2013 ARC Meeting Set!

Missed out on Charleston? Join us next year in Oklahoma City, OK!

By Den Gardner
Executive Director

The pieces are coming together for an exciting2013 ARC spring meeting in Oklahoma City, OK, March 20-22, 2013. The meeting will be held at the historic Colcord Hotel in the city’s most exciting section: Bricktown.

The annual meeting, held in March last spring for the first time, was a great success, with meeting attendance its highest since the re-birth of ARC three+ years ago. “Moving the meeting a month forward to late March got us beyond most of the major mid-winter ag trade shows,” said Mace Thornton, ARC board president. “We were thrilled with the turnout and look for even better attendance in Oklahoma City.”

Although some aspects of the agenda are still tentative, following is what is confirmed or tentative for the March meeting:

Tentative Agenda – ARC Annual Meeting

Colcord Hotel:  http://www.colcordhotel.com/

March 20-22

Oklahoma City, OK

WEDNESDAY, March 20

Board Dinner – about 7 p.m. (The Flint Restaurant)

THURSDAY, March 21

Breakfast at leisure

7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. -- Board Meeting

10 a.m. to 11 a.m. -- Registration

11:30 a.m. – Welcome by Mace Thornton, ARC President

11:30 a.m. – Box Lunches for attendees

11:45: a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  – Jeff Fowle, nationally-known farmer/rancher and blogger. Will kick-off meeting discussing reaching consumers through social media.

12:30 – 1:30 p.m. – Follow-up panel. Fowle will join leading bloggers from the Midwest and Southwest in a question-and-answer format. 

• Debbie Lyons-Blythe – Kansas
•  Danny Robbins Oklahoma Wildlife commissioner & cotton farmer

1:30-1:45 p.m. – Break

1:45-2:45 p.m. – Oklahoma State Student Panel. Shelly Sitton will moderate a panel of Oklahoma State University students on careers, how they see the job market and how those attending can provide “real-life” experience and advice to these students. 

2:45 -3:00 p.m. – Break

3:00 – 4:00 p.m. – Writing for Social Media – Speaker being confirmed.

4:00-4:15 p.m. – Adjourn for the day.

4:15 p.m. – Board busses for Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum

http://www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org/

4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – Tour National Memorial & Museum.

6:15 p.m.  – Bus to Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse for group dinner. Casual attire.

http://mickeymantlesteakhouse.com/

9 p.m. – Return to hotel by bus.

FRIDAY, March 22

7:15 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. – Breakfast at hotel

7:45 to 9 a.m. – Annual business meeting

9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Oklahoma City Ag Tour. (All tours to-be-determined at this point.) 

4 p.m. – Arrive back at hotel

4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. – Break before evening reception/dinner.

6-7 p.m. – Reception

7-10 p.m. – Golden ARC Awards Dinner and Agricultural Public Relations Hall of Fame Inductee Ceremony – Devon Energy Center – top floor

SATURDAY, March 23

Attendees return home.

OKLAHOMA CITY COOL & WARM

As the largest city in Oklahoma and the nation’s 29^th largest city, Oklahoma City is a growing metropolis. The city boosters say this about their home: “Cool city. Warm hospitality. It's why we call Oklahoma City ‘Cool & Warm.’ Oklahoma City's hip, spirited environment blends with its deep western heritage, creating an exciting destination steeped in culture and adventure. With renowned festivals, national sporting events, treasure-filled museums and a variety of districts highlighting arts and entertainment, the possibilities for fun in Oklahoma City are endless.’

And the American Museum of Banjos to boot!

Agriculture

 The Sooner State has about 86,000 farmers. Winter wheat, hay, corn for grain, peanuts and pecans are the top Oklahoma crops. You might find these statistics interesting:

 • Hay is a good crop to grow on land that is rolling and steep. These lands would erode away if they were tilled for row crops. Native grass and alfalfa are the most popular kind of hay to grow.

• Oklahoma ranks 5th in the nation in the production of winter wheat, 5th in the production of pecans, 1st in the production of rye, 5th in the production of grain sorghum, 6th in peanuts, 22nd in peaches and 15th in watermelons.

• Oklahoma produced over 81.6 million bushels of winter wheat and 16,000 pounds of pecans in 2005. Oklahoma has 2.5 million cattle, 80,000 sheep, 5.65 million chickens, 2.35 million hogs and 150,142 horses.

• Oklahoma ranks 5th in the nation in cattle and calf production, 8th in hogs production and 17th in broiler production.

• Oklahoma beef cattle, hogs and sheep produce 3.22 billion pounds of meat per year.

• Oklahoma poultry produce 933 million eggs per year.

Watch for more information from ARC in the near future on the program for the meeting. For more information please contact the ARC office at 952/758-5811 and ask for Den or Barb.