Woodward Ranch Conversation – Woodward, Oklahoma 12/18/2024

“Blayne Arthur, OK Secretary of Agriculture to Keynote Woodward Ranch Conversation”

Buffalo, OK——-Blayne Arthur, Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture, Food, & Forestry will give the luncheon keynote address at the Woodward Ranch Conversation to be held on December 18, 2024, at the Woodward County Event Center.  Coleta Bratten, Chair, High Plains Resource Conservation & Development Council (HPRCD) made the announcement today.  She said “We are honored to have Secretary Arthur speak at the Ranch Conversation lunch. She is a distinguished member of the Governor’s cabinet, serves on the Oklahoma State University Board of Regents, and her work has led to significant advancements in Oklahoma’s agriculture.”   Bratten added that “The afternoon keynote speaker will be Trey Lam, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission (OCC).  Under Mr. Lam’s leadership the programs and services offered by OCC have grown exponentially, and his work in new program development leads that nation.”   The Bank of Western Oklahoma, HPRCD, Woodward County Commissioners, Woodward County Conservation District, Comanche Pool Prairie Resource Foundation (Coldwater, Kansas), and the Oklahoma Conservation Commission have joined with the USDA-NRCS to sponsor the Conversation with NRCS providing funding for the meeting.  The meeting will be held at the Woodward County Event Center on the Woodward County Fairgrounds, with registration beginning at 9:30 am on the 18th with the meeting starting at 10:00 am and concluding by 3:30 pm. Bratten said that “HPRCD is well known for using Ranch Conversations as a way to bring agricultural producers, rural people, and agencies that deliver programs together to provide information, answer questions, and exchange ideas.”   HPRCD first created and used Ranch Conversations in the early 2000s to bring stakeholders with different interests together to seek solutions to avoid listing the Lesser Prairie Chicken and other at-risk species in the region as endangered.  Bratten said, “The Council was opposed to any unnecessary regulations that might be forced upon landowners by a government action.   Ranch Conversations were successful in delaying the listing for over 20 years.”  She added “this is a rare opportunity for producers and community leaders to meet and hear speakers from several agencies and learn about their many programs in only one day.”

The focus of the Woodward County Ranch Conversation will be to provide information to producers and community leaders about state, federal, and private foundation programs and funding opportunities and other assistance that might be available to them. “Bratten said that the pandemic has altered the way we were accustomed to doing business and we believe that there is a need for outreach meetings where agency leaders can meet face-to-face with agricultural producers and provide firsthand information about current programs.” There is no charge to attend the Conversation with lunch provided by the Bank of Western Oklahoma. 

Producers will hear speakers from USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA-Farm Service Agency, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, USDA-Risk Management Agency, Oklahoma Conservation Commission, US Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, and the Barn Foundation.  USDA-Rural Development will present information about programs that are available to help communities grow and improve their local community.    Kenny Knowles, well known Ellis County Rancher will speak from the landowner perspective.  Knowles said, “This is a rare opportunity to meet leaders from all agencies who provide services and programs to rural Oklahoma.”  

High Plains RC&D is a non-profit corporation that serves a federally authorized Resource Conservation & Development region that includes Beaver, Cimarron, Dewey, Ellis, Harper, Texas, Woods, and Woodward Counties.  The RC&D, based in Buffalo, has served this region for 32years and has been responsible for creating many new jobs and businesses utilizing natural resources, and adding over $2 billion in economic impact.  High Plains RC&D has been recognized regionally and nationally for its work in creating businesses using Eastern Red Cedar, and for its support of wildlife programs.  High Plains RC&D was a partner in the Prairie States Coalition, which was a five-state initiative that was named one of the national models for rural economic recovery by the US Economic Development Administration.  Ranch conversations will be held throughout the High Plains region in the coming months.

Agricultural producers and community leaders from neighboring states are encouraged to attend.  For those planning to attend the lunch, please RSVP by phone to:  (580) 256-5320 Ext 108  or e-mail to tom.lucas717@gmail.com by December 16, 2024.

Woodward County Ranch Conversation

December 18, 2024, 10:00am to 3:30 pm (reg. starts at 9:30am)

Woodward County Event Center

105 A Temple Houston Drive (Fairgrounds), Woodward, OK

EMCEE

The Honorable Andy Tucker

Speakers & Agencies Include:

USDA-NRCS

Tyler Burton

USDA-Farm Service Agency

Bowdy Peach & Molly Blaser

US FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE (FWS)

John Hendrix

Luncheon Speaker

The Honorable Blayne Arthur

Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry

OKLAHOMA CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Honorable Trey Lam

Executive Director, Oklahoma Conservation Commission

Kade Griffin(Terry Peach North Canadian Watershed)

Meg Greski (Soil Health)

The Barn Group Land Trust

Gene T. Miller

Great Plains Grassland Biome

Tanner Swank, Pheasants Forever, Inc & Quail Forever

USDA-Rural Development

Amy Cowley-Corie Wells

OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION (ODWC)

Josh Richardson, Brett Cooper & Joshua Luft

USDA-AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE (ARS)

Dr. Corey Moffet

LANDOWNERS COMMENTS

Kenny Knowles

RSVP by December 16 to

RSVP By Dec 16 to(580) 256-5320 Ext 108 or tom.lucas717@gmail.com

Lunch is compliments of                                        Supported by the

The Bank of Western Oklahoma              Woodward County Commissioners      

Funded by the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service

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