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< Return to NewslettersInside This Issue:Farm Wins Native Beauty AwardCountry Life
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Vol. 24, #3 • Winter 1998
Each spring, redbuds bloom at the Overstreet-Kerr Historical Farm near Keota, delighting visitors to the 104-year-old home. The redbud is Oklahoma's official state tree, so it is fitting that the top awards given in the tourism industry are named for this striking little native tree. In October, the Overstreet-Kerr Farm won the Redbud Award in the category of Native Beauty from the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department. The Native Beauty award recognizes outstanding scenic attractions or picturesque areas. Entries were judged on environmental awareness, public use, accessibility, and maintenance in addition to their beauty. Honorable mention went to Honor Heights Park in Muskogee. The Overstreet Farm was restored by the Kerr Center in 1991, and is open to the public for tours, workshops and special events. Volunteers from the Spiro Historical Society and Chamber of Commerce decorate the house for the holidays . There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace. To avoid the first danger, one should plant a garden...To avoid the second, he should lay a split of good oak on the andirons, preferably where there is no furnace and let it warm his shins while a February blizzard tosses the trees outside. If one had cut, split, hauled and piled his own good oak, and let his mind work the while, he will remember much about where the heat comes from... The stump, which I measured upon felling the tree, has a diameter of 30 inches. It shows 80 growth rings, hence the seedling from which it originated must have laid its first ring of wood in 1865, at the end of the Civil War. But I know from the history of present seedlings that no oak grows above the reach of rabbits without a decade or more of getting girdled each winter, and re-sprouting during the following summer... Only one acorn in a thousand ever grew large enough to fight rabbits; the rest were drowned at birth in the prairie sea... It is a warming thought that this one wasn't, and thus lived to garner eighty years of June sun. It is this sunlight that is now being released, through the intervention of my axe and saw, to warm my shack and my spirit through eighty gusts of blizzard. And with each gust a wisp of smoke from my chimney bears witness, to whomsoever it may concern, that the sun did not shine in vain. from A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold, 1949
For Your InformationKnowledge is of two kinds: we know a subject ourselves or ---Samuel Johnson Marketing in the New MillenniumThe 18th annual Horticulture Industries Show will be held January 8-9, 1999, in Springdale, Arkansas. Horticulturists from Oklahoma and Arkansas will meet for two days of cutting-edge educational programs and a trade show. It is the premier grower event in the region. The theme for this year's show is "marketing in the new millennium." Each of five commodity groups-- vegetable growers, fruit growers, herb growers, Christmas tree growers, and pecan growers-- will present educational programs. Pecan growers will also sponsor a grower's short course. Additionally, there will be sessions on farmers' markets, sustainable agriculture, and new this year, Master Gardeners. The Kerr Center is sponsoring the sustainable agriculture sessions. Workshops on Friday address value-added product development, and community-supported agriculture (also known as subscription farming). On Saturday the focus will be marketing produce from small farms. Full-time producer Alex Hitt of Graham, North Carolina, will explain the vegetable production system he uses on his small farm and his marketing experiences. Advance registration for the two-day show is $40 ($50 at the door); spouse and additional adults from the same farm/business, $15 each. Saturday only $25 ($30 at the door). Pre-registration ends January 2. Call or write the Kerr Center for an agenda and registration form (don't send money) or Sue Gray at OSU Extension in Tulsa at 918-746-3707 or 3700. Reducing Erosion in Eastern OklahomaSoil erosion is a chronic problem on farms and ranches-- sometimes with a thunderous "gully washer" it turns into an acute problem. In any case, it is a problem that farmers and ranchers ignore at their peril. With the goals of raising awareness of erosion in eastern Oklahoma and learning about new resources to solve those problems, the Kerr Center and Oklahoma State University conducted an erosion-control training workshop October 1 near McAlester. Thirty-one agriculture professionals attended this combination of tour and talks. The day was funded by a Professional Development Program grant from the USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. First stop was a site where roadside erosion has been checked with a structure called a Reno mattress. Jody Stringer of the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provided an explanation and diagrams of the structure. The emphasis turned from using steel and concrete to control erosion to using trees and other vegetation to stabilize stream banks as Extension's Scott Stoodley presented The Riparian Area Management Handbook, a new book from OSU. Jim Leach of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission (OCC) outlined the various negative effects of sediment in waterways. The tour's next stop was at the Brushy-Peaceable Creek Watershed Project. The OCC's George Moore and the NRCS's Dean Cook explained how many of these aging small lakes, built for flood control, are silting in and will soon need to be rehabilitated. The last stop on the tour was Joe Chappell's 5,000 acre cattle ranch. Since 1991 Chappell has increased the carrying capacity of his 3,000 acres of pasture from 250 to 800 head through rotational grazing. With the cows moved so often, the grass cover improves and "the creeks don't take such a hammering," he pointed out. As the group walked up one of the logging roads on the ranch, John Norris of the Oklahoma Agriculture Department's Forestry Division explained that foresters can come out and advise landowners on how to prevent erosion at logging sites. He said this is best done before the landowner signs a lease with loggers. The day ended with extension poultry specialist Jim Britton and a discussion of new poultry litter regulations and their effect on water quality. The Riparian Area Management Handbook is a handsome, comprehensive 97-page guide to establishing and managing riparian areas in Oklahoma for various purposes (wildlife habitat, stream stability, pollution abatement, etc.) and in various situations. Extensive planting tables, guide to resources, color plates. $20. To order contact: Tori Riggs, Oklahoma State University, 218 Ag Hall, Stillwater, OK 74078 or call her at 405-744-5653 or e-mail: rtori@okstate.edu.
One hundred years ago, as the nineteenth century flowed into the twentieth, a graceful white house stood among the blackjacks and cotton fields of southeast Oklahoma, gleaming like a storybook castle. The house was built by Tom Overstreet. A Missourian, Overstreet came to Indian Territory in 1871 with a Choctaw wife on his arm and enough energy and ambition for ten men. Overstreet was a big man who thought big: within twenty years he had established a farm of three thousand acres in the Arkansas River bottom. In 1891 he began building the fourteen-room house, known as "the big house" by family members, that would symbolize his wealth and success. Today, Tom Overstreet is long dead, and the farming life he knew has vanished. Farmers make up only 2.5 percent of the nation's workforce instead of 40 per cent. Not everything has changed though-- remarkably, as the century is set to change again, the house still stands. Ten years ago, the Kerr Center began the big task of restoring the Overstreet house and its many outbuildings to mint condition. After three years of work, the re-christened Overstreet-Kerr Historical Farm was opened with the goal of preserving Oklahoma's agricultural heritage. Recently, the Kerr Center's efforts were recognized when the Farm won a prestigious award from the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department. However, curator Jim Combs and his assistant Jeremy Henson are not content to rest on their laurels. Big changes are underway that will make the Farm a unique showcase of Oklahoma's natural and agricultural history. Tom Overstreet would certainly approve. Keeping the Old Ways AliveWalking around the homestead, one cannot help but be drawn back in time. Combs and Henson guide visitors through the house and around the grounds, sharing anecdotes about the Overstreets (Tom was a bit of an eccentric) and information about farming from the late 1800's until World War II. The house and grounds are beautifully maintained, with beds of sweet-smelling herbs lining the picket fence and an orchard of young heirloom fruit trees. Another heirloom-- a small herd of Pineywoods cattle-- grazes the pasture. The cattle are related to the Texas Longhorn and were once common in the pine woods of the Deep South where the Choctaw originated. Each year, the Farm holds educational events for schoolchildren and adults. Dutch oven cookery, blacksmithing, soap making, and cooking with herbs are among the workshops planned for 1999. The big event of the year is the annual two-day Fall Farm-Fest. Sorghum is pressed and cooked over an open fire. Craftspeople from around the state demonstrate skills such as quilting, rifle making, rag rug making and wood working to name just a few. These activities allow visitors to get into the spirit of a simpler, more self-sufficient life. It was a life that definitely offered more contact with nature. The Overstreets and other early Oklahomans were familiar with the native plants, animals and birds that lived around them. Soon visitors to the Farm can be too when they walk a new quarter-mile long nature trail/outdoor classroom. A small camping area, suitable for small groups, is being developed at the end of the trail. The trail is just one change that Combs hopes will increase educational programming at the Farm. An ambitious display of antique farm equipment is being planned. The display will show the progressive development of various types of farm machinery-- how they changed and why. While building the farm equipment museum is a long-term project, in the short run Combs is looking to turn several of the outbuildings into mini-museums (see box). The goal is to allow visitors to see and touch the essential tools of an early Oklahoma farm, tools the Overstreets could not imagine living without.
