- Good morning everyone.

I'm Lyndall Stout.

To celebrate the holidays.

We have a special Sunup episode for you featuring our favorite stories and segments from throughout 2025.

It's retirement for an Oklahoma Ag Hall of Fame wheat producer as he hangs up the keys to the combine after his last harvest.

How a prescribed fire can bring a community together, a livestock show that really warms our hearts and along with the best moments, some of the funniest of Sunup behind the scenes.

Grab that hot cup of coffee because Sunup starts right now.

Welcome everyone to a special edition of Sunup this week where we take a look back at some of our favorite segments and stories from throughout the year.

I'm joined today with my colleagues Kurtis Hair and Elizabeth Hokit, and, and we always love this time of year when we're reflecting back.

- Yeah, this is my favorite time of year actually.

- And part of what we do throughout the year, of course, is cover crops in Oklahoma and we all got to head up to Kay County and check out the corn crop this summer.

- Yeah, the corn looked really great in Kay County and I, the thing I remember the most was, it was really, really hot that - Day.

Oh my goodness.

Yes.

But we did also get to see soybeans while we're up there, so we knocked out two crops at once, which was really nice.

All right, let's head back to Kay County.

- So this year we got started normal time.

It was a little bit dry when we got started.

A lot of people, a lot of people were a little iffy on planting corn.

We finished right ahead of when the rain started and it started, and it never quit this year.

Everybody's been talking about, man, you guys are gonna grow the best corn of your life this year.

I don't necessarily know if that's true.

We've had so much rain, saturated conditions, flooding.

We lost a lot of nitrogen.

Whe whether it be just standing water or mineralization, there is no such thing as a farm that doesn't have a drainage problem.

I mean, there's a lot of water holes, so, but there's gonna be some fun yields in in a field that's, that's for sure.

You can take a look at the ears.

I mean, there's, there's, there's gonna be some amazing corn this year.

- They look pretty good size.

- It's - Already, - Yeah.

- And you still have a, you still have a ways to go.

- So we're at dent.

So we're, we're pretty close to black layer already.

I mean, these things are so tight, it's hard to get the husk off, but to get a a corn ear like this in north central Oklahoma is, is pretty amazing.

But we're, we're already starting to dry down, but that's a pretty amazing year for here.

- It is.

So between now and and harvest time, what, what are the ideal conditions for you to have, have to be able to get this, this crop that you're so proud of to the finish line?

Like you want it?

- Well, unlike our friends that still have wheat in the field, if we could get another rain tonight, that would actually be wonderful to get us the black layer.

That would be wonderful.

That would take this corn to, to black layer, which cuts off the last moisture intake to the kernel that, that'd take it to the end.

- In addition to corn and soybeans also covered cotton.

And Kurtis, you've been to Altus a lot of times for harvest, but this year a little different.

- It was a little different.

And as opposed to Kay County, the weather was actually perfect.

I think it was like 63 degrees and the cotton crop looked fantastic, which this cotton producer, as you're about to see, it was the first time he was actually able to harvest a crop in about three years.

- All right, let's take a look at that story.

- The crisp morning air is lifted here in Jackson County and T-shirt.

Weather has arrived with no wind in the bluest sky.

Altus has to offer the last day of cotton harvest.

Sums up how the growing season went for producer Clint Abernathy.

Almost perfect.

- Yeah, there's a lot of crossing fingers, that's for sure.

'cause there's a lot of things that can go wrong right till the end, you know, and, and like I say, this year we just didn't have those things.

None of them - Standing and looking out into a sea of lush white cotton with his son Justin, Clinton is still shocked of how well these past few months when still, still get done tomorrow.

Yeah, - We had, we had good moisture to plant on.

We had some nice rains in May.

We got, got a good stand right off the start.

I mean, even, even September, you know, when we shut the water off, we just had a, had a real warm September, which finished this crop out.

I I, I think it probably added a half a bale to our yields.

Haven't had any rain to speak of since harvest started, which, you know, we always like to have rain for our wheat crops and everything else.

But for cotton harvest, that's, that's good.

- Although Clint's irrigated fields look fantastic, his dry land crop is spotty in some areas, but there is a crop to strip, which is a big change from the past few years.

- Oh, you compare, you can't hardly compare it to last year.

The last three years have been a disaster around here.

'cause we had to, we didn't have any water to irrigate out of.

We irrigate out Altus Lake.

