There’s a Bible verse that commands children to honor their fathers and mothers. It’s the only one of the 10 Commandments that comes with a promised blessing – that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
Well, it was with great pleasure that I got to honor my own father recently. John H. Pfeiffer Jr. is this year’s recipient of the Governor’s Outstanding Achievement in Agriculture Award and the 28th inductee into the Oklahoma Agriculture Hall of Fame.
I recognized Mr. Pfeiffer, or dad as I have to call him, with a citation on the House floor. The fact that I got to confer this citation on Ag Day at the Capitol made the event all the sweeter.
My dad has been involved in agriculture his whole life as a fourth-generation Oklahoma farmer and rancher. In high school, he was involved in 4-H and won the state tractor-driving contest. He got to take the train to the National 4-H Congress in Chicago in 1969.
After graduating from Mulhall-Orlando High School just a few years after the two schools combined, he went on to attend Oklahoma State University. There, he was on the 1975 Livestock Judging Team. He got to judge the last contest in Chicago before they moved the International Livestock Judging Contest to Louisville.
My dad was a science teacher and taught at both Guthrie and then Mulhall-Orlando High School for 30 years before retiring and taking a seat on the School Board.
When my grandfather retired and dispersed the family cattle herd in 2001, dad had 50 cows and 300 acres. Since then, he’s grown that 10-fold. Along the way, he served as president of the American Angus Association from 2010 to 2019, helping the association navigate through some very rough years. He chaired the Certified Angus Beef (CAB) Board in 2017, the year the board saw its first billion pounds of sales.
He’s noted for helping to ensure Oklahoma ranchers are at the forefront of the global beef industry, maintaining the state’s strong agricultural legacy. He’s led advancements in technology like in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. His long list of accomplishments include earning CAB’s Ambassador Award in 2021 and being recognized as Oklahoma Farm Bureau District 3 Farm and Ranch Family of the Year in 2023.
Needless to say, I’ve learned a lot from my dad, and I’m immensely proud of all he’s accomplished. It was quite an honor for me to be the one to get to recognize him at the Capitol on Ag Day.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t also make note of my mother Gaye’s contributions to our family and our farm and cattle operation. She’s the real boss. She just lets the John Pfeiffers think the work is our idea.
It’s an honor to serve the folks of House District 38. As always, if you have concerns about bills, or problems I can assist you in solving, please reach out to me at [email protected] or call my office at 405-557-7332.
John Pfeiffer serves District 38 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes Grant County and parts of Garfield, Kay, Logan and Noble counties.
