JE Ranch Foundation
Sponsors of the Commercial Heifer Show
“Improving Wildlife Habitat, Promoting Responsible Agricultural Practices and
Assisting and Educating Youth and Families”

The JE Ranch is nestled in the Oklahoma plains near Blanchard, Oklahoma, comprised of approximately 2,500 contiguous acres of ground dedicated to the proliferation of wildlife habitat and complimentary agricultural practices. The JE Ranch Foundation is an IRC 501 (c) (3) private operating foundation who has devoted a portion of their charitable mission to advance the education of youth. The foundation first came on board with the Oklahoma Youth Expo in 2002 as sponsors of the Commercial Heifer Show. Today, you will still find them there, proudly sponsoring this show and supporting young people with cash awards, Commercial Heifer showmanship contest and a scholarship program.

The JE Ranch was organized in 1996 by Scott and Anne W. Richey Family and Mr. and Mrs. John B. Wotten Jr. The foundation was named in memory of a family ranching operation. During the time of organization, the Blanchard area was beginning to boom with urban development. Many small and large farms and ranches in the area had been parceled and sold. It appeared that the wildlife habitat was not being considered in light of economic gain and agriculture was no longer profitable in light of the gains to be made in parceling and developing acreages into housing or commercial lots. It was with this concern and understanding; the Richey and Wotten Families took up their shield and amour and began to preserve the land and habitat in a way which will never be changed. Their concern did not end with preservation of the land; they extended it into wildlife conservation, education proper agricultural practices and social and family programs. Reaching out to people of all ages with diverse backgrounds is a major focus of the JE Ranch Foundation. Assisting individuals and families in a wide range of areas, helping them to gain from the most complex and crucial life skills to the simplest need of food and clothing; all in the Christian spirit and helping to create an essential base.

The mission of the JE Ranch Foundation was deliberately composed as a broad, yet simple, objective to improve wildlife, promote responsible agriculture and assist and educate youth and families. This sweeping objective has allowed the foundation to make contributions in areas that could not have been foreseen at the time of the organization’s inception. Through this broad scope the JE Ranch is able to identify areas of need and provide assistance in many diverse areas. The JE Ranch partners with state and federal government agencies and their representatives to accomplish many wildlife and environmental goals for the ranch. The JE Ranch also networks with area farmers and ranchers to collect and share information concerning effective practices.

During the Oklahoma Youth Expo, the JE Ranch sponsors the Commercial Breeding Heifer Show. As well as offering cash awards to class winners, the JE Ranch sponsors a Commercial Heifer Showmanship Contest and a JE Ranch Scholarship. This scholarship is open to all Commercial Heifer exhibitors. The award for the scholarship winner is his/her choice of any heifer calf or steer from the JE Ranch progressive breeding program. A weaned calf from this scholarship will be worth approximately $2,500 to $5,000. The scholarship allocation requires a written essay to be submitted with the form. Fifty percent of the scholarship consideration is attributed to financial need. Scholarship applications will be available at the Oklahoma Youth Expo. A few of the many programs available at the JE Ranch are Wildlife Habitat, Soil Conservation, Cattle Program, Youth and Family Program, Nature Trail, Fishing Outing and Clinics, Quail Hunting with Dogs and No Firearms Education, Farm and Ranch Management, and Parent/Child Outings just to name a few. To learn about the many additional programs and opportunities available with the JE Ranch Foundation, contact the administrative office at (405) 485-9710 or via e-mail at jeranch@att.net