OKLAHOMA LAWMAKERS RECOGNIZE LOCAL MAN FOR HELPING FARMERS

JACKSON -- A Cape Girardeau County man was recognized Wednesday by the Oklahoma Legislature for his efforts in Operation Hay Lift, which sent thousands of bales of hay to farmers who lost hay in prairie fires that swept Oklahoma this year.

Gerald Bryan, University of Missouri Extension specialist in Jackson, received the citation during a University Extension open house in Jackson Wednesday.

Oklahoma state Rep. J. Todd Hiett initiated the citation to express appreciation to Bryan on behalf of farmers and ranchers in Creek and adjacent counties.

The citation, signed by Hiett, minority leader Larry Ferguson and Gov. Frank Keating, was presented to a surprised Bryan by Lawson Burgfield, Cape Girardeau County Extension Council president.

When prairie wildfires swept parts of Oklahoma and Kansas in late February and March, wiping out grains and pasture that feed cattle herds, University of Missouri Extension, Missouri Farm Bureau and The Missouri Department of Agriculture teamed up to form a statewide hay lift. Bryan concentrated his efforts on talking with area farmers and truckers, arranging for hay to be shipped to the needed areas.

Hay donations came from 42 farms in Southeast Missouri, with 11 truckloads designated to the Oklahoma area. They provided 250 large, round bales and 11,000 rectangular bales of hay.

"Everything was done with donations," said Bryan. "We had offers for more donations than we could ever send. Farmers are willing to share whatever they have with others in need."

Creek County was one of the hardest hit counties. Wildfires burned more than 100,000 acres and destroyed a number of homes and barns. A total of 55 counties suffered fire damage in Oklahoma.

Many more truckloads of hay were sent into Kansas and southwest Missouri, where farmers were in desperate need of hay because of drought conditions. Hay production in Missouri totaled more than 6.8 million tons in 1995, averaging about two tons an acre.