The Kerr Center's Oklahoma Producer Grant Program has awarded six grants to innovative Oklahoma agricultural producers. Improving the quality of water on Oklahoma farmland was the focus of the grant program in 1998, its first year. "We were impressed with the quality of the grants funded and happy that we were able to give grants to producers in diverse parts of the state," said Alan Ware, program director. Projects involving livestock, crops, and conservation practices were funded. Most grant recipients are planning field days to share project results with the public. Grant applicants submitted detailed proposals which were evaluated by an independent technical committee of agricultural producers and professionals. Grants ranged from nearly $3,000 to $7,500. Kim Barker has a 1500 acre ranch in Waynoka in northwest Oklahoma. His $3390 grant is for a three-year demonstration project. Barker's project will show how pond water quality can be improved by fencing cattle out, and also how erosion caused by livestock trails can be healed by taking water to the livestock. The latter will be accomplished by piping water to the paddocks from a windmill. Cattle's usage of alleyways will be reduced, which will in turn reduce cattle trails and erosion. Barker's goal is to reduce bare ground and increase vegetation around the pond and in eroded areas. To measure results he will test water for turbidity (cloudiness of water from sediment) and monitor the eroded sites photographically. Woods County extension agent Bob LeValley is cooperating on the project. Tom L. Gunn farms 600 acres in Comanche and Stephens Counties near Lawton in southwest Oklahoma. His $7500 grant is for a three-year project which will demonstrate several practices to improve water quality. Gunn will convert land (some of which is highly erodible) from wheat to a crabgrass/rye rotation using no-till and low-till methods. This is just one change that will improve the water of a pond in the watershed-- livestock will also be fenced out of the pond, and limited-access watering points installed. Buffer strips will reduce cattle waste run-off, and a small dam in the upper watershed will be repaired to catch silt run-off. Gunn will test run-off for turbidity, pH, nitrogen and phosphorus levels, and will monitor changes photographically. Comanche County extension agent Jim Coe and district conservationist Gary VanDeventer are cooperating on the project. Kent Donica operates a 700 acre stocker calf/cow-calf/goat operation in Carter County in southern Oklahoma near Ardmore. The three year, $7500 grant is for a research and demonstration project. One project objective is to demonstrate how controlled burning can be used in combination with livestock (goats) to reclaim land with heavy brush/timber to grass without primary clearing, which causes erosion. Another goal: establish adequate grass in the reclaimed area to prevent erosion and the silting of a pond and stream. Results will be measured by determining the extent of brush removal, penetration of sunlight to the ground, erosion, grass quality and quantity, damage to problem brush, and control of brush regrowth. Increases in AUM's (animal unit months) will also be measured. Cooperators include Steve Swigert, Wadell Altom and Russell Stevens of the Noble Foundation and Brian Cothran of the Dickson Schools. Catherine and Michael Dillon have a 68-acre ranch near Maramec in the northeastern part of the state. They raise Paso Fino horses and have a custom hay baling business. Their grant is for $2947. One objective of the Dillons' grant is to reduce soil erosion by slowing the high velocity run-off which currently comes onto the property and goes down a draw to a pond. A pasture will be terraced to redirect some of the water. The key element of the project is the installation of panel drops-- cattle panels with eight-inch drain rock piled on each side-- in the draw. Slowing the water reduces the rate of sedimentation of the pond, lengthening its life and improving the quality of its water. The National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will advise the Dillons on locating and installing the panel drops and terraces. Results will be gauged through photography, site sketches, and measuring water turbidity. Two cooperators are Pawnee County extension educator Blaine Franklin and district conservationist Loran Zweiacker. Rick Jeans raises wheat, soybeans, and milo on 1500 acres near Tonkawa in northern Oklahoma. He also has a cow/calf herd and stocker cattle on wheat during the winter. The three- year grant is for $7302. Jeans will be applying chicken litter to wheat using three different methods: no-till, low-till, and conventional. The goal is to discover which method yields the best while preventing the leaching of nutrients down through the soil profile. Jeans will perform soil tests to monitor nutrient movement. Cooperators include Kay County district conservationist Richard Zetterberg, Brent Smith of Farmland Industries, Mike Thralls of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, and Delbert and Jean Jelsma, neighbors. Leon Kelly has a small commercial orchard near Red Oak in southeastern Oklahoma. The three-year grant is for $7489.72. Kelly's project includes using composted chicken litter as a fertilizer source in his orchard and implementing an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program in his orchard to reduce pesticide use and cost. Kelly will measure tree yield, observe tree health and vigor, and monitor water quality. Cooperators include Latimer County extension agent Tony Johnson, Latimer County district conservationist Lori Gann-Hamman, Pittsburg County extension agent Ted Evicks and Leland Walker of Eastern Oklahoma State College.
