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Vol. 24, #2 • Fall 1998 Steps to a Sustainable AgricultureJim Horne, Kerr Center President What is a sustainable agriculture? And once you know what it is, how do you practice it? These are the questions my staff and I first addressed more than ten years ago. There are dozens of definitions of a sustainable agriculture. But I'll go with a simple one: a sustainable agriculture is a system of agriculture that will last. It is an agriculture that maintains its productivity over the long run. In order to endure, our national agriculture must use natural resources wisely-- so they are not used up or permanently damaged. It must protect the health of the natural environment. And it must allow farmers and ranchers to make a profit and have a good quality of life. If this is the kind of agriculture we want-- how do we get there from here? I have formulated eight steps that will get us started. These points first came into being when I thought about the areas of perennial concern to farmers, such as controlling weeds and insects, conserving soil, and making a profit. Unless we addressed these areas in ways that a farmer could understand and use, I suspected that we, as advocates for change in agriculture, would not be successful in getting our message across. So I came up with these simple, yet comprehensive guidelines that I hoped would help my staff evaluate the "sustainability" of proposed projects at the Center, and also give them something to pass along to farmers to use to evaluate their own farming practices. Ten years ago, area producers had little information about sustainable agriculture, and little was forthcoming from traditional sources of information like the cooperative extension service. We were the first group in Oklahoma to tackle the ideas of a sustainable agriculture in any substantial way, committing money and our whole staff to the notion. We were ground breakers in part because of our status as an independent, non-profit foundation. We had no bureaucracy to sway or legislators to convince or donors to please. Our ideas have not always been popular, but despite this, we have stuck to our principles. Over the years I have expanded and contracted these points, thinking of them sometimes as steps to be taken, and other times as goals to be met. The current list has stood the test of time and usage at the Kerr Center and in consultation with farmers. Recently we took goal #2, Conserve water and protect its quality, and used it as the basis for the first call for proposals in our new Oklahoma Producer Grant program (see page 2). One of the goals of the program is to take sustainable agriculture directly to farms and ranches around Oklahoma. After all, it is farmers and ranchers who hold the keys to making an enduring, healthy agriculture. A farmer makes decisions every season, based on his experience, the markets, the weather, government guidelines, tradition, how much time he has, the condition of his fields or pastures, and any number of other factors that are always changing. Farming is an art as well as a science, a complicated mix of hard knowledge and intuition. Just how valuable these goals are will be determined by how well they work for the farmer every day. They are guideposts for thinking about a farming operation, arrows that point the way to the long-term viability of a farm. To be most effective, the farm goals must be used as a whole. They often overlap - for example how well the farmer preserves his topsoil will impact the quality of his water, his profitability, and even the biodiversity of the microbial life in his soil. I hope farmers using the list will develop the habit of looking at a farm holistically, which simply means as a whole, with parts that are always interacting. And while some of these steps may seem new and strange to some farmers, they address the reality that the farm cannot be separated from the wider world. As Thomas Jefferson said: "While the farmer holds the title to the land, actually, it belongs to all the people because civilization itself rests upon the soil." The farmer on his farm is not an island unto him or herself. When and how the farmer apply chemicals or manures may affect not only the quality of the water on the farm, but the quality of water downstream, too. How farmers manage the fertility of their soils will affect not only their long-term profitability, but the profitability of the businesses they patronize in their communities, and ultimately the economic health of their states and the nation-- both now and in the future. I offer these eight goals to farmers who want to sustain their farms into the next century and to a society who wants to leave its natural resources intact for the next generation. Top
Cattle egrets, a recent immigrant from Africa, still drift across the evening sky, but not in the same numbers as before. Then, hundreds of the graceful white birds, in scattered V's and streamers, crossed the farm twice a day, moving between the lakes northeast of here and their rookery to the southwest, until it was bulldozed for a new highway. On one summer evening I counted more than three thousand. When the wind was strong from the south they hugged the ground, flying just above the bluestem prairie grass, swooping up to clear a fence or a clump of trees and dropping down again. It was, in the dusk, indescribably beautiful. --Reprinted with permission of Council Oak Books from A Very Small Farm by William Paul Winchester; copyright 1996 by author. (Winchester lives on 20 acres near Collinsville) Oklahoma Producer GrantsFirst Grants Awarded for Water Quality ProjectsOn April 15 the Kerr Center kicked off its new Oklahoma Producer Grant Program with a call for proposals. Grants were offered for research, demonstration or educational projects that addressed water quality-- maintaining or improving the quality of water on the farm or running off the farm. It was the first program of its kind offered by a private non-profit foundation in the state. Kerr staffers began meeting with producer groups and agriculture officials around the state to spread the word about the program. With the help of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, the Noble Foundation, U.S. Farm Service Agency, Langston University and other agriculture/conservation professionals, producers learned of the program and started requesting applications. State newspapers also helped publicize the program. The fact that so many were willing to help turned out to be key to the success of the program in this inaugural year. Proposals were slow coming in, but by the 5 p.m. July 15 deadline, the Center had received 38. These were forwarded to be evaluated by an independent technical committee, made up largely of producers along with agriculture professionals. This committee ranked the proposals based on a stringent set of criteria, and then met at the end of July to decide on grant recipients. (Recipients will be announced in the next newsletter.) We are currently preparing the next call for proposals, which we expect to release later this year.
