Payne County receives top county Farm Bureau awards

Payne County Farm Bureau was presented with the 2026 Oklahoma Farm Bureau John I. Taylor and Lewis H. Munn Awards on Saturday, Nov. 7, during the organization's 85^th annual meeting in Oklahoma City.

The John I. Taylor Award, named after OKFB's first president, serves as the organization's highest county honor, recognizing the county Farm Bureau with the most effective programs and activities.

Payne County was honored for excelling in the program areas of membership, public policy, service to members, public relations, Women's Leadership Committee and Young Farmers and Ranchers.

"It takes a village," said Payne County Farm Bureau President Nancy German. "We are so incredibly proud of what we've built, and it's not just one person or two people. We've put together some programs that we feel are really promoting agriculture, including doing programs in the schools and teaching them about agriculture. All of the programs we've put together and the team that we have - it takes a lot of work, and it's a huge honor to receive these awards."

Payne County Farm Bureau hosts an annual block party for area residents to learn more about agriculture and Farm Bureau, garnering more than 1,000 attendees at the 2026 event. They also hosted a new member social gathering for more than 50 individuals interested in becoming part of Farm Bureau. Additionally, the county adopted the entire second grade class at an elementary school in Stillwater to teach them about agriculture, safety and Farm Bureau.

The county has a robust Youth Leadership Program, participates in Ag in the Classroom activities, and is an active part of Payne County's annual youth livestock show.

Payne County also claimed the organization's Lewis H. Munn award for the second consecutive year. Named after the second president of OKFB and known as the Farm Bureau Builders Award, this award is presented each year to the county that conducts the strongest program in a chosen area. This year, the program area was community engagement.

Payne County Farm Bureau hosted a livestock show for children with special needs during the Payne County Fair. Part of the county Farm Bureau's YF&R bucket calf show, the Heart of Payne County Buddy Program experienced record attendance in 2026 with 62 special-needs children participating in the event. Each child was paired with a young showman or experienced adult to have the opportunity to experience showing livestock.

"It's an incredible time to bring the community together," German said. "It's about sharing the story of agriculture, and we've been able to grow over the years and bring that to the community through this show."