- Even with near perfect growing conditions and honestly the best crop that Clint's ever had, there's still been quite a few challenges this growing season.

Low commodity prices and high input prices have caused quite a few issues.

- Always gotta be a downside.

You know, our price is not good.

The price of cotton is down and, and our inputs cost are, are really, really high right now.

So that's, that's been the biggest challenge.

You know, I I, it's great to have a, have a big crop like this.

It offset some of that, that price.

But that's, that's where, where we're struggling right now - These days.

Clint spends his harvest outside of the picker while his sons and grandchildren get the chance to take over the wheel.

He says the fact that he's able to do this puts the challenges that come with farming into perspective.

- That that's, that's been a real important part of it.

It's just a, it's a truly a family farm.

I've got nine grandkids now, so I don't imagine all of 'em will farm.

But you know, some of 'em will probably wanna follow, follow the tradition that we, that, that my great grandparents started - In Jackson County.

I'm Kurtis Hair.

- Speaking of harvest, we always love covering wheat harvest every year.

And this year it was definitely bittersweet as longtime supporter of the show and a pillar in Oklahoma, agriculture announced his retirement and we got to be in the field with Don Sheber for his last wheat harvest.

- We've, we've had such, such a round with the weather.

It seems like there's something like this happens every year.

It's either too dry or too wet.

You're never happy.

And you know, before it all started raining back in April or March, whenever it was, we were looking at a 20 or 25 bushel wheat crop.

And then the rains came and they kept coming and we were lucky to get any corn planted.

And now it looks like it might be a corn year, but the wheat has really turned around and took off and, and we're looking at a 50 bushel crop in most places now.

And so far this year, if the rain will hold off about another week, we'll most people will be finished and that'll be good.

So we'll be in good shape - Then.

You've had some years, you've been farming a long time.

Tell me about when you started and then you've had some other challenging years.

- Yeah, - From time to time - Grew up, I grew up on a farm.

When I was in the seventh grade, I decided I wanted to be a farmer, so I aimed all my education that way.

And we went through the late eighties where we had 21, 22, 20 3% interest.

Barely survived that.

And we've had floods in 87 that wiped out a lot of our wheat crop.

93, we had a hundred percent hail loss.

And let's see, it was oh seven.

We had so much rain during harvest that we had sprouts a inch long sticking out of the heads of our wheat.

So we didn't harvest anything that year.

It's just been a trial and we just, we just deal with it.

I mean, that's just part of life.

Sure, sure.

You just, you just, you just find a, find good sign somewhere and, and use it.

There's always something good outta something bad.

You just gotta figure it out and find it.

- Right.

And obviously like a challenger, you wouldn't have chose chosen this as your profession.

- Well that's true.

But my hobby was football of course, but I did that for 50 years and as an official and got that over with.

Now my knees told me I was done, so, and now I've got to have another knee surgery after I've had 'em both replaced.

- So you love it, but you made the decision that this is the last year to go at this level.

- Yeah.

When you try to crawl up on a combine or get in a truck and you have a struggle doing it or you can't get on your knees to get underneath something to change the oil, you gotta do something different.

And I don't like hiring people to do that kind of stuff.

I like to do it myself, but when I can't do it anymore then, you know, it's like when I was young I was always upset with the old guys on the wheat commission and the Wheat Growers Association because they never let us young guys give a chance.

Well I turned off of the Wheat commission a couple weeks ago or a month ago, and I had that feeling I was an old guy and it's time to let somebody new get on there with younger ideas and maybe, maybe improve things that what we had going.

- So are you gonna take me for a ride today?

- Absolutely.

- Great, great.

You were telling me about the grandkids love to come ride with you.

- Oh yeah.

I used to farm at Bixby and grew soybeans over there and they would all come down and ride the tractor when I was planting or ride the sprayer when I was spraying or ride the combine.

- There's been a lot to this dawn over all this time.

Your, your service.

Oh yeah.

Your, your clean cleaning wheat seed wheat, the family.

So as your, as you're finishing harvest, what, what do you think you'll, what are you gonna miss the most and what are you gonna look forward to the most?

- Well, I haven't figured that out yet.

- I, time will - Tell.

- Speaking of wheat, we talked to Dr.

Brett Carver about his wheat research throughout the year and Elizabeth and I got to meet up with him in a little bit of a different location and setting earlier this year.