Once again the Kerr Center is soliciting grant proposals from agricultural producers across Oklahoma who are interested in conducting research or demonstration projects. This will be the second year of the Oklahoma Producer Grant Program. The inaugural year was highly successful: The Center awarded six grants to agricultural producers from around the state. This is a competitive grant program. Grants can be funded for up to $3,500 for a one year grant and up to a total of $7,500 for a two or three-year grant. The goal of the program is to advance the use of sustainable farming/ranching practices by Oklahoma producers. The program is based upon the recognition that farmers know their land best and are eager to innovate if given support and encouragement. It's designed to provide producers with an avenue to utilize new sustainable practices and learn from each other. Proposed projects must fit into one of the eight priority areas. Each proposal will be reviewed for technical merit by a qualified, independent committee. Producers are encouraged to link up with extension personnel, other state and federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, or other specialists to assist with executing and analyzing their project. Priority AreasA project should focus on only one priority area, but might relate to other areas. It is important to show clearly how your project fits the area you have chosen. Below are descriptions of the priority areas and the kinds of farming and ranching practices that fit them. Because this program encourages innovation, producers should feel free to roam outside the examples mentioned here. Developing a grant proposal using these specific examples does not guarantee funding. 1. Conserve and create healthy soilSoil erosion is still a problem in agriculture--half of farmland is losing soil faster than it is formed. Conservation tillage and cover crops help reduce erosion of precious topsoil by keeping bare soil protected from wind and rain. Keeping topsoil both on the farm and healthy is essential for a sustainable agriculture. Healthy soil has a large amount of organic matter, is biologically active, and fertile. Cover crops and manures add this essential organic matter to soil, while maintaining adequate fertility. For livestock, planned rotations in mixed pastures seeded with legumes can maintain soil health and fertility, and reduce erosion. 2. Conserve water and protect its qualityAgriculture affects water quality when soil washed from farmland enters waterways. This sediment damage costs the nation four to five billion dollars annually. Farming and ranching methods that prevent soil erosion or filter pollutants before they reach waterways can dramatically improve water quality, as does fencing livestock out of ponds and streams. Water quantity as well as quality is also declining-- in some places water is being pumped out to irrigate farmland faster than it is replaced by surface water percolating down. Raising drought-tolerant crops and using irrigation methods such as drip irrigation conserve water. 3. Manage organic wastes and farm chemicals so they don't polluteOrganic wastes such as manures and litters can be valuable fertilizers on the farm if they are managed correctly. Applying them at the right time and at the right rate can prevent the water pollution that plagues areas with heavy animal concentrations. Farm chemicals can also find their way into wells and streams, endangering human and animal health. Applying them at reduced concentrations or in a more precise way (as in banding) can protect water quality and wildlife. 4. Manage pests with minimal environmental impactPesticides are costly, can cause farmer health problems, and can pollute the environment. Heavy use of pesticides has made some target insects resistant. Using integrated pest management can cut frequency of applications. Other approaches include enhancing habitat for beneficial insects and using biological or mechanical controls. Multi-species grazing can control weeds without chemicals. 5. Select crops and livestock adapted to the natural environmentCrops suited to the climate and soil type and livestock adapted to natural forages require fewer costly inputs such as pesticides and water in order to produce well. Adapted crops and livestock often produce well under adverse conditions. One of the questions posed in this area is: Should we change the soil to grow a particular crop or should we select species that grow well under good management, without the input cost of changing the soil? 6. Encourage biodiversityEncouraging biodiversity of wild plants and animals helps the farmer take advantage of possible natural controls of pests. Leaving strips uncultivated provides habitat for endangered grassland birds which eat many harmful insects. Fencing cattle from ponds and waterways protects aquatic life. Rotations of hay and grain crops maintains small game populations. Planting a variety of cultivars, including non-hybrids, and raising old breeds preserves genetic diversity among domesticated plants and animals. Preserving genetic diversity makes it less likely disease will wipe out whole crops or populations of animals. 7. Conserve energy resourcesCutting the direct use of fossil fuels (diesel, gasoline) and costly inputs (fertilizers, pesticides) made from fossil fuels protects producers from price increases or fluctuations that will occur as fossil fuel supplies continue to decline. Using solar fence chargers, solar water pumps, and other such practices reduces the cost of living on or operating a farm. Growing one's own fence posts saves the energy used in manufacturing metal fence posts. 8. Increase profitability and reduce riskDiversifying farm enterprises provides protection against price fluctuations and crop failures. Growing new or unusual crops may bring greater profits. Reducing costly inputs (which may account for over half of operating costs) and capital expenditures on machinery also improve the bottom line. Preserving healthy soil guarantees a farm's viability into the future.
