2021 was a huge year for OPGA! Thank you to each of our members for making our favorite moments from this year possible and for being part of this incredible community.
We started the year by launching our new website! We wanted a site that is all about our members! One of our favorite pages is the event page. It allowed our members to quickly see all upcoming OPGA events and other industry events in one stop. Next is the resources page, which is a hub for valuable resources that help our member's pecan orchards thrive.
Two months later, we announced our 2021 Annual Convention & Trade Show. Our biggest one to date! We had over 200 people join us in Tulsa. Everyone loved getting to see each other in person once again and there wasn't a quiet corner in the building.
We had some terrific entries in the 2020 State Pecan Show, especially considering many growers had limited crops due to the freeze. Congratulations to our 2020 winners: Ray Purdy, Best in Show, Joe Ihle, Champion Native, Dick Hoffman, Largest Pecan & Highest % Kernel.
The 2021 Pecan Food Show was a hit! But the highlight of the evening was the Food Show auction. We had grandpas competing against grandkids for some goodies and an auctioneer who couldn't stop teasing about a slice missing from the pies. All the entry recipes went into our 2021 food show cookbook, available for purchase on our website.
Over 100 people joined our fall Field Day in Ada this year at Bryant Pecan Farms. We learned about strategies for insects and disease, weed control in native groves, insurance, management and more. A HUGE thank you to the Bryant family for hosting! A lot of preparation and work went in behind the scenes to get the orchard ready and we appreciate everything they did to host.
We ended the year by launching our pecan services map, a project our board has been planning for months. We wanted a map where anyone can easily find companies that offer pecan-specific services. We already have almost 50 companies sharing what they have to offer.
To all our members - thank you for partnering with us during this crazy year. It means so much to us that we get to walk alongside you to help your businesses prosper.
Here's to a wonderful 2022!