Weather-wise Farming Featured in May 4 Farm Tour near Atoka

	Vicki Townsend Click on photo for high reolution image

For years, Vicki and Joe Townsend have been devising ways to protect their crops from Oklahoma’s late freezes, flash floods, and summer droughts.

On May 4 from 2-6, the Townsends will show visitors how they do it, at a tour of their certified organic THE Farm near Atoka. 

They’ll also explain how stretching the growing season at both ends opens new markets, such as the state’s Farm-to-School program. 

Oklahoma Farm-to-School Coordinator Chris Kirby will talk about the state farm-to-school program and how farmers can get involved.

Registration, due by April 28, is $10 and includes dinner.  To register, call 918.647.9123 or visit www.kerrcenter.com/HTML/events.html#fielddaymay4.

The Kerr Center is sponsoring the event, in partnership with the USDA Risk Management Agency and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry.

The tour will highlight several of THE Farm’s season extension techniques, including a homemade growth chamber for starting new plants.

The Townsends grow strawberries using a technique called “plasticulture,” covering the rows with black plastic to warm the soil and suppress weeds.

There’s also an experimental system to help get an early start on crops like cucumbers.  A small fan forces warm air from the ceiling of the greenhouse through tubes buried under a coldframe.

Season extension is important for farm-to-school, because it lets farmers harvest crops earlier in the spring, and later in the fall, when schools are open.

Like many Oklahoma farmers, the Townsends are just getting started in the Farm-to-School program. By bringing fresh local food into school lunches, the program aims to improve children’s health and nutrition, and boost rural economies.