NACD’s 68th Stewardship Week will be held April 30 – May 7. In 2023, NACD’s Stewardship Week will be focused on watersheds and the theme of “One Water.”
NACD Stewardship Week is one of the largest national programs to promote natural resource conservation. Celebrated annually since 1955 between the last Sunday in April and the first Sunday in May, NACD Stewardship Week reminds us of our individual responsibilities to care for natural resources.
For more information or to submit an entry, visit the Stewardship Week webpage, or contact NACD by email or phone (202-547-6223).
Shop a curated selection of plants that support pollinators and ecosystems of our region at the Philbrook Museum of Art annual native plant sale. Bring containers for taking your plants home.
For more information, visit the event webpage, or contact the Philbrook Museum of Art by email or phone (918-748-5300).
May 8, 2023, is the deadline for applications to the SARE Fellows program. SARE Fellows is a unique professional development opportunity for agricultural professionals to:
– Build new relationships with colleagues across the nation.
– Deepen their understanding of the concepts and intentions of sustainable agriculture.
– Visit with innovative producers and partners nationwide who are striving to sustain agriculture for future generations.
– Increase their awareness about educational opportunities and approaches in sustainable agriculture.
The SARE Fellows program provides an immersive educational experience for participants to enhance their understanding of sustainable agriculture through broad-based training and interpersonal interactions at unique agriculture operations nationwide. Participating Fellows build professional relationships, improve their teaching and technology transfer skills, and are better prepared to develop programs that meet the needs of their local agricultural communities. Learn more about the SARE Fellows program and about previous participants’ experiences.
Eligibility
– Agricultural professionals working in outreach programs focused on farmer and rancher education.
– Must have an interest in learning about sustainable agriculture systems across the US and applying what you learn with your agricultural community.
For more information, or to apply, visit the SARE Fellows Program webpage, or contact Kristy Borrelli by email or phone (301-453-5339).
Please note that, in cooperation with efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19, the Kerr Center is currently offering tours by appointment only, and only outdoors. To request a tour, please contact us at least two weeks in advance by calling 918.647.9123 or emailing mailbox@kerrcenter.com (please put “public tour” in subject line).
(Under normal circumstances, guided tours are available one day each month, on the second Tuesday, April through September.) During these tours, Kerr Center staff show visitors our current horticulture and livestock projects.
Tours go from 9-11 or 1-3 (approximate length), and cost $10 per person.
Advance registration is required. Contact us a week in advance to let us know you are coming and whether you want to see horticulture or livestock projects or both.
Keep in mind that what is available to see varies according to season. When you call, we can let you know what is available to see. We want you to have the best possible experience!
Pay at the door. Tours begin at the Kerr Center office.
Click here for directions and map.
All other visits must be requested at least two weeks in advance. Groups are welcome.
Call the Kerr Center at 918.647.9123 or email mailbox@kerrcenter.com with “tour request” in the subject line to arrange a visit.
May 11 is the deadline for online submission of applications to USDA’s Value Added Producer Grants program. (Paper applications must be postmarked by May 16.)
The Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program helps agricultural producers enter into value-added activities related to the processing and marketing of new products. The goals of this program are to generate new products, create and expand marketing opportunities and increase producer income.
Planning Grants of up to $75,000, and Working Capital Grants of up to $250,000, are available through the program.
Applicants must request a Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number and use it to register with the System for Award Management (SAM). This process commonly takes a month and must be completed before the VAPG application can be submitted.
For more information, visit the VAPG webpage, or contact Brian Wiles by email or phone (405-742-1060).
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition offers a free Farmers’ Guide to Applying for the VAPG.
Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE)’s Graduate Student Grant program supports sustainable agriculture research projects by Master’s and Ph.D. students in the southern region. Graduate students must be enrolled full time. The maximum funding is $16,500 for a two-year project.
Research projects must focus on sustainable agriculture and cover issues related to improving the profitability of farmers/ranchers in the southern region; sustaining and improving the environmental quality and natural resources base on which agriculture depends; or enhancing the quality of life for farmers and ranchers and the communities they support.
Research projects can be quantitative (component field research, for example) or qualitative (research that addresses social science issues).
Applications are due by 11:00 A.M. (Central time) on May 12, 2023.
For more information or to apply, visit the program website, or contact Candace Pollock-Moore by email or phone (770-412-4786).
Get ready to add a little more color and life into your home with the free Oklahoma City Flower & Garden Festival! Attendees will be able to explore breathtaking botanicals like flowers, herbs and succulents while browsing unique jewelry pieces as well as jewelry, garden art, crafts.
For more information, visit the event webpage, or contact Myriad Botanical Gardens by email or phone (405-445-7080).
During the third full week of May each year, conservation organizations, associations, farmers, ranchers, shepherds, and consumers share stories about how heritage breeds have impacted their lives, environments, and local economies. This global conversation raises awareness about endangered livestock and poultry breeds listed on the Livestock Conservancy’s Conservation Priority List and about rare breeds around the world. You can share photos and plans for special activities on social media. The Livestock Conservancy also has brochures to help you tell the story of livestock and poultry conservation.
For more information, visit the Livestock Conservancy website, or contact The Livestock Conservancy by email or phone (919-542-5704).
Farmers and ranchers may apply to enroll grasslands in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Grasslands signup through May 26.
The Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is part of the CRP program, a federally funded voluntary program that contracts with agricultural producers so that environmentally sensitive agricultural land is not farmed or ranched, but instead used for conservation benefits. FSA provides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. Contract duration is 10 or 15 years. Grassland CRP helps landowners and operators protect grassland, including rangeland, and pastureland, and certain other lands, while maintaining the areas as grazing lands.
The program emphasizes support for grazing operations, plant and animal biodiversity, and grassland and land containing shrubs and forbs under the greatest threat of conversion. Grassland CRP is reauthorized by the 2018 Farm Bill.
For more information on the CRP Grasslands program, see the USDA fact sheet. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition also has this post with more background on the program.
To enroll in the CRP Grasslands signup, producers and landowners should contact their local USDA Service Center by the May 26 deadline.
The Oklahoma Pecan Growers Association Annual Convention & Trade Show is a 3-day conference designed for the pecan industry in Oklahoma and surrounding areas.
For more information or to register, visit the event webpage, or contact the Oklahoma Pecan Growers Association by email or phone (580-279-0357).
