Kerr Center RMA Projects: 2007 in Review
For the past few years, the Kerr Center has conducted some of
its events and programs in partnership with the Risk Management
Agency (RMA) of the United States Department of Agriculture.
There’s a natural fit between the two organizations.
The Kerr Center’s mission is “to assist in developing
sustainable food and farming systems.”
The RMA’s role, meanwhile, is “to help producers manage
their business risks through effective, market based risk management
solutions.”
The better equipped farmers and ranchers are to manage the inherent
risks of agriculture, the more likely they’ll be to remain
in business and on the land – and thus, the more sustainable
their farming will be.
Such common tactics can include things like improved marketing,
energy efficiency, and on-farm processing of raw farm products
(for example, turning cattle into steaks or wheat into flour).
All of those, and more, figured in this year’s array of
events and programming. Here’s a quick summary, with
samples of media coverage and links to more detailed information:
Basic Skills Workshops – May 12th (Poteau),
June 16th (Lawton), June 30th (Warner), Sep. 15th (Enid)
For the second year running, these workshops familiarized
new, continuing, and would-be agriculturalists with fundamental
farming know-how. This year’s workshops took place
all around the state, in Poteau, Warner, Lawton, and Enid.
Meat Goat Field Day – June 2nd
To keep farmers abreast of Oklahoma’s booming
meat goat industry, the Kerr Center teamed up with OSU Extension
for this informational session on raising, fencing, and marketing
goats.
“Growing
Goats”
Field Notes, Spring 2007
“J&S
Farm Hosts Meat Goat Workshop”
Field Notes, Summer 2007
OSU Extension’s Basic Meat Goat Manual is scheduled to
be released on November 1st, and will be available for $10 per
copy. The manuals will be for sale at the goat
conference in Ada on Nov. 2-3.
Natural Farms Field Day – June 12th
Keeping a focus on the importance of local processing,
as well as production, of food, this workshop gave Tulsa’s
Natural Farms a forum for educating the public about its farm,
processing plant, and retail store and restaurant operations.
“Natural
Growth, Local Success”
Field Notes, Spring 2007
Direct Marketing Workshop – Aug. 2nd
Tulsa-area vegetable growers and CSA operators
Emily Oakley and Mike Appel will be among the first to point
out that growing produce is only half the battle. This
workshop highlighted their experiences and expertise in the second
part: direct marketing to customers.
“Pair's
farm has strong backing”
Rod Walton
Tulsa World
Wednesday, August 8th, 2007
“The
Field Is Just the Beginning”
Field Notes, Summer 2007
Biofuels:
Could They Benefit Your Farming Operation? – Aug.
3rd
With energy costs climbing ever higher, a pair
of major strategies for reducing the risks in agriculture are
to use less energy, and to produce more of what is used from
the farm itself. This conference brought together farmers
and researchers with expertise in those areas, to share their
knowledge with others.
Dollar$ and Sense: Oklahoma Grazing Lands Conference – Aug.
16th
“Grazing
Lands Dollar$ and Sense”
Field Notes, Summer 2007
The annual grazing conference featured the following speakers:
Jim Gerrish - americangrazinglands.com
Terry Gompert - www.karlloren.com/diet/p90.htm
Greg Judy - agebb.missouri.edu/mfgc/2000mtg/producer.htm
Organic Gardeners Workshop – Sept. 9th
“It’s
Worth the Trouble to Go Organic”
Penny Cockerell
Daily Oklahoman
Thursday, August 30th, 2007
“The
Name Says It All”
Field Notes, Summer 2007
Kerr Center Organic Fact Sheets
Organic
Foods: What Do We Need to Know About Them?
by George Kuepper
Organic
Production In Oklahoma - Questions and Answers
by George Kuepper
Additional
Kerr Center resources on organic farming
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