Rural DevelopmentHome on the Range: Oklahoma Faithful Build Communities---Maura McDermott Where seldom is heard a discouraging word, and the skies are not cloudy all day.... Beginning with a group sing- along of Home on the Range and Amazing Grace, fifty pastors from around Oklahoma joined together for the first Rural Community Care Task Force Conference on Saturday, May 8, in El Reno. Sponsored by a number of church, government and farm groups and the Kerr Center, the conference was devoted to answering the question: What is the role of people of faith in the survival of rural communities? While there are plenty of discouraging words that could be said about the rural economy, speakers and workshop leaders emphasized ways that pastors and their congregations can get involved in building rural communities. "Either people of faith will get involved or rural communities will simply cease to exist." So began speaker Judy Heffernan, a rural sociologist and head of the Heartland Network-- a rural outreach program of the United Methodist Church. She pointed out that in some places, the church is all that remains of what once was a flourishing rural community. While noting that she is not a theologian, Heffernan asserted that "the saving of humans cannot be separated from the saving of community and nature." This belief she said, is in accordance with what she termed "Jesus's call for a community shaped by compassion." Heffernan challenged participants to be compassionate and to focus on community building, which she contrasted with community development. Community building implies "doing something for ourselves," rather than "thinking about what others can do for us," said Heffernan. It moves a community from "dependence to independence." Churches can play a role in this process by providing a place where people can come together and talk about ideas and problems. In addition, says Heffernan, church people must look for ways to stop the flow of money out of rural communities. They also must have a vision of "health and wholeness" for rural communities. The global marketplace, dominated by multinational corporations, she warned, is not oriented towards solving local problems (even if they contribute to them). This creates a greater need than ever for local leadership. How to develop these leadership skills was the focus of two of the day's workshops. Nance Diamond of the Oklahoma Community Institute helped participants take stock of their strengths through an exercise called "asset mapping"-- starting with the individual and proceding out to community businesses. The Kerr Center's Michelle Stephens introduced participants to the many resources available to them from government and private groups. She also played an inspiring video tape about the Coalition for Economic Self Sufficiency, a Pottawatomie County group of volunteers mentoring those moving from welfare to work. Jobs were the focus of OSU extension economist Mike Woods' presentation. There are alternatives to the 3P's of pigs, poultry and prisons, he said. His approach? Focus on REAC: Retention (of existing jobs), Expansion (of existing business) Attraction (even very small businesses are valuable) and Creation (of new jobs and businesses). Look at your own unique situation and build on it, he advised. Sometimes, however, when debating the direction of economic development, conflicts develop within communities, conflicts that spill over into congregations. The Reverend Clyde Cain of the Southern Baptist Convention emphasized the dangers of leaving conflicts in churches and communities unresolved, and the rewards of working them out. Luncheon speaker was Janie Simms Hipp, of the National Center for Agricultural Law Research and Information at the University of Arkansas and a Kerr Center trustee. She reminded the audience that the economic problems in rural areas are not new, but perhaps call for new solutions. She suggested that rural congregations form partnerships with urban ones, and that urban congregations might be interested in community supported agriculture (CSA). In a CSA arrangement, people contract directly with a farmer for a given amount of produce each season, paying him beforehand. The conference ended with anecdotes illustrating the power of the faithful to help others-- whether it be by bringing farmers and lenders together, providing coats and gloves to the needy, or holding a workshop for parent on how best to toilet-train their children. The final message: Begin where you can.
