October 29, 2019 Issue, Page 6 of 14

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Agriculture Tuesday, tober 29, 2019 (i The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Page 5 Arimathea Feeding Oklahoma Drive meets continues through Oct. 31 (OKLAHOMA _ CITY) hungry children, seniors liv- 51.3 million pounds of food Bank of Oklahoma Carol Garrison, the new the state average. A survey — October 18, 2019 - The ing on fixed incomes and to its network of 1,310 com- Project AWARE Commu- for Elk City alone showed The Regional Food Bank nity Grant Manager at Elk that 65 percent qualify for a Oklahoma Food Banks in- families struggling to make munity-based partner agen- vite the public to participate ends meet. cies. of Oklahoma is leading the City, spoke to Arimathea free and reduced lunch rate, in the second half of the “As we continue with About the Community fight against hunger in 53 members Oct. 21 about men- and the poverty rate was 18 annual Feeding Oklahoma Feeding Oklahoma, both Food Bank of Eastern Okla- tal health awareness among percent. There are 32 home- Drive, presented by Chero- food banks want to renew homa counties in central and west- young people. less students within the dis- kee Nation Businesses, the momentum for the drive Founded in 1981, the ern Oklahoma and envisions At the meeting, held at trict, 140 students with an Chickasaw Nation Head- by calling attention to hun- Community Food Bank of a state where everyone, re- Shaley Thomas’ Edward incarcerated parent (based quarters and Marathon Oil. ger throughout the state,” Eastern Oklahoma is one Jones office downtown Elk on school records) and 24 gardless of circumstance, The month-long drive ben- stated Ryan Walker, in- of the largest, private hun- City, Purcy Dale Walker students in foster care. has access to nutritious efits both the Community terim CEO of the Commu- ger-relief organizations in opened proceedings by sing- Garrison went on to share ing The Star-Spangled B about her own experiences Food Bank of Eastern Okla- nity Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. With branches food. Founded in 1980, the homa and the Regional Food Oklahoma. “Cherokee Na- in Tulsa and McAlester, it ner and then an inspiring while in a public school. Regional Food Bank is the Bank of Oklahoma. tion Principal Chief Chuck distributes food to people in medley of patriotic songs. "One caring adult can Garrison introduced the make all the difference in Oklahoma is the fifth hun- Hoskin Jr. has addressed the need through a network of state's largest hunger-relief Project AWARE Grant to the life of a student," she griest state in the nation. The topic of hunger in a compel- 730 Partner Agencies and 501(c)(3) nonprofit that the meeting members. Proj- said. "It only takes one per- Feeding Oklahoma Drive ling way. We are grateful to direct programs and in 24 distributes food through ect AWARE (Advancing son to offer a child hope helps the Oklahoma Food deepen our partnership in counties of eastern Okla- a network of community- Wellness and _ Resiliency where there may otherwise Banks provide nutritious and the fight against hunger.” homa. Feeding programs in- in Education) is a grant de- be none.” healthy food for some of the The Feeding Oklahoma clude emergency food pan- based partner agencies and signed to increase aware- She described the many state’s most vulnerable resi- Drive runs through Oct. 31. tries, soup kitchens, shelters, schools. The majority of ness of mental health issues ways the teachers and staff dents. All donations are tax deduct- disaster relief, child and se- among students. It is also "One in six Oklahomans ible and will assist the Okla- nior feeding programs, and people served by the Region- members at Elk City Public designed to provide train- Schools go above and be- don't know where their next homa Food Banks and their veteran’s initiatives. In ad- al Food Bank are chronically ing to school staff and others yond their call to not only meal will come from," said community-based partner dition, the Food Bank helps hungry children, seniors liv- who interact with students educate in the classroom, Katie Fitzgerald, chief exec- agencies. For more informa- raise public awareness about utive officer of the Regional tion or to sign up to partici- hunger and the role of food ing on fixed incomes and so that they are able to iden- but how they also address tify and respond to mental and foster the social and Food Bank. "The Feeding pate in the drive, visit www. banking in alleviating hun- hardworking families strug- health issues and to con- emotional well-being of all Oklahoma Drive helps us to feedingoklahoma.org. ger. For more information, gling to make ends meet. nect local students and their of their students. provide both nutritious food The Oklahoma Food visit okfoodbank.org; find and hope to our neighbors Banks are part of the Feed- us on Facebook at www. The Regional Food Bank is families to needed services. Garrison closed with a This grant was awarded to quote by Naomi Drew: who live with food insecu- ing America network of facebook.com/okfoodbank a member of Feeding Amer- three local education agen- “Hope is actually something rity every day." more than 200 food banks or follow us on Twitter @ ica, the nation’s network of cies in Western Oklahoma: we create. It’s not something The majority of clients throughout the United States. okfoodbank.org and Insta- served by the Oklahoma Last year, the Regional Food gram @okfoodbank.org. food banks. To join the fight Elk City, Weatherford, and that magically appears from Woodward Public Schools. an outside source. We each Food Banks are chronically Bank distributed more than About the Regional Food to end hunger, visit rfbo.org. Garrison shared some have within us the capacity demographic information to generate hope. It’s critical from 2018 (OSDE, LEA and OEQA) that showed the that we be absolutely inten- tional about nurturing hope Johnson, Lucas, Cheney introduce the necessity for this grant. The 2016 average of all three in our lives and the lives of our children. Don’t let the Livestock Risk Management and Education Act schools’ adults and children bad news in the world be with mental health issues your undoing. You can take Washington, D.C. — Today Johnson (R-S.D.), Frank Lu- (R-WY), introduced the market instability and other was significantly higher than charge of hope”. U.S. Representatives Dusty cas (R-OK), and Liz Cheney Livestock Risk Management factors,” said Rep. Frank and Education Act, a bill Lucas. Sustainable parasite that would provide grants to certain state land-grant Lucas continued, “Live- universities to better equip stock producers across the livestock producers with risk country have faced years of management training. uncertainty and, like oth- control in cattle The Livestock Risk Man- agement and Education Act ers, need every tool within would authorize the Nation- their belt to manage risk al Institute of Food and Ag- and sharpen their ability to (STILLWATER, Oklaho- sistance is easy to recognize the presence of resistance resulting in reduced, or at riculture (NIFA) to provide weather the market’s uncer- ma, Oct. 24, 2019) — Cattle when animals continue to in parasites is to test for it. least slower, development resources to improve live- tainty. I’m proud to join Rep. producers and veterinarians become anemic and even die Testing for resistance pres- of resistance across the para- stock producers’ knowledge Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and have enjoyed the benefits after being dewormed. The ents some challenges but site population. Refugia is of futures markets to better of highly effective internal most important parasites of can be done effectively with commonly maintained in manage market volatility. