View Regional Hospital for 30 years before retiring in 1974. While working in Ada, she met her late husband, Artie, and the two worked side-by-side on his father’s farm. The couple became involved in Farm Bureau and Smith served many years as a member of the Pontotoc County Women’s Committee.

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Christy Smith of Pontotoc County received the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Lifetime Legacy Award. Smith, an Ada resident, was chosen to receive the award because of her exemplary life, which included serving as a nurse in World War II.

Chelsea Clifton of Kingfisher was named the 2011 Young Farmers and Ranchers Discussion Meet winner at the Oklahoma Farm Bureau 70th Annual Meeting Nov. 11, in Oklahoma City.

The 23-year-old Clifton competed against five other participants in three rounds of debate-style discussion where performance is evaluated on the exchange of ideas and information on pre-determined topics. Participants are judged on their ability to offer constructive criticism, cooperation and communication while analyzing agricultural problems and developing solutions.

As the state discussion meet winner, Clifton received a new John Deere lawn mower and the opportunity to compete for other prizes in the national discussion meet contest at the American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention Jan. 8-11, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Clifton is a recent graduate of Texas Tech University where she received a degree in animal science. She currently works as the director of communications for the Oklahoma Youth Expo.

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Chelsea Clifton of Kingfisher poses by the lawn tractor she received for winning the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers discussion meet Nov. 11 in Oklahoma City. Clifton will go on to compete at the American Farm Bureau YF&R discussion meet in Honolulu, Hawaii in January.