Growing up on the family’s small cow/calf operation just outside Skiatook, Okla., Kara Goodknight and her three sisters each participated in showing cattle with the local FFA chapter.
Being involved with FFA led her to pursue a degree from Oklahoma State University. “My sisters before me all went to OSU as well, but I chose the university’s animal science program and that’s where Cody and I met,” she said happily.
Goodknight had shown livestock through high school and college. She was on the National Hereford Board while at OSU and was actively involved with the livestock shows. “So, when the opportunity came to work to with the Tulsa State Fair’s ag department, I chose that.”
As ag coordinator for the Tulsa State Fair, Goodknight was at the helm of its 11-day ag show. With 4-H, FFA and open exhibitors, judges and hundreds of volunteers helping synchronize the five arenas at the annual event. The show brings approximately 20,000 animals and close to 4,000 exhibitors to the fairgrounds. She and members of the staff helped coordinate the competitions and even worked with local hotels to book lodging for the visitors.
“There’s lots of planning and moving parts getting all of those animals through there,” she said. “A lot of logistics go into it.”
After a 10-year long-distance courtship, she and Cody were married. She relocated to his family’s 6,000 acre farm in Chattanooga, Okla. While he manages all the farming and planting schedules and works cattle, she prefers to be more focused on the cattle operation of the fifth-generation farm.
Giving back to the ag community, Mrs. Goodknight continues to help the ag program at the Tulsa State Fair as well as the Oklahoma Youth Expo in March at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds. She also volunteers her time with the Southwest District Livestock Show at the Grady County Fairgrounds in Chickasha.
Educating people about the importance agriculture plays in everyday life is important she said. “We want the general public to come in, walk through the barns, and understand what farmers and ranchers do to feed and clothe the world. Most people are two to three generations removed from the farm, so they may not know what’s happening in agriculture and may have no understanding of where their food and clothes come from.”
Goodknight explained that the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association and other entities in the ag industry advocate for farmers and ranchers. Those “lobbyists understand that many in the ag community simply don’t have time to go to the capitol” and visit with policymakers “who make the laws that are affecting our livelihood. Our ag community has to come together and support one another,” she said.
Both Goodknights serve on the board for Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers, Comanche County Young Farmers and Ranchers and are Farm Bureau members.
Mrs. Goodknight is also a board member for the Comanche County Saddle & Sirloin Club. The organization’s key fundraising event is its four-day Spring Livestock Show and Premium Sale which generates approximately $300,000 to help 4-H and FFA members with projects and college scholarships for Comanche County students. She is on the board for the Tri-County Cattlemen’s Association, serving Comanche, Cotton and Tillman counties. She is also a member of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association and Lawton Business Women.
After working with a financial services company for few years, in November 2019, Goodknight joined the Farm Bureau team as the first financial advisor in the state. Working alongside Oklahoma Farm Bureau Insurance Agents, Goodknight looks for ways to protect clients’ investments and safeguard their legacies. Many of her clients are involved in the ag community which she enjoys.
“Joining Farm Bureau has been a great fit for me,” she said. “Teaming with the agents to help enhance the clients’ Farm Bureau experience has been extremely rewarding. The people I work with are typically just good people from rural communities. It’s also important for people to know you do not have to farm to do business with Farm Bureau. I am able to help anyone in Oklahoma with their investment needs.”
While the recent coronavirus outbreak continues to alter lives around the globe, Goodknight finds a small silver lining: the public’s dependence on agriculture has come to light. In the beef market, “Local farmers now have a waiting list of people wanting to purchase processed beef from us,” she said. “And there’s been a lot of people at farmers markets looking for a local source for ag products. The interests [in local agriculture] are growing and have started to get back to where it used to be, that’s for sure.”
While agriculture is her true passion, Goodknight hopes southwestern Oklahoma’s future includes more careers in all sectors.
“When I moved down here, I wanted something agrelated,” concluded Goodknight. “Whether that be insurance, feed sales, or whatever, I wanted to be involved with the ag industry. There are some agricultural opportunities and different avenues here, but we need jobs from all industries to attract more people.”