Getting InvolvedThe Rural Community Care Task Force is sponsored by the Oklahoma Council of Churches, but is open to people of all faith communities as well as representatives from organizations and government agencies working for rural Oklahomans. The group meets regularly. For further information contact the Reverend Frank Mitchell, First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 9, Ft. Cobb, OK 73038 405-643- 2645. The Rural Community Care Task Force has put together a valuable resource for community builders. A Resource Directory for Citizens in Rural Oklahoma includes information on the Task Force, a list of state and national help lines (for everything from ag mediation to sudden infant death syndrome), a state reference list (agencies, boards, departments), the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Service Yellow Pages, Consumer Information Catalog, and lists of state and federal political leaders. There is also advice on creating a local directory of resources. Order for $7 (to cover xeroxing, shipping and handling) from the Kerr Center at 918-647-9123 The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service's Rural Development Program offers Oklahoma communities various programs addressing economic and business development, community services, and local government education and training. For information call your county extension office. To learn more about the Coalition for Economic Self-Sufficiency contact Mynda Bowdon at the Pottawatomie county DHS, 405-878-4000 or the Reverend Rusty Williams at Wesley United Methodist Church in Shawnee, 405-275-1556 The Heartland Network for Town and Rural Ministries was founded in 1989 "Out of the conviction that God is calling the church to respond to the changes in Town and Rural America..." For further information on workshops, retreats, speakers, and resources available from the Network call (573) 882-7232 or write Judith Heffernan, P.O. Box 1405, Columbia, MO 65205
Public PolicyOklahoma Enacts Landmark Agriculture LegislationMichelle Stephens In 1998, the Oklahoma legislature passed landmark legislation to regulate the fast-growing swine and poultry industries. These new laws attempt to prevent or minimize air and water pollution that can come from large confined animal feeding operations ( known as CAFOs) and preserve the quality of life for rural people living near these facilities. A long time state capitol employee described the legislation as the most controversial since the Equal Rights Amendment was taken up about twenty years ago.. In May Oklahoma became the first state in the nation to pass a comprehensive bill that imposes regulation on the poultry industry. "The approach Oklahoma has taken is certainly on the cutting edge," said Jonathan Watts Hull, regional representative for the Council of State Governments. Watts Hull said he was surprised the bill got through, "knowing the power of Tyson Foods and the other big producers in the area." Notable provisions (in effect beginning July 1) include:
Provisions in the poultry bill (Senate bill 1170) parallel many of the recommendations of Governor Frank Keating's Animal Waste and Water Quality Task force which spent seven months in 1997 researching the issue. The head of that task force, Oklahoma Secretary of the Environment Brian Griffin said that unfortunately, the bill did not include one of the most critical task force recommendations: fees for the large poultry companies. Despite documented links between poultry waste and pollution in Oklahoma lakes and rivers, provisions that would have required the poultry industry to pay the cost of regulation were defeated. Instead, the industry agreed to make a "voluntary" contribution of $300,000 over four years for education programs. Taxpayers will pay the lion's share of the cost of implementing the new rules, an estimated half-million dollars per year. *** While the bulk of the poultry controversy occurred over the past year, the fight to regulate the burgeoning industrial swine operations in western Oklahoma had been building strength for about six years. In 1991 the legislature changed the anti-corporate farming law to allow an exemption for corporate swine operations. With that small modification of the law, and with very little public debate, Oklahoma opened the door to industrial-style hog producers and allowed them to operate under an "honor system" type of regulatory scheme. The Oklahoma hog population grew at a rapid rate, as did complaints from people living near these facilities who complained that their quality of life had declined. Spills of hog effluent (water and excrement) and other incidents added to the controversy. In 1998 Oklahoma's hog population totals over 1.7 million, and the number of hogs continues to grow. National Hog Farmer reported that within the next few years there will be enough production capacity within a 100-mile radius of Guymon, Oklahoma, to produce 10% of the U.S. hog marketings. (Emphasis added.)Ó As with the poultry legislation, many of the provisions found in the bill that finally passed on the last day of the legislative session were based on recommendations made by the governor's water quality task force. However one important point, allowing citizens the option to determine the size and scope of hog facilities on a county-by-county basis, was killed after lobbying by the corporate swine industry. For the most part, the bill regulates large hog farms. The following are few of the highlights of the legislation that went into effect August 1, 1998:
StewardshipRanch Program Emphasizes Adapted CowsBrian Freking In early 1998 the Kerr Center reorganized, adding new programs and changing others. While there have been changes in staff and programming, many of our goals and practices remain the same. We will continue as an experiment station for southeast Oklahoma, conducting research into cattle, forages, horticulture, stewardship, and water quality. Inevitably with change come rumors. One such rumor had the Kerr Center shutting down its cattle operation. This is definitely not the case, although the number of cattle has been reduced as part of the overall plan for the ranch. Currently the Kerr Center owns 100 mature cows, and we retain all the calves produced until they are past yearling weight. The Kerr Center has always been known for its work with genetics, particularly with Angus and Senepol cattle. This continues. The main emphasis of the cattle operation is to find biological types that can adapt and function in our environment. We first focus on the female side, and define a functional cow by these characteristics:
