Oklahoma Agriculture Books Awarded to 18 Educators
Oklahoma Agriculture Books Awarded to 18 Teachers Across the State
Eighteen Oklahoma educators have been selected to receive collections of agriculture books through the Oklahoma Farm Bureau's Bushels for Books program. The organization announced the recipients Tuesday, October 13, following an application process that attracted 212 educators from across the state. Several recipients work in rural school districts, including Balko, Seiling, Cheyenne, Canton and Hinton.
The program is a collaboration between the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women's Leadership Committee and the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. Its purpose is to provide classrooms with books that accurately explain farming, ranching and food production. Educators selected for the full collections receive baskets of books, while applicants who were not selected receive one agriculture book appropriate for their classroom grade level.
Oklahoma Agriculture Books Reach Rural Classrooms
The Oklahoma Farm Bureau's October 13 announcement identifies recipients from schools throughout the state.
Rural recipients include Antoinette Trentham of Balko Public Schools, Dakota Waugh of Seiling Elementary, Stephanie Young of Burns Flat-Dill City Elementary, Kasey Cannon of Cheyenne Schools and Shawnie Martin of Canton Elementary.
Other recipients include educators from Clayton, Morrison, Ponca City, Ryal, Caney Valley and additional Oklahoma communities.
The program is intended to help students understand agriculture through classroom reading materials.
Farm Bureau Program Promotes Agriculture Education
According to the organization's Bushels for Books program information, the initiative serves Oklahoma teachers and school librarians working with students from prekindergarten through eighth grade.
The selected books are designed to explain where food comes from and how agricultural producers contribute to everyday life.
Farm Bureau officials say agricultural education has become increasingly important as more children grow up without direct connections to farms or ranches.
Eighteen Recipients Selected From 212 Applicants
The 18 recipients represent fewer than one in ten of this year's 212 applicants, reflecting interest in agriculture-focused classroom materials across Oklahoma.
The program's 2026 application information established a June 10 deadline for educators seeking the book collections.
This year's recipients include teachers from elementary and middle schools, a high school educator and county Extension personnel.
The initiative gives teachers materials they can incorporate into existing lessons while introducing students to agricultural careers, food systems and the role of Oklahoma farm families. For smaller rural districts, the awards provide additional classroom resources without requiring schools to purchase the selected books.
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