Oklahoma Farm Bureau women from around the state joined together for a weekend of fellowship, service and learning during the 2024 OKFB Women’s Leadership Committee’s annual statewide conference at the Embassy Suites Downtown Medical Center in Oklahoma City April 19-20.
The conference featured breakout sessions, community service projects, a silent auction fundraiser and networking opportunities for the more than 100 Farm Bureau members who attended.
The conference kicked off Friday, April 19, with two community service projects. Members assembled bags of toiletry supplies for families staying at the Oklahoma City Ronald McDonald House, which serves as a home for families of children receiving medical treatment at Oklahoma City-area hospitals. The committee presented Susan Adams, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Oklahoma City Ronald McDonald House, with bags of toiletries for house guests.
Members also wrote letters to veterans, providing a point of connection for service members.
Farm Bureau women had the opportunity to bid on silent auction items donated by county women’s committees and others in an effort to raise funds for Bushels for Books program. The program, a collaboration between the OKFB Foundation for Agriculture and the OKFB WLC, provides collections of accurate agriculture books to classrooms around the state through an application process.
Featured speakers included former Oklahoma Highway Patrolman Charlie Hanger of Perry, who arrested convicted Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, who shared his story during the Friday night dinner gathering, which marked the 29th anniversary of the bombing. OKFB President Rodd Moesel led a tour of the Oklahoma City Memorial for the conference attendees after the dinner.
Fellow OKFB member, farmer and USDA Risk Management Agency Product Administration and Standards Administrator Francie Tolle shared her Farm Bureau and agriculture story with the group at lunch on Saturday.
Numerous breakout sessions on Saturday, April 20, provided conference attendees with opportunities to learn about agriculture, sharing the farm and ranch story and other topics of interest to the rural-based attendees. Sessions included Agriculture in the Classroom lessons; farm transition strategies; adding wildflowers to gardens and landscaping; choosing ideal beef cuts; and more.
For more information about the OKFB WLC, their programs and future events, contact Marcia Irvin.