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) as An understanding of futures parasite control products for cattle are not blood feeders. a little extra effort. Current- sheep and goats using the contracts a cosponsor of the Livestock many years. Strategic use of The primary effect of these ly, the most effective way and risk manage- Risk Management and Edu- these products has allowed parasites is decreased pro- to detect resistance is called FAMACHA®© System, in producers ment strategies will allow both large and cation Act, ensuring that our producers to maintain high duction, which is usually the Fecal Egg Count Reduc- which only animals showing livestock producers have the levels of production from sub-clinical and difficult to tion Test (FECRT). A fecal signs of significant anemia tle small to better anticipate cat- their animals even in the recognize. sample is collected prior to are dewormed. Unfortu- ity prices. This new author- would allow land-grant resources they need to bet- face ofsignificant parasitism Anthelmintic resistance an animal being treated with nately, maintaining refugia ter utilize risk management universities, such as South challenges. in cattle parasites has been an anthelmintic, and another in cattle parasite populations Dakota State University, to strategies as they overcome However, traditional mod- documented in cattle from sample is collected approxi- is less straightforward, and market volatility, Our pro- els of parasite control in most of the United States. mately two weeks later. If research studies identifying partner with grower associa- tions to more directly reach ducers rise to the challenge cattle may not be sustainable Resistance to all classes of the parasitic egg count in the most effective methods producers. into the future. Frequent, anthelmintics has also been the post-treatment sample day in and day out and the to maintain refugia in U.S. “Producers already face long-term use of anthelmin- documented. That doesn’t is reduced by less than 90 Livestock Risk Manage- an uphill battle of unpredict- tic (deworming) products mean every operation is go- percent compared to the pre- cattle production systems able weather, understanding ment and Education Act can lead to resistant parasite ing to have resistant parasites are lacking. treatment sample, evidence would help provide stability cattle prices doesn’t need populations, meaning those but the potential is there, of resistance exists. Most If resistance is detected, a to be an added challenge,” for those that feed billions parasites are no longer killed particularly when the same veterinarians can perform variety of steps can be taken by the deworming product. products have been used for the fecal egg counts or the to provide adequate parasite said Rep. Johnson. “The across the globe.” Livestock Risk Management Sheep and goat producers long periods of time. The samples can be sent to the control and slow the devel- and Education Act will sup- “I am pleased to join Rep. are well aware of the chal- types of products used can Oklahoma Animal Disease opment of further resistance. ply producers with the tools Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) in lenges caused by the devel- also influence the develop- Diagnostic Lab. A general opment of resistance in para- ment of resistance. As the recommendation is to test at Using combinations of an- needed to anticipate highs his legislation to provide and lows in the futures mar- funds to improve available thelmintic products, altering site populations. dose of anthelmintic reach- least 20 randomly selected kets. I’m proud to partner Anthelmintic resistance ing the parasite becomes animals (or the entire group grazing management strate- with my colleagues from resources and educational in cattle parasites has been reduced or more variable, if it’s fewer than 20 ani- gies, and alternate grazingcattle country to help best materials for producers from slower to develop and re- the likelihood of resistance mals). by another species are all prepare our Ag economy and land grant institutions,” said ceives less attention than increases. Pour-on products One important concept possible tools in the fight producers for the future.” Rep. Liz Cheney. “With the issues in small ruminant are convenient and easy to in the fight against resis- against resistance. Produc- “While we've seen tre- ever-changing markets, this production. One reason that use but have been shown tance is the idea of refu- ers are encouraged to dis- mendous signs of a strong resistance in cattle parasites to result in lower and more gia in parasite populations. economy- witnessing record measure will enable land cuss testing for resistance is less recognized is related variable doses of the product Refugia means that some with their veterinarian and to declines in unemployment grant universities like the to the biology of the most reaching the parasites. Some Parasites are not exposed to work with their veterinarian and rising wages across University of Wyoming to important parasites. In small studies have shown that re- anthelmintic treatment and, America- sadly, our nation’s assist our producers in giv- ruminants, the most impor- sistance is more common therefore, are not resistant. to develop sustainable para- farm industry continues to tant parasites are blood-feed- when pour-on products are Refugia helps keep the re- site control strategies that face challenging times, leav- ing them the background ing parasites that can cause used. sistant genes diluted in the will remain effective well ing our producers vulnerable they need to properly plan life-threatening anemia. Re- The only way to recognize overall parasite population, into the future. to disruptions provoked by for the future.” Have a photo or story to tell? Reach out to us at [email protected]