The Jody and Paula Sloan family of Vian has been nominated for the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Farm Family of the Year.

The award will be presented at the Farm Bureau convention in November, and the winning family will receive an all-expense paid trip to the American Farm Bureau Federation Convention in January and the use of a new Dodge pickup truck for one year.

Jody Sloan has been involved in farming for 25 years.

In the application he wrote, "My grandparents moved to the Arkansas River bottoms in Oklahoma in the 1930s to an area known as Sandtown. Over the next 40 yeas, they survived floods and droughts.

"In 1968 the U.S. Corps of Engineers bought the land for flood control, and built a lock and dam system. The Corps then gave the land to the National Wildlife Department to be used as a game refuge."

Sloan goes on to say that a partnership formed between the refuge managers and farmers with the agreement that farmers would leave one-quarter of their crops for wildlife if allowed to continue farming in the rich bottomland.

"In 1976 my parents had the opportunity to return home and buy the 450-acre farm from my grandparents. In 1982 I returned from college to farm full time in partnership with my father."

That partnership constitutes the third generation of Sloan family farming in Sandtown Bottoms.

"In 1987, I married my wife, Paula, and we continue living in Vian, raising our three children," Sloan said.

The Sloans' children are Seth Allen Sloan, 19, Sydney Michelle Sloan, 16, and Sylas Charles Sloan, 13.

Sloan said his current farming operations include a total of 920 acres, with 300 acres in corn, 270 acres in soybeans and 60 acres in double-cropped wheat in Sandtown Bottoms in the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, south of Vian.

"We also farm 175 acres of wheat and 175 acres of soybeans on upland prairie ground," Sloan wrote.

In the application, Sloan writes about the innovative farming practices he uses to improve his property and yield.

"Erosion on our upland was a major problem until we started a 100 percent no-till program of planting, spraying herbicides and applying popup fertilizer on our no-till corn all in one trip. This conserves fuel, reducing wear and prolonging the life of our equipment," Sloan writes. "We also practice crop rotation of corn, wheat and soybeans, guaranteeing an ample supply of organic matter and maintaining a high level of fertility. We have practiced maximum no-till for the past 15 years."

Sloan's responsibilities in the family's farming operation include planting, tillage, crop management, equipment maintenance, harvesting and transporting crops, marketing and financial decisions and record keeping.

His wife, Paula, supplements the farm income by working at Vian Public School as an English teacher and cheerleader coach. She also helps with marketing, correspondence and major farm decisions.

Sloan writes, "My father is still an equal and integral part of our farm operation. Our oldest son is a farm hand, helping with ground preparation and harvesting when needed. Our other children help mainly with the equipment by cleaning and maintaining it as needed."

He also explains, "My farming situation is unique because of farming in a national wildlife refuge. Most herbicides are restricted. However, by planting round-up ready soybeans we maintain a clean crop and adhere to guideline restrictions."

He adds that he also plants black-eyed peas around his crops, which provides an alternate food source for deer and other wildlife and keeps them out of the crops.

"Our goals are to maintain our 100-percent no-till practice," Sloan writes. "Other goals include increasing yields and fertility by rotation of corn, wheat, and soybeans on our no-till land. We have also begun using chicken litter to increase our nitrogen and micro-nutrients to meet our goal of reducing the use of conventional fertilizers."

Sloan credits no-till farming and using GMO soybeans and round-up ready corn for his successful farming operation. He said fuel and herbicide expenses have been reduced by 30 to 40 percent.

"I definitely feel that our farming operation is successful because it provides a living for two families," he writes.

Jody and Paula Sloan are also involved in farming-related and community activities. Sloan said he and his wife were involved in the Young Farmers and Ranchers program, which he served as the state board chairman, vice chairman and reporter. Both served as committee members and Jody Sloan served on the Young Farmers and Ranchers state resolutions committee.

Both attend legislative events sponsored by the Sequoyah County Farm Bureau.

The family attends Life Church and is involved in church and community events. Both are committee members on the Vian Community Charitable Trust, an organization which helped develop a sports complex and other events in the town, and for which Jody Sloan served as a director. He also served as president and vice president of the Youth Football and Baseball League and is a member of the Quarterback Club. Paula Sloan is a member of the Vian Junior Miss Committee, is a board advisory member of the Oklahoma Cheerleaders Coaches Association, served as president of the Vian Youth League Cheerleaders and as a board member for the Vian Community Charitable Trust.

Jody Sloan concludes the application with his thoughts on family farming. He writes, "Small-family farming is the backbone of Oklahoma agriculture. Family is why our farm continues to operate successfully. I am a third generation farmer, farming the same bottomland that my grandfather farmed. I hope that my sons or daughter will one day be able to continue to carry on the family tradition and love of the land that my grandfather and dad have instilled in me. I feel that as head of my farming operation, it is vital to make informed agricultural decisions. I know the importance of political and legislative involvement. I know I can make a difference by staying involved in organizations like Farm Bureau, which is a strong voice for farmers.

"Our family farm has survived major floods, incorporation into a national wildlife refuge and severe droughts. Throughout these hardships we have struggled to stay strong as a farm family, refusing to sell out because of our strong belief that what we are producing is important to the overall health and security of our country. My wife helps support my desire to farm by supplementing our income by working as a teacher. My children help out on the farm as needed, but they have also held outside jobs, earning money and using it to help the family.

"Our small farm is the epitome of Oklahoma agriculture," Sloan concluded.