- Yeah, that was really fun being able to go inside the bakery and kind of get the experience of setting that up in a different location.

We normally shoot outside, so sitting down at a table in a bakery, kind of getting all that set up was a really neat experience - And it was kind of hard to concentrate at times because of all the goodies that were behind us in the case.

Yes.

And they were really good.

Alright, let's take a look at a few highlights from that special segment with Dr.

Carver.

Today we're at Persimmon Hill Bakery.

Why this location in particular for our conversation today?

- Couldn't think of a better place and, and I just think it really points out the very fact that we are in the field, actually the business of producing food.

You know, this is not a, a wheat improvement team devoted to just making a crop.

This is making food for everyone to enjoy and this is certainly one of those foods that we would enjoy.

And I just, I, I really like having that as a backdrop.

- Today's conversation, we really wanna center around fiber, which is is something you're focused on, you and the team are focused on right now.

- Correct.

And it's, it's a focus of, of wheat and these baked goods behind us.

There probably is not as much fiber in these food products than would be in say a, a whole wheat loaf of bread.

There are times I wish when I just like everyone else, I love donuts, I wish the donut had a little bit more fiber in it.

And we're actually trying to do something about that.

- We're hearing more about fiber all the time.

Let's talk now about why it's important to incorporate fiber into our, our daily diet.

- Yeah, and I think of two things, two things come to mind to a lot of people in the science area about fiber.

And that is, number one, it slows the rate of digestion.

I'm going to mention this a few times today because that's really important to our health is slowing the rate of digestion of certain carbohydrates and also perhaps even bigger.

It feeds the beneficial bacteria in our gut.

We have to feed those bacteria.

If we don't, we end up getting a less desirable bacterial, bacterial population, which is a less healthy gut.

We're just not consuming enough fiber.

I look at it personally, you know, I wanna make sure I'm getting what is recommended and there's a pretty uniform recommendation for that.

We should be getting as adults, children a little bit less.

We should be getting about 25 grams of fiber in our diet daily.

We only consume on the average 16 grams, so we're nine grams short.

We're only two thirds of the way there.

So we really need to improve that.

And then only 5% of Americans, only 5% of us get that 25 grams.

So there's a lot of room for improvement in our dietary habits, but I think we can also do some things in science to make that more possible, a more realistic goal.

So what can we, as wheat scientists, wheat breeders like me do to enhance that probability?

We consume more fiber from our wheat foods.

And that's, I, that's been a, a driving motivation of this breeding program.

That's not the primary, you know, we're, we're still, we're breeding wheat for farmers to make a living of course, to put enough food on our tables.

We can merely eat anytime we can.

We as scientists can improve the quality of what we eat.

We should take that opportunity.

- We're having a prescribed fire technology fill day, which is trying to showcase equipment ideas and things to help make prescribed burning safer, make it easier.

We've got some vendors that make spray units, pumps different things from around the area as well as across the United States.

Some ignition devices.

Thanks for making fire breaks.

A lot of different kind of aspects to prescribe burning.

- Yeah, it, it's always good to, to learn about new equipment and new technologies that are available and to actually get the hands on to see, touch, feel the whole, you know, if you don't see it, I, I'm a tactile person, so being able to look at it, look at it, and then go see what it's actually done, Johnny on the spot right there in front of you is an excellent opportunity.

- When fire was taken away from this system, that's when we start getting this eastern red cedar invasion.

We start getting the brush coming up, the, the desired species not being here anymore.

And with that we're also having issues with safety.

Look at California right now for example, they're burning up because the brush has infested areas so much around the communities that there is no area to fight the fires.

- Fire can benefit livestock production, fire benefits, the plant community, fire benefits, wildlife using fire can have an impact on water quality and quantity by again reducing a lot of that woody plants and stuff that intercept a lot of that rainfall.

- If prescribed burning has so many benefits, why don't more people do it?

- People are scared of the unknown.

I mean that's human nature.

We we're kind of resistant to what we know.

And then also there's been things throughout your life that you've been taught Smokey the bear taught you that fire's bad.

And so people believe that and, and it shouldn't be, - It's important that these people here that's really never been involved in it.

So they can see there's plenty of people out here that have used it and it works and you can, it can be done safely.

- Getting involved in a local prescribed burn association also helps.

- So what a prescribed burn association is is where a group of people in a community or an area get together.

They pull their, their labor, they pull their equipment, they help each other burn.

