Agricultural News
Oklahoma Wheat Growers and Wheat Commission Hand Out Awards at Annual Wheat Conference
Thu, 05 Aug 2021 20:24:31 CDT
Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association and the Oklahoma Wheat Commission handed out several awards at the OWGA Annual Meeting on Thursday at Redlands Community College in El Reno.
The Wheat Growers honored three indivduals:
OWGA Distinguished Service Award- Mark Hodges. Plains Grains and Okla Genetics. Mark has been a longtime advocate for Oklahoma wheat. He has been very involved over the years with U.S. Wheat and The Wheat Foods Council. Growing up in Forgan before graduating from Panhandle State University and then completing a masters degree at Oklahoma State University, Mark served as the Northwest Area Agronomy Extension Specialist, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission twice as well as Administrator of the Oregon Wheat Commission. Now, as the Executive Director of Plains Grain and Oklahoma Genetics he is a tireless advocate for quality wheat.
OWGA Mr Wheat- Don Schieber, Kildare, Ok. Don Schieber serves on the Oklahoma Wheat Research Foundation, the Oklahoma Genetics, Inc., and the Plains Grain, Inc. Boards, and hosts an OSU Extension Variety Trial Test Plot on the farm he shares with his wife, Cecilia, north of Ponca City. He raises wheat and soybeans, and sells registered and certified seed wheat, in addition to operating seed cleaning and custom harvesting businesses, while also serving on a Farmer's Cooperative Association Board. Don is past president of the U.S. Wheat Associates and member of the Executive Committee for the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Advisory Council. He currently serves as the Secretary-Treasurer of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission.
OWGA Wheat Promoter of the Year- Oklahoma Secretary of Ag, Blayne Arthur. An outstanding advocate for agriculture and Oklahoma's wheat industry, Secretary Arthur sponsored a wheat growing competition on the lawn of the Department of Agriculture between the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor. The event resulted in a great deal of publicity for Oklahoma wheat and raised awareness among our state elected officials.
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Wheat Commission gave their Legacy award to retiring Oklahoma Wheat Commissioner Kenneth Failes of Cherokee.
After the awards were handed out- Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays talked with Mark Hodges about the honor presented to him by the Oklahoma Wheat Growers. Hodges laughed and said he was totally in the dark about being honored on Thursday- "It is a honor and definitely a surprise- I was actually not in the room at the time at the time- I had stepped out to take a call so I was surprised."
Hodges added "Honestly, I don't know anything but I know anything but my claim to fame is I know somebody who does knows soemthing and I am not bashful about calling them."
Hodges has high praise for the Wheat Improvement Team and the wheat breeding efforts at Oklahoma State led by Dr. Brett Carver- "it's second to none- and I mean worldwide."
Hays and Hodges talk about the wheat seed sales overseen by Oklahoma Genetics on behalf of the OSU Wheat Breeding program- and where he sees the wheat breeding program going in the years to come.
You can listen to the complete comments with Mark Hodges by clicking on the LISTEN BAR at the bottom of this story.
In the Oklahoma Wheat Grower pictures- you see OWGA President OWGA President Keeff Felty along with the honorees- the picture at the top is Mark Hodges- below the story is Blayne arthur and Don Schieber. The Picture below Don Schieber is Oklahoma Wheat Commission Executive Director Mike Schulte with honoree Kenneth Failes.
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