Student-Led Hay Drive Supports Farmers After Wildfire

By Taleen HannaPublished On: July 2nd, 20260.2 min readCategories: The FeedTags: Community Service, hay, living to serve, Oklahoma, waynoka, wildfire

Members of the Waynoka FFA Chapter in Oklahoma recognized an opportunity to help after thousands were forced to evacuate as fires damaged homes and farms.

Recognizing a Need

Recognizing a Need

High winds and low humidity sparked wildfires in Oklahoma early February, spreading quickly into western Oklahoma and parts of Kansas. Thousands were forced to evacuate, and the fires damaged homes and farms.

Members of the Waynoka FFA Chapter in Oklahoma recognized an opportunity to help those in need. Waynoka FFA officer Reagan Wilson saw that people were posting online about the fires and brought the idea of organizing a hay drive to the chapter officer team.

Short Notice

Tough Competition

Waynoka FFA had previously held a few hay drives, but this one needed to come together in just a few days. Local families and community members pitched in to make it happen.

“There were some other local farmers and ranchers who helped us gather hay,” says Waynoka FFA officer Chanan Wyatt.

She created an advertisement for the chapter’s Facebook page, and says that a lot of local people shared it and started donating.

Off to Oklahoma

Off to Oklahoma

In total, Waynoka FFA collected 52 round bales that were used in the northwestern Oklahoma Panhandle.

“Watching the hay being taken away was the most relieving feeling ever, because it was kind of stressful to organize it all,” Wyatt says.

It was also moving.

“It made me tear up a little bit…knowing that all those bales were going to be helping someone who was probably stressing out a lot,” she says.

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