By Mandy Gross
FAPC Communications Services Manager

(Stillwater, Okla. – Aug. 26, 2013) An agricultural producer is the newest addition to an advisory board representing Oklahoma State University’s Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center.

Appointed by the vice president, dean and director of OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Scott Dvorak, owner and operator of Dvorak Farms in Perry, Okla., joins the 16-member Industry Advisory Committee to help oversee the center’s mission and vision.

“I am looking forward to the opportunity to be a part of this committee and to learn more about the advisory board and center,” Dvorak said.

Dvorak is no stranger to FAPC or being involved in agricultural industry groups. Dvorak is a past attendee of the popular Beef Quality Summit, sponsored by the Oklahoma Beef Council, FAPC and OSU. He also is a member of the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Dean’s Advisory Council and a past chair of the Oklahoma Beef Council board.

Dvorak recently visited the center and met with FAPC Director Roy Escoubas, administrators from OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, center faculty and staff, and the current advisory board chair. The Aug. 20 visit also included a tour of the FAPC facility.

“I’m glad to be here and be involved in the committee,” Dvorak said during the visit. “I’m very passionate about production agriculture and agriculture in general. We think more about the end product now than we used to, and facilities, like FAPC, make that come to reality.”

Dvorak Farms is a diversified operation with about 3,400 acres used for raising wheat, corn and soybeans, and operating a 200-head commercial cowherd with breeding program and 500 head of stocker cattle.

With the entry of Dvorak’s son, Justin, as a full-time employee of the farm in 2011 following his graduation from OSU, the Dvorak Farm has increased the best practices focus and has increased profitability of the operation.

The farm constantly measures its success by watching the debt-to-asset ratio, the increase in net income and reduction of production expenses. Extensive computerized records have allowed the farm to optimize productivity and profitability as it considers weather conditions, crops, fertilizer applications, livestock and other prevailing conditions.

Also, during Dvorak’s visit to FAPC, he met with the chair of FAPC’s Industry Advisory Committee, Paul Schatte. One of the main topics during the discussion was the focus on food safety.

With a growing demand for safe, quality food products, food-industry companies are engaging in food-safety programs. With the support of its Industry Advisory Committee, FAPC recognized the need and established a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) program to provide services to meet the food safety and security needs of Oklahoma’s food industry.

“The Industry Advisory Committee wants FAPC to be in a leading position in the area of food safety,” Schatte said.

Being an agricultural producer, Dvorak understands the need.

“Food safety is huge,” Dvorak said. “I can produce as much as I want, but it won’t do any good without food safety.”

Dvorak will join the other advisory board members during their next biannual meeting in November.

“Mr. Dvorak has been an aggressively progressive farm and ranch owner and manager, and his very active involvement with trade associations, local civic groups and Oklahoma State University has kept him and the farm at the top of business,” Escoubas said. “His extensive knowledge in production agriculture will bring a wealth of information that will help the mission and vision of the center.”

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Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant system of interdisciplinary programs that prepares students for success. OSU is America’s Brightest Orange. Through leadership and service, OSU is preparing students for a bright future and building a brighter world for all. As Oklahoma’s only university with a statewide presence, OSU improves the lives of people in Oklahoma, the nation and the world through integrated, high-quality teaching, research and outreach. OSU has more than 36,000 students across its five-campus system and more than 24,000 on its combined Stillwater and Tulsa campuses, with students from all 50 states and around 120 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 245,000 students to serve Oklahoma, the nation and the world.