While attending the Local Ag Summit, hosted by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry in partnership with the ONIE Project, Farm Director KC Sheperd had the chance to speak with Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell.
Pinnell says that agriculture is currently experiencing more momentum than it ever has before, because more than ever, consumers want to know where their food is coming from. “That is good for these small business owners and for our agritourism industry,” he said. “One of the more popular tourist attractions that people are looking for today is something that they can do on a farm or ranch.”
He said that politicians need to understand that this curiosity will only expand and that more of the next generation will seek agricultural products and choose to live in farming communities. “That is going to be a revolution in this country in future decades,” he predicted. “Politicians have to get on board with it.”
He encouraged farming and ranching communities to actively connect with their representatives and invite them to their operations. “If they say ‘No’ then it might tell you that it is time for some new representation,” he bespoke. “Agriculture is still the backbone of the state of Oklahoma with oil and gas and a few other industries. We are number four in the country regarding the number of farms. That is good, but we need a whole lot more to feed the world.”
He encouraged the development of smaller gardening operations as well, saying that it doesn’t have to be 10,000 acres to constitute a farm.
He touted Oklahoma’s uniqueness and popularity as a tourism state. “We have the new indoor waterpark, OKANA, thanks to the Chickasaw Nation. We have an advantage that other states don’t have, and that is our 39 tribes – the Native American experience that you can get here. I would add the cowboy – the Code of the West experience that you can get here, too. That Americana experience you get when you throw in Route 66 and the Chisolm Trail; if you want to see America, you’ve got to see Oklahoma. That is really the message that we have driven from our tourism industry, and it sells really well.”
Looking forward to 2025 and beyond, Lt. Governor Pinnell said that there are big things in the pipeline. Next year is the Route 66 Centennial, so the state is investing millions into developing the Route 66 communities to make them more appealing to tourists to increase revenue in small towns.
“That is the most famous road in the world, and we have more miles of it than any other state in the country,” he said. “That is a big part of my agenda this year.”
Additionally, the state is working on renovating the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in Muskogee to take better advantage of its musical heritage and history.
“We are going to turn it into the iconic museum that it should be to really be a draw for tourists,” Pinnell said.
Regarding special events such as the recently wrapped up Cattlemen’s Congress, Pinnell said that economic impacts amount to millions through additional commerce at hotels and restaurants. He noted that many communities have added to and upgraded their expo centers and exhibition barns which draw more events and revenue.
“There are so many of those shows around the country,” he said. “We stole a few shows during COVID – a big ag show from Pennsylvania and Cattlemen’s Congress from Colorado. We love those kinds of stories as well, because when they show up here in Oklahoma – we hear it from attendees – they love being in Oklahoma because they know that we support agriculture here, and we are going to continue to support it.”
The creation of the Quality Event Incentive is to lure more large events into Oklahoma.