- So you have people you can rely on, all people with the same goal of improving the land can get together and you can achieve so much more.

So it's important the more you can get into a, in that group, the more you can get done.

So - The bigger the burns we can do, the more efficient they are.

You know, you can get more done.

If you're gonna go out and set a fire, you might as well be burning it all instead of just patches.

And so if you can get several ranchers to come together and put their ranches into one burn plan, you can get a lot more done with your bang for the buck.

- And when a community comes together for a common goal, that goal is often accomplished.

A sense of unity that fosters growth, learning, and ultimately a more productive ecosystem for Sunup at Oklahoma State University.

I'm Elizabeth Hokit - And Elizabeth actually produced and edited that piece.

What was that like for you?

- Yeah, it was really cool to see the community coming together, sharing the technology and the information to take care of the land in their communities.

- Wonderful.

All right.

And now we wanna pause for a few words from our OSU Agriculture Vice President and Dean, Dr.

Jason Lusk.

- Thanks to everyone for supporting OSU agriculture.

We've had a wonderful year.

We've had record enrollment in the Ferguson College of Agriculture and we're proud of the many accomplishments of our students.

Two students at OSU are national FFA officers this year, including the national FFA President.

We have a national championship lifestyle judging team, a national championship horse judging team, and a runner up national champion meets judging team out at the agronomy farm.

We continue to think about the future in what investments we need to make sure we can support farmers and ranchers throughout the state.

We're excited about building new facilities that can support our wheat improvement team.

We're proud of that team for producing varieties that are growing on 70% of the acres in Oklahoma.

And of course we're interested in the agronomics side of our wheat industry.

We're also interested in new varieties that have health and taste characteristics that we think consumers will find appealing as well.

Thank you to all the farmers and ranchers across the state.

It's a privilege to work alongside you as you work to feed and clothe people in Oklahoma, the United States and all across the world.

We look forward to working with you as we make food more affordable, safer, tastier and healthier.

- Our favorite sunup intern, Audra Boyer joins us now and Audra does a lot of work week in and wait week out behind the scenes filming and editing.

But you also recently got to do your own package, kind of start to finish.

What was that like for you?

- It was an amazing opportunity to go and do my own story and it just helped me out a lot.

Being able to be trusted by these two and get to do my own story and it was a really great time.

- Okay, great.

Let's take a look at a few highlights.

Well this is a brand new program for Payne County and so we were exploring some ideas of how we could promote the, the beef industry as a whole in a positive light.

So this is a start to finish.

These kiddos, you know, purchased or had ranch raised steers from home.

And so we weighed 'em, had an initial weight in May, they fed 'em out for 150 days.

And during that time we had different educational programs, you know, about nutrition, about genetics, about carcass value and quality, different things like that.

The last program they get to actually evaluate their, their carcasses here.

- It's been really insightful.

I learned a lot definitely just with feeding and rationing and just waking up and taking care of animals in the morning.

I live on the farm so I do a lot with the butcher cattle and the pairs.

- You know, you put a lot of effort into nutrition and genetics and, and the raising of livestock.

- Joel Jackson is the program director and meat plant manager at the Robert M Curve Food and Agricultural Product Center at OSU.

- But ultimately getting able to, to see the full picture, seeing the, the fruits of their labor, if you will, see what type of product that they produce.

I think that's very rewarding personally, but also on a, on a individual basis in terms of education to see how those changes and how those improvements can be made not only from an individual student but also even as a collective group of producers.

- Finally today we wanna focus on a story that really touched all of our hearts, but was especially near and dear for Kurtis.

- Yeah.

I got to travel down to Laford County to see a special needs livestock show that OSU extension put on for special needs kids and their families.

And I have a special needs daughter Harper and you know, getting to see something, an event like that is just really, really good.

'cause a lot of times there's not a lot of opportunities for parents like us and so it's just a really great story.

- Alright, let's take a look.

- Fairgrounds are a special place.

Thousands of warm memories that will eventually settle into nostalgia are made in these exhibit buildings all over the state.

And that's no different here at the Lafore County fairgrounds though today these memories are gonna be extra special for everyone involved.

- This is a, a program that's been started for special needs students to be able to get involved in something that is amazing.

- Justin Kennedy is the superintendent for Lafore County Public Schools He says this is the second year for the section of this livestock show and it's a wonderful opportunity for these kids.

Let's - Give Kara a round of applause.

