Banker's Awards

The Nunley Farms, owned by Dennis and Shanna Nunley was established in 2001. The Nunleys run a commercial cow/calf operation with registered Angus. The Nunleys have an operating conservation plan and participate in the EQIP program. Some conservation practices they have established include planting bermuda grass buffers adjacent to cropland, waterways have been maintained and 4195 feet of new terraces were constructed. Additionally, prescribed grazing and brush management have been utilized on rented lands.

Okmulgee County is the proud host of one of the oldest running Banker's Awards programs in the state of Oklahoma. The awards program was began as a way to publicly honor those land owners who were putting conservation practices to use on the ground. In the early 1940's the common conservation practices were terracing and the planting of beltways. Today common conservation practices are no-till-drilling and pasture planting. While the techniques have changed, the theme of good stewardship has not.

At the 2008 Banquet held this past November, OCCD chose two cooperators to honor for their work: The Nunley Farms south of Morris and Prescott and Charla Davis of Okmulgee.

The Prescott and Charla Davis Ranch located in Western Okmulgee County in the Nuyaka Area is Commercial Cow-calf operation started in 1995. The Davis's purchased part of the Smith Ranch in 2002. The Davis Ranch is mostly native range and hay lands with small areas of Bermuda grass. The Davis's have conducted brush management was accomplished using a combination of prescribed burning, herbicide control and tree shearing, built cross-fencing to allow native pastures rest, and constructed and fenced ponds and installed freeze proof tanks. The Davis's have also participated in OCCD's program with DEQ to reclaim oil damaged lands. A Cane Creek Watershed lake is located on the Morris place