These eight points are critical to our program of genetic selection and improvement. In today's cattle business much of the focus is on carcass traits. These traits are highly heritable (easily inherited), and therefore easier to improve through selection. In contrast, we emphasize the lowly heritable traits (i.e., reproductive traits) where the improvements are small, but with selection pressure, tremendous progress can be made. One example of this: our cow herd generally had pregnancy rates falling in the 70% range. Utilizing breed complentarity and implementing Senepol into a crossbreeding program has improved pregnancy rates into the 90% range. This illustrates how simply adding a complementary breed to the mix can make it easier to improve some genetic traits. The Beef Improvement Federation recently had this insight into the future. "Cattle producers who survive and profit in the year 2000 and beyond will be low-cost producers, who conserve resources, optimize production, maximize profits and have a clear focus on consumer demands. The focus will be directed away from quantity to quality, but at what cost? Fitness traits such as fleshing ability, longevity, disposition, udder quality, genetic resistance to diseases, etc., will receive greater emphasis. Beef cattle's variation will be reduced, creating greater predictability and uniformity." Using programs like Standardized Performance Analysis (SPA) allows us to reevaluate our progress from year to year to achieve our goals. We believe we are very close to a model sustainable cattle operation. As Theodore Roosevelt said, "The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything." Set goals for your cattle herd and remember that obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes off his goal.
October 17 Field Day and Cattle Sale SetRanchers interested in buying quality cattle from the Kerr herd and learning about recent research should mark Saturday, October 17, on their calendars. The field day will start at 9 a.m. when Kerr specialists will present the results of two research projects that will be of interest to cattle producers looking to cut costs and get the most money for their cattle. A complimentary lunch is available at noon, and the sale is set for 1:30. Specialists will explain the 1997 results of the ranch's retained ownership project. For three years, the Kerr Center has retained ownership of 230 calves at Bradley's Natural Beef in McLean, Texas, which specializes in high-quality beef grown without implants. They will share carcass information and compare the economics of retaining ownership through the feedlot versus selling weaned calves at auction. They will also present the first year results of heifer management research which compared breeding and first calf information on three groups of heifers fed either grain, grass and grain, or grass only. After lunch, eight service age bulls, 15 cows and 54 heifers will be for sale. (Exact numbers may change) Service of these sires will be featured: Sitz Traveler 8180; Bon View Bando 598; GAR Traveler 1489; Leachman Conveyor; Leachman Heaven Sent; TC Rancher 056; Scotch Cap; AAR New Trend; Schearbrook Shoshone; SAR Traveler 63; GAR Traveler 613A; Ultra 25 SDG. For more information call Brian Freking at the Kerr Center.
StewardshipCattle Egrets-- Nuisance or Benefit?David Redhage The cattle egret is a relative newcomer to Oklahoma. Native to the Old World, it was not reported in the New World until 1877 in British Guiana. Experts theorize that the birds flew or were blown across the Atlantic. After being reported in South America, the birds island- hopped across the Caribbean and appeared in Florida in 1942. Since that time egret populations have exploded across the entire southern United States, possibly due to the lack of natural predators. By 1962 they had arrived in Oklahoma. Cattle egrets feed on insects, but few scientific studies have attempted to quantify what they eat or speculate on whether their feeding is beneficial to agriculture. In a 1959 Georgia study, observers noted that egrets appeared around the cattle in early morning and picked insects directly from the animals and surrounding vegetation. The birds also perched on the animals' backs to feed, and it appeared the livestock did not tail-switch as much with the egrets onboard. The study also looked at the stomach contents of egrets. Looking at the insects which affect cattle, the results showed 59% horse flies, 0.8% stable flies, and 0.1% ticks. The balance included grasshoppers, crickets, tree frogs, spiders and dragon flies. The diet probably varies depending on the habitat and differences in local insect populations. (Snoddy in Drees, 1989 ) Since egrets feed on insects disturbed by cattle movement, grasshoppers and crickets are a large part of their diet. While some cattle producers may look favorably upon the cattle egret, individuals living near egret rookeries are not as positive. Cattle egrets are highly colonial, breeding in groups of a few hundred to several thousand pairs. Large rookeries can overload trees and cover the ground with litter. Some people have expressed concern about the possibility of respiratory infections caused by accumulated droppings. To date medical authorities have declared health hazards unlikely. (Baumgartner, 1992) What effect are egrets having on existing bird populations? Again, there is little research on this subject. It has been documented that after cattle egrets were introduced to Hawaii, they took to devouring the eggs of seabirds and competing with such birds for food. (Page and Morton, 1995) This still leaves open the question of what, if anything, should be done about cattle egrets. The simple fact is that egrets are here to stay, and while we don't have all the answers, we will need to learn to live with their presence.