These kids get a opportunity that they have special needs that they may not be involved in anything and they can get out here and show an animal today, have a lot of fun and, and get some exposure.

Maybe find something that they like and want to get involved with.

- Nearly 90 special needs students from all over Lafore county are showing today.

Each competitor has a volunteer waiting for them with an animal ready to show a trip around the ring with nonstop encouragement from everyone here.

And it wouldn't be a livestock show without a prize.

- And we've grown.

Last year we had 80 kids, so I'm hopeful that we just keep growing this program.

- Leanna Palmer is an OSU extension AG Educator for Lafore County.

And this was her idea to put this event into action.

- Yeah, so as the AG educator, I do school enrichment across our county.

LeFlore County is a really large county.

We serve about 17 schools.

And so getting in those classrooms, I immediately saw a need.

I met with these special needs kids.

I actually take farm animals into the school and I saw these kids' reactions and how excited they were and how they were so engaging with what I was trying to teach them.

Just having that animal as part of the program and that's, that's really how I got the idea.

I wanted to meet them where they were at.

I didn't want them to feel like they had to change where we had to make it difficult for them.

I wanted this to be completely inclusive for them and I wanted them to have a moment where they were in the spotlight.

They're the only one in the ring.

We read what's special about them, what's important to them, and it's just their - Moment there.

There are so few things for kids with special needs to get involved in and it's really focused on them.

And so I think this is extremely important to have something for kids that can grab a hold of something in life and and really find something that they enjoy and like.

And so many kids with special needs, they really love animals.

- And this is something that Justin knows a lot about, not just as a superintendent or an educator as a parent.

- To be able to see your kid be excited and want to be involved in something like this.

It's incredible.

- One thing about the ag community is we are all very inclusive and we're all very supportive.

And I think when you come here, that's just so evident.

You see that everybody is excited about it.

Everybody wants to support these kids and it's a very heartwarming program - For pain.

McAllister today was a big day because she loves spending time with animals, especially pigs.

What's your animal's name?

- I forgot what dogs.

Oh, Lily socks is my thing.

High five, - Let's go.

And pistol Pete is cool and all, but he wasn't the most important person in attendance.

And who did you meet today?

Nina.

Ninth grader.

Leanna says she hopes this livestock show can inspire other county educators and community organizers to start their own events.

Because at the end of the day it's all about inclusion.

And that goes a long ways.

I'm happy.

I'm happy for you.

Good job, Peyton.

- Boom.

That'll do it for our show this week.

We've certainly enjoyed looking back at some of our favorite stories and segments from throughout the year.

Thank you all for being here today and for all that you do day in and day out to, to put sun up on the air each week.

And of course a special thank you to our viewers for being with us throughout the year.

And now here's our annual gift to you at the holidays.

The best of Sunup bloopers.

Happy.

Happy holidays.

Happy holidays.

Hello.

Let's take a look back.

We do this for you all the time.

All the time.

Sit, burn, pooping.

Look.

- Got you twice.

- I just got pooped on.

We're here now with our OSU extension.

Wait, what's your title?

Alright, I'm rolling.

Whenever you're - Ready.

Good morning, Oklahoma.

It's May - Sh you know when Spencer, some of his first words when he was tiny Mommy, no.

Sing.

- Tell us a little bit about what you're planning to do in retirement and all like the things that you, equipment and I don't even know what gonna say actually.

- I'm just make sure that nothing we have taped is safe.

Please go back and delete.

- You mean we can't use it for fun?

- No, no, no.

Delete it all.

What cotton say?

Corn.

You could a story that was really, - Maybe we'll just turn the camera on again.

How's my face and everything?

How's this look?

Okay.

Happy holidays.

Happy holidays.

Oh, I didn't do that.

Elizabeth, what'd you do out Mitch Aala.

Mitchell Alala.

Mitchell Alcala.

Mitchell Alcala.

Mitchell Alcala.

I'm terrible at pronouncing it.

Mitchell Alcala.

Mitchell Alcala.

Mitchell Alcala.

And we leave you today with our chief photographer, Mitch lc.

Mitch Alcala.

Mitch Alcala.

Mitchell Alcala.

Mitchell Alcala.

God, this is gonna take forever for Mitchell Alcala, who we, it's Alcala, right?

Yeah.

Okay.

Happy bloopers.

I mean happy bloopers.

Happy Holidays.