At the request of many members of Oklahoma Farmers and Ranchers Association, the board has reinstated more members meetings. There will be two regular meetings plus the annual meeting.

The first one of these will be held at the Wagoner Civic Center, Wagoner OK on Saturday, June 29th from 5-8 pm. A light supper will be served. If anyone would like to bring something from their garden or a dessert, it will be welcomed.

This will be a chance to get reacquainted with members you haven’t seen in a while, and to meet and get to know our newer members. Everyone will have a chance to discuss what is going on with their farms and give board input on what they would like to see Oklahoma Farmers and Ranchers Association do in the coming year. The mentoring program will be discussed with a chance to sign up as a mentor or mentee. We will also present the reports on two projects that OFRA is currently involved with.

We hope to see everyone at this informal, yet important meeting. We would appreciate knowing who will be attending to help with food amounts. Please contact Jill Brady at jillbrdy@gmail.com or by calling 918-671-4024 to register and with any questions.

The Wagoner Civic Center is located at 301 S. Grant Ave, Wagoner, OK 74467.

Attend Special Diné Fiber Arts and Lifeways Workshops: Learn with the masters Monday through Friday in special ½ day to 5 day sessions. Registration and fees are required for classes on weaving, felt hat making, spinning, dyeing, butchering and more. Contact us or visit website for more details.

Attend Free events Friday and Saturday including: Sheep to Loom activities, Hands-on Learning, Storytelling, Demonstrations Navajo-Churro Sheep and Wool Clinics, Felting, Diné Agriculture, Enjoy the Shade House and Fresh Diné Foods, Visit the Sheep Camp, and have fun with Youth Activities. Shop at the Navajo Weaving Sale, and Sheep is Life General Store and Vendors Booths.

Vendors are welcome, call us to register your booth and find out other requirements.

Participate in Sheep and Wool Clinics: Bring sheep and fleeces to participate in educational clinics focused on helping breeders understand the desirable characteristics of Navajo Churro Sheep. More information forthcoming.

Let us know if you would like to volunteer your expertise or just help out with the event we welcome your participation.

Do bring your spindles, fiber projects stories, wool, and creativity to share!

For more information contact 505.406.7428/7429
e-mail info@navajolifeway.org or visit our website www.navajolifeway.org

Diné be’ iiná, Inc. presents the 17th Annual
Sheep is Life Celebration
Diné College Campus, Tsailé, Arizona
Mon.–Sat., June 17-22, 2013
Free Events for the Whole Family!
Friday and Saturday, 9am – 5pm

Diné Lifeways and Weaving Activities

Weaving Sale & Sheep Is Life General Store

Wool and Sheep Clinics, Youth Activities

Arts, Crafts, Sheep, Wool, and Food Vendors co-sponsored by Diné College and the Land Grant Program with funding from National Endowment for the Arts and First Nations Development Institute.

Address: 300 Virgil Matthews Dr, Muskogee, OK 74401
Phone:(918) 684-3870
Friday March 29
9-2
Volunteers needed
Speakers to talk about their farms
Volunteers needed to bring some farm equipment for display.
Small square bales of hay for hay ride
Contact Mike Oakley
918-869-0727

The workshop will be taught by Ron Morrow and Ann Wells, who are two of the partners in Ozark Pasture Beef, a grassfed, grassfinished beef and lamb business since 2001. Ron has been teaching controlled grazing workshops for over 20 years. Ann has been working with producers and teaching them how to keep their livestock healthy for that same time.

There will be steers close to finishing that producers can see and feel to understand what finishing is all about. Discussion about cattle type, pasture sequencing and marketing will also be covered.

This workshop will also be attended by members of Oklahoma Farmers and Ranchers Association sister organization in Louisiana, the Louisiana Ranchers and Growers Assocation. On Friday, April 19th, there will be farm tours at members’ farms in Oklahoma. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect and network with another similar group, and learn how they produce their livestock.

Cost for the Saturday workshop is $45 for non-members, which will include a year’s membership to Oklahoma Farmers and Ranchers Association and $10 for members. There is no charge for the farm tours on Friday.

Please contact Shirley Butler at ofra0309@gmail.com or 918-695-2194 or Ann Wells at sprngpond@aol.com or 479-409-8772 to register for the workshop. Space is limited.

Funded in part by a Conservation Innovation Grant from USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Farm Tours, April 19th starting at 9:30 am at:

Clarence and Jeri Threats, cattle operation using rotational grazing. Also has a dairy cow and pigs.
9900 W. Chimney Mountain Road, Muskogee, OK

We will lunch as a group, but each person responsible for own lunch. Following lunch we will travel to:
Dean and Melissa Bennett, cattle, dairy goats, chickens, vegetables.
11542 N 400 Rd, Hulbert, OK

This will be a good opportunity to see what two small farms are doing to sustainably raise food and enhance their land resources.

