Tag Archives: Rob McClendon

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: “Lesson” of the Day – Eating Healthy Can Be Fun

Human health has been an issue for as long as I can remember. We see more and more people losing an uphill battle to weight gain and fast food chains are profiting from it. It seems like every channel has a new weight loss reality show starting that promises to change our lives. My question is why do we wait and let it get so bad?

In this week’s video blog, we show you how an Oklahoma woman is teaching kids to cook and eat healthy. The recipes are simple and quite tasty. Just a glimpse of a fun and proactive way to help battle the obesity beast before it gets out of control.

~ Andy Barth

 

On the Horizon: Eating Healthy Can Be Fun from Alisa Hines on Vimeo.

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: Devastating Drought

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Few times in my life have I experienced something where I was moved to tears. When I traveled to Southwestern Oklahoma and saw the devastation brought on by the severe drought, my tears were some of the only water around. The temperature was so brutal; my equipment was too hot to touch at times. My hands were blistered from grabbing my tripod and camera.

This area has not seen any rain since October of 2010. Their grass is dried up, if it has not been burned by fire, and most of their ponds are history. Livestock and equine producers are forced to sell out because they simply cannot feed or water them. We stopped by the sale yard in Apache, OK, and the sight there was almost unbearable. The average number of cattle that runs through there is about 3,000 head of bulls and steers on Thursdays. Because of circumstances beyond control, there were over 6,000 head already there and trailers kept rolling in. When it was all said and done, auctioneers sold until 4:00 the next morning.

Growing up in Washington State, I never knew drought. I did grow up on the “dry side” of the state but we have a wonderful irrigation system that has made Eastern Washington a prime agricultural area. I never dreamed I would see the day where Americans are restricted in their water use. It was a wakeup call for me as I drove through Cement, OK, and saw very few people watering their lawns. Even when the time came to where people could water, many forfeited their chance to save water for the firemen.

A lot of times, stories like these create awareness and people take a stand to change things. Unfortunately, in this case, the change that needs to be made is RAIN. So say an extra prayer, do a rain dance, or whatever it is you may do. Because the people, the livestock and the land in Southwestern Oklahoma are drying up and are running out of options.

~Andy Barth

On the Horizon: Devastating Drought from Alisa Hines on Vimeo.

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: Flour Made the Local Way

It has been a rough year for wheat farmers…again. It seems like we’ve been saying that a lot the past few years. Some fear there is no end in sight.

Several producers in the tiny town of Hydro, Okla. may have found the light at the end of the tunnel. Whole wheat producers are running their wheat through PBar Farms’ Stone Stack Mill for a premium price. Loren Liebscher is PBar Farms’ owner and is an advocate of production agriculture and education.

Liebscher is passionate about teaching kids where their food comes from and how to eat healthy. He uses the mill and his corn maze to teach kids about the importance of agriculture.

As a lifelong agriculturalist, I have devoted much of my time to educating the public about agriculture. Whether I was in FFA or shopping in the grocery store I have always found people who do not know about the food they eat. Producing the food is not enough. We have to be advocates and educate people about what we do so there will be a future for the industry we love. In this week’s video blog, see how local wheat producers are adding value to their product.

~Andy Barth

 

On the Horizon: Flour Made the Local Way from Alisa Hines on Vimeo.

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: Below the Surface

This job is amazing. It takes me so many places I never thought I would go. When I first came to Oklahoma, I was excited to see the competitive livestock and be a part of the progressive agricultural industry. What I didn’t expect was to be engulfed in the Oklahoma lifestyle.

A few months ago, I met a young man who gave a whole new meaning to the phrase “grab life by the horns.” He has wrestled steers, fought men in cages and hunted and fished for every kind of animal known in Oklahoma. I knew if I wanted to experience a different side to Oklahoma I needed to hang out with Kaleb Summers. When he told me there was a way to fish with your hands and pull out huge catfish, there was no hesitation…I had to get in the water.

Like any fishing trip, things didn’t go exactly as planned and unfortunately for us, they seemed to take a turn for the worse. Not only were water levels low and drying out the holes, but the wind kept picking up and beating us against the rocks. When the wind got to the point of being dangerous (as if getting slammed into rocks wasn’t bad enough) we decided to leave and get the boat out of the water.

While en route back to the ramp we encountered huge swells of water coming over the sides of the boat. It was a very rough ride to say the least. All of a sudden we heard a loud pop and saw mud fill the water. Our motor sputtered, choked, and then died. At that point it was all hands on deck, or more like all hands in the water. With the boat in tow, I swam to shore with the guys pushing. After getting the vessel out of the water we realized we cracked the hydraulic cylinder and tore up the prop. Since it was the beginning of the weekend this meant we were on foot for the rest of the trip.

After we got our bearings and were back out on the water, Kaleb found out how I act under pressure when I am face to face with a lifelong fear – snakes. Kaleb found a water moccasin in a rock and told me to come look at it. I freaked out and jumped out of the water. That wasn’t good enough for Kaleb and he killed it…or so he thought. All of the sudden the snake shot out of the rock and made a bee-line for Kaleb. He jumped out of the way and the snake swam to shore.
Continue reading On the Horizon: Below the Surface →

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: Too Hot to Handle

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As a member of Class XV of the Oklahoma Agriculture Leadership Program, I get to visit many places across the state of Oklahoma to learn how agriculture is done. It is a program I have wanted to be in for many years and was privileged to do so this go round. I have learned so much at times my head is spinning. You’d be surprised what really goes on down on the farm.

For example, the diversification that takes place all around you, from wheat to vegetables to fruit, sometimes all on the same farm. To remain economically viable, Oklahoma farmers are learning how to make a living year round versus just seasonally. Sometimes that means a nontraditional crop.

In this week’s video blog, I show you our state’s hottest crop from Southwest Oklahoma.
Alisa Hines

On the Horizon: Too Hot to Handle from Alisa Hines on Vimeo.