Not Just a Fad:
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| The Oklahoma Fruit and Vegetable Buyer's Guide includes a list of farmers markets and contact persons, as well as information about vegetable and fruit producers by county. Also contact people. The Farmers' Market Information packet contains detailed information that will help individuals and markets be successful. Both are free from the ODA. Call 1-800-580-6543 to receive information or talk to Joe Creech.
The Muskogee Farmers' Market |
2. Publicity The bottom line: people have to know the market is there. Support from local media can make a big difference. After the Daily Oklahoman's food editor began running a weekly column telling customers what will be available at the OSU-OKC market, sales tripled, says Kirby. Having festivals, such as a fall harvest festival or spring herb festival, can garner the market free publicity.
3. Diversity Farm markets are not just farmers standing next to bushels of corn anymore. Cut flowers, baked goods, garden decorations, handmade soaps, salsas and relishes, tamales, fresh eggs, even meats like venison are being sold at Oklahoma farm markets.
4. Presentation Neatly lettered signs and colorful tablecloths are becoming standard.
5. Abundant farmers and produce until closing time Someone who stops by the market at noon and finds one farmer and a few tomatoes probably won't come back. Lawrence encourages market gardeners and farmers to grow enough to stay longer than an hour or two. "The more farmers you have, the more customers you have," says Lawrence.
6. A strong, energetic manager A good farm market manager does promotion and enforces the rules of the market. He or she can be key to its success.
7. Community Undercutting your neighbor's prices and leaving early can ruin a market. Vendors have got to believe "we're all in this together," says Creech. Patience is sometimes required. It took four years for the Muskogee farm market to go from two to twenty members. Farmers who decide to grow next year for the established markets around the state are reaping the benefits of years of hard work and organizing.
Building Partnerships in Your Hometown: A Day of Ideas and Inspiration
Churches are places where the experience of community is strong. How people of faith can take that experience and join with others to build strong rural communities in Oklahoma will be the focus of a one-day conference Saturday, February 6, in El Reno. Pastors, those active in their churches, and anyone wanting to build strong rural communities and small towns are welcome.
"Building partnerships in your hometown" will be the theme of the conference. Speakers will be Dr. Jim Horne, president of the Kerr Center, and Dr. Leo Presley, leadership consultant. Horne is well known for his twenty-five years of work on behalf of farmers and rural communities on both the state and national levels. He currently serves on the Oklahoma legislature's task force on agriculture cooperatives. Presley is highly regarded for his motivational speeches and insights on how to build leadership. He recently designed the Educators' Leadership Academy, a national model initiated in Oklahoma.
In addition to the speakers, three workshops and a panel discussion are scheduled. Workshops will present ideas on how churches can tap into available resources to fill community needs. These include partnering with arts organizations, social service agencies, and senior citizens.
The Oklahoma Conference of Churches, the Oklahoma Baptist General Convention, the Kerr Center, and OSU Cooperative Extension are among the church, government, business and farm groups sponsoring the conference.
The event will be held at the Canadian Valley Vo-Tech, east of El Reno on route 66. Early registration (including lunch) is $15 per person, $10 for each additional person from the same community when registering together. After January 29, $25. For more information or to register, call 1-800-868-8120 (580-234-6075) or write Rural Health Projects, 301 W. Maine, Ste. 102, Enid, OK 73701. Make checks payable to Rural Health Projects.
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.