Also a chance to meet other farmers from Oklahoma and Louisiana.

No charge to visit the farms.

For more information contact Shirley Butler at ofra0309@gmail.com or 918-695-2194 or Ann Wells at sprngpond@aol.com or 479-409-8772

Kerr Center President Jim Horne greets the 2013 Beginning Farmer and Rancher class.

Fifty-five beginning ag producers attended the first workshop of the Kerr Center’s 2013 Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program, Saturday, Jan. 19, at Kiamichi Vo-tech in Poteau, Oklahoma.

Kerr Center President Jim Horne greeted the class and introduced the center’s partners: the Oklahoma Farmer and Rancher Association (OFRA), the Rural Smallholder Association (RSA), and the Mvskoke Food Sovereignty Initiative (MFSI).  OSU Cooperative Extension Service is also a partner.

Participants then introduced themselves and described their farms. The diverse group ranged from those fresh out of school to those starting a new career.  Most are from Oklahoma, with a sprinkling from surrounding states.

Kerr Center’s David Redhage spoke on business planning at the first Beginning Farmer and Rancher workshop.

A few, like Harry Smith who recently moved to Oklahoma from upstate New York, grew up on farms, but left for other careers. Others, like Loyal Plumb of Tahlequah, grew up “around” relatives’ farms, but never had their own ag enterprise. Others have no farming background at all.

Ready or not, most have already taken the plunge.  Catherine Bruce of Norman has a farm “in the middle of town” where she grows a lot of tomatoes.  Others run livestock on bigger acreages. All, however, feel the need for more training.

“I’m looking forward to the time with our experts here,” said Jennie Lillard of Wetumka. “I’m very excited.”

The Baker family of Baker Heritage Farms in Howe is busily preparing for their first year of vegetable production after growing a test plot last year while Don Baker attended the beginning farmer class.

Kerr Center is “a blessing to small farmers and ranchers trying to get started,” he says.
Others from the area accepted into this year’s program include Teddy Irwin and Phyllis Davis, both of Talihina.

Jim Horne said that he and Kerr staff are inspired by “the goals and dreams” of the new agriculturists.

“Your enthusiasm is very contagious and we just love to help people that are
appreciative and want to learn,” he added.

left to right facing: Mike Everett, Loyal Plumb, David Baker. Backs to us: Ethan Eakin and Daniel Rose.

The focus of the first training session of 2013 was business planning, which is essential to the success of any agricultural enterprise. Ag economist and Kerr Center Director of Ranch Operations David Redhage presented information on “Planning for Success.”

Other Kerr Center staff on hand for the workshop were: Cattle Manager Will Lathrop and Horticulture Manager George Kuepper, who introduced their programs to the group.  Business Manager Liz Speake, Communications Director Maura McDermott, Kerr Ranch Foreman Simon Billy, and Administrative Assistant Hannah Daniels were also in attendance. Lunch was catered by Cakes’N’More in Poteau.

Representatives from partnering organizations included June Marshall of MFSI, Mike Everett of OFRA, and Ronnie Gardisser of RSA. Everett explained the principles of “whole farm planning” to the group.

In the fall of 2011, the center and its partners received a grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program to conduct training programs.

The Kerr Center was one of just 36 organizations in the country to receive this grant funding. The center has a long history of providing education to farmers and ranchers.
Classes meet one Saturday each month at the Kerr Center and in Okmulgee at the Mvskoke Food Sovereignty Initiative offices.

Students choose either a horticulture or livestock track. Everyone receives instruction in business planning and natural resource management. Trainees receive scholarships that cover tuition and materials.

The classes are a mix of classroom instruction and time in the field with a focus on real-life problem solving and hands-on skills. The center also provides extensive resources for students to study on their own time. Course materials are available free to the public here on the Kerr Center website.

Jim Horne, who recently marked his 40th year with the center, remarked on the changes he has seen over the years, from large numbers leaving agriculture to people coming back, often as a second career. He also noted the value of getting “back to basics” in these uncertain times.

The need for new farmers is great. When she announced the 2011 grant recipients, Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan said that now is a critical time to train the next generation of American producers.

“American agriculture supports one in twelve jobs in America,” she said. “But our farmers are aging, and more of our young people are looking outside of farming for their careers.”

To follow the progress of the Beginning Farmers and Ranchers and for more information on Kerr Center programs visit www.kerrcenter.com. Applications for next year’s class will be available later this year.