For Your InformationKnowledge is of two kinds: we know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it. Fresh air, fresh food, clean water- - all are traditional benefits of country living. But fresh air, in particular, is no longer a given in some rural areas. A recent study by the Yale Environmental Protection Clinic is a readable, interesting introduction to the whole question of odor and large- scale, industrial hog facilities. While the study has a rather intimidating title: Controlling Odor and Gaseous Emission Problems from Industrial Swine Facilities, it lives up to its subtitle: A Handbook for All Interested Parties. Citizens of rural communities and state leaders who read this study will get a quick, comprehensive education in hog waste. The 65-page study first explores odor-- where it comes from, how to measure it, its health effects on neighbors and workers in the swine industry, and its effects on local economies, property values and community cohesiveness. Ammonia, methane and other gases generated in swine facilities are explored next. The study also explores a variety of methods and technologies for controlling odor. It ends with a survey of regulations both in the United States and in Europe. Oklahoma is highlighted throughout the text. The report ends with recommendations for reform, including labeling pork that is "produced in a socially and environmentally responsible manner," so consumers will know, and a plea for community involvement in solving odor problems.Available from the Kerr Center for $5. The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) program has published a Systems Research Methods Handbook. Kerr Center president Jim Horne was part of a day-long workshop which assisted the authors. The booklet explains SSARE's definition of systems research, how it differs from most land-grant institution-sponsored research. Methods and objectives suitable for systems research are discussed. There are even detailed outlines and diagrams on how to assemble a project team and develop a proposal for systems projects. Available from SSARE 1109 Experiment St. Griffin, GA 30223- 1797 770-412-4787; fax 770-412- 4789; www.griffin.peachnet.edu/sare/ (Information taken from SSARE newsletter Common Ground, v.5 #1) The 1998 Directory of Flower and Herb Buyers lists 56 buyers of flowers, herbs, seeds, roots and other botanicals, state by state. $9 plus $1 s/h from Prairie Oak Seeds, P.O. Box 32, Maryville, MO 64468; fax/phone 816-582-4084 The Oklahoma Legislature has created the Task Force on Agriculture Cooperatives. The task force will develop public policy recommendations relating to product development and marketing oriented n agricultural cooperatives, submitting a report to the legislature and governor by January 31, 1999. The Task Force will be exploring "new generation cooperatives." These process commodities into higher value products, moving producers further up the food chain.
Enjoy an Old-Fashioned Fall at the Historical Farm-FestThe sky is the deepest, clearest blue, the air is crisp, the oaks on the hillsides are turning bronze-- fall has arrived. Enjoy an autumn day in the lovely hills of southeastern Oklahoma at the 7th annual Overstreet-Kerr Historical Farm-Fest, Saturday, October 10. The farm-fest offers a unique glimpse of Oklahoma farm life in days gone by. While Vermont boasts of its groves of sugar maples and their famous syrup, Oklahoma used to boast of fields of sorghum, and the thick, deep brown syrup so delicious on fresh biscuits. Making sorghum is now largely a lost art. But a few old-timers who know how to do it the old-fashioned way will be at the farm-fest to demonstrate extracting the juice by horse-power, and then cooking it in an open air cooker. Other volunteers will show visitors skills every farm family once took for granted. In past festivals volunteers have demonstrated quilting, weaving baskets, making rugs, making brooms (with broom corn), growing and crafting herbs, and building black powder rifles. The use of antique farm equipment will also be demonstrated. Located at the base of Short Mountain south of Sallisaw the Overstreet-Kerr Historical Farm is a stately white 1895 home complete with antiques, picket fence, cistern, smoke house and potato house. Rare old-time breeds of cattle and goats, along with unusual black American Mammoth donkeys graze the pastures. Visitors can tour the home and grounds during the festival. Food and soft drinks will be available. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for school age youth (6-18), under 6 free. The Farm is located on highway 59, about ten miles south of Sallisaw exit on I-40, or 23 miles north of Poteau, or approximately 60 miles north of the Talimena Drive. Other attractions in the area include Lake Wister, Spiro Mounds, Robert S. Kerr Museum and Mansion, and the Heavener Runestone. For information call 918-966-3396. Top
Field Notes is published quarterly and is sent free to subscribers. We welcome feedback and news of sustainable agriculture events and products. Address correspondence to: Maura McDermott, editor Copyright 1998 by the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Newsletter articles may be reprinted if credit is given and a copy is sent to the newsletter editor. |