Sorghum growers, farmers interested in planting sorghum, and any other area agriculturists can attend an informational session at 10 a.m. Friday at AgriFest at the Chisholm Trail Expo Center in Enid as part of the Oklahoma Sorghum Producers annual meeting. The meeting will take place in the seminar room in the northeast corner of the Expo Center.
Dr. Josh Lofton, Assistant Professor and Cropping Systems Specialist at Oklahoma State University, and Dr. Brian Arnall, OSU Precision Nutrient Management Specialist with Oklahoma State University will share their latest findings on variety trial performances, fertilizer applications and answer questions about growing sorghum, also known as milo, in the region.
The program will also feature Mason Mungle, board president of the Royalty Owners Coalition of Oklahoma (ROCO), who will share information relevant to mineral and surface owners. Founded in 2021, ROCO is a non-profit corporation working to create a structured, consistent and strong voice for the interests of Oklahoma mineral owners. The founding organizations of ROCO are the National Association of Royalty Owners of Oklahoma (OK-NARO), Oklahoma Farm Bureau, American Farmers and Ranchers (AFR), Farmers Royalty Company, and the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association.
With a background in dairy and cow/calf operations in southeast Oklahoma, Mungle recently retired from the AFR board of directors. He was a member of the first class of the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Program and holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in animal science from Oklahoma State University. In the past, Mungle has served rural Oklahoma as director of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, as the legislative liaison for AFR Cooperative, as president of Farmers Royalty Company, and as president of OK-NARO. He is currently chairman of the board of Farmers Royalty Company and has also served on the board of the Oklahoma Agriculture Mediation Program
Oklahoma’s new Farm Service Agency state director, the Honorable Eddie Fields, is also expected to be on hand at the seminar. Fields served in the Oklahoma Senate and the Oklahoma House of Representatives before being appointed as Oklahoma FSA Director. He is a cattleman and hay producer from Wynona in northeast Oklahoma.
Sorghum is an ancient, nutrient-rich grain which can be grown as a grain, forage or sweet crop. It is one of the top five cereal crops in the world. The United States is the world’s largest producer of grain sorghum, having produced 373 million bushels in 2020, with more than 300,000 acres planted in Oklahoma. For more information, visit the Oklahoma Sorghum Producers association page at www.oklahomaag.com. The Enid Agrifest farm show is free and runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday at the Expo Center on the Garfield County Fairgrounds.
