Oklahoma FFA chapter delivers hay to fire-stricken cattle country

Waynoka FFA members are helping Oklahoma wildfire victims by organizing a community-wide hay donation drive to support ranchers and farmers who lost grazing land and feed in last week’s fires.

Wildfires fueled by extreme winds tore across the region with gusts near and in some areas exceeding 60 mph. One of the largest fires originated in Beaver County, Oklahoma, before crossing into Kansas, with separate blazes burning tens of thousands of acres and traveling as far as 65 miles. 

In total, over 310,000 acres were decimated in Oklahoma last month, with containment fluctuating. Wildfires can move at speeds approaching 20 to 25 miles per hour, often leaving ranchers with little time to choose between saving homes or livestock. Some ranchers lost upwards of 70 cow-calf pairs in a single pasture — a devastating financial and emotional blow as cattle markets remain strong.

With grazing land destroyed and fencing burned away, the need for livestock feed became immediate. That’s where Waynoka FFA students stepped in. After seeing the urgent need across northwest Oklahoma, students from Waynoka Public Schools began reaching out locally and using social media to coordinate donations and connect willing donors with producers who need help.

For the students, the effort is rooted in neighbor helping neighbor. “I think a lot of people locally just wanted to reach out and start the process of helping everyone,” Chanan Wyatt, an FFA student and junior at Waynoka Public Schools, told KFOR.

As the group spotted others offering hay online, they worked to turn individual offers into a coordinated response. “There were multiple people who had already reached out wanting to donate hay, and we saw that on social media, and we thought this would be a good idea to make this a big group,” Wyatt said.

Image screenshot courtesy of KFOR Oklahoma News 4

Students said the project is personal as well as practical. “I always want to help people because it makes me feel good and also makes them feel good that they are getting help that they need,” said Rhiata Bouziden, Senior FFA student at Waynoka Public Schools.

Local farmers and producers have also stepped in, donating hay and equipment to help the students collect and load bales for delivery. Danny Schmidt, a local farmer quoted by local news later clarified how the hay donation was shared and said he wanted to make sure others received credit as well.

“I told this reporter that Kalei and I donate half of this hay, and Steve and Leslie Nutter the other half. This story sounds like I donated all of it, so I would like to apologize to them for being left out. I would also like to thank the Waynoka FFA for making this happen,” Schmidt said.

With hay bales weighing about 1,100 pounds each and able to feed up to 20 to 30 cows a day, the donations provide immediate, essential relief for livestock owners rebuilding after the fires.

After several days of collection, the students loaded the hay and prepared shipments headed to the Oklahoma Panhandle and other hard-hit areas.

“We all come together and support each other who are in need,” said Rholton Bouziden, Senior FFA student at Waynoka Public Schools. The FFA chapter plans to keep accepting hay donations for as long as there is a need, as wildfire recovery continues across the region.

In addition to efforts like Waynoka FFA’s hay donation, both the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association and the Kansas Livestock Association are collecting funds, hay, and supplies to be distributed to fire victims across several counties.

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