Road to Rural Prosperity

Today's Episode features a conversation with Oklahoma Third District Congressman Frank Lucas, who has represented the northwestern half of Oklahoma in Washington since 1994. He talks with host Ron Hays about a number of issues surrounding the COVID-19 crisis, including the CARES Act, helping the agriculture industry survive and recover, the battle to get funding out into rural America- including to Rural Hospitals and improving broadband access for rural America.

Lucas has been “sheltering in place” on his ranch in Roger Mills County since Congress recessed about three weeks ago, due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Today's Road to Rural Prosperity is sponsored in part by the Oklahoma Public School Resource Center, OPSRC.

Today's Episode has Ron Hays at the headquarters of the Oklahoma Youth Expo- having a behind the scenes conversation with the President of the OYE, Tyler Norvell and Exec VP Kass Newell. The three discuss the unfolding of events at the 2020 OYE that saw thousands of head of livestock show as the coronavirus pandemic expanded into Oklahoma- and when a case was found in Oklahoma County on March 15th- the Expo's leadership- including Tyler and Kass- made the necessary choice to keep all involved safe and ended the Expo half way through the show schedule. Kass, Ron and Tyler take you through the process of opening the show, trying to hurry up the show and finally closing the show. Today's Road to Rural Prosperity is sponsored by BancFirst, Loyal to Oklahoma and to You.

Special Guest Host AJ Griffin returns to have a conversation with Janet Pulliam, the Senior Manager for Hospital Systems for the American Cancer Society. Aj and Janet talk about the challenges ahead for rural healthcare in the state of Oklahoma, especially in light of the unfolding COVID-19 Pandemic. Today's Episode is sponsored in part by the Oklahoma Rural Water Association

Host Ron Hays sits down with the Executive Vice President of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, Michael Kelsey, as they talk about the largest segment of the Oklahoma agriculture- beef cattle and the multistate journey that Michael has taken to get from Rush Springs to the OCA Headquarters in Stockyards City. They talk about how cattlemen are dealing with the COVID-19 crisis, low cattle prices, why he wears a Cowboy Hat at the Capitol and how in spite of all the challenges, cattlemen and cattle ladies are so resilient. Today's Episode of the Road is sponsored by PSO, the Public Service Company of Oklahoma.

Today's podcast episode features Host Ron Hays talking with Jerry Renshaw, Superintendent of the first ever Ag Mechanics Contest at the Oklahoma Youth Expo, as well as with students Tracy Criner of Porter, Kody Munoz of Elgin and Wyatt Kappus of Union City. These young men talk about their projects- how they planned and built them and how the skills they have gained will help them in life. Renshaw gives a vision of growing this first Ag Mechanics contest at OYE to a comparable level seen at contests at major shows in Texas, where thousands of men and women compete for hundreds of thousands of dollars of scholarships annually. Today's Episode is powered by the Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma.

Oklahoma State Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur brought together resources from the Oklahoma Department of Ag, the Oklahoma Wheat Commission, the OSU Wheat Improvement Team and Offices of the Governor and Lt. Governor to establish the first ever Governor's Wheat Challenge- with two varieties of wheat developed by Dr. Brett Carver and the OSU Wheat Improvement Team being grown in small plots in front of the State of Oklahoma Agriculture Building. Host Ron Hays talks to several key players from the Governor down to tell you the story. Today's Podcast is powered by the Oklahoma Public School Resource Center- the OPSRC.

In our newest episode, Host Ron Hays sits down with Ag Educator Travis Bradshaw- talking about his career path that has recently taken him to Elgin just north of Lawton after many years in north central Oklahoma in the small community of Burlington. Bradshaw explains what led him into the teaching profession- how Ag Education has changed and how the students he has taught have inspired him over and over.

Today's Podcast is being powered by BancFirst, Loyal to Oklahoma and You.

Kent Bacus with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association sat down and talked with host Ron Hays at the recent Cattle Industry Convention in San Antonio- they talk about the recent trade agreements with EU, Japan, Mexico, Canada and China- and how they collectively make 2020 and beyond an exciting time to be in the cattle business. Today's podcast is being powered by the Oklahoma Rural Water Association.

Guest Host AJ Griffin and Oklahoma State Senator Kim David of Porter talk about the current state of healthcare- especially rural healthcare in the Oklahoma- and consider ways to work towards better outcomes for citizens that live outside of the two major metros in the state.

They also review the proposal from Governor Kevin Stitt on how to fix some of the current shortcomings of the healthcare system in the state.

Today's Road to Rural Prosperity is powered by the Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma.

As the 2020 Oklahoma Legislative Session begins, the Speaker of the House in the Oklahoma Legislature, Charles McCall of House District 22, sat down with Host Ron Hays and talked about his eight years in the Legislature, his concerns with a State Question that may be considered by voters this fall that could radically change the Redistricting Process in the state, his Priorities for 2020 in the State House and More. Today's Episode is made possible by the Public Service Company of Oklahoma.