Friends of the Kerr Center
September 1, 2009
Dear Friends,
This is an exciting time for those of us working for a more sustainable
agriculture and local food systems. The greening of August this
year is a reminder that change is an essential part of the life
process. Rains in the heat of the summer
can inspire hope and joy as we anticipate a new and better harvest.
I believe that if you look around you will agree with me that
reasons for optimism abound. Increasing numbers of consumers around
the country are "voting with
their forks"-- opting to eat food that is grown sustainably
and grown locally. The continuing interest that Americans have in
health is expanding beyond going to gyms and counting calories to
demanding fresh, nutritious food for themselves and their children. However,
in the shadows there are a number of “big
outfits” controlling seed, food, and competition.
At the same time, a new awareness is growing of the importance
of keeping agricultural land for agriculture, rather than losing
it to urban sprawl. The public is also beginning to understand that
it is up to them to support farmers who use sustainable methods
to raise crops and animals.
People are also beginning to acknowledge that it is not just forests
and wetlands that need protecting—that well-managed, environmentally-healthy agricultural
lands are important environmental assets. Some of the walls that have stood between
urban folks and farmers/ranchers are beginning to crumble. Even
agriculture policy is beginning to reflect an incremental paradigm
shift.
Farmers are responding positively to these changes by diversifying
their operations—looking
to try sustainable methods, adding value to their produce, bringing
folks out to the farm, and in general reconnecting with consumers
and each other to find new ways to sustain their farms into the
future. To see these positive signs of change is gratifying to me
both personally and professionally.
I grew up on a small farm in southwestern Oklahoma and today raise
cattle on my farm in Latimer County. I grew up during the post-World
War II agricultural revolution, when farmers were told to "get big or get out" and
the percentage of the American public engaged in farming fell from
nearly 20 per cent to around 2 per cent. I have watched our rural
areas decline and noticed that the tantalizing promises to American
farmers of big new export markets never materialized.
Agriculture was at a low point when the Kerr Center for Sustainable
Agriculture was created in the mid-1980s. Despite the misery in
rural areas, agricultural leaders dismissed progressive movements
such as sustainable agriculture, sometimes aggressively. However,
we at the Kerr Center had a vision for the future and core beliefs
that have sustained us from that time to the present. These core
values include a belief in the family farm structure of agriculture,
the enhancement and protection of natural resources, respect for
nature, and support for local food systems and rural communities.
We also believe in the need for fair markets and public policy that
ensures fair treatment of farmers and
ranchers, as well as governmental and university research that will
benefit agricultural producers directly.
Since it was established, the Kerr Center has provided substantive
research, educational activities, and policy guidance to agriculturists.
From the successful anti-brucellosis campaign of the late 1970s
to the demonstration projects and field days of the ‘90s,
to the book, reports, and conferences of the new century, we have
explored many avenues in our efforts to reach people.
As a result, the Kerr Center has become a leader, not only in
Oklahoma, but nationally, in advocating for a food system that provides
a safe, adequate, and nutritious supply of food produced and distributed
in ways that are economically viable, ecologically sound, and equitable
to producers and consumers.
Through the years, we have made a conscious decision to provide
information to the public free of charge whenever possible, and
when it is not possible, to keep charges low so that we are able
to reach the people most in need of our information. Most of our
publications can be downloaded free of charge from our web site.
Attendance at our conferences, visits to our web site, and the
use of our books and reports by educators and policy makers have
convinced us that support for sustainable agriculture is indeed
growing. However, we can’t claim victory
yet. Indeed there are still many, many battles to be fought, and
many minds and hearts to be changed.
The Kerr Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational foundation.
We are funded in part by an endowment from the estate of Senator
Robert S. Kerr, Oklahoma oilman, governor and senator. (We have
no connection with Kerr-McGee, the company he co-founded). We have
been sustained by this generous endowment for many years, and we
have tried to be faithful to the senator’s vision of stewardship
of Oklahoma’s land, wood, and water.
Unfortunately, just as real progress seems to be occurring and
we are ready to face new challenges, the Kerr Center has been hit
hard by the prolonged economic recession. We have reluctantly concluded
that in order for us to maintain the same level of service to farmers,
ranchers, and policy makers, we must look to our friends to help
us maintain programs. So we have re-established a "Friends
of the Kerr Center’ gifting program. While we established
this a few years ago and many of you responded, we are in the process
of updating our materials.
Here is how it works. All contributions are tax deductible. We have
designated levels of support—Tiller ($20-$34), Sower ($35-49),
Cultivator ($50-$199), Harvester ($200-$999) and Steward ($1000
or more). Donors at the steward level will receive a copy of The
Next Green Revolution: Essential Steps to a Healthy, Sustainable Agriculture in
appreciation. All donations, no matter what the level, will be gratefully
accepted. We also can provide you information about donating assets
as well as estate planning. Please
visit our website for specific ideas.
We don’t believe in heavy-handed fund raising campaigns, so don’t
expect your mailbox to be inundated by pleas from us. We will just
ask for your support annually. Our list of donors’ and
contact information will be kept confidential. (You have the option
of having your name listed as a donor in our newsletter each year.)
And if you find you cannot help us at this time, perhaps we can
count on you in the future.
If you would like more information about our programs and concerns,
please explore our website. To learn more about the history of the
foundation, visit about
the Kerr Center.
For more information on donations (including estate planning),
please call me at
the Kerr Center, at 918-647-9123.
If you have benefited from one of our programs, publications or
events, or know someone who has; or if you’re aware of the importance of the issues we
continue to tackle, please consider becoming an "official" friend
of the Kerr Center.
Thank you for your support and for being a good neighbor.
Sincerely,
Jim Horne
President and CEO
Kerr Center
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