• Overview of Course
• Course Topics
• Timeline/Calendar
• Course Materials

This project was supported by Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grant no. 2011-49400-30525 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Feb. 2 Agenda

10:00 a.m. Welcome
10:15-10:45 Nutrition and Lifestyle – Michelle Moulton, Registered Dietician; Reasor’s, Inc.
10:45-12:00 Seed Saving – George McLaughlin, Seed Saver and Specialist in Self Sufficiency
12:00-1:30 Lunch on your own
1:30-2:00 p.m. FPC Update and Invitation to participate, Pam Kingfisher, FPC Board
2-2:30 p.m. Cooking from your Garden – Rita Bergman, Engineer and Dietician
2:30-3:15 Drought, Pest and Weed Options – Coleen Thornton, Heaven Sent Food and Fiber
3:15 p.m. Composting – Sand Mueller, life-long horticulturist and greenhouse guru
4:00 p.m. Evaluate and Close

PLEASE SHARE WIDELY AND CONSIDER JOINING US:

The Cherokee County Food Policy Council invites you to attend the first in a series of “Growing Our Own” educational workshops. The first workshop will be held at the N.S.U. Redbud Room, located on the 3rd floor in the University Center. The workshop is focused to the home gardener but will cover a range of topics of interest to beginners and seasoned growers and producers alike. We will hear from Reasor’s Nutritionist and our own Amazing Seed Saver – George McLaughlin and composting/greenhouse Guru- Sand Mueller, and other knowledge keepers. The day will begin at 10:00 am and run until 5:00 pm with a break for lunch on your own. Clear Creek Seed company will join us with a display table of their seed line.

We have some fun Door prizes too!

This event is free and open to the public: RSVP to Dana Smith at 678-333-9685 or via email at ds920@att.net

Hope to see you there!

The first is March 2 in Fredericksburg, Texas and the second is March 8 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Beginning women farmers are invited to find out how Holistic Management® can help them manage risks, make better decisions, and reap the benefits of a sustainable, profitable agriculture business. The seminars are FREE. Hurry as space is limited and you must register in advance to attend.

Find out more now. HMI is an equal opportunity provider.
holisticmanagement.org

The Cherokee County Food Policy Council invites you to attend the first in their “Growing Our Own” educational workshops. These events are free and open to the public. On February 2, Saturday, the first workshop will be held at the NSU in the University Center from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm with lunch on your own. The agenda will be focused primarily for the Home Garden including Garden Planning for Seed Saving, Eating what you Grow, Drought, Weed and Pest Control, an Introduction to Permaculture, and Composting.

The second workshop will be held on February 23, Saturday, as a larger Producer focused course held at the Community Building beginning at 9am for an all day session. Topics will cover Food Safety, Farm to School (F2S) or Restaurant/Wholesale options; Mapping our Food System – Missing Ingredients, Value Added Product Development to Market, Soil Minerals – More Than NPK, and Know Your Costs to Decide your Price. We will be joined by Chef Guy Romero, along with Chef Eli Huff, from Tulsa Union Schools, Chef Darren Ross from Doc’s Restaurant in Tulsa (who are looking for local meat, cheese, grains and produce to purchase for the 2013 season) along with representatives from Urban Agrarian, and Ludivine – a local-vore restaurant in OKC. The Chefs will be our Key Note Speakers and speaking on a panel with Q&A time. Micah Anderson from the ODAFF Plastic Culture program will also be joining us that day. Networking and options for additional sales will be available for producers.

The mission of the Cherokee County Food Policy Council is to promote the supply and benefits of a healthy, robust, local food system”. The two primary goals of the Cherokee County Food Policy Council are to understand and support the development of the five sectors of the food system (production, processing, distribution, consumption and composting/recycling; And to Support the Creation of a Cherokee County and Regional Food Hub in Northeast Oklahoma.

To familiarize current and future fresh market producers with management, production, and marketing techniques for fresh produce.

Class size:
Course is limited to first 50 registrants.

Pre-registration is required with registrations being processed on a first come basis.

Registration fee: $70 per individual or $90 per couple (one set of handouts only)
Handouts included with the registration:
 Each session’s notes
 Fact sheets
 Oklahoman’s Guide to Growing Fruits, Nuts, & VegetablesHandbook

Format: Presentation/discussion
Time frame: Eight consecutive Tuesdays 6:30 to 9:00 pm beginning January 15, 2013 and ending March 5, 2013

Location:
Tulsa County Extension Office
located at 4116 E. 15th, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Sustainable agriculture conference with more than 1000 attendees. Many small farmers to network with. Topics include vegetable and fruit production, livestock production